How old will you be in 2040? What will you have accomplished? What impact will you have made?
The DOOR Deaf ILT (International
Leadership Team) from around the world grappled
with those questions recently in Thailand.
Last year, at the 1st DOOR ILT meeting, after processing the concept of "vision" the Deaf team worked for days on their own individual and team one-year goals. For most, this idea of developing goals, plans and budget was a new experience.
This year, the Deaf leaders were challenged to look at the leadership role in accomplishing DOOR's long range goals - the 5 things DOOR hopes to accomplish (see list at end of e-mail).
As one of the Deaf leaders signed, "I've just thought about my life and my goals and what I'm doing, but now I realize it is important to look at what God wants at the end ...and what we as Deaf leaders need to do to get to that place. If I think just of myself, I might think small and not get to the same place."
Since DOOR often talks about what it wants to accomplish in "one generation," the question was asked, "HOW MANY YEARS IS A GENERATION?
Thanks to Google we discovered there are many different answers to that question. The one we liked the best was 40 years - as in one generation of Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years before entering the Promised Land.
Since D.O.O.R. International officially began work in 2000 (incorporated July 1999), then "one generation" would be 2040 ... 32 years from now! It was a fun session figuring out how old everyone in DOOR would be by 2040. As the oldest people in DOOR, we (Mike and Linda Buus), Lord willing, would be 93 years old!
Minds were stretched as the Deaf leaders tried to "picture"
in their minds what DOOR and the Deaf community would look like if DOOR is
successful in completing what we feel God is leading us to do. Emotions
fluctuated between energized excitements to feelings of being totally
overwhelmed.
DOOR"S MAJOR GOALS:
DOOR, with God's help, will...
- Establish an International Sign Language Bible Translation Program and develop resources and curriculum for Deaf Christian leaders.
- Establish leadership training program for Deaf Christians on each continent.
- Establish indigenous, reproducing Deaf Believers' Fellowships in every country of the world through our Deaf programs.
- Establish an association of Deaf Believers' Fellowships that promotes evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, growth and reproduction of Deaf Believers' Fellowships.
- Establish a Deaf awareness program that educates hearing Christians about the need to provide Sign Language Scripture, Deaf Christian leadership resources, Deaf led training for the Deaf.
The DOOR leaders agree, that based on what God has already done through DOOR, they are confident He will be faithful to complete the work! We are equally confident He plans to use DOOR to translate the Bible into 70 to 80 Sign Languages ... train and equip several thousand Deaf evangelists, teachers and leaders ... witness thousands of Deaf Believers' Fellowships established with tens of thousands of Deaf believers ... assist in helping the Deaf Christians to organize associations which will continue the work in their countries and states ... and also educate the hearing church as to the unique gifts, skills and talents the Deaf bring to the kingdom of God.
How about you? Do you want to be a part of what God wants to do through DOOR in "one generation?" We need your continued prayers and support.
We are confident that the most exciting thing you will witness, and be part of as a Christian, is God bringing in an entirely new "nation."
This is exactly what He is doing with the Deaf, and you are a part of it!