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GROWING
EDGES
Dear
Friends of RENOVARÉ,
Three years ago I came to our RENOVARÉ
Team (who legally functions as our Board
of Trustees) with a five year Leadership
Transition Plan. "The time is soon
coming," I told them, "when the
best way I can help to fuel and resource
the movement that God is creating in our
day is by devoting myself full-time to prayer
and to writing; other leaders will be needed
to effectively take RENOVARÉ
to the next level of ministry and service."
In those days of retreat together we discerned
that this was a good and right direction
for us. At this gathering we set apart a
"clearness committee" to guide
us through this five year transition into
new leadership. We are now three years into
that process.
Quiet Adjustments
We have quietly been making the adjustments
necessary for as seamless a leadership transition
as possible. We began strengthening our
RENOVARÉ Team,
adding new and young leaders who would give
increased vision and energy to our efforts.
We completed The Renovaré Spiritual
Formation Bible to lay a solid biblical
foundation for our efforts. We've launched
a line of fifteen books to surround the
Bible effort, the first two of which are
announced in this Newsletter.
In the spring of '05 we reorganized our
office placing Lyle SmithGraybeal in the
role of Coordinator. Then in the summer
of '05 we appointed Margaret Campbell of
Houston, Texas, as the Co-Chair of our Board
of Trustees. This is a three year training
period in which Margaret and I are working
together with the full expectation that
in the summer of '08 Margaret will assume
full responsibility as our Board Chair.
And, believe me, I am the one getting the
training! Margaret has remarkable gifts
of leadership and in one short year has
greatly strengthened and expanded our efforts.
This, friends, is exactly as I have hoped.
I knew that if I could find leaders who
are better at these things than I am that
we could make a great team.
Divine
Clarity
In September of '05 our Team gathered in
a special session for three days of retreat
and discernment. Oh, I wish I could adequately
describe for you the thrill of those days.
Our first day was devoted to a listening
silence . . . no decisions pressing upon
us, no e-mails to answer, no phone calls
to make. One day without words in order
that the press of daily life might slip
away. Allowing stillness to settle in upon
us so that we may be the more attentive
to the Divine Whisper. Resting. Listening.
Yielding. A wonder-filled day.
Then, under the skillful leadership of Margaret,
we began to think together about what matters
are central to the RENOVARÉ
vision and to dream together about ways
we can best serve the Church of Jesus Christ
in all her multifaceted expressions. Dallas
Willard gave us a moving talk on the importance
of the vision and goals for RENOVARÉ
always being firmly rooted in the Great
Commission of Matt. 28:18-20.
Together we considered a variety of possible
job description models for a future President.
After extended conversation we came to clearness
on one of those models. It is, I think,
a unique model defining something of the
character and ethos of RENOVARÉ.
(You are now able to read this job description
on the RENOVARÉ
website: www.renovare.org/presidential_search.htm;
to receive a hard copy call our office at
303-792-0152; ask for Courtney.)
The three days ended with firm decisions
about our future direction and concrete
steps to get us there.
The
"R" Word
"Is
this a retirement for you?," you may
be wondering. That is not a word I use and
I have considerable disagreement over the
concept which stands behind it. Others,
however, do use that word . . . most notably
my wife! And it is true that when this process
is completed in the summer of '08 I will
be at the age (sixty-six years) when people
do think of such things. To be sure, I do
hope this transition will allow Carolynn
and me to visit our seven grandchildren
more frequently, and I would love to be
up on those Rocky Mountain trails that are
yet to be hiked a bit more.
But most of all this is a matter of the
stewardship of my energies. I believe that
my most important contribution to this ministry
work will be through my writing—I have
12, maybe 15 more books that I believe I
should write. And here is the rub, I simply
am no longer able to accomplish this while
overseeing the growing work of RENOVARÉ.
So, I must make a choice, and that choice
is to devote myself to the writing.
I hope you see the value of making this
choice, not only to RENOVARÉ
but to the larger spiritual formation movement,
while I am still standing. It is a win/win
for all concerned. Still active and alert
I can both extend the corpus of my own writing
and counsel and encourage the work of God
among us. At the same time, others can step
into leadership roles, taking the work to
new levels of effectiveness. (A Founder
seldom is able to guide a work into its
second and third phases of development.)
Still
Involved and Still Around
This
does not mean that I will disappear. No,
RENOVARÉ is
in my blood and I plan to be very much involved
and very much connected with her ongoing
work. We are projecting that a new President
will be on board by the summer of '07. I
plan to be working closely with this person
for a full year. The Team has agreed that
once this transition is complete in the
summer of '08 I will be welcomed in as an
active RENOVARÉ
Team and Board Member. My travel will be
greatly reduced, to be sure, but I will
remain active.
But I must emphasize that this is a genuine
transition. The Board Chair and the new
President will have full authority to guide
the future of RENOVARÉ.
I will have relinquished that role. No doubt,
as the Founder of RENOVARÉ
there will be a continuing sense of me as
the "first among equals." But
we will work and function together as equals.
This is part of our ethos.
Discerning
God's Future
How
will a new President be chosen? Over the
past three years the Clearness Committee
has been quietly visiting with a wide range
of persons—some who are potential presidential
candidates and others who have been able
to give us insight and direction. Each year
this group has reported their progress in
considerable detail to our entire Team.
We have had two extended two week seasons
of prayer and other special one day times
of fasting and prayer.
Now, we feel it is time to make our search
process public by sharing this letter with
you, our dear friends and supporters. Throughout
this Summer and Fall the Clearness Committee
will enter an intensive time of searching
and interviewing possible candidates: men,
women, all ethnic and racial backgrounds,
whomever. Margaret Campbell will chair these
efforts. May I urge you to carefully and
prayerfully look over the job description
posted on our website: www.renovare.org/presidential_search.htm. You may know of someone we should consider, or perhaps
you yourself should apply. Send all résumés
and applications to
; or for surface mail please send
one set of résumés and application
materials to Margaret Campbell, 13 Woods
Edge Lane, Houston, TX, 77024, and send
an identical set to the RENOVARÉ
office at 8 Inverness Dr. East, Suite 102,
Englewood, CO, 80112-5624.
Then our entire Team will gather once again
in early January of '07 to see if we are
able to come to clearness. If so, we will
extend an invitation for a new President
to join us, effective in the summer of '07.
If not, we will continue our process until
we do discover unity of heart and spirit.
Please do pray for us and with us through
this process. To this end we have developed
a six week prayer guide for this Fall. It
will be available in August at www.renovare.org/fall_2006_prayer_guide.htm;
or you can receive a hard copy by calling
our office. We invite you to join us in
prayer for six weeks this Fall as a way
of bringing our hearts and minds together
to corporately discern the will of God for
our future. Thank you.
Please know, my dear friends, that the power
of the Lord is over all, and we can be confident
that the good work God has begun in us will
be brought to completion (Phil. 1:6). And
what is the work he calls us to here, now?
To me Jesus says, "Go!" To you
Jesus says, "Go!" Go! . . . Go!
. . . Go! Proclaim the good news of the
availability of the Kingdom of God to all.
Available through Jesus. Go! Tell them with
your voice and show them with your life
that they too can enter into the LIFE of
the Kingdom of God beginning now and continuing
on into eternity.
Peace
and joy,
Richard J. Foster
P.S.
REJOICE with us: the $50,000 challenge match
for future projects was reached! $55,497.84
came in and we are so very thankful to the
Lord . . . and to you! RJF
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