The Many Faces of Staff Meeting

If you try to get in touch with any of the AZ staff on Tuesday, they might not answer their phones or Skype. That's because we may be in a staff meeting, which meets every other week. ACTION Zambia's practice has been to gather "to confer, converse and otherwise hobnob with [our] brother wizards." (Wizard of Oz)

Currently there are eleven career 
missionaries on the field and five
national consultants. Our team has   
definitely grown over the past six
years since we've been in Zambia.

The first thirty minutes of each staff meeting are given to prayer. Praying from a list composed by Kristin from our ministry reports, we offer praise and prayer. This habit has knitted our hearts together, as well as increased God's blessing upon our team.

Another habit of our team is that of reading a book together. Presently we're reading and discussing the book by Crabb & Allender, Encouragement: The Key to Caring. Giving a major portion of our meeting to the discussion of books has been extremely valuable. In the past we've studied books like Gospel Transformation and When Helping Hurts.  

After spending a significant amount of
time focusing on the chapters read, our director Tim shares pertinent news
or announcements, in turn asking for any additional ministry information, questions, or further prayer requests. 

Staff meetings have morphed through the years, not only in content, but in location. AZ has held its meetings in five different facilities~from a dismal, crowded office downtown, to the pleasant surroundings we now know at International Baptist Church and Ciyanjano. We are thankful we haven't had to move for over a year and a half now. It's nice to be planted in one place. As Dorothy said, "There's no place like home."

I thank God for the unity of our team. We're not perfect, but we have been kept from division and
                  disharmony that plague other organizations. All praise to the Great Shepherd of the sheep for this! 

And, thanks to the wonderful leaders He's given this team in Tim Hilty and Tracy Singleton. They have feet of clay, but they are the men for this job. They are the men of the hour!