Bound & Determined: Christian Men and Women in Partnership by Jeanene Reese

Author:Jeanene Reese [Reese, Jeanene]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Leafwood Publishers
Published: 2012-02-20T05:00:00+00:00

Thoughts on Working Together

“Because of the troubles we experienced, I have truly realized that as a team, no matter what is going on, you have to be completely honest with each other about things that could affect your work together as a team. Our team has great relationships that were already strong before our team came together, but because we did not communicate well, we did not achieve the set goal.”

—Male Student

Conclusion

What began as a simple experiment in a social gathering early in our marriage has become the norm for Jack and me. We still love to “mix it up” and get out of our comfort zones. To be with those who are different from me can be challenging but also very enriching. Whether he knew it or not, Jack was setting an important agenda that night with his simple decision. Each of our adult children has expressed appreciation for what they have learned growing up in a home that valued diversity and experimentation.

We each, of course, enjoy plenty of time with friends and colleagues of our same genders. I have been with the same Bunko group for many years and have served for a decade in a worldwide ministry by women for women to support and encourage missionaries and national leaders. A significant part of my job description at Abilene Christian University centers around working with young women. Likewise Jack regularly meets with, prays with, and even enjoys fishing with different groups of men. But we also love and appreciate the many mixed gender groups that we get to participate in.

Analyzing my students’ responses in working with each other these past several years has deeply enriched my life. Identifying the importance of story delighted me since, as I already confessed, I love to hear and tell stories. Yet now I have a more focused purpose in telling my story and hearing others—forming greater partnerships.

Learning the importance of finding our centers of identity has also significantly affected my perspective on relationships. In many of our conversations, we tend to take the principle of putting God first and loving our neighbor second and apply it only to our individual lives. Seeing this as an important element of godly partnership allowed me to recognize the urgency of making this application corporately.

Observing the need for better communication in student groups made it possible for me to see this element through more spiritual eyes and, therefore, gave me a whole new framework from which to grow.

Considering when to step up and when to step down not only enabled me to discover types of leaderships found in each group, but also challenged me to examine leadership in the many partnerships in which I serve. Establishing more awareness about when to rise up and fall back has been especially meaningful to my own development as a leader.

Finally, watching the groups opened my eyes to the value of taking responsibility for self and giving grace to all. Some of the groups focused on the importance of making sacrifices, others on the need for respect.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.