Opportunity in the disruption
By Eldon Kibbey
How are you using your time these days?
I get a variety of answers to that question. Some are busier than before the pandemic, and others are bored with a lot of extra time to kill. Some have added disciplines, others have dropped all semblance of discipline.
I find that I have more time to read and have gotten more work done in the yard, even though I am probably having more meetings, because most of them are on Zoom, and I am no longer driving to and from meetings, and rarely taking a nap!
Two of men I used to disciple have come back to me, and I am hearing of others who are picking up new guys to disciple because life is less hectic and there is more time for study and relationship.
What does that look like for you?
If you are working from home, and your kids are home, what about engaging your high school or college kids in Operation Timothy? It’s pretty simple to introduce them to eOT – electronic Operation Timothy, on advance.cbmc.com. Log in, look for Invite a Timothy, and put in their name and email. Or, log in, and look at it together. My son and I went through Operation Timothy in the summers following his junior and senior years of high school, and it was one of the best things I ever did! It established an adult relationship with him, in the Word of God, which continues to this day, twenty years later! Of course, we used the books, and they can be purchased from Amazon by searching for Operation Timothy. I recommend the Signature Series.
Currently, I am using Zoom with a grandfather, his son, and his son – 3 generations, living in two different cities apart from Indianapolis. The power of the Internet provides not only the material – eOT, but, also the medium – Zoom, so there is no excuse for being out of town, or for misplacing your book!
The awesome experience of three generations studying the same material is that they are discussing things they would never talk about at a family gathering! It also shows that it is never too late for discipleship! We have had a son take his father through Operation Timothy, as well!
Do you miss your buddies at church, or at work? How about asking one of them to do Operation Timothy on Zoom during these days of shelter-in-place. As things are opening up, and the weather is warmer, you might meet at a park and sit at a picnic table, maybe even with a mask on!
Ladies, you could consider doing the same thing with one of your friends! Some of the women who have enjoyed sharing the materials have called themselves, Naomi and Ruth, since we guys use Paul and Timothy.
For a personal testimony regarding the value of Operation Timothy, click here for a video that Vice President Mike Pence did for CBMC while he was Governor of Indiana.
Think and Pray
You’ve heard the saying, “God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.” When you make yourself available to help someone else know and follow Christ better, the Holy Spirit will work in and through you. Remember, this commission to make disciples was His idea, and He promised to be with you always.
Father, show me how to make these days count. As Isaiah said, so I say: “Here am I, send me.” Show me who I might invite into a discipleship relationship and go before me in that conversation. Thank You for the privilege of participating in the work You are doing in the souls of men. Let it all be for Your glory, Amen.
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Eldon Kibbey has served as the Director of CBMC Indiana since 1998. His earlier career included a tour of duty with the US Air Force, a brief career in the aerospace industry with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, and then 26 years at the helm of a national janitorial service. Eldon and his wife, Sandy, are the parents of four children, and have three grandsons.