Writing a story that leaves a legacy
 On Saturday 1 October as we were experiencing the hottest October on record about 60 men were enjoying a breakfast at Vauxhall Farm and listening to a presentation by Trevor Waldock. Trevor is an excellent communicator. He spends about one third of this time working with leaders in business and commits the other two thirds of his time to helping churches in the UK and bringing leadership development to the most vulnerable communities worldwide. He had just returned from Uganda. You can find out more about this work on www.emerging-leaders.net.
Trevor’s presentation was “Writing a story that leaves a legacy”.
Before the coffee break Trevor focused on “Writing a story”. God is writing a story which starts “In the beginning”. God invites us into his story and invites us to write a part. Jesus is central – he is the author of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
After highlighting Jesus journey to Jerusalem from various chapters in Luke (9:51 – 19) Trevor encouraged men to have intentionality about their lives. He threw out the challenge “What is your Jerusalem?” He challenged those present about how they are spending their lives and to practice leadership in their personal lives, in relationships with others and in the local church.
Personal: if 3 people stood up to give speeches at your 80th birthday party, what would they say about you? … about your character? Trevor threw out the question “What aspects of your character are you working on this year?”
Relationships: are so important. Be intentional and organize your time around them.
Teams & groups: God doesn’t just want us to meet, study the Bible and pray (this is only part of being a disciple). Where will our group be in a year’s time? What is our Jerusalem?
Trevor views all men as leaders in some sphere of their lives, whatever their circumstances, quoting “Leadership is the ability to create a story that affects the thoughts, feeling and actions of others”.
After the coffee break he focused on “Leaving a legacy”.
 Our world has become so focused on self and now. We need to think beyond our lives – what legacy will we leave? Trevor drew our attention to 1 Corinthians 4:15 “You have ten thousand teachers but not many fathers”. After reminding us of the rabbinical system of training he drew points from the pattern of Jesus and the disciples and Paul and Timothy. Jesus invitation and challenge was “Follow me” or “you can be like me”. Paul said to Timothy “Imitate me”.
He highlighted that there are lots of pressures in life which can derail Christians and as Paul said we need to “finish the race” and finish it well (2 Timothy 4:7). We need to stay focused on our Jerusalem!
Trevor asked us if we had relationships with younger Christian men, to mentor them and to be there for them. In order to mentor young believers we need to know from them “where is their Jerusalem?” We were left to ponder the question “Can I be a father to a young believer?” Will we leave a legacy?
Not only did I personally I find some of Trevor’s comments relevant to me (as I enter a new phase in my life and reset my Jerusalem) but I believe every man present must have gone away challenged about their purpose and the “story they are writing”.
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