Ends Driven, Outcome Based

As Abraham looked around his surroundings, a desire became clear. He wanted a wife for his son, Isaac, from his homeland where his relatives lived, not from the local options. Abraham sent his servant on a journey to accomplish that desired outcome. The servant understood that was a daunting task and he first protested with a “What if…?” question before traveling to the town of Nahor. Upon arrival, he acknowledged through prayer his dependence on God to guide him to the right woman and to make his journey successful.

The servant actively did his part in the story, and God led him to Rebekah and her family. She had the faith to see that God was moving and returned with the servant to become Isaac’s wife. The desired outcome of Abraham came to fruition.

One of the pillars of Avant is to first understand what we want to see accomplished before we begin the action steps to fulfill the desired outcomes. This is an ends driven, outcome based way of operating.

I don’t know how the servant found his way to Nahor since he didn’t have the wonderful GPS map app technology that we have today. We are so used to opening up our map apps and putting in our desired destination first, then the starting location, and finally we get to see the options for how we can get to where we want to go. That mapping process that we are so used to doing matches the mindset of how we operate within Avant.

First, we define the ends, or outcomes, that we desire. Namely, we want to see healthy, reproducing churches started in communities around the world where few exist. Agreeing upon the characteristics of such churches sets the destination for the journey.

Second, we must understand where we are at as we work to develop healthy churches. Our Healthy Church metrics tool allows us to identify our current location.

Then, we can ask what we are going to do next to keep moving toward our desired outcome. Too often we go straight to “What are we going to do?” before we ask, “Where are we going?” and “Where are we now?”

It was vital for Abraham’s servant to know the purpose and then he was able to set out on his journey in dependence upon God to accomplish it. That matches the life of an Avant church planter. We know the end goal. Through a strategic process of asking the right questions in the right order, we can follow God as He guides and uses His transforming power to accomplish a task that is beyond our capabilities apart from Him and His calling.