You may have seen these words on our home page:
WE ENLARGE THE CAPACITY OF GREAT COMMISSION CROSS-CULTURAL WORKERS
YOU CAN HAVE A TENDED SOUL AND EXPANDING SKILL SET
At a recent team meeting, we had a lively discussion about what we mean when we talk about an enlarged capacity. Are we thinking of you like an athlete in a crucial game who sustains an injury, and the medical team decides it’s okay to use pain medication so that you can get back on the field?
In short, no.
When we talk about an enlarged capacity, it’s not so you can keep doing more, especially when the doing is not actually what God has for you.
That’s why we start with being — you can have a tended soul. And then move to doing—and an expanding skill set. Growth in both areas of being and doing are core values, and we have written about the importance of cultivating a growth mindset.
A few years ago I was at a conference and turned to introduce myself to the woman sitting behind me as we waited for our workshop to start.
“Hi, I’m Amy Young with Global Trellis.”
“Oh I know who you are,” the woman said in such a way that she had my attention. “I can tell who in our organization uses Global Trellis because they have an enlarged capacity. They are healthier than those who don’t see the value in Global Trellis.”
I love it that one of you told us what you find here . . . “enlarging capacity” isn’t a slogan or a pithy saying, it’s the heartbeat of Global Trellis.
Our lively team discussion led to the series that will unfold in the upcoming weeks. You’ll hear from the team members and a few special guests. How do you measure your capacity? What does an enlarged capacity in language learning look like? How can loss or your thinking impact your capacity?
As we’ve worked on this series, one team member said, “What a great way to head into the fall season. As we hit this new country two years ago, I was spewing out an overflow of transition fatigue, and my husband was raring to go. I remember at one team meeting when we were talking about goals, I repeatedly said, ‘I don’t have the capacity for that’. I couldn’t keep it from coming out of my mouth!! I’m interested to reevaluate after reading your posts and see how I should tweak things this new semester.”
Maybe you are the person raring to go. Or perhaps you resonate with the person who says, “I don’t have capacity for that!” Wherever you find yourself right now, this series is for you. It will run Monday, Wednesday, Friday during August to give you time to process the information and realize how many variables are involved in capacity.
When you think about capacity, what comes to mind?
Dear Amy, I’m exited for this series! For me the word capacity gives a sense of volume. Like a balloon can hold a certain amount of air untill it crosses the capacity and then it will blast. In the same way, each of us can hold (handle) a certain amount of things (combination of physical/mental/emotional/spiritual things). When we know our capacity and respect it, we will do well. If not, we will ‘blast’. I’m looking forward to read more on this topic and find ways to asses and grow my capacity.
Much love and blessings,
Petra, I love the image of a balloon! and the flexibility to a point. Your comment reminds me of a teammate who used to also say that we were like balloons in that we have outside pressures and inside pressures that influence our shape. I hope this series is a blessing :). Amy
As I face a season of huge transition and unknowns, I’m curious to see what I will glean from this course — along with Looming Transitions book, I suspect it’s God timing. At the same time, I tend to mentally equate capacity with energy. I’ve heard people referred to as “high capacity”, and they get lots of exciting things done. The ones I’m thinking of just now are high-energy extroverts. It’s hard not to compare with them. Maybe this will help me redefine and reframe my thoughts.
Rachel, such helpful additions to the conversation :). I, too, have heard the phrase being “high capacity” with getting lots of things done. Hopefully, though this series, you’ll see that is not how Global Trellis defines it (nor more importantly, Jesus!). Did you see Tim’s article on capacity and transitions? I’m smiling at God’s timing for you . . . and sense His delight in you!