Summary: My conversation this week is with Mark Labberton, the president of Fuller Seminary. Mark and I met about six years ago when he was the Associate Professor of Preaching and director of the Ogilvie Institute of Preaching. He’s been an incredible mentor and a great source of encouragement to me over the years and am grateful for the wisdom he brings to this conversation. You can learn more about Fuller at www.fuller.edu Reflection: Mark said, “Competition is a valid and good thing. I think fairness, sportsmanship, the capacity to be the kind of person you want to be while you win is a different and richer goal. How do you nurture those kinds of values?” Mark also said, “I think a parent that has a broader vision for what this season is about can find ways of introducing new culture. If only 2-5% of a population gain a common vision, then they can change the whole group. If you think about some sports teams, it’s not very many people who have to join you in that, it has to be more than one family, but taking it in that way, and doing it out of love, … can create a life-giving culture for your kids and their sports.” Is there another family or two you could partner up with to shape the culture of your team? Who are they? If you could make one change to your team culture as families that would make it a better environment for your kids to thrive, what would it be? How do we affirm and practice that each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made? What would it be like if every kid in our team was aware they were valued as a part of the team, period, and not appreciated for their performance?
