Summit Preview: A Chat with the Director

In the next two months, DRIME leaders from all over the world will be gathering in Africa, North America and Latin America for our first-ever Regional Summits. We got a chance to sit down with our Director, Lillian, to hear some of her thoughts.

(I=Interviewer, L=Lillian)

 

I: 2017 ended not long ago. What were some highlights for you?

L: Easy, the teams I got to visit. I got to see our Hong Kong team for the first time and saw how God has been using them. Like every team, they face challenges, but they are a strong team. I left feeling encouraged. I was also able to visit our team in Kenya. It was hard because it was my first visit after the passing of one of their leaders, Jackie, But I was able to help the teams other leader, Eva, form a new team of leaders. It was difficult but an honour to be a part of that process.

Staff Week was also a highlight for me. It was great seeing all the Regional Directors and staff come together. Some of them work from remote locations and don’t get to be in the office everyday like some of us. It was such a rich experience all being in one place planning, praying, and bonding.

I: So the DRIME Summit is returning in less than a month. What exactly is the Summit?

L: It’s a time for DRIME leaders from around the world to come together in one place, hear what’s happening with all the other teams, share vision, and plan together.

I: How did the Summit begin?

L: As staff we were able to travel to visit our teams and hear about what their challenges were and what amazing things God was doing through them. We wanted our team leaders to be able to experience this too and help them see that they were part of a larger DRIME family. We wanted to bring our leaders together so they could learn, grow, and see that they were not doing ministry alone so we tried this out for the first time back in 2012 in Kenya and it was so effective for us all.

I: What has changed over the years?

L: There are more leaders! That’s the biggest change. We have met in a new country every time but the purpose has remained the same.

I: And also the change to Regional Summits. What was the reasoning for the change?

L: Yes, this year we are having three Regional Summits so that more leaders can attend. It is more affordable for those attending, and the Regional Directors can address more specific needs of those teams. We’re trying it out.

I: What are your hopes for this year’s Summits?

L: That the teams would leave each Summit with a plan to start the process of seeing three more teams in each region over the next year, that through the creative sessions new dramas would come to life, and that the leaders would leave encouraged by what God is doing throughout all our teams globally.

I: What are some of your favourite memories from past Summits?

L: Many of them involve being led in song and dance by our African leaders! I have loved worshipping together as one, it always feels so big and special. Another memory I cherish is being with the Brazil leaders as they celebrated ten years of ministry. I felt so proud of them. To be honest, every moment of these Summits have felt like highlights. To be in one room with leaders from around the world is amazing!

I: Are there any prayer requests for the Summits?

L: Yes. You can pray for all the logistics and behind the scenes preparations that need to happen before the Summits, unity between the teams as they all come with differences, that the leaders would leave with more tools in their belts to lead well, and that they would also leave with a sense of confidence and understanding in God’s faithfulness to sustain them.

I: By the way, how is the 2020 vision coming?

L: Two teams have officially launched and we have four in training to launch soon. After the Summits, we’ll have a plan for nine more teams to start the training process in 2018. We are well on our way but there’s still a lot of work to do. We are excited to get to our 20+ goal, but we also don’t want to get too stuck on the number. Our vision is to continue making Jesus inescapable well past 2020.

I: Anything else that you would like to share?

L: It is exciting to be growing and multiplying, but we always want to focus on the reason we do what we do. It is not about growing so that people know of DRIME, but it’s about seeing people come to know Jesus. That is the heart of the ministry and it is a huge privilege that God has allowed us to be a part of His Work.  

 

Make sure you are following us on social media to see our updates from the Regional Summits! To see how our last Summit went, click here.

 

2019-10-11T07:01:39-04:00January 30th, 2018|