Posted in reflections, tagged failure, identity, perfectionism, success-driven on August 6, 2013| 4 Comments »
Photo by faith goble
By Ann Chen
As a Chinese-American, I’ve grown up in a culture that values “saving face” and rewards perfection and success. I’ve seen this play out not only in my academic/professional life, but in my ministry and in my personal relationships.
One thing that I’ve grown to embrace more is a willingness to fail.
Or perhaps it’s not the willingness. It’s the acceptance that I’ve failed. Many times. And I continue to fail. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged self-awareness, success-driven on November 8, 2011| 7 Comments »
Photo by Tony the Misfit
By Joy Wong
For most of my life, I’ve measured my own success based on grades, accolades, and other achievements. But lately, as I’ve become more attuned to the ways that I need to grow, I’ve been trying to redefine success for myself. Here are some statements I’ve come up with for this season in my life: (more…)
Posted in spotlight, tagged community, finding one's voice, flourishing, raising a family, self-care, social justice, success-driven, sustainability, urban ministry on August 30, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Maria Liu Wong is the dean of City Seminary of New York, as well as a doctoral candidate of Teachers College at Columbia University. Her focus of study is Asian American, West Indian, African, and Asian women leaders in theological education. Maria is a mom of two kids with one on the way, and married to a great husband who supports her in all her endeavors.
What are your ministry passions?
My passion is for bridge-building and bringing resources to the under-resourced. I started out working in the Bronx with Teach for America, working in an inner city setting. Later, I worked in Ethiopia, and I am now part of a non-profit, humanitarian organization. Social justice issues are very critical for me, and working in the city brings all those things together. (more…)
Posted in reflections, tagged burnout, functional atheism, rest, success-driven on August 23, 2011| 4 Comments »
Photo by Pink Sherbet Photography
By Joy Wong
In Parker Palmer‘s book, Let Your Life Speak, a common shadow among leaders is named as “functional atheism” — “the belief that ultimate responsibility for everything rests with us,” along with “the conviction that if anything decent is going to happen here, we are the ones who must make it happen.” According to Palmer, functional atheism often leads to depression, despair, burnout, and embitterment. Boy, did I resonate with this! (more…)
Posted in shared insights, tagged human striving, letting go of control, submission, success-driven on July 12, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Shared by Christy Hyun
What have you been learning lately?
Lately I’ve been learning that I can start with a godly goal – church planting, ministering to others, doing all sorts of things — but if I lose focus of God, then it becomes driven by me, not by God. In my human condition, I have a tendency to pervert my goals to become a glorified thing for myself. I’ve also been learning that not everything God wants us to do is going to flourish. Sometimes through that process, He wants us to be broken, and perhaps He’s teaching us that He’s the one doing it, not us. It’s a blessing that God has that kind of interest in our lives.
For me, a red flag is control, and I have to continually ask myself, How much of this am I controlling? (more…)
Posted in spotlight, tagged competition, freedom, letting go of control, perfectionism, raising a family, self-righteousness, solidarity, success-driven on May 31, 2011| Leave a Comment »
Christy Hyun is the pastor’s wife at Gospel Mission Project Church in Santa Clarita, CA, a mom of four kids, and a licensed marriage-family therapist in private practice. Born in Korea and raised in southern California, she received her BA at Boston University and attended Fuller Theological Seminary and Western Seminary. She loves meeting new people and helping God’s people to become not what people tell them to be, but what God intended them to be. Her favorite activity is hanging out with her favorite people — her kids and her husband.
What are your ministry passions?
I have always had a heart for women and equipping them in all aspects of womanhood. My ministry passion is to translate into our daily lives the idea of knowing God and being known by God. (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged gratitude, self-acceptance, self-improvement, success-driven on December 28, 2010| 6 Comments »
Photo by jurvetson
By Joy Wong
Ever since I was a little girl, I loved making New Year’s resolutions. I loved the idea of taking the time to reflect on who I was and how I could be better, and then creating to-do items in the hopes of forming good habits to better myself. Self-improvement was an important value of mine, and the tradition of making resolutions on New Year’s Day gave me the opportunity to do just that. (more…)
Posted in Uncategorized, tagged church growth, Kingdom values, Marketdom, megachurch, success-driven on May 1, 2009| Leave a Comment »
Photo by tipiro
In one of my favorite books, There is a Season, Joan Chittister quotes an Arab proverb: “Every morning I turn my face to the wind and scatter my seed. It is not difficult to scatter seeds but it takes courage to go on facing the wind.” Chittister continues, “The ability to stand steadfast in the face of opposition is the real charism of the sower.” (more…)
Posted in Joy, reflections, tagged culture, enneagram, expectations, people-pleasing, personality theory, personality types, self-awareness, self-worth, success-driven on September 10, 2008| 2 Comments »
Photo by Jesslee Cuizon
by Joy Wong
I recently attended a seminar on a personality theory called the Enneagram. In this theory, there are different personality types, numbered 1-9. The Enneagram personality types delve into the motivations behind our actions, thoughts, and habits. I took the seminar with thirty other chaplains of a mix of different races and ages, and I turned out to be Type 3, labeled the “Achiever” or the “Performer.” (more…)
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