A Vision for a Better World
The Delivery Systems
Hi!
I'm so excited to welcome you to the inaugural edition of Ordinary Insights, my new monthly newsletter on transforming the world and the people in it. Expect to uncover insights that challenge conventional wisdom, inspire action, and may even alter the course of your life. As the curator of this space and your partner on this journey, I am thrilled to share the details of a vision I've largely kept to myself until now. However, this vision is too comprehensive for a single article. Therefore, I've spread the content into a five-article series called "A Vision for a Better World," each detailing a different aspect of this vision. This month's article will give you a 30,000-foot introduction to the vehicles that drive this vision, which I call delivery systems.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. In the words of the 44th U.S. President Barack Obama, "change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
Let's get started.
The Delivery Systems
"Change the World" has become increasingly popular as modern theological minds interpret the collision between marketplace and ministry. As a spiritual leader and transformational coach, I see value in its sentiments and have thus embraced this phrase. Still, the thought leader in me relishes the opportunity to broach what this means and how we accomplish it. Let me state very clearly that I don't have the only answer, but I'd like to share the one that has captured my heart so much that I've dedicated my life to it. It's the answer that fuels my decisions and daily habits. Here it is: to change the world, we must change the people in it.
But how? My vision for accomplishing this encompasses critical elements in the form of these four delivery systems: church, charity, coaching, and content. I'll give a broad overview of each in the paragraphs to follow.
The church is this vision's first (and most critical) delivery system. As a budding missiologist, I spend a considerable amount of time thinking about the role of the local church in our modern world. From those thoughts, I've landed on this: the church is not merely a gathering spot. The church is the body of Christ—the hands and feet of Jesus. It should be the epicenter for change, a living, breathing community where individuals fueled by faith seek to make tangible differences in their communities and beyond.
The second delivery system, charity, extends the vision into the broader societal context. It represents our collective responsibility to provide for those in need and to uplift the downtrodden. Now, charity is not just about donations or aid; it's about establishing a culture of generosity that should permeate every aspect of our lives. Beyond the transformation it brings to others, it transforms us by pushing back against our culture of excess and challenging us to look beyond our self-interests and to contribute, in whatever way we can, to the well-being of those around us.
As the third delivery system, coaching underscores the importance of personal transformation as the prerequisite for world transformation. It is leveraging the power of inquiry to produce self-discovery. Through coaching, we can empower individuals to discover their purpose, overcome obstacles, and live fulfilling lives. As a result, their personal growth ripples, influencing families, communities, and, eventually, the world. Coaching provides the tools and support necessary for people to achieve their highest potential and thus become the change they wish to see in the world.
Lastly, content—encompassing books, articles, podcasts, and more—is the primary vehicle for spreading these transformative ideas. In today's digital age, content has the power to reach across geographical, cultural, and societal divides, capturing the hearts and minds of countless individuals. By sharing insights, experiences, and knowledge, we can ignite conversations, challenge prevailing norms, and encourage others to join us in our quest for a better world.
These four delivery systems—church, charity, coaching, and content—drive my comprehensive approach to world transformation. They are interconnected, each playing a crucial role in the broader mission of changing the world by changing the people in it. I am committed to advancing this vision and guiding others to find their place. I will write about each one in greater detail in future articles.
Your partner in world change.
Sean