The World Race is uniquely structured to encourage participants to embrace the three pillars of Intimacy, Community, and Mission. Through different methods of discipleship, racers will become more holistic followers of Jesus. Among many other practices, feedback is one of the activities we do to press into those three values. In this blog, I aim to answer the common question, “why feedback?” and explain it in further detail.
Feedback is a specific space carved out by each of our teams after a day of ministry. It affords us the opportunity to sit with our teammates and encourage and admonish them. It typically looks like 25-30 minutes of sitting intentionally as a team to affirm and call one another higher.
So, why feedback? As believers, we’re instructed to speak truth in love to those around us, after all, that’s what Jesus did (Ephesians 4:15). The space of feedback is meant to be loving and life-giving. Like Ephesians 4:13 says, the goal of building up the body is to attain unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, and mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. The aim is to become more like Jesus. The aim of our spiritual formation and sanctification is to become like God, who is love (1 John 4:16). Colossians 3:14-17 calls us to put on love and let peace be the referee in our hearts. From that place of harmony and peace, the Word dwells in us richly and we’re commanded to teach and admonish one another in wisdom. This teaching and admonishment lead us to worship the Lord and give thanks to Him. 1 Thessalonians 5 promises that the God of peace will sanctify us to completion because he is faithful. Feedback affords us the space to encourage and admonish one another in wisdom with the Word of Truth, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and to refine and sanctify us into who we’ve been created to be. Feedback is not meant to condemn, because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). It’s not meant to stir up striving or earning; rather, it is meant to lead us to a grace-driven effort to become who we (as believers) already are—holy, blameless, beloved children, imitators of Christ (Philippians 1:9-11, Ephesians 5:1-2). I don’t know about you, but I want the believers around me to love me by helping me to look more like my Savior.
Feedback is not a time to argue or resolve conflict, it is not based on personal preferences, and it is not for calling people out in front of the team. It is a time to affirm each other in ways we’ve seen them embrace their identities, walk out their callings, and reflect the life and heart of Jesus. It is a space to share how our brothers and sisters could step deeper into their identities in Christ or their calling to live worthy of the Gospel. It’s a space to speak truth in love and embrace the Way of Jesus—the way he loves, disciples, challenges, admonishes, encourages, and refines us through wisdom from the Father and the truth of the Bible.
Though a set apart time for feedback is quite unrealistic for life after the race, it is creating a culture and habit in our hearts of seeing people through the eyes of Jesus and building them up in love that (when embraced) will last long after the Race. It’s an activity unique to AIM that is helping us learn how to speak truth in love, and it gives us a safe place to make mistakes and seek forgiveness. We know that the Bible is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). I want truth spoken to me because I want to be complete and equipped for every good work the Lord has prepared for me to do! And I want to honor and love my brothers and sisters by speaking truth with grace into their lives, that the same may be true for them.
I haven’t always loved the idea of feedback or correction. Just ask my dad! When I was younger, I would flinch at the thought of hearing correction or admonishment because I was afraid of letting others down. I allowed those things to fill me with shame, rather than to remind me of the grace upon grace that is lavished on me. Even in college, when my trustworthy, Spirit-led friend called me higher into deeper dependence on God and releasing control, I felt like a disappointment to her and to the Lord, and my pride was wounded. However, those words, whether from my loving father or my faithful friend began to produce fruit in my life. I learned that his grace is made perfect in my weakness. Over time, I learned to run to the Lord after hearing feedback and correction. His correction beautifies and sanctifies us, and it produces the peaceful fruit of righteousness in us, that we might reflect him more. As the Lord changes our hearts, rooting out the pride and shame, we become more established in our identities in him and humble to receive feedback that helps us grow into his image more. Correction is to be received in humility and gratitude! May the Lord continue to sanctify us, and may we receive it with thanksgiving as we look at it in light of the grace and mercy of God.
