95: What Boundaries Make Us More Effective Multipliers?

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE ABOVE

Summary:

What do you do when things start growing and the pastoral and physical needs of the people you are discipling begin to take a ton of your time? When are boundaries necessary? On this episode, Cynthia talks about the importance of establishing boundaries and how to define who has access to you and who does not.  

Key Points From This Episode:

  • Boundaries and Access Circles can help you be sustained as a multiplier who stays healthy and goes the long haul rather than burning out.
  • Boundaries are guidelines we put in place in our lives to protect what is important.
  • Henry Cloud & John Townsend wrote a book back in 1992 that brought this into more common language.
  • The basic concept is that there are these invisible lines that define what belongs to us and what belongs to others.
  • Think of it like a wall or fence you build around your property. It keeps out people who shouldn’t be there, and protects what is yours.
  • In the same way, in our lives we need to have guidelines that protect our health, our time with God, our family relationships, and our space to recover and be restored. If everyone has access to you all the time then you are setting yourself up for burnout.
  • Some examples where we need boundaries are; Phone notifications and usage, Sabbath rest once a week, time with God, family time, etc.
  • Determine what you will consider an emergency.
  • Access circles or circles of intimacy allow the right people to contact you at the right time.
  • Not everyone should have the same level of access to you.
  • Jesus inner circle was Peter, James and John. Then it was the twelve. Then it was the crowds. The crowds didn’t have the same access to him that his inner circle had.
  • Our spouses and children should have high access levels to us. The next access should be to those we are closely mentoring, high potential people.
  • In emergencies or times of great harvest, or for short seasons, we can make exceptions.
  • Burned out disciple-makers don’t tend to have lasting movements that grow, are sustained and give birth to other movements.
  • Always having to be busy can be a sign of pride and insecurity.
  • This is not a measure of your value in the Kingdom, nor of your wisdom and maturity. In many ways it is a sign of immaturity and a lack of wisdom.
  • A leader who never takes a break is not someone who is deeply committed to God but someone who draws personal value from being needed, instead of from their identity is Christ.

WATCH THE EPISODE

Links Mentioned in This Episode:

Order The Multiplier’s Mindset Book

Getting Started in Disciple Making Movements Course

Pursuing Disciple Making Movements in the Frontiers Blog

Cynthia Anderson on Twitter

Cynthia Anderson on Instagram

DMMs Frontier Missions Facebook

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