10 years ago a friend in D.C. told me to read a book that was making its way around government ranks called: The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements. Written in 1951, the book has been considered a masterpiece by many and the standard by which to create and judge movements. Eric Hoffer defines a “true believer” early on in his treatise as “the man of fanatical faith who is ready to sacrifice his life for a holy cause.” I am sure he would change his vocabulary today to be politically correct and to include women, but I think his premise is still the same.  A true believer in a movement is fanatical in their faith and ready to sacrifice their life for a holy cause, for their calling, for something that resonates within their soul.

I have heard much about “movements” in my 40 years of life, but outside of Christianity I have not had the honor of being a part of one until now. CPR-3 has created a “true believer” out of me. CPR-3 is a movement of God that seeks to be the vehicle for the local church to breathe life and hope into the world while at the same time breathing life and hope into the body of Christ.  I have learned so much about movements in my short stint with CPR-3.

 Here are some of my observations:

1)   Movements move: There is no time to sit around and wait, there is only time to act within a movement. If you are too slow, the movement will move on without you.

2)   Movements are not meant to be controlled: If you try to control a movement you will find that they cannot be controlled due to the decentralized nature of movements.

3)   God brings those He wants to the movement: Each and every day I am blown away by the people that God connects with CPR-3.  No human could be so connected or resourceful to bring about what God does on a daily basis.

4)   Movements require partnership:  True good is accomplished when each person or organization brings their best to the table and doesn’t withhold information that could be used for good.

5)   Movements are predicated on trust:  Without trust, movement is quenched.  There cannot be hidden or personal agendas in a movement.  Selfishness quashes movement.

6)   Movements are not for the timid or faint of heart:  Scared of the unclear or uncertain? Then movements are not for you.  Faith and trust are key to a movement gaining momentum.

7)   Movements are bigger than any one personality or leader:  It takes a good leader to lead a movement, one that is not afraid of sharing the load or that is threatened by good, strong, younger leaders in his/her wake.

These are just some of my observations so far.  Thanks Dan O’Deens for being a “true believer” and drawing out the true believer in my soul.