Are you in a mastermind?

Now, I know what you're thinking: what's a mastermind? 

Actually, it's more likely that you know what a mastermind is and are a member of a great one. Or perhaps you are like Fessik and say, "I am the mastermind". 

Regardless of your participation or lack thereof, a mastermind can be a valuable resource. A mastermind is a group of people that come together to learn from, encourage, challenge, and stretch each other to a common goal or purpose. I know that sounded very dictionary of me, but honestly, it isn't copied from Mr. Webster. When I first learned about masterminds, I thought they sounded like the church, community groups, or clubs that we engage in as individuals in a community. We all have communities that stretch out from us and intersect with others. Here is a breakdown of what a person's community circles might look like:

1. Individual - no man is an island. So even though I say individual, the fact is that as creatures made in the image of God, we have been created to live in communion with God. So even at the individual level, we have relationship. 
2. Family - either you have a family you live with or you have a core group that you interact with on a daily basis. This is your tightest circle. These are the people who know when you are having a bad day.
3. Bosom Friends - I'm using Anne Shirley's term of bosom friend here to clarify that we have some friends that are closer than a brother. These are the friends that we call on the bad day. The friends that aren't afraid to tell us the truth.
4. Friends - The relationships that you have that have spawned from a common interest. You might have met in school, go to the same church, or are in the same co-op.  These people tell you what they think you want to hear, they meet you at the park and you talk about your common interests, rarely do you discuss things you don't agree on.
5. Acquaintances - the vast majority of the people that we see on a semi-regular basis fall into this group. These people are a friendly face in a sea of madness, they may venture in and out of your life. They are most likely in similar groups with you, but you've never made the step into friendship. You see them in passing at co-op or church, but rarely know much about them. You discuss the weather, local events, and kids with them, rarely more.
6. Townsfolk - This is what we may think of when we say community: The natural selection of people who live closest to you. But this isn't how Jesus defined neighbor, rather, a neighbor is the person that God has placed in your path.

Each of these categories can represent a circle around you. Some of these people are in similar "community groups" like church, etc, and most of them have something in common with you. However, community is something that we engage in and create. It isn't simply a passive placement on a chart.

So why the chart? As we start to think about another year and shaping our lives, it helps to think about who we are surrounding ourselves with. The people you interact with on a daily and weekly basis construct your own personal mastermind. Let's ask the question a little differently now:

Are you pleased with your mastermind?