#introverts

Introverts treasure the close relationships they have stretched so much to make. ↗

— Adam S. McHugh

#introverts #friendship

In a team setting, leadership is shared by a community of people, which counters the tendency for pastors to form congregations in their own images. ↗

— Adam S. McHugh

#introverts #leadership #pastors #teamwork #leadership

An introverted woman spends hours contemplating a thought or observing a pattern in her life. She turns it over in her mind until it becomes a companion to her and then decides to share it in the context of a small group. When she musters up the courage to voice it, trembling as she puts words to this precious inner stirring, someone in the group cuts her off when she pauses in the middle, her thought still building steam. This person quickly tells her she shouldn't feel the way she does or else counters with a story of her own, which only tangentially relates to what the introvert was saying. Nouwen's words perfectly capture the sense of personal violation and emptiness: "Often we come home from a sharing session with a feeling that something precious has been taken away from us or that holy ground has been trodden upon. ↗

— Adam McHugh

#courage

Time and again I hear how important the darker environment is to those at our vintage-faith worship gathering. Attenders feel they can freely pray in a corner by themselves without feeling that everyone is staring at them. ↗

— Dan Kimball

#church #introverts #prayer #spirituality #worship

In an extroverted society, the difference between an introvert and an extrovert is that an introvert is often unconsciously deemed guilty until proven innocent. ↗

— Criss Jami

#assumption #bias #blame #extroversion #extroverts

Introverted seekers need introverted evangelists. It's not that extroverts can't communicate the gospel, either verbally or nonverbally, in ways that introverts find appealing, it's that introverted seekers need to know and see that it's possible to lead the Christian life as themselves. It's imperative for them to understand that becoming a Christian is not tantamount with becoming an extrovert. ↗

— Adam S. McHugh

#christians #evangelism #extroverts #introverts #spirituality

The verbal tool of exploring mystery together is not confrontation or preaching but dialogue. We subject ourselves to the same questions we pose to others, and as we traverse them together, we may arrive at surprising conclusions we could never have reached when simply trying to defeat one another's logic. Our questions are open ended, granting the other person the freedom to respond or not to respond. The questions stick with us, even haunt us, long after we ask them, and we await insight together. The process is more important than an immediate decision. ↗

— Adam S. McHugh

#church #evangelism #introverts #spirituality #freedom

Matthew, much to his own surprise, was enjoying himself. Like most quiet folks he liked talkative people when they were willing to do the talking themselves and did not expect him to keep up his end of it. ↗

— L.M. Montgomery

#introvert

Writing is something you do alone. Its a profession for introverts who want to tell you a story but don't want to make eye contact while doing it. ↗

— John Green

#introverts #profession #story #storytelling #writing

We can't underestimate the value of silence. We need to create ourselves, need to spend time alone. If you don't, you risk not knowing yourself and not realizing your dreams. ↗

— Jewel

#introverts #loneliness #silence #dreams