Launch Date is June 4!!!!God is doing something new. But, He seems to be starting in the middle.
If we look around and are honest, we would have to say there is a problem with the church and how it is functioning. Why doesn't the church work?
We have a radical idea for starting something new in our area.
A group of leaders believe:
The church should work -- much better than it does today. It should be a driving influence where ever believers are found.
God has given us what we need. That means if it isn't working, we need to go back and figure it out, with His help and the wisdom He promises to give if we ask.
We were designed to be one. Yet, we are fragmented. And, the tendency is this: with every new understanding of truth we fragment again. A broken and disjointed physical body would not work well and neither will the body of Christ work well in this state.
We need to join. But, How? And, on what basis?
Health.
No one would attach a limb that was dead or diseased. To unite, sometimes we need to work on restoration and revival FIRST, then unite.
Exchange.
My blood, muscles and bones supply what my hand needs to function. My hand feeds my body so that my blood, muscles and bones can be live. Ministries and churches have strengths and weakness. They could help each other so that we can better serve Him. They not only could, they should. This exchange is what joins the body together. But to join in ministry, we need to make ministry visible.
Visibility.
Habakkuk 2:2-3 says “Write the vision and engrave it so plainly upon tablets that everyone who passes my [be able to] read [it easily and quickly] as he hastens by. For the vision is yet for an appointed time and it hastens to the end [fulfillment]; it will surely come; it will not be behindhand [late] on its appointed day.’ (AMP) This means 2 things..
A. The vision and our approach will be made visible.
B. Ministry: What the strengths of each church and ministry that they can provide to others will be made visible. What we are willing to receive from other ministries needs to be made visible. There are missing ministries in every area, these need to be made visible and we need to ask: Who will stand in the gap. This we call the Ministry Wall. It makes ministry visible!
So, what do we see forming? Kingdom Communities!
But, Kingdom Communities already exist. That is true. We expect to see them multiply and link! That is why I said, we are starting in the middle.
What is different?
Ok, we've heard of efforts to come together as a church. They never really do much. What is different?
A. We're not planning on just uniting to do a couple initiatives together... we are planning on making our ministies visible to we can support and be supported down deep. This is really 'organic', not just surface. This has been never done before in the US, that I know of...
B. I can't overemphasize how important the 'visibility' part is to this -- right down to equipping each and every person, that is each individual person, with the ability to make the vision visible to people who ask, "So, what's happening? What's it all about?" This has never been done before, that I know of...
C. Help leaders learn how to 'test' their ministry efforts. Help want-to-be leaders/planters have a framework to test their effort ~~ to make sure all the 'elements' are in place. See the attachments in the second post below. This has never happened before, that I know of...
We expect incredible revival to occur!Attached are three documents...
1) Ministry Wall. This is a snap shot of what it will look like when it is done. This wall will be acutal pieces of cloth with ministires visible and a website making ministries visible.
2) Visibility. This is a core concept and core value. It is also Hab. 2:2-3
3) Town Hall. This is a snap shot of monthly meetings that are planned to bring communities together. And, I might add, they will have core values, too. One is, "Morals Matter". We will not allow items that are of 'immoral' nature to come to the table, i.e.: promotion of abortion, gay marriage, etc.
My pastors attended and were stirred, while agreeing with everything. I was going to attend with them, but had to work :( Debbie shared all the hand outs and various things....sounds AWESOME!
Here is the update!
The Kickoff on June 4th was an incredible success. We have a very lightly popultated region -- yet, we still had 35-40 churches and over 80 people total.
I am hoping to post some clips from the meeting. The next step is to have the very same meeting in the small bergs and communities across our region~! There are quite a number of pastors interested in hosting the meetings.
It is an awesome thing that you are doing, I wish that I could be there with you guys to help. But I am also trying to get the Pastors together, where I live. The churches do need to come together as one, to help one another, and forget about Denomonation.
My Prayers are with you..The Pastors for the most part fellowship with other Pastors but not within our community...I pray that will change...but in the meantime...we(our fellowship) have been praying for the same in our community...have extended invitations and accepted invitations...as yet it is just a small tiny, tiny, tiny ripple...
I am so glad you have started! If we do things in a way that are reproducible, I think they should explode in growth. Just think about the beginning ... only 12 & things changed. It can happen again! The only reason it doesn't, in my opinion is because we believe it can't or won't. God wants his kingdom to come & taught us to pray for it. I think we'll see it happen!
It is an awesome thing that you are doing, I wish that I could be there with you guys to help. But I am also trying to get the Pastors together, where I live. The churches do need to come together as one, to help one another, and forget about Denomonation.
My Prayers are with you..The Pastors for the most part fellowship with other Pastors but not within our community...I pray that will change...but in the meantime...we(our fellowship) have been praying for the same in our community...have extended invitations and accepted invitations...as yet it is just a small tiny, tiny, tiny ripple...
Greetings friends, I love what you are doing, and may God bless it abundantly. I would encourage you to make your "gathering point" the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how it applies to the community to which you are seeking to minister. The gospel is of "first importantance" (1 Cor. 15:1-4), and the problem with most churches is not that they don't minister to the poor, not that they don't have good community, etc. but rather that they have taken that which is of first importance and minimized it. Check what you are "gathering around" and see if it is centered in what is of first importance, and if so then God will bless it.
God bless you as you seek Him first and treasure Him.
Yes, The body of Christ needs to take back what has been stolen. I ran for Office last year as a Republican Conservative Candidate. I didn't win but the passion to take back Politics and give them back to the God and the people burns within. We must put Godly (not just in talk but in action) back into our political system. God Bless,
Theresa - thanks for your passion! I have been encouraged by the tea parties -- I think they are a good start, but we need to become more organized and focused. I think that this can emerge from the Town Hall effort that we are doing in our region. The one thing I think we are missing is the strategy on what we should work on to impact the political system through the Town Hall. Good strategy needs to emerge. This venue is not what I am particularly gifted in.
I am not sure who I need to talk to but I represent a mission group Samaritans International we feed children in a number of countries around the world, so I am not sure how I can help but I thought I would just let you know and let you contact me if you need anything. My email is hhim777@yahoo.com
Thanks for the response, Patrick...
Here is what I'd like you to think about -- If you had the opportunity to put -- let's call it an embassy - in the middle of a really connected Christian commuity. And, let's say the community operates on the principle of 'exchange' - giving and receiving.
What would you like to give?
What would you like to receive?
That is what is happening here. It just occurred to me today that many who have national and global ministries might want to be part!
Yes, The body of Christ needs to take back what has been stolen. I ran for Office last year as a Republican Conservative Candidate. I didn't win but the passion to take back Politics and give them back to the God and the people burns within. We must put Godly (not just in talk but in action) back into our political system.
God Bless,
I am not sure who I need to talk to but I represent a mission group Samaritans International we feed children in a number of countries around the world, so I am not sure how I can help but I thought I would just let you know and let you contact me if you need anything. My email is hhim777@yahoo.com
As you may have noticed, I'm a little excited about what is happening in our community...
1) Christians across the region: pastors, ministries, Kingdom Champions, Christian business leaders, Christian champions for issues relating to politics and school issues are joining.
2) We are making ministry visible: what ministries helps we can offer each other, and what each ministry needs to grow.
3) We're planning a kick off (June 4th) - first for pastors and then going through the whole region - from church to church - so that all the people can engage...
4) There will be Open Air ministry: Evangelism, prayer for people who gather, real tangible help for people who gather (like clothing and food--people are going through hard times here/even many of the food pantries are empty or low on food). We expect God to touch lives.
5) As God touches lives, ask those people and the ones ministering to each other to share at the meetings that happen church to church.
6) Across our region people are anticipating revival. Maybe even a Kingdom reformation... as God reforms us from a divided body into a united body that advances His Kingdom.
7) We are planning Town Hall meetings (with wise council from someone who has real experienc in making them work!) to give believers a voice into the areas where we're being locked out: Civic/political, Education, Media, plus Business, Health and other areas.
8) People are coming from across the country to help and participate in this launch.
So, as I was sitting, praying and thinking it occurred to me that some you may have resources and ministries that should be involved. If so, let me know!
Replies
The Kickoff on June 4th was an incredible success. We have a very lightly popultated region -- yet, we still had 35-40 churches and over 80 people total.
I am hoping to post some clips from the meeting. The next step is to have the very same meeting in the small bergs and communities across our region~! There are quite a number of pastors interested in hosting the meetings.
I am so glad you have started! If we do things in a way that are reproducible, I think they should explode in growth. Just think about the beginning ... only 12 & things changed. It can happen again! The only reason it doesn't, in my opinion is because we believe it can't or won't. God wants his kingdom to come & taught us to pray for it. I think we'll see it happen!
My Prayers are with you..The Pastors for the most part fellowship with other Pastors but not within our community...I pray that will change...but in the meantime...we(our fellowship) have been praying for the same in our community...have extended invitations and accepted invitations...as yet it is just a small tiny, tiny, tiny ripple...
God bless you as you seek Him first and treasure Him.
Theresa - thanks for your passion! I have been encouraged by the tea parties -- I think they are a good start, but we need to become more organized and focused. I think that this can emerge from the Town Hall effort that we are doing in our region. The one thing I think we are missing is the strategy on what we should work on to impact the political system through the Town Hall. Good strategy needs to emerge. This venue is not what I am particularly gifted in.
Thanks for the response, Patrick...
Here is what I'd like you to think about -- If you had the opportunity to put -- let's call it an embassy - in the middle of a really connected Christian commuity. And, let's say the community operates on the principle of 'exchange' - giving and receiving.
What would you like to give?
What would you like to receive?
That is what is happening here. It just occurred to me today that many who have national and global ministries might want to be part!
God Bless,
1) Christians across the region: pastors, ministries, Kingdom Champions, Christian business leaders, Christian champions for issues relating to politics and school issues are joining.
2) We are making ministry visible: what ministries helps we can offer each other, and what each ministry needs to grow.
3) We're planning a kick off (June 4th) - first for pastors and then going through the whole region - from church to church - so that all the people can engage...
4) There will be Open Air ministry: Evangelism, prayer for people who gather, real tangible help for people who gather (like clothing and food--people are going through hard times here/even many of the food pantries are empty or low on food). We expect God to touch lives.
5) As God touches lives, ask those people and the ones ministering to each other to share at the meetings that happen church to church.
6) Across our region people are anticipating revival. Maybe even a Kingdom reformation... as God reforms us from a divided body into a united body that advances His Kingdom.
7) We are planning Town Hall meetings (with wise council from someone who has real experienc in making them work!) to give believers a voice into the areas where we're being locked out: Civic/political, Education, Media, plus Business, Health and other areas.
8) People are coming from across the country to help and participate in this launch.
So, as I was sitting, praying and thinking it occurred to me that some you may have resources and ministries that should be involved. If so, let me know!
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