 Tools & Trainings E-Newsletter Issue 43 July 12, 2010
|
|
God is Moving
God is moving, and it's not
just in China, India, Iran and other places.
He's moving here too -
in the United States.
Where, you ask?
The Scriptures tell us; "Do you
not say, 'There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up
your eyes and look on the fields, that
they are white for harvest. John 4:35
The fields are there. The harvest is there.
The problem lays with us, and
our inability to recognize either one.
Or maybe we recognize
it, but choose passivity.
Either way, we're missing out on one of
the biggest blessings of our lives. To be used by His Hand. To see God change a life. To witness the supernatural
reaching Love that floods a broken and bruised life and changes it
forever.
Jesus
encountered this dullness of perception, and apathy of involvement, in
the folks around Him. People doing all sorts of "religious activity" but
with little fruit or impact. People who should have, but did not see the activity of God. Or, they
saw it and remained aloof from it.
In John 5, Jesus found it
necessary to remind the Pharisee's, when they persecuted Him for healing
on the Sabbath (not a condoned religious activity), in verse 17 with;
"But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I
Myself am working."
He's saving the lives of those who have not known Him, but have
asked questions like; "Are you real God?" "Show me if you exist!" "Help me!" God
replies; "Here I AM!" when "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah
29:13
God is
moving and Jesus has made it possible for us, you and me, to be the
instruments of that moving.....if we're
watching for it, if we are
willing, and if we make
ourselves available. The choice is ours.
by Katie Driver
|
 |
Summer Organic Church Learning Opportunities
StudentCPx Summer Experiences:
San Diego, CA 7/17
Phoenix, AZ 8/6
Austin, TX 8/6
Beginning the summer of 2010, Shapevine will be launching one of
the most unique training opportunities yet. The Missional Quest series
is a cohort based learning journey that will give you the opportunity to
join in a small group of like-minded sojourners with Deb Hirsch, Alan
Hirsch, Dan Kimball, Neil Cole, and others. More... |
|
Featured Resources
Mid-Summer 48 Hour Sale
 Search & Rescue: Becoming a Disciple Who Makes a Difference
by Neil Cole
Full of heroic and even humorous stories, Search & Rescue
captures readers' imaginations and hearts and doesn't let go until they
want to make a difference and know how to go about doing it.
Get them
for $6.00 per book! A savings of $11.99 per book!
Through 3pm
Pacific Time July 14, 2010
Or a Case of 30 for $5.50 per book
 An Army of Ordinary People: Stories of Real-Life Men and Women Simply Being the Church | Updated Version
By Felicity Dale
An Army of Ordinary People contains the key to explosive, transformational, 21st
century evangelism. Renowned church planter Felicity Dale shares stories of how
God has always used-and is still using-ordinary believers to carry out his work
in simple ways throughout the world. Check out the story of CMA church planter Hank in the first chapter!
Church 3.0: Upgrades for the Future of the Church
By Neil Cole
"Church 3.0 is an all-in-one compass, survival manual, tool kit, leadership agenda and imagineering workshop. It is a treasure trove that distributes the wealth of Neil Cole's rich experience and insight. I cannot imagine trying to navigate... without it."
─Reggie McNeal
For the whole list of resources on Sale >> click HERE
Online Map of Organic Churches and Networks
Check it out here and add your group! |
|
Featured Article Dr. Wagner's Cart has been Pulling the Horse for Too
Long
by Neil Cole
For years missional leaders have repeated the refrain articulated by
Dr. C. Peter Wagner that "The best means of evangelism under the sun
today is church planting." I myself have even quoted Dr. Wagner in
some of my earlier resources. This statement has become a banner for
church planting in the US for the past 20 years.
The reason given for this statement is that new churches tend to be
hungrier, evangelistically speaking, than their more established
sisters. The very survival of the new church depends upon her outreach
ability, so the people are more motivated to do evangelistic work.
Statistically this is proven to be true as well. New churches do win
more converts than long standing ones, but does that make the quote
right?
In the past few years I have come to realize that Dr. Wagner got it
backwards. We need to make a shift in our missional understanding:
The best means of church
planting under the sun today is...
|
 |
|
|
|
