Maybe you’ve heard it, too. Frequently we’ve been told something like this: “We hear (or, the Lord has told us …) that God is doing something wonderful in Houston – that transformation is happening more in Houston than in any other U.S. city - and that we need to come to bless Him for what is happening and learn about it from you.” This summer alone we’ve heard that from folks in India, Canada, Brazil, Germany, and Africa; in Michigan and California and Florida and Tennessee and North Carolina; and from a group of naturalized American citizens who are leaders of ministries in various parts of our nation.

I’ve found that both hopeful and confusing. Just what do we do with this kind of message … especially when we who live here are aware of how much brokenness remains and how far we have to go in order for greater Houston to be considered “transformed?”.

On September 13, Mission Houston joined seven other city-wide ministries in hosting Dr. Bill Hull, pastor and author with a prophetic message on personal transformation for the church. The purpose of the day was to convene leaders from across the city to engage in a dialogue about personal transformation and its connection to the transformation of the city.

During the day, I was reminded of a conversation from ten years ago. My friend and I were sitting on a front porch swing, and he was complaining about the state of things in our city. I said, “You know what you could do.” Before I could say anything else, he said, “Don’t misunderstand me Jim. I’m not willing to change in order for things to get better. I just think that somebody should.” The challenge is that things are not going to change in our culture until we are changed. Personal transformation is required.

Bob is a retired business executive who has purchased a mobile home park in the Tomball area. The mobile homes are occupied by first generation Hispanic immigrants. Bob is using his time, money, and influence to advance the Kingdom of God in that small plot of geography. Jerry is the Senior Counsel for a publicly traded maritime transportation company who is mobilizing about 120 believers in his work place to function as the Body of Christ throughout the day. Jerry is integrating faith and work into one coherent whole. Josh and Aimee are a young adult couple with two preschool-aged daughters. They have invited five men who are in recovery from drug and alcohol abuse to live with them in order to learn the ways of Jesus. They have established a little outpost of the Kingdom of God in their neighborhood. All four of these individuals are living a missional life – and to get there, they have gone through (and would probably say continue to go through) the Refiner's Fire of personal transformation.

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Fall/Winter 2007 Prayer Targets

Central to every unfolding story of community transformation you will find God's people uniting in focused, fervent prayer. The following are important timely prayer targets the Mission Houston staff and board would like you and members of your congregation to address through pray.

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