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We Start and Strengthen Churches Together Worldwide
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What Question Would Jesus Ask?
In Matt 20:29-34, we are told of a brief encounter between Jesus and a couple of blind men. Jesus heard their shouts and stopped to ask "What do you want me to do for you?" They asked for sight and he gave it to them.
I've been thinking about this invitational question from Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" And so I've been applying it to my thinking about Converge Northwest. We have a goal of aggressively adding churches to our Converge Northwest Team, to reach 200 in the next 10 years. And our vision is to see every northwest church serving with joyful effectiveness. So what if Jesus was to ask us, "What do you want me to do for you, Converge Northwest?" What a great question. What a challenge. What is it that Jesus, and only Jesus, could do for us as a movement of churches in the Northwest? What miracle(s) would we ask for?
Now the blind men were brief. "We want our sight." I can be just as brief. "I want to see it." Of course to understand what I mean by "I want to see it" I need a few more words.
By faith here is my answer. I invite you to pray with me.
Lord we need you to touch our eyes and hearts. We want to see the world as you see it. We want to walk with you and have a heart of compassion for those who don't yet walk with you and have had their lives transformed by the power of the gospel. I pray that this compassion would drive us to think about gospel saturation of the Northwest.
With greater vision comes greater need for resources. Lord, for us to start 105 churches in 10 years and ensure every NW church is joyfully effective will require hundreds of new leaders raised and trained. It will require hundreds of pastors and church leaders investing in the development of new leaders, new pastors, new staff members and equipped servants. So. I ask for teamwork among us. I ask for a "one mission" mindset. I ask that you teach us how to become multipliers of disciples, leaders and churches. And I ask for the resources to live out what you have called us to.
Lord I recognize that this new vision requires me to raise my bar as a leader. I know I am supposed to raise funds in the years to come. When you ask me "what do you want me to do for you?" I ask for courage! Grant me courage to lead well and to boldly ask for finances to fulfill your calling upon us. But Lord I don't want to just ask. I want to see your provision.
If you have read this far, you can see why I get excited about our future. I want to see it.
Rev. Steven B. Welling
Executive Minister
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Church Planting Northwest
One Day Leadership Conference with Larry Osborne
June 2, 2016; 8:30-4:30; Cascade Community Church
We will focus on practical principles of leadership development for your church, as well as developing your leadership and elder teams. Larry will lead us through several key topics, and then your team will have time to discuss practical application and action steps. You and your team will leave with a plan on how to develop a culture of leadership in your church.
Larry Osborne is a husband, father, pastor, author, and leadership consultant. He has a p
assion for helping Christian leaders in both the secular and church world succeed and bring glory to God. Since 1980, he has served as the Senior Pastor of North Coast Church in Vista, CA. During that time, North Coast has grown from a fledgling group of 128 meeting in a rented high school cafeteria to a multi-site church ministering to over 11,000 in weekend attendance. Larry has a passion for leadership, spiritual formation, and discipleship. As a nationally recognized trainer of leaders and pastors, as well as church planters, he travels extensively speaking at conferences and mentoring events.
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Registration is open for our 7th Annual Pastor and Wives Retreat at Cannon Beach Conference Center on the beautiful Oregon Coast.
CLICK HERE to Register for this 2-night, relaxing time for Pastors of Converge Northwest. We encourage you to make time for this ministry getaway to refresh, reconnect and revitalize!
This year's retreat will feature Scott and Lisa Ridout as our Speakers!
Scott is the President of Converge. A graduate of Virginia Tech and Columbia International University, he and his wife Lisa, led Sun Valley Community Church, Gilbert, Arizona, from 1998 to 2014. Sun Valley has grown from 375 to roughly 5000 attendees on three campuses under his leadership. Scott and Lisa have three children: Jon, Ashlyn and David. Cost per couple: $349.00
Registration Deadline is April 18, 2016!
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Would you like to Join the Converge Team?
Converge Northwest is looking for a Part-time Bookkeeper, working approximately 8-10 hours per week. The Bookkeeper is responsible for providing timely and accurate financial information while maintaining organized and efficient systems. This individual performs bookkeeping operations for Converge Northwest and shall be a detail-oriented individual able to process transactions, process payroll, reconcile accounts and conduct analyses of financial information. Experience with working with Non-profit organizations is preferred. Click the following link for: Converge NW Bookkeeper Position Overview.If interested, please call Kim Anderson in the Office at (206) 365-9890.
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Converge Northwest Prayer Team
"These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer."
(Acts 1:14)
Pray for Easter Services This Weekend!
May God send His Spirit with power upon those preaching and those hearing the gospel. May hearts turn to Jesus for new life.
p r a y f o r c h u r c h p l a n t i n g:
The Ridge Community Church held its inaugural gathering on March 13, with 100 people attending! Let's pray for their mission to multiply workers to share Christ.
Pastor Jerry Griffin of The Ridge Community Church on opening Sunday
"And other seed fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing the yield thirty-fold and a hundred-fold" (Mark 4:8).
A breath prayer: Lord of the Harvest, send us to those who would welcome you.
p r a y f o r c h u r c h s t r e n g t h e n i n g
- Healthy finances to stay in the black.
- The Pastor and Wives Retreat.
- Churches to discover the power of joyful effectiveness.
- Multi-generational and multi-cultural vibrancy.
How can we pray for your church?
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New Book from Jan Hettinga
What would you give to travel back in time to make an appointment with Jesus, to talk to God in flesh and ask your questions face-to-face? Hettinga uncovers the path to that opportunity today. Get ready for the conversation of a lifetime and a manager you can trust completely.
Jan Hettinga's Still Restless relates good news: God has always had time for honest seekers, even when they have hard questions or objections for Him. The proof is in the life of Christ. Jesus met for one-on-one conversations to share the way to truth and life, and He rarely used the same approach twice. The gospel is designed for everyone, no matter one's experiences or personality.
Jan Hettinga walks through these gospel encounters to demonstrate how talking with Jesus is a good thing to do, particularly in today's fast-paced modern world. Conversations with Christ lead to a spirituality that shuts down evil and empowers good. They produce a faith that surrenders control right from the beginning, embracing the relief of following a leader who cares for you.
Jan Hettinga's Still Restless: Conversations That
Open the Door to Peace (ISBN 978-0-8254-4390-9) is now available from Kregel Publications. The author, pastor of leadership development at Cascade Community Church, Monroe, Washington, examines Jesus' one-on-one conversations with honest seekers who bring hard questions. What Hettinga uncovers are answers that bring the way of peace. He is pastor emeritus of Northshore Community Church, Bothell, Washington, and founder of Northsound Church Planting Network.
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