No Closed Countries

This past week I was speaking at Celebration Northeast, an event where Newfrontiers churches in New England come together at Gordon College in Boston for three days for a multi-church family camp. Of course we have Celebration events in the Midwest and the Northwest as well. As a family of churches together on a mission, these Celebration weekends form a clear picture of what we're about as a community of churches: authentic worship, genuine relationships, both Word and Spirit, a passion for the church with foundations of grace, and especially mission.

On Saturday night during the conference, we presented videos and gave an explanation of our involvement together both in the nations, as well as the USA. Afterward, all the churches gathered to participate in a very large prayer meeting regarding our vision for future advancement in training leaders and sending out people for new church plants. It was a particular joy to pray for two different couples that will be going to Islamic nations with the purpose of giving themselves to the needs of those nations—particularly to the poor and to share the Good News of Jesus. One of those nations contains not a single church in it. Of course I can’t divulge this nation, as this would be very dangerous to the young family we are sending there. How this couple is able to go there is a miracle of a story that can’t presently be told. I can only say that an extremely influential Islamic person in this nation has invited this couple to come and serve the poor of his nation with the substantial resources he possesses. I was overwhelmed as we laid our hands in prayer for these couples from our own churches that have responded to God’s call upon their lives.

We are a movement that has staked out 100 of the largest and most influential cities in the USA to start reproducing churches; however, we are also a movement that desires to reach the nations. So on Saturday night we prayed for and sent out two couples not just to the nations, but to two Islamic nations. Across our movement men and women have come to understand Jesus’ call to make disciples of all nations and have answered that call with passion.

We continue to give ourselves to training of all kinds as young men and women have joined the clarion call to take the Good News to our cities and nations. Coming September 4th-6th in Tacoma, WA we are sponsoring another cross-cultural training weekend, From the Nations to the Nations, hosted by New Community Church. This event is not only helpful for those who may someday go to other nations but also vital instruction for reaching those of other cultures in our own cities. We don’t all have to go to the nations—the nations have come to us and reside in our very own towns. It’s not too late to get involved, so register today at http://www.ncctacoma.org/nations.html.