While I am still in the midst of a very demanding travel schedule this summer, I wanted to bring you an update. Upon arrival in Mexico we were met by my good friend Oscar Suarez, who leads Fuente de Vida, a growing church in one of Mexico's largest cities, Guadalajara.
Oscar and his wife, Bibi, took us to one of those wonderful Mexican restaurants for a refreshing drink and snack in route to our hotel. These are people who are so warm and hospitable, making us instantly feel at home. Although one has to deal with issues of language, the warmth and eagerness to receive seems to transcend the language barriers. At the hotel we met up with Lee and Stacy Yarabourgh. Lee leads the Mexican apostolic team and we enjoyed a brief time of conversation with them.
That first evening included a wonderful dinner with the Newfrontiers Mexican leadership team and their wives. The following morning I had breakfast with the team and discussed the sessions I would be doing at the Mexican Leadership Conference on "developing leadership" and "leaders and wives together on a mission", as well as one session which would be a topic of my own selection. It was great to make connection with these wonderful men and to catch their heart for strengthening leaders and planting churches.
That evening was a time with the twenties age group of Fuente de Vida, for a teaching and question and answer concluding at the end with "Carne Asada," a Mexican meal. It is impossible to maintain one's weight in Mexico with the delicious food and meals that tend to follow late night meetings. However, it was wonderful and fulfilled my passion for Mexican food.
Thursday was the beginning of the Newfrontiers Mexican Leaders Conference in Chapala. It was a delight to see so many leaders and wives booking in and to note the warmth and receptive hearts to my teaching. My sessions on "Leaders Replacing Themselves" and "Increasing Leadership Capacity" were well received. Linda and I also enjoyed sharing together on the theme of "Leaders and Wives Together on a Mission." My final session included a time of ministry in which leaders throughout the building were receiving powerfully and being refreshed. I was pleased that I received prophetic insight into specific situations for various leaders, and was able to lead a time of ministry following sharing those insights.
It was a privilege to conclude our time in Mexico with Sunday at Fuente de Vida where, following the time of preaching, the front was filled with eager people wanting to respond to the message. A great deal of significant ministry followed and evident blessing could be seen on the faces of those responding.
I am thrilled with the healthy connection we have with the leaders in Mexico and am personally provoked by their obvious desire to see churches planted throughout this country and beyond into the America's. It is wonderful to note their connection in Brazil, Cuba, and Bolivia.
Many expressed appreciation for the USA churches that have continued to sponsor their trips to our USA "Equipped for Mission" leaders conference. I commend our churches for your commitment to the Mexican churches and received many statements of appreciation for the friendship we enjoy together. I do believe that in the future our relationship will translate into us planting churches together in the USA particularly among hispanic people, as well as beyond our borders. The relationship we enjoy together is most rewarding in their wonderful contribution to our churches.
Our friendship with Lee Yarabourgh continues to deepen. I look forward to Lee again joining our USA team meetings and the contribution he is making to us. Lee is now temporarily based in the USA while serving Clark Fork City Church in Missoula, MT. He is in the process of leading that church into Newfrontiers. It is also exciting to note that Lee's relationships with churches in the Northwest is having an effect, as several are now looking to Newfrontiers. I anticipate some exciting developments there as this growing region benefits from Lee's involvement with us in the USA.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
TRAVELING
In just a couple of days Linda and I are off to Mexico where I will be speaking to the Newfrontiers-Mexico Leadership Conference. I shall speak several times regarding the development of leaders. Linda and I will also teach a session on the leader and his marriage. In addition, I have been given the freedom to preach on a topic of my own choosing for the final session. After the conference it will be an honor to speak at the Newfrontiers church Fuente de Vida, where Oscar Suarez is the primary leader. Please pray for us that we will be a help during these important days. It is always a challenge to speak through an interpreter, which demands cultural sensitivity and not being overly ambitious with the amount of material I bring.
We will return just a few days before traveling to England. Over the 4th of July weekend, I will be in Poole with the church led by Matt Hosier, both preaching at their main meeting and sharing with emerging leaders in a smaller context. Linda and I will address the issues of marriage to the wider church body. Then it is off to Brighton, England for the "Together on a Mission" leadership conference. We will be among the 5,000 already booked in. Following the Brighton conference we will be involved in the International Forum of apostolic leaders around the world. We will conclude our days in England by traveling to Bedford for a weekend with King’s Church.
Upon our return to the USA I will only have a couple of days to get over jet-lag before traveling to New England for "Celebration Northeast." I would greatly appreciate your prayers for these important meetings as well as for physical stamina in the face of a demanding schedule.
We will return just a few days before traveling to England. Over the 4th of July weekend, I will be in Poole with the church led by Matt Hosier, both preaching at their main meeting and sharing with emerging leaders in a smaller context. Linda and I will address the issues of marriage to the wider church body. Then it is off to Brighton, England for the "Together on a Mission" leadership conference. We will be among the 5,000 already booked in. Following the Brighton conference we will be involved in the International Forum of apostolic leaders around the world. We will conclude our days in England by traveling to Bedford for a weekend with King’s Church.
Upon our return to the USA I will only have a couple of days to get over jet-lag before traveling to New England for "Celebration Northeast." I would greatly appreciate your prayers for these important meetings as well as for physical stamina in the face of a demanding schedule.
CHARISMATIC? REFORMED?
When I meet people they will sometimes ask me what denomination I am a part of. It is often difficult to explain to people outside of our family of churches exactly who I am and what I am a part of. I may tell those who have some understanding that I am a "reformed charismatic," which also has implications I am not too happy with. I like the statement that Mark Driscoll uses describing himself as "reformed in boxer shorts and charismatic with a seat-belt".
I have a value of the historic Christian faith which can be described as reformed but also am not a cessationist, meaning I believe that the rich life in the Holy Spirit described in scripture continues to be available today. However, I find some of the more extreme reformed views not to my liking. The excessive, and often embarrassing, expressions of those who call themselves “charismatic” are not something I wish to identify with either.
I have great appreciation for the values of our Newfrontiers family of churches. We have a radical commitment to the integrity of scripture, as well as a lively experience in the Holy Spirit. Also, our value of the church as God's vehicle for kingdom expansion provides us with a great deal of safety. We can embrace the full expression of life in the Holy Spirit within the context of church. We have accountability of elders and the church community, as well as a solid foundation in biblical expression of the Spirit-filled life.
Many charismatics live independently, and a kind of hyper-individualistic, ministry-oriented world without the accountability of the local church or its elders. Often charismatics seem to lack solid biblical foundations. This leads to much extra-biblical craziness. It is impossible to address issues that are off the mark extra-biblical revelations in people who avoid the accountability of the church. Many times these people pull rank with the statement "God showed me, God spoke to me” which becomes a way of avoiding accountability.
So what do I hold as an accurate description of my position? I guess I will stick with the statement that I am a "reformed charismatic." While the Mark Driscoll’s statement is helpful, I don't want my seat-belt so tight that I become hesitant in living a life that is rich in Spirit-filled expression, embracing the absolute integrity of the Bible as the foundation upon which my Spirit-filled life is demonstrated.
Sometimes our family members do or say things that are not in concert with who we are personally. However, we are still a part of our family and would not deny our connectedness with them. Unfortunately, many of our more extreme family members operate in front of television cameras, because they own much of what is called Christian TV. I don't like the fact that often I am identified with their weird and non-biblical views. Yet I am a charismatic and theologically I would be described as reformed. I guess I will just get on with it and hope that I am judged for who I really am, rather than guilt by association.
I have a value of the historic Christian faith which can be described as reformed but also am not a cessationist, meaning I believe that the rich life in the Holy Spirit described in scripture continues to be available today. However, I find some of the more extreme reformed views not to my liking. The excessive, and often embarrassing, expressions of those who call themselves “charismatic” are not something I wish to identify with either.
I have great appreciation for the values of our Newfrontiers family of churches. We have a radical commitment to the integrity of scripture, as well as a lively experience in the Holy Spirit. Also, our value of the church as God's vehicle for kingdom expansion provides us with a great deal of safety. We can embrace the full expression of life in the Holy Spirit within the context of church. We have accountability of elders and the church community, as well as a solid foundation in biblical expression of the Spirit-filled life.
Many charismatics live independently, and a kind of hyper-individualistic, ministry-oriented world without the accountability of the local church or its elders. Often charismatics seem to lack solid biblical foundations. This leads to much extra-biblical craziness. It is impossible to address issues that are off the mark extra-biblical revelations in people who avoid the accountability of the church. Many times these people pull rank with the statement "God showed me, God spoke to me” which becomes a way of avoiding accountability.
So what do I hold as an accurate description of my position? I guess I will stick with the statement that I am a "reformed charismatic." While the Mark Driscoll’s statement is helpful, I don't want my seat-belt so tight that I become hesitant in living a life that is rich in Spirit-filled expression, embracing the absolute integrity of the Bible as the foundation upon which my Spirit-filled life is demonstrated.
Sometimes our family members do or say things that are not in concert with who we are personally. However, we are still a part of our family and would not deny our connectedness with them. Unfortunately, many of our more extreme family members operate in front of television cameras, because they own much of what is called Christian TV. I don't like the fact that often I am identified with their weird and non-biblical views. Yet I am a charismatic and theologically I would be described as reformed. I guess I will just get on with it and hope that I am judged for who I really am, rather than guilt by association.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Looking Forward to Celebrating
I am looking forward to "Celebration Midwest" with great anticipation. I am pleased that the numbers booking in demonstrate a significant increase from preceding years. Of course, this year marks a new date for us with the opening night being a Friday. Let me encourage all of you to make every effort to be present for that first evening session. For some this possibly means you will need to take a half day off of work. I look forward to seeing you there. Much goes into "Celebration Midwest" as all participate in preparation for children's sessions, ONEBLAZE, worship, musicians, etc. Also of great importance is the Newfrontiers-USA 2008 video, which is still in the process of being assembled. I greatly appreciate Karl Scott and Mike Lawson who are working diligently to get the video finished.
These are days of increased preparation for me, as we gear-up for both "Celebration Midwest" and traveling to Mexico shortly afterward, where I will be teaching at the Newfrontiers-Mexico leadership conference. Your prayers for these days of preparation are greatly appreciated.
It has been excellent to be around Jubilee Church this month and to participate a bit more in Sunday preaching. On Mother's Day, with some help from Linda, I brought a message on marriage which was well received. We are now involved in a series of three messages called "Heaven, Hell and the Second Soming of Christ." Last Sunday, I brought a message on heaven and I must say it was a joy to touch this subject. It has been years since I have brought a full Sunday teaching on heaven. You may want to download this message from our Jubilee website. I anticipate an excellent teaching from Bryan Mowrey on "hell" this Sunday. I will conclude next week with "the second coming of Christ".
Finally, in just a few days I will see many of you in Warrensburg and experience again the joy of seeing our churches together in mission which is demonstrated so recognizably during these days. While these times are filled with economic uncertainty, I know your heart for mission and I anticipate a huge offering on the Saturday evening meeting. As some of you are receiving your economic stimulus checks this month, I anticipate many of you will see this unexpected bonus as an opportunity for giving into our mission together. I take your trust seriously due to your phenomenal generosity in previous offerings. It is such a joy to see the advancement of God's kingdom as a result of your commitment which is so tangibly demonstrated.
John
These are days of increased preparation for me, as we gear-up for both "Celebration Midwest" and traveling to Mexico shortly afterward, where I will be teaching at the Newfrontiers-Mexico leadership conference. Your prayers for these days of preparation are greatly appreciated.
It has been excellent to be around Jubilee Church this month and to participate a bit more in Sunday preaching. On Mother's Day, with some help from Linda, I brought a message on marriage which was well received. We are now involved in a series of three messages called "Heaven, Hell and the Second Soming of Christ." Last Sunday, I brought a message on heaven and I must say it was a joy to touch this subject. It has been years since I have brought a full Sunday teaching on heaven. You may want to download this message from our Jubilee website. I anticipate an excellent teaching from Bryan Mowrey on "hell" this Sunday. I will conclude next week with "the second coming of Christ".
Finally, in just a few days I will see many of you in Warrensburg and experience again the joy of seeing our churches together in mission which is demonstrated so recognizably during these days. While these times are filled with economic uncertainty, I know your heart for mission and I anticipate a huge offering on the Saturday evening meeting. As some of you are receiving your economic stimulus checks this month, I anticipate many of you will see this unexpected bonus as an opportunity for giving into our mission together. I take your trust seriously due to your phenomenal generosity in previous offerings. It is such a joy to see the advancement of God's kingdom as a result of your commitment which is so tangibly demonstrated.
John
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Going west with the young men . . .
This Saturday, John will head to St. Joseph with Curt McCutchan, as well as CPI interns Euan Crane and Matt Sweetman. The guys will be spending time with the leadership team of Living Hope Church as well as looking into their increasing activity on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University, in Maryville, MO.
John will speak on Sunday morning to Living Hope, and then head north to speak to the college students on campus that night.
John will speak on Sunday morning to Living Hope, and then head north to speak to the college students on campus that night.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Leadership Books (as promised)
As promised in John's seminar at Equipped for Mission, entitled "Increasing Leadership Capacity", here are several of his recommended books on leadership:
"A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders"
by Reggie McNeal
"Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership"
by Aubrey Malphurs
"Breaking the Missional Code"
by Ed Stetzer and David Putman
"Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church"
by Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini
"Courageous Leadership"
by Bill Hybels
"Spiritual Leadership"
by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby
"The Leadership Baton"
by Rowland Forman, Jeff Jones, and Bruce Miller
"The Multiplying Church: The New Math for Starting New Churches "
by Bob Roberts Jr.
"Transformation"
by Bob Roberts Jr.
"A Work of Heart: Understanding How God Shapes Spiritual Leaders"
by Reggie McNeal
"Being Leaders: The Nature of Authentic Christian Leadership"
by Aubrey Malphurs
"Breaking the Missional Code"
by Ed Stetzer and David Putman
"Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church"
by Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini
"Courageous Leadership"
by Bill Hybels
"Spiritual Leadership"
by Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby
"The Leadership Baton"
by Rowland Forman, Jeff Jones, and Bruce Miller
"The Multiplying Church: The New Math for Starting New Churches "
by Bob Roberts Jr.
"Transformation"
by Bob Roberts Jr.
Summary of Recent Travels - from John
"Our leadership conference 'Equipping For Mission' hosted in St. Louis was absolutely outstanding. Over three hundred leaders from across the US were present. The worship was marvelous with the amazing presence of God evident. The main sessions were well received as Terry Virgo, Sam Poe and I shared. The seminars were so timely and helpful. I encourage you to go to the Newfrontiers-USA website and download the relevant teaching at this year's conference. Many healings were testified to, as well as some wonderful encounters with God. It was a joy to introduce the new Newfrontiers website as well as our entry into the publishing business at this conference. We have recently published four books, which can be found on Amazon as you type in the word 'Newfrontiers' in the Amazon search window. I encourage you, if you have read and enjoyed some of the books we have published, to write a review on Amazon’s site.
"Following the US leadership conference, I again journeyed to the UK for the 'International Apostolic Forum' in Bournemouth, UK. It was a great joy to be present, where I again had the privilege of being with leaders representing several continents as we enjoyed times of wonderful prayer, prophecy and even a few casual moments of catching up. In addition it is a time of sharing the events that are taking place around the nations.
"We gave ourselves to much prayer for the events taking place in Kenya with our dear friend Edward Buria and the 100+ churches he leads in that nation. We were thrilled to learn that Edward is now a part of a significant group of leaders whom the government has appointed to bring reconciliation to Kenya. Edward’s stature in the nation is of great consequence. He wrote to me yesterday with this news: 'The Kenyan Crisis - quite a lot of good political ground has been achieved since the signing of the all-important deal on the 28th February 2008 that has resulted in some sustained peace. All the same, the challenges arising from the almost two months of the violence remain enormous and very complex. Our budget is geared towards assisting those we are targeting, but it has become almost impossible due to escalating inflation that continues to very badly hurt our economy. Prices of all essentials go up almost every-other day. On this, we covet much prayer. Give our love to the brothers and sisters in the US.'
"Upon returning from the UK I found it a great joy to participate in the launching of another Jubilee Church location in the greater St. Louis metro area. We had our first preview meeting in west St. Charles county, in the town of Wentzville. Although it was spring break and many people were enjoying the holiday, as well as there being a snow-storm, we still were pleased to see 109 people at this first preview meeting. Rick Hein, my dear friend and fellow laborer, did an excellent job in the morning preaching. I was overjoyed at the great teams from Jubilee Church that made this opening Sunday a day to remember. I encourage you to take a look at the Jubilee Church Wentzville website for additional photos of this great day. Between the two locations, Jubilee welcomed nearly 100 guests on Sunday, with several people committing to Christ.
"I travel this coming weekend to Kansas City for a meeting with leaders at Grace Church as well as preaching the Sunday, as they will prepare for a great day of financial giving for additions they need to make to the building. It will be a joy to be with Tommy and Stephanie Stanley and to enjoy time together in their home. We are pleased that Seth and Shannon Hein will join us on this trip. Shannon is a great help to me, as she functions as my personal assistant, and Seth is a great joy as his desire to learn and grow in his leadership is very evident. Please be in prayer for this important weekend."
"Following the US leadership conference, I again journeyed to the UK for the 'International Apostolic Forum' in Bournemouth, UK. It was a great joy to be present, where I again had the privilege of being with leaders representing several continents as we enjoyed times of wonderful prayer, prophecy and even a few casual moments of catching up. In addition it is a time of sharing the events that are taking place around the nations.
"We gave ourselves to much prayer for the events taking place in Kenya with our dear friend Edward Buria and the 100+ churches he leads in that nation. We were thrilled to learn that Edward is now a part of a significant group of leaders whom the government has appointed to bring reconciliation to Kenya. Edward’s stature in the nation is of great consequence. He wrote to me yesterday with this news: 'The Kenyan Crisis - quite a lot of good political ground has been achieved since the signing of the all-important deal on the 28th February 2008 that has resulted in some sustained peace. All the same, the challenges arising from the almost two months of the violence remain enormous and very complex. Our budget is geared towards assisting those we are targeting, but it has become almost impossible due to escalating inflation that continues to very badly hurt our economy. Prices of all essentials go up almost every-other day. On this, we covet much prayer. Give our love to the brothers and sisters in the US.'
"Upon returning from the UK I found it a great joy to participate in the launching of another Jubilee Church location in the greater St. Louis metro area. We had our first preview meeting in west St. Charles county, in the town of Wentzville. Although it was spring break and many people were enjoying the holiday, as well as there being a snow-storm, we still were pleased to see 109 people at this first preview meeting. Rick Hein, my dear friend and fellow laborer, did an excellent job in the morning preaching. I was overjoyed at the great teams from Jubilee Church that made this opening Sunday a day to remember. I encourage you to take a look at the Jubilee Church Wentzville website for additional photos of this great day. Between the two locations, Jubilee welcomed nearly 100 guests on Sunday, with several people committing to Christ.
"I travel this coming weekend to Kansas City for a meeting with leaders at Grace Church as well as preaching the Sunday, as they will prepare for a great day of financial giving for additions they need to make to the building. It will be a joy to be with Tommy and Stephanie Stanley and to enjoy time together in their home. We are pleased that Seth and Shannon Hein will join us on this trip. Shannon is a great help to me, as she functions as my personal assistant, and Seth is a great joy as his desire to learn and grow in his leadership is very evident. Please be in prayer for this important weekend."
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