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Beautiful Feet

10,000 hearts – that’s the goal.  During the month of February, on the University of Texas campus, ministries are coming together to have students share the gospel every weekday from morning til evening. Just the thought of this huge event taking place is exciting and ignites passion!

In a recent message heard from Chris Overstreet, Outreach Minister from Bethel Church in California, two of the first core values in evangelism are Love and Honor.  Once we see people through His eyes of love – and honor them by asking their name, being interested in their needs, and blessing them with service – we are well on our way to reaching them for Christ. As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15)

Hundreds of students are being asked to get involved by taking one or more hours/locations a week.  Justin Christopher, Director of Campus Renewal Ministries, says they would appreciate prayers going up all month for this awesome outreach:
• Pray for students and ministries to step up to this challenge by committing to many times/locations.
• Pray too for CRM as we take care of all communication and administration for this huge event.
• Mostly pray, of course, that the Lord opens many students’ hearts to the gospel in February!
Let’s pray that as these students bring the “good news” to the college campus, they will then continue to reach others, as they graduate, pursue careers in other places and/or return to their countries of origin – reaching people “to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Contact justin@campusrenewal.org if you are interested in participating.

Live Worship Capital

By Elaine Lloyd

Worship can take many forms as we express the worthiness of God to receive glory and honor from us, His creation.  But it is especially pleasing to God when we, the Body of Christ, come together as one – outside denominational walls – so that the world will believe that God sent Jesus to earth.   One way this opportunity to unite as one is being made possible in the Austin area is through a relatively new website called Live Worship Capital.

Bethany Martin and her husband, David, are the owners and developers of the website www.liveworshipcapital.com. “We bought the website, invested our own money into it and have done the work ourselves because we want to see Austin become what God has prophetically called the city of Austin – the Live Worship Capital!” Bethany explained. The idea for the website was birthed at a city-wide prayer meeting about a year ago.  “At the meeting I said that the Houses of Prayer in the Austin area need to be connected and the worshippers are scattered and need to be unified.  I received several calls and emails from ministry leaders that week who were very stirred by that, and they offered their support.”  One of the women in that group had already secured the rights for the name Live Worship Capital, but she offered it to Bethany after hearing her vision for uniting the city through 24/7 prayer and worship of Jesus.

“We wanted a website where people could find out about worship happening in the Austin area,” she said.  “You can find worship happening here literally day and night!  There are worship conferences and concerts, intercessory and prophetic worship, and soaking worship at the healing rooms around town.  We also highlight where worship leaders, musicians and singers can get trained and equipped to lead worship, and we have a calendar page so people can add their worship events.  We have an on-line shop where we sell Live Worship Capital t-shirts to help raise funds to support live worship, and we also host worship events in the city under the Live Worship Capital name.”

What might the power of oneness in Christ look like as people from all over the Greater Austin area come together to worship Jesus through praise in a variety of venues?  What power might God choose to release as the Houses of Prayer throughout the region begin to seek unity not in form, but in the Spirit?  Could it be that the walls truly are beginning to fall and are being replaced by Christ, Who is our peace?

For more information, visit www.liveworshipcapital.com.

Communion of a Different Kind

In the Austin American Statesman last week, there was an article[1] titled “Wedges, in hopes of lifting wedges between people,” about how the message of Peace through Pie is spreading.  Two ladies started with an idea that has connected several churches here in our area, and these pie socials are now being organized in at least five other states.

Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, St. James Episcopal Church, Trinity United Methodist Church, Multicultural Refugee Coalition Community Center, and several Foundation Communities apartments are hosting these pie socials with “peace in mind.” Luanne Stovall, one of the organizers, is quoted in the Statesman as saying, “You can be rich, poor, black, white, any age, any ethnicity, but you can come to the table and share the pie and the communion of the table.” Even several area high schools got in on the event this year.

What can your church do to join with other churches and organizations nearby to promote unity, offering communion of a different kind?  New Hope Community in Round Rock hosts “Savory Sunday Nights” where an inspirational movie or documentary is shown, and light snacks are served, all to build community. There are parent/child Valentine’s dances coming up at local YMCA’s.  Alpha groups are beginning soon in many churches across our city.

Whatever we can do to bring people to the table, involve them in a relaxing event, or offer them a safe place to talk, we can offer communion from the body of Christ to those who live near us.  After all, Jesus too broke bread and shared it with his friends, and told us to do the same.   It doesn’t have to be a small plastic cup and a tiny cracker – it can be a pie that’s cut into pieces and shared – it can be anything at all that He places in our hands to give, as we remember His love for us and offer it to others!

[1] http://www.austin360.com/food-drink/wedges-in-hopes-of-lifting-wedges-between-people-2093744.html?cxtype=rss_ece_frontpage

Pastors Prayer Gathering

By Marcy Lytle

To have friends, a man must show himself friendly.  We all know this wise saying, and pastors in Austin now know it even better.  If Austin is going to be changed through acts of kindness, this has to start among our leaders and then trickle down to those they serve.  And when our pastors pray, worship, and truly experience friendship with one another, congregations will follow suit.

Just this week, 120 pastors and ministry leaders from churches all over our city gathered together in one place to pray together, worship together, and get to know each other better.  Pastors from different denominations, big and small congregations, young and old, and varied ethnicities came to Camp Buckner for 24 hours of prayer.

Bob Bakke, Pastor and Global Day of Prayer leader, spoke about how revival spreads through friendships and how revival has been stopped because pastors and key leaders were friendly, but weren’t friends.  Trey Kent, Pastor of Northwest Fellowship and champion of Unceasing Prayer, says, “I was encouraged and challenged that the simple task of building friendships with area pastors is a vitally important next step for us all!”  Gaylon Clark, Lead Pastor at Greater Mount Zion, recalls Bob Bakke’s words, “History is transformed among friends.”  Both Kent and Clark were encouraged to deepen relationships with other pastors through these connections. Will Davis, Senior Pastor at Austin Christian Fellowship, says of the Gathering, “Pastors, who because of race or theology might not relate well in other settings or cities, openly embrace, love and affirm each other. It’s like a family reunion.”

Worship was a major part of connecting and refreshing at the Gathering.  Led by Austin’s own One Chapel Pastor, Ross Parsley, it was an “amazing encouragement to us all,” shares Kent.  Barbara Bucklin, key leader of Intercession in the City and Luke 4:18 Ministries, saw a fresh passion in worship and prayer, and was challenged to “pour out everything for Jesus!”  Davis says it was so “healing just being there.”  He added, “God obviously loves our unity.”

Prayer was the reason for the gathering.  Pastors prayed for personal return to their “first love,” church-wide removal of barriers, and city-wide transformation.  Davis said that the pastors are asking big things of God for each other, the churches, and the city…and God is answering.

The Pastor’s Prayer Gathering hasn’t really ended…it just changed venues….from the Camp to the region.  Pastors decided to gather again often, to reach various sections of Austin.  Many agreed to pray at noon on Thursdays with believers throughout our city for revival in the greater Austin area.  And as Will Davis shared, “Since this prayer gathering began several years ago, people all over the country have started using the words Movement and Austin in the same sentence. Yay God.”

As Bakke stated, it was friendships between three to five praying men that sparked revivals which changed the direction of our nation.  Imagine what impact 120 friends can make!

Making a Difference

Significant Leadership .  We all want to feel significant, and we all have a sphere of influence where we lead others, whether it’s in our home, in the marketplace, or even at church.  Knowing that our leadership is meaningful and full of purpose awakens our senses and moves us forward!

Haven’t we all had a secret wish that God would send a blimp across the sky with a banner trailing behind telling us just what our purpose is life is, and how to accomplish it?   And better than that, if we could incorporate his directions into our everyday life, right among our neighbors and friends, wouldn’t that be awesome?  Then to take what He shows us and realize that His purposes started in our lives way back when we were little girls, just this knowledge alone would inspire us to move!

All of these answers, and more, will be offered at the Significant Leadership Conference coming up in a week. Debbie Leverett will be the speaker at the conference, where she says women will find their purpose in life and how to walk it out.  She says only about 20-30% of women really fulfill their “call.”  However, there are several “mountains” in Austin that women are starting to climb and realize their strength, the fresh air that comes as they go higher, and the ability to bring others with them to a beautiful place.  Family, church, government, education, the marketplace, media, arts and entertainment are all about to be impacted by women who know their calling and are willing and able to make a difference for Him in our city.

The Significant Leadership Conference takes place Saturday, January 28, 9:00 – 4:00, at The River Place Country Club.  Visit http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2370171246 to register.  You won’t want to miss this event for women who want to start out 2012 on the path to being all that they were made to be…for Him!