Immerse Austin 2012 was one unforgettable evening. Three powerful women brought the house down and delivered music, laughter, and an empowering message to the hearts of hundreds of women. Filled with women from all over the greater Austin area, Riverbend was the place to be February 3, 2012. A true collaborative effort, Immerse is the brainchild of, and hosted by, Promiseland’s Julie Carr; however, it was planned by leaders from various churches in the city.

With captivating energy, inspiration and all out humor, Lysa TerKeurst, Mandisa, and Anita Renfro managed to weave personal stories along with the truth of the Word of God to connect with the audience. Lysa challenged us to live to follow Jesus instead of a checklist. Mandisa encouraged us to hold on just a little bit longer – in the end we will be stronger. Anita took real life issues and turned them into simple humor. These three women were perfect the perfect blend.

And just when we thought it couldn’t get any better, we were introduced to the Legacy of Hope www.legacyofhopeaustin.org.  Connecting with Legacy of Hope provides a tangible way for those of us in the Austin area to join together, hand in hand, to impact the lives of families who have children with special needs.

The women of Austin are uniting together from various backgrounds, denominations, and ethnicities, and expect to see a transformed city as they themselves experienced transformation.  No doubt, according to Luke, “The women in this city look to Immerse 2013 with even greater expectation!”

On March 2, 1836, Texas declared its freedom from Mexico’s “arbitrary acts of oppression and tyranny.” But this year on March 2nd-4th the Body of Christ in the Austin area will have the opportunity to declare its freedom from the tyranny of denominational walls that divide us and often prevent us from working and worshipping together in the unity of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.

Beginning at 7pm Friday and continuing until 9pm Sunday, Fire on the Altar will host 50 hours of non-stop worship and intercession at Promiseland Church (1504 E. 51st St., Austin) to contend for spiritual breakthrough in cities and regions and to bring Jesus an offering of continuous love. Fire on the Altar founders Rick Pino of Fire Rain Ministries and Sean Feucht of Burn 24/7 believe that God has a call on their lives to “gather believers from across denominational boundaries and rally them together in worship and prayer to see Jesus glorified through both personal and cultural revival, and to host the presence of the Lord as we gaze upon his beauty.” Preparation for this event by those organizing and leading it includes 21 days of fasting and prayer, believing that God will open the heavens over Austin for the three days that His Body is united in prayer and praise to Him.

What exactly might it look like for God to tear open the heavens over Austin? God has obviously been at work for a number of years in this Live Worship Capital to tear down walls – spiritual walls of fear, pride, suspicion, ethnic differences, generational divisions, and variations in worship styles – so that all of his Body can come together to more accurately reflect all of who he really is to the thousands of people in this city (and greater metropolitan area) and how much he really loves them. What if he is now just waiting for us to come together to celebrate him, declare our love for him, and receive his anointing to truly walk in the unity of the Spirit so the whole Austin area will know we are Christians by our love for one another and for others?

Known as a man who speaks with a prophetic voice, Rick Pino said this: “I’m telling you this worship thing is going to explode like the world has never seen. I believe the eyes of the whole world will be on Austin Texas, because God is going to make this city a place known far and wide…a place of his presence and his glory… a place where you, Lord, have established your tent peg here in this region…a tent peg put down in this city, God. Continue to unite the churches. Continue to unite the leadership and the apostolic dudes and gals here in this city. Continue to unite the Houses of Prayer. Give us a spirit of unity and command a blessing on that Lord! We ask it in Jesus’ name.”

If your heart longs to be part of what God is doing to ignite and unite the various members of his Body in the Austin area, then come to the Fire on the Altar. Come as you are and be transformed as the Body comes together in one Spirit, through the one who has broken down the barrier of the dividing wall!
The event information is on Facebook.

Campus Renewal Ministries (CRM) is asking for involvement with an upcoming event on the University of Texas Campus, on Thursday, February 23 – The Collegiate Day of Prayer.  On that day, there will be three times of united prayer on campus: 7:00a at the flag pole, 5:00p prayer walks based on college/department, and 6:00p-8:00p dinner, conversation and prayer with professionals in the city. 

That last third of the day is where YOU can be involved.  CRM is asking that people who walk with God in the marketplace come share with students (very informally) about what it’s like to do this outside of college. Specifically, CRM is looking for workers in the following fields:

Engineering 

Natural Sciences/Geo-sciences  

Liberal Arts  

Communication

Education

Fine Arts

Pharmacy

Social Work

Business  

Architecture

Justin Christopher, Director of Campus Renewal Ministries, states, “We did this once before and the professionals and the students really loved it.”  He says he would love to have people from the professional arena meet with the great kids CRM works with, and just see what awesome connections can be made!

Reply to Justin@campusrenewal.org and let him know if you can commit to join in! 

Austin thrives on the social scene of people gathering together to listen to music, shop, eat, be entertained…or just to hang out.  However, Austin needs to be renewed…spiritually and socially.  This can only happen when we, His people, work together for one purpose – to share the Good News with every person we encounter.

Jonathan Dodson shares the vision statement of PlantR Network, where he serves on the board: The PlantR Network exists to catalyze a Christ-centered, context-sensitive church planting movement for the social and spiritual renewal of Austin and beyond.  They do this through two main strategies: Microconferences, which occur quarterly to resource a Christ-centered church planting movement;  and Missional hubs, localized gatherings of church planters networking and encouraging one another in Christ for the renewal of a specific region in the city.

Church planting is important.   Dodson says, “Planting churches is critical because church plants exist, not to ‘church’ existing Christians, but to engage and lead to faith in Christ, those who are not yet Christians. In most cases, they do not begin with ‘a church’ but with a missionary band that seeks to build a church through faithful gospel witness. As a result, by design, they must grow through conversion of non-Christians not the collection of existing Christians. This evangelistic impulse is preserved and replicated as missionary DNA is passed on through the reproduction of every disciple, missional community, and church that is planted by a church plant.” Dodson further shares that church plants invigorate existing churches with missionary thinking and strategy. “Both new church plants and existing churches are needed to fulfill renew a city and reach the peoples of the city. Therefore, I believe that more partnerships between existing churches and church plants should be forged, which is something PlantR continually advocates for.”

PlantR Network has already seen good things happening in our city.  When faced with challenges, church planters were coached through, and informed about, the culture and needs of our city.  Special speakers have “injected” good, clear thinking about Austin.  Ryan Robinson, City Demographer, presented the changing demographics of Austin including the growing social, ethnic, and income inequalities in our city.  Joshua Long, author of Weird City, addressed the unique topophilia (sense of place) and history of the counterculture in Austin.  John Burke, Pastor at Gateway Church, encouraged listeners as he spoke on his 25+ years as a church planter. Alan Hirsch and Jeff Vanderstelt help fuel the missional movement in the greater Austin area.

Most importantly, the church planters get together to pray once a month, for each other, and for the city. “Austin needs a praying church, not just a missional church,” states Dodson.  “A church on mission without a people in prayer will devolve into a burned out church. We want our planters and churches to put the burden of mission back on God and for him to renew our cities with his gospel through his people.”

Dodson states,  “On our best days, we are filled with ambitious strategy and passion for our neighbors, co-workers, and fellow Austinites to experience the profound, life-changing message of grace in the person and work of Jesus, but on our worst days, church planting becomes more about us, our failures and successes. In the end, our greatest hope is Jesus, sufficient for our failures and strong for our successes, un-waning in his love for the people of our cities. Our hope for the city is our very own hope, a gospel as big as the city and as small as a child—the good and true story that Jesus has defeated sin, death, and evil through his own death and resurrection and is making all things new, even us.”

Social and spiritual renewal is coming to our city.  There are now enough breaks in the walls that used to stand tall between us – where we can climb through, step over, or at least see through – to join hands for the transformation of Austin.

Visit http://plantr.org/ for more information. To read more about church planting by Tim Keller, one of our country’s foremost missional leaders, click here http://www.redeemer2.com/resources/papers/why%20plant%202%2011%20TLeaders.pdf

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

God can redeem anything. He comes into our brokenness and brings His healing power and transformation, so that through us and our stories, He can bring healing and transformation to others. We’re all broken people, thanks to sin. The only question is, “Are we willing to let God use our brokenness for the good of others and for His glory?” One man who answered, “Yes!” to that question is Pete Orta.

A victim of an abusive upbringing which led to his leaving home and living on the streets at age 19, Pete realizes now that God has redeemed that desperate and destructive time in his life based on the Truth of Romans 8:28: “For we know that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” As a guitarist for the Christian rock band Petra, Pete won a Grammy and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, and in 2002 his solo album Born Again was nominated for a Dove Award. “I had a record called Born Again but I wasn’t,” he recalled. “It was only later that the Holy Spirit revealed my depravity, I surrendered to Him, and change happened. After a solid walk of obedience, God called me out and said, ‘Choose the unchosen! Don’t ask for money; just tell your story.’ So I sent out one email telling my story and saying that I wanted to take in young adults aged 18-24 who have aged out of foster care and don’t have a home or are on the streets due to substance abuse. I also want to help single moms who can’t control their 18-year-old that’s destructive or violent.”

Within three weeks of sending that email, Pete, his wife, Kelli, and their four children (ages 13, 10, 5 and 4) took in a 19-year-old, and the ministry called In Triumph has been growing ever since. “We were literally pulling in homeless people, prostitutes, drug addicts, thieves, and people from mental institutions who had no place to go,” Pete explained. “I’m not telling them what to think; I’m teaching them how to think, so they can make a decision about God with all the pieces of the puzzle.” His process for doing this is based on a classical 3-part learning method called Trivium which consists of Grammar – gathering foundational elements of world view, dissecting them, and defining terms like Truth to challenge their thought processes; Logic – comparative religion study and world view discussion; and Rhetoric – the art of communicating what you believe and defending why you believe it. “This process makes them think, and they must give answers for why they believe what they believe. The Holy Spirit is working and yields the eternal result of transformed hearts and minds.”

What about you? Are you willing to trust God with your brokenness and allow Him to redeem it for His glory in the lives of others? Take what you’ve experienced, your story of His grace, and find a way to share it with those who have yet to taste the goodness of God in their lives. Ask God how your church can communicate the stories of those who sit inside the church walls with those who remain outside them.

Currently, In Triumph is located on 30 leased acres with a ranch-style house in Florence, Texas, and hopes to expand. To contact Pete or get more information, go to the website at www.intriumph.org or go to In Triumph on Facebook. You can arrange to visit the ministry and/or invite Pete to tell his story in your church at no charge to raise awareness of what In Triumph can offer. Another big need is people who will let them know of young adults who need help.

According to Forefront Austin’s recent infographic, nearly half of our area’s population is between the ages of 18-44, which makes the median age of Austin four years younger than the median age of the nation.  About a third of the households in our area include children under the age of 18.  More people are moving in than moving out, and this number is growing greatly each year.  A good quarter of the population works in the professional and business industry. And almost half of our population is affiliated with some religious congregation.  Austin’s economy is performing well, compared to other regions in the United States, and is a “magnet for attracting people and talent.”

It’s good to know statistics, medians, trends, and changes.  As Austin changes, we must keep up, praying that God enables us to share His story with changing demographics, reach out in creative ways, and share His love with everyone we meet.  As we listen and obey, the number of Austinites who see Christ will increase as well, and say of Him, “He’s Good to Know.”  That’s a statistic worth reaching for…and a trend worth starting.

The arts scene is coming alive in Austin to start a movement that will make a difference in our city, drawing patrons into awareness about critical issues, stirring audiences through fantastic acting and quality stories, and instigating discussions to encourage relationships with neighbors. 

Using the venue of the theater, Jennifer Cumberbatch and her new production company, JRCumberbatch Productions, are presenting Having Our Say, The Dellany Sisters’ First 100 Years at the George Washington Carver Museum, Boyd Vance Theater.  Jennifer plays one of the two sisters in the play, and Carla Nickerson plays the other one.  These two women of age are fiery, delightful, and inspirational at the same time, as they discuss money, integrity, race, forgiveness, and more – capturing the universal human experience in the setting of their own specific experiences. 

Once the play is over, Cumberbatch states they will take the story as a “springboard” to generate honest Christ-filled dialogue and reconciliation around issues that face us in our “otherness.” Cumberbatch quotes, “Christ is the only one that transcends our otherness,” by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The play is showing the first week in February, and then several Salon Groups will meet in the weeks following, to discuss topics addressed in the play.  Experts in specific topics of interest will be present to facilitate these “backtalks.”

As an extension of the Walls Campaign, Jennifer Cumberbatch hopes that people will come out, invite friends, and support this effort. This will unite the body of Christ through interaction and discussion, moving towards spiritual transformation of our city. Cumberbatch says walls are already coming down, just between actors and other cast members.  People are being employed in this effort and given the opportunity to express through drama something redemptive!  Cumberbatch is a minister of the gospel herself, and she enjoys theater as a vehicle to spread the good news, stir up vision, and evoke dialogue between a diverse group of audience members. 

Cumberbatch says this is a fledgling production, indicating those involved are new at this venture and perhaps inexperienced.  However, this entertaining and inspirational piece of literature coming alive on the stage will literally transform those who listen and observe, as they learn a piece of history from the perspective of two old Negro women “having their say.” 

In order to connect with our neighbors, we need events and gatherings where local issues arise, where people are interested in what’s being said, and where they are given the opportunity to hear the Good News presented to them in a way that speaks to their heart, where they are.

Plays are a great venue to get people out and connected.  What other possibilities await the Church?  Concerts? Musical dramas? Art classes?  JRCumberbatch Productions hopes that this is just the first of many plays to effect change in our city.  They need our prayer and support, through attending the production and bringing a friend.  Just as the play takes place over a cup of tea, it’s just a small picture of what can take place when we share our time and talents with others for Him.

Visit http://havingoursay.eventbrite.com/ for tickets.

By Marcy Lytle

2012 is here. Resolutions and goals are perhaps part of our agenda for the New Year…but what should our goals be?  What can the Church do to make 2012 a year of change in our city, a year to remember?  We asked local pastors and leaders for their input, and below are their inspired thoughts and prayers for Austin: 

Dan Davis:  2012 seems to be shaping up as a very contentious political year for our nation. I pray that the Christian community can model love, honor, and respect as they dialogue with those with whom they disagree … that they will know us by our love. I pray that God will sustain the grace and endurance of those pastors who are looking beyond their own individual congregations working together with other churches to bring the Gospel to our city. I pray that the love and compassion that the church poured out to the victims of the Bastrop fire will be sustained as we face other challenges that may arise. I pray that the Holy Spirit will be welcomed and free to work through God’s people to draw multiple thousands to our Lord Jesus!

Gaylon Clark: Rest/Balance for Pastors, unprecedented unity among pastors in the city and pastors in the same community, relationships among wives.

Alan Nagel: Starting the process of equipping, empowering, and unleashing 10,000 Believers in Greater Austin, to live on mission 24/7 in partnership with the Holy Spirit!  Living out Matthew 5:13-16 being Salt and Light. We are unemployed spiritually and do not understand the Call from God; our role in ministry and God’s role.  There is need for development of new thinking habits, awareness of needs in others’ lives, listening skills, tools, etc.   It is person to person sharing life on life and how the love of Christ can transform a life!

Trey Kent: I see 2012 being the greatest year of unified prayer in our city’s history.  The Pastors Prayer Gathering, Pray Forty, and the Cymbala/Henderson/Missional Living Conferences are key events on this pursuit.  I believe the City-Wide Prayer Meeting with Jim Cymbala on April 12 at Shoreline will be the most visible and powerful display of our unity that I’ve seen in years!  Personally, I hear God pressing me to listen to His voice and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Ryan Rush:  I feel moved to pray for prayer itself. I’m praying that God’s church will seek the Lord in the greatest prayer movement this city has ever seen… and then await the greatest outpouring of God’s blessing that is the inevitable fruit of that prayer.

John Pound: I trust the Lord in 2012 for a distinctiveness in our people and churches that distinguishes them from the powerless culture in which we live.  I do not mean this in terms of the form and program of our services and ministries, but in the manifestation of the presence and real works of God.  I am praying that we will move beyond what human agencies can do.  We are here to alter the eternities of those we brush shoulders with on a daily basis.  We are here to represent our Father and speak His words to an increasingly lost generation.

This work of God requires a firm and aggressive base of prayer as well as many lovers of Jesus who are raised up for the harvest of souls that is coming.  The body of Christ must be trained and activated in taking the Lord’s words and power into homes, businesses, and neighborhoods in 2012. 

What about you? What are your goals? What would the Lord have you do to make 2012 a year of change in our city, a year to remember?