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?

So where is the center of wealth migrating?  Most residents realize this is taking place in the hills west of the city.  This trend or “wealth-creep” out of Austin creates a bigger burden for citizens funding services and facilities used and enjoyed by residents throughout the region.  It would seem that income now will be an even more noticeable factor on the list of items that could bring division to our region.  This growing list includes, among other things, cultural attributes, linguistics, and political persuasions.

As a leader and influencer, we must be asking ourselves:  How can I contribute to blurring the sharp-edge lines that are emerging – whether due to affluence, culture, etc.?  What are those issues I encounter that foster an “us-them” perspective, rather than “we”?  Where are the points I can facilitate cross-over so that understanding, compassion, and relationship can grow? 

The demographic trends in our community are worth making note of, and considering as we close out 2011 and move into 2012.  They impact the way we do business, the way we do church, the way we relate to those around us.  The potential for division and isolation abound.  But we, as ambassadors of reconciliation, can stem the tide.   Pray and see what creative solutions present themselves.  Be a part of softening the sharp edge.

The Pastors’ Prayer Gathering: It’s a time to foster relationships, pray and share vision for the city. It will involve listening to His heart for people in Austin, and engaging in His plans.

Pastors are the ones who lead our congregations, instruct people how to walk with Him, and then send them out equipped to bless others. These men and women need a time to get away, to recharge their spiritual batteries, connect with others in similar roles and be encouraged in their work by one another.

Prayer is the power that fuels our spiritual connection. Trey Kent, pastor of Northwest Fellowship, says, “We believe that the unified prayers of believers make a powerful impact on the future of the city. As a result of praying together, we see relationships built at the retreat often transfer into unity and deeper relationships throughout the year.”

Gathering provides a way for pastors to disconnect from their day to day, coming together in one place at one time for our city. Kent states that, as leaders, it is “vital” to know each other, to be on the “same page” as far as what God is doing, and to “cry out together” for God to transform HIS city. Interestingly, one definition of “gathering” is “the collecting of food that grows wild such as berries, roots, etc.” As pastors show up and bring their individual collections of spiritual fruit, answered prayers, and “roots” of need, imagine the amassed accumulation that will take place – what a Gathering!

Dan Davis shares a bit of history on the Pastors Prayer Gathering: “Joe Aldrich had a vision for gathering the pastors of cities in the Pacific Northwest, characterized by an exclusive focus on prayer … no preaching or conference events. He went so far as to insist that the pastors be bussed to the locations so they could give themselves totally to prayer. As I reflect on what he did, it was revolutionary; giving rise to the subsequent passion for unity among pastors that has since emerged. He eliminated having the big name speakers that turned such events into spectator activities. It was evident that God’s hand was on what he did. When we organized ABBA, we created an entity designed to sustain the PPGs as an annual event. Over the past nine years, the size of the event has grown from around 25 to around 140. Size has never been our priority. It’s the personal relationship focus that we value.” We believe that the increased attendance is indicative of the unity that is growing here as well.

Pastors gathering with pastors, agreeing in prayer – it has great potential to solidify the vision of seeing the city impacted with the love of Christ.

Visit http://www.abbaconnect.net/events/ppg/ to sign up for this leadership event. It takes place January 23-24 at Camp Buckner.

Middle class families are becoming less common inside Austin, as they migrate to the suburbs, and this will result in families that remain in the city becoming increasingly poor. “Without a sizable share of middle class families to stabilize the urban core, working class families suffer because the rung above them on the socio-economic ladder has been removed, making it more difficult for them to achieve upward social mobility.”  This has a profound effect on health care providers, as they have an increasingly harder time managing the demand for services that will increase within the core of the city.

So how can churches minister to these groups and close up the cracks?  Will there be a division between families with children and those without?  With the new developments of high end stores in downtown Austin, and lofts for rent to young upwardly social couples, is the Church at large praying for innovative ways to reach the entire spectrum? 

Answering these questions and observing patterns in where people migrate to set up house is a key to understanding our neighbors.  With this shift in our city, we might all consider even our own decisions about where we choose to live, work, and play.  Just like the recent soaking rains are closing up the cracks in the hard ground beneath our feet, let’s all pray for continued motivation to close up the gaps that separate us from those around us.

 Interesting changes.  But change is good. 

What’s happening with prayer in our city?  How can we be more effective in prayer?  Is it possible to connect with others to lift up a certain issue?  These are great questions that now have answers.  A unique, interactive, citywide prayer site has just been launched.  The new site, www.austinalive.org, provides a way to be social with our prayers, manage prayer journals, and track small group prayers.

This website also provides the who, the what, and the where elements.  If you want to know what’s happening on the prayer scene or let people know of your prayer events, check out the events section on the home page.  You will also find a list of prayer leaders in the city and links to a variety of prayer-related websites.  Jeff Collier states, “AustinAlive.org has the potential to be the heartbeat of prayer and the foundation for transformation in Greater Austin.  I think there’s mighty power in prayer. AustinAlive.org can be a catalyst for city-wide prayer, leading to more joy, justice and rejuvenation in Greater Austin.”

Other resources on AustinAlive include a list of books on prayer, helps for how to pray, and a dictionary of prayer terms.  Be sure to check out the “Timeline” under “Resources.”  It has historical events, prophecies, and stories.  Do you know about the African American who was a major force behind the University of Texas being located in Austin?  Do you know why the American Atheist Society, founded in Austin, decided to move to New Jersey?  Understanding history helps us understand how to pray for our city.

AustinAlive provides a tool for building a strategic prayer force to cover the area in prayer.  If you click “Neighborhood Prayer” it opens to information about the various communities in the Greater Austin area.  Communities that have been claimed, and therefore are starting to be populated, are Lago Vista, Buda, and Northwest Austin.  The site has the potential to communicate events, prayer requests, groups, service projects, stories, and more in your community.  If you would like to claim your neighborhood and use the site as a tool to build relationships and strategy in your part of town, there is a place to do so and get management keys for your community.  Malyssa Sowell comments, “I think Austin Alive is important to Austin because it has created a place online where the prayer community, those from all different backgrounds, can come together and cover the entire city in prayer…the potential is endless!”

This website is in its infant stages, but it has potential to be a powerful tool for prayer and for unifying our communities.  What would be meaningful in your part of town?  How could you use this tool to help you make it happen?  This site is designed for you.  Check it out at www.austinalive.org.

If you have questions about becoming a manager for a community on the site, please contact Thana at thana@abbaconnect.net for more information.