February, 2013 | Release the A.P.E.

5 STEPS TO LEAD AN EVANGELISTIC CULTURE SHIFT

5 responses
February 17, 2013

Photo Courtesy of Slack pics (creative commons)

By Linson Daniel

I was contemplating the impact of missionaries coming to India and sharing the Gospel with my ancestors. If it were not for their efforts, then I do not think I would be a Christian today. I am amazed at how God changed generations of countless families in India, including mine, because of the faithfulness of those few missionaries.

Consequently, evangelism is very important to me. I believe that evangelism should be the leading value for any church, para-church, and/or ministry. Out of a healthy culture of evangelism flow the values of growth, discipleship, community, worship, etc.

One of the first things I did as Area Director for North Texas and Oklahoma was to instill the importance of evangelism within my team. My area did not have a fruitful history in the area of evangelism, and this eventually created stagnation in all of the other values. Therefore, I initiated an evangelistic culture shift.

Here are the 5 steps that I used to lead an evangelistic culture shift within our team:

Tutsi, Hutu, Genocide & Prophetic Multiethnicity

2 responses
February 13, 2013

genocide

By Eric Rafferty

[This is part of the series “Multi-Ethnicity in the Missional Church”. Read the other posts here]

In 1972 an intentionally multiethnic community of college students made a choice to prophetically reveal the Kingdom of God in their love for one another.

They crossed ethnic lines, broke rules, and cared for each other so sacrificially that the Kingdom of God was undeniably on display for their whole country to see. Just like the great prophets of scripture, their counter-cultural and prophetic example pointed many back to the heart of God, but it cost most of them their lives.

Lent: Cultivating the Prophetic

6 responses
February 12, 2013

lonely_bench_w1

The six weeks leading up to Easter are observed all over the world as a season of preparation and repentance, known as Lent. If observed at all in evangelical circles, often Lent is a time to try and give up sweets, coffee, or TV. Instead of a holier version of New Year’s Resolutions, Lent has the potential to reach deeper into our lives and hearts and, in the words of the wise Christine Sine,

“sweep out the corners in which sin has accumulated”

I believe it is a season to cultivate the prophetic in each of us individually, and in our communities of faith as well.

While this post is not technically in the John the Baptist series, his prophetic ministry worked a lot like Lent. He was preparing the way for the Messiah Jesus in the ancient Jewish community by calling for a baptism of repentance, helping people change the way they lived so they could make way for Jesus. Lent is the season that makes space in our life for Jesus to come into it more fully. As we prepare, sometimes by getting rid of things that block our ability to connect with God, sometimes by diving into things more deeply that bring us closer to him, we make space.

Funding or Prayer: What Are You Raising?

no responses
February 6, 2013

obi-wan-and-qui-gon-jin

By Luke Cawley

How’s your budget looking? Do you have all the money you need to fund your ministry for the coming year? If the cash isn’t there, do you have a plan to try and raise the cash that makes your work possible?

I am thinking a lot about money these days. I was recently involved in setting up a new organization called Chrysolis. I am hoping to move with my wife and kids to Romania soon and begin developing the work of Chrysolis in Eastern and Central Europe. Like most such pioneering work it needs money to make it happen. We don’t need piles of cash, but we would like enough to house and feed our family, and also to cover the general costs of our work. So, I do think about money fairly frequently and, like you with your ministry, I do have some thoughts about how we might be able to raise it.

Book Give Away: “Making All Things New: God’s Dream for Global Justice”

4 responses
February 2, 2013

making all things new Here is the first free book giveaway for 2013!

This week we are giving away

“Making All Things New: God’s Dream for Global Justice” by York Moore

5 COPIES!!!!

This book really helps us think about “God’s Dream” for the world and how He is on mission to make all things new. York helps us take a deeper look at brokenness, injustice and God’s redemption all in light of the end time reality that Jesus will come back and reign as King.

I know York personally and he has a a huge heart for both justice and seeing things made right, but also evangelism and seeing people come to know Jesus Christ and start personal relationships with Him. He is really onto something here with his writing and his book as he brings the two together so we can better see and understand the full story of God!

Here is how to enter yourself for the drawing…

Jesus Meets Jesus…A Greek Conversion Story

one response
February 1, 2013

Pictures of the UCLA Greek Plant from fall 2012

By Beau Crosetto

Just this week we saw a student come to faith in the Greek System at UCLA. You can read his story here.

The reason we moved to start work in the 17 Greek Systems in Los Angeles was so that we could see students connect to Jesus for the first time! Students who are intertwined in sin, confused in purpose and lost in shallow relationships.

I love starting things for God in difficult places. That is my calling in life and the Greek Systems in LA are one of those places over time I will be called to partner with God to see communities of faith start.

I write this post as a simple reminder to myself and to you about two things: