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OUR PURPOSE is to create the environment and relationships necessary to equip, empower, and engage Christian mission and ministry in the city cores that is characteristically incarnational and transformational. WE WILL pray for kingdom power, pursue kingdom values, partner for kingdom goals.
4/16/2004
MONDAY MORNING
April 12, 2004
6When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?”
7“The Father sets those dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. 8But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9It was not long after he said this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and he disappeared into a cloud. 10As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white-robed men suddenly stood there among them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!”
Acts 1:6-11 (NLT)
Community Transformation
The Coming of The Spirit is The Confirmation of The Resurrection – The Affirmation of Our Faith in The Resurrected One. To infuse the city core with the gospel of Jesus Christ requires that there must first be a radical departure from typical city church ministry, i.e., ministry as usual. This departure is away from a mindset of church building toward one of community building – community transformation begins with transformational congregations. This departure also embraces the need for new transforming expressions of church starting. It builds on the biblical premise that God loves the city and that He scattered His churches throughout the cities of the world to manifest His Incarnation and Coming Kingdom. It is behavior based on belief that Jesus came, prophesied, died, arose, and ascended to redeem human beings and human systems from the fallen-ness of sin to the abundance of life in God.
Best Practice
Rise Above, a worship community in San Antonio whose pastor is Skip Brooks, practices a self-described “punk-music” worship style. This church is built around bold music, bold worship, bold prayer, bold lifestyle, and bold witness. Sometimes thought of as “outcasts” in the normative culture, Rise Above and similar churches are forming a growing global network of ministries penetrating the veil of unbelieving peoples through the artistry of music that talks-up Jesus.
Praise and Prayer
Pray for Rise Above and other new church starts in the urban cores that embody incarnational, prophetic worship
Pray for upcoming decisions and meetings that will set the course for City Core Initiative strategies in the focus cities: Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio, and Tyler
Pray for strategic leadership decisions for the future of City Core Initiative
Give thanks - I celebrate my one-year anniversary this month with BGCT and City Core Initiative
Our family celebrated togetherness and birthdays this week – all are blessings – some are present only in our hearts and memories
Blessings,
Tommy
April 12, 2004
6When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?”
7“The Father sets those dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. 8But when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9It was not long after he said this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and he disappeared into a cloud. 10As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white-robed men suddenly stood there among them. 11They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!”
Acts 1:6-11 (NLT)
Community Transformation
The Coming of The Spirit is The Confirmation of The Resurrection – The Affirmation of Our Faith in The Resurrected One. To infuse the city core with the gospel of Jesus Christ requires that there must first be a radical departure from typical city church ministry, i.e., ministry as usual. This departure is away from a mindset of church building toward one of community building – community transformation begins with transformational congregations. This departure also embraces the need for new transforming expressions of church starting. It builds on the biblical premise that God loves the city and that He scattered His churches throughout the cities of the world to manifest His Incarnation and Coming Kingdom. It is behavior based on belief that Jesus came, prophesied, died, arose, and ascended to redeem human beings and human systems from the fallen-ness of sin to the abundance of life in God.
Best Practice
Rise Above, a worship community in San Antonio whose pastor is Skip Brooks, practices a self-described “punk-music” worship style. This church is built around bold music, bold worship, bold prayer, bold lifestyle, and bold witness. Sometimes thought of as “outcasts” in the normative culture, Rise Above and similar churches are forming a growing global network of ministries penetrating the veil of unbelieving peoples through the artistry of music that talks-up Jesus.
Praise and Prayer
Pray for Rise Above and other new church starts in the urban cores that embody incarnational, prophetic worship
Pray for upcoming decisions and meetings that will set the course for City Core Initiative strategies in the focus cities: Abilene, Dallas, San Antonio, and Tyler
Pray for strategic leadership decisions for the future of City Core Initiative
Give thanks - I celebrate my one-year anniversary this month with BGCT and City Core Initiative
Our family celebrated togetherness and birthdays this week – all are blessings – some are present only in our hearts and memories
Blessings,
Tommy
