Mission Alive

After the deliverance Moses sang of Yahweh's distinctive nature declaring that He was incomparable.

Moses recognized that the mission of deliverance was about a holy and glorious God working wonders to deliver the Israelites from Egyptian captivity. He understood that he was only God's messenger without adequate weapons to fight the battle. God, who performed mighty wonders, was to be praised.

Like Moses we are led forward by God's mission and declare news of His mighty acts. The story line of the Bible is being reenacted in our lives.

Preparing for the Battle: 40 Days of Prayer and Reflection

The elders and missions ministry of the Kaufman Church of Christ are concluding 40 days of prayer and reflection about church planting in their geographic region. Ben Stevens, preaching minister of the Kaufman church, has articulated how God is a missionary God and how his people, reflecting God's nature, must likewise become missionary people. Their Home Teams (or small groups) have discussed this vision heart to heart. This church is preparing for the battle. Like Moses, they are asking the question, "Who are we, that we should go . . . ." (Ex. 3:11). Their focus is to plant new churches in emerging areas of Kaufman County, south and east of Dallas. They know the battle is greater than their human power.

Strategic Plans for the Battle: Launching Next Month

God has worked mightily through the lives of Kester and Rachel Smith. They moved to downtown Austin in response to God's call because they connected well with the artsy, intellectual generation who propose to "Keep Austin Weird." God supplied Kester with the best job in town: minimum wage employment at Book People, the largest independent bookstore in Texas and an icon within the culture. Kester is acknowledged as pastor within the Book People community ministering with teammate Adam Sweeney to many who have never experienced Christ-formed Christian community. Teammate Nathan Jerkins, who directs and performs in various productions in the Austin area, helped the team discover a meeting place -- Scottish Rite Children's Theater -- in downtown Austin. They launch as a public church on September 24. God has raised up Mark Love, associate minister of the University Avenue Church of Christ, as their coach, and Barry and Karen Alexander of the Westover Hills church as their spiritual mentors. Apprentice Chris Morton has also just joined this team.

Troops are Moving: Repositioning for a Strategic Offense

A team of three families and two singles is moving from Dallas and Searcy to plant a church in the Reunion area north of Denver, Colorado. Robbie and Cynthia James, who are leading this church planting, have already rented a town house and are relocating the first of October. Teammate Darren Boyer sacrificially blazed the trail by moving to Denver ten months ago to survey the area more specifically, locate ideal places for housing, and connect with area churches. Spiritual formation minister George Cummings and his wife Jennie, who will serve as children's minister, arrived two weeks ago. George, as a Licensed Professional Counselor, has taken a job as the Administrator of Domestic Relief at Lutheran Family Services until he discovers adequate support to minister full-time with the church planting. Hobby and Jeri Chapin will serve as apprentices in the church planting and will plant another church in Colorado in the near future. Women's Minister Tasha Gustafson moves to Denver in early 2007. God is providing for this team through a gracious gift from the Rocky Mountain Christian Church. They continue to discover financial support with the help of their partnering church, the Lakewood Church of Christ, and other churches in the area. Troops of the Lord are moving, repositioning for a strategic offense against the forces of darkness.

An Army is Mobilizing: Forming a Launch Team

Becky and I spent Monday and Tuesday of last week working with church planters Tim and Annette Broadwell. They are planting a church in partnership with the East Cobb Church of Christ in Cherokee County north of Atlanta. It was wonderful to hear the testimonies of Jim Tidwell, elder of the East Cobb church, about the impact of the planting upon their church. He said, "I have heard no negative thing in the entire church about this church planting. The church planting has energized the church and given it focus." In the meantime, Tim and Annette are working with numerous people putting together the core, vocational team who will work with them in the church planting. Tim has the unique ability to cast vision for the planting of a Christ-formed church through video and collaborative discussion. We were pleased to see the maturity of the developing team, including one of the elders of the East Cobb church. An army is mobilizing for the evangelization of Cherokee County, north of Atlanta.

Light Penetrating Darkness: A Church Grows and Matures

Chris and Heidi Chappotin are one of our first church planting families. Their church planting, called Christ Journey, is now only a year and a half old. I am awed to see the number of unchurched people who have come to the Lord and have quickly grown as leaders by sharing Christ with friends and relatives, leading home fellowships, and above all, growing spiritually as disciples reflecting the holiness, love, and faithfulness of God. Christ Journey is a church for the unchurched, a church for the "harassed and helpless" who have lived "like sheep without shepherds" (Matt. 9:36) but have found direction is Jesus Christ. Chris has said, "During any six months period, we have encountered more addictions than during the four years that we worked in the New Life Church (inner-city) church in Abilene." Light penetrates darkness as this church grows and matures.

Soldiers are Enlisting: Developing a Church Planting Movement

We praise God that many elders and church leaders are hearing God's call to be His missionary people within their own culture. They are asking "How does God bring spiritual renewal to our church?" and are learning the relationship between missional renewal and church planting. They are asking "How can we reach out to unbelievers and become a distinctively evangelistic church?" and are learning missional connection to community through witnessing God's work through new church plantings. In other words, the mother church learns patterns of spiritual formation and incarnational evangelism while participating with church planters in beginning a new church! The mission of God has within itself the seeds of renewal. Because of this connection, Mission Alive frequently works closely with partnering churches to help them in their spiritual renewal. Please pray for these soldiers as they lead their churches to become church planting churches.

We praise God for the numbers of church planters entering Mission Alive. Charles and Julie Kiser have been hired by the South MacArthur Church of Christ and are interning with Christ Journey and Sunrise Church of Christ in Dallas-Ft. Worth for 18 months while discerning the long-term context in which they will plant their first church. Kevin and Sarah Parker are in the beginning stages of planting a church in the growing northern corridor of Forth Worth. They have been blessed with financial resources to become debt-free, a good job working with the Richland Hills Church of Christ to develop their internet infrastructure, and a developing core team. Pray that God will provide them with a good partnering church to plant a church in perhaps the fastest growing area of Texas. Pray for Jeff and Stacey Moore of North Little Rock, who are searching for both a context for church planting and a partnering church. And for others who are faithfully following the mission of God. They are mighty soldiers of the Lord!

Walking with Death

Last week I cried when my wife pointed to a picture of our son Jonathan, who died in a truck accident six months ago, and said, "I miss him!" We live with the realization that we walk with death. First, our hope is only in the One who died on our behalf. We walk with his death. Second, we realize how short and fragile our lives are and we redeem the time until our time arrives. Walking with death is part of our spiritual journey.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. . . . . Stand firm then . . . . (Eph. 6:10-12, 14)