Subscribe to Every Post:Scott and I are in the thick of it right now in Sheffield, England. We are meeting leaders all over the world. Every time we meet someone new it seems like we are meeting someone from another country. We are so encouraged that many of the things we are trying to do at Grace are some of the same things leaders all over the world are trying to pursue.
The church here in Sheffield, made up of three locations, has been living out house churches and teams (groups of 2-4 house churches) for about 15 years. They use different names than house churches or teams but many of the concepts and structures are very similar. On Sunday night we experienced the celebration of what many of these communities have been doing.
Some examples of their names and missional focuses were: Lighthouse (ministry to college students), Ambassadors for Christ (to Slovaks), Grace (senior citizens), Reproductive Life (young families), M and M (focusing on a specific street), Just Life (young adults), Same Difference (intergenerational), Simplicity (living simple lives) , Phoenix (starting evangelistic Bible studies) , Xtend (taking risks for God), Roots (social justice and homeless), Carmel (building mountains of prayer), 3PM (meeting in a café/bar), Go Global (multicultural). All of them are attempting to grow, outreach, and have an intentional UP, IN, and OUT focus. We were told that 95% of their church grows through these venues rather than due to simply inviting people to the Sunday morning service.
Yesterday Scott and I went out with a group that desires to bring blessing and care to the city. We went out as a group of about 18 and went around and simply prayed for people and looked for ways to encourage them. Our leader asked us to pray before we went out and to ask God to speak to us about what he might show us (specific and tangible things). As we prayed, I began to think about a lady who has a child with problems. I had no idea what this meant, or if it was from God, but I prayed God might show me.
We went into the city (see above), and then two by two, began to pray and bless people. I was with an English guy and we went up to women with children. We told them we were walking around the city praying for children and asked if we could pray for their child. Some said no, but most said yes. We had opportunity to pray for many children and even Muslim children as well, in “Jesus name” of course. It was awesome.
Just as we were finishing we came in contact with a girl who looked about 20. We started talking to her and she was extremely receptive to spiritual issues. At the end I asked if we could pray for her right there in the middle of the sidewalk as people were walking by us. She then said that she broke up with her boyfriend and that their three year old son was living with him because she did not have a stable home (I had no idea she was a mom). She was desperate to get her child back. It was then that I realized this might be the girl and child I thought about as I prayed beforehand.
The experience was incredibly encouraging and faith stretching. We didn’t have any extra Bibles with us, and so the guy with me gave her his. We pray that God would lead this girl to seek Jesus, experience salvation, and be re-united with her son.
Many more stories to tell, but enough for now.
June 11th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
WOW Bro. I have no words. Would the HC strech their arms to this young girl? How would they make themself available? What would they suggest if we were in similar situation here? Keep up the good work.