The Art of Band-Aid Removal

A recent e-pistle to the VC network of churches for your reading pleasure (well, you be the judge of that... I'll just make it available!) The Art of Band-Aid Removal

An impression of the 24-7prayer.com roundtable in Malaga is available at http://marcsmessages.blogspot.com.



Like Zinzendorf and the Moravians, 24-7 is not just about prayer. Rather it’s a missionary and church planting movement that promotes a holistic lifestyle of prayer. It was good to meet people that are involved in subversive ministries like the boiler rooms, Fusion, Sk8, the Jesus Freaks and Clubbers Temple.

Tomorrow I'll be in Malaga on the south coast of Spain for the international leaders meeting of 24-7. Andrew is there already (fighting the 24-7 bulls), as well as Derek and Amy, whose 'prophetic wedding' we celebrated in Prague last June during the Inspiration Bohemia event.

The Americans like it big and up-front: a new movement known as the '30-Second Kneel Down' is sweeping the nation as high school students boldly kneel in prayer for the teachers, students, and administrators of their schools. The vision of this movement is 'to see a generational awakening come to the youth generation around the world, in order for them to reap a last days' harvest.'

Theoblogian Andrew responded to the '15 traits of a postmodern apostle' mentioned earlier. He called it the '15 trials of a postmodern apostle'. The first five are back-stabbing, thin wallet, red-eye, dumb tax and what-about-Bob's.

From VC network in Ohio

Here's an email from our friend Glenn Johnson. Glenn is a pastor in Oxford, OH (about 30 minutes outside Cincy) home of Miami University where our lovely Shaina goes to college. Glenn and his wife Kathy have visited with us on a couple occasions pounding us with thoughtful questions. We also sent a couple to hang out with them for a day.... so, long story shortened, they have to decided to launch house churches. There's lots of potential for a church planting movement in Oxford... this will be one to watch. These guys are sharp. Here's arecent email describing their decision... also he asks for some input (feel free to send them an email with any ideas... I also think it'd be great if some of us pursuing this decentralized,network of simple churches stuff would send them an email an say "Welcome aboard!" If you wanna do that his email is: Planterdudes@aol.com

Here's the email he sent us...



> "Well, we've done it......... the Veritas CoreCommunity came together Sunday
> night and we've decided to launch 2 home churches on October 13th. We also
> decided to cut back to one worship gathering per month and focus on home
> church development.
>
> It was cool to see an eager consensus come about as we ate, prayed and talked
> together. We have been building up to this for months now and it is just
> splendid to see it around the corner.
>
> We want to have some sort of simple yet beautiful commissioning-type,
> sending-out service on the 29th.......something that would convey the
> ecclesiological significance of what we are endeavoring to do. I was
> wondering, being the green neophytes we are, what ideas could you shoot our
> way as to include in such a service? Any ideas on this and on what we should
> look out for as we begin our home churches would rock. It is obvious in many
> ways to us that God has brought you guys into our lives.......thanks for
> being available.
>
> Glenn"

SYATP History

SEE YOU AT THE POLE This week, on Sep 18, over 3 million youth around the world will pray for their nation. See You At The Pole started in Texas in 1990 with just a few young people and has been growing ever since. It is now in 20 countries and is one of the largest youth prayer movements in the world. Read the SYATP History and find out how to be a part.
The tragic shooting at Fort Worth church in 1999, where 8 young people died, was a SYATP event. I was in Fort Worth that night, as a kick off to the Boaz Project. I feel this is a movement that God is using powerfully. They have already seen their martyrs and might one day see the great outbreaking of God''s grace that they are praying for.

Church Times - Clouds lift as Greenbelt booms

Greenbelt booms. 12000 total people, including 1000 children. I will try and make it there next year.

Youth in Australia and the Pacific are rising up to pray. This network is similar to the one we launched in Herrnhut.

Barna: Sept. 11 produced little spiritual fruit

Barna on Sep 11. : Church attendance spiked for several weeks after Sept. 11, but it was a short-lived revival. By November, attendance numbers had fallen back to the same levels as before the attacks.
___Barna found little or no change over the last year in the percentage of Americans who read their Bible regularly (41 percent), attend church (43 percent) or pray (83 percent). The percentage of unchurched Americans remained constant at 33 percent.

I put the pictures from the recent young prayer leaders gathering in Herrnhut online. Also check out the temporal website.

3,000 Swiss youth recovenanting with God for their nation. I just found the pictures of the Rütli event in April 2002. Seems pretty powerful to me. Also check out the main website.

Salon.com Books | Top 10 Cities on Richard Florida's Creative Class Index

Top 10 Cities on Richard Florida's Creative Class Index

Netscape.com

This morning’s requests: a San Franciscan is going to London and wants a postmodern church. An English girl is moving to Glasgow - same request. What did I suggest? Always different, of course, depending on who and what background they have, but I suggested Grace in London and a new church start in Glasgow led by the Christian Associates (based in Netherlands). The Glasgow team are very cool. One of them is French. They are hanging out in the Rave/Dance party scene and bringing life to the city of Glasgow, which is quite a tough city.

The young prayer leaders meeting in Herrnhut was powerful and impacted all that attended. I put a little report on my weblog.

Early registration for Soularize ends tomorrow. This is going to be a hoot but I dont think I can make it this year, even though I have a lot of friends who will be there.
I am also bummed that I cant make it to TOMFEST which starts today I think. Actually, they changed the name to Portico.
Tim is leading the DJ night and he asks for prayer:
Tim and Xeia say:
"Really we are simply a group of freaks who have found a niche this year :) we would appreciate prayer!
please pray about the festival, it IS a Christian-run fest, most of the bands are followers of the Way, but there are humans there, and where they go, sin follows.. please pray for the impact that these bands can make, that they would be bold with His name not only on stage, but in how they walk and talk and set an example to the thousands of kids there.
please pray that this year wuld be a year of artistic discovery and worshipful release of gifts and talents.. that our humble efforts (simply a group of artist types somewhat organized intoo an installation/worship expression/interactive opportunity) would bear fruit greater than we could ever expect.. (thru Him alone..)
also, we would appreciate specific prayer for saturday night, every year at this festival they have a token 'dj' night, incorporating some aspects of dj and rave culture into the flow and stream of subculture already evident (punk, goth, hiphop, avant..everything loud and colourful).. this year we seem to have been given this task .. we hope to lift up His name, to show how not only are many lovers of Jesus in this culture, but that God inhabits the praises of His people within it's expression.
we hope to run from a contemplative possibly liturgical ambient-media environment to a loud, Jesus -celebrating expression of rhythm, colour, light, sound, texture, harmony..
in His sweet Name and arms..
tim and xea westcott"

Greenbelt Festivals - The Fishtank

Greenbelt Webcam will keep you connected to the Greenbelt Festival this weekend.

Top Ten Signs Your Group is Getting TOO Small.

10. You can follow up on all group members without leaving your house.
9. Your daughter sets out her dolls, so there is only one empty chair.
8. During Prayer time you find yourself quoting Matthew 18:20 "Where two or three are gathered..."
7. Every Chair is the empty chair.
6. Your usual waitress at the restaurant where your weekly men's small group meets asks, "Will anyone be joining you this week?"
5. You over hear your son explain to a friend, "Naw, she doesn't always talk to herself. Just during small group discussions."
4. You say, "Tonight we're going to pray for the empty room." instead of the empty chair.
3. When you join in prayer and you have to hold your own hand.
2. You decide to grow the group by encouraging schizophrenia.
1. Worship involves: You, a guitar, and 5 cardboard cutouts.

-from Volume 1, Issue 14 of Small Group Dynamics-Byte Size, a free twice a month email from The Small Group Network @ .

A journey to Quebec (Canada) and New Hamshire to discover, and bless emerging networks of simple churches....

Link for a skateboarding outreach that is growing out of the life of our network.... Go Elizabeth!

Czech flood relief. Here is a list of organizations that will accept your donations on the Prague Post Online. I am in Prague right now and I have updates on my blog at Tallskinnykiwi.

Next week, 23-26 August, EPL will gather 55 young prayer leaders from 14 European nations in Herrnhut, Germany for a time of prophetic prayer and fellowship. We believe it's a 'kairos' time to see the birth of youth prayer movements all over Europe. Please stand with us in prayer: that the Lord will accomplish all that is on His agenda and that the Holy Spirit will move mightily. At the moment Saxony is suffering severe floodings and the centre of Dresden (that most of the participants have to cross) is under the water. So we could also use some extra prayer for travel mercies. More information on the event: http://www.joelnews.nl/connecteurope.htm.

This week in Joel News the first contribution on postmodern expressions of Church. Two more contributions will follow. Also interesting: Operation World for youth.

SLOT Festival is on today in Poland. Pray for fine weather and no flooding. I am back in Prague, Czech Republic where there is the highest flood waters for 130 years. Some of the city is underwater. During a prayer walk around the city of Prague 6 weeks ago, one of the Czech girls saw the waters rise into a flood. Now it has happened. What do the prophets say?

Help get the word out. Rudy Carrasco of Urban Onramps and Harabee Christian Family Center is partnering with other to put on the first Young Latino Leader Summitt. It is being held September 3-7, 2002 at the Anaheim Marriot Hotel in Anaheim, California. As the website asks, "Who will Step up and Lead the Latino church of the future? Who will plant innovative churches to reach the 2nd and 3rd generation Latino?" Join over 3,000 pastors and leaders from all over the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, and Northern Mexico for this historic gathering. TOGETHER we will launch a movement among "nuestra gente," lead a national dialogue, and create relevant models of evangelism for engaging our changing culture

This came to me from Spencer Burke at TheOOZE.

SOULARIZE: A LEARNING PARTY OCT. 15 - 18, 2002 MINNEAPOLIS, MN

EXPLORE the mystery, adventure, and community of ministry in our emerging culture. Join other artists, musicians, storytellers, church leaders, church planters, theologians, and community advocates. Over the past four years at Soularize, people have found refreshing and challenging ways to connect with other church leaders who are wrestling with ministry in the 21st century (whether you call it postmodernism, emerging generations, or the next church). Soularize 2002 will expose you to the latest trends, tools, authors and speakers and have the surprise moments that have made Soularize a unique and inspiring conference.

AUGUST 31ST IS THE END OF EARLY REGISTRATION for Soularize 2002 at $199 per person ($125 spouses). If you've been thinking about going, you might as well save some bucks and sign up now! (There are special discounts for multiple team member registration too.) After August 31, the cost is $249. http://www.TheOoze.com/Soularize

We know we?re reaching leaders in the emerging culture that are bi-vocational-if not multi-vocational-so scholarships are available based on need.

Soularize's unique edge is our speakers and experiences. For example:

THE REVEREND BERNICE KING, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is one of our featured keynote speakers.

THE DAMAH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL TOUR--three days after the 2002 winners are announced, we will host the first stop on the 2002 Tour of this festival of spiritual experiences in film. http://www.damah.com/films.html

SOULARIZE WORKSHOPS come from our community, so it's virtually all the authors, speakers and friends that you've come to recognize, and a chance to meet in person many of those names or aliases you've run into on the phone or online. Brian McLaren, Liquid thinking, Rudy Carrasco, Tom & Christine Sine, Dan Kimball, Denise VanEck, Chris Seay, Karen Ward, Tony Jones, Holly Rankin, Mark Oestreicher, Heather Kirk-Davioff, Jordon Cooper, Joel Vestal, Andy Harrington, John Franke, Doug Pagitt

LARGE SCALE PUBLIC ART--Tour guides/docents will help us explore the emotional, aesthetic and spiritual impact of art in the largest urban sculpture garden in the U.S. and how the church might contribute to the arts.

INTERACTIVE LABS including video editing, digital photography, art expression, cyber café, theology pub, song-writing studio, experiential worship installations and screening room (bring your own videos). If you are a musician, you might want to consider joining our house band "The Dirty Worship Band" led by Tim Taber formally of The Prayer Chain.

15 MINUTES OF FAME - many conferences have representatives from companies come and tell you what you need, trying to sell you their wares. At Soularize we reverse the roles. Publishers, record companies, stock art buyers, etc. come to discover the new resources of the emerging culture. Bring your CD-Rom, your manuscript, your demo tape, or instrument and you'll have a chance to meet and talk with people that you'd have a difficult time meeting outside of the Soularize context.

If you love to learn in a hands-on relational way, and like the idea of a schedule with longer lunches and open evenings for discussion with fellow travelers, I hope that you'll check out the website and that we'll see you in Minneapolis in October. http://www.TheOoze.com/Soularize