Hi all,
What a busy time! Here are some updates, some sharing from my heart, and where I’ll be this summer.
Trips this spring – the
Dutch and Finnish trips were amazing, and I continue to reflect on what a
special time they were. In the Dutch conference the Lord manifest
Himself in so many varied ways – from the large angels so many of us saw
or felt around the perimeter of the room and the charge to take what we
had learned and do it, applying it to our lives, to the amazing
worship.
The worship included percussion solo with
the drum box, often called a ‘Cajun drum box’ in the USA, with such
anointing it touched most everyone, followed by a violin solo that
ministered healing…it was just amazing. There were several healings, but
once again it was the renewing of friendships and the making of new
ones during the weekend that was most special, helped by the fact we
were at a retreat center so all meals were together as well.
Finland was equally amazing though much
different as rather than having a central conference, we drove sometimes
up to 3 hours outside Helsinki (and back each night) to 10 home
meetings in 5 days, each day meeting starting at 11am and then driving
to another meeting at 5pm. I got to see house church Finnish style which
was actually quite varied, but each was full of the love of the Lord.
The first meeting was in the city of Tampere at a Nepalese restaurant,
the Christian owners who hosted the meeting asking for prayer for loved
ones caught in the earthquake in Nepal, and the Lord gave His peace and
assurance to all. Other meetings were anointed, each different, and all
were encouraged. On the last day in Helsinki I ministered at Christian
TV7’s “Holy Spirit night” and prayed for people for over an hour
afterwards – good trips!
Summer ministry trips – Tulsa, Hays, KS, Seattle, Vancouver, Osawatomie, KS
Sunday, June 28 I’ll be speaking at Spanish Victory Christian Center in Tulsa
at their 81st and Delaware auditorium at the 9am and 11am services. The
11am service is their Spanish Victory Bible College graduation, and I’m
blessed they asked me to share.
I’ll be in Hays, Kansas July 11-12, email me for details. The Seattle
area August 2-3 and I’m trying to get ahold of friends in the area.
Several of you donate monthly, but I’m having a hard time getting ahold
of you as my phone/emails for you is evidently out of date. If you live
anywhere near the Seattle area, please email me at cwowi@aol.com so we
can get together for a meal or a meeting, just let me know.
On August 4-5th I’ll be in Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, then in Abbotsford (east of the city of Vancouver) the 7th-8th. August 22-23 in Osawatomie, KS
– this is an auditorium church pastored by good friends Debra and Pat
Huss. When I was there a few weeks ago the Lord appeared to me and
others, and told me to come back for a time of worship and personal
ministry, and to lay hands on everyone. So Saturday night 8/22 is that
meeting, then I’ll minister at the Sunday service the next day.
Chris’ bathroom is nearly complete,
working lights above the sink are now in, and just about 3 more weeks
for the handicapped shaped sink to arrive, and then once the plumbing is
hooked up we will be done – we are ready to be done with this project!
Thanks for your prayers and giving, there is still about $1000 left just
in a proper wheel in shower chair, some toilet side-rails and shower
rails to be installed, then we’re done, yippee!
Finances - We’ve had a
huge outflow this spring ranging from a change in the way we pay taxes
both personal and payroll, huge repair bills, and issues regarding Chris
and his care at the group home, as well as a ministry trip here in the
US that cost over $1500 in flight/motel/car and none of it was
reimbursed. This was in part due to circumstances beyond my host’s
control, but it really hit us hard, along with other unexpected
expenses.
In fact, the mailing of the mail-out
newsletter is currently delayed until we have enough to cover the
expenses involved – we appreciate your prayers, giving, and
communicating your prayer requests. Just stretched in many directions
and need your prayers, thank you so much for being there for us.
Relationship based faith
– what I’m seeing all over is the willingness of couples and families
to start a house church with just themselves. Over these 13 years since
we started CWOWI we’ve seen changes in the body of Christ. Initially we
saw some people wanting to start house church in part because of hurt
received in the auditorium church. Many of the most popular authors on
house church during that time were writing and speaking out of their own
hurt and were very against anything called ‘leadership’ as a result,
and most weren’t even in any house church, had never started one, but
only spoke or wrote about them.
And for those wanting to start a house
church out of their hurt, we would help them through the hurt because
that isn’t a reason to start a home based church.
Then we started seeing people who wanted
to do house church just because they wanted more of God. These were most
often people with considerable experience and experiences in the
auditorium church, but they weren’t reacting to hurt or the negative
experiences, they just wanted more of God.
They realized where 2-3 are gathered in
His name so is He, and we saw small groups, often many using auditorium
church terminology like ‘God has called me to plant house churches’,
being zealous but not yet understanding you don’t start house churches
like an auditorium church might start.
House churches occur naturally as an
outflow of one’s or a group’s intimacy with the Lord, dynamic fellowship
within that group, and natural responses to a growing number of people
in a home. Once a living room is outgrown, a group from that house
church will multiply out and start rotating between homes and who leads
each week among themselves, while staying related to the church they
came from. We still see that as it is the way of church in the home.
But in the last year there has been an
overwhelming shift towards couples and families who are starting a house
church just with themselves – no longer waiting for others to join with
them – they are just saying ‘Let’s do this’ and start meeting with just
them and their family, or two individuals even.
While these people would love to have
others join them, they are no longer waiting for others to show
interest, they are just starting and as time goes on will tell others
what they are doing, and trust others will want to gather with them.
Not 1 person – I’ve also
seen complacency settle in some house churches. Complacency is defined
as “Self-satisfaction, quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware
of a potential danger or threat”. Complacency easily sets in when, like
summer now for those who live north of the equator, people are busy with
all sorts of things and gathering together with the saints falls by the
wayside in favor of vacations, family reunions, and outings that take
advantage of the nice weather.
Sometimes I see a house church slip back
into the auditorium pattern where 1 person starts sharing week after
week or if he/she doesn’t then they conduct the meeting like a teacher
and students, calling on x person or y person for comment – the death
knell for a house church.
Other times there is a feeling of
disconnection and a seeming lack of direction when all summer long
people are on holiday or with family doing other things – that’s normal
and will resolve itself once everyone is back in the routine of school
and work.
The key is relationships. If you’re in
relationship based faith and ministry you are in it for the long haul,
through the seasons of life and literal seasons of the calendar. The
earth will be renewed by fire we are told, but human beings are forever.
That means 500 years from now we will still know each other – 1,000
years from now the same, 10,000 years from now we will still remember
these times in Christ and our relationship will only be that much
stronger. What we have in Christ is eternal and is never lost.
If you have an eternal perspective you
realize there is going to be a give and take, up and down, and seasonal
adjustments within those relationships. Don’t be insecure, know that
August will come, people will once again settle into the routine after
they are back to work and school – don’t be dissatisfied, but be praying
for those you love and know things will once again settle down.
After this current series in my Weekly Thoughts I’m going to share a spiritual dream I had, which has made me wonder what is coming up for the body of Christ – so watch for that in a couple of weeks.
I also want to say a word about this cd/MP3 series this month and next.
There are a lot of teachings out there about spiritual gifts, but this
series is about what makes you, you. You’ll see your personality as part
of the Lord’s personality, and realize what moves you and motivates you
is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit as much as if you prophesied like
Isaiah or were an apostle like Paul – it is the Holy Spirit in you –
and it will really help people have a renewed confidence within
themselves.
Thanks for your prayers and donations this month, we really need it – very stretched in all ways. Thanks and blessings!
John & Barb
New cd/MP3 series:
(2 CD's $15 or MP3 $5 each)
The
Bible describes 'energy' gifts, elements of our personality that are
part of the Lord's personality He created us with, which motivate and
fulfill us. While most of church culture doesn't even recognize these as
gifts, the Lord does, and there is a lot in scripture that describes
them. Things like the ability to work with your hands, sewing, woodwork,
organizing, serving, giving, and even being motivated to show
mercy, are as much a manifestation of the Holy Spirit as a prophecy or an being an apostle.
Learn why you are the way you are, why you are fulfilled when flowing
as God made you, and confidence in the fact you are mightily gifted.
One of the church planters had her life miraculously spared:
David:
He has no parents; he has no relatives. He has been passed from home to
home of neighbors – moving over TEN times. When he is kicked out or
runs away because of abuse, he still persists in coming to school every
day. He won’t give up. Today he is one of the many students who is
offered the gift of a better life. For a teenager with pressure from
peers to drop out, make and drink alcohol, become lazy and go into a
life on the streets, this is a miracle that you are taking part in!