A Timely Retrospective

As we prepare to once again launch a fundraising effort for church planting, I decided to repost this article I wrote on the cusp of our move to Burleson nearly three years ago. The details are different this time around, we're hoping to relocate to the other side of town, not to another state. We have 3 years experience in the ministry of planting churches and specifically working with people in this area. We've now been married over 10 years and for the first time ever have lived in the same house for over 2.5 years. We're hoping our next move will be the last for many years to come. As I reread this post, I was struck by how much things have changed and how much they have stayed the same. The economy got worse, then it seemed to get a little better...nationwide, organizations are giving less to charitable causes and non-profits while individuals seem to be giving more. Our prayer as we begin this process is that the Holy Spirit will guide us to connect with both churches and individuals willing to partner with us in the ministry of planting churches and equipping congregations to live missionally in their neighborhoods.

Bad Ideas and Ones That Just Seem That Way. Oct 3, 2008

So as you may or may not know, Rachel and I have been married nearly 8 years and we are about to (hopefully) complete our 8^th move together. Over the years we have become pretty proficient packers and movers, with a thoroughly tested and carefully revised system. Rachel has always been in charge of packing (I handle the garage, my closet and anything she tells me to do…). I’ve been in charge of moving day and take pride in the fact that when folks show up to help us load the trucks there are pretty much only two types of items in our home: boxes and furniture. When we moved from Mesquite to Dallas the total time from when the first box was picked up until we were all sitting in the new house eating lunch was 2.5 hours (that’s including the 15-20 minute drive to our new house).

But times they are a changin’. If you read Rachel’s blog you know that she normally has nearly half the house packed before we send the kids to grandparents’ house for crunch time. The jump from 2 to 3 kids has shifted the balance of power and we simply did not have nearly as much done. Wednesday when I took the boys to my mom, Rachel was sick – which meant that the whole day she had to herself to get stuff done without me or the boys in her way was…well, it wasn’t good. Then yesterday I spent the day battling off the ick as well.

However, last night as we prepared for bed, we felt that all-in-all we were in decent shape. Joey had been incredibly cooperative, we actually had several boxes packed, the garage was close to ready…and we still had all day today, Saturday, most of the day Sunday and Monday before the big day Tuesday.

But that wasn’t good enough for me.

While carrying some stuff out to the truck I accidentally walked into the side of an open drawer. That was not a good idea. Three hours later we were back home with seven stinking stitches. But you know, we still got a lot done today.

The doctor, after conceding that I wasn’t going to stay off my feet, requested that I at least spend an hour of so with my leg propped up so that the bleeding would stop (which it didn’t do the entire time they were stitching me up…it was kinda cool). During my long lunch break I watched CNN. There was plenty of talk about the bailout plan – which at that point was being deliberated in the House of Representatives. There was also plenty of talk about the overall state of the economy and the future for jobs and financial security for American citizens.

This isn’t a bombshell; things have been looking a bit dreary for quite some time now. And to be totally honest there have been a few people look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them that we’re raising money to plant churches. “Now?” they often ask. A few have even come right out and said that they think this is a bad idea. Is the decision to step out on faith and plant new churches right now an idea comparable to kicking an open drawer while packing?

The short answer, I believe, is “no”.

It is true that finances are tight and we are asking people, in the midst this situation, to partner with us financially. It is true that many people are unsure about their job security. It is true that for many people the hope, optimism and general sense of well-being found in this country’s prosperity have been shaken. But that is all the more reason for us to be doing precisely what we’re doing.

Chris Chappotin, my new coworker, just read a book called Death By Suburb. I’m currently reading N.T. Wright’s Surprised By Hope. Both of these books, in one way or another, discuss the danger of putting our hope and faith in something less than God. I wonder how many people have been uninterested in God because a prosperous society has been providing them with liberal doses of pain killers - never truly addressing the problems in their life but effectively masking the symptoms in the short run. But (at the risk of overusing the metaphor) perhaps the prescription has run out for many of us.

I believe that today there are many people who have lost or are afraid they may lose their security net and I believe that those people are going to be more receptive than ever to hearing the good news of God who has come near; a God who has come to repair the broken systems of this world which lead to insecurity, fear and oppression; a God who has called us to work with him to reconcile, heal and restore his good creation.

I believe that people are going to be receptive, but there’s more to it than just that. I also believe that right now we NEED hope. Part of why folks are receptive is that the good news which we proclaim is something which we legitimately crave. The truth is that the Kingdom of God is breaking into this world, even in the midst of financial crisis. This kingdom has implications (as Surprised By Hope emphasizes) for life after death, life after life after death and even life BEFORE death!

There has never been a more appropriate time in our lifetime to be engaged in God’s mission; planting churches right now is a GOOD idea.

Those we are asking to partner with us are being faced with a big commitment of faith – trust me, I understand that very well. However, I am more convinced than ever that this is precisely the kind of risk we are being called to take in the name of Jesus. We have raised nearly 50% of our goal (for the first year anyway), we are moving Wednesday and we are convinced that God is opening these doors. We are also convinced that the hurdles which keep popping up this week are examples of spiritual warfare. I believe that the forces of darkness at work in this world should be nervous – not because of us, but because of the powerfully advancing Kingdom in which our citizenship resides.

We are talking with a few churches right now about coming on board as a supporting church for our family and the ministry of planting churches in the Burleson / south Fort Worth area. Several of these churches are considering one time or special gifts – which we of course appreciate greatly. Our church here at Tammany Oaks has agreed to partner with us for one year. We need other congregations to partner with us regularly over the next three years or so. Make no mistake, we’re still looking for individuals to join us. But perhaps your congregation or one you know of would be interested in supporting (or partially supporting) a domestic missionary family. Perhaps your church family also believes that it is time for the community of God to advance into the darkness in order to reflect light into every dark corner. If so would you help us get connected with your church? Would you be the voice calling your leadership to partner with us?

I have now officially shed blood for this ministry, and the 7 stitches (a good, holy number by the way) are symbolic of my commitment…not my inability to watch where I’m walking, as you may have thought. I pray that very soon we will have raised our full support (because apparently I really need to get medical insurance!!). In the meantime we are continuing to pray for the individuals and congregations that God is preparing to bring into our lives as partners, as well as the individuals and families that we are going to be blessed to be in relationship with through the ministry of planting new churches.

A New Day Dawns

In the summer of 2005 my world turned upside down. I was a youth minister at a church in Dallas, only a few months away from finishing grad school at ACU and we'd just found out Rachel was pregnant with Micah (our now 5 year old). Life seemed to be progressing in fairly predictable fashion. My job seemed secure, my family was growing, we lived in a house we planned to buy in a nice but affordable Dallas neighborhood. We had some exciting things happening in the youth ministry. It wasn't all rainbows and lollipops, there were frustrations and struggles, but all in all, things were good.

Then one Tuesday I was told that the leadership of the church had decided to eliminate my position at the church. In one conversation the rug was pulled out from under us. I began looking for another job. We had grown to love Dallas and had very good friends there...but to find another ministry job would most likely mean moving. For months I searched. Time and time again we found ourselves among the final 2 applicants for a position - several of which were still in the DFW area - and every time someone from the selection committee would call to say they were very sorry but they'd decided on the other guy. In one week I got a call from one church saying they felt like they needed someone a little younger, another saying they wanted someone a little older...and another that just wanted someone else. I felt like I was the momma bear's porridge AND the daddy bear's porridge.

After 6 months, and jobs in insurance adjusting, Barnes and Noble bookshelf alphabetizing, bounce house set-upping, disaster relief child caring and even a few random jobs, we were invited to move to the New Orleans area on a one year contract where I'd work as an outreach minister in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The first year and a half were brutal. We were still wounded from our previous job loss...and in hindsight were probably not in the best state-of-mind to relocate to a disaster area. However, our one year contract became nearly three years, the outreach ministry position became the preaching ministry position and Tammany Oaks became our family.

I began spending time at local coffee shops and cafes. I met and developed friendships with people who had little or no desire to ever step foot in a "church building." It became apparent to me that in order to truly connect with such folks we'd need a very different approach than what we were used to. We began to discern a call to church planting.

So, we told Tammany Oaks what we were thinking and our desire to take up this calling in north Texas - to be sent home as missionaries. I was nervous, I'd been dropped by a church before, how would this one respond? My fears proved to be unfounded in this instance. For six months we remained at Tammany Oaks while we raised support - in the midst of church family that prayed over us and pledged a year of financial support themselves, and friends who are still very dear to us.

Four of us had left Texas in April/May 2006 and five moved back to north Texas in October of 2008 (Josiah was born in Covington, Louisiana, but still secretly on Texas soil as I'd had a bag of that beautiful sandy-loam smuggled into the delivery room...) We began working with Christ Journey, a young church plant in Burleson. I spent time developing spiritual formation and discipleship processes for a house church based ministry, got to know waitresses and strangers in the park, started new house churches and began working on a doctor of ministry in missional church studies at SMU. My school studies were helpful and have led to the development of a training resource for groups - particularly established congregations who wish to begin connecting with people like the ones I'd met in south Louisiana coffee shops...and Burleson coffee shops.

But the real learning took place in the midst of the Christ Journey community and our attempts to cultivate a missional community in the midst of Bible belt culture. I gained insight into the struggles that come with planting churches in an area that author/professor/church planter, David Fitch recently described to me as "extremely comfortable with church."

I learned about the limitations of and the need for godly leadership in young communities of faith. I learned about the inherent relational risks associated with an approach to faith that calls you to invest in one another beyond merely attending events together. I learned about the difficulty and the necessity of leading as a fellow follower, co-laborer and travel companion and the danger of abdicating that calling.

I learned the importance of serving the poor and connecting with neighbors as central elements of life as a disciple of Jesus - experiencing life as "the scattered church" ...and I developed a whole new appreciation for the value of gathering regularly for worship - life as "the gathered church."

I struggled with the role of preaching and proclamation in a culture that values dialog over monologue...and am learning how to navigate that path.

I learned to recognize the need for structures that benefit organic growth and learned how stunted that growth will be without such structures.

My learning is far from complete. But my family and I, along with a few other families have now been sent out by Christ Journey to continue the ministry of planting churches. The Gathering is already connecting with others and inviting new friends to taste and see that the Lord is good. Just as planting an apple tree means planting apple seeds, planting churches means planting not the finished fruit but rather a seed, which is the good news that Jesus himself planted - The kingdom of God is at hand!

Since we moved to Burleson we have been supported financially by a combination of raised support and part-time (and sometimes full-time) jobs. As we launch out on this new phase of our adventure, we are once again seeking others to partner with us financially. In addition to our ministry with The Gathering, I'm currently working several part-time jobs (4 to be precise, along with completing the final stages of my degree at SMU) and am in the process of starting a non-profit ministry called Intentional People, formed around Communitas, the process I've developed through SMU. Rachel currently has 3 jobs of her own (in addition to caring for the infamous Wellsbrothers).

One of our primary goals for fundraising is to be able to raise enough support to let go of a few of these other jobs in order to devote more time to church planting and Intentional People.

We have put together a newsletter which describes The Gathering and Intentional People, and provides information about how others can partner with us. If you, someone you know, your church or another group may be interested in learning more about either of these ministries, please leave a comment, email me at bret@intentionalpeople.org, or send me a message on Facebook or Twitter.

Prayer for Friday, June 10

Scripture for Friday

Acts 14:20-28

20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

 21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

 26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.


Prayer: Fruitfulness in Our Own Lives
Lord of the Harvest, we know that it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. We pray that you will continue to cultivate the soil of our hearts so that our lives will produce much fruit for you. We desire to be the change we hope to see in this world; we long to live as citizens of the kingdom that is at hand and which we anticipate arriving in fullness. Only the Almighty God can bring about this kind of change in our hearts. When we've tried to produce this harvest ourselves, our efforts have been exhausting and fruitless. We turn to you, O Lord of the Harvest, as the one who brings growth. We call on you, the Faithful One, to do what you've promised. And we pray with confidence, knowing that you desire this more than we do.
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Final Thoughts
Today is the final day of our 7 weeks. I am so grateful that you've participated in this process with us. As I look at all that has happened since Easter Sunday, I am once again amazed by our God. As usual, things have not progressed as I anticipated...and as usual, I rejoice that God is at work beyond what I'm able to see in the moment. 7 weeks ago, I expected this Sunday to be the launch of fundraising for Intentional People and had no idea what sort of timeline we'd be working with regarding a new church plant...

Well, we've made a lot of progress with Intentional People, but we're moving the official fundraising launch forward to September, when we'll be participating in a Missional Church Conference in St. Louis. Yet, our new church plant, The Gathering, has already begun! The Christ Journey community encouraged us to move forward and three families decided to join us.

Since then, Brandy, a friend I met at Denny's nearly 3 years ago (who was quite uninterested in "church" at the time), has also joined us. Several months ago she moved to Fort Worth and with her work schedule hasn't been able to be part of our worship gatherings. However, Ron and Shandy Stogsdill (participants in The Gathering) were able to offer her a job with better hours and she told me yesterday, "Just so you know, I'm in."

Rachel Elder, another member of our community, invited her friend Paula to join us for a swimming party for the kids a couple weeks ago... This past weekend Paula made the comment, "I've never enjoyed being part of a church service like I did today." She was one of the first to sign up to bring food for our meal this Sunday... Thank you for your prayers, I believe God is hearing them.

Prayer for Thursday, June 9

Scripture for Thursday

Acts 14:1-7

1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the gospel.


Prayer: Fruit for the Poor and Oppressed
Lord of the Harvest, if our service in your name isn't good news for the poor in our community, then it isn't good news. You are the God who declares freedom for the captives, deliverance for the oppressed and hope for the hopeless. Almighty God, we pray that you will take our meager offerings and multiply them so that no one among us will go without. We pray for the faith to give generously and sacrificially and we pray that you will direct us to the places and people who most need to feast on the fruit that you have provided. Lord of the Harvest, we pray for you to send out workers into your fields; we long to be counted among those workers and we eagerly anticipate the new co-workers in your kingdom that are even now being prepared to serve alongside you with us.

Again, for weeks now, we've prayed for the poor and oppressed in our community. What have you learned from this process? What opportunities have arisen...were you able to respond? In the past month and a half my family has witnessed our son raise over $1000 for people in Japan; we've seen a young single mother get a new computer and a new job, a struggling family get a new car, hungry people receive food, thirsty people receive cold water...and each of these gifts came from regular people who would not normally consider themselves wealthy (at least by US standards). 

Prayer for Wednesday, June 8

Scripture for Wednesday

Acts 10:23b-48

The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”

 27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”

 30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

 34 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

 39 “We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[a] and praising God.

   Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.



The Global Community as a Harvest Field
Lord of the Harvest, as often as we overlook the harvest field in our own back yard, we are often even more unaware of how you are moving in distant lands. We confess that too often our focus in too narrow, our vision too clouded by our supposed limitations. Open our eyes Father, to ways that we can partner with others who proclaiming the good news of new life "over there," just as we are doing here. God, we pray that these connections will serve your advancing kingdom and that they will also serve to remind us that you are not a regional God. You are the Lord of the Harvest, at all times and in all places. We worship you as such.


During the last few weeks, we've been encouraged to connect with different resources and groups operating around the world. Have you taken the opportunity to communicate with anyone? If so, would you share their story with us? I plan to challenge The Gathering to partner with someone financially, to encourage them regularly and pray for them often - I challenge you to do so as well.

Prayer for Tuesday, June 7

Scripture for Tuesday
Acts 10:9-23

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. 13 Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”

 14 “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.”

 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three[a] men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”

 21 Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

 22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

Tuesday Prayer

The Local Community as a Harvest Field
Lord of the Harvest, we thank you that in the midst of your concern for all creation you do not forget to respond to the cries of individuals. God, we confess that the same is not true for us. We allow ourselves to be consumed with our own drama or we become enthralled with stories of more exotic places. Father, if your kingdom can break in anywhere, it can break in here. We believe, forgive our unbelief. Holy God, open our eyes to the people who live across the street or who drop their children at the same school as ours; people who we have seen but not truly seen. Lord of the Harvest, give us eyes to see as you see. We pray that your name will be proclaimed in Burleson; we pray that the hopeless will find reason to rejoice and those in darkness will see your great light.

What does the gospel have to say to your neighborhood? For 6 weeks I've been asking you to look around with intentionality. What have you seen? WHO have you seen? What is the next step that you need to take in order to engage more fully as an ambassador of a kingdom that can literally change everything for those who will embrace it? Participants in The Gathering have already invited some "dechurched" friends to share life with us (and have already seen God producing fruit from those actions) - will you pray for us to continue living with this kind of intentionality?

Prayer for Monday, June 6

Scripture for Monday

Acts 10:1-8

1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked.

   The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

Prayers for a Fruitful Church

Lord of the Harvest, we pray that your church will be fruitful. We do not want to be like the fig tree that didn’t produce. Our desire, O God, is for church to be vibrant and healthy; an organism that is growing and reproducing as you designed. Lord, as we begin the process of cultivating a new church, planting the gospel in our neighborhoods and community, we pray in faith knowing that you desire to bring about growth. We ask for the courage and faithfulness to serve as workers in your harvest field and we pray those you are even now preparing to send out as well. God, we pray that Intentional People will produce fruit for your kingdom as well. We pray for those with whom we will come into contact. We offer our lives and our efforts to your kingdom for the purpose of cultivating and equipping disciples who engage more fully in your mission. We desire, O Lord of the Harvest, to be a beneficial resource to your church. God, we offer ourselves to your service, use us as you see fit.

Our new house church met together for worship and a meal yesterday. 10 adults and 9.5 kids spent nearly 4 hours hanging out, discussing faith and what it means to be faithful, eating mountains of lasagna, studying Genesis...and going back for more lasagna. Afterwards a friend that was visiting with us made the comment, “I’ve never enjoyed being ‘in church‘ like I did today.” We made the decision to call our new church, “The Gathering.” We are harvesters and we are fruit from the harvest - God is gathering us together and we in turn are sent out to gather others in the name of Christ. Would you spend a few minutes today praying specifically for The Gathering? Pray that God will continue to produce fruit in our lives and that our growth in discipleship will be a compelling witness to our friends and neighbors.

Season of Prayer, Week 7

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 10; 14:1-7, 20-28 

Thoughts for the Week

I have heard it said that “God didn’t call us to be fruitful, only to be faithful.” I understand the sentiment behind that statement - it is easy to get caught up in a competitive game of justifying ourselves by counting “converts,” increases in giving, attendance and other numbers games. The true measure, according to those who make this statement, is whether or not we (individually or corporately) are faithful to God and the way of Jesus. We plant the seed and care for the soil, but it is God who brings the growth.

And yet, we could look back to the beginning of the Bible and notice that God’s command to the first people was, “be fruitful and multiply.” I think a case could be made that while that text is speaking about the need for Adam and Eve to have children and populate the earth, it is also a prophetic text speaking forward to the mission of God’s people (don’t be satisfied keeping the blessing of relationship with God to yourselves - invite others into this life with you).

However, if we choose to stick with the claim that we should first pursue faithfulness rather than fruitfulness, we must be careful not to create a false dichotomy. There’s no need to see these two matters in competition with one another. Indeed it is God who brings the growth, and both scripture and experience testify that God is quite interested in bringing about this growth. If we are faithful we should expect to see fruit. We’ll see it in our own lives and the lives of those with whom we come into contact - Jesus said that fruit is the evidence of a healthy organism (whether its a fig tree, a disciple or a community of disciples).

Remember Jesus’ statement in Luke 10 - the harvest is plentiful, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his field.

For the church, fruit and harvest represent BOTH continually maturing lives of discipleship among the faithful AND introducing new people to the life of faith (those whose hearts the Holy Spirit is already at work preparing). If new people are “joining” the church but discipleship isn’t taking root in their (and our) lives, this should be an enormous red flag for the community of faith. However, we should also be concerned when months and years pass while the same group of people sits around looking at each other wondering (or not even thinking about) why nobody else seems drawn the message we’re proclaiming.

This week our prayers focus on the harvest and bearing fruit. I am convinced that if we are committed to living out the matters we’ve spent the last 6 weeks praying; if we live with gratitude, wisdom, faithfulness, courage, intent on discipleship, seeking partners, focused on God’s mission, then God WILL bring about fruit and growth in our lives and in our community. If we turn our attention to these matters in the church, in our local community, in the global community, among the poor as well as in our own lives, the Holy Spirit WILL bring us into contact with people who are searching for God even if they aren’t aware of it yet.

Certainly it is possible to put the cart before the horse in regards to “growth.” That is part of the reason we saved the theme of harvest and fruit for last in this season of prayer. However, in both our church planting work and in the ministry of Intentional People, we are engaged in serving others because of the work of Christ - the work of remaking creation and inviting all people to take their place around the table with Jesus.

Prayer for Sunday - The Lord of the Harvest

Lord of the Harvest, we praise you for your concern and compassion for all people. We rejoice that you have done all these things so that people everywhere may seek you and find you, though you are not far from any one of us. Lord, we give you thanks for the ways in which you have brought about growth in our lives and in our communities. God, we pray that we will continue to live fruitful, productive lives as your disciples; that our love for one another, for you and for our neighbors will be evident to all. We desire these things, O Lord, because we have seen them first in you. You are the God of steadfast love, you are the Holy One who has not stayed far off, you are the Lord of the Harvest. Father, we pray that you will continue to work in us and conform us more fully into your image. You are the only one who is worthy of emulation and you are the only one who brings about new life.

We began this season of prayer by focusing on gratitude and joy for what God has been doing, and we begin this final week with gratitude for the fruit and harvest that God has already brought. So...where have you already seen evidence of God bringing about growth in your life?  For what do you need to express gratitude to God as we begin this week?

Prayer for Friday, June 3

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 13:1-3 (New International Version)

 ¹ Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Friday - Our Place in God’s Mission

Missionary God, your Story is majestic and captivating. We pray that you will bless us with the ability to see how our story fits into your Story. Jesus promised us life to the full and we want to claim just such a life. It is our prayer that you will reveal ways in which each of us can find meaning and fulfillment through joining in your mission of reconciliation. Father, so often we struggle to see the ways you have gifted us to serve your kingdom, and we confess that even when we do see, we are often bound by our own fear and lack of faith. May the character of our church be one of active discipleship, where we are regularly poured out for your kingdom and your mission. We pray that you will use Intentional People to open our own eyes as well as the eyes of others to the simple, tangible ways we can join you, the Missionary God, as you are remaking creation. 

The Kingdom of God is at hand and you and I (and everyone who has ears to hear) have been invited to not only live as citizens but also serve as ambassadors of this renewed community. Look around, everything you see is part of your Father’s creation - some of it has been restored, some is in the process of being restored and, sadly, much is resisting. I challenge each of us to look at the world through fresh eyes today. How would the “normal” things you encounter look differently if you viewed them as a representative of the true, loving King? Would you share one specific example?

Prayer for Thursday, June 2

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 11:19-26 (New International Version)

19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. 20 Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.
 22 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. 24 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

Thursday - Commissioned for The Poor and Oppressed

Missionary God, by rescuing Israel out of slavery, by anointing the young shepherd David as king, by sending Jesus into the backwater neighborhood of Nazareth you have repeatedly modeled your concern and compassion for the poor, the weak, the oppressed and the marginalized. Protect us, Lord God, from the world’s tempting narrative of the “beautiful people” and the powerful. Lord, we want to love others as you’ve taught us. We pray for holy contentment with enough and a holy discontent when some go without while others have a surplus. We pray that you will teach our church to share our resources with one another and with others. We pray that you will give us the wisdom to learn from the poor, who have much to teach us about faith in your provision. Give us the courage to give freely and sacrificially when we can serve as tools of your provision. We pray that you will open doors for Intentional People to organize and collaborate with others in meeting the needs of local communities.

What does it mean to be satisfied with enough? Are there areas in your life where you need to learn to be content in God’s enough? Are there ways in which your abundance could be simplified to share with those who go without? These questions can be a mere intellectual activity...or they can lead to real, meaningful action. The choice is ours.

Prayer for Wednesday, June 1

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 9:1-22 (New International Version)

 ¹ Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³ As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

 ⁵ “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

   “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. ⁶ “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

 ⁷ The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

 ¹⁰ In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

   “Yes, Lord,” he answered.

 ¹¹ The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹² In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

 ¹³ “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

 ¹⁵ But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

 ¹⁷ Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

    Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. ²⁰ At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.

Wednesday - Commissioned for the Global Community

Missionary God, you are worthy of all praise because you are not a regional god...you are the creator and sustainer of all people, all places and all times. As we seek to follow you into our neighborhood we pray that you will also keep us mindful of the vastness of your kingdom and the love and compassion you have for people everywhere. We pray that you will protect us from the narrow-mindedness of nationalism, tribalism and other self-serving mentalities. Missionary God, we pray that you will guide our small community into not only awareness of the struggles of those far off, but also to ways we can respond to your call regarding those places. We pray that Intentional People will have opportunities to partner with disciples and communities strategically placed by you to serve as your ambassadors to people across the globe.

We are contextual beings. We live in a particular place at a particular time in history. This is universal and inescapable. That means that, and listen carefully here, we cannot be everywhere at once. Therefore it stands to reason that we must take seriously the need for networks of local communities, each working with God in their particular location. Short term trips and other experiences can be ways for us to serve people all over, but for the long-term presence of Christian community to be felt, we must acknowledge that God’s mission is bigger than us and our church. What can you do, today, to be more intentional about connecting with, supporting, or encouraging someone who is living on mission with God “over there” somewhere?

Prayer for Tuesday, May 31

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 8:1-8 (New International Version)

 ¹ And Saul approved of their killing him.

    On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. ² Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³ But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

 ⁴ Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. ⁵ Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. ⁶ When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷ For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. ⁸ So there was great joy in that city.

Tuesday - A Mission to and with the Local Community

Missionary God, we pray for the wisdom to avoid the temptations to focus on grand adventures in far off lands while ignoring the realities in our own back yard. We believe life with you is possible and we believe it is possible here. Show us how to fulfill our mission and honor our commission in this neighborhood and community. God, we trust that you are already at work in Burleson - and we rejoice for the ways in which we’ve already witnessed that. Grant us eyes to see more clearly the ways that your Holy Spirit is already changing hearts and lives and allow us to join you in that ministry. We pray for those who are working to fight injustice, battle loneliness, drive out despair; for those who are intent on hope, committed to compassion and reflecting your light. We ask for the chance to join them in working with you. We pray God that Intentional People will be able to inspire and empower people to see these things in their own communities. And we pray, Missionary God, that these efforts will always bring praise and honor to your name rather than our own.

I know this is something I’ve called us to previously...it seems worthy of repeating. As you go about your normal routines today, keep your eyes open to places in your community where God is already at work around you and consider how you can join in God’s mission. Also be on the lookout for strongholds of darkness where the life, light and hope of God needs to break in...how can you be an instrument for God’s kingdom in those places? If you’ve already identified some of these places, share with us! And...what ways are you already (or planning to) joining God in those places?

Prayer for Monday, May 30

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection
Acts 6:1-10 (New International Version)

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews[a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Monday - A Commissioned Church

Missionary God, before Jesus ascended, he commissioned his church to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything he had commanded. We confess that we have often left that calling unheeded. Where we have sought to build our own empires rather than serving your kingdom, forgive us. Where we have sought to find the minimum requirements for attaining salvation, rather than living full, adventurous lives on mission with you, forgive us. Wherever and however we have refused to answer your call, forgive us. We pray for the strength, as your church, to follow not only your commands, but to also follow YOU into the dark places all around us. Missionary God, we pray that Intentional People will serve as a resource to your church as it seeks to live more fully into your commissioning.

As a church we desire to live intentionally as a commissioned community of disciples. Will you pray for the Wells, the Stogsdills, the Myers and Rachel Elder as we seek to not only live this way but also teach our children, friends, neighbors and coworkers to live this way? Will you pray for the Perrys and Wells as we seek to cultivate Intentional People into a resource for assisting Christians and churches all over to live in this way? Finally will you also take a minute to pray for your own congregation and other churches in your community to continue moving deeper into this kind of life? (If you want, send me an email or leave a comment here with the names of churches you’re praying for and I’ll pray for them too.)

Season of Prayer, Week 6

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 6:1-10; 8:1-8; 9:1-22; 11:19-26; 13:1-3 (NIV, via biblegateway.com)

Thoughts for the Week

The good news, as Jesus declared, is that God’s Kingdom is at hand. Yes, it is still in the process of becoming fully established on earth as it is in heaven, but its here, its real, its tangible. No more anxiously awaiting the Messiah, no more wondering if God will set things right...it is happening now, as you read these words. What Jesus calls us to do is simple (which is not the same as easy): We must open our eyes, adjust our gaze and turn our attention to what God is doing...and then accept the invitation to join in. For too long we’ve understood “repent and believe” to be a primarily cognitive endeavor. We think of repenting as merely not sinning anymore...how’s that working out for us, by the way?

To repent is to change course. Again, this can be co-opted by a narrow moralism which encourages us to view ourselves (the repentant) as better than others or (perhaps more damagingly) as vile sinners...worms if you will.

In truth, the beauty of repentance, of fixing our eyes on something more trustworthy, is that it enables us to gain a more clear picture of reality. We aren’t better than others - we are all created in the image of God, we just haven’t all seen it yet. But neither are we worms - we are all created in the image of God, we just haven’t all seen it yet. You are a beloved child of God, invited to take your place as a steward of God’s creation; an ambassador of God’s kingdom tasked to serve as an agent of light, hope and life.

Jesus said, “everyone who believes in me will be saved,” but that doesn’t mean just believing God exists (remember, even the demons believe that...and they shudder at the thought). Believing in Jesus means we believe in his mission - and his mission actively involves those who believe in him. Our baptism is not just a ritual that absolves sin, it is a commissioning.

Imagine a man kneeling before a king, having a sword tapped on each shoulder. When this man rises he is a new person - Sir SoAndSo. This new person has a new identity, a new calling, a new responsibility. Can you now imagine this newly knighted SoAndSo sitting down once a week, listening to the stories of the King and tales of gallant knights...and then going back home to muddle through life as a peasant (perhaps taking an occasional bath and looking down at the “dirty” peasants) until the next week’s story telling?

We aren’t just saved from our sins, we’re saved from a pointless, meaningless life. The good news is that the kingdom of God is at hand...and you are invited in with a role to play. This has always been the way God has chosen to operate with humanity. God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve and gave them work to do...even after “the fall.” God called Abraham, blessed him for the purpose of blessing the whole world, and gave him work to do. God called to Moses from the burning bush and gave him work to do. Jesus called disciples to himself, showed them the Father, and gave them work to do.

None of this has ever been mindless drudgery. This isn’t busy work. While God could have chosen to go about the mission of restoring and reconciling creation alone, for some reason, we’ve always been invited to serve as junior partners and co-creators with the Creator.

If you believe in Jesus, you are called to live as a disciple; as one who learns the ways of the master in order to do the things the master does and live the way the master lives. If you are a disciple of Jesus you have been commissioned to join the mission of God in this place. The question before each of us is, “how will we respond to our commission?”

Sunday - The Missionary God

Missionary God, we praise you because you have not stayed far off. Father, we thank you for creating the universe and we thank you for walking in the garden. Let all God’s children rejoice because our Lord has come near! God you knelt in the dirt to form the first people, you called Moses from the burning bush, you spoke with Abraham not only in visions but also as a visitor who received his hospitality! You called to young Samuel as he slept, wrestled with Jacob as he tried to do the same and it is you with whom we wrestle to this day. We worship you because not only did Jesus empty himself and become one of us, but in so doing, he stepped into the cycle of violence and defeated death. You are the Living God! We ask you to strengthen us as we seek to follow you into the neighborhoods of Burleson. We pray that your hand will guide Intentional People as we seek to equip others others to follow you into their own neighborhoods. Missionary God, we praise you because you have not stayed far off...you are the One Who Comes Near and we want to be people who reflect your image in this place.

When you peel back all the layers of motivation, the core conviction for both planting churches and starting Intentional People is the Missionary God we serve. From the very first chapter of the Bible we witness the activities of a God who has never been content to remain aloof from the lives and struggles of humanity. The Genesis story teaches us that God has not only come near (repeatedly) but has also (repeatedly) invited us to meaningful work in God’s creation and kingdom. Therefore, all our efforts grow out of our theology...rather than the other way around. In addition to our communal prayer today, will you also pray that God will lead us into contact with people whom the Spirit has been preparing to hear this amazing story of the Missionary God?

Prayer for Friday, May 27

Partners and Community for Ourselves
God, Community of Love, you have created us to live in community rather than isolation. We pray, for our own continued health, that you will surround each of us with friends and family committed to a shared vision of following you together. We pray for the leadership of Intentional People, that these families will continue to cultivate trust and friendship, so that each will be nurtured and encouraged to continue serving others. We pray for our new church plant, that relationships will be strengthened and cultivated so that we will continue to move forward in discipleship with joy and passion. In both of these endeavors we continue to pray for those you are raising up to partner together in different ways. Grant us wisdom and discerning hearts to protect one another from those who would do us harm and guide us forward in cultivating community in the places where you have placed us.

Back on Sunday, we asked you to be praying for financial, prayer and ministry partners for both Intentional People and our church planting efforts. Has God put any names on your heart? If so, would you consider speaking with them about these ministries? Please also feel free to contact us with names of these potential partners. Are there ways in which God may be laying it on your own heart to join with us in some way or to take the next step toward deeper connection? Again, we are extremely grateful to you for joining us in this season of prayer. We thank God for your partnership in the gospel.

Prayer for Thursday, May 26

Cultivating Community with The Poor and Oppressed
God, Community of Love, we want to follow in the footsteps of Jesus. We want to be known as "friends of sinners," we desire to show solidarity with and developing community among the poor, the overlooked, forgotten and oppressed. Open our eyes to see these people which our society tries so hard to ignore and open our hearts to see them instead as you see them, as your beloved children. God we pray not only for opportunities to extend hospitality to the poor, but also for the grace to receive it. Grant us the honor of affirming the dignity of your image bearers who may have, this very day, been denied that birthright. God we acknowledge that among impoverished communities there is much darkness, sin and violence. We pray that you will bring light, repentance and peace to these places and that you will use us as your cracked and humble vessels in doing so.

Today, would you ask God to reveal ways in which Intentional People can serve as an encouragement to the poor and oppressed? We pray for partners and a growing community of people working together to eradicate the darkness around us through the Light of God that is within us. We have been blessed as part of Christ Journey to serve the poor in this area, and have cultivated some lasting friendships. We pray that this will continue as we launch out with our new church planting work as well.

Prayer for Wednesday, May 25

Cultivating Community in the Global Community
God, Community of Love, we are citizens of your kingdom which transcends national and ethnic boundaries. Teach us, Lord of Light, to see this world through your eyes and not be blinded by narrow, nationalistic thinking. Holy God, we pray that Intentional People will serve as a resource for inspiring those whom you are preparing to serve in various ways throughout the global community. We place our hands, our talents and our lives at your service to bless and encourage others wherever you may send them. In the same way, Father, we pray that our local church planting work will not lose sight of your love and concern for all people everywhere. Guide us in loving and caring for those who live across the street and together with them, in being mindful of those who live across the oceans. As citizens of your vast empire, God, Community of Love, erase from us any selfish desires or agendas for building empires of our own. We confess Jesus the Christ as both our savior and our Lord, to the glory of the Father and through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Do you know someone who is working to build community or bring hope amidst the global community? If so, we would love to connect with them and perhaps even interview them for the Intentional People Video Project or the Missional Monks podcast. As we pray together, we invite you to think about and approach God with us regarding those we can partner with to inspire others.

Prayer for Tuesday, May 24

Cultivating Community in the Local Community
God, Community of Love, we know that you bless us in order that we will be a blessing to others. We pray that your wisdom will guide us into the midst of our neighborhoods and communities to model and invite others into a life of community - with you and with one another. Father, teach us to see the ways in which you are already at work bringing people together and allow us to serve as your co-laborers and ambassadors. Lord, we ask that Intentional People will serve to bring people together in their local context, working alongside you in community. We pray that you will show us those you are raising up to work in your fields - we pray that your Spirit will cultivate those relationships and produce a great harvest. God, Community of Love, we pray that through our work of planting the gospel in north Burleson, we will be aware of the people you bring across our paths - give us eyes to see and ears to hear so that we may make the most of every opportunity.

Be intentional today about looking for people that God may be bringing into your life. Cultivate awareness of those around you - often the only thing that keeps us from being able to have a positive influence for the kingdom in someone else's life is that we simply aren't present in the moment. God is already at work all around us. 

Prayer for Monday, May 23

Community in the Church
God, Community of Love, we are grateful for your Church. We pray that wherever the Church meets, your spirit of community and communitas will be present. Teach us, O Lord, to lay down our selfish ambitions and in humility consider others better than ourselves. We pray that our attitude will be that of Christ Jesus, who did not consider equality with you something to be held on to, but humbled himself and took the form of a servant. We pray that our small community of faith will grow in its influence throughout our region by living openly as your humble servants in community. Let our love for one another display our identity as your disciples; let our testimony of redemption be a proclamation of hope to those we encounter. God, Community of Love, we pray that Intentional People will serve as a resource and encouragement to your Church. We pray that our work will be a pleasing gift to your kingdom, which we believe wholeheartedly is at hand and which we anticipate arriving in fullness in the future.


As we pray today for community in the Church, let us remember that there are local expressions of the Church, but all are connected to the One Body of Christ. We pray that Intentional People will serve to help cultivate the experience of community in local churches through the fostering the experience of communitas (community shaped and formed by shared mission or struggle). Are there ways that your local expression of the church could partner with or benefit from the work of Intentional People? Consider talking with your local leadership about this, or contact me for more information.

Season of Prayer, Week 5

Scripture Passage for Daily Reflection

Acts 4:32-5:42 (NIV, via biblegateway.com)

Thoughts for the Week

This week we make a shift in our prayers together. During our final three weeks of this prayer season we'll still be following the same daily outline and will continue to have an overall theme for the week (partners/community this week, then mission/commission and harvest/fruit in the final two weeks respectively). However, up to this point, our prayers each day have been somewhat general in nature, often pointing each of us to look into our own neighborhood, community or church family. 

We began this way because the goal of Intentional People and our efforts in planting churches are not merely to seek God's blessings on us here. Ours in a kingdom focus; we prayerfully seek the in-breaking of God's reign in all corners of creation. We wanted our first season of prayer to be marked by a concern beyond our own local success or failure.

My prayer is that with a month of this type of communal prayer established, we'll each continue to pray with an eye toward what's happening in our context as well as what others are experiencing as well. 

Going into these last three weeks leading up to the official fundraising launch of Intentional People and our formation of a new missional community in Burleson, I am grateful to have this community of prayer partnering with us. The prayers will focus on specifically lifting up Intentional People and our church plant with regards to the weekly and daily themes. However, I encourage you to continue in practices which lead you into similar connections in your neighborhood.

In Acts 18 there's a story that has been the inspiration for referring to bi-vocational ministry as "tent making." When Paul arrived in Corinth he met some tent makers. Since he was a tent maker also he stayed and worked with them. We get the impression from several of Paul's letters in the new testament that this was one of his common strategies. We know from other passages that his reasoning (at least, in part) for this approach was that he didn't want to give any unbelievers or new believers a reason to claim that he was only ministering to them in order to receive a paycheck - and he also didn't want to be a burden on these young communities, many of which consisted of people who were (or soon would be) struggling themselves. 

There is another common understanding about the value of this type of bi-vocational work. Those who are supported by the system can easily become co-opted by the system. (This was part of what Alan Hirsch shared with Chris and I during our podcast interview - which you can listen to at missionalmonks.com) I worked either part-time or full-time for established churches for a decade before launching into church planting, so I've seen this first-hand. There are many ministers who want to challenge unhealthy aspects of "the system" but since doing so may lead to the unemployment line, they are often pressured to hold back a necessary prophetic challenge. I think this is a valid point in the whole bi-vocational conversation.

However, we live in a broken world where wisdom is often corrupted by sin. In our desire to support ourselves financially so that we can speak truth into the lives of others we can easily begin to remove accountability and connection to others, claiming that we are only accountable to God. While this is technically true, many of us have discovered that without others to keep us focused on Him to whom we answer, we actually begin answering only to ourselves...which is dangerous at best and idolatrous at worst.

It is easy to miss the verse following the "tent making" paragraph. In 18:5 it says "When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah."

When Paul's partners arrived he apparently gave up the bi-vocational approach, at least for a time. Not only did Silas and Timothy's arrival mean friends and co-laborers, it also meant the arrival of financial support from other churches; support that would allow Paul to devote himself exclusively to preaching. Notice that Paul first preached exclusively to the Jews - and it didn't go that well...it says in verse 6, "But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

Later in the chapter, Paul receives a vision where God says: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

No matter how we are supported in ministry, there will be difficulties - but there is strength, blessing, support, encouragement and protection that comes from partners in the community of God.

This week we pray for partners and community. While we desire not to be a burden on those to whom we're reaching (and we pray that Intentional People will very soon fill the bulk of our financial support needs) we do not want to operate in isolation. We are grateful for those of you who are already surrounding us with prayer and encouragement. We pray for those who have partnered with us financially over the last three years and those who will do so in the future. We pray for those who will lend their voices, hands and talents to work with Intentional People in different ways; for the partnerships we're are developing with other organizations and individuals. We are also praying for another church planting family to join us in our work in Burleson. 

We're already blessed to have friends and co-laborers in this area who are going out with us; a community of faith sharing life on mission with God. As we begin planting the gospel in new neighborhoods, we also pray that God will raise up a family trained and called to ministry that can help with teaching, community organizing, guidance and training of others in discipleship, etc.

We are also praying for the possibility of one or more partnering churches with whom we can enjoy a relationship of mutual edification and support. 

Thank you for joining with us in lifting these prayers to the Father.

Prayers for Sunday - God the Community of Love

God, Community of Love, in the beginning you created the heavens and the earth, but before the beginning, you were. Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we acknowledge you, the Three-in-One as the source of our longing for community and connection to others. Holy God, as we long to understand how we are to live as the gathered church in community, we have to look no further than to your revealed nature; as we seek wisdom in living as your scattered church in the midst of the larger community, we have to look no further than to your revealed activities. Since the very beginning Lord you have sent yourself repeatedly into our midst. In the darkness you have been there with us, a guide, companion, protector and friend. Lord, we pray that you will guide the work of Intentional People as it seeks to encourage and inspire your children to live bold lives of adventure on mission with you. God, we pray that you will lead us into the neighborhoods of north Burleson and the south Fort Worth area to plant the gospel in community. We follow you with full confidence that where your seeds of hope are planted, healthy churches will grow up by your power. Bless us O God, Community of Love, for in you alone does true community find its origin.

This week our prayers are focused on partners and community - both for Intentional People and our new church planting work. In addition to the communal prayers, would you take a few moments each day to ask God to raise up partners for us? We need financial partners, prayer partners (we thank you for already serving in that capacity), and others who will serve as resources and collaborators in different ways, according to their gifts. With regards to our church planting work, we are praying for one or more partnering churches, with whom we can have a mutually edifying relationship and we are also seeking another church planting family to join us in this work.