GLOBAL SUNDAY - GLOBAL VISION

Global Sunday is a service held by The City Church to celebrate how God has used that particular church to equip and send people across the 'globe' to pioneer gospel advance through starting churches, joining church plants or strengthening existing churches.

Before moving to Colchester I was based at The City Church for 15 years and was an elder for the last 7 of those years. For the last 3 or 4 years I was responsible for 'church planting' - encouraging, guiding, equipping and helping pioneers 'go'. being at Global Sunday was therefore a great privilege to see the fruit that has come out of that church.

Present on the day were ourselves and the Redeemer gang from Colchester (UK), the Groombridges from Nis (Serbia), the Eatons from Lille (France) and the Sharpes from Dublin (Ireland). All of these families have bent sent by The City Church in the last 3-5 years. Below is a quick list from memory of the places people have moved to from City to pioneer or strengthen churches in the last 15 years - or have moved for other reasons and had a positive impact on where they are) - I will obviously miss some!

• Dublin, Ireland
• Lille, France
• Helsinki, Finland
• Nis, Serbia
• Geneva, Switzerland
• Herne Bay, Whitstable Colchester - UK
• Portsmouth, London, Cambridge, Seaford and more - UK
• Fredericton, Canada
• Christchurch, New Zealand
• Doha, Qatar
• California, USA (this year!)

I am sure the list could go on! Being a part of that was a privilege, and one of the reasons I ended up overseeing church planting was because 'going to the nations' has always been in my blood since my early christian days.

My Background

I didn't grow up in a Christian family and always wanted to follow in my Father's footsteps as a Safari Operator, Game Guide, Professional Hunter...that kind of thing! Somehow God broke into my life and I came to know Jesus as a very real person quite young and in my mid teens I was thrilled by the vision of a church as the 'highest of all mountains' with the 'nations streaming to it' to worship God and find him (Isa 2:2). Ever since then the idea of 'going' and 'planting' has thrilled me. That is why we are in Colchester - God called us and our desires were stirred to 'go again'.

My Longing

In my DNA, in the prophetic words over our church is this 'sending culture', this desire to 'touch the nations'. yes I want to see a large, healthy church in Colchester because that means lots of people are being saved and added! But the thought of being a resourcing, equipping, sending church excites me too! And I believe that is what God has for us...One year into gathering publicly these are the nations that have been represented in our church;

• Oman
• India
• Dubai
• Switzerland
• South Africa
• Zimbabwe
• Malaysia
• Thailand
• China
• UK

Three particular nations we have had the privilege of having people for a short time from, who have then gone back in some way encouraged and equipped;

• South Africa
• Switzerland
• India

We live in a town that has a University with a high percentage of foreign students - you can see why God brought us here and what He is doing! We get, in most cases, three precious years to train, disciple and equip (and be blessed by!)  those who will return to nations around the globe! What a starting place?! More Lord!

BUILDING A STRONG SENDING BASE

At Global Sunday I was asked; 'What advice would you give to those considering pioneering?' - I found that an easy question to answer. 'Where possible be part of a strong and stable sending church, where you are known.' The equipping and support from The City Church to Redeemer has been amazing...yes the leaders BUT NOT ONLY THEM. Yes money...but NOT ONLY THAT. The prayers and the people, the friendship and the faith...people REALLY pray for us, people give, people visit, people love. I was met by a gentlemen on Global Sunday who had only been at the church for a few months - we had never met and he arrived long after we had moved - and he greeted me warmly, told me his family had been praying for us, that he felt he knew us. Wow! A few months into being at the church he had been caught up into the church's mission...if you can be part of a church like that, do it! If your church is not quite like that, set about praying for it and fostering that culture and engaging in churches that are more like that. Healthy 'parenting' produces healthy children!

Global Sunday was a shot in the arm and a teaser for what God might have for us! Well done City Church, and Lord - grant us a similar legacy!

God's Power in Proclamation, Prayer & Presence

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Recently I had the opportunity to preach at the University of Essex Christian Union. I was asked to preach on 'The Power of God' in Acts 16. I know the chapter fairly well and dived straight in and looked for 'The Power of God' displayed in the chapter - that was easy!

Firstly, we see God's power over the human heart as Lydia's 'heart was opened to pay attention' (16:14) to what Paul was saying. Faith comes with hearing - that is often the means of God's power opening hearts - through proclamation. I had my first point - God's Power in Proclamation! That's hugely encouraging and releasing! Our responsibility is to proclaim, His is to save - to open hearts!

Secondly, Paul 'prays' and the slave girl is freed from her controlling spirit. I believe this happens still - most of the world see it happen regularly! May God use us in that way - prayer is powerful! God's Power in Prayer! I had my second point! I was flying through my preparation.

Thirdly - well you can't miss it! The Earthquake! Not just an earthquake...but one with finely tuned vibrations so that the locks of the doors and stocks were unpicked (well that's what I think happened!). God's power to rescue his people! God's power over creation! But Creation doesn't begin with a 'P' so I cant use that...just kidding, although I do like things neatly tied up!

But as I thought about it a bit more I had some problems - Lydia was saved by God's power. The slave girl was saved (at least from the controlling spirit) by God's power. But God's power through the earthquake didn't save anyone...in fact it nearly, and would have, led to the jailer's death. Think about it. I nearly missed it. What caused the jailer to cry out 'what must I do to be saved' (16:30)? NOT the earthquake, not even the open prison doors and stocks. No - that only served to make him pull out his sword.

The PRESENCE of Paul and Silas led to that question. The PRESENCE of men who he would have mistreated, put in a foul prison cell, men who had been shamefully treated...with the chance to walk free and know the jailer would have been severely punished for letting them escape. Think about it - SURELY the earthquake and open doors and released stocks means God was setting them free?! I'd have read it like that. Maybe I would have walked out , casting a glance at the jailer thinking 'Tomorrow he gets justice for what he has done!'

Not Paul and Silas. They remained. WHAT CASUES MEN TO FORSAKE THEIR FREEDOM, THEIR COMFORT, THEIR 'JUSTICE' FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS?! THE POWER OF GOD, IN THE GOSPEL, CHANGING THEIR HEARTS! We often presume God's saving and preserving power is to snatch us out of trouble. Sometimes it is to make us so free we choose trouble for the sake of others.

The PRESENCE of Paul and Silas demonstrated God's Power. After all didn't He choose to remain? On the cross. Facing injustice. Able to call down angels...yet he cried 'Father forgive them.' When that grips you, you find God's power to remains.

“‘Maybe we should stop asking God to take away this week, what we asked for last week.’ ”

— JD Greear

YOUR PRESENCE may be the answer to your prayers for GOD'S POWER to change live around you. HOW we suffer, HOW we live, HOW we incarnate into people's lives is the 24x7 demonstration of God's power. As one preacher put it 'Maybe we should stop asking God to take away this week, what we asked for last week.' (JD Greear). Last week we asked God to use us, to help our friends. This week we are in the midst of brokeness, break-ups, bust-ups, sickness, suffering...and we want out. I wonder why we are there? Last week's prayers maybe?!

Lydia probably goes to church. Not the slave girl, but she is in touch with spiritual things - maybe you can find a connect with her. Many people we encounter are like the prison guards  -amidst their jobs, outside the church and unlikely to go, going through stuff..and we are there too. The Power of Presence. His, through us.