Street Prayer

A few Christians once invited everyone that lived in their street to a Saturday morning prayer breakfast. Each house in their street received a personal invitation (not just a leaflet pushed through the door) and 20 people came! Read their story here http://www.streetprayer.org

Two years on and the first Oxford wide Prayer Breakfast is being held on 30 January with over twenty prayer breakfasts planned. Just met with most of the prayer coordinators on Saturday for worship and prayer and can see the hand of God at work across our city in a most wonderful way. And "Much more hath God in store, much more!"

Well, the Kennington breakfast will be at our house on Saturday 30th and my hope is that I will bring together other Christians in my street to worship and pray and serve the community, bring back to the Lord those in my street that once believed and bring the light of Jesus into the lives of my neighbours.

God make us humble in your presence and give us a servant heart. Amen.

Come beautiful Christ
Radiate thy beauty in me
Tis thee I adore
What can I ask more
Than to live for thee
Beautiful Christ

New Year Resolutions

Been asked by many people what my new year resolutions are and until I read Major Stephen Court's blog I didn't really have any. These are great "hooks to hang your coat on" and my own coat is going to be hung on all of these as I "resolve" to make a difference just where I am.

"Lord bring your church alive to worhsip you, live and love in community and to save the world. Amen."

From the ArmyBarmy Blog....

More on yesterday's Armybarmy Top Five For Advance in the next Decade

1. cell-based system
sc - it is certainly A future for The Army, for the following reasons:
a. historically the Army Ward System worked well;
b. historically our spiritual grandfather John Wesley's class meetings worked very well;
c. the 33 AD Salvos met house to house;
d. the biggest churched in the world are cell-based;
e. there is no ceiling on growth either with leaders or with geographic proximity;
f. it is flexible, which is important with some of the last 82 countries left for us to invade;
g. every 5-10 people get primary pastoral care from a cell leader (according to a model with which I am familiar);
h. it lends itself to bi-vocational leadership and pioneering...

2. communication
sc - it is increasingly important, in the following ways:
a. the devil attacks this most often and most successfully (arguably);
b. borders softened by the shrinking of the world will require improved communication;
c. aggressive advance in the great salvation war requires increased communication to coordinate attack;
d. AUS's TC - the techie TC - is leading the way for the world (way over 30000 Twitter followers, blog, facebook, etc.);
e. new media to communicate with the local fronts.
f. communication will increase in richness and frequency (general and commissioners will/should be able to receive weekly results soon, and more frequent results within a decade).

3. spiritual warfare and justice
sc - 'this' will become more prevalent, as follows:
a. justice should be seen as an aspect of spiritual warfare;
b. we need to fill the teaching vaccuum on spiritual warfare that has resulted in extremists who either see no demons in scripture or see them under every bush;
c. part of the identity crisis resolves our reticence about engaging in spiritual warfare ("The Salvation Army");
d. Catherine Booth dug it;

4. primitive salvationism
sc - as we advance on the more difficult fronts we will be reminded that PS is the only proven strain of salvationism. It means charismatic-flavoured, mission-focussed heroism.

5. stewardship
sc - this will be increasing important, both individually, and corporately. Check out Rowan Castle in HOLINESS INCORPORATED for some solid teaching on it (and parameters). John Wesley taught, 'make all you can, save all you can, give all you have.

God help us.