GlocalNet

Yes, they really exist! I wanted to post a picture, but didn’t want to make their life anymore difficult than it is, already. They love God, they are evangelical, they were born in different parts of Israel and the West Bank, their families have been there for centuries and millenias and they are the most effective representation and the best hope of Jesus Christ in that part of the world today. My meetings with them were beyond incredible. They have suffered rejection, abandonment, and isolation for one simple reason—they were born Palestinians. One leading evangelical who met with them a couple of years back was happy they were Christians but at the conclusion of the meeting told them they needed to move to Jordan or somewhere else. How absurd and utterly ignorant of the Great Commission and God’s call for all peoples.

One of the pastors told me,  “We are the only nationality in the history of Christianity where other Christians have told us we should leave and are the obstacle to the fulfillment of the Great Commission. Instead, they would rather work with non-believers who have rejected Christ who are not involved in the Great Commission instead of working with us.”

There are some Muslims that have made life difficult for them and there are some Israeli’s that have made life difficult for them. But, the greatest rejection, and most painful of all, has been that of their Christian brothers from the church in the West. It’s not just rejection though, it’s oblivion. Most, in the West, do not realize that there is a growing and emerging church in the West Bank, despite all the thousands of Palestinian Christians that have come West. There are about 3,000 Christians that live in Gaza. Many of them could leave and live here, but they feel called to stay to be witnesses to Christ. Their life is very difficult, but if they leave who will share the light and love of Jesus? I met 8 pastors in Bethlehem. I was impressed with every single one of them. They are educated, effective, and passionate. They are closer to the culture than anyone else. Does Jesus love Palestinians and Jews? Does He want there to be a light and witness whether men accept Him or reject Him? Were there conditions to who could fulfill the Great Commission or was it really the call of …

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I get 6 weeks of vacation a year but it’s impossible to take. With all that I’m involved in it’s a nice gesture on NorthWood’s part, but just not possible. Nikki and I wound up with a space of 10 days right after Christmas. We’ll be entering our new building - which will be January 27th!!!!! Lots of projects and works. One book (The Multiplying Church)  will be out in a month, another I have to write in the next 6 months so it will be a crazy time. I’m about to be involved in some things in the West Bank, and, as a result, I’ll be there in a few weeks for many meetings with many different players. I didn’t want the first time I see the Holy Land to be in and out of meetings. So Nikki and I, in celebration of my soon to be half-century mark, decided to go slowly and experience it together as tourist. We did and it was incredible. HOWEVER, it was impossible just to do that alone.  We wound up meeting with Palestinian evangelical pastors and leaders, among them Bishara Awad the President of Bethlehem Bible College. We met with Messianic Jewish believers and worshipped with them.  It was very moving though we went straight there from the airport upon arrival. I “accidentally” wound up meeting with the main Islamic leaders there.  Spent two hours in the home of Dr. Ekrima Sa’eed Sabri, orator of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Chief of Islamic Supreme Committee, in other words the top dog there. Spent an evening with a couple of U.S. congressmen. I was stunned, overwhelmed, blown away.  Words can’t describe this incredible wall being built around Bethlehem and the entire West Bank—it’s twice as big as the Berlin Wall. It literally broke my heart. On the inside of the gate, there was a lot of graffiti on it like “Made in the USA” and quotes from President Regan saying, “Tear down that wall Mr. Prime Minister.” I went for the past but was shaken by the present. There is an incredible sense of hopelessness there. I’ll write more this month—maybe every other day. I’m convinced Americans have no clue as to what is happening. There are sane voices from the Jews and the Palestinians, but sadly they get shouted out by the extremist from both sides. One thing I am absolutely convinced …

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If you are planning on attending our Turbo Training on Febraury 7 & 8, you need to register!  Only 4 weeks of open registration left!  You can register HERE and find details HERE.  Turbos are open to everyone!  Hope to see you there!

Today has been a great day. We were going to see a movie - but everyone took a nap - I can’t sleep so thought I’d just jot down some quick thoughts. I’ve received Christmas greetings from all over the world today - from Vietnam to Israel, Nepal to Africa, diplomats to plumbers, preachers to engineers - you name it . . .

This year is going to be a blast - so much is coming together. Our new Worship Center will soon be complete. The chairs are inside of the new Worship Center now, and it looks like we enter January 27, 2008! We’ve never had a better staff and better morale than we have at this moment. I’m so pumped that we have a healthy DNA coming into our new worship center. I talk to lots of guys that grew their churches big and then have to go back and reengineer missional living - we’ll just be taking it to a new level. A long-time dream of establishing a connection center to help individuals and churches engage the world like we have at NorthWood is now becoming a reality—the whole glocal concept. The work in Vietnam is growing while we’re helping people to engage Nigeria, the Middle-East, and other parts of the world. I’m having to read more than I ever have before just to keep up and loving it. We’ve never had a better staff or a better Spirit at our church and we’ve never had more partners to come alongside us wanting to be a part. I’m pumped about our Dallas360 group coming together - churches and ministries are coming together to engage the city and start churches and serve the poor and everything else the church is supposed to be doing. There is so much to be excited about. Many of the children of NorthWood who grew up or were born here are now in the mid to early twenties and so many of them are doing some truly incredible things in business, technology, ministry, medical, poverty alleviation, worship, youth, and I could go on and on.

Last night we had 3 packed Christmas Eve services. Each one was worshipful, moving, at times funny, and at other times serious reflections. As we sat there, I began to think about Christian worship. No other religion varies the style of worship like Christianity. This is good - …

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Yesterday I met with a small group in North Dallas from the DFW metroplex. All of us are involved in “transformational” type ministries. It was people who are active, engaged, have been going at it for a while, and have fruit to show for what they do. Prayer ministries, housing, poverty alleviation, counseling, marketplace, church planting, prison, government, and a host of other things. The point of the meeting is who’s out there that’s really doing it, versus talking about it. What is each one of us doing and how can we leverage off one another. What would it look like if we came together strategically across the DFW area and linked arms and tackled the metroplex. This is a vision worth pursing. Hispanic, African-American, Anglo, mega-churches and small churches, charismatic and main-line, church and para-church - all were present at the table. We even talked about getting off together for a few days and coming up with a strategic plan of engagement pulling all the parties together.

One thing I’ve learned in studying movements -  they never start big. The people in the room have significant ministries - but most are unknown - they’ve been quietly slugging away in the fields doing it. Sometimes they’re even within institutions and churches that we would never expect. Who would call Prestonwood missional? I would - ever met Mike Fechner? He’s the missions guy there. Not really - he is a former businessman God got a hold of and now drives the ministry of Prestonwood in community and global engagment and their work is incredible. Who would call Highland Park Presbyterian missional? I would - I’m utterly blown away by the things that church is doing - most people don’t have a clue of all they do - I sure didn’t. Randy Skinner, Kraig Kelly, and a host of laymen sweating like you wouldn’t believe.

Another thing about movements - when they become massive in scale in terms of a city or a nation - it’s never about one person - it’s about many persons collaborating. No doubt God uses “big” leaders - but only to bring tribes together for something beyond tribalism. We have to decentralize into the centrality of Jesus being present - that’s when the really big movements happen. I still think preaching is getting in the way of engagement - we have trained people to sit and listen.

Nikki, my wife,  was a part of the writing of this book.  I encourage every young man who is a church planter to get a copy and give it to his wife.  It’s written by several veteran church planter wives and is an exceptional book.  Church plants generally fail because of leadership.  Church plants also fail when the spouses are not on the same page.  This is a must-read for every church planter and his wife.

Peace on earth good will to men—the statement of angels to shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem. There is no peace there.  Of all the places in the world, there should be peace there. The convergence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam is in that one little town of 30,000. The test of the ability of “religion” to work in the world is not on the outskirts of the globe but where we are placed on top of one another. Our faith is only as good as it is in the worst of circumstances—not the best.

Bethlehem is the vortex of faith and conflict in the Middle-East. “Religion” shames itself by its inability to live in peace there with one another. It contradicts itself. It makes a mockery of itself. It nullifies the values and truths it says it believes in—all of the big 3! I was reading a commentary on Bethlehem that is over 100 years old. It said that Bethlehem is a sleepy little town where people have lived in peace for hundreds of years of all faiths making up 200 households. Not anymore.

Nikki and I sat in an outdoor theatre at Epcot in Orlando listening to Christmas music and the story of Bethlehem Monday night. The words to all the songs about the shepherds, the baby, the star, the town - it’s all woven together. We sing and smile and feel warm thinking of Christmas being totally ignorant or ignoring what is happening there. There is no Christmas in Bethlehem. The entire time I listened to the music and fought back the tears. I’ve been reading all this stuff on the Middle-East and Israel - In the name of God we flaunt our personal desires and agenda and act as forceful as men without God. A wall is going through Bethlehem, there are so many checkpoints it’s all but killed the economy of Bethlehem and of course the terrorists haven’t helped any, but they aren’t the only problem.

This is my prayer.  Father, as a follower of Jesus, may love and peace pull people together who want to follow your Spirit and serve that community so that one day it will once again be said from Bethlehem “Peace on earth - good will toward men.”

Chris Seiple testified before congress last Thursday. Pray that the Lord will work in the hearts of our political leaders as they make decisions that will impact the nation we have been called to serve. Chris is founder of the Institute for Global Engagement and partners with us in Vietnam.  He recently spoke in our services.

This is another example of the impact our faithful engagement is having on Vietnam, and it provides some indication that we are making progress toward transformation.

Here is a copy of the testimony he gave last Thursday.

That’s right—REV! Vision360 is a ministry to engage the world and society through planting transformational missional churches of which I’m a part. I believe in it, because instead of being another church planting organization or network, its goal is to be a hub movement to facilitate comprehensive engagement of all networks in every domain of the city. We are meeting with different people to explain who we are, what we are, and where we are going. It’s been an exciting and a wild ride as we start with ups and downs but overall moving forward aggressively. Yesterday, we had several meetings in Dallas of which I was a part. I’ve got to say the one I absolutely enjoyed the most was Ross Perot.

The guy should have been a comedian. Walking in his office is like walking through a museum of American history and even some English history. He’s warm, personable, engaging, and sharp as a tack! He walked out in the area where we were waiting. I was looking at one of his artifacts and he spoke up, “Hi, I’m Ross Perot.” As if I didn’t know! But, warm, sincere, very, very present. We go in and explain who we are and what we’re doing.

When he understands we want to start new churches he told us, “When I was a young man I was a minister!” I thought he was kidding again. “Seriously?” I asked. “You bet.” He told the story of how he was on a carrier during WWII in the middle of the Pacific about to go into Midway Island. His rank forced him to be the chaplain to address the sailors.  It was viewed as the bottom of the barrel duty! It was the day before the big battle and everyone on the carrier came out to the service. Mr. Perot said he preached with passion and everyone was getting born again, reborn, recommitted. “I felt like I was Billy Graham out there!” The next day, it was all over. He couldn’t wait to lead the next service. He stands up to address the crowd once again and hardly anyone was there. War and an impending battle made every man get ready. He said a week later those men were on leave—partying! That was the end of his preaching career!

His love for the military is alive to this day. …

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I’ve really been getting organized for the new year, as well as working with our staff and other projects, so I’ve not had time to blog as much as I normally do.  I’m at DFW right now waiting on another flight.  My early one was canceled—lost a day of running for nothing! 

I’ve received lots of comments and emails on my blog of November 15—the last comment by Leonard—you have to read.  I tried to copy and post here, but I can’t seem to do it right.  So go read it. 

I’ve been speaking a lot on planting churches where you start with the society—not the church—where you focus on the disciple—not the preacher.  I say this stuff, people say amen and things like, that makes sense and this is so right.  But when there is Q & A, I often wonder if people realize how there is a new paradigm, but their questions are based on an old paradigm.  I’m asked this a lot, OK this is cool - so this gets more converts and how do I draw people into this?  They missed the whole point.  Its not just come and hear from them, but go and serve and love from us! 

If my primary goal is to get converts, then Bill Hybels was wrong in being honest and releasing Reveal.  Fill up the fish tank with guppies!  But, if my context is the whole of the kingdom, then evangelism is the first step—not the final.  So, yes, I want people to accept Christ.  No, THAT IS NOT MY PRIMARY METRIC!  If it is, then everything is about getting a crowd, getting them to pray the prayer and it’ll all work out somehow.  We’ve had at least 50 years of that.  Regardless of traditional, Innovative, Postmodern, we can all draw crowds, but are they becoming disciples. Therefore, is society changing?  If society is not changing, we have converts but not disciples.  Core to this are two questions.    Is the Gospel, when in and of itself, powerful enough to transform a person?  Answer—of coarse.  When the Gospel (of the Kingdom not just salvation) is planted in a community, in and of itself, is it powerful enough to transform that community?  YES.  History proves it. The Bible tells us about it and we long for it—which is from God.  If I focus on the whole of …

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