GlocalNet

Last night I finished up at Crossway Church in Melbourne, Australia and their conference.  Its primarily a church growth conference, but I speak on what it looks like to start with the kingdom, make the disciple, engage the society, and plant the church.  It was a blast and the people were really receptive.  Last night was not like most conferences I do in the states - I assumed there wouldn’t be as many there - it was the biggest night.  I challenged them as Aussie’s and with their location and multi-ethnic culture no nation in the world could be a blessing to the world and fulfill the Great Commission like them.  I had all the people under 30 stand and preached to them a while - then under 30 and non-anglo - God was with us.  I then had an “old fashioned” altar call but one for church planters.  There were about 40 who came.  Then I called out church planting churches and the senior pastors, another 40 came for that.  I used Mark Harris as the example - a church of 100 who has planted 20 churches that have an aggregate attendance of over 4,000.  I gave them some math about how if they started a church of 100 that had in it’s DNA to start a church a year of 100 and all the decendants did that, in 20 years you’d have 1.2 million!!!!  I asked for 30 people who would respond to planting and do just that.  It could be, that was the most significant service I’ve ever been a part of.  I told the pastors they need to think more in terms of standing before God with entire congregations - not just people they’ve brought to Jesus.  Brian, Bobby, Omar - get ready - we may have a lot of work down here.

On another note thinking of the Great Commission - when we only fund a few - and don’t engage the whole church - it’s as if there is one line for vocational ministers and no line at all for the people in the seats - and they are screaming outside, let us in, we want to be a part.  God help us - alas we think too much like preachers and not enough like disciples.

Jossy Chacko, Steve Addison, Dave Lawton, Dale Stevenson - I really enjoyed you guys - I love you men - keep rockin and rollin!!!

At the airport waiting for the long flight home.  NorthWood prayer people pray for me - you know how calm and collective I am and how I love long flights!