A New England wide relational network of believers and church leaders laboring for authentic unity and encouraging sustainable movements of prayer in order to see long-term revival and awakening in the New England Church. "In Jesus, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit." (Eph. 2:22)
For nearly 40 days, there has been continuous, 24/7 worship
on the White House Ellipse. The purpose of the worship was not to pray
for this candidate or that candidate to be elected, it was simply to lift up
the name of Jesus during a time when our nation's direction is hanging in the
balance.
Christ (rhymes with "wrist") Otto was one of the
many worship leaders who flocked to David's Tent from all 50 states. In
this video Jonathan and Christ talk with David's Tent catalyst Jason Hershey
about God's work through this unprecedented 40 day worship gathering.
Thursday, Oct. 18th was one of the most encouraging days I
can remember.
Over four hours through two video discussions and a larger
conversation with many of the 10 Days Boston hosts present, we shared “tales of
the Kingdom”. I listened for hours but
it seemed like we had days worth of material.
In terms of sheer volume of testimony, and in terms of the encouragement
it brought to me personally, the day was unparalleled.
As we heard story after story, I was reminded of the end of
the gospel of John: Jesus did too many amazing things to write them all down!
The same is true today when Jesus is in the midst of His people—He does too
much for us to keep track of!
JOY! Friends sharing Stories about Jesus
As I arrived 20 minutes late to our debrief meeting at EGC,
I literally found the meeting by following the sound of laughter. As we continued meeting together, we
continued to laugh. Why were we all so
happy? First of all, it’s because we’re
friends and we like being together! New friends
are welcomed easily into the mix. Christ
dwells in all of us individually—His presence is even more special when we come
together.
The stories that we shared about God’s work were the other
source of Joy. Throughout the day, I
heard story after story of God’s work during the 10 Days. They’re the kind of stories that make you
say, “Wow” or “No Way”. Sometimes, they
just make you laugh.
Honestly, I was “in shock” just from the sheer volume of
things God had done. Even the things
that were hard seemed to be encouraging, just another learning experience on
our journey together. I was reminded of how
Jesus and the disciples rejoiced when the disciples returned from their first
mission trip full of testimonies about the power of God.
I think Jesus was rejoicing with us as well.
Pastor Dana Baker, Keith Bellevue, LaTonya Brown, and Jonathan Friz discuss the impact of 10 Days in Boston and on the South Shore
Personal
Transformation
This Fall, YWAM Boston was really the heart of the 10 Days,
serving by leading much of the daytime prayer and also by doing daily
outreaches all throughout the city. Without
a doubt, YWAM Boston was the single biggest encouragement to me personally
during this 10 Days. I’m so grateful for
them! It’s been a joy to hear how 10
Days impacted them personally and as a group.
Aaron Cieply (YWAM Boston) shared the personal
transformation he experienced and witnessed in others. His own heart was transformed as he learned
how to be a “Mary”, sitting at Jesus’ feet, rather than constantly trying to
serve the Lord as a “Martha”. He shared
the revelation he experienced that “Lovers actually accomplish more than
workers” and his experience of sharing then getting to share the gospel out of
place of rest and a heart full of God’s love.
Keith Bellevue (10 Days South Shore) shared some of the
surprises that God had in store for him. “We went into the 10 Days with the
intent that we were going to "tear down strongholds" and "take
back our land for the Kingdom!" But, by the second day, it seemed clear
that the Lord was more interested in truly knowing [us]..., and in so doing it
seems our original intent was accomplished…”
Keith also shared his surprise at the turnout and the
transformation that followed: “We expected many people to come to the evening
gathering at their own church, we were shocked to also see a core of about
twenty to thirty people that came night after night with burning hearts from
this time of personal sacrifice.”
In this group of people,
Keith began to witness a steady work of transformation happening
day-by-day. A week in, those who had
been showing up night after night were visibly different than when the 10 Days
began—God was doing a deep, inner work that was manifest in their faces, their
speech, the prayers they prayed, and the way they loved each other.
One of the most common reports was simply that people left
the gatherings encouraged and refreshed by God’s presence. That may not sound flashy; however, it’s
impossible for the Church to do anything without God’s presence. Encouragement from the Lord is like food that
strengthens us from day-to-day. If we’re
discouraged, we’re not effective in any aspect of our Christian life.
Satt Scrivner (10 Days North Shore) said that this was the
testimony he heard more than any other. After
their times together, believers would share with him how much they enjoyed
being in God’s presence together and what an encouragement the time had been to
them.
Pastor Lorraine Anderson (International Community Church)
reported how encouraged she was both by God’s presence and by seeing such a
diverse group (Anglo, Black, Hispanic, Deaf, Burmese, and more) worshipping
together. Pastor Dana Baker (Grace
Chapel), Bishop Brian Greene (Pentecostal Tabernacle), and many others shared the
encouragement that came during personal prayer ministry, when God would often speak
into people’s lives through a complete stranger.
Part of the encouragement that came during this time was
simply this: We need to find a way to do this more often—it can’t be limited to
a “once a year” event.
New Relationships and
Open Doors
I was extremely impressed by the perseverance and
determination showed by many of the evening hosts in pursuing relationships
with others in the Body of Christ. They
exhibited determination, love, wisdom, and unshakeable hope as they lovingly
tried to bring others into this season of encountering the Lord together.
Part of our unshakeable hope that we share is a confidence
that some way, somehow, the Father is going to answer Jesus’ prayer in John 17—“let
them be ONE as we are One.” I believe
that God is raising up many in this generation who will persevere with
tenacious hope for the fulfillment of this prayer. Only God can do it (we’re asking for a
miracle), but we get to partner with Him through our faith and perseverance in
love.
One of testimonies from this year was related to the Catholic/Protestant
divide. During the 10 Days in 2011, my
good friend Christ (rhymes with ‘wrist’) Otto had a profound experience with the
Lord. The gist of it was this: 10 Days was supposed to reach out to the
Catholic Church, something we had not attempted to that point. John Spaddacini, a Roman Catholic friend,
helped us immensely by making contact with many potential hosts. However, as we approached the final weeks, all
the doors we knocked on were still closed.
We held open one day out of 10 “in hope” that God would do something “last
minute”.
As our final leads fell through, we decided to call for a “day
of mourning”, inviting Catholics and Protestants to fast and pray as we sought
the Lord to break down this historic, cultural, and theological divide. We
held a silent vigil at St. Clement, a 24/7 Catholic prayer and adoration center
in the heart of Boston.
Bishop Brian Greene (Pentecostal Tabernacle), Dr. Vito Nicastro (Archdiocese of Boston), Aaron Cieply (YWAM Boston) and Jonathan Friz (10 Days) discuss signs of God's work during the 10 Days Boston.
Dr. Vito Nicastro, director of Ecumenical affairs for the
Archdiocese responded to this invitation by fasting, praying, and meeting us
there. He was touched that 20 young
people (YWAM again) showed up to pray in a place that was so distinctly
Catholic and foreign to them. As he later shared, Catholic teaching on “Unity” says
that it is only a “work of the Holy Spirit”.
The official teaching states that any “unity” effort worthy of the name
must be rooted in “prayer, fasting, and repentance.” Evidently, we both had the same ideas about
what would bring about real unity!
Emails and long phone conversations between Vito and many
other evangelicals followed. Protestants
were invited and many came to a historic meeting on the Physician Assisted
Suicide bill which included about 60 leaders from all three major streams of
the Christian faith: Roman Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox. Friendship, love, and trust are budding. Both sides are hopeful about what might come.
Next Year: Growing
Deep, Going Wide
Sept 4-14, 2013 are the dates for the 10 Days next
year. Once again, the month of September
will be a “month for unity” with UNOW on Sept 28th and the Convoy of
Hope city-wide outreach on September 21st. Here’s how we think God
is leading us for next year:
Going Deep
Without a doubt, there is a relationship between time spent
in God’s presence and personal transformation.
If you want to be like Jesus, spending lots of time with Him can’t hurt. Next year, we hope to see more and more
people setting apart all or part of the 10 Days to “seek God’s face”. That means taking time off from “normal” life
to discover “real” life.
As Bishop Brian Greene pointed out, people will wait in line
overnight, sleeping on the ground in the cold to get something as trivial as an
iPhone. They’ll “lose track of time”
playing a video game. We believe that
God is so much better, so much more fascinating than anything this world has to
offer. An iPhone can connect you to the
world, but only the Holy Spirit can connect you to the God of the Universe. We’re
hoping to see more and more people discovering the goodness of Jesus as they
consecrate all or part of the 10 Days for prayer.
Mark your calendar now—set a date with the Lord. Whatever you decide to do, experience
suggests strongly that you won’t be disappointed with your decision.
Going Wide
This year, for the first time, we had three “city-wide
church” 10 Day gatherings and two smaller 10 Day gatherings happening at the
same time. I believe this is going to
continue to spread in years to come. We believe
that this vision is something that God wants to establish as a regular rhythm
in city-wide churches around the nation and the world.
Deep and Wide
Deep is real, Holy, and permanent. Wide is exciting, encouraging and promising. What really gets me excited is when Deep and
Wide come together.
We’re envisioning many people, many cities, many nations “dropping
everything” to seek God in unity as city and regional churches on an annual
basis during the fall Biblical feasts. I’m
imagining certain cities almost “stopping” for Sabbath-like 10 Day seasons of repentance,
fasting, transformation, and renewal.
“Well, that’s impossible!”
We say that this kind of thing is impossible, but I think what we really
mean is “it would take a miracle”. Personally,
I’ve been spending a lot of time with people who don’t seem to understand that “things
are impossible” since they keep seeing God doing miracles when they step out in
faith. Personally, I’m betting on those
guys and their God over “impossible”.
How would God respond if an entire City took a day, or even
10 Days to seek His face together? And what if this was happening not just in
one city, but in thousands of places around the world? If this what happened this year is the result
of a relatively few people saying “yes”, what could the Lord do if entire
cities went deep with God together? I’ve
never seen it happen, but I’ve seen enough to get an idea of how good it would
be. We’re going to see this someday…and
rejoice!
Rev. Tom Demaree, a man who has prayer walked the entire nation and founder of "Pentecost Walk" interviews Jonathan Friz on Saturday, Sept 22 2012about the 10 Days Boston. They discuss how God is doing a "deep work" through the 10 Days and end with an invitation to a Day of Mourning for the division between Roman Catholics and Protestants. http://www.pentecostwalk.org/
10 Days continues to roll throughout Boston, the North and South Shores, Chico, California, and other places as well. Good reports continue to flow in:
Here's a brief discussion about what's been happening so far...
Monday: A Day of Mourning the Protestant/Roman Catholic Divide
During the 10 days in 2011, we felt very strongly impressed to seek to engage with Roman Catholics in 2012. On my own, I would not have taken this initiative--it's such an enormous divide to bridge. Our hope this year was to have one gathering hosted by like-minded Roman Catholics. After pursuing a number of different options for host locations with the able assistance of John Spadaccini, nothing has worked out for us and our Monday night, which we reserved in hope, is standing empty.
For about a month, we've been discussing the possibility of having a "Day of Mourning" regarding the division between Protestants and Catholics. This division in Christ's body is historic, institutional, theological--mix in cultural separation, a few misunderstandings, and suspicion and it's a formidable barrier. As Gregg Detweiler exhorted us at the start of the 10 Days, part of "Discerning Christ's Body" at the Communion table is recognizing and mourning the divisions that exist.
We're going to do just that on Monday. We'd like to invite you into a day of fasting, prayer, and mourning (ie recognizing what we've lost/where we're supposed to be) over the division between Protestants and Catholics.
There will be no official evening gathering on Monday--we're saying by not gathering "we're missing part of our family". We will gather during the day from 2-4pm at St. Clements in Boston. This location is open 24/7 for prayer and is open to the public--we'll gather in a silent vigil. Through our silence, we'll be speaking to this division to "be removed" in Jesus' name. I think that God has a plan to remedy this enormous breach that is so incredible, most of us would not be able to believe it! If you're really looking for a place to gather in the evening, check here for a listing of R.Catholic prayer meetings
Monday Day of Mourning: St. Clements: 1105 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 (This is a location for 24/7 prayer)--silent Vigil, 2-4pm. No Evening gathering
This September is going to be a powerful time of coming together for the Church in Boston and around New England. Since the beginning of this year, a number of ministries have been partnering and planning for a special two-week time period.
The whole thing gets kicked off with the United Night of Worship Boston on September 15th. Moving outdoor this year to the Boston city-hall plaza, and including evangelism and outreach elements for the first time, this year's gathering promises to be a powerful time for the city-wide church to lift up Jesus together.
But that's just the beginning....
The next day, 10 Days begins. This invitation to 10 Days of fasting, worship, and prayer is also an invitation to see the Church in Boston as never before, praying for the city in 10 different locations hosted by many different parts of the Church. Find details here.
In addition, there will be a gathering on the South Shore and one in Chico CA.
We're inviting everyone to set apart these 10 days to humble themselves, pray, seek God's face and turn from sins. But this extended time of waiting on God is not the end.
These 10 Days are leading up to...
America for Jesus is a national Solemn Assembly taking place in Philadelphia PA on September 28-29th. We're inviting you to join believers from all over the nation in coming together to pray on behalf of our nation. Find details here.
Seek the Lord while He may be found: Whether you can come to all or part of these two weeks in September, we hope you'll set this time apart in your own household to seek God with us, drawing near to His heart, and seeking the welfare of our cities, region, and nation.
America is in a state of emergency, evidenced by the symptoms of widespread moral depravity and economic meltdown. Education, government, and man's wisdom cannot solve this problem.
Only one remedy can truly "heal the land."
2 Chronicles 7:14: "If My people, which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." God required four things of His people before He would hear them: (1) humility (2) prayer (3) seeking Him (4) repentance.
America for Jesus 2012 - Schedule of Events
Connect here with Pastors Lou and Gwen Badolato, Massachusetts state coordinators.
National Youth Rally
Friday, Sept. 28, 5 pm
Independence Mall Philadelphia
More Info: Breanna
National Solemn Assembly
Saturday, Sept. 29, 9 am
Independence Mall Philadelphia FREE ONLINE - REGISTRATION
Why Philadelphia?
This is where the Declaration of Independence was signed. This is the location where the Constitution of the United States was debated and then ratified after much prayer. Additionally, this spot hosted the writing of the Bill of Rights. All of these concepts were harvested from a seed planted by William Penn, a Quaker, who founded Pennsylvania's government on principles of Freedom and Equality. In 1751, the Pennsylvania General Assembly commissioned a foundry in England to forge a bell in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of William Penn's Constitution for Pennsylvania, the Charter of Privileges. On the bell is inscribed Leviticus 25:10, which says, "Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto the inhabitants thereof."
John 17 Unity: It's pretty clear that the 10 Days is all about "Unity". Seeing Jesus get the answer to His prayer, "Let them be one, as we are one", in the city of Boston and around the nation; could it get any better than that?
Why "Mourning"? Knowing that this is all about unity, people are often surprised to hear that the path towards unity involves something called "mourning". In this video, LaTonya Brown and Jonathan Friz discuss the origins of the 10 Days vision and what it means to make these days "a time to mourn". You may be surprised by what you hear!
" ... this video provides a vibrant forum for discussion between Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. and Roberto Miranda, senior pastor at Congregación León de Judá. God has strategically placed these two men as leaders not only within their own cultures, one Black American, the other Latino American; but as spiritual catalysts to all believers. They have been given amazing gifts of cogency to see beyond systematic manipulations... You will be inspired by the expression of their courageous resolve to withstand the pressure within their own cultures... These conversations are drawn from wells of deep water." -Brandt Gillespie, producer and President of PrayTV
As we've been capturing a series of
conversations hosted by Dr. Roberto Miranda, featuring notable guests, I felt
impressed that a dialogue between Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr. and Roberto
Miranda would provide a vibrant forum for the Body of Christ.
Bishop Jackson is
the senior pastor of Hope Christian Church in Beltsville, Maryland, and the
Founder and President of the High Impact Leadership Coalition, which exists to
protect the moral compass of America and to be an agent of healing by educating
and empowering churches, as well as community and political leaders.
Over the years, I've enjoyed numerous interactions with Bishop Jackson and have had the privilege of producing video recordings of this thoughtful gentleman as he takes frontline stands for family values in Washington, D.C. He is frequently a featured presenter for the Family Research Council, Fox News Channel and CNN broadcasts. Bishop Jackson is highly regarded for his depth of understanding on current issues affecting our culture and the Church. As a graduate of Williams College and Harvard University, and a prolific writer, Bishop Jackson’s biblical world view expressed in a passionate, compassionate and informed manner, complements Dr. Roberto Miranda’s journey and quest.
God has strategically placed these two men as leaders not only within their own cultures, one Black American, the other, Latino American, but as spiritual catalysts to all believers. They have been given amazing gifts of cogency to see beyond systematic manipulations, often accorded minorities by the media. These are men who refuse to be pigeonholed; their candid discussions reveal their determination to parse the complexity of the faith journeys of the cultures each of them represent.
You will be inspired by the expression of their courageous resolve to withstand the pressure within their own cultures, whose expectations tend toward party line stances. Their personal heartfelt convictions, even in the face of misunderstanding and accusations of "selling out," are clarion calls to the Church.
These conversations are drawn from wells of deep water. I would encourage you to find a quiet place and time to listen to these leaders share their thoughts, so collectively we reap the insights of a journey with them.
Join New England Believers at the pre-rally: Friday, May 18 at 7pm in Salem MA!
Pastors Lou and Gwen Badolato
of East Gate Christian Fellowship in Salem are the Massachusetts State
Coordinators for AMERICA FOR JESUS 2012.
Pastor Lou writes: "The
growing consensus among Christian leaders today is that AMERICA FOR JESUS 2012 promises to be the
most powerful and critical gathering of the body of Christ in
America!
"On September 28 and 29th, AMERICA FOR JESUS 2012 will take place in
Philadelphia, PA. We believe, as tens of thousands of God's people unite in
worship, offering prayer and decrees in one accord, God will heal
our broken nation and visit us once again with a genuine Spiritual
Awakening!
Come
to a special night of worship and declarations:
Massachusetts
AMERICA FOR JESUS 2012 Rally Friday,
May 18, 7 pm East
Gate Christian Fellowship 207
Highland Av, Salem MA http://theeastgate.org Special
Speaker: Rev. Jim Cucuzza
Please
do not hesitate to contact us if you have an questions or need further
information:
Pastors
Lou and Gwen Badolato Massachusetts
State Coordinators egcf@theeastgate.org 978-828-9990
or 978-491-8386 East Gate Christian Feloowship:
978-741-2728
Roberto Miranda meets with Barbara LaChance and Christopher Leighton, both Church leaders from Connecticut, to discuss "revival", the sustained flow of God's life to His people.
Since 2008, I’ve seen God do something in the fall of each year. The group of leaders who started the New England Alliance felt strongly that we should have a regional Solemn Assembly in 2008. This assembly happened in conjunction with 10 Days of fasting and prayer during the fall Biblical feasts. After the 2008 gathering, many in the leadership were surprised by the way that God “showed up” during that season. This same pattern repeated itself in 2009 and again in 2010, with Joel 2-style solemn assemblies happening alongside this 10 Day period of consecration. Then, last year, believers throughout the greater Boston area participated in the 10 Days Boston leading up to the Boston Night of Worship. The New Hampshire Alliance gathered over 80 participating congregations in the first ever New Hampshire Night of Worship during this same time period.
This year, we as New Englanders have been invited to a national Joel 2-style Solemn Assembly in Philadelphia on September 28-29, 2012. Read more about America for Jesus 2012 here.
We’d love you to join us at an upcoming informational gathering: What:America for Jesus 2012 Informational Gathering When: Wednesday, April 4, 9-11am Where: New Hope Chapel, 89 Court St, Plymouth MA
RSVP: Madeleine Prendergast
We’ll be sharing more about the conjunction of this national gathering and other gatherings for worship, fasting, and prayer in the New England region in the weeks to come!
--Jonathan Friz, Coordinator, New England Alliance
On Tuesday, March 27, over 550 movie theaters around the nation will have a one night only theatrical event: Monumental: In Search of a National Treasure. The two-hour live show begins at 7:30 pm.
Many of you will remember the coming together of the 2010 New England Solemn Assembly with the filming of the movie Monumental. Pastor Victor Khokhlan shares his journey with Monumental and the 2010 Solemn Assembly:
"On September 26th, 2009, I attended a powerful prayer meeting, Pennsylvania Awake: A Day ofPrayer, Worship and Declaration to Re-discover Pennsylvania’s Purpose in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
"While praying on our knees, the Holy Spirit spoke to me to return to Massachusetts and mobilize believers in Plymouth, MA where Pilgrims first landed, fleeing from religious persecution, finding refuge and freedom.
"My family fled religious persecution from the former Soviet Union, and we emigrated to America 22 years ago. God impressed on my heart we needed to reclaim His dream, His will and His purpose for us as a people, for Massachusetts, New England and for United States.
"I was advised by friends and leaders to include all New England states because the Lord uniquely worked His purpose with all six states as a whole region. Thus the 2010 New England Solemn Assembly was birthed."
Kirk Cameron learned about our planning meeting
"In order to mobilize people of Massachusetts to gather in Plymouth, I needed $4,000 to produce a video clip for the Solemn Assembly website, but I didn't have the finances.
"In July 2010, during the planning/prayer meeting for the Solemn Assembly in Plymouth, Kirk Cameron visited us with his filming partners. He requested that the leaders of the 2010 New England Solemn Assembly participate in the production of Monumental. He also requested that his team become a part of the Solemn Assembly in Plymouth. Thus did God open the door for Solemn Assembly to be a part of Monumental: a half a million dollar production to be shown nationally.
"Now I can testify of the mighty plans which God has for our nation. I can testify how God used 2010 New England Solemn Assembly to reclaim His dream, His will And His purpose for our nation."
Despite our best intentions, we often find ourselves rushing to get everything done that needs to be done. As we've all experienced, being in a hurry can lead us to overlook things that are important in favor of the urgent requirements of the moment.
Over the last months, Roberto Miranda has had a series of conversations with Christian leaders around the region. These conversations are not urgent. However, if you're interested in seeing God's presence fill the New England region, in seeing greater unity in the Body of Christ, and in understanding what we can do to cooperate with God in these things, I think you'll find these conversations important.
So, set aside an hour when you can, sit down with a cup of tea, and savor this conversation with John Eckhardt and Kevin Kidd, two Maine pastors with years of experience overcoming differences in the Body of Christ. I don't think you'll regret it!
The conversation continues as Roberto
interviews two men from Maine,
John Eckhardt and Kevin Kidd.
John and Kevin have both spent years
attempting to overcome differences in the Church
and are starting to see success as never before.
Perhaps you are just making small talk with friends over coffee. Someone asks a question. Then, all of a sudden, you find yourself caught up in something profound. You may leave the table with more questions than answers, but something has happened in the interim. A good conversation can change your life.
Over the last months, Roberto Miranda has had a series of conversations with Christian leaders around the region. These interviews are substantive and rich. These are not made-for-the-nightly-news sound-bites; they’re thoughtful and real, occurring at the speed of authentic human interaction.
Each episode is an hour in length and filled with experiences, stories, and insights on issues that Christian leaders around New England are grappling with today. If you want to be encouraged by stories of what God is doing in the region, strengthened with fresh insights, and formed spiritually, I think you’ll find these conversations valuable.
As a technical note, click on the link marked "Click Here" and not on the video image itself. You'll be redirected to a page where you can watch the videos and leave comments
In this week's video, Roberto talks with Keith Tolley, Vision New England, Danvers MA;
and Jonathan Friz, Wisdom Way, Beverly MA, about"unity"in the New England Church.
For the last year, we’ve shared stories about God’s movement around New England.
From Cape Cod, to New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maine, Boston, and even Cambridge, God is bringing believers together for prayer and partnership in unique and spiritually dynamic ways. For the next several weeks, we’re going to be sharing conversations with Christian leaders from around the region hosted by Dr. Roberto Miranda. Producer Brandt Gillespie introduces this new video series.
As a technical note, click on the link marked "Click Here" and not on the video image itself. You'll be redirected to a page where you can watch the videos and leave comments
Dana Baker, Director of Multicultural Ministries, Grace Chapel,
Lexington MA; Roberto Miranda, Senior Pastor,
Congregación León de Judá, Boston MA;
and Dick Germaine, Barnabas Ministries, Hopkinton MA
What is the Spirit of the Lord saying to us?
Many speak of a stirring in their hearts to come along side one another, cooperate effectively, hear and understand what God is doing as clearly as possible. Some believe He is bringing sustained revival to our region and in our time. So in obedience to that still small voice, we take counsel in one another and seek Him in wisdom and truth.
Our prayer is simply: "Lord, let the conversation begin."
Dr. Roberto Miranda has hosted several high value conversations with some of the most thoughtful Christian leaders from the New England area to tackle some of the more difficult challenges standing in the way of forming partnerships to harness our diverse styles and unique personal callings.
By starting the first video, you will begin a significant conversational journey with fellow believers. It leads you to the first conversation entitled “Partnering” with Dr. Miranda, Dick Germaine of Barnabas Ministries, and Dana Baker, Director of Multicultural Ministries at Grace Chapel. However, this is only the gateway to other equally important interactions that we believe you will find valuable.
I am asking for your helpful feedback. There is a place provided for you to write your comments. Our production team will honestly read each one with interest and forward them to Dr. Miranda as well.
Thanks for your interest, comments and suggestions. If you know of other guests who you believe may be able to add something unique to these conversations please let me know.
Fifteen Cambridge churches joined together in praising God on New Year’s Day 2012. About 800 people attended, standing, if necessary, around the edges of the main floor and balcony, even jamming the foyer. I could hardly contain my emotions: in today’s service, I saw with my own eye what I have been praying and working toward, for forty years.
In my mind my wife Joanne possibly gave her life for Cambridge. In 1982, a tiny church remnant invited us to begin a new church. Even though church planting there would put further stress on her while fighting ovarian cancer, my wife said, 'Ralph, we need to accept the invitation. Cambridge desperately needs a gospel ministry and gospel preaching churches.' Joanne died in 1984.
2012 is here. I believe I am witnessing God’s moment for Boston. One by one, and then in unity, God’s people are believing and siezing this moment. Let us pray that twelve months from now we will be astounded by what He has done in this needy metropolis. A year from today I want to praise God that 2012 the Gospel has been spread more than any other year in our lifetimes.
By Ralph Kee, Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative
Kelly Steinhaus
"One Kingdom Warrior"
Desires to inspire unity
among Christians
throughout greater Boston
On New Year's Day at the historic First Baptist Church in Central Square, the Cambridge Unity Sunday Morning Service marked the first time in the city's history that fifteen different congregations representing various Christian denominations assembled for a single Sunday morning worship service. (See participating ministries at end of article.)
The presence of God that filled the room was one of the closest things to revival that I have experienced. Before 11:00am, people of all denominations and cultures streamed in the doors to worship Jesus, until the church was overflowing.
Bishop Brian Greene of Pentecostal Tabernacle played an instrumental role in organizing this gathering. He believes that “Revival cannot come, unless the church is one.” I echo his belief, and the presence of God that filled the room was one of the closest things to revival that I have experienced. At 11:00am, people of all denominations and cultures kept streaming in to worship Jesus, until there was no more seats, and then barely any standing room. I was ushering at the service, but we all agreed that this was a good problem to have. We even had to bring in TV monitors so people could watch the service in the lobby.Pentecostal Tabernacle’s choir led us in worship as they sang chords which rang with heaven’s sounds.
Denominations, cultures, church identity fell to the wayside as we worshipped our one true God, Jesus Christ, together with one voice. It made me think of Revelation 7:9, where it describes heaven as “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.” Words honestly cannot describe this gathering, so I recorded video so everyone could see and experience it.
My friend Megan explained that, in ethnic congregations, there is a particular emphasis on the pastor’s first sermon in the new year. Congregation members wait in anticipation to hear what will be 'The Word of the Lord' for that coming year. Personally I was inspired by Pastor Larry Ward's message [senior pastor, Abundant Life Church]. He spoke on seeking the peace of our city – with prayer, equipping, assisting the poor, caring for the sick, and educating the next generation. Even more than that, I sensed how powerful it was for the churches in our region to have a collective vision to bring us into the new year.
Yes, God says that He commands a special blessing in unity (Psalm 133) – and every single person I talked to after the service said something to the effect of, 'That was really cool.' My friend and fellow ministry worker Ralph Kee said, 'I could hardly contain my emotions,' explaining that 'the many components of today’s service fulfilled my forty years of hopes for Cambridge (and all of Greater Boston)' Rev. Kee believes this service was a sign that 2012 will be the most productive year in our lifetimes for the gospel in our city.
Above all else, I came away with the sense that, 'This is the way it’s supposed to be.'
As the Church, each part of the body has a unique function, but we also must have opportunities to come together and remember that we are part of something larger. I see this type of regional worship gatherings becoming more and more common in the coming seasons and years. Jesus’ dying prayer is that the church would be one, 'in order that they may become one and perfectly united, that the world may know and [definitely] recognize that You sent Me and that You have loved them [even] as You have loved Me.' (John 17:23, AMP) Gatherings like this – shared experiences that we have together as the body – break down the denominational and cultural walls and allow us to be the Church that God designed us to be."
24/7 prayer at 3 Times Church at the Swedenborg Chapel
and NE Korean Methodist Church at Union United Methodist
(see end of article for details)
At 10 pm on a cold January Friday evening, an unexpected sound rises from the New Jerusalem Church on Harvard's campus. Around 20 people, mostly of Korean descent, are lifting up choruses of worship in both Korean and English. As the crowd grows, so does the worship, soon filling the seats in the small church basement. Joshua Hungsoo Park, a mentor to Korean students at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, exhorts those gathered to pray for God's purposes at Harvard University. As he does, what feels like a wave hits the room as it erupts with prayer, "Korean Style".
The room rumbles and roars with the sound of many waters, a cacophony of voices in many languages, of cries, of tears: the sound of fervent prayer. Contrary to what you might expect, the roar of prayer creates a space of immense quiet where each soul is intimately poured out to God. The palpable power of God released in the room by the prayer demands attention; the noise can be better than music and I feel privileged to be in the same room with these people. And they’re just getting started. This prayer meeting will go on for another 23 hours, finally ending at 10pm the next day. Perhaps most telling is this: the 24 hour prayer meeting has been going on every week for 70 weeks.
Origins
In the summer of 2010, God was stirring in the hearts of Joshua Park and Steve Kim to begin weekly prayer for God’s purposes in the city of Boston. As students at Gordon Conwell seminary, they were leaders in a daily prayer meeting that had brought many students at the seminary into a new experience of God. God had been moving on their hearts for several years, impacting them with the history of revival and awakening in the New England region. Together, they began to dream with SeminaryMentorJoshuaHungsooPark, prayer organizer Miwon Oh, and professor and international speaker Daniel Pak about what this weekly prayer might look like.
Initially, the idea was to simply do two or three hours a week somewhere on Harvard’s campus. Joshua relates what was on their hearts at that time: 'We had a strong sense that we needed to start praying for the city of Boston, especially for the campuses.' Dr. Daniel Pak, former professor at MichiganUniversity and itinerant speaker, suggested, 'Why not pray overnight—when you pray overnight, there will be breakthrough.'
Praying overnight weekly is difficult enough, but Miwon felt the Lord was looking for even more. 'In my heart I felt like Holy Spirit challenged me that if I wanted to see 24/7 prayer in the city of Boston, why not start with one day for 24 hours?' From the start, this journey has required a radical dependence on God. 'God gave us a heart especially for the Harvard area. At that time, we didn’t even have a place to pray. God opened up a location in Harvard to bring us into the heart of that area for prayer.'
Beginnings
Friday night, September 10, 2010 was the first night of prayer. Initially, there was not even a place to host the entire 24 hours. The first twelve hours were hosted at Harvard and the second twelve hours were at the prayer room at Gordon-Conwell, almost 30 miles away in Hamilton, MA. The organizers divided the entire day into three-hour segments and assigned a coordinator to each three-hour segment. At first, it was difficult to fill the entire 24 hours. Joshua relates the struggle of the first few months: 'Sometimes we would have slots that had no people or only one person. Initially, we were not able to fill the entire time because we didn’t have enough people.'
In December of 2010, a location in Allston became available so that all 24 hours could be in the city. A group from the Korean Methodist church began to engage and carry the prayer on Saturday during the day. The new location and participants were a turning point, and from that time on, all 24 hours have been covered.
Impact
People often wonder about others who pray a lot. It seems to them that nothing happens in prayer. The reality, of course, is quite different. Miwon shares, 'In prayer, we’re not trying to store or build anything, but just trying to bring up the water and soften the ground. I felt that God spoke to me, ‘When other people try to plant on the soil [of Cambridge and Boston], they will see the difference from your prayers.’ The prayer is not unto our ministries—it goes continually as water to bless the entire Body.” Since the weekly prayer began, five American churches and one Korean church have been planted in the Harvard area.
The prayer has also had a powerful impact on the participants. Miwon relates that 'as we pray, God gives each one of us a heart for specific ministries. Each one of us has a specific role and we discover that role as we continue in prayer. The ministry vision that is birthed in the prayer room is then expressed in the wider body of Christ.'
'In these times of prayer, we felt that God gave us individual restoration. He also gathered individuals who prayed individually together in one vessel and one body. Our individual prayers were able to come together—so many people were praying individually but praying together had more impact.'
Destination
"The last year and half of prayer has impacted the participants and strengthened the body of Christ in ways we certainly cannot quantify. However, many of the participants see this as just the beginning of something much larger that God is doing in Boston, and their vision extends far beyond the Korean community. Miwon’s original vision of 24/7 prayer in Boston is still very much alive. Joshua puts it this way: 'We believe God is going to raise up an army of prayer to make Boston a City of Prayer.'
"Although their prayer meetings have always included both Korean and English, this year they’re beginning to intentionally engage with English speaking leaders and even leaders from other ethnic communities in Boston.
"Miwon shares, 'Our goal is really simple, not just the Korean community praying within their own boundaries. Instead, we want to merge with other praying people in the city of Boston. We don’t want to start a ministry and say “Come and join”. We really want to join as one Body in the city of Boston, to join with various groups who are praying for the city of Boston.'
