It was great to be together last Thursday!
Discovery…
Arriving early at the campus, which is quite large
(40 major
buildings/200+ acres), we took time to reconfigure the room and wipe
down the
chairs that had been out of use for some years.
As people started to arrive, I enjoyed hearing people’s first reactions
to the campus. Usually, something along
the lines of “wow” or “I had no idea this was here" or "I had no idea it
was this big”. I pointed out Moody’s grave 150 feet away to
someone and they were shocked—“Really?”
The view from our meeting room in Hibbard Hall, one of the highest
points of the campus, was stunning. The property has not been in regular
use
since 2005 but does not appear old or worn down.
I was pleased that we had about 60 folks show up, especially
considering the distance and the fact that we had the gathering in mid-August.
We sat in a circle...just a bunch of kids in God's living room!
Worship and
Prayer…then Sharing and Casting Vision
As we worshiped and prayed together, the presence of
God was strong and it was accompanied by that sense of “family” that is I think
one of the most precious characteristics of what God is doing here in New
England.
We were all just kids in God’s living room.
We had prepared to hear from several people,
sharing about
Northfield’s history, some key “words from the Lord” that had defined
the
journey, and just catching people up on the story that had been
unfolding behind
the scenes. However, as I tried to
transition us into this more formal time, there was an overflow from the
heart
as person after person shared moving testimonies of what that moment in
prayer
at that place meant to them. It was powerful seeing how significant the
moment was for many who had gathered and sometimes traveled great
distances to be there.
We wrapped up this time of sharing with 10 minutes of prayer
and worship “Korean style”, consciously submitting and giving ourselves over to
the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Yes!
Roberto shared vision for this fall and several of the other
planners shared some of the ways God had been explicitly guiding the journey
thus-far through visions, dreams, and confirming signs. There’s definitely that sense of being “on
track” with something God is doing, even if we don’t see the full extent of it
yet. Our morning session finally wrapped
up at about 1:30 and we shared a meal and ongoing fellowship together.
Aaron Reeves of YWAM Boston leads worship
What’s Next?
I was blessed by the tangible sense of excitement over what
God is doing this fall. As was shared in
the meeting, we’re doing this. There’s no outside group putting this on—we’re
doing this as the New England Church and for the New England Church.
So, we’re open to
your insights and ideas for the event.
We’d also value your
participation and help in spreading the word.
I’ve attached the
basic flyer here and will follow up in the next several days with other promotional
materials that can be printed and distributed as you see fit or used as online
images. I'll be sending an email with info on how to help out early next week!
In conclusion, thanks to all of those who attended, the
volunteer staff that prepared lunch and helped make the space inviting, and our
friends at the National Christian Foundation and Moody Center for opening up
the space for us to use. It was a memorable day and an encouraging step forward to what God has for us this fall!
-Jonathan Friz
Roberto Miranda casting vision for RESTORE: A New England Convocation
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