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)
Invitation to Restore: A New England Convocation on October 12, 2016
Dear Friends,
I hope you're having a great summer and getting what I'm sure is much-needed rest.
Just wanted to invite you to reserve the date of October 12, 2016 for Restore: A New England Convocation in Northfield, Masachusetts to celebrate our unity as the Church in New England, and to seek God's greater anointing for ourselves and our communities. We will come together on that date to worship and pray, to lift the name of Jesus together, and to intercede for our nation in a time of extraordinary need.
We have chosen the Northfield location because it is central to many ministries and congregations, because it takes us away from the usual Boston locations of past meetings, and especially because of the huge historical significance of this place.
As many of you know, The Northfield/ Mount Hermon campuses were founded by the well-known evangelist and apostle Dwight L. Moody in the late 19th century. Northfield especially served to unleash the Student Volunteer Missions Movement and for many summers served as a gathering place for college students from campuses all over the United States and the world. The spiritual conferences that took place there brought together the most famous Christian leaders and speakers of their time, such as A.J. Gordon, John R. Mott, A.T. Pierson, and Andrew Murray.
For decades Northfield embodied the spirit and anointing of the great evangelist and incorporated the salient elements of his vision--his passionate love for souls, his acute sense of social justice, and his inclusive attitude toward women in ministry, children, minorities and the poor. In many ways, Moody was ahead of his time, establishing enduring institutions such as the YMCA, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Press. Moody was the quintessential spiritual entrepreneur, toiling incessantly to advance the interests of God's Kingdom, and seeking fresh, creative ways of communicating the Gospel to a rapidly changing world. I cannot think of a better model for the Church in our time.
As you can see, Northfield is pregnant with spiritual significance. It truly is a sacred place, inspiring profound reverence and even awe, especially to those who are familiar with its extraordinary spiritual history. Holding an event there highlighting unity, worship, prayer and revival would be a marvelous way for the New England Church to keep alive the sense of fellowship that has held us together through all these years, as we've done our part to hear God's voice in this spiritually challenging region. It would also be a way to celebrate Moody's spirit and legacy in a timely way, and to reinforce those values among ourselves.
The Restore gathering will take place in the middle of the week, on a Wednesday afternoon and evening. We're aware that this represents a potential challenge for those coming from a distance, but for many different reasons this seems to be the only feasible date that we have available for this year. It also happens to coincide with the end of 10 Days of Prayer.
I do believe that the potential significance of this meeting justifies an extraordinary effort. Many things are happening regarding the Northfield campus. The National Christian Foundation that presently owns the campus is initiating a major effort, called The Moody Center, to promote the ideals of D.L Moody. The Moody Center is partnering with us for the October 12 event, and officers of it will attend. It's a great opportunity to start exploring opportunities for ministry around this intriguing project.
So, there you have it! Please forgive the long missive, but I wanted you to have a clear sense of the importance of this initiative. I strongly encourage us all to reserve the date, and to put forth that extra amount of energy and effort to attend. Please encourage your congregations and friends to attend as well. The Northfield auditorium, where the event will be held, has great prophetic significance, and so will the event itself.
I look forward to seeing you on October 12 as we gather as the New England church to Restore a key aspect of our collective inheritance!
Roberto Miranda
RESTORE Date: October 12, 2016 Time:
Workshops: 11 - 3 P.M.
Gathering: 3- 6:30 P.M. Location: Historic Auditorium on D.L. Moody's Northfield Campus
1 Moody St., Northfield, MA
August 18 for the New England Alliance Gathering and
October 12 for a New England Assembly on the historic Northfield campus.
New England Alliance Gathering: Thursday, August 18 in Northfield, MA at Hibbard Hall You are invited to join us for the next gathering of a group of pastors and prayer leaders from around New England called the New England Alliance.
This group meets a few times a year to share what God is doing
throughout the 5 states of New England and pray together for revival in
our region.
We have the unique opportunity to host the group out here in Western MA
at the Northfield Campus. This is also a great opportunity to see this
amazing property. This NE Alliance meeting will be a great opportunity
to pray, fellowship, and prepare for the October 12 New England-wide
gathering on the final day of the 10 Days of Prayer.
Time: August 18, 10:00 A.M. - 3:00 P.M. Location: Hibbard Hall on the Northfield Campus (use
1 Moody St. Northfield, MA for your GPS. Turn left at Winchester Rd.
Hibbard hall is about 300 feet down Winchester on the left-hand side.
There is a small parking lot that we will use.)
Objective: Worship and Prayer, Lunch, Tour the campus, and planning the October 12 gathering and other major developments. *Please RSVP if you will be attending the lunch*
New England-wide Assembly: Wednesday, October 12, 2016
*There will also be anight & day worship and prayer tent leading up the Oct. 12 gathering from Oct. 7 - Oct 12 on the Northfield Campus!*
Location: D.L. Moody Auditorium on the Northfield campus.
This gathering will serve as the culminating gathering for 10 Days around New England this year.
The Auditorium was built in 1894 to hold the crowds that flocked to the
campus for renewal and mission focused summer conferences. It holds
about 2500 people. The Student Volunteer Missions Movement started
during the Northfield Conferences in 1886.
Some of you have heard Jonathan Friz share about Northfield. This
campus, founded by DL Moody in 1879, has been sitting empty since 2004.
The property was purchased by Hobby Lobby in 2009. Currently, the
property is owned by the National Christian Foundation. They are seeking
to give the campus away to a qualified group.
The Northfield Campus
is one of the hidden gems of our rich spiritual heritage here in New
England and one that's waiting to be revived! Come check out this
beautiful place and explore how God may be calling us, the Church in New England, to be a part of reviving this campus and the legacy of D.L. Moody.
I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and invite you to participate in the March for Jesus 2013, taking place in Boston on May 18, 2013, the Saturday before Pentecost.
This March for JESUS will be the first of seven consecutive annual Marches for JESUS as one component in the God-breathed Boston 2020 Vision. This is the time for the body of Christ to take to the streets and declare that our God is Lord!
Join us at the March for Jesus!
At no other time in the history of America have we seen such great spiritual devastation in our land. On the surface, it looks as if the enemy is winning but God promised us: "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise a standard against him" (Isaiah 59:19). The Holy Spirit has been igniting the most powerful army in the world, the Church of the Jesus Christ for her most glorious hour and destiny!
Some of you participated in the New England Solemn Assembly on September 23, 2010 in Plymouth MA. Over 120 ministries united together to proclaim God's heart and purpose for the church in New England. All over New England, thousands of believers continue to rise up, declaring the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
For more information or to lend your support to the March for Jesus 2013, please email me, Victor Khokhlan, with your full name, the name of your ministry and your city. We would also like to extend an invitation for you to attend our monthly prayer meetings. -- Pastor Victor Khokhlan, King of the Nations House of Prayer, Somerville MA
We are blessed to offer the New England School of Transformation, open to everyone! Our keynote speaker is Rev. Suliasi Kurulo, witness to miraculous transformations as the Lord God changes people, society and the land itself as the result of prayer. President of the Christian Mission Fellowship, Rev. Suliasi is prominently featured on the Sentinel Group's video on the Fiji Transformation. What is "transformation"? George Otis Jr. is the founder and president of The Sentinel Group, a Christian research and information agency. He has traveled to more than 100 countries of the world and served as Senior Associate for the Restricted-Access World with the Lausanne committee for World Evangelism. Presently he co-coordinates the United Prayer Track with Dr. C. Peter Wagner for the AD 2000 And Beyond Movement. For the term "transformed" to be properly applied to a community, George Otis Jr. believes that change must be evident not only in the lives of its inhabitants but also in the fabric of its institutions. In the end, it is dramatic social, political, and even ecological renewal that sets these cases apart from common experience. Please join us for a powerful time together! No registration is required, with the exception of pastors who would like to attend the luncheon on Sat, March 9 at 12 noon. Pastors, to reserve a space at the luncheon, please register online or call 978-934-9414. ---- Pastor Marlene Yeo, Director of Somebody Cares New England and the Haverhill House of Prayer. Pastor, Community Christian Fellowship, Haverhill
What: The New England School of Transformation Where:Community Christian Fellowship, Lowell
105 Princeton Blvd. Lowell MA 01851 Raffoul Najem, Senior Pastor
Contact info: 978-934-9414 Weekend dates and times:
Fri, Mar 8, 6:30 pm: All welcome to the opening session!
Sat, Mar 9, 9 am-12 noon: Workshops for pastors & leaders.
Sat, Mar 9, 12 noon: Pastors' luncheon. Please register online or call 978-934-9414.
Sat, Mar 9, 6:00 pm: All welcome to the closing session!
Come to the First Cathedral on Friday, February 22 at 7:00 PM for a night of united, cross-cultural worship; for prayer for our state; stand for a fresh word of encouragement for the advance of the Kingdom here in Connecticut.
Over the course of the last seven months, the body of Christ has been gathering in regional expressions of unity to worship the Lord together and to pray for revival in our state. An overflow crowd of 2,000 packed the Shubert Theater in New Haven to worship and pray for three hours! The Rome Ballroom on UCONN's campus was filled with students and area believers to pray for revival at the university. Called 7NOW/CT—seven nights of worship for Connecticut, this has been a grass roots relational movement of seeking the Lord. Momentum is building to see a move of God in our state!
Now an eighth gathering has been planned for February 22 at 7:00 PM at the First Cathedral in Bloomfield. Prophet Chuck Pierce, who has been used by God as a voice to the nation, will return to Connecticut for this gathering. It was a prophetic word from Chuck released on June 9 to a similar gathering that launched the vision for 7NOW/CT.
What: Chuck Pierce and a night of united cross-cultural worship; prayer for the state of Connecticut; a fresh word of encouragement for the advance of the Kingdom. Where:First Cathedral, Bloomfield CT Date and time: Fri, Feb 22, 7:00 PM
Contact: Audrey Church McIntyre More information on 7/NOWCT
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!
