Friday, February 24, 2017

In the last post, I shared a summary of last Wednesday's gathering.  Some of you emailed me and mentioned a few major things that I left out.  Truth be told, there was simply too much going on for me to share on all of it.  However, JC Alzamora, David Rosen, Gregg Healey, and Brandt Gillespie put together a video immediately after the gathering hitting on some of the other major themes, including a word that many shared of how a new level of experience many are reporting in the supernatural and miracle working power of God.  We need the encouragement of these testimonies--Check out the video below!

NE Alliance Recap Feb. 15 2017

"1 Church/1 Day" Vision Cast is Thursday, May 25 in Northfield
Last Wednesday, we introduced a schedule for the year (attached) that includes the launching of a New England wide 24/7 prayer strategy this October. 

This strategy (1 Church/1 Day) involves at least 31 churches or ministries committing to 1 day/month of 24 hour prayer. We're inviting anyone interested in participating in 1 Church to come to our next gathering in Northfield, Massachusetts on Thursday, May 25. We'll be visited by Jason Hubbard of Light of the World Prayer Center in Bellingham, Washington. The vision cast for "1 Church" will be part of a 4 day/3 night "10 Days National Summit" hosted at Northfield (May 23-26). I'll follow up with details on registration in days to come.

If you're interested in hearing a little more about the 1 Church strategy, please check out this amazing video: The Whatcom Story.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Update on Feb. 15 2017 NE Alliance Meeting

Dear Friends,

It was a privilege to be a part of what happened yesterday at Lion of Judah. God exceeded our expectations with a powerful visitation of His presence as over 70 leaders from around New England gathered at Lion of Judah to worship together, grow in relationship, and hear from the Lord and one another.

Ministry to the Lord
Lindy Conant with a team of YWAM Circuit Riders led us in an incredibly intimate and powerful morning of worship and prayer. God poured out His presence over us and we ministered to Him and to one another. One participant remarked that the "sense of family and the sweetness of the unity" was the greatest they had sensed in these gatherings to date. There was also a real sense of the beauty and worth of each person; each gift that was present was precious and had a significant role to play in God's plan for New England. We were surrounded by men and women who had paid a real price to serve God in this region. It really was an honor to be in the room! This atmosphere of His presence poured over into our table fellowship as we enjoyed a great meal together.

Roberto's "State of the Church" Address

As he did last year, Roberto Miranda gave a "state of the church" address on our place in a "Trumpian World" touching on the church's position relative to the geopolitical and economic trends of our day. I thought it was a very wise and balanced approach to a topic that's incredibly controversial. Here's the YouTube link to Roberto's Message: "How to be the Church in a Trumpian World" Listen to his remarks and also see Len Cowan's great notes (attached) or Gregg Healey's blog post.

NE Alliance 2017 Goals: Building on what's been established
Last year was an incredible year of establishing new things within the Alliance. This year, we feel God is calling us to continue to build on those foundations. Toward that end, we laid out some fairly ambitious goals for this year, including the possibility of launching a regional, decentralized 24/7 prayer network (1 Church/1 Day). We also laid out dates and times for upcoming meetings including a multi-day Spring conference, another Restore Gathering (Sept 30), and a Holy Spirit Weekend in November. Feel free to reach out to me personally if to discuss any areas of the vision God may be highlighting for you.

Touching Reality
As the day concluded and we began the drive home, I couldn't help but smile and feel grateful to the Lord: "Days like this are why we do what we do." There's nothing on this planet that compares to the presence of God and there's nothing on earth that compares to the beauty of the body of Christ. There's no other place where we can experience this kind of love, joy, peace, and purity. There's no other cause, no other tribe, no other kingdom, and no other person who can unite us in this simple, supernatural way. Yes, in the midst of a world that's shaking, we are touching something true, something powerful, something real. We walking in a reality that this world knows nothing about. And no one can take that away from us no matter what comes. I'm incredibly grateful for all of you--it's great to walk in this reality together!

Yours,
Jonathan Friz

The New England Alliance is a “network of networks” composed of state, regional, and city-wide unity groups.  We are working together to establish authentic unity and sustainable movements of prayer and worship in order to see long-term revival and awakening in the New England Church.  “In Jesus, you also are being built together to  become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit.” (Eph 2:22)

Here's our provisional statement on Goals and Gatherings for 2017

Continuing to build on what God established last year including…

·         Launching “1 Church/1 Day” Regional 24/7 Canopy
·         Investigating further partnership with the Moody Center related to a NE ministry center at the Northfield Campus
·         Integrating regional leadership for the Alliance and growing in functional unity
·         Participating in the following…

State Rep Retreat (Location TBD) 
April 25-26
Description: This is a small 24/hour retreat for the NE Alliance leadership/State Representatives.  Our goal is to bring in representatives from all 6 states that are walking together in a common vision and representing and leading many of the various like-minded movements in our region.

10 Days National Summit (with Vision Cast for 1 Church/1 Day)
Week of May 21-27 (dates TBD)
Location: Northfield Campus
Description: Leaders of the 10 Days movement around the nation will converge for a multi-day gathering during the week of May 21-27.  We will hear from a variety of leaders, including Jason Hubbard (Bellingham, WA) who will be sharing about the “1 Church/1 Day” initiative that we hope to launch in New England this fall. 

NE Leader’s Meeting
August 16 (Location TBD)
A regional gathering of worship, fellowship, and sharing to reconnect in preparation for fall activities

10 Days and Restore
September 20-30: 10 Days (in our various cities). 
Sept 29-30, Restore Conference at Northfield
September 30, Restore Gathering

Holy Spirit Weekend (November 10-11) Location TBD
An opportunity for to minister to those from many churches related to the person and power of the Holy Spirit