Friday, August 22, 2008

Art of Hearing God seminar

I have heard of a wonderful opportunity and want to pass it on to you. I have been aware of John Paul Jackson for a while now and have wanted to go to one of his seminars and they are seldom in this area. However, coming soon to a place near you!
The Light Christian Fellowship, one of our networked churches, is hosting an Art of Hearing God seminar at Light and LIfe Christian Fellowship at 5951 Downey Ave., Long Beach on September 18-20. If you want to register or check it out go to: Streams Ministries - www.streamsministries.com. I especially like his book titled Needless Casualties of War. I use it in all my prayer training classes as a foundational teaching. Let me know what you think....judy

Saturday, August 09, 2008

Churches Connecting

How fun to be able to watch God at work!!! I don't generally attend night meetings as I live in Garden Grove and it's far to come back, but last Tuesday conspired to keep me at the office loooong and I wound up at our Emergency Preparedness Task Force Meeting. I haven't been in a while and was so blessed by what God is doing through the churches that have wanted to serve their neighbors by helping them prepare for the "big one". I have watched people go from using it to get to preach the gospel to wanting to BE the church and serve them, and I have watched as whole congregations have taken an active role in their neighborhoods to prepare and equip their surrounding "hoods". Last Tuesday several new congregations were present and learning how to be involved in this effort. As we were talking about HAM radios, CERT classes and Red Cross trainings there were so many connections between them to have shared classes and trainings and to share everything they've learned as they have gone down this road. We talked about KC being an information "clearing house" so that as classes and trainings are held, we can make them public information.
Good job all of you who have been involved for a long time - and welcome to the ones just now coming - there are rich resources to be mined here to take back to your congregations and neighborhoods.
Kingdom Causes exists to catalyze these kinds of happenings and connections.
I love it when a plan comes together!
.....and I love it when I get to watch!

Friday, August 01, 2008

Retreat in the vineyard

What a metaphor we were! We had opportunity to stay at a beautiful vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley for our KC retreat Aug 23-25. We were pruned, fed, fertilized, grafted and sunned! Actually we got off to a little rocky start...originally, we had the girls staying at a hotel in Solvang and the boys in the converted barn. However, when we got a look at the converted "barn" we (the girls) made an executive decision and relegated the boys to the hotel! They grumbled mightily but finally "graciously" gave us our way. http://www.saarloosgroup.com/thevineyard.html (if you are prone to jealousy, you might want to skip seeing where we were)
Go to their website if you would like to hear someones heart who loves his work.

God has blessed me in this later stage of my life to be in association with an amazing group of people. Everyone on staff in any position was at the retreat and I didn't know some of them at all and a few not very well. To be in a place where each person is excited about the Lord and His Church is an answer to my prayer and the fulfillment of a dream. These are quality people, doing a quality job, for a quality organization. We have very different backgrounds, theologies, calls, passions and lifestyles - and there is honor and respect and room given for differences as we gather around the "One Thing" which is Jesus.
We laughed!!!! we fellowshipped, ate together, prayed together, learned together, dreamed together and had lots of wonderful connection and conversation. My admiration grows for these people every time we're together. I get to work for Kingdom Causes!!! what a wonderful thing is that!
xoxoxox....judy