SOAR Success

Again another unique year for SOAR being hosted online with groups meeting in their own small communities. It has nothing to do with SOAR, the schedule, good planning, great worship or the video quality, but when people come seeking God together He is right there just waiting to respond. As teams and individuals showed up, God showed himself to them personally.

Some SOAR Highlights:

• 100 screens joined on YouTube live during SOAR worship and teaching sessions.
• 52 people joined from 5 different church community teams.
• One student chose to be baptized to declare that they love Jesus.
• One student stated “I came on SOAR to have fun but now I know that God is real.”
• One church that joined stated that this time of worshiping and prayer has “reignited something that God has called us to originally as a church but we have forgotten.”
• New perspective of the criminal justice system through a game created by MCC.
• Prayer teams connected with each group and were able to specifically encourage each participant as they listened for words from God.

Impact Award

Over the last few months I have been helping to put together a new initiative called the Impact Award. This award is for students going into post secondary education being sent by their church community as a missionary on their campus. It has been amazing having conversations with campus ministries and churches about how we can be more intentional to support the students through this transition phase of their life and help them stay connected to a faith community. Currently 2/3 of young adults walk away from the church in this transition phase and most never come back. We want the church to be there supporting these students through the transition by intentionally sending them and staying connected through the process while building partnerships with campus ministries.

We have received most of the applications already and are currently in the process of discerning who will receive this award for the school year starting fall 2021.

Here is a link if you want to see more about the Impact Award: https://multiply.net/impact-award

Unity

In a world that continues to feel more and more divided I have felt God calling the church to greater unity. I really feel like the church being unified is what proclaims the power of the gospel is our society today.

I recently read Francis Chan’s book called “Until Unity” where he highlights that unity comes from a place of awe and worship before God together. Please join me in prayer, worship and fasting not just unto our own desired outcomes, but just because God is worthy and amazing. How will our outlook change as we come before the almighty God?

John 17:20-23

My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

TOGETHER, That the world may know Jesus…

Before the Throne

• Pray for those challenged during SOAR to continue seeking God.
• Pray for us as we discern the recipients of the Impact Awards and that each of the young adults might be a beacon of light on their campus’.
• Pray for unity of the church and join me in personally seeking after the Lord.
• Pray for our kids as they are again at home for school and trying to make the most of another shut down.
• Praise as Ruth and I just celebrated 20 awesome years of marriage this last week.