Hi friends After much travelling and speaking at churches and conferences across the US it has been good to be in the UK for a number of weeks. This has given me time to develop things with many churches here as well as focus on the global development of The Rooftop. So much has been happening around the development of The Rooftop that I thought I would use this newsletter to outline some key plans and needs as we move forward. This is a little different from the ‘usual’ style but I hope you will find this informative and that it will help you to pray specifically at this important time. Let me begin with a story that I think underlines the importance of The Rooftop… www.dennispethers.com • 1
Just recently I was meeting with a pastor in Birmingham, England to explore how The Rooftop can help the church to reach the local community. As we talked, he told me a story, the like of which I have heard so many times and it is always devastating. He shared that the church had called him to be their pastor because they wanted to reach young people and people outside of the church. In response to their calling and his own God-given passion for the lost, this young pastor was working hours upon hours each week at great sacrifice to himself and his family, reaching lost people in the local community. As he told me about this his face was beaming with a wonderful smile that was infectious. He smiled so broadly because through this ministry, people are being reached and coming to faith in Jesus. Something to really praise God for!! I then asked him how the people in the church were responding to this exciting and dynamic growth. The expression on his face changed instantly and dramatically. The smile was replaced with a frown and he continued to tell me that so much of the time the people in the church complained to him about all these ‘new people’ who were interfering with the church and wanting things to change. I felt for this young man whose passion for God was so evident
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and yet the pain of serving God was real because those that called him to reach the lost loved the idea of reaching lost people but not the reality! As I drove away from my meeting with this young pastor, I reflected on a story that I read years ago. The story was about a convicted murderer named Charlie Peace. Many, many, years ago, in Leeds England, as he
was being taken to his execution, Charlie Peace walked behind a priest who was reading words from the bible about the terrors of hell and the need for God’s grace. As Charlie Peace heard the priest reading these words with no feeling or emotion, he wondered how somebody could know these truths and yet just recite the words with so little feeling. He said, “If I believed the words that
this priest was reading I would crawl across England on my hands and knees, even if it was covered with broken glass, to prevent just one person from spending an eternity like that”. Of course, Charlie Peace didn’t believe the words so he can’t be accused for not acting upon what he believed. It is perhaps the greatest tragedy in the world that there are so many Christians who do believe these words but are not motivated or impassioned to ensure that people hear the truth about Jesus and do what is necessary to reach them. Somehow we get so wrapped up with doing ‘our thing’ that we forget that our priority should be doing ‘God’s thing’! This one-off meeting with a pastor in Birmingham England is not an isolated incident. If we are to see a global evangelism movement there needs to be an awakening— Christians need to ‘wake up’ and rediscover the urgency of faith sharing in a world where the vast majority of people don’t know that they don’t know Jesus. The Rooftop is seeking to play a part in changing this reality. Please be praying that God will touch the hearts of Christian people across the world and awaken many thousands and millions to join Jesus in His mission to seek and save what was lost. Please also be praying into the development plans that we are now putting into place.
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The Rooftop dev 2015
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For a period of time I have had the sense that the global growth of The Rooftop will be helped by a ‘moment’ of real focus. This is a ‘moment’ that we can build towards and that will also act as a catalyst for rapid expansion.
With this in mind it is our intention to schedule a global rooftop encounter to take place over the weekend of October 10th–11th 2020. Imagine the impact that this could have as churches all over the world gather in a simultaneous ‘moment’ to look at their communities and ask God how they can best join Him in His mission. This Global Encounter is central to a development process as follows:
» 2015: Completing the Foundations There is much to be done as we put the foundations in place to build this ministry for the future. These include: • Completing the establishment of boards in South Africa, Australia and the International Board. • Completing the work needed for the websites to be live in South Africa and Australia. 4 • pethers Prayerline • August 2015
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• Creating an Hispanic version of the resources in the US.
» 2016–2020: Growing the Network and adding Resources Growing the Network The Rooftop is in the very blessed position of having significant connections with local, regional and national leaders across the world. Through the Hub countries where the ministry is happening and through these connections we will be actively seeking to encourage global engagement. As we do this we are actively seeking to ‘recruit’: • National and Regional Pioneers. • Associates—leaders who will remain in their existing ministry context but give some time to helping to develop The Rooftop within their networks. We will also need to add some new members to the ‘core team’, including: • A ‘publicist/story sharer through social media. • Potentially a fund raiser. • Administrative support.
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Adding Materials As well as developing the ministry through the various connections that we have we will be creating new materials to add to The Rooftop. These materials will equip leaders and Christians to engage in effective faith sharing with people beyond the walls of the church. These include: • Engaging Through Story Equipping Christians to engage in faith conversations using the story of what God IS DOING in their lives. • What Do I Say When? Helping Christians to provide answers to the genuine questions that will come up in conversations about faith. This material will help Christians to be able to give reasons why it is reasonable to believe the things that Christians believe. • In God’s way? Equipping leaders to become effective in leading the local church to become effective in faith sharing beyond the walls of the church. These materials will be developed over the next 24 months and introduced as part of the ongoing equipping for churches linked with The Rooftop.
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» 2020: The Global Roof top Encounter This focal point provides an opportunity for many Christians, across the world, to be simultaneously seeking to join Jesus in His mission. This could be a pivotal moment that leads to a real awakening!
» 2021-2025: Developing an evangelism / Discipleship movement Flowing out of the 2020 Global Encounter and all that has preceded it we will be in a position where a combination of pioneers, associates and resources will be able to help other churches to develop a disciplemaking strategy—a movement that will make an impact as churches reach people beyond the walls of the church!
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Some specific prayer requests: I hope that, as a supporter of this ministry, you are excited about the potential. I wanted to share some specific needs and prayer requests that we have at this time: In July I will be in Durban, South Africa, for the first board meeting of The Rooftop South Africa—please pray that the new board will have God’s wisdom and that things will be put in place that allow the ministry there to grow. During August I will be devoting significant time to the development of the materials mentioned above— please pray that what I write will be inspired and guided by God. In September I will be in Australia developing a leaders equipping initiative that will seek to recruit new evangelists that will equip the church in faith sharing—please pray that God will inspire me as I create the materials for this and that he will raise up many who will answer His call to become ‘equipping evangelists’. In October and November I will be in the United States working with State Conventions, Associations and local churches—please pray that God will go before me and that there will be a receptivity what the Lord is saying in the hearts of the people that I speak to.
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Some Needs: At this important time there are a number of ‘physical’ things that we need:
Funding
We are making real progress in the setting up of the international board that will direct the global vision and development of The Rooftop. As you can imagine there are significant costs, primarily travel and legal, in relation to this. These one off costs are difficult to fund from our regular income. We estimate that we will need to raise $15,000/£10,000 to cover these costs. If you are able to make a oneoff contribution towards this I would be enormously grateful. You can do this as follows: • In the US, visit dennispethers. com and hit the donate button. Please make your gift to the ‘support the work’ option; or send a check payable to The Rooftop International to: Ed Randle The Rooftop International First Baptist Church Litchfield 608 N. Van Buren St Litchfield IL 62056 • In the UK, make a transfer from your bank to: Account: The Rooftop Ministries. Sort Code: 20-12-21 Account No: 33793206
Or send a cheque payable to The Rooftop Ministries to: Alan Pattle The Rooftop Ministries Room 112 Hallmark House Downham Road Ramsden Heath Essex CM11 1PU
A ‘Writer’
Do you know a person who might want to work with us as a story writer? As The Rooftop grows across the world there will be more and more churches that are learning from the process. We are keen to collect and publish the stories of what they are learning in ways that are creative and informative, enabling other churches to learn from what they have been experiencing. If you know a person who you think may be interested and suitable for this role please let me know.
Thank you
If you would like to make contact with any thoughts about The Rooftop, please email me at dennispethers@ therooftop.org. Dennis e: dennis@dennispethers.com w: www.dennispethers.com
Itinerary at-a-glance July 2015 18–25 Durban South Africa
August 2015 Writing materials
September 2015 1–4
Melbourne, Emerging Evangelists Conference 5–9 Adelaide, with Baptists of South Australia 9-13 Tasmania, with Baptists of Tasmania
I know that this newsletter has contained far less than usual about where I have been and what I have been doing. I hope you will understand the reasons for this and that you are excited about what lies ahead. My next newsletter will provide lots more information about what I have been doing. Thank you so much for your support, which makes all of this possible.
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