FEB APR
10
Newfrontiers is a worldwide family of churches together on a mission to establish the kingdom of God by restoring the Church, making disciples, training leaders and planting churches.
A N E W F R O N T I E R S U S A P U B L I C AT I O N
IN THIS ISSUE Newfrontiers USA churches, church plants and pioneering efforts are currently working in 16 states.
Soundbite from John Lanferman
A Closer Look:
The River Center >> Lebanon, OR
Equipped for Mission Bo Noonan
Bob Roberts: A Man on a Mission
Team Leader >> Newfrontiers USA
Tim Chambers
CREATING HISTORY THROUGH RELATIONSHIP
An Interview with Adrian Warnock
Transition has become very significant for us as a family of churches in light Newfrontiers of Terry Virgo’s historic messages last year at Together On A Mission, NewUSA Today frontiers’ international leadership conference. Terry spoke of our history, our present, and our future (download Terry’s main session messages from Leadership International ’09 at newfrontierstogether.org >> resources). Please review our stated values in recent Newfrontiers magazines (newfrontierstogether.org >> resources >> magazine), which provide for us our history as a family of Newfrontiers churches. Are we aware of where we came from, who we are, and where we’re headed? When we lose our history we lose our relationships, our direction, and our future. The things that survive are things established on good foundations. God established certain feasts so that Israel would never forget their history or who they were as the people of God (Leviticus 23). Things to ponder: >>
History is not an accident. History contains purpose, not just a collection of random events.
>>
Creation implies purpose. Anything created is created for a purpose.
>>
As the Alpha and Omega of history, Jesus establishes history as linear, not cyclical. History is moving toward a conclusion.
>>
>>
When Jesus chooses people, He shapes history by the people He chooses. We thus have a sense of destiny, because God has made us for something.
Jesus came to create a people; a people who would affect others and in turn, affect history. He brought ordinary people into His kingdom to be both signs and history-makers. Isaiah 8:18 tells us, “I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents.” And just as Isaiah had sons whose names he gave as signs, so did Jesus leave sons who were signs.
JESUS CHANGED WORLD HISTORY AND DOES TODAY, THROUGH ORDINARY, EVERYDAY PEOPLE. JESUS CHANGES OUR DESTINY; AND IN TURN, WE ARE CHOSEN BY HIM TO AFFECT THE DESTINIES OF OTHERS.
The study of history is therefore a study of people, not just events. God chooses people to shape the future according to His purpose.
At a particular point in history, God the Father sent His Son to reveal the Father. Jesus said to Philip, “Whoever has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Jesus was the perfect representation of the Father, and uniquely delivered the truth and power of God. Jesus is the truth; the plumb line of human history. He dealt with man’s problems incomparably, as Jesus was the only one who dealt with the issue of sin. He arose and vanquished death, triumphing over it on our behalf. Jesus uniquely affected the world—even the calendar was changed on account of Him.
As sons in Christ, we are a sign and a light to a darkened world. Our understanding of our history becomes the foundation upon which we stand in faith, knowing that history will be changed; “For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Jesus takes ordinary, everyday people and changes their history—He makes the ordinary become significant. If a person’s history remains unchanged, they do not change history. Jesus changed world history and does today, through ordinary, everyday people. Jesus changes our destiny; and in turn, we are chosen by Him to affect the destinies of others.
Likewise, Jesus changed the nature of His disciples by His presence. He changed their values and principles as He told them to love their enemies, turn the other cheek, be generous givers and forgive. Jesus knew exactly what He was doing, and does so today. By bringing people into relationship with Himself, Jesus creates history-makers. Hebrews 2:10 reveals Christ, “…for whom and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory.” One of Newfrontiers’ clear values is relationships. It’s through a dynamic church engaged in mission together and joined in committed relationships, that people are changed. Discipleship is a community experience. Jesus’ primary affect was internal, not external. He never judged by appearances,
View the back for a continuation of John’s article
A WORLD WIDE FAMILY OF CHURCHES TOGETHER ON A MISSION
>>
>>
www.newfrontiersusa.org
www.therivercenter.net
the
River Center The River Center, originally named Lebanon Chapel, began in the heart of Joe DeWolfe and his family in Anchorage, Alaska. With the help of Abbott Loop Christian Center (ALCC) and the apostolic leadership of Dick Benjamin, a small building was purchased in November of 1973 in Lebanon, Oregon. With the first service on March 3rd, 1974, we became the first church plant out of ALCC in the lower 48 states with some 100+ to follow. Lebanon Chapel went through a number of changes throughout the years to follow. In 1978 Keith Stroup was set in as Pastor and remained the Lead Elder until February, 2008 when I, his son, was set in as the Lead Elder at The River Center or, as so many refer to us, “The Wal-Mart Church.” In 2003 we purchased the Wal-Mart building which was vacated earlier that year. The city was thrilled that we would be occupying the empty 95,000 sq. ft. building. Over the next few years the building was transformed into The River Center, a place where people come together in faith and community. We have developed a great relationship with our city. We
LEBANON, OR Warren Stroup Grace and Peace to everyone from the Lebanon, Oregon, River Center family. It’s an honor to share with you a bit of our journey from our inception in 1973 to the present.
partner together, hosting various community events such as the Biz Expo and the Distinguished Service Awards banquet. We have various outreach ministries: Lebanon Basic Services, Clothing Closet, Story Time and The Caring Team, which feeds over 150 families each week through our food bank.
MATTHEW 25 HAS INSPIRED US: “…AS YOU DID IT TO ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE MY BROTHERS, YOU DID IT TO ME.” LOVING JESUS MEANS LOVING PEOPLE.
Matthew 25 has inspired us: “…as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Loving Jesus means loving people. For the past few years we have been looking to join a family of churches with common values and mission. In the fall of 2007, with the help of my friend Lee Yarbrough, we began building a relationship with Newfrontiers. During the following years we were blessed time and
again with men like Lee, Terry Virgo, Ray Lowe and John Lanferman coming through our doors, imparting life to our local church. The more time we spent with our new family, the more we realized that God was bringing us together on a mission. On December 13, 2009 we were officially welcomed into the Newfrontiers family of churches. Our searching is over and the fun has begun! In March of this year, Katie Krueger (one of our young adults) and I were on Skype with Ron & Joy May talking about Katie going to China this August. Another one of our young adults, Brittney Calahan, has been participating this past year in the Frontier Year Team (FYT) at Jubilee Church, St. Louis, MO. We know this is just the beginning; God has so much more in store for us! The River Center exists to see people encounter, connect and serve Jesus in life, community and the world. This mission statement is better served through our relationship with Newfrontiers. We look forward to building more relationships with all of you as our paths cross in cities, states, and the world!
APPLY TODAY, SPACE IS LIMITED!
ARE YOU LOOKING TO BE A PART OF SOMETHING LIFE-CHANGING? DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE AND RECEIVE EVANGILISM TRAINING?
JOPLIN, MO CHICAGO, IL TACOMA, WA ST. LOUIS, MO Visit www.newfrontiersusa.org/transformationteams for applications and information.
A WORLD WIDE FAMILY OF CHURCHES TOGETHER ON A MISSION
MAIN SESSION SPEAKERS: TERRY VIRGO, JOHN LANFERMAN, & BOB ROBERTS, JR.
Equipped for Mission 2010
NEW COMMUNITY CHURCH Bo Noonan
>>
TACOMA, WA
Once again we found ourselves in an amazing place: a familiar place, yet a fresh and new place in God. As John Lanferman put it, “God has slipped through the thin veil of time and space to meet with us.” This was not just another Equipped for Mission leadership conference. And it was something altogether more glorious than just another event to receive information at...we met with God! Equipped for Mission started with a bang! We were lead so well in worship by Tommy Stanley and Jack Lankford. These times were not rushed, nor a duty. Rather, they ignited our hearts and cemented our feet in the gospel. It was not long before God spoke to us about how He is shaping our movement and joining it to others whose marks are the presence of God, grace, and biblical thinking. It was great to have Bob Roberts, Jr. share about what was going on around the world. He opened his big Texan arms to us and invited us to share in the expansion of the Kingdom of God in some “unlikely” places around the world. After his sessions, many summed up their feelings in a single word: provoked. His talks presented us with a fresh perspective in God! For years the conference has felt like a family reunion (lots of familiar faces, updates on churches, asking about families), but this year had a slightly different feel. New churches and cities were represented and reunions were interrupted by introductions. There was a real sense of growth; not just in numbers, but in impact. There were reports of churches starting (or looking to start) a second or third meeting or location. Growth was evident! It was a familiar place, yet a fresh and new place in God!
FOR YEARS THE CONFER-
ENCE HAS FELT LIKE A FAMILY REUNION (LOTS OF FAMILIAR FACES, UPDATES ON CHURCHES, ASKING ABOUT FAMILIES), BUT THIS YEAR HAD A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FEEL.
John Lanferman fathered us so well with his encouragement on prayer. He instructed us to be honest, humble and truthful in our prayer life. He reminded us that God is not a therapist; He’s a Father. As leaders, we can’t instruct God and shape Him. Rather, we approach God asking Him to instruct and shape us. It was a familiar place, yet a fresh and new place in God!
It was once again a pleasure to have Terry Virgo with us. He spoke from 2 Kings 7:1-9, encouraging us to lay down our agendas, see the inadequacy of our cultures, and live with nothing else to live for. He reminded us that the enemies which seem so overwhelming are totally vanquished by God. Salvation is from the LORD! Then he invited us to gather and cherish the spoils from the victory Jesus won on the cross. It was a familiar place, yet a fresh and new place in God!
Bob Roberts: A Man on a Mission
CHRIST’S CHURCH OF JOPLIN Tim Chambers
>>
JOPLIN, MO
A few years ago, at the recommendation of friends, I tried to read a book by Bob Roberts. His big, brash Texan personality came through clearly but put me off quickly. I never finished the book. So if there were Bob Roberts groupies showing up at Equipped for Mission this year, I was not one of them. Ten minutes into his first talk, I was thoroughly converted. Bob Roberts is a faith-imparting, paradigm-bashing breath of fresh air. He is very entertaining in a deadly sort of way. I was taken with his brazen honesty and his lack of pretense. He is even humble, which is to say that he possesses a particular type of humility that may be difficult for nonTexans to recognize. I like Bob Roberts because he puts church plantBOB ROBERTS IS A ing down on the bottom shelf by making it the fruit of discipleship. I like him because he thinks FAITH-IMPARTING, ordinary Christians with real jobs can change the PARADIGM-BASHING world. I love his global perspective. He says, “Other religions coming to the US gives us an BREATH OF FRESH AIR. opportunity to learn how to communicate.” I resonate with Bob Roberts’ cynicism about church growth and church planting networks. He says, “What God wants to do has nothing to do with your bank account.” He says, “Don’t freak out when attendance and giving are down.” He says, “Kingdom metrics are radically different.” I love that Bob Roberts de-emphasizes Sunday meetings and preachers and head knowledge. I love it when he says, “Good preaching can kill us. We need courageous leaders who are willing to do something.” I love his recommendation that we move from “learn and recite to hear and obey,” from “corporate worship to daily personal worship,” and from “personal mission to corporate mission.” I love it when he says, “Mission is the number one discipleship tool of the church.” In the months leading up to Equipped for Mission, God had been priming me up for some kind of explosive shift. He must also have foreordained Bob Roberts to be a major part of the detonation system, because a month later I’m still reeling. I’m enjoying God. I’m less interested in getting people to come to church and more interested in getting people into Jesus and into his mission. I’m going to read Bob Roberts’ latest book Real Time Connection, and I’m going to love it.
DOWNLOAD AUDIO BOB ROBERTS EQUIPPED FOR MISSION 2010 ONLINE @ NEWFRONTIERSUSA.ORG >> MEDIA ARCHIVE
Read the link
newfrontiersusa.org/thelink
An Interview with Adrian Warnock JUBILEE CHURCH
>>
LONDON, ENGLAND
Adrian Warnock is part of Jubilee Church, a Newfrontiers church in London. His book Raised With Christ was published in January 2010 and his website adrianwarnock.com is one of the world’s most visited evangelical Christian websites. Over 50% of the site’s visitors reside in the USA.
You recently visited the USA—what’s your impression of the States? The Newfrontiers USA churches? I love the USA and I find myself instantly feeling at home. You mostly speak the same language, apart from a few notable exceptions which are often quite humorous. Your "rest room" never has an easy chair or bed to really rest in! It always surprises me how conservative you are as a nation. In the UK we imagine the USA is much more like the image Hollywood portrays. The truth is our own culture in the UK seems closer to Hollywood than most parts of the USA! I visited only a few Newfrontiers churches, but was struck by the commitment to church planting. It felt a bit like the old "pioneering" days where people would put a stake down and, before really building the town completely, move on to the next area. There’s a massive need for more grace and spirit-filled churches to be planted across your great nation.
What are some of the challenges of our present-day culture that you notice? Specifically in the USA?
missional challenge we face as Christians. Some American Christians are not yet fully aware just how much of a gulf exists between the biblical worldview and the aggressive secularism that’s trying to take over. The truth is, you are increasingly facing an unchurched mission field. I was shocked recently to read that as many as 42% of Americans are not immediately able to answer that Easter is the Christian's celebration of the resurrection. We have a real responsibility to get the message out. Many people today have not rejected the gospel; rather, they have never heard it.
Any advice for those interested in writing or blogging? No doubt, blogging is the best way to get going. The discipline of writing regularly helps develop skills as a writer. It also shows what kinds of writing others are interested in. Bloggers gathering a significant audience are more likely to get a book published. I would warn however, that writing a book is much harder than writing a blog!
Why did you write your book on the resurrection? Charles Spurgeon claimed that in his day, no books about the resurrection were available. A few have been published since then, but most do not explore all the implications of Jesus’ resurrection for us. Spurgeon argued that if we neglect to sufficiently emphasize the resurrection, we will see fewer conversions. The truth is, the resurrection lies at the heart of our faith. It is the most important subject. Believing in the physical resurrection of Jesus and living in light of its implications is the definition of a Christian. I pray Raised With Christ will play some role in helping the global Church refocus on this central foundation of our faith.
There is still a lot of "cultural Christianity" in parts of the USA. The UK is further along the path to paganism, and so we are more aware of the
Soundbite from John Lanferman
Newfrontiers USA
TODAY WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! If you have any news briefs such as these and would like to submit them to The Link, please contact us at thelink@newfrontiersusa.org. Destination Moved Again! DESTINATION CHURCH >> CHICAGO, IL On February 28th, Destination Church had another exciting transition! We moved into a comedy theatre right in the heart of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, just a few miles from our previous location. There was a buzz and a bigger crowd as a result, and we hit another record high with 46 adults! The new venue is located 100 steps from one of the busiest subways in the city. It comfortably seats 150 people without losing an intimate feeling. This dynamic allows us to create an inviting atmosphere even on low Sundays, which can be brutal for a church plant. The theatre is equipped with TV screens, a sound system, an awesome stage and café style tables. We are full of faith for a significant period of growth and advance!
Expanding Influence with Washington Launch! JUBILEE CHURCH >> ST. LOUIS, MO April 4th marked the first public preview meeting in Washington, MO as Jubilee Church moved forward with expansion efforts of it’s third location in the greater St. Louis region. The first two preview meetings were something to celebrate with over 100 attendees each time! Regular weekly services in Washington began in May—what a great way to kick off the summer season!
CREATING HISTORY THROUGH RELATIONSHIP Continued
>>
but concentrated on the inner person. Jesus gave Himself through relational impartation with the intent of “bringing many sons to glory.” He chose to be involved organically because relationship brings life. His apologetic for the reality of the gospel was, “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). As we continue to look to the future as a family of churches, we face the same issue of affecting a generation who will change history. We cannot transport any truth heavier than the strength of our relational bridge. Methods, systems and programs will never create historymakers. Breakthroughs come through being together. Jesus demonstrated this by giving Himself to relationships. His purpose was impartation. He was faithful to the unfaithful, and He demonstrated His principles before them. He loved, trusted and commissioned them. We must resolve that there is no better pattern than the one Jesus established. It is a significant part of our history together. Ours is not to just be engaged in mission; but rather, together on a mission.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR SUBMISSIONS Newfrontiers USA >> P.O. Box 2626 >> St. Louis, MO 63116 phone
314.832.9042
fax
314.832.9044
thelink@newfrontiersusa.org
web
www.newfrontiersusa.org
newfrontiersUSA
@NewfrontiersUSA
Easter Sunday was a breakthrough for Jubilee Church as a whole—the City, Wentzville and now Washington locations had a combined total of just over 500 attendees! The hope is to have this size gathering on a regular basis, which means more lives connecting to Jesus.
FOLLOW NEWFRONTIERS USA ONLINE
Copyright Newfrontiers USA | May, 2010