WINTER 08

WINTER >> 2008

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 12 states.

Soundbite from John Lanferman Team Leader >> Newfrontiers-USA

A CLOSER LOOK Moving Forward in Faith Christina Haasis

Reasons to Read the Bible Tim Chambers

Frontier Year Team Sandy Slade

MY GRANDMOTHER'S QUILT

ClearVision 2008 My grandmother made beautiful and colorful Rebekah Kruvand quilts, as did many ladies in our rural community. It was more out of necessity rather Newfrontiersthan a hobby as poverty demanded creativity. These quilts were made out of remnant cloth USA Today from garments that were not useful. She kept a “rag box” in which old and tattered garments would be cut into appropriate pieces. These useless scraps of cloth were then sewn together, giving them purpose again. They became blankets that would last for generations. In fact, I still have a couple of these quilts. Many of our guests have been blessed by their beauty and warmth.

Like my grandmother’s quilt, Christ has taken our torn and tattered lives and sewn us together into something that has purpose. Our guilt and shame were dealt with. We were sewn into Christ’s family. Identified with Jesus, we have found a new purpose and expression as we live out this life in His community, the Church. Christ has designed it so that we just can’t live this life of faith on our own. God lives in and expresses Himself through our togetherness. In Acts 2:44-47, we have a description of this life found in the words “together” and “in common.” These people were wonderfully and mysteriously connected. As a result of this life together, others were being added to their community as they were being saved. Followers of Christ are unique. We share a common life source. We are connected. Just like my grandmother’s quilt, it’s not just one piece that is connected to another, but an entire pattern that comprises this quilt. The quilt, with all its pieces, is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Each part shares this togetherness in the thread that connects them. God brings us into His community so that we can connect and have significant relationships to serve His purpose together. Church is not about a Sunday meeting. You can have meetings and not have community.

This quilt that God is making is described as “one new man,” “one family,” and “one temple.” Paul writes in Ephesians 2:14-15 that Jesus has smashed the wall that divides people from God and each other. Now, in Christ’s Church, there is no racial or national division. We share a common life in Jesus. We are one family and members of God’s household. We share together in each other’s joys and sorrows. We are also a temple, a place where God’s Spirit is present in and through the community. 1 Peter 2:5 describes us as a “spiritual house …to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 2:22 says, “…being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” The Holy Spirit breathes His life into this random population, like those pieces of torn and discarded cloth, and makes us a people, a community, a church. We are distinguished by the living presence of Christ among us. We as a family of churches are also distinguished by an incomparable calling: “Go and make disciples of all nations…” Often the nations are as much on our doorstep as they are across the sea. As we set our mind and passion on this calling we will have worldwide bearing on the course of this age. As we work together we demonstrate that this is a calling worth sacrificing for. We give ourselves, we give to each other, we give our time, our money, and we embrace our mission together. The stakes are high: We are the light of the world. This Church is God’s universal showcase of His mercy and grace.

Love can’t exist in isolation. Grace can’t be received privately cut off from others. Hope can’t develop in solitude separated from community.

The gospel is never just for individuals but always for a people. Sin separates us and sentences us to solitary confinement. The gospel restores us and sets us in community. The life of faith, as demonstrated in the Bible, is personal but never individual; there is always a family, a community, the Church. Read 1 Peter 2:9-10 and Ephesians 1-2; Christ pulls us into community. One of the immediate changes the gospel makes is grammatical: We instead of I; Our instead of My; Us instead of Me. The Gospel message is always an act of community, never an exercise in private.

Love can’t exist in isolation. Grace can’t be received privately cut off from others. Hope can’t develop in solitude separated from community.

a worldwide family of churches together on a mission

I look forward to a tangible demonstration of these values as we gather together at Celebration Midwest in Warrensburg (MO), Celebration Northeast in Boston (MA), and Celebration Northwest in Silverton (OR). I urge everyone to be at these events to celebrate our togetherness, commonality, sense of family, and our commitment to our mission together. Together, we will eat, laugh, pray, celebrate in worship, and experience God’s presence among us as well as give an enormously outrageous offering to see our apostolic mission progress.

www.newfrontiers-usa.org

a

CL SER look

JUBILEE CHURCH >> ATLANTA, GA

Moving Forward in Faith Christina Haasis August 2007 marked the two-year anniversary of the launch of Jubilee Church–Atlanta. Carl and Virginia Herrington moved to Atlanta in 2004 from Grace Church in Lee’s Summit (MO) to start Jubilee. Families from seven different Newfrontiers churches joined them to endure the Atlanta traffic. Atlanta is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation, with the population in the Metro area reaching almost five million.

e

bl i B e h t d a e asons to R

Re

, MO bers T im Cham IN >> JOPLIN L P O J F O H HURC arn to CHRIST'S C an do to le pels c u o y g in h t e Four Gos e the best

1.

2.

h Bible may b Hear Jesus speak in t o your heart . t Reading the d o g e voice of G nize His voice speakin h t e reth will iz n g o ec r gue in Naza h. recog o g a er n t y et s b e l h il t Him in e churc and you w day. Hearing imes you gather with th e h t t u o h g u thro in the t ritten w His voice res were “w an u t ip r c S help you kno t ). We c Testamen in the Old hians 10:1-12 to avoid t in en t r o it C r w 1 s , g n learn The thin mans 15:4 uction” (Ro pe from them. We ca r t s in r u o for d ho ragement an draw encou ) and kes. (John 5:39 s u es J t u o costly mista b also a ures are all shed in Him. They are t ip r c S t en tam mpli The Old Tes ptive plan that is acco em a grand red e. eived and tur itnesses rec an the w l a in ig great litera r o tain th the other is more cer m the Holy t Peter and a es h r t u t n ip io t r a c el S fro t The rev ew Testamen tinue to receive directly tion you can N e h t in revela I con recorded rustworthy tion you and t a t el s o ev r m l e a h n t o pers It’s er 1:18-19). Spirit (2 Pet l proge. our spiritua y r o f y it find anywher il ponsib effective res your plan? e k a t n a c e t’s No one els do so? Wha o t g in o g u ress. Are yo

3. 4.

6.

making d you to be od’s ee n s d n ie r f to G Your e responding t about you. It’s not jus ess. They need you to b rom God often and gr rf spiritual pro urch needs you to hea ion. h at c ic r n Word. You this commu m o r f s er h t grow in share with o to help you le b a il va a le and nt resources as you read the Bib ick le el c ex e r a d ,R There r from Go ogy Project nym ea il h r T o t e h y T it il g your ab d. Durin the acro what you rea eat method that uses f reading n o e t a it ed m gr y o ced us to a wide variet ources Hein introdu avigators publish a le el exc nt res rse N es h e t h f T o . P ie few SOA ww.newfront selected a w ( ve e e’ it s W . eb s w le schedu rom our s to them f k n li t u p d n a d to mething goo o s u o usa.org). y es iv rning g affic. le in the mo en you are stuck in tr ib B e h t g in h Read day w t later in the il. Just star a f u o y en think about h ouraged w t than all on’t get disc e, “I have more insigh (Psalm D ! is h t o d s wrot ation” You can the Psalmist imonies are my medit f o e n O . in t a ag tes o say that? s, for your my teacher ’t you like to be able t ldn 119:99). Wou

7.

8. 9.

Many prophetic words have been spoken in relation to the consignment store such as people being saved, healed inwardly and physically, and becoming a part of us.

God has already given us a great opportunity to meet and serve people while releasing additional finances to the Church. On June 4th 2007, we opened Revive Consignment. Through Revive we have a means of supporting Jubilee with an avenue that allows us to meet others. Many prophetic words have been spoken in relation to the consignment store such as people being saved, healed inwardly and physically, and becoming a part of us. Inside Revive we have a coffee shop that we have used to hold Alpha meetings. For Jubilee, The Alpha Course has been a significant way of seeing people saved, healed, filled with the Holy Spirit and added to us. With Revive being a place to meet new people, we started looking for a different Sunday morning location that would be closer to the store and easier to give directions to. Last September, we moved into a brand new high school just a few miles from Revive. The new place is much nicer and a better location for most of us. God is growing His church in Atlanta. We are excited about what the future holds as we hold on to the promises He has given us.

We believe God has called us to change this city through prayer.

a worldwide family of churches together on a mission

Can three-hundred young men and women change the nation? This was the daunting question posed to all who gathered to 'fan the flame' at ClearVision 08. As I pondered this question, I was reminded of an historical battle that took place centuries ago.

5.

Many things are happening in the life of the church. Our vision has not changed since the beginning. We are here to plant relational, Spirit-filled, Biblically-based communities committed to the mission of making disciples of all people groups here in Atlanta, the Southeast, the United States, and the nations. We desire to see those added to Jubilee experience a life changing relationship with God, encounter real relationships, and engage in service to those within the Atlanta community. Sharing life together and growing in God are important values for every age group. We grow together as a church body through our community groups for every age, the KIDMO program for kids, The Alpha Course for youth, and our Mobilize group for twenties and students who meet near Kennesaw State University. God has given us many prophetic words and we believe they will be fulfilled. We believe God has called us to change this city through prayer. For over two years now, we have met once a month to fast and pray. God has used these times to bring us together to pray for our city and church, and to receive prophetic words regarding what is to come.

Rebekah Kruvand JUBILEE CHURCH >> ST. LOUIS, MO

Sandy Slade SILVER CREEK FELLOWSHIP >> SILVERTON, OR The first few months on the FYT in Silverton (OR) have been quite busy and very beneficial. God is doing something really cool, not just in us, but through us into the community. The team this year is composed of Parker Marks, David Williams, and Tyler Schmidt, all from St. Joseph (MO), as well as myself from Fredericton (NB, Canada).

Last October, we had an all-night prayer watch where we felt God calling us to serve a part of Silverton known as “Mill Town.” Many of the people in Mill Town are low-income families with a lot of different challenges. Since then, we have gone on prayer-walks through the area and God has given us some creative ideas for how to minister there. Parker Marks has led the team in offering an "open gym" to the kids. There have been games like dodge ball, basketball, and we have taught some martial arts and drama. It is our hope to have a BBQ / Fun Day this Spring and to invite the families of the kids who attend. We also started to evangelize through serving the people in Mill Town to get to know them. We hope that as we serve people's practical needs it will open up the opportunity for Silver Creek Fellowship to have a lasting relationship with this neighborhood and to share Christ with them. It really is amazing to see God advancing His kingdom!

In Medias Res: it was the battle at the mountain pass of Thermopylae where Leonidas, King of Sparta, took on the Eastern Empire and Persian forces—800,000 or more strong—with a small group of his Spartan and allied soldiers. Treachery allowed Xerxes, leader of the Persian army, to outflank the Greeks guarding the mountain pass, causing most of their army to disband. Yet, as legend has it, Leonidas retained three-hundred trusted soldiers to fight against the Persians in a suicide battle. Although Xerxes and his men eventually overtook the Spartans, their legendary stay allowed the Greeks enough time to refresh and reorganize, enabling their defeat of the Persians later on down the line.

Fellow comrades, let us encourage one another to accept the responsibility of change by submitting our lives to Christ for the sake of those who do not yet know His love. After all, our God is the King of Kings—over heaven and earth! Even though we lay down our lives for the sake of the cross, just as the Spartan soldiers forsook their own lives in battle for King Leonidas, the Bible lovingly reminds us that ‘the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His’ (2 Chronicles 16:9).

...we can do nothing of our own accord, rather only through Christ who strengthens us.

The crucial element in our challenge to change the nation is that we put our faith not in ourselves, but ultimately in ‘the Lord and the strength of His might’ (Eph 6:10). As Tom Shaw so brilliantly articulated, we can do nothing of our own accord, rather only through Christ who strengthens us. The Spartan war-poet Tyrtaeus once wrote: It is beautiful when a brave man of the front ranks falls and dies, battling for his homeland… Young men, fight shield to shield and never succumb to panic or miserable flight, but steel the hearts in your chests with magnificence and courage. Forget your own life when you grapple with the enemy.

If 300, the movie about the legendary Spartans, can move the people, how much more-so can the warriors which God calls us to be for His kingdom change the nation? It was spoken over the three-hundred that gathered at ClearVision that we would be raised up like the army in Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones: that we would hear the word of the Lord and He would breathe life into us, according to His purposes. It’s bone rattlin’ time!

To download CV2008 messages, visit www.newfrontiers-usa.org >> audio & video