Prepare For Battle My conversation with Bryan Royle in the park had convinced me that the best way to draw a crowd and get the attention the students in town was to host a Battle of the Bands.  I immediately began planning the big night. This is when the Kingdom mustard seed began to grow.  … More Divine Summons 27

Chapter 6 Let’s Make Some Noise “Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and rushed as one man into the theater. . . The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know … More Divine Summons 26

The Aftermath That first Battle of the Bands event was great success and a major breakthrough for the Revolution.  I felt even more like apostle Paul now, as I went back to my daily grind of juggling three jobs plus pioneering an groundbreaking ministry.  At school the following week I was met with a buzz … More Divine Summons 29

Welcome to Ground Zero The night arrived and I was giddy with anticipation and quite nervous as well.  I had never planned an event of this caliber.  I had spent a couple months networking with local churches and leaders, arranging for sound equipment, chasing flighty teenagers around trying to get the bands to commit and … More Divine Summons 28

A Less Eventful Upper Room Experience You would laugh if you saw what our first youth group gathering looked like. On an unusually warm Indian summer night in September, our “youth group” huddled together for the first time in our own upper room, much like the first followers of Jesus did in Acts 1. It … More Divine Summons 20

Revolutionary Christianity The early Jesus movement was a revolutionary force for good.  Though it didn’t spread across the Roman empire without stirring up a good deal of trouble (as we saw above).  Consider Paul’s visit to Thessalonica described in Acts 17.  When the Jesus-movement came to town the whole city knew about it; but they … More Divine Summons 19

A Sleepy Church or Sleeping Giant? Bethel Methodist Church is a small, aging congregation struggling to grow and bring in younger families and youth.  Sunday attendance would average just around 100.  It’s glory days were well over a decade behind them.  Gray hairs filled the pews and youth and children were scant.  Pastor was probably … More Divine Summons 18

Partners in the Work of the Gospel Anyone who has been involved with church ministry knows that ecumenical efforts are difficult to pull off.  While local churches in smaller communities like to talk about mutual respect for and general partnership with neighboring churches in serving the community, rarely do you see them coming together for … More Divine Summons 25

I Have Many People in this City Once again God spoke most clearly to me through the story of Acts.  I recalled the story of Paul’s time in Corinth where he too run up against obstacles and began to doubt himself and his mission. For all we know, Paul may have gone on his own … More Divine Summons 24

Loneliness is a Bitter Friend My story so far has been one of significant loneliness.  The two years of college (2000-2002) following my deep inward shift of faith from my encounter with the Book of Acts were the loneliest of my life.  There is a loneliness far worse than the lack of friends.  It’s the … More Divine Summons 23

Chapter 5 I Have Many People in this Town “One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul … More Divine Summons 22

“They Met In Their Homes” We spent the duration of the first school year meeting together with our small motley crew.  One significant move we did make, and would become a hallmark of the Revolution, is we moved our gatherings out of the church and into our home. I felt that the church building carried … More Divine Summons 21