Since January 2024, I’ve had the incredible opportunity to participate in an online Learning Community (LC) hosted by Renew.org. These LCs are designed as webinars complemented by two Zoom debrief sessions, featuring insightful content delivered by ministry practitioners—ministers, church planters, consultants, missionaries, and more.
One particularly impactful session was with Josh Howard. Originally from the U.S., Josh married an Indian woman and now resides with his family in India. He ministers in coordinating and equipping a disciple-making movement across the country. If you're familiar with India, you know it's home to a staggering population nearing 1.5 billion people. During the webinar (and also on a separate podcast) Josh shared eye-opening insights into the state of the church in India.
In India, the traditional strategy of establishing churches with a congregation and a building is seen as insufficient for reaching over a billion people. Instead, discipleship occurs on a much more personal level—one group, one family at a time. While India may not have an abundance of large, growing churches, it is filling with disciples making disciples, spreading through second and third generations of relationships. This is not just about making disciples; it's about igniting a disciple-making movement. This movement is akin to a wildfire, not reliant on any single person or congregation but spreading organically as followers of Jesus make new disciples as He commissioned.
Why is This Happening in India and Not Here?
Why do we not see similar disciple-making movements here? Why are tens, hundreds, even thousands of people not becoming disciples of Jesus as they are in India (and similarly in the underground church in China)? The difference appears to lie in worship, particularly in the priority given to seeking God through prayer and fasting.
Prayer and fasting are not magical tools to coerce God into action, but there is a noticeable difference between the churches in the U.S. and India: this practice often precede significant disciple-making movements. The practice is to seek God first, surrendering to Jesus, and asking where His Spirit is already at work. This approach contrasts with the practice of implementing plans and strategies and then asking God to bless them. While this is an oversimplification of what has become characteristic of the church in the U.S., it highlights the core difference between the two approaches.
Biblical Foundations and Personal Convictions
Throughout the Bible, we see figures like Moses, David, Daniel, Esther, Nehemiah, Ezra, Paul, Barnabas, and Jesus Himself seeking God through prayer and fasting. They implored God to show His presence, guidance, and action—seeking what only He can make happen. Changing a person’s mind or heart is one of the hardest things in the world, and that is God's specialty. He continually woos people to Himself, as seen from Genesis to Revelation.
Reflecting on this, I am convicted by my lack of routine in prayer and fasting. Specifically, I feel called to dedicate time to fasting and prayer for our church, its future, and our role in guiding people in our sphere of influence to experience abundant life in Jesus. I am convinced that we need to seek God's leading for our future.
A Call to Action
To put this conviction into practice, I plan to set aside Wednesday mornings from 8:28 am to 9:15 am for fasting and prayer. I invite you to join me in this routine. My vision is for participants to fast from dinner the previous night until 9:15 am on Wednesday morning. You can join me physically in the CCC auditorium or online (via Zoom). Whether you’re at work, watching your kids, or driving, you can tune into the Zoom call and join us in prayer.
This isn’t intended to be a dialogue but a time for us to collectively seek God in prayer. The 8:28 am time frame is inspired by 1 Kings 8:28, where Solomon prays, “...give attention to your servant’s prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.” While we no longer worship in a temple like Solomon’s, our bodies and Christ’s church are described as the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 6:19). It's from this temple of God that we seek God in prayer today.
I plan to start this prayer gathering on Wednesday, July 17th, and continue weekly. Along the way, I aim to provide some direction to assist us in prayer. My hope is that together, we will seek God’s presence and guidance, making His movement among us clear and evident.
I pray you will join me in this endeavor, in person or online, each Wednesday. Let us seek God together, prioritizing His will and presence in our lives and in our community.
Below, see further CCC updates and resources for participating in the body of Christ and God’s mission.
Continue to trust that God is present and active. See you Sunday if not before then!
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Join us in hosting a fun, four-day, Bible, mystery-themed experience – helping kids (PreK to 5th grade) explore some big questions about God. Volunteers needed for set-up, registration, tech support, group guides, general assistance, cleanup, and more. Contact Alexandra Fish to get involved and help kids discover the abundant life God has for them!
To our sisters in Christ, we pray you are well and looking forward to the Ladies Retreat. We are looking forward to presenting it to you. Our speaker will be Suzanne Bracci, a Christian Life Coach and author from Western New York. Reserve the dates of September 13-14, 2024 to attend. We want each of you to know that God loves you, has given you gifts you may not be aware of, or as our kids mature, our purpose changes. These times can be scary and/or frustrating and Suzanne will speak to us on Saturday of our uniqueness as women of God in the Scriptures and putting on the Mindset of Christ. Registration fees are as follows. If possible please register and send to Mountainview Christian Camp, c/o Sharon Schmaltz, Registrar, 7240 Dryer Road, Victor, NY 14564 (registration form enclosed): $35 Weekend, $20 Friday, $20 Saturday. As always, there will be a registration table at the camp if you come in later at camp. ALL LADIES 18 YEARS AND OLDER ARE WELCOME. There will be music, fun and catching up with friends we haven’t seen. Save the date now! It can be a great time to decompress after all the preparation to send our children to school as well as a time for the kids to bond with Dad for 24 hours. Please consider the benefits of taking time out to be rejuvenated with other sisters in Christ and to commune with our Heavenly Father. September is a wonderful time to do that before the Fall schedules return to normal. Please feel free to contact Valerie Hubert with any questions.
This Sunday, July 14th, we’ll reflect on 1 Corinthians 11:2-34. What disruptive truth might God’s word have for you to hear this Sunday? What simple faithfulness might he call you toward this Sunday? How might he call you to be an uncommon presence to those disconnected from God’s kingdom?