I can't say anything HIT me that our friends have here that we don't have or can't possess by faith. They love Jesus and seek his face and blessing with a passion. They are on the front foot with Evangelism and take strong and decisive Spiritual Authority. They form the character of Christ in their 12 and train them to multiply. It's simple, it's Biblical, it's obedient to Matthew 28:18-20 and I SINCERELY BELIEVE WE CAN DO IT
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Build Leaders; Build Your Cell; Build Your 12
Probably the thing I am bring home with most passion and urgency - Build leaders, form the character of Christ in them, help them know their dreams and see the multitudes BUT MORE THAN THAT walk with them as my disciples so they win others, build their Cell and form their own 12 so that they experience and enjoy good success in their life. Help them be REMARKABLY FRUITFUL!
We Met & Prayed With Douglas
We had such a precious 30 minutes with Douglas who is in the Youth 12. Ellie and Mark met up and connected with him in November 2003. It was so empowering to be able to ask all the "dumb Questions" and catch both his wisdom and spirit on the matter. What an inspiration to meet someone with a passion and a heart after God and seeing great fruit in their life!
A Church On The Same Journey As Us!
When I heard the story that Brea (Pronounced 'Bray') and his wife Dianne SibleyI thought I was looking in the mirror a couple of years early! In well over a decade of ministry Brea managed to lead around 60 Cells. Now he has seen his ministry grown form 60 Cells to 250 Cells (right where we are at the moment) to 750 Cells (First signs of multiplication) to be 1000 Cells early this year. If it can happen for them it CAN AND WILL happen for us!
Larry Doubled In 1 Year
Larry has been in the Vision only 1 year, is a single Senior Pastor and has seen his Congregation DOUBLE IN ONE YEAR. He fully expects the ministry to continue to grow and has defied the odds and is at the helm of a Church with a very bright future. This one's for you Larry! You are THE MAN!
6 Cells to 250 Cells In 18 Months
Megan and I met Shannon (below), married to a Pastor, mother of 5 and until 2 years ago was resenting Church and Ministry. Now their Church on Braussard, Louisiana is growing rapidly and Shannon is ecstatic about seeing God and the Vision and its impact on people's lives. They have frown from 6 Cell Groups and 120 people attending on a Sunday to 250 Cell Groups and 400 attending on a Sunday! 100 of those Cells are set for significant growth I I fully expect the Church to double in size VERY SOON.
Pursue The Priesthood Family
One of the other significant 'DNA' observations if is the importance of and the power of becoming a Priesthood family. It isn't just a good idea that you might hope would happen but it is essential to the Vision. Husbands, wives, children - doing life and ministry together. In addition I observed them sharing the ministry together - in leading services and meetings as well as personal and private ministry.
The Importance Of The 144
MCI has published several new books in English and one of them is titled "The 144, The Key To Multiplication" The importance of raising your 12 to raise their 12 cannot be over stated! When you have 144 CELL GROUPS all praying for their prayer of three, all focused on the pathway TRUE MULTIPLICATION begins. Keeping the vision pure down to the 144 is also essential!
The Power Of A Rhema Word
The Rhema Word is the fuel that runs the Vision. It is far more than a clever idea of a good strategy, the Vision revolves around a leaders commitment to forming Christ in their Disciples and seeking God's face EVERY DAY for a fresh Rhema Word. They have taught me to dig deeper for the Men I am Discipling!
Visualisation & Confession
We learned about the power of faith and also the importance of putting our faith into practice through confession. Often we would be asked "Can you see the multitudes?" "Speak out your faith confession" Jesus himself said it will be to us according to 0ur faith and the people here at MCI have really grabbed a hold of that truth and speak into into existence that which does not exist (Romans 4:17).
Releasing The Women In Our Lives
Claudia Castellanos shared with us a powerful word about releasing the women to leadership, influence and multiplication! It was a significant word for Megan followed by some profound Ministry as well. One of the keys we have discovered here is their commitment to sharing the word then ministering it in to people.
We Share Many Similarities
Columbia is vastly different to any of the Asian experiences I have had, the traffic congestion and different driving and social styles are obvious but there is a strong presence of a middle class (unlike most of Asia), a strong connection to shopping at the "Mall" and also as you can see the Food Court experience is a must! Clothes are about the same price here as they are in Australia except for leather goods and local suits! We felt safe during the day and night but kept close to our fantastic guide Edwin and in our transport. The atmosphere of Bogota has certainly changed!
We Prayed For Many Nations
On the Thursday of Conference all the nations represented were asked to bring their countries flag to the platform and we prayed for some time for as many nations of the world as we could. I was struck by a couple of things, firstly this is a Vision that really believes it can, will and is impacting the WORLD. Secondly, I am going to bring an Australian Flag next time. Incidentally, we located at least 2 more Aussies, making the known total 6.
Thursday, January 27, 2005
We Are Making New Friends
You meet people from all over the world here! Omar & Alex have a ministry in Argentina that spreads over the whole country and consists of 151 Meetings under the same Church banner and have 90,000 people attending. They transitioned their Church to the Vision 6 years ago and are perfectly positioned to impact the WHOLE NATION of Argentina. We have also spent some precious time with Jack and Carole Hanes which is a huge honour and loads of fun. Omar is so funny and so Australian!!
Matthew 11:28 Easy & Light
We heard a fantastic message today about how the Vision is easy and light in the way Jesus spoke of His mission and His work for our lives. His yoke really is easy and his burden really is light - so what am I doing in my own strength if I am finding the Vision hard and am feeling a sense of dryness in my own life. As we have often said around the place "Don't allow a stretch in you become a problem in the Vision" We were challenged to examine our own life and ask God to reveal areas where we need to repent and be transformed so that we really do experience Matthew 11:28
Claudia Castellanos Laid hands On Us!!
We were invited to a session with about 40 others from around the world and at it we were presented with a fantastic breakdown of the Vision and the correct materials to be using at the correct places along the pathway. Claudia Castellanos attended it and personally laid hands on every person there. Claudia has had a significant Political Career in Bogota and has recently accepted the position of Colombian Ambassador to Brazil.
She laid hands on us and prayed "Things will come easily...They will not be complicated...Teachings, practical teachings to bring growth to your Churches..."
I'll take that and everything that comes with it!
She laid hands on us and prayed "Things will come easily...They will not be complicated...Teachings, practical teachings to bring growth to your Churches..."
I'll take that and everything that comes with it!
There is an Urgency to build your 12
We have really felt strongly that their is a significant urgency to build your 12. When we say urgency it is really important that it an important priority to all of the leaders but not something they rush or are in a hurry about - does that difference make sense? We have to be urgent in building our 12 but not rush it. It does mean it is on the top of our prayer list, ministering to and bringing the formation of Christ into the lives of those God has placed on our hearts to speed up the power of multiplication - BECAUSE THIS WHOLE VISION IS ABOUT SEEING THE MULTITUDES AND THE POWER OF MULTIPLICATION. There is a new book just released that speaks about the 144 being the Key To Multiplication as the 144 is only possible when we each have our 12's So it's off to Discipleship I go...
We are in the 12 by Grace...
In speaking with the team from Ken Gott's Church in Sunderland UK he has said to his 12 that they are in his 12 by GRACE, meaning he feels in his heart to have them in the 12 but at a point in time they will qualify for being in the 12 by FRUIT, meaning their personal fruitfulness and raising up of leaders who grow and multiply will ultimately qualify them. One Senior Pastor has added a member to his 12 from the YOUTH NET on the basis of fruitfulness. What challenged me was the fact that I am in my GRACE time at the moment but the time is NOW to turn my face and heart towards fruitfulness and qualify myself by my fruit!
I can't overemphasise PERSONAL SPIRITUALITY
Over and over again the teaching is coming through that your personal spiritual life is absolutely central to The Vision. It becomes a stale program and a set of structured rules to follow if we are not individually getting into God's presence EVERYDAY and getting our personal Rhema Word from God to live off and feed off that day. This is way more than HYPE. These people are passionately committed to seeking God;s face for a breakthrough in their own life and in the life of the people they are leading. The desire to be BROKEN and REBUILT by God is huge in their life - challengingly huge
These Guys Have 55,000 CELL GROUPS!!
That blew me away, Bogota is a city of 8 Million people and 400,000 of them are in some way connected to MCI (The name of the Church is Mision Charismata Internasionale). They have embraced and live the belief that they can and are changing their NATION, not just their local area and not just the City but the whole nation and nations of the world. You can see from the Stadium pictures that the place is totally full (Megs and I estimate 15-20,000 in the stadium and that is just people attending Conference). They have 9 Weekend Services in this Colleseum and still don't have enough. The word? THIS IS A VISION WHERE YOU HAVE TO SEE THE MULTITUDES!!
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
On The Streets of Bogota
You can get 12 long stem roses for $3AUD, Colouring In books, food and even car parts as you are stopped in the thick stream of traffic that makes up this growing city of 8 million people.
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
Does Hewitt have it?
I scoured the MSN website for information on the tennis and am hopeful but not supremely confident that Lleyton can snatch victory from the magnificently in form Roger Federer. I have often wondered what it takes to be the BEST OF THE BEST...It's a small part of the tree and only a few make it. How can I be one of the top 1%? How can you?
Tsunami Giving Record
We discovered last night that we are two of 4 obvious Australians here at the Convention, Pastors Jack and Carole Hanes being the others (They are in Pastor Ceaser's International 12). In a short conversation with Pastor Jack he mentioned that the Australian AOG has Faith Promised nearly $1 million to the Tsunami Relief efforts - what a magnificent testimony!
It's About MINISTERING HEALING
Another thing that has struck me is that as part of the Government I carry the responsibility to MINISTER HEALING to my Cell and my 12 - In doing so I am part of the process that leads them to Personal Brokenness and to Personal Restoration and on towards fruitful multiplication. I carry the responsibility to ACT AS A MINISTER to my Cell, My 12 and to the WHOLE CHURCH. That is a fundamental responsibility of a member of the Senior pastors 12. This requires a great spiritual commitment from each of us, to lead and minister and invest into another person, carrying the load for our Pastors. It also challenged me to make sure I have the "Spiritual fuel in my tank" for this role!
It's About PERSONAL BROKENNESS
The belief that Jesus has completed and accomplished ALL OUR SALVATION & HEALING is much more that a Theological Truth - they live by the FINISHED WORK OF CHRIST and say that our lives, all of our lives need to DAILY GO TO THE CROSS for personal repentance, healing, brokenness and restoration - CHRIST THE GREAT RESTORER. As a result of going to the CROSS Jesus lifts me up and uses me to take others there as well. It is only at the Cross where true BROKENNESS, HEALING, and RESTORATION takes place but it begins with each of us as leaders, in our personal lives - NOW THAT WAS A CHALLENGE
It's About GOVERNMENT
The first thing that has really hit home is that this vision is about GOVERNMENT, it's about us as a 12 leading the Church and serving the VISION and our PASTORS with great passion and fervency. There are people here who are in the full time workforce and have taken ALL TUESDAY OFF to sow into the Vision of the government of 12 in their own Church - that inspired me. But what hit me more was the Spirit with which they are approaching BEING A GOVERNMENT. We the 12 are the leaders of Shire and we lead our 12's to establish the 144 which establishes GOVERNMENT.
The other thing that has struck me so immediately has been the commonality of LANGUAGE when speaking about The Vision. There is a high degree of synergy and common language usage between the 12 and between people in the G12 Vision - something that creates a strength in the vision. The language reinforces the commitment of those of us in the Vision - it's what we speak and therefore what people hear.
The other thing that has struck me so immediately has been the commonality of LANGUAGE when speaking about The Vision. There is a high degree of synergy and common language usage between the 12 and between people in the G12 Vision - something that creates a strength in the vision. The language reinforces the commitment of those of us in the Vision - it's what we speak and therefore what people hear.
What we captured in the first 24hours...
This is what we came on this trip for!! Just being here in Bogata is a stunning experience. The City feels like an Asian City but with a much more obvious middle and upper middle class. We didn't feel intimidated by the 'feel' of the City but are planning to be VERY cautious in any case!
We have already connected with people from Ken Gott's Church in Sunderland (magnificent people) and a couple from Germany/Switzerland. All inspiring and helpful!
Above are some shots from the Registration and Opening Session of the 10th Annual G12 Convention "Restoring The Altar of God"
We have already connected with people from Ken Gott's Church in Sunderland (magnificent people) and a couple from Germany/Switzerland. All inspiring and helpful!
Above are some shots from the Registration and Opening Session of the 10th Annual G12 Convention "Restoring The Altar of God"
America to South America
I will try and give you some words and pictures (a thousand words) on our trip to Bogata over Costa Rica (VERY Beautiful)
Monday, January 24, 2005
Tsunami Thoughts
I was reading a Time magazine on the Plane (http://www.time.org) and in one of the Publications a Unicef Ad said that 286,000 Children die every day from illnesses that can be prevented and in 2004 6 million people died from Cancer. It made me think about the truth and the reality of death even when it's not or it stops being news...
Getting To Bogata
We were fortunate, due to flight schedules, to have a couple of days in LA on the way through - we experienced the Dream Center (http://www.dreamcenter.org) where Matthew Barnett is doing an amazing job influencing the people of Inner City Los Angeles. We also went to Disneyland and even as an adult it magical and captivating. WHY?
HOWEVER
We both talked about what we were experiencing in the lead up tho thie 10th Annual G12 Convention here in Bogata Columbia (http://www.visionG12.org
HOWEVER
We both talked about what we were experiencing in the lead up tho thie 10th Annual G12 Convention here in Bogata Columbia (http://www.visionG12.org
Introducing Rohan
Thanks for blogging on! Before I get started on this blog I wante to introduce myself to you...Hello! My name is Rohan and I live in Sydney , Australia. I have been married to my wife Megan since 1997 and completely love it. I work as a Pastor in a local Church in the Sutherland Shire and love it, our team and our Church. I have been part of that team since 1996 - so life is just right and here are my blogs
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