what we have seen happen spiritually in
Europe.
There is a united initiative (everygroup.
org) beginning this month, for Jesus
followers to serve and be on mission
together. It is a resource for everyday
people in any city. Only God can save
people, but He has given us roles and
responsibilities. Cultivating four habits
can lead to a harvest. Serving (meeting
needs), Inviting (to homes, churches,
and events), Praying (for people close
to you but far from God), and Sharing
(your story, the gospel, and listening
well to other people’s journey) are all
significant practical elements for groups
to participate together. In America, we
often think of ‘me’, but in the Bible, the
primary emphasis is on ‘we’.
Many groups meet for prayer, fellowship,
and Bible study, but it is a transition to
include outreach. Jesus’ goal for the
disciples included being on mission
together. When each person in the group
shares the name of one person they
know who does not follow Jesus, you
can form a prayer list. Your group can
prayer daily for this list of people who
you love. God will answer prayers for
opportunities and boldness (Colossians
4:2-6). Be faithful in loving your neighbor,
sharing your faith, and trust God with
the results.
Next Steps
How is God leading you to reach your
city? What partnerships can you form?
Who else has a similar passion and
eagerness to move forward? One of
the first moves for me was to share the
vision with the elders in our church. If a
pastor does not have the support of the
board, progress often stalls. I am very
grateful for the leadership at our church
who encouraged me to tithe my time
(invest over four hours a week). Financial
investment is par for the course. Our staff
has embraced what God is doing, and
our church family thoroughly enjoyed it
when a black pastor in the region and I
swapped pulpits for a weekend. We have
another exchange now planned with a
predominantly Korean church. It is so
rich when the body of Christ unites, and
our learning and growth is exponential.
We are still in the early stages of this city
wide movement in Seattle. We welcome
any advice or the opportunity to connect
and share with each other. . Let’s keep in
step with the Holy Spirit, plan in pencil,
and let God write the script.
Jesse Bradley
Jesse is a pastor, former professional soccer goalkeeper,
radio host, author, and speaker. A graduate of Dartmouth
College, his curiosity about faith and Jesus began there.
In an Introduction to World Religions course, he began
to read the Bible for the first time. Jesse graduated with
a Master’s Degree in Theology from Dallas Theological
Seminary. Jesse and his wife Laurie have four children
and a fun dog named Bella.
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