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Pressing On or Pressing In?



Have just returned from our International Conference which was held in Thailand this time.

We managed to dodge the troubles around Bangkok and saw some fires, and heard some gunfire ... but nothing dramatic on that level. Watching elephants paint ... that was something else! (See photo - believe me, the camera is not lying here!)

But what did I take away from the two weeks we were together, 200 leaders from around the WEC world?

The theme of the conference was 'Inspired and Compelled' ... and I certainly was, as the Spirit moved to inspire and the love of Christ for the unreached peoples of the world compelled. There was a renewing of our commitment to the core of who we are as WECers;
  • Core passion - Christ and the gospel
  • Core values - Faith, Holiness, Sacrifice and Fellowship
  • Core aims - reaching people, planting churches and mobilising the body of Christ to complete the task of sharing the wonder of God's message of love, forgiveness and reconciliation in Christ.
Recognising the need to undergird anything we do with a commitment to persistent and consistent prayer.

Sensing afresh the need to sense the moving of the Holy Spirit and aligning what we do with what He is doing, and organising ourselves in ways that allow the flexibility that this requires. The common themes that recurred throughout the two weeks were;
  • The river of life (Ezekial 47 and Revelation 22)
  • The flotilla of boats ... an expression of the need to have loose structures that allow the flexibility to move together, yet distinct. (As opposed to a large super tanker that requires great effort to change direction.)
So how have I come away from these weeks?

Wondering how the Lord is going to meet the 'outrageous' faith goals that have been established ... 33 new people groups reached, 180 new church-planting locations, 1200 new workers and new prayer networks for every people group we are engaged with ... and all within the next 8 years!

So, yes we PRESS ON ... in faith, but we also PRESS IN ... towards the one who is worthy of our absolute trust!

Refreshed? Yes. Excited? Yes. Wondering what is going to happen next? Yes.

I can only communicate the detail of what happened in a blog, but I trust that the Spirit of the Lord will inspire you as you think and pray about this ... and that you will have the liberty to ask Him 'Is there anything I can be doing in this?'


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