We Are Stronger Together
Ministry is hard. Leading your organization with an intentional pursuit to multiply at every level is even harder. It can beat you down and discourage you. That’s why it is so important for ministry leaders to be in a community that can encourage them and hold them accountable to the goals they set for themselves. I believe that’s how God designed it. Jesus actually prayed for it in John 17:20-23. He prayed that we would be unified in His mission, and then a moment later He was arrested, condemned, and crucified. I believe God blesses ministry models that unite rather than divide. Unity is an apologetic for the church. When we are unified as believers and when we align around his marching orders for the church (Matthew 28:18-20), I believe He blesses it. We continue to see and experience this first hand through the work of Taking New Ground and our partner organizations around the world.
You Are Part of Something Bigger
Earlier this summer Taking New Ground gathered together with leaders from all over the globe in the crypt of an old church in London, England. It was a beautiful and poignant setting for such a gathering. A crypt is where people are buried when they die, and we as leaders, we must continually commit to die to self in order to serve the greater mission.
Luke 9:23-24 “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”Luke 9:23-24 “And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Taking New Ground and our partners are in various stages of movement development in over 40 countries around the world.Our regional leaders know that they are a part of something special God is doing in their countries, but it is our desire for them to realize that they are a part of a global move of God!So every once in a while, we try to bring them together. That was the goal of the New Thing Global Gathering in London.
We had movement leaders from India, Sub-Saharan Africa, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, the United States, Albania, and several Western European countries together in one room. We gave them the opportunity to celebrate what God was doing in each of their nations and regions, to learn from one another, and to understand that they are a part of a global move of God that extends well beyond their borders.
It always amazes me how bringing leaders together makes them stronger. As a pastor I saw it while training small group leaders in a collaborative environment, we see it in the Catalyst Community trainings we lead around the world, and I saw it again in London with our Movement leaders from several key regions around the world. By drawing on the collective strengths and experiences from the group, sharing best practices from around the world, and renewing our commitment to accomplishing Jesus’ mission together, we are able to look forward to an even brighter future!
Your Support Makes This Possible
Most of the churches we work with around the world cannot afford to be a part of ministry events like our London Gathering. Your support of Taking New Ground helps make moments like this possible. Through our Catalyst Community training events, ongoing coaching, and the formation of networks that collaborate to accelerate church movements, we are seeing great progress for the Kingdom of God. New churches are being started at at an average rate of over 2 churches per day, and the greatest growth we are seeing is in some of the most difficult to reach parts of the world! Opportunities abound, but we need your help to see them realized.
