The Road Ahead

The Christian life is a life of faith. True faith is tested in uncertainty and is the gap that we discover when we come to the end of ourselves; the limits of our ability, the frailty of the human condition, and the longing for what is not yet.

The road ahead of us must be marked out by faith and illuminated with expectation for God’s involvement and partnership. True faith demands action and is reflected in our lifestyle – we live by faith. So, in the year ahead, the faith journey of Open Heaven continues with action and expectation. The Kingdom does not permit us to settle into cosy community - rather keep our doors and hearts open for growth.

The road ahead is about us creating physical space and spiritual space. Specifically we are going to be investing faith, prayer and action in the following three areas:

1. Presence - A New Boldness
We are convinced that there is a unique move of God stirring across the world at this time and we want to position ourselves to get caught up in it. A prophetic word was given to Open Heaven in June, saying that the next season will be characterised by ‘a new boldness’. As is the case with true prophetic words, this confirmed what a number of people had already been hearing from God. The first evidence of the Spirit moving is usually boldness and that boldness will create a renewed confidence in articulating the gospel and sharing our faith. Ourgatherings will remain a place where people will encounter God with more room created for salvation, healing and answers to prayer.

Prayer evokes the presence of God. God sensitises us afresh to what he is doing in the lives of people around us we must learn how to offer prayer for people’s needs – physical, financial, emotional and that we can expect healing without fear of embarrassment. In the words of John Wimber ‘we found that when we didn’t pray for anyone, no one was healed. However, when we prayed for lots of people, a few were healed and those who weren’t physically healed were often left with a sense of peace’.

2. Provision – A New Resource Centre
The signs of God’s involvement for the means, favour and connections to redevelop St. Peter’s are astounding. We are thinking bigger than ever before and making room and resources to bless and serve both this town and the places we are sent to. However, as we know, faith demands action and partnership with God so there is much to do to see this resource centre come about.

 

The road ahead needs everyone to play their part in seeing this project come about. As the body of Christ, every person’s contribution is important. We will be creating ways for this to happen and anticipate a growing excitement as new possibilities emerge and the family of Open Heaven grows.

3. Preparation – A New Church Plant
The third aspect we want the whole church to focus on and get behind for the road ahead is our preparations for our first church plant. We have always known our future must involve church planting and fulfilling our part of the Great Commission. Europe is the only continent on earth where the gospel is not advancing and a whole generation are without vibrant expressions of church and so it fits to turn our attention there. At the last Leaders Weekend, Ness and Pete McKnight first shared publicly about sending a team to France, at which point Mel Page shared a dream where she had seen Ness commissioning a team to France to find the treasure in that nation (having known nothing of our plans). Pete and Miri McKnight have heard God speak to them very clearly about France and are planning on taking a church planting team from Open Heaven over in Summer 2009. We are looking to send a team of around 8 people with a mix of gifts and strengths. This will be a whole church adventure, across both expressions, with everyone being a supporter, sender or a go-er. Begin to seek God now for his heart for France as we begin to look over the channel in prayer and preparation.

Please join us in praying for and participating in these three strategic goals for 08-09.

(Top image derived from photo © Zach Klein on a Creative Commons Licence)

Posted by: Rich Wilson on Saturday Sep 20th, 2008

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