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Dear friends:
Mission Houston was birthed 12 years ago at the end of a three day prayer summit by 185 pastors convinced that unity in the Body of Christ would invite God’s presence and release His desperately needed blessings on our city (see Ps. 133:1). Our prayer since then has been for the spiritual and social revitalization of individuals, neighborhoods and communities across the city.
In 2010 Mission Houston continued to pursue “Changing greater Houston for Good” by offering ministries and resources that change lives, change marriages, and change schools. Here’s a brief snapshot of what your generous support and prayers helped us do.
In the Faithwalking ministry we often hear how the call to living missionally represents a great challenge for families with small children. No doubt the demands of raising young children limit some options for those who consider a call to do “ministry” in a sustained way. Brad and Natasha Sollenne provide us an example of a family that has wrestled with this issue, and have chosen a path that has them on mission as a family. We offer you their story, in their words, as an example of what can be.
“Saturday night church was awesome! Hearing what everyone is doing within their missional communities is very motivating (this includes those of you that weren't there and what you are doing in the community)! This is why we moved back to Houston. Brad would tell me about the extraordinary people here and what they were doing and we wanted to raise our kids with such extraordinary people. Recently, as you know, we began feeding homeless people again. Brad and I have had a dialogue going as to what more might be needed. Brad has a more intimate understanding of what someone on the street might need and our conversations have been detailed, substantial, and rewarding. We also agreed that we wanted the kids to be directly involved in whatever we do. Then about a week ago Brad asked Sascha if he could have one wish, what would it be? Without hesitation Sascha said he wished we were rich so we could help the homeless and the hungry and no one would be hungry again. After being stunned about what amazing kids we have, we realized we wanted the kids to understand that we don't have to be rich to make a difference in someone's life.
There's been an awesome opportunity given to me, both to get my life set and to be able to go on and provide for my son and give him an awesome place to call home ...
This story is only part of a bigger story that we call "The Church in the Mobile Park."
More than four years ago Bob Baldwin and his wife, Cathie were “arrested” in their pursuit of a life of comfortable and easy retirement in the suburbs of North Houston. Bob and Kathy were challenged to redefine what they understood about the term “neighbor” and to reexamine what they believed about their purpose and responsibilities in the community in which they were living.
Without a doubt the last decade has seen an immense increase in the number of Islamic peoples among the residents in Houston. Their presence represents both one of the biggest opportunities and exposes one of the biggest fears of the church today. How will we respond to our Muslim neighbors: love and friendship, or judgment and avoidance? Maybe we should consider this question first: How would Jesus respond? I offer the following true story as a way of helping us decide: A mentor once told me, “You will inevitably form opinions about an entire people group based upon a personal relationship you have with an individual from that group.” Unfortunately, my first relationship with a Muslim, albeit a distant one, was through a “most wanted” poster I saw for Osama Bin-Laden days after 9/11. My opinion about 1.5 billion people in the aftermath of that horrible day was shaped by a hastily formed first impression. After 9/11, I hated Muslims … until I really met a Muslim personally. His name was Abu Sayeed, or Son of Happiness! We were introduced to one another on a soccer field in Amman, Jordan and we connected instantly over our shared interests: a passionate pursuit for the best hummus in the city and a mutual desire to follow the will of God. Abu Sayeed and I became fast friends. Over the next 10 months my hatred of Muslims turned into respect, at least for one. Just as my mentor had predicted, I began to see Abu Sayeed’s entire people group through the lens of the relationship we were forming. Not only did I come to love him like a brother, but I desperately wanted him to come to know Jesus.
Living missionally may be one of the scariest things we can think of, but it may also be only one of the most rewarding, transformative and impactfull ones. This is the story of Francis Chan as published by Thriving Family Magazine in July/August 2010.
by Michael Ridgeway
Francis Chan is the best-selling author of Crazy Love and Forgotten God and the founding pastor of a much-celebrated megachurch. Yet he and his wife, Lisa, have chosen to live on an income far below what his success could easily provide. He has given the profits from his books to charity and has stopped accepting a salary from the church, supporting his family on whatever income God provides through his speaking engagements.
The Chans and their four children live in a tract house in a modest neighborhood. Despite their tight living quarters, Francis and Lisa have opened their doors to others in need. As many as seven houseguests find shelter under their roof at any given time.
Their countercultural lifestyle isn't some progressive social experiment in low-cost, communal living. Rather, it's a reaction to love. God's love for them. And their love for other people.
Faithwalking website: click here
Faithwalking retreat regisration: click here
Here is a story of transformation:
by Jim Teall,
Open Doors USA.
I have been a Christian for most of my life. I have been on many “retreats” in the past so why would I want to pay to go on another one? Wasn’t I doing okay at the Christian life? I thought so and others around me seemed to agree. But then I happened to be at a luncheon where I heard a speaker who was involved in Faithwalking. Now I have been to hundreds of Bible studies and I have heard hundreds of people speak about the Christian life before so how would this be any different than the rest? And yet it was.
I did not hear a tinge of arrogance from the speaker about how to have a successful walk with Jesus. Instead, I heard tons of authenticity about how to have a transparent, missional community that walks with Jesus together and who together were being transformed while seeking to transform society. An authentic and transformational relationship with Christ and with His people. My soul cried out inside me, "Yes, this is what I want, this is what I need."
by John Blake CNN Read the article at cnn.com: click here
(CNN) -- If you're the parent of a Christian teenager, Kenda Creasy Dean has this warning: Your child is following a "mutant" form of Christianity, and you may be responsible.
Dean says more American teenagers are embracing what she calls "moralistic therapeutic deism." Translation: It's a watered-down faith that portrays God as a "divine therapist" whose chief goal is to boost people's self-esteem.
Dean is a minister, a professor at Princeton Theological Seminary and the author of "Almost Christian," a new book that argues that many parents and pastors are unwittingly passing on this self-serving strain of Christianity.
She says this "imposter'' faith is one reason teenagers abandon churches.
"If this is the God they're seeing in church, they are right to leave us in the dust," Dean says. "Churches don't give them enough to be passionate about."
Healing the Brokenness Brochure: click here
Every community around the world that is experiencing a level of transformation has taken seriously the need to address every kind of social reconciliation, both within the Body of Christ and within their community at large.
Will Willimon, one of the most insightful speakers and writers in Christian circles over the past 20 years, was the Chaplain at Duke University and now serves as a Methodist Bishop in Alabama. He has been a proponent and practitioner of eradicating walls of division in congregations, campuses, communities and cities. Houston has a long ways to go for unity in the Body of Christ to be a reality, and for the "isms" that divide to no longer characterize our city and her citizens.
We're asking you to join us for conversations and prayer at the Healing the Brokenness seminar with Will Willimon on Monday morning, September 13, 8:30am at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church in Houston's historic Fifth Ward.
By Melody D.
Faithwalking Retreat June 2010
"In my walk with Jesus there are times when I have been stuck and cannot see ways to change, so I “commit” to remain the same. As I applied for the Faithwalking retreat, I sensed that the weekend would be a defining point and call me to new life. I was confused, tired of walking ahead of God and living with a root of fear. I was at a miserable place, but did not trust God enough to let go and follow His direction. It was time to stop, and see what He would do if I was truly honest with my pride, lack of trust, unforgiveness and brokenness. Faithwalking reawakened me to the beauty of our faith’s foundation to fully abide in Christ. … Faithwalking spurred me on to pray for a missional community of people with a similar vision of being agents of transformation in communities around the world. God answered and provided such a group! These new friends will be vital to transformation in this faith walk, as we seek to engage in God’s Kingdom work together. I walked away from the retreat with a renewed gratitude for the Lord’s desire to have all of me so that He can work out His purposes."
Faithwalking is creating a community of disciples of Jesus who are being personally transformed and becoming catalysts mobilizing Christians to become the functioning Body of Christ in their homes, neighborhoods, workplaces and 3rd places to serve the poor, the marginalized, and those in need, and to work for the common good and to restore individuals, social systems, communities and nations to God's design.
Registration is now open for October Retreat (Oct. 22-24, 2010)
SAVE THE DATE!!
Week of Prayer for Children and Youth: click here
Healing the Brokenness Brochure: click here
reFresh Brochure: click here
•Week of Prayer for Children & Youth. Aug 15 - 21, 2010
Summit, Aug . 12 | 10:30 am | Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church | Info: click here
To download the Power Point of the Faith Summit click here
•Healing the Brokenness Conference with Bishop Willian Willimon Sept. 13 | 8:30 am | Pleasant Hill Baptist | Brochure: click here •reFresh Houston with Jim Cymbala and Daniel Henderson
Oct. 21 | 8:30 am to 3:30 PM | Hilton Houston Westchase Hotel | Brochure: click here
Flyer: click hereRegister for the Summit: click hereDownload Prayer Guide: click hereDownload Power Point of the Faith Summit: click hereMark your calendar for the 2nd annual Week of Prayer for Our Children and Youth (August 15-21), bringing together Houston for unified and informed prayer for children. The Week of Prayer will make it possible for the Body of Christ to pray in unity whether we are in our prayer closet, at our family devotions, or in our congregations. Across the city, each day we will be praying in an informed way with thousands of other believers. SponsorsWe would love for your organization to become a listed sponsor. To sponsor means two things:
•You agree to put the prayer guide on your web site and ask your constituents to use it (you can modify the prayer guide in any way that fits your congregation as long as you keep the topic assigned for each day on that assigned day)
•You attend The Faith Summit (or if you are not available to send a key representative from your congregation).
Week of Prayer Focus Issues
The seven issues that we will focus on are:
1.Population and Demographics
2.Poverty and Food Insecurity
3.Public Education
4.Human Trafficking
5.Mental Health and Juvenile Justice
6.Childhood Obesity
7.Advocacy Works The Faith SummitTo learn more about each of these issues in preparation for the Week of Prayer for Our Children and Youth please attend the Faith Summit on Thursday, August 12th. This event will be graciously hosted by Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church located at 11612 Memorial Drive Houston, TX 77024-7299.
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