we're entering the challenge phase

Our GO! campaign officially launched on August 25, but went 'underground' for a couple of weeks while I was in Africa and the Middle East. We've now completed 3 consecutive weekend's of explaining further WHY we're GOing, and hopefully everyone reading this is now fully onboard with our vision for the future of CLC!

Please don't miss the next 4 weekends (or get the podcast or CD if you can't be physically present) as we'll explore WHERE we're GOing: before the Lord; beyond ourselves, and to the ends!

I think it will be 4 of the most exciting and challenging weekends in our history, and we're pulling out all the stops to communicate with excellence through drama, video, music and teaching. Our BEST days are ahead of us, CLC, so get on board and let's GO!

it's a new season

No, I'm not talking about the Bears with Brian Griese calling the signals, although it's gotta be an improvement.

I'm talking about the first Wednesday for Heart 2 Heart, Men's Fraternity and Consumed Student Ministries tonight - it was off the charts!

We had the largest attendance of ladies ever; the largest group of students in recent history; and a great group of guys out for the opening session. CLC, we're not GOing a moment too soon - this is our season of favor!

In fact, after our MF session tonight, I heard a testimony that one of our Hispanic brothers had asked his boss to re-arrange his work schedule so he could attend the new Hispanic service at 9am on Sundays (a recent switch from the Friday night service) and his boss said, "No, we can't do that for you.....but I tell you what I will do. I'm giving you a promotion instead - so you won't work weekends anymore, and you'll get a raise in pay!"

Invite everyone you know to come and GO with us!

it worked!

Even I'm amazed at this one....I wrote here on Monday morning and less than 48 hours later, I read this.

On behalf of all BEARS fans everywhere, thanks, Lovie, for reading and heeding!

Watch out, Detroit!

Monday morning reflections

I always intend to do this post on Sunday night, but after 3 weekend services and 4 GO! dessert meetings, plus an incident with a wolf-attack on poor little Pedro last night, I didn't even feel like logging on until now.

At any rate, we had a GREAT day at CLC, with the highest total attendance I ever remember for a 'normal' weekend - 1,646! The breakdown was 1,304 in Tinley, 214 in Shorewood and 128 in South Bend! And the reports from each campus indicate a great response to our "GO, Everyone!" (or "YouGo") message, with momentum building as we begin our 40 Days of Prayer and Fasting this week.

If you haven't already signed up to serve on a GO! team (and received your free designer T-shirt), it's not too late! You can also get all the info here. After the great weekend, we should all have a great week, even while fasting!

Oh, just one more thing:

Lovie, if you're reading this, do us all a favor, and put Rex out of his misery.....c'mon Griese!

WHY did God say, ASK!?

If you haven't yet read my last post, do that now.

I noticed one more thing in my devotional reading - verse 7 contains one of those 'time words' that are so important in Scripture. Did you see it? It says "on that night..."

So curious minds want to know, WHY did God appear to Solomon on that night to invite him to ASK? The answer is found in the previous verse, 2Chronicles 1:6

Now do you see?

The greatest act of worship during Old Testament times was known as a 'whole burnt offering', when, unlike the regular sacrifices and offerings that Israel brought to the Lord, in which both the people and the priests were allowed to eat some of the meat and enjoy a good meal for themselves, the whole burnt offering meant that the entire animal was offered by fire to God. Everything was given to the Lord, and nothing remained for the people. To offer one animal in that way was a high act of worship and devotion.

But Solomon offered 1,000 of those sacrifices in one day! That's what I call lavish worship! He went WAY beyond the norm....way beyond the expected.....way beyond what other worshippers did....way beyond what the Law required....he gave God extravagant praise!

And on that night God appeared to him and insisted, ASK!

These next 40 days at CLC is not just about denying ourselves in sacrificial fasting - it's a great opportunity for us to offer to God the most extravagant, lavish worship ever!

Would you join me? GO! with me, before God's throne, beyond anything that you've done before....beyond anything that might be expected of you, and give Him the lavish praise He's worthy of.

And don't be surprised if He invites you to ASK!

ASK!

In my devotional reading yesterday I came to passage in 2Chronicles 1 where Solomon asked God for wisdom and understanding in order to lead Israel, rather than the riches, fame, and long life that most of us would have been tempted to ask for. But something else jumped off the page at me in the NKJV that I was reading here.

Did you see it, too? God said to Solomon, ASK!

I believe that's one of those rhema words to me and to CLC during this GO! campaign. I mean, God not only asked Solomon to ask; He insisted. With exclamation!

Doesn't the Scripture say that we don't have because we don't ask? (James 4:2)

CLC, I challenge you during our 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting that begins this week to ASK! As Bishop Garlington instructed us last week, the time to ask for rain is when it's rainy season....the time to ask for favor is during this season of favor that we're in right now!

And IF you truly want to hear from the Lord as to what He wants you to do about GO!, then ASK! (You've got a promise about that, too!)

organized for excellence

This past week I had two separate conversations with new CLCers who told me they were just so impressed with the organization of our ministry, and the excellence with which we do things here. (Yes, staff: it was all I could do to keep from laughing both times, as we know how far we have to go in both regards :-)

At any rate, it was especially interesting to me to hear those observations from new attendees, not only because that IS one of our core values and genuine desires for everything we do at CLC, but specifically because of one of my Bible readings – actually on the same day as the conversations – from 1Chronicles 27:25-30.

Now, it may seem like so much dull detail to you, but I was struck first by how well-organized David’s kingdom was – I mean having specific individuals responsible for specific details – everyone knowing their job and authority and the parameters of their job descriptions is a beautiful thing.

But then I was especially struck by Jehdeiah from Meronoth. Did you notice his job? He was in charge of the donkeys. Think about it:

1. I’ll bet your job is already sounding better!

2. What does it mean to be ‘in charge of’ the donkeys? Does anybody really tell a donkey what to do? Isn’t that kinda like herding cats?

3. For all of you in ministry (not just pastors, but really ANY ministry position), have you ever felt you were in charge of the donkeys?

4. Before you get too carried away about your “donkey experiences”, may I point out that sometimes you and I are the donkeys! (Yep, I said it! I know I’ve been guilty more than once :-)

So the next time you’re feeling like your ministry position isn’t what you signed up for, and maybe you don’t appreciate the people God has given you to work with, just remember Jehdeiah and smile – ‘cause even the donkeys need to be organized, and somebody has got to be responsible for them!

back online

Can't believe it's been 9 days since I've posted - my only excuse is that the GO! campaign has taken over my life! But I do know that there's such a thing as just being too busy! (Maybe that's what this post should be about, because I suspect that 'illness' affects my readers as much as it affects me.)

At any rate, I've got a lot of catching up to do, so I'll reel off a series of smaller posts over the next few days - hope you enjoy.

Meanwhile, CLCers, get ready to GO FAST! We begin our 40 days of Prayer & Fasting on either Monday or Tuesday (somehow both dates got advertised, but either day you begin, you'll still complete your fast before the OneFamily Celebration on November 4 at the Tinley Convention Center.) I'm already mourning the loss of sweets and Diet Coke (technically, all soft drinks) and popcorn for the entire time - but I know it's gonna be good for me, and help me hear from the Lord about GO!

recovering and gearing up for another run...

Jetlag hit me pretty hard yesterday, along with whatever 'bug' Chris may have passed along, but today I'm starting to feel human again. I've actually forced myself to stay home the last 2 days, rather than jumping right back into the office while feeling so puny.

However, I've got to tell you how pumped I am about what's coming up, as we spend the next 3 weekends of September explaining "Why We are GOing". I am so convinced that CLC is right now in a season of favor, just as Bishop Garlington preached to us last night, and that our GO! campaign is beginning precisely when the Lord intended.

So, talk to every CLCer you know and encourage them to be here (actually, at any of our 3 campuses - the message will be identical) this weekend, as we get serious about GO!

Also, Chris and I are SO looking forward to spending time with as many of you as possible, in smaller social settings that will enable us to share the vision of GO, answer questions, and hear your heart, too - so if/when you receive an invitation to a dessert gathering or GO party, please do whatever is necessary to accept the invite and spend that time with us!

I promise you: this weekend is gonna be good!

Coming home!

My reputation around the CLC office (well-deserved, I might) is that I'm always ready to be home before scheduled. Couldn't tell you how many times I've skipped out on final session of a conf & flown standby just to get home a few hours early.

But also can't tell you how glad I am to be awaiting final take-off before Chicago! Not only is 2 weeks away a LONG time in my book, but Chris got violently ill during the night, with every flu-like symptom imaginable. She's miserable, and I'm miserable for her.
But the gate's about to close now, and in 12 hours we'll be home, sweet home! (well, at least O'Hare) see you tomorrow night with Bishop Garlington!
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Assignment completed!

Just got back to our hotel, and with the 8 hours difference in time, the first of our Sunday morning worship celebrations is beginning at CLC Tinley Park as I type this. But Chris and I completed our 'assignment' for this missions' trip a little while ago by doing a 'tag-team' sermon at the Ankara church where our friends, Ihsan and Cigdem Ozbek are pastors.

All in all, I feel this trip was very profitable for further developing the relationship that we've begun with the Ozbek's, as well as beginning some friendships with other workers here. We definitely sense that Turkey is a major assignment for CLC in this season of our ministry, and the need here is simply mind-boggling: 70 million people in the country, and only about 3,000 born-again Christians! Selah - let that sink in for a moment.

The rejection and outright persecution here is beyond anything we Americans can even relate to, as the Malatya murders a few months ago certainly confirmed. In fact, this afternoon enroute to the hotel, Chris asked Ihsan what the general public's reaction to the murders has been, and he quickly replied, "that we deserved it"!

I hope that you will take time to join us in praying for the Turkish church - as smaller as she is and as much as she's been 'beaten-up' this year, we nonetheless believe that God has some big things in store for this entire land where so much of the New Testament took place. (Did you know that all 7 of the 'churches of Asia' in Revelation were located here? Or that Noah's ark rested on a mountaintop here? Or that Paul established churches here, including one of the largest in all of New Testament history?)

Our 'assignment' really won't be complete until our prayers of "Do it again, Lord" are answered in this place - but for now, I'm ready to be home and back to work at CLC!

Hope to see you Tuesday night with Bishop Garlington!

don't dare miss this

Just a quick shout out about this Tuesday & Wednesday, September 11-12, when Bishop Joseph Garlington will be our guest at CLC. If you've never heard Bishop, you simply MUST come, and if you have heard him before, I know you already WANT to come!

Both services will begin at 7pm rather than our normal 7:30, so he has plenty of time to minister and we still won't be too late on a school night. Can't wait to see you there!

Ummmmm, GOOD!

Those of you who know me who I like to eat. (Now, that's an understatement!) My wife often laughs at how important food is to me - I'm already wondering what's for dinner while still enjoying lunch.

At any rate, this entire missions trip has not exactly been a culinary delight, if you catch my drift. Even the Turks were complaining this week, saying everything at the resort buffet tasted exactly the same - whether it was beef, chicken or fish - no real taste to any of it!

So today after arriving at our hotel, and knowing we were 'on our own' all day as our hosts were occupied elsewhere, I decided to spy out the land to see what was available for lunch. Since the hotel menu was exorbitant by my standards, I left Chris in our room and took a walk down the block. I eventually stumbled into what appeared to be a Turkish 'chain' restaurant in the city center, but there was one problem -- they didn't speak any English, and I don't speak any Turkish!

Fortunately, they produced a menu with pictures, and I selected a couple of entrees that appeared safe...then did my best pantomine of wrapping the order 'to carryout', and sat down at a table to wait. I got really uncomfortable when one of the workers started bringing platter after platter to my table and wrapping them up in aluminum foil -- I just knew there had been a big miscommunication and I was going to be stuck with a huge bill and enough food to feed me & Chris for a week!

But I was mistaken - for soon the worker reappeared with just two small bags of food wrapped to go, and I paid the bill and headed back to our room. (Never did figure out who those platters on my table were for!)

When Chris & I tasted the kebabs a few minutes later, it was simply the most delicious lunch we've had in ages! Incredibly tasty! I mean, world-class GOOD!

I'm still ready for Chicago (just about 36 hours 'til departure as I type this), but I must admit, I'm also looking forward to dinner in just a little while -- from the same place! Ummmmm!

God's Timing

It's always neat to see how God's timing is always better than ours! I fırst saw this on a tiny scale by the fact that the conference in Turkey was actually a much-less demanding schedule than the track Chris & I have both been on at home for the past several weeks, so other than jet lag, we both had a chance this week to catch our breath & get ready for the next flurry of activity once we return to Chicago.

On a much more important scale, though, was seeing how God orchestrated events for the Turkish church. As I've mentioned before, we felt so inadequate to address the deep hurt & rejection the believers here are dealing with, particularly in the aftermath of the Malatya murders earlier this year. However, the main speaker for this conf. (Chris & I taught sessions for women & men during the day) was Dr. Leslie Keegel, the head of the Foursquare denomination in Sri Lanka, and a wonderful man of God whom we were privileged to meet here.

Since the Church in Sri Lanka has undergone persecution on even a more severe scale than the Church in Turkey, he was able to speak to these precious believers from experience and with authority, getting right to the heart of what they needed to hear!

Want to know what's really neat about that? Pastor Ihsan told us this morning enroute to our flight to Ankara where we will minister in his Sunday service tomorrow that he had actually invited Dr. Leslie on several previous occasions, but he was never able to get it on his schedule, until this conf. - just a few months after the most difficult crisis the Turkish Church has ever experienced. In fact, Ihsan said had Leslie come any earlier, his ministry would not have had impact like this at all! How good God is, to come through with exactly what we need, at precisely the time we need it!

Have you ever experienced something similar, when God's timing was unmistakeable? Please share it with us here - I'd love to hear your stories of God's timing.

Turkish conf, day one

Our first sessions seemed to go quite well, as we both had lots of positive comments & genuine connections afterwards.

Believe it or not, that's the main thing I struggle w/at all int'l ministry: will I be able to connect & will the teaching be truly relevant here? As much as I feel called to do this, I'm never sure & don't want to take for granted - so it's always a joy to know later that the Word "hit the mark".

Please continue to pray: this conf. Includes at least 4 co-workers of the recent martyrs from Malatya, including one who was locked outside listening to the screams while his best friend was murdered inside. It has been incredibly difficult for this small network of churches & some are understandably angry & bitter. Pray that we will be able to facilitate healing & being much-needed encouragement.
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Turkey...

Chris & I are no longer 'separated' (wonder what gossip that may start?) - we met in Istanbul yesterday & then flew to Antalya, on the Mediterranean Sea, where we were met by our hosts, pastors Ihsan & Cigdem Ozbek.

Those of you who've expressed concern for our 'pace' will be glad to know that we've done nothing today except relax, since the conf. Opens tonight with Ihsan's message & we don't speak until tomorrow.

In fact, I just returned from a 'first' - a real Turkish bath! Don't know that I'll ever do it again, but was it different! (part of my 'lion-chasing' is to try new things, so when they poured the bucket of cold water over my head after some warm suds; well, it was definitely a NEW experience!)

We don't have internet access here, so I may not blog often since my thumbs are challanged by this BB keyboard - keep praying & I'll see you w/Bishop Garlington on 9/11 - invite someone to join you!
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Arggh!

Frustration on the last leg: a gate agent forced me to check my carry-on bag, even though its never been too large on ANY flight I've taken EVER. Since I never know how much to "push" overseas & I certainly never want to be the stereotypical "ugly American", I complied.

But moments after I checked the bag I realized I had left both my Bible & a fascinating book I'm reading inside, so I'm left with nothing to read on the 3 hour flight to meet Chris in Istanbul.

Well, at least I can tell you: run, do not walk to your nearest bookstore to get your copy of "Mavericks at Work". I've hardly been able to put it down today & if it inspires you like it has me, its well worth the price & your time! (BTW, its a business book, but its principles are revelatory for modern-day "sons of Isaachar". Guess I'll just have to wait to finish it.....
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highlight of my trip to Nigeria

This was a 'treat' not only because it was unplanned by me, but also because of its significance to both me & CLC. Dr. Yomi Akintorin has been an incredible blessing to me on this entire trip, watching over me like a guardian angel since this was my first visit to Nigeria. However, today he needed to visit his family here, since he had been unable to see them during our entire trip, so Charles Bavelloni picked me up at the hotel to be my companion for the final day and get me to the airport for my departure flight tonight.

The special treat was that Charles took me to the international office of Calvary Ministries (CAPRO), the Nigerian-based missions agency with which we have partnered in Senegal for the past 7 years, and for whom we'll be building the Bible school facility in Passy, Senegal as part of our GO! campaign. I had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the International Director, Amos Aderonmu, who I immediately sensed is a true man of God. Amos was so gracious to me, and his heart for missions and the unreached peoples of the Muslim world is incredible! I honestly felt honored and humbled just to be in his presence.

Even more special is that he discussed with me how CLC can partner with CAPRO in an even more-special way: they are already incorporated in the USA (guess where: in Illinois!) and want to open an office in the States to help mobilize American Christians for missions in Africa and the Muslim world -- and they're going to base that office at CLC!!!

I had been reading THIS in my morning devotions prior to the drive to CAPRO, and it hit me so forcibly: how privileged I am - in fact, how privileged we are - that we get to serve Christ by telling others the Good News - and help get that Good News to the Nations!

Wow, CLC - God is up to some really big things for us - far bigger than anything that I've ever dreamed or planned for! I can't wait to see what He's going to do next - but I guess I'll have to, because the Conference for Pastors Ihsan & Cigdem in Turkey is also significant to them and to CLC, for our future partnership in that vital nation that must be reached.

I URGE you to do whatever you have to do to be present on September 11-12 when Bishop Garlington is with us at CLC - there's no telling what may happen because of the season of favor that we're in!

leaving Nigeria.....with 2 special treats!

I'm posting this blog from inside a relaxing, air-conditioned Executive Lounge for Lufthansa airlines at the Lagos International Airport - and I didn't purchase a Business Class or First Class ticket. In fact, I don't even know why I was invited in - the check-in agent simply gave me a yellow card along with my boarding pass, and after I passed thru security, I decided to take a closer look to see what it was - and I happened to be standing in front of the lounge at the time!

If you've not traveled internationally, you have no idea what a treat this is - instead of trying to kill a few hours before boarding in a congested waiting area with no air conditioning or comfortable chairs, I'm one of only 2 people in this entire lounge, surrounded by lots of soft chairs, internet access (obviously, since you're reading this), free snacks, and (are you ready for this) - diet Coke! Life doesn't get much better than this!

I'll save the second 'treat' for another post, because I don't want to be too long with this...

God does answer your prayers!

I didn't blog about this earlier, because I didn't know the full story until a little while ago: yesterday afternoon, shortly before we left for the Sunday evening service I was scheduled to preach in Lagos, Dr. Yomi had a 'nudge' from the Holy Spirit about us going, and possible danger. He immediately stopped what he was doing and prayed for God's protection and intervention for us and our travels through the incredibly congested streets of the city that night.

No problems going to church - in fact, the traffic was much lighter than the night before. I preached and prayed for those who responded, and we headed back to our hotel. Then, about halfway there, the driver of the car loaned to us by one of Yomi's dear friends became agitated, and informed Dr. Yomi that the clutch had gone out on the car, meaning he could only continue driving in one gear. To make matters worse, this happened on a very long bridge that connects "Lagos Island" to the mainland of Nigeria, and I learned today that this stretch of road can be very dangerous for breakdowns, because of criminals who pass thru that area. We managed to continue driving in one gear for probably over an hour before the car finally died about 4-5 blocks from our hotel!

Dr. Yomi quickly summoned a driver from the hotel to pick me up while he remained with the car until a friend arrived, but I didn't learn the whole story until today. I know this was only an answer to prayers - not only Yomi's, but also those of CLCers who no doubt prayed for me on Sunday morning, just a few hours prior to the incident. Thank you & thank God for His grace!

Charles & Mary Bavelloni

Another encouragement I received yesterday was the chance to again see Charles Bavelloni's entire family, as his wife Mary and sons Harvest & David (my, how they've grown!) visited the service at Guiding Light Assembly. CLCers will remember Charles from his several visits to our Missions Conferences and the six or seven years that we partnered together in Senegal, where he was the missionary field leader for CAPRO, a Nigerian-based missions agency.

Today Charles is to take me to the CAPRO international office here in Lagos where I'll have a chance to meet the president and their office staff and bring them a brief exhortation before heading on the airport and the next leg of my journey. I'll fly to Frankfurt, Germany overnight before connecting with another flight there to take me to Istanbul to meet my wife - and I can't wait to see her again!

Together we'll then fly to Antalya where the conference will be held for our friends, Pastors Ihsan & Cigdem Ozbek. CLCers, please continue to pray for us and I'll post again from Turkey.

encouragement from Lagos!

Sunday afternoon, 9/2/07: don't be fooled by the title - I'm really not writing about a messagement of encouragement from me in Lagos to you (even though I always hope this blog is encouraging; the Lord knows there are enough negative words flying around, even on the internet!)

Actually, I have to tell you how encouraged I was by my experience here in Lagos this morning. I visited Dr. Yomi's home church, Guiding Light Assembly, the congregation in which he & Mope were married (in fact, I heard today from his pastor that theirs was the first wedding performed in the congregation after it started). At any rate, this wonderful congregation is today pastored by one of Yomi's dear friends, Wale Adefarasin (think 'Pastor Wally') and his lovely wife. Their church occupies some incredibly prime real estate in one of the most exclusive areas of Lagos - in fact, just the fact that a church is allowed to be there is a miracle in itself. Besides that, they have erected a beautiful building with seating for more than 2,000 in the main auditorium, with several floors of classrooms, offices and ministry space besides. All in all, it reminded me of what we need and want at CLC!

Before the service even began, Pastor Wale related how God has worked one miracle after another in providing the funds for their construction - and the fact that they are paying cash as they build - they are completely free of debt!

I thoroughly enjoyed the joyous worship and sweet fellowship and the opportunity to share God's Word with his people, but mostly I left the service today saying to myself, "Do it again, Lord!" I know that God doesn't play favorites, and if HE can do it in Lagos, Nigeria, then He can do it in Chicagoland! CLC, let's GO!

writing in my future???

I've mentioned this in another blog recently, but again this week I've had several comments to suggest that I should give consideration to some writing projects. One that I heard repeatedly at the FLSC in Akwanga had to do with the same theme of "Team Ministry" (husbands and wives working together as a team to accomplish more than they could separately). I shared that teaching at the conference, and heard over-and-over again from various pastors how it had opened their eyes to seeing their wife as never before.

It's a message that I do feel passionate about, knowing how blessed I am with a wife who is truly my partner in ministry - and it's also a message that The Church needs to hear, since women are still discriminated against in ministry, at least in many parts of the world.

The latest comments came from my travelling companion on this trip (what a blessing he's been!), Dr. Yomi Akintorin, who serves with his wife, Mope, as one of our elders at CLC. He reminded me after service last night of the lasting and far-reaching effects of the printed page, and encouraged me to share some of my teachings in that format.

What do you think? I guess this blog is even one way that I can do that. Are you finding benefit from reading? Do you feel writing would be a worthy investment of my time? I'd really like to know what CLCers think, so click on 'comment' and let me know here.

never the half has been told....

Saturday, September 1: Lagos, Nigeria.

We arrived here after the short flight from Nigeria's capital, Abuja, and almost immediately I witnessed what I had been warned about numerous times: traffic in Lagos!

I don't know why I'm blogging about it, because, trust me, there are NO words to describe the absolute chaos and congestion on the streets of Lagos - and seemingly, at any hour of day or night! Today I was to preach a special meeting at a local church here, and the drive from our hotel to the church should have taken about 30 minutes. Instead, I sat in the back seat of a car, listening to the blare of horns and seeing the snorts of diesel exhaust and watching the teeming masses of Nigerians who continued going about their business, for almost 3 hours! And this was on a Saturday, not rush-hour traffic during the workweek! Even the trip back to our hotel after service took 2 hours!

Unless you've experienced it, you just can't imagine or comprehend it. All in all, I spent 5 hours in the car, to preach a 30-minute sermon. Sure hope my Nigerian hosts received some benefit!

testimonies from the pastor's conference

Friday, August 31 - the FLSC in Akwanga, Nigeria closed today, and, as always, I was wondering if we had effectively 'hit the mark' with the pastors who had gathered. (I always am concerned in these settings with whether we're truly 'connecting' and if our teachings are practical and relevant to the pastors in a developing nation). One of our hosts who served as our driver during the conference made some comments that answered my concerns:

1. As we arrived at the conference for the final sessions, he offered that the 'proof' that the attendees are being blessed is that by today, the 3rd and final day of the meetings, if they were not finding the conference a real blessing, they would have already left! He said, "you could not tie them down - they would have already been gone to do more important things!" But when we arrived at 8am, over 1,200 pastors were already seated and patiently waiting for us to begin.

2. Later, he shared with me that his uncle, an elderly pastor of many year's in ministry, had told him that he simply had "no words" to describe the Front Line Shepherd's Conference - because in all his years of ministry he had never experienced anything like it!

That's why I'm glad to be a part of the ministry of Global Advance. Sure, the inconveniences of foreign travel and all that goes with it can be difficult (especially for a spoiled American like me), but it's worth everything to know that these courageous national pastors, who are the 'hidden heroes' of the Gospel as they labor under difficult conditions, often with little formal training or education, are receiving the encouragement and the tools to help them be more effective in their work for the Lord!

Thanks, CLC, for enabling me to fulfill this part of my calling!

the 'back row' deserves a chance to receive, too

Thursday, Aug. 30 - Saw something today I’ll never forget: we were over halfway through our “FrontLine Shepherd’s Conference” in Akwanga, Nigeria, teaching church growth and missions principles to about 1,200 hungry Nigerian pastors, when a lady stood up in the aisle near the back of the auditorium and started shrieking something in a language I didn’t understand. I looked around at some of the leaders near me, but no one seemed to know what was going on. Then other voices joined hers, and for a moment I thought a real fight was going to break out among some angry pastors. What was the problem?

Just before she started screaming, one of the leaders had begun distributing some literature and missions magazines to the front two rows across the auditorium, which meant only about 50 of the 1200 present were getting anything. The folks in the back (led by the shrieking lady) were complaining loudly to protest.

Then the Missions director explained that all of this was ‘staged’ – to make his point: that the vast majority of all Christian resources are being spent on the tiny percentage of us who have already heard the Gospel, while those who have never heard receive almost nothing!

Wow – I’ve been stirred by mission’s appeals for over 35 years, but this was different, seeing it before my eyes – the Nigerian’s brought to life just how unfair it is for those of us in the USA to keep hearing the Gospel again and again, via radio, TV, internet, Christian periodicals and books, cassette tapes and CD’s (the list goes on), while there are still people in our world, millions of them, who have never even one time heard!

That’s WHY we can’t put missions on a back-burner at CLC, even while we pursue a larger place to house our ministries – it just wouldn’t be right. And the memory of that lady's screams, and the anger of the crowd, is still ringing in my ears tonight, hours later. Imagine how it will be in judgment when the nations are gathered before the Lord! CLC, we must work while we can, to help see the Great Commission truly become the Great Completion, as this Gospel is preached to every nation and tongue. Even the back row deserves a chance to receive!

Spoiled Americans...

Tuesday, Aug. 28: There’s a first for everything, I guess. At least my first day in the country of Nigeria worked out that way. It was one of those “comedy of errors” travel experiences that I’ll entertain my kids and grandkids with someday:

• First, since we landed in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria that is about 90 minutes by car from the conference site, and there was another speaker arriving a little later, our hosts took us to the nicest hotel in the city and we checked in, misunderstanding that they thought we wanted to spent the night to get some rest before going to the conf. later. Except that the rooms were priced at about $400/night, and we weren’t going to stay all night anyway. So we went thru the drama of explaining to hotel management that we weren’t staying after all and needed our charge revoked.
• Next, since the other speaker’s flight was delayed, we were taken to a local bishop’s home to freshen up from the 24-hours of travel since leaving O’Hare – but the house had little plumbing, so it was only a (cold) makeshift shower – welcome to missions!
• The expected 2-hour wait stretched into almost 5-hours, but jetlag had kicked in by this time, so I was particularly bothered by the delay, if you know what I mean.
• Finally, we drove to the conf. site in Akwanga, only to learn that there had been a miscommunication, and the hotel was not available for the first night. Instead we were housed as the first guests in another (new) hotel that had not yet opened to the public. I soon learned why, as there was no running water and (in my room) no lights at all. It was a very interesting night.
• About 5:30am I went out to find the owner, which resulted in waking virtually our entire party, just to get me switched to a different room that at least had lights (still no plumbing). A few hours later we were off for the opening session of the conf.
  

All in all, it made me realize (again) how spoiled we Americans are – or at least, I am.
It’s somewhat embarrassing to realize how believers in other parts of the world are serving the Lord zealously in conditions that would probably stop most of us dead in our tracks, even when sometimes it’s just creature-comforts we’ve become accustomed to – like running water and hot showers. Help us, Lord!