Today brings a rainy end to an action-packed week here in Maryland. Tropical storm Ida has made its way to us and combined with a “noreaster” is packing a punch that is soaking the area. That makes for a great day to be inside and posting my latest entry online about what’s been happening in this most recent week.
Ron Sylvia, founding pastor of Church at the Springs in Ocala, Florida, highlights the week for me. Ron was with us Sunday at our Annual Meeting and did an outstanding job with both the planters at their banquet and in the general session as a keynote speaker. Ron spoke on “God is good…but He’s not Safe,” emphasizing the need to be Kingdom risktakers and sacrificial in the service of our lives. Ron will show up here again in the future as I have the opportunity to dialogue with him about the effectiveness of his ministry with NEXT Coaching Networks. You can visit that website and download a number of free resources by clicking here.
Today our Church Multiplication Team held its first virtual online meeting via Tokbox ™. This is an incredible tool that will host up to twenty participants at a time with visual as well as audio connection…and all at NO COST! Registration is required, but if you attempting group meetings where participants are scattered at a distance, then this is a viable solution. Our experience left much room for improvement, but all in all we were pleased with the website and I recommend it to you as well. I know planters who meet with multiple partners or prayer warriors this way. Click here to go to their site and register to use it in the days ahead.
What was Jesus’ mother’s real name? Seems simple, doesn’t it? This question, though–and others–may stump you in the recently released Bible quiz posted in one of the religion articles on USA Today. Check it out here and see how well you know your Bible.
Few people I know exemplify the priority and lifestyle of “evangelism” like my friend, Frank Shelton. He is a passionate advocate for Jesus and a huge supporter of church planting. Living in the Washington, D.C. area but traveling the world, Frank has a storied life of connections and relationships with Presidents and Celebrities alike. He writes a blog “Frankly Speaking” and has recently published a book entitled “Final Approach” that is available on Amazon. Check him out and enlist him to come to your church or to assist you in evangelism as you minister in the months ahead.
Picture of the Week
Here’s a picture of Jesus, made from LEGO’s, that came through my Twitter feed recently. It never ceases to amaze me how enamored the culture is with our Lord!
Finally, this is to LAST Call for those of you who may be interested in joining my Dad, Jimmy Jackson, and me for our planned tour to the Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany, and the surrounding region, including Austria, the Czech Republic and northern 
Germany, too. We will travel there in September, 2010, with the focal point being participation at the once-every-decade Passion Play. We will also visit Wittenberg, site of Martin Luther’s most significant moment in history, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, of discipleship fame, lived during the days of World War II until his imprisonment. Send me a comment below if you are interested in knowing more about this tour and I will send you a .pdf file with all the details pertaining to itinerary and costs. We hope you’ll join us for this historic event.
Could i please see your brochure? We went in 2000, however I would like to go back again!