Ripples Conference

Europe is known for movements. Some of the worlds sizable shifts, within the church, happened and began on the stage that Europe has set. Today Europe still holds the memories and is still producing a lasting fruit of what God did even centuries ago.

Masters Commission Europe celebrated their ten year anniversary this past week. It was revered within the annual conference, held in Brussels Belgium, the heart of the European Union. Testimony after testimony could be heard as it echoed the theme of this years gathering, Ripples. So many lives have been transformed by the endeavors and intentional pursuit of God’s calling. It is apparent that God still uses small encounters, like we read in the scriptures, for a global impact. Most of us don’t even see or feel the magnitude of the impact.

Masters Commission Europe has seen 700 students go through 22 programs in 17 different nations. That is what this gathering was about...recognizing the profound impact that one life can make by taking the chance to be different.

It is truly an honor for me to direct The Summons in the midst of this network. I believe what separates these programs from many other training schools is the focus and attention that is paid for the long-term impact by living life together in community; facing “life” as a group of people committed to one another. This is astounding, this is transforming, this is the church that the Holy Spirit intended to see release God’s Kingdom on the earth.

Please watch this video.

hey europe, watch out

this last week masters commission europe held their annual conference. it was especially exciting because it took place right here in brussels, belgium. i can recall the amazing presence of the lord last year, in rome, moving my spirit as i witnessed 200 young people opening their hearts and giving the lord everything they had during worship and intercession. this year it didn’t skip a beat!

young people all across europe and even beyond are recognizing that god is moving in this continent and they are overwhelmingly longing to be a part of it. i have such an opportunity to witness this unfolding right before me.

the students of the summons, were in participation. the great thing about their situation is they have the ability to make a vast impression upon leaders and their peers. many, if not all of the other programs have been functioning for well over 6 months already. the summons has been operating for nearly 3 months and yet the engagement, interaction, and response was a solid reflection of a seasoned individual. this was such an encouragement for me as their director.

there were a few times i witnessed them behave in such a way that only could have been prompted by the holy spirit. i remember sitting in the back observing their responses to the message and just weeping with joy as i knew god was touching them in a deep way.

many times i am excited to impart to young people and hold a special place of attention, it is important for them to lean on a leaders words. there are also moments when i must challenge them to let go of my attention and put into practice what they have been taught, this is biblical. the small request from one student to another for prayer was an awesome example of what god is doing in the student’s hearts. i witnessed them beginning to open up and tearing down the walls that have been built for security and comfort from the rest of the world. the fear of man is breaking!

there wasn’t anyone who got out of a wheel chair, or blind eyes opening, but i did get a glimpse of the potential of Europe and all that these young people are capable of when they completely abandon themselves to their maker.

daniel the cross

its weird to study particular events and find out how to properly respond to them and then actually apply what you study. as i was discussing my counseling and calling with someone today i began to realize what little things were placed in my path to increase my desire for the counseling profession. one thing that led to another and before you i knew it i was faced with the decision to actually pursue it as my personal calling.

a few weeks ago there was a young man who was living in amsterdam as a student in masters commission amsterdam noord. he, along with the other members of the team, went to moldova to do some missions work and serve one of the missionaries there. upon the return of the group he had some trouble re-entering the european union. he was from the united states and therefore had some visa issues and the officials at the border simply would not allow him in. his only option was to fly back to moldova to stay with the missionaries that hosted them. while there in moldova he had decided to take a shower in hopes that the steam would help relieve symptoms of a head cold. he had steamed the room so full that there had been an issue with his breathing and apparently he passed out and suffocated, all this according to the examiner. completely random to us finite individuals and an accident, but make no mistake god was fully aware.

needless to say, this traumatic event emotionally rocked the students. there was a much needed break from the regular routine and activity. because of our (ninth hour) close relationship with the director of the school we were able to minister to the group while they stayed in brussels. during their stay we led worship, taught, ministered, prophesied, and counseled the students through the week. it was very unfortunate in the reason they had to come to brussels but in this experience we came alive. the lord did some amazing things through the team as we ministered to the students.

particularly, i was able to apply those very things that i had learned in my studies to be a counselor in the states. one of the sessions i wanted to do was a grief sharing moment for the group as a whole (the group dynamic is essential to the exercise). this was a time that the students could share memories and thoughts about the young man who had passed. this proved to be very healing for most of them. there was not a quiet moment as the students reflected on first encounters and random thoughts that the young man had while interacting with the students. it was as if they could relive those times of getting to know him and they truly convinced me this guy was someone that left a positive mark on everyone who encountered him.

i came alive as i felt the healing anointing of the holy spirit in these moments with the students. the great thing is that i received some of this healing as well as god reminded me of the hunger he gave me many moons ago for individuals to live and walk through tough times yet allow god to actually grow their faith in him.

the students have been enormously encouraged throughout this last month and i was so happy to be apart of the journey. i am trying to make this as encouraging as i can while not just skimming over the fact that a well loved and magnificent individual has passed on to the place his soul was longing. paul, to the church in corinth, exhorts that "if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from god, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. for indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling in heaven...having put it on we will not be found naked" (2 cor. 5:1-3).

the director was able to go back to the states for a few days to take part in the memorial service. the parents, who are committed believers, had been talking with him about how they have been walking through this difficult time. the director of the school, upon talking with the parents, comforted them with the idea that after entering into god's presence as their son has, he truly would want that more than anything else in the world. i can only imagine how such an experience would be so great that we would be willing to not come back, if we had the option. being in god's presence is truly an AMAZING place to be. i recommend you spend all the time you can on this earth, here and now, in his presence.

have this attitude

i can't get over how great the participation was at the conference this last week. nathan, jon, and i went to be consultants in sound and lighting at the masters commission conference in rome and there was such an amazing testimony to how humility crushes religion.

upon arriving in rome, we were told that the main auditorium would not be available for us to use. instead, we were to use a smaller room down below the main room. this was not what was previously arranged, but we humbly said ok we can do that.

upon seeing the lighting rig that was being brought in the pastor told us that he was going to invite his board/elders to the first night and if we did anything "inappropriate" we would not be able to continue our conference at his facility. we heard the word "disco-tech" peppered throughout the conversation (in italian). we said ok we will not go overboard.

we were told that we could not play any music that would prompt people to want to dance before the service and after. we said ok we will not play that music.

we were told that our original plan to set up on tuesday night was not possible because they had a service in our meeting room (which they failed to inform us) and that we could not set up until the day of the conference, which gave us very little time. thankfully we were experienced in flexibility and moments of little to no time for set-up. we said ok we can do that.

the night of the conference opening, the church had a service in their main auditorium and they started at 7:30pm. we were told we could not start until they were done and we had to be finished by 10pm. we knew this was next to impossible but our response did not echo our frustration and instead we honored his request.

much of what we were brought in to the conference to do was now almost completely diminished. we felt handcuffed in doing anything with a "spirit of excellence." but we knew that we wanted and needed to respect the pastor and his authority.

with the tension of the elders and the board all there the opening night what better way to show our frustration then to publicly from the microphone request all the students to show their support for the pastor by thanking him with applause for allowing us to be there and use his 50 million euro facility. we brought them up before the service started and honored him in front of everyone in attendance. the worship began, the praise resounded, the prayers were loud, and the hearts of 150 young men and women gave a beautiful illustration of the next generations hunger for the living god. so what were we going to hear the next morning from the pastor...

a humbling apology for his attitude towards the whole project. he genuinely felt terrible and apologized not once, not twice, but many times over the course of the next few days. he even told his staff to stop bothering him with every little thing they thought inappropriate and gave us full permission to do "whatever we wanted" throughout the remainder of the conference. in fact, after the first night he and his elders were taking pictures and asking for the contact information for the lighting company that rented us the gear. i had asked the guys who brought the equipment if they had ever rented this stuff to a church and they said "no." consequently, now, there is a connection with them that i know will re-shape a perspective of how church can be done on both fronts. it blows my mind what humility can accomplish. completely opposite to what the flesh says should be done about meeting opposition. i am still on this wonderful high of god's amazing good news which is all about humility.

philippians 2:3-5 says this...

do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each one of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also the interests of others. have this attitude in yourselves which was also in christ jesus...