We’re into our 3rd week now with Club 180.  The first week we hosted the pizza night – then from there invited students to come Wednesday evenings at the Cafe.  Our goal is to lift up the glorious gospel and pray the Holy Spirit awakens hearts to respond –  lives revolutionized with God’s purpose.

Last week we shared about the condition of every heart and sin.  This week we talked about the prison of guilt and the free gift of forgiveness in Christ.  Everyone was attentive, I felt the grace of God and His presence in the room.  God is working, please continue to pray.

What I long to see is a generation that catches fire with the love of God.  I long to be around new believers that can’t ‘not’ share the great gospel, and look for creative means to break into peoples lives with it.   This is the kind of generation my heart sees in prayer.  I see it in Ukraine, I see it in Russia, and next week as we travel to Belarus I pray God opens our eyes to some of what He is doing there as well.

I couldn’t sleep last night with these desires flooding my veins.   We need to see disciple makers raised.  It’s easy to raise watchers, those that come to meetings and feel part of a comfortable Christian sub-culture.  When I think of ‘church’ planting, too often the ‘icky’ feeling of creating a system, a comfortable Christian template emerges.  I know my idea of church isn’t a perfect one – but I’m fairly certain what the world knows “as” the church is an imperfect one too.  We should always be, I think, evaluating what we are building.  In the end all believers want to see church edified, built up, strengthened and emboldened, but God is not limited by forms.

The bride of Christ is a spiritual, passionate, unified movement at its heart – a people moved by the love of God.  Without this, it seems to race towards dead religion.

This movement is God’s answer to the devils destruction.  It testifies that Christ was God incarnate, and His resurrection declares Him as rightful King and His people as heirs.

During my Christian journey, a key question has continually emerged in various settings, “What is the Church?”  Most of us know by definition it’s the ‘called out’ (from the world) family of God, the ‘Ekklesia’ of God.  I think we’ve focused too heavily on the ‘called out’ part but have neglected to measure ourselves by the ‘called to’ part.   We’re called ‘to’ share in God’s mission, ‘to’ co-labor with Him in pushing back darkness, reproducing the experience of grace in others by lifting Christ up in all things.

As Christian leaders, which everyone should be or be aspiring to be at some level, we are called to raise up a new generation, that have specific qualities about them:

He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. – Col 1:28

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. – 1 Tim3:17

for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; – Eph 4:13

Whether you are a stay at home mom, teacher, farmer, student, missionary or currently unemployed – if you are a follower of Christ, you will come to a point where just listening isn’t enough.  You will need to enter the mission of the Church on the earth, to replicate, to duplicate, to expand and fill the earth with more of the Glory of God – the Bride of Christ radiate like a torch in a dark valley.   Those that shrink back from this will misrepresent the Father on the earth – they will work against the accurate portrayal of a risk taking, all consuming, Holy God that stopped at nothing to reconcile us former enemies.

I write often blogs like this with my own children in mind.  Our blog I hope one day encourages them to journey with God in faith.   I also write it as a prayer request – that God would answer this ‘desire’ for disciple MAKERS in and around us, new believers that will embrace quickly the call and privilege to go forward into this world and make disciples of all nations!

This new Club 180 is a small step, but one that I pray will also be used by God to raise up world changers – because He is able to do exceedingly above all we can ask or think!  As long as there are open hearts that continue to come and hear the Gospel, we will be soberly delighted to deliver it.

Bruce & Deb

Photo update! We’re replacing windows at the Cafe as I type. It’s really chilly so my hands are moving sluggishly. Tomorrow we hope to get rolling on the new 2nd floor radiators. Temps have dropped to minus -C in the evenings.

Wanted to give thanks for a few cool ministry things. After our pizza night we had our first Club 180 youth gathering. I’ve sensed a genuine hunger for spiritual things and have been sharing very directly. We’ll do the same this Wednesday.  My desire is to seek out those already hungry to grow in their faith.  I believe there are more than we may realize.  Please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide and engage our times. This is a really big step for us as we start a new chapter in the area of discipleship.

Today we started a small video editing class, and have a painting class ready hopefully starting next week.   I can’t wait to see some creative things happening again more regularly around us.

The elections continue to bring in many new folks to the Cafe. It’s interesting befriending various political groups. Whoever wins we’re sure to have some new friends in City / Regional government, so that’s hopefully a good thing.

We’re now entering the season of increased utility costs at the Cafe. Particularly with 2nd floor being heated, we thank you in advance for any financial support! Heat is such an incredible opportunity for us – it’s a luxury in this context and can/will draw many more into our sphere. Even now as I type I’m conscious of the cost this little heater brings to keep it bearable… It’s another world compared to our old life.

Lastly, we ask you to pray as we finalize our Belarus plans for next week. Broderic arrives this week and we have 2-3 days to get him a visa so he can join us. We’ll be going for 5-6 days and Deb’s parents will be coming to watch the kids (and visit!). We are excited to connect with more of the Russian speaking population and some Bible School graduates who might be interested one day in serving with us via The Lighthouse.

We also just bought some security cameras. We’re outfitting the Cafe with better ones, and then taking the Cafe cameras and installing at our house. After the latest break-in, we realize this is important. The situation here is going to become more difficult, not less.

Thanks for checking in. Please remember us in prayer and ask the Lord to send laborers, and to increase our effectiveness in His harvest. So much opportunity, we sense the enemy as well. The battle is not one we can see in the flesh.

Year 7 in Ukraine (2 in Texas).. this is the famous trampoline that has had every part replaced.. keeps on bouncing!

Someone likes Hippos.

KFC in Kiev sporting new t-shirts – someone forgot to spellcheck! 🙂

Abbey showing me her nap bed at school. She’s growing up so quickly and handles her own with the boys ‘like a boss’.

Our building is missing some teeth! New heavy duty winter windows being installed – tad chilly up there today!

Thank you Crossroads for helping us replace these monsters and get us one step closer to 2nd floor winter use for many ministries!

Thankful for Alyosha – he brings a humble and eager attitude to the Cafe. Today he made tomato soup and offering now on our menu. Plus he looks sharp!

Abbey (yellow boots) playing with her classmates in her Kindergarten.

On October 25 Ukraine will hold local elections.  The tensions are rising in our small community.  Old powers are desperate to hold on, and many new political forces arising.  Playing ‘fair’ has never been a strong suit for this country – the are attempting to show a brand of democracy, but it’s a contaminated one to say the least.

I suspect you will be watching or reading of Ukraine’s elections in the next few weeks – we pray they are non-violent, but there’s a definite subdued tension in the air.  As I type this, we have members of 3 different political parties in our Cafe.  Each in their own ‘section’ of the Cafe, not wanting to be near the other.

While there may not be the overt ‘bribing’ of voters, there are many forms of incentive that candidates are using.  One guy locally has bought a bus for the town, and is shuttling folks around – the catch?  His face is plastered on the side.  Some other parties are using intimidation, walking around town, visiting shops and pestering customers.

Here’s an article from the Kyiv Post on other forms of ‘incentive’ these guys use!

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/politics/candidates-find-new-ways-of-bribing-voters-at-local-elections-399385.html

Nobody seems to share the vision of what they ‘WILL DO’ if elected, but “Here’s what I’m doing now.”   Surely the Ukrainian voter sees through this – in fact I would think the gifting parties only reveal the nature of their politics – after all, one who gives such gifts for votes will see no harm in receiving them as well right?

There are some candidates that long for a ‘new’ Ukraine, one that operates by new principles that emulate the west.  They are stuck watching others use old tools to secure votes and hope folks see past the tactics.  I’m not sure what the future holds for such idealists.. but I admire their pursuit of change and a better future for themselves and their families.

I’m thankful for the Kingdom of God, the government of God, the all powerful, all knowing, just and loving King.  He won’t be bought, He can’t be overthrown, and is faithful, laying down His life in Christ.   He doesn’t ask for our votes, but He’s shown us His nature on the Cross and provides us each a way to join His family.

Only He is worthy of the center of our devotion, to be the center of our motivation from which all motivations flow.

The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.  Psalm 103: 19

Bruce

“If you read history you will find out that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next.”  C.S. Lewis

Found a really great visual on the expansion of Christianity from Christ to today.  Perspective!  Onward, let’s run our race for Christ.