America’s Changing Religious Landscape – Pew Research and additional thoughts

Changing Religious LandscapeA couple of my mission leaders, friends and mentors were part of a discussion about the study released this week by Pew Research entitled:
America’s Changing Religious Landscape: http://www.pewforum.org/2015/05/12/americas-changing-religious-landscape/

Posted and first thought by John Ward 

Mobilizers, we have an important role to play in helping the church in North America embrace a vision for local and global mission.
Follow-up from Jay Bell

I decided to chime in some thoughts as well:
Thanks John for sharing and Jay for adding Stetzer’s thoughts to the discussion.One of the article around the Pew Research was on CNN “Millennials leaving church in droves, study says” – http://ow.ly/3xS14A 

The last sentence of the article gave me GREAT Encouragement that we don’t need a more nominal faith, but a more radical & risky faith to reach our world.

“If it is the case that millennials are less ‘atheists’ than they are ‘bored,’ then serious engagements with Christian social innovation, and with deep intellectual reflection (and these two things are connected), would offer promising signs of hope,” Jones said.

May the Lord make us radical and influence those millennials in our spheres to be serious in their engagement with Jesus and taking Him to the nations!

Exploratory Meeting about English Learning as a Ministry Opportunity @LosAltosGrace

For several months, Phil Helfer, myself and several others have been dialoguing on the possibility of using English Learning/ESL as a cross-cultural ministry opportunity for Los Altos Grace Brethren Church and more broadly for Long Beach as well.  We had an exploratory meeting on March 25 with some folks from Los Altos Grace, Seal Beach Grace, Cecil O’Dell and Kathy from CSULB!

I’ve placed some resources from our time together here:

Notes I took from our gathering (Open/Download/Print PDF)

Worksheet created by the beloved Jay Bell that was distributed. (Online Here PDF) [via Encompass World Partners]

Audio Recording of most of our meeting together captured by Cecil O’Dell (Thanks Cecil!)

http://mikejentes.com/audio/ESL-ExploratoryMeeting.mp3  

(55 minutes 22 seconds  26MB [Right click the link and Select “Download as” to save])

 

Next Meeting – April 24th @ 7pm at Los Altos Grace

If you are interested in getting involved, drop me an email mjentes@LAGBC.org

My Head in Her Hands, Her Heart in God’s Hands

A story from the field about Gospel sowing to encourage you from Jay Bell…

Jay & Jan Bell
Jay & Jan Bell

Meet Emily.  Yesterday Emily, a young wife and mother of two toddlers, cut my hair.  She is a God-seeker and I have been planting myself into the soil of her heart over the years through friendly “God-talk.”

Hey Emily, have you been keeping up with the “Tebow talk?”  She said, “Yeah, kinda, but what’s it all about?”
Well, Emily (as she is clipping), it’s about a Bible verse, the number 3-16 and his journey as the quarterback of the Denver Broncos (as I am praying).  I then explained how he wore John 3:16 as eye reflectors during his years as QB at the U. of Florida.  She asked, “What does John 3:16 say?”

Slowly, with a smile, I quoted the verse with passion.

But, Emily (clip, clip), check this out.  During Monday nights play-off game against the favored Pittsburgh Steelers he threw for 316 yards.  She exclaimed, “No way!”  And, Emily (pray, pray), each pass averaged 31.6 yards.  “Get outta here!”  And the Broncos’ time of possession of the ball was 31:06 minutes!  “Jay, are you making this up?”  And, Emily, the TV rating of the number of people watching the fourth quarter was 31.6.  “Jay, that’s so weird!”  And the only interception of the game was thrown by the Steelers QB when the play was 3rd down and 16 yards to go.  “Jay, what does all this mean?”

Emily, may I answer your question with a question?  And my question is just one word:  Coincidence?

Emily, do you have a Bible at home?  “Um, let’s see, yes.”  Let me send you these 3-16 numbers in an e-mail and then lay the verse and the numbers on your husband.

My head is no longer in her hands, but her heart is still in God’s hands!

 ___

Jay & Jan work with Encompass World Partners mobilizing people in the USA to love and reach out to Internationals.

If you would like to be on the email list for Jay & Jan, drop them an email at jaybell@encompassworldpartners.org

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