This past month, we built a new website for CSLI Annapolis to help communicate the activities of the Institute to you and give you the opportunity to communicate directly with us through responses to our blog or just a direct email. Take a look at the new site, bookmark it on your browser, and refer to it often to see the Calendar of Events and other happenings within CSLI Annapolis. I have also added a "Gallery" where pictures of significant happenings in CSLI Annapolis will be documented. Check out the gallery here.
CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS:
Here is the calendar page on the new website: Click Here
There is info here specific to Fellows, Pastors, Associates, Students, Fellows Alumni, and the community at large. The first major event for the community at large will be the return of Ken Boa to Annapolis October 11 - 15 and there will be two opportunities for the community to hear Ken during this time.
- Friday, Oct 13, 7pm, Downtown Hope
- Sunday, Oct 15, Bay Area Community Church (all 3 morning worship services)
Pastors, Students, Fellows & Fellows Alumni you will have special events to hear Ken.
Take a look at the calendar and bookmark this page for your future use.
NEW & EXCITING:
I want to share with you something extraordinary that is happening in Annapolis among the pastors in the Pastor Prayer Network.
In 2010, two pastors approached me separately, and without knowledge of the other's actions, to share with me a passion to see the Annapolis area evangelized with a coordinated effort of the Church in Annapolis. They both saw the C.S. Lewis Institute as a catalyst for this because of our "mere Christianity" approach to discipleship.
As a result, the quarterly pastor luncheons were begun out of which sprang the Pastor Prayer Network. Today, over 150 pastors participate in this network, attending the quarterly luncheons and meeting in prayer circles weekly/monthly to pray for one another and our community.
Also during this time, over 125 Fellows have graduated from the Institute and been dispersed to over 20 churches in our community better prepared to lead discipleship classes or be a teaching elder.
Now the new and exciting part! Last month, one of our senior pastors, a pastor of pastors, approached me to say that he believed the Lord was moving to advance the vision of the original two pastors to evangelize Annapolis. We met with one of the pastors with the vision who agreed that it was time for further action. Here is what we learned in this first meeting:
On any given Sunday, only 15% of the population of Anne Arundel County attends worship service, and that number is decreasing annually. Most of the churches in our area compete for the 15% while the 85% go unreached and unengaged. We agreed, that in order to reach the 85%, our first priority was to equip (disciple) the 15% so they can engage the 85% in their places of work, leisure, or commerce. We decided to invite a select group of pastors to a special meeting/luncheon to consider this prompting of the Spirit, and discern what Jesus would have us do. We invited the pastors with the vision, the pastors leading the prayer circles, and myself and Bart Physioc (facilitator for the Pastor Network) from CSLI to attend. This special meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 22nd. (Please be in prayer for us this day!)
What's so exciting? Look at what Jesus is doing:
- He spends the past 7 years drawing pastors together through the pastor luncheons into a network of like-minded pastors who have a passion for discipleship and seeing the Kingdom advanced in their community;
- He places Fellows throughout the community who have been disciples and can now disciple others for this purpose; AND ........
- When these pastors agree that discipline their sheep is the pre-requisite for evangelizing Annapolis, they will ask "how can CSLI help", and that is where CSLI's discipleship programs, especially the Associates Program (which was piloted last year and is doing expanded pilots this year) will be most useful.
Like pieces to a puzzle, it seems the Master has given us the pieces, and is now ready to being placing them in their proper alignment to accomplish His purposes.
"So is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
(Isaiah 55:11 (NIV 1984))
His "word" came through two pastors in 2010, and it appears He is ready to "achieve the purpose for which He sent it". I am very excited for what God is about to do through these pastors and the Church in Annapolis, and I am grateful that He has invited CSLI Annapolis to be one of the instruments through which He works.
Be in prayer for our community, that we would see a revival in the hearts of men and women and our churches would not become like Europe's, where less than 5% of the population is in worship on any given Sunday.
NEXT MONTH:
With this newsletter, and by reading the "Facets" section of the CSLI Annapolis Website, you will have an excellent understanding of the depth and breadth of CSLI Annapolis' service to the four pillars of our community: Government, Military, Education, & Community at Large.
Next month, I will share with you how the funding is distributed to support CSLI Annapolis' activities. How God has funded CSLI Annapolis, and the fruit of those funds, can only be attributed to "Kingdom Economics" - (returns on investment beyond any reasonable expectations).
