J17 Ministries
in collaboration with various
ministries in Tucson and beyond
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IN THIS ISSUE
New
News about J17 Ministries
Harmony Hub
Collaboration Corner
John 17 Weekends
Upcoming Events
Church of the Week
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Greetings!
Which Exodus story are we in? I’m not sure, but either way, you’re in it, too!
It could be that we’re up against the Red Sea, and that by doing our little part of holding up a staff, God’s about to do something so huge and miraculous that it would be inconceivable for us to take the credit. Here we are, less than 24 hours from the end of our public fundraising effort, and to be honest, we aren’t close. We aren’t at sixty percent of the goal yet, and the goal simply assures that all of us God has called to full-time ministry get a full-time salary, along with our operating expenses covered. Our part is to humbly ask, again, if you’re interested in being one of the five loaves and two fish that God is going to dramatically multiply into an overflow. Yes, I switched Bible stories.
Or, it could be that we’re in the next chapter, Exodus 16 instead of 15, where God provides all that is needed each day, with none stored up in advance. We don’t intend to continue highlighting our financial investment opportunities publicly (Facebook, newsletter, website) starting tomorrow, but it could be that each month, each payroll, each bill that each of us face, God will rain down all that we need at just the right time, through one of you. We’ll keep doing our part, which is extending invitations, and we’ll trust God to do His part.
Dave Drum, Founder
J17 Ministries
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New
News about
J17 MINISTRIES
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Today is our last day for our current fundraising campaign. We are so thankful for all of you who have already invested in Jesus' John 17 prayer by donating financially -- together we achieved 57% of our funding goal so far! We are not discouraged by not reaching 100% yet because 1) there is still time for more individuals and organizations to partner, and 2) our God is Jehovah Jireh who provides for all of our needs! He has so clearly and directly called, encouraged, and led us that there's no doubt He will provide for us.
We are also looking forward to moving in to our office at the new
HSL Center of Opportunity this week. The Lord has great plans of restoration to happen there! If you have any new or gently-used office furniture that you would like to donate, please let us know.
How will you partner?
Consider
donating to J17 Ministries today!
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How I Found My First Love Again
In 2016 I was invited to attend to a John 17 Weekend. At first I was a little bit skeptical because I thought this was just another men’s retreat. The first few hours into the weekend I was still guarded; however, by the end of the first night I knew this group was different. I asked myself, "what about this retreat is different? After a few hours into the second day, I realized that everybody who was part of the serving team genuinely cared for others. That weekend reminded me, for the first time in a very long time, of the church I attended back in 2000. By the end of the fourth day, I had new friends and a new family in Christ who genuinely cared for and loved me. After I got back from the Weekend, my wife looked me in the eyes and said, "Fernando, you have your first love back.” When people ask me how I would describe the John 17 Weekends, I tell them about those people who taught me reverence for God without saying a word. They displayed the unity Christ prayed for, and I am changed because of it.
Harmony Hub Contributor:
Fernando Medina, John 17 Weekends Steering Team,
J17 Ministries Board of Directors
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Jesus' prayer can save us from our cycle of self-destruction
Several years ago, when I had just recently come on staff at New Life, I was encouraged to consider attending the Tucson Pastors’ Prayer Summit, a three-day event that gathers pastors from around Tucson to pray for the city and one another. I was guaranteed it would be one of the most important things I did. And that turned out to be the truth. A couple of weeks ago, I attended my fourth Pastors’ Prayer Summit on Mount Lemmon.
In many eras of the church, our theological disagreements have divided us. It has become my belief that those theological disagreements today, however, are our own competitive impulses. More than ever it is the fine and elusive line between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of [local church] that has created division in the church. It’s impossible to build unity in the Kingdom of God when we subconsciously believe our local church
is
the Kingdom of God.
In his final moments with his disciples, Jesus prays with them. He prays that they, and all of us who follow, would experience the unity he has with the Father (see John 17:20-21).
Step back and take that prayer in for a moment. That’s a pretty absurd prayer. Do you believe what Jesus is praying? That we can experience unity as a church as our Triune God can experience unity? That we experience the glory of God as we experience unity together? And that our unity is a witness to the world (Jesus says that one twice!)?
When I was a pastor in New Jersey, the pastors’ group I met with was scattered from Long Island to Pennsylvania. There was a sweetness in our fellowship, but it was rather disjointed and none of us lived within 20 minutes of each other. We could pray for the ministry of one another with no danger of their success negatively impacting us.
What a gift then to experience such a diverse group in Tucson unified in prayer. Over several days, pastors from many denominational and ethnic backgrounds prayed for one another, for our churches, and for Tucson. What unites us are our prayers of gratitude for our 3-in-1 God and the family he has called us into. I find as I pray for other pastors, my eyes are lifted off my own kingdom and set on Christ’s Kingdom. I find as I pray for other pastors, my desires for other churches to grow in health moves from my head to my heart.
So I encourage you to not just intellectually believe in the universal church but to step out in prayer and partnership for the joy of experiencing God’s glory and for the great cause of our witness to a watching world. In prayer and unity may we move out of our self-destructive ways and into the unity and glory of our Triune God.
Collaboration Corner Contributor:
John Beeson, Teaching Pastor of New Life Bible Fellowship
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Men's weekend: July 18-21
Women's weekend: July 25-28
The weekends are less than 3 months away, and Team members are needed for both the men's and women's weekends. Please join us on Team if you've already attended a John 17 (or similar) Weekend.
FIRST TEAM MEETING
Saturday, May 4 | 8 am - 3 pm
Hope City Church
5729 E. 22nd St.
Submit your application now and be part this year's Tucson-area Christian discipleship weekend that emphasizes the essentials of the Christian life and walk.
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Check out the latest opportunities to strengthen
your faith and connect with the community.
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Highlighted here
are events coming up immediately.
Click the button below
for a complete listing of events.
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What's happening for
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If you are part of an area event promoting unity and collaboration among the citywide Body of Christ and beyond and would like it included in an upcoming newsletter, please click
HERE
to submit your request.
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Iglesia Cristiana Peniel Tucson
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