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
Upcoming Events
John 17 Weekends
Church of the Week
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Greetings!
With Dave on vacation for the next couple of weeks, the J17 staff are taking the opportunity to share our heart for having joined with this ministry.
As a foreign exchange student and senior in high school, living in a country totally different from all that I knew, the Lord impressed upon me the "life purpose" of helping bridge cross-cultural communication. At the time, I had no idea what that meant; both in northern Michigan and in central Mexico, the people seemed fairly homogeneous. Fast-forward a number of years to living in Tucson, a city rich in culture with people from diverse backgrounds, and I am getting a glimpse of what the Lord saw and desires.
When I think about the Great Commandment, that we "love one another" (John 13:34), and Jesus' prayer, that we "may be one" (John 17:20), I imagine what could be. I imagine what Heaven is like. People of different races, and colors, and cultures, and tongues, all coming together in
comfortable unity
because our focus is on the One that created the mosaic. And so, while the perfection of such unity won't be experienced this side of Heaven, the practice of it can be.
Each of us, being members of the Body of Christ, have something to contribute to this season of practicing. For me, I feel it is the expression of bridge-building to which the Lord called this young 17 year-old so many years ago. I look forward to being on this journey with you! Feel free to reach out at any time with questions or to hear more of my story.
Tasha Campbell, J17 Ministries Community Liaison
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New
News about
J17 MINISTRIES
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J17 Ministries' office
Funding update
Praise the Lord, we met our short-term fundraising goal of $10,000! That means our staff will maintain their regular hours at reduced salaries over the next three months. At that time, we will re-evaluate our budget. You can invest in Jesus' John 17 prayer at any time; click
here to get started.
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No Other Gospel: Pauline Essentials for Unity
Paul brandished his apostolic authority without hesitation, but he always sought to use it to build unity in the faith; he was harsh with false teachers, but he always reserved his harshest words for those who sought to divide the body of Christ. And while there were foundational doctrines on which he held firm, outside of these essentials, he always erred on the side of liberty. If Paul were involved in today’s ecumenical discussion, I imagine him insisting on six essentials as foundational to Christian faith and unity.
- One God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ - Paul believed in one God: Yahweh the God of the Old Testament, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. On one hand, this Pauline essential needs the least treatment because it is the most self-evident. On the other hand, it is by far the most critically important. Everything we believe about God, about Christ and his atonement, about humanity, and about the nature of reality itself flows out of our convictions about who God is.
- The doctrine of Christ - In Paul’s doctrine of God, we also find the second Pauline essential: the deity, substitutionary death, and bodily resurrection of Christ. Paul insists on these doctrines above all others, calling them “of first importance…in which we stand…and by which we are being saved” (1 Cor. 15:1-3, ESV). He is dogmatic about the historical reality of the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Christ, arguing that if Christ is not raised, our faith is futile.
- Salvation by grace through faith - Paul insists that justification can be found only in the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Christ. He lays this out in detail in Ephesians 2, arguing that, as a result of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, forgiveness is extended as a gift of God’s grace. He explains God’s grace as freely given to all who believe, apart from any works of the law, so that no one may boast… Unity among believers is important, but not at the expense of this foundational teaching about salvation.
- Freedom from the law, union with Christ - In Galatians, Paul argues that…believers have been set free from the law and united to Christ; living in Christ, because, in a sense, we have already died with him. From this perspective, we see Paul’s lists of attitudes and behaviors…as the real-life implications of our freedom from sin and union with Christ. This means we are free to cooperate with any professing believers who are committed to freedom from sin and union with Christ. The individual implications of this doctrine may vary…yet we can maintain our commitment to the essential Christian message of freedom and grace.
- Unity in Christ - Paul argues that, if we are all united to Christ, then we are also united to one another in Christ. In Ephesians, he writes that at one time we were “separated from Christ…alienated from the commonwealth of Israel.” He goes on to say that, in Christ, we “have been brought near” because he has “broken down the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:12-14). The culmination of Paul’s thought on unity can be found in Galatians, where he makes the bold statement that there is no longer “Jew nor Greek…slave nor free…male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).
- Our future hope - Finally, Paul insists that we must hold confidently to our future hope in Christ… The nature of our “ministry of reconciliation” [see 2 Cor. 5:18] is not a foundational doctrine to Paul, rather it is an application of our future hope in Christ and our participation in his coming kingdom. As Christians, we must all agree on the essential truth that Christ will return, and we will be resurrected and glorified to live with him forever. We must agree that this future hope drives us to long and work towards seeing humanity reconciled to God in this present age. How we go about doing this, however, is left up to conscience.
In Scripture, God presents a clear call to his people to hold the truth of the faith in unity. Over the past two millennia, the church has not done very well with this. For this reason, the ecumenical discussion is necessary, but it is also messy. Where can we compromise and where must we be dogmatic? I pray that the Holy Spirit guides the church in this generation, so we will be able to fulfill Jesus’ vision in John 17, to become one as he and the Father are one.
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Position Yourself as a Leader
When we talk about positioning ourselves as leaders, there needs to be consistency between what we're learning, what we're living, and what we're transferring. Positioning is also presenting yourself with the right posture, the right word, in the right season.
Remember, we represent God's Kingdom, not our own kingdom(s). We were made in the image and likeness of God for the purpose of dominating the earth, but we don't always reflect that because we're sometimes ego-driven and not Kingdom-driven.
Before I can position myself, I must work on myself in the areas where I struggle.
- Position yourself with your words (Proverbs 15:4; Colossians 4:6).
- Our words can cause us to be considered, or not considered, as a leader.
- Do we gossip, slander, and complain?
- Position yourself in your own mind (Romans 12:2).
- How do we see ourselves? This will shape the way others see you.
- The way we think about ourselves determines how we function and operate in life.
- Position yourself to serve (Matthew 4:19).
- Great leaders are faithful followers and servants.
- Position yourself to be sent (John 17:18; Luke 4:43).
- Get ready for Alignment Day (John, chapters 11-12).
- We will have the right posture, the right word, in the right season.
One of the main training grounds to lead is how well you serve. You never graduate from serving. God's greatest leaders serve because they understand that they are the salt of the earth. We don't get trained to just salt the earth or to serve each other. The Lord wants to go out and dominate, subdue, and win the world.
When you show up and get the job done, that's the loudest testimony you can have.
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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
everyone
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What's happening for
pastors
?
- Pastor Partners
- Pastors' Edge is taking June and July off.
- Stay tuned for exciting new possibilities for the Pastor Prayer Summits!
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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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Men's weekend: July 18-21
Women's weekend: July 25-28
The next set of Weekends will be taking place next month, and spots are filling fast. The men's weekend is about 1/4 full and the women's weekend is already 1/2 full!
Even if you aren't 100% certain you can attend, if you want to save a spot, now is the time to apply.
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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Goshen International Church
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Pray for the Body!
Thank you for the outpouring of prayers Pastor Gary Stokes and Goshen International Church after a fire damaged their building. We are grateful to the Journey Church for providing a room for them to worship last Sunday. Unfortunately, it appears that they will be displaced from their church for several months rather than weeks. Their congregation of approximately 60 is still in need of a location to have Sunday morning service preferably anytime between 9am and noon. If anyone has suggestions or a place for them to worship for the next several months, please contact Pastor Gary Stokes at 520-861-1003 or by email at
indianastokes@gmail.com
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