New Movement Launch

Nathan Hoover and Jason Sorge, my roommates and teammates, put up flyers on a campus this past Wednesday advertising for Enfoque México. The poster simply had a picture of this Christian emblem on it with an invitation for people to come to a meeting on Friday to meet the team. When Nathan came back on Friday, five people showed up who want to launch a movement on their campus!!

Such a simple strategy would most likely go over like a rock in the U.S. but it works here! The Lord is answering our prayers raising up laborers to launch movements on every campus.

Here is a picture of Nate and I. Nate graduated from CU Boulder last year and is serving on STINT (short-term international) with us in Mexico City.

Birthday in the Mountains

I celebrated my 27th birthday on the 20th of this month. I had a blast riding horses in the mountains just outside of Mexico City with the team.

So, the deal is, you just pull up to this place and a few guys bring out some horses to you and away you go. No helmets, no safety instructions, and no guide! Awesome! No risk management division with these guys. It's a good thing that Jason (my roommate) had some experience riding horses because his horse had a little temper that came out when she tried to kick one of the other horses. Good times.

Serving the City

I met with another pastor this morning that understands our vision and wants to help make it happen. He is connected with a senator who acts as the chairman of a family development committee in the government. So, I asked him to help us find ways that we could serve the city.

He gave me a list of things that we could do to really care for people in need. We hope to have the several hundred Spring Break students from the U.S. help meet some of the physical needs present here. In addition, this government committee wants to meet the spiritual needs of the people as well. Sounds like the kingdom of God on earth to me.

Sam Brownback Runs For President

Sam Brownback, a Kansas senator, believer, and personal supporter, has officially thrown his hat in the ring to run for President in 2008. The following excerpt is from a popular secular magazine article:

The nation's leading evangelicals have already lined up behind Brownback, a feat in itself. A decade ago, evangelical support for a Catholic would have been unthinkable. Many evangelicals viewed the Pope as the Antichrist and the Roman Catholic Church as the Whore of Babylon. But Brownback is the beneficiary of a strategy known as co-belligerency -- a united front between conservative Catholics and evangelicals in the culture war. Pat Robertson has tapped the "outstanding senator from Kansas" as his man for president. David Barton, the Christian right's all-but-official presidential historian, calls Brownback "uncompromising" -- the highest praise in a movement that considers intransigence next to godliness. And James Dobson, the movement's strongest chieftain, can find no fault in Brownback. "He has fulfilled every expectation," Dobson says. Even Jesse Helms, now in retirement in North Carolina, recognizes a kindred spirit. "The most effective senators are those who are truest to themselves," Helms says. "Senator Brownback is becoming known as that sort of individual."

You can read more about Sam Brownback at www.brownback.com.

Jason's Deli

I've spent the past four days in San Antonio, TX for a training conference and came away impressed by a deli near the hotel. Just before I left for Mexico City last September, I began to study how diet affects our energy levels and our health. I remember telling several people that whoever figures out how to do organic fast food would break into a prosperous market. Well, someone's figuring it out.

On April 15, 2005 Jason's Deli eliminated hydrogenated oils from their food and have begun adding organic foods to their menu. The process began almost seven years ago.

Once the deli decided to remove hydrogenated oils from their menu, they turned to their research and develop department to figure out how to make it happen. It took them two years to convert 47 ingredients found in many of their 80 menu items.

In order to make it happen, they had to convince their suppliers to change their ways. And guess what...they did. That's just the power of one fast-casual restaurant chain. The power of one.

USA Today published their story. You can read it at www.jasonsdeli.com.

President Calderon Acts

I've been encouraged reading about the new President of Mexico's actions against crime. In just his first few months in office he has sent military troops to several Mexican cities, including Tijuana and Acapulco, to help crack down on crime casued by rival drug cartels. I believe the country will experience many blessings under the leadership of this new leader who loves the Lord.

Read more here.

Embracing Simple Church

About 1500 college students ended their Campus Crusade conference in Denver this week with a powerful charge to missions by Campus Church Network's Jaeson Ma. Jason is a passionate 26-year-old with a great personal story of God's grace in his own life.

Jaeson spoke the last two nights of our conference and helped students understand the influence they can have on their campuses for Jesus Christ. He places a strong emphasis on hearing from the Lord and ministering in the power of the Holy Spirit. (Sounds a little like Dr. Bill Bright's emphasis when he founded Crusade, doesn't it?)

When Jaeson finished his final message, he led the students in a powerful time of prayer, and students cried out to God on behalf of their campuses. Jaeson is a young revolutionary in the simple church (house church, organic church) movement. He longs to see a fresh awakening of the people of God, much like I do.

I hope to see men and women like Jaeson become a greater part of Campus Crusade. Too often we want to appeal to the masses by not ruffling any feathers. We fear criticism from those who don't have warm feelings toward the house church movement. When Dr. Bright founded our movement over 50 years ago, he held effectiveness as one of our 3 core values. That's what kept Crusade at the forefront of evangelism and discipleship around the world.

Too many of us today seem more comfortable allowing effectiveness to take a backseat to the comforts of ministry-as-usual. We cannot argue with the results of the house church movement, and why would we even want to try if their values line up with Scripture.

George Barna gives some recent statistics on the house church movement.