Monday, May 21, 2012
An ARC Pastor Speaks out on Climate Change
10:36 AM | 
Posted by
Mike Bradley
The
mission God has given the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) is to be a network
committed to creating and sustaining an emotional, relational, and spiritual
atmosphere beneficial for kingdom relationships, transformation, and mission
that souls might be saved, disciples made, and whole and healthy leaders
developed. In the following article, ARC Pastor, Dan Clites speaks out on how
he and his congregation are working to change the atmosphere, not only in their
church but also in their community.
Ask
someone to define "climate change" and you'll get all sorts of
responses, ranging from air temperatures heating up, to water levels going
down. But ask someone to define "spiritual climate change" and
they might be stumped. More and more, Rejoice! Church is believing in the power
of prayer to change the spiritual climate of our local marketplace: our homes,
neighborhoods, businesses, governmental agencies, schools and churches. We
are practicing, "Prayer Evangelism," where the folks are talking to
God about their neighbors before they talk to their neighbors about God.
 |
| ARC Pastor, Dan Clites |
Our
city of Northfield, Minnesota is trapped by its disobedience to the
Lord. We have bickering within the city council chambers and community
committees constantly fighting over money and city services. Our schools
purposefully dis-invite Christianity, while divorce is breaking up families and
drug abuse is leading young adults to suicide. With two colleges, we also
have the gods of intellectualism and pluralism rearing their dark heads into
conversations, even infecting our churches with universalism.
The
old paradigm was if you wanted to see change to any of the above, you had to
vote-in a new politician, pass new laws, or pour in more money. That's
been proven ineffective on a consistent basis, leading to discouragement and
apathy. To conquer that darkness, Rejoice! Church has been practicing
Prayer Evangelism, taking the God's light into where darkness is
entrenched. In other words, we are taking the mission of the church out of
the church building and shining it into the marketplace by adopting and praying
throughout all the streets of our city.
We
are receiving our directions from Jesus as he spoke into his disciples in
Luke 10. He first instructs his 72 followers to implement four steps into
a daily lifestyle of evangelism: 1) bless and speak peace over every place they
go, 2) build trustworthy relationships, 3) be open to meeting people's felt
needs, 4) and then, and only then, declare the kingdom of God has drawn near.
By following God's way, we are already seeing breakthroughs!
For
example, a pharmacist by the name of Rob, who owns and operates his own
business, walks and prays around his business block almost every day. It’s
a neighborhood that includes a local hangout for edgy teens, called The
Key. It is a dark place in many ways. Yet Rob prays blessing and
speaks peace in Jesus' name, seeking to change the spiritual climate in his
area of influence. One day a teenager broke Rob's business sign. Instead of
getting angry, Rob went to The Key to establish a trustworthy relationship
with the teens. It eventually led to ministry moments. Rob hasn't mentioned
Jesus or the kingdom of God yet, but doors are being open to intentionally do
so. It will happen because Rob has won the trust of the Board for The Key,
and they view Rob as a great neighbor. He is a neighbor in the light of Jesus
who is welcomed into The Key because the spiritual climate of the
neighborhood is being changed!
This
is just one example of what is happening in Northfield these days because
members of an ARC congregation are intentionally taking Jesus at his word when
he says he is giving us the keys of the kingdom to walk over darkness and set
captives free by the power of his authority. Let me encourage you to teach
and impart the same Holy Spirit power into your congregations and areas of
influence.
If
you live in Minnesota, there is a great tool for organizing street prayer
adoption throughout our whole state. Simply go to BlessMN.org and register yourself as a street adopter. Check
out the Sub Group category as well. Perhaps you can organize others from
your church, work place or club to pray walk. Adopt the street you live
on, or the street your business sits on, or the street that hosts your schools
or governmental agencies. The goal is to change the spiritual climate of
the whole state. If you're not living in Minnesota, how about considering
putting together such a website for your city?
The
faith effort is simple, but extremely effective in bringing kingdom unity
to a community. Pray Luke 10 throughout your city, then expect "spiritual
climate change!"
Dan Clites is the lead
pastor of Rejoice! Church, Northfield-Dundas, Minnesota. He also serves on the
Minnesota Transformation Network, promoting BlessMN.org throughout the
state. Prayer Evangelism is the teaching of Ed Silvoso and Harvest
Evangelism. See TransformOurWorld.org and register to adopt
your street if you live outside of Minnesota.
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