More than Acceptance

December 19, 2013 By Mike in Blog, Process Tags: AIMUPCI, patience Leave a comment

This was the beginning of my journal entry yesterday:

“Got the call this afternoon from Bro. Poitras letting us know that our AIM application had been approved.”

While speaking with him on the phone yesterday afternoon, I was of course very glad at the news. As the day progressed, however, it occurred to me that the full weight of what that meant was really only beginning to dawn on me.

We fill out application forms all the time, and often have them approved by people we have never, nor will ever, see. The acceptance letter is seen as the natural and expected next step: a “given” as opposed to something that is contingent on a number of factors. It occurred to me however, that – at least in the case of an AIM application – an expression of acceptance is a great deal more.

Acceptance is…

An expression of confidence: Our AIM application was deliberated by…

Bro. Bruce Howell (General Director of Global Missions for the United Pentecostal Church and long time missionary in El Salvador)
Bro. Scott Slaydon (General Secretary of Global Missions)
Bro. Bryan Abernathy (Director of Promotions, Global Missions)
Bro. Jim Poitras (Director of Education / AIM, Global Missions and long time missionary in Ghana, West Africa)
Bro. David Schwarz (Regional Director of the Central American / Caribbean Region, Global Missions)

These five men do more than simply check off items on a list. They attempt to read between the lines and make decisions that are in the best interest of the applicant, the missionaries concerned and the national church. This of course over and above the confidence already expressed by my pastor and district superintendent as well as the others who have encouraged us along the way.

A Definite Next Step: There are certain Line in the Sand moments, when something feels very, very real. It’s easy to say “We’re in the process of…” doing this or that, but when an application has been accepted for a project of this nature, the trajectory is set and it becomes only a matter of time. Other things or secondary processes that depended on this one, can begin to be engaged. We’re one step closer to the dream.

A Transfer of Anointing/Authority/Responsibility: As I sat in Bible Study, listening to my pastor’s message – as he talked about gatekeepers in and for the local church and for the city, I couldn’t help but utter a prayer for the cities in which we will be working (Paris and Châtellerault)… asking that God would give gatekeepers in those cities as well: people who would be key in opening up relationships and opportunities, that the Kingdom of God be advanced there.

Lord, like Ananias of Damascus in Acts chapter 9, bring me into contact with, your chosen vessel(s) … those who will, in turn, bear your name to their villages in western France and beyond.

I am, to a greater degree, feeling a responsibility for those communities. To some degree, it is like the passing of a mantle I suppose… and I accept.

Lord, just give me Châtellerault and her surroundings and let me win victories for you… let me be a vessel that brings honour to my master.

These are just a couple of things that a letter of acceptance of acceptance can produce, when we apply ourselves to the right things.

Dream Days…

December 3, 2013 By Mike in Blog Tags: Dream, risk, social media 1 Comment

Mondays are my Dream Days.

I can almost see the rise in social media traffic as people voice their disbelief at what I just said. Poor Monday, above all other days of the week, is the butt of just about every joke in the book. Nonetheless, it seems as though Mondays truly are my dream days. For example, If you were to look at my Instagram feed, you’d see that three of my four #24HrRead -tagged items were finished on a Monday.

What are Dream Days? How would I describe them?

They’re days when I get to spend with my family.
They’re days when I can drink a second cup of stove-top espresso at 9, 10 or 11am… in sock feet.
They’re days when I can take off in the car at the drop of a hat and stop to take pictures of a half-frozen stream if the fancy strikes.
They’re days when I can dream. Dream the dreams that God has put in my heart without a dozen interruptions, by phone, email or footstep.

What’s involved in the dreaming?
I can…

Marvel at the fact that God would allow me to dream, confide his dreams to me and invite me to take part in his dreams.

Be intermittently fearful at the prospect of such big dreams. They’re so big. They require such change. The demand such faith (do I have such faith? Today, yes. Tomorrow, no. The following day… without question. What a ride!).

Plan the dream. How would I do it? Which experiences do I draw from? What fits my personality? What suits the personality of the community I work in (or will work in)? What about my personality does God want to override in favour of His Spirit within me?

Share the dream with those who will take the ride with me. If this is God’s dream, then it’s more than just my dream and it will take more than just me to carry it out. If I will share the dream with people around me, those that I lead… they will have a greater opportunity to understand it, take part in it and share in the joy of accomplishing it.

This is when I’m truly alive. When I can dream.

This is when you are truly alive…. when you come alongside of God and are quiet enough, focused enough, without some of the other daily distractions… to hear His Spirit speaking into your spirit. Living for God is not merely walking through the drudgery of daily life with simply a different world-view… at least, not if we’ll get close enough to Him to hear his heartbeat (His dreams).

Psalm 126:

When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. ²Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them. ³The Lord hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad. ⁴Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. ⁵They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. ⁶He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

What happens when we are living the dream?

Our mouth is filled with laughter & singing and even people who know nothing about nor serve God will recognize that He does great things for us dreamers (v.2). Sometimes there are tears involved in seeing our dream come to pass, but if we’ll keep pursuing it, in spite of the tears, we’ll bear the fruit of the dream (v.5-6).

By now, you probably get the fact that because of my work, Monday is my day off, which is why it’s my dream day.

On what day are you invited to dream?
What do you do with that invitation?

Two weekends in a row…

November 17, 2013 By Mike in Blog Tags: Brochu, French Evangelism, UPCI Leave a comment

It’s not very often that this happens, but we have been able to spend two weekends in a row with the Brochus… what a treat!

Last weekend we attended the French Youth Convention in Melun, France and this weekend we ministered together in St. Laurent, Quebec and the local French Evangelism Conference, Hosted by Pastor Dieudonné Kahozi. This was the 8th local conference, and although it is not an international conference per sé, Pastor Kahozi typically likes to have a representative from the church in France and this year, for the first time, Bro. Brochu was able to come.

Hosted by the church in Saint Laurent, there were some 18 services to coordinate (about half of which took place on Sunday among the main services and various daughter works around the city). Bro. Brochu was the main speaker and Pastor Raymond Woodward was responsible for the day sessions. I spoke, for the first time, in St. Laurent’s English language morning service as well as at the daughter work in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

Aside from some informal moments in passing during the convention last week, this was really the first time that Liz had a chance to sit down and talk with / get to know the Brochus, other than from what she’d heard from me. We had some valuable time to begin discussing details all four of us together.

We thank the Lord for the opportunity to spend time together. The idea of uprooting oneself, either as a single individual or a couple represents a challenge as it is. We are looking at uprooting a family of 5 in order to follow God’s plan, and while there is no doubt in our mind as to whether or not it is God’s plan, times like this allow opportunities to discuss, ask questions, get reassurances, gain understanding etc.

This is a phenomenal missionary couple and we are so happy for the opportunity to carry some of their responsibilities, in France, during their 2015-2016 deputation. If you would like to support us, click here to find out how you can help.

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November 13, 2013 By Mike in Blog Tags: Dream, family 1 Comment

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