You may have already heard that God has called my family and me to plant a new church, in the Quad Cities, called Mercy Vineyard Church. We believe that the greatest form of evangelism today is church planting and we’re excited to partner with God in bringing in a harvest in Northwest Moline/Northeast Rock Island. There, we will be reaching out to the working poor of our community to meet their spiritual and physical needs. We have a long way to go and a short time to get there and we are asking you to partner with us financially and through your prayers.
Our vision is to see a large, multicultural, multigenerational, multiplying church reaching, teaching, and releasing to make God famous and expand His Kingdom on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. Our first Sunday morning service will be held on September 18th. Our goal is 300 in attendance and our launch team has been working hard to invite friends, coworkers, relatives, and neighbors. We believe many will come to know Jesus and we’ll do whatever it takes to introduce seekers to Him.
We have been blessed and sent out by The Vineyard Church of Davenport with their full support. The majority of our launch team is from there and we carry with us many of their values and their philosophy of ministry. It’s a wonderful culture of being the hands and feet of Jesus to our community.
To make this happen, we need to raise $72,000 as quickly as possible; $15, 650 for marketing, signage, and print materials, $12,000 for sound, lighting, and video equipment, $15,000 for facilities, and $30,000 for administration. We have so far raised $20,000 but still have $52,000 to go to make this happen in a way that speaks excellence, caring, and commitment to the community we are reaching out to. Would you please commit to a large, one time financial gift or a monthly gift to Mercy Vineyard Church for 18 months?
Giving can be done by mailing a check to Mercy Vineyard Church P.O. Box 1654 Moline, IL 61266 or online at www.findmercy.org/giving. Financial supporters will receive monthly newsletters to keep them up to date with what God is doing through our brand new church and inform them of urgent prayer needs.
If you wish to speak to me personally about the Mercy Vineyard Church and how you can be a part, please email me at contact@leebezotte.com and I would be honored to share, in greater detail, the strategy for launching this new work.
Thank you everyone for participating in the latest giveaway! I so appreciate everyone who committed to praying for Ireland! There are many wells of revival in Ireland and I’m praying for them to be uncapped. What a wonderful spiritual heritage they have and I believe it can happen again!
As promised, my son Hudson had picked a name at random and we’re announcing the winner right here and now.
Thanks again for participating. Don’t forget to subscribe because there WILL be another one!
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Hey friends! Remember the Messenger Bag Giveaway I did last month? (Check it out.) Well I’m giving away another one!!
I’ve been selling these bags for years to raise money for Irish missions. From time to time I like to give one away. Why? I’m really hoping that the person who uses it will be reminded to pray for God to move in Ireland.
So what do you have to do? The rules are the same as last time. Just post a comment on this post and tell me what you’d use it for. School? Work? Books? Your laptop? The other thing you’ll have to do is click that little retweet button on the left and tell your friends. That’s it! At the end of the week, my son will randomly pick a winner from the comments section and I will reveal the name of that person in a blog post with instructions on how to claim your new bag. If you’re worried that you’re going to miss the post that reveals the winner, there’s a subscription link at the bottom of this post. (Or click the RSS button at the top of the page.)
If you don’t win (and even if you do) consider buying a bag from my eBay store. All profits go to support Irish church planters. Thanks!
Here’s a picture of that awesome bag. Don’t forget to pray for Ireland!
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Many of you already know that I try to make it over to Ireland on a regular basis. When I go, I bring things like laptops or projectors or whatever I can afford to pick up so that I can bless Irish churches with much needed equipment. I also spend time prayer walking and praying with and for pastors there. In short, I just want to be a part of what God is doing there by being a blessing to the local Irish church.
I get asked frequently if I have any Irish ancestry. The answer is no. I know of no one in my family tree from Ireland. But I have a ton of spiritual heritage there (and so do you if you’re an American christian).
It’s really quite simple. God put a burden on my heart for Ireland. ‘Nuff said.
Years after my first visit to the Emerald Isle, I helped my friend Nick Park (an Irish Pastor) create a video that he could send to American churches to help him raise money for an important project he was undertaking. He talked about “Bringing the Heritage Home”. It was fascinating to hear him communicate about the deep christian history of Ireland and it’s influence on American Christianity. I recently found the video we produced together and thought I’d share some excerpts from it here.
The first is a brief but fascinating history lesson on Irish Christianity. The second is a talk about Ireland’s influence on America and it’s church. The third is pastor Nick’s personal testimony and it’s powerful! Maybe these videos will stir your heart to be a blessing to Irish churches. Let God speak to you through them. Who knows, maybe we’ll there together one day!
For more information about my upcoming missions trip to Ireland click here.
I was listening to a sermon my friend posted to his blog the other day. The preacher mentioned the firefighters and rescue workers who risked their lives running into the Twin Towers during the 9/11 attacks. I’m sure some of them knew they were going to die in there, but went willingly because a sense of duty drove them.
It was the words “sense of duty” that caught my attention. I realized that we as believers are sorely lacking a sense of duty. We seem to want to pick and choose spiritual disciplines, convictions, standards, and amounts we give and serve based on how we feel or claim to be “led”. I know some who won’t even pray at all unless they “feel led“.
I know what some of you are thinking, “Uh oh, he’s gone all legalistic on us. We should be motivated by our love for Christ, not a sense of duty!” You have a great point, however love is not, never has been, and never will be a warm fuzzy feeling that leads us to good deeds to put a smile on Jesus’ face.
I’ll give you an example. I’ve been married for seventeen years now. It comes as no surprise that we’re not always walking on cloud nine together. Sure we share some great moments and those romantic feelings are wonderful when they’re present. But when they’re not present, I still provide, protect, and care for my wife out of a sense of duty. I do what any good husband should do because I made a commitment to do it when I fell in love with her. Get it? We possess a sense of duty BECAUSE we love.
In Genesis chapter 4 God says that refusing to do what’s right (not what we’re “led” to do) is just a baby step away from sin gaining control over us. Jesus said in Mathew 25 that when we turn our backs on those in need, we turn our backs on Him. The absolute apathy of so many believers is downright frightening! To quote Keith Green, “Jesus came to your door, but you left Him out on the street.”
So my question is this: are you the type of person who would run into a burning building to save the lives of others, or would you rather enjoy the fresh air and safety while those inside burn? We’re guilty as hell if we do nothing. Think about that the next time you think sharing Jesus, helping the oppressed, and feeding the poor are for those who feel called.
It’s as if so many of us have succumbed to the Bystander Effect. The case of Kitty Genovese is the most well known example of this effect. Kitty was stabbed to death in 1964 by a serial rapist and murderer. According to newspaper accounts, the killing took place for at least a half an hour. The murderer attacked and stabbed her, but then fled the scene after attracting the attention of a neighbor. The killer then returned ten minutes later and finished the assault. Newspaper reports after Genovese’s death claimed that 38 witnesses watched the stabbings and failed to intervene. I’m sure all 38 of those people thought, “Someone will help her.” They were wrong.
Like the rescue workers of 9/11, we have got to develop a sense of duty, an URGENCY to fulfill the great commission and help the downtrodden. When I stand before God, I want to hear “well done”. I want to be the kind of person who runs toward danger to rescue the lost and oppressed. It takes commitment, it’s a sign of love (John 15:13), and it requires a sense of duty.
Recently I had the great pleasure of visiting friends in Ireland. They are pastors of small churches and the incredible resolve they posses to spend their lives being a light in a very post-Christian environment is nothing short of inspiring. They are aware that the rate of change is painstakingly slow yet they are committed to staying the course. It’s not about bigger buildings, better marketing, or a busier preaching itinerary for them. It’s about leading people to hope and freedom through Jesus, and I love the fact that simplicity hasn’t escaped from their purpose and values.
One thing I look forward to when I’m in Ireland is the “craic”. It’s a Gaelic word for having a good time, laughing, and sharing stories. We have rich conversations about life, ministry, family, and whatever else comes to mind. It’s not unusual for hours to pass, lost in each others tales of adventure, misfortune, sacrifice, and good humor.
During one such time, I was talking with my pastor friend Peter Lynch, from Dundalk. He leads a fellowship of about 50 people, very small by American standards. During our conversation he shared with me how his church has been taking trips to Burkina Faso in West Africa. It’s the third poorest country in the world. They have gone and dug wells for the people there so they can have fresh water. They’re also helping to build a school. When they go, they train the locals how to do the work and they leave all their tools behind so they can keep moving forward. Each trip costs around 25,000 dollars, a steep price to pay for such a small church.
I couldn’t help but think of how many times I hear pastors claim their churches just aren’t ready to help others with physical needs. The building payment, new carpeting, sound system, and payroll keep them from being able to feed the poor, clothe the naked, or shelter the homeless. Sometimes they hide behind the idea that all of those luxuries are needed to meet spiritual needs and attract seekers. Whatever helps them sleep at night… All I know is that Jesus spoke much about caring for the needy and spoke very little about pouring all our resources into building our organization. Wait… he never spoke about pouring our resources into our organization…
I’m not against the western church or religious organizations. I’m simply asking, If a tiny Irish church can give so freely to those in need, then why can’t we? Why don’t we adhere to the priorities Jesus gave us? I’ve read Matthew 25 over and over and can’t find the part where Jesus welcomes the sheep because they were so hip, relevant, good looking, or multi-campused. Instead he said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.”
This doesn’t just apply to the church either. As a church staff member for many years, I can recall times when people would ask us for money and resources to help someone out. The problem was that the person doing the asking was plenty capable to help that person themselves. The good Samaritan didn’t ask an organization to help the poor guy left for dead. He used his own resources! We as individuals need to make helping others a priority too. It amazes me how many people “wish” they could do more but will drop $15 a week at Starbucks!
So here’s my challenge… be a sheep, not a goat. Read Matthew 25:31-46 again. Are you living it? One of the great things about being a blessing is that God blesses back. My friend Peter shared that his church has experienced a twenty percent increase in finances since they’ve started going to Africa. That’s in the middle of a recession! Looks like Luke 6:38 is true! We should live like our lives are not our own, give like our money is theirs, and go like it’s really not that far! … ready or not.
