Join us for a day of celebration and jubilee! Since January 12, Revive Indiana has been organizing prayers teams to go out and bless others. God's favor has rested on this effort as many have made decisions to be disciples of Jesus Christ, many have been healed, and many have found God's direction and voice. We eat together, pray together, go out together, and celebrate and worship together. The plan is to do this for 52 days and this period will end on March 4, 2015.  

That entire day will be a day of celebration, as thousands gather to go out into the streets with singing, trumpets and prayer. We will celebrate God's deliverance and healing in our community, eat together, and worship together.

Celebrations and feasts were a part of the fabric of Jewish life from their beginning. The evening of March 4th also begins the Jewish Feast of Purim.  This festival celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman's plot to destroy them. God accomplished this through a young woman named Esther who had the faithfulness and courage to go before the king with boldness to make her request. 

We will also celebrate in northern Indiana for the deliverance God has given us from our spiritual impoverishment and malaise. We will celebrate the small acts of courage and boldness by many people as they faithfully went out and prayed and spoke words of healing and hope to the surrounding community. But most of all, we will celebrate Jesus, the one who is faithful, active, and present in our community. 

You can prepare for this by making sure you clear your schedule and ask off from work or school.  Prepare with prayer and fasting on your own. Join us in the days leading up to March 4th to come and see what God is doing. We'd love to see you join us, whether from near or far.
-John M Troyer

Loren Cunningham, founder of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), tells the story of how they first began the Mercy Ship ministry. They felt God's call and provision to purchase a particular boat. Money was flowing in and excitement was building. But as quickly as it started, it stopped. No more money, no more peace.  They prayed and fasted together to understand why this happened.  They received a clear answer: they had become more excited about the thing and lost sight of the refreshing sweetness of Jesus' presence.  In the end, they lost that boat, along with the money for the down payment. But they learned to keep their focus on God and He continues to sustain their ministry.

I am struck by how easy it is to do this. When God moves and miracles happen, we talk about the miracles. When we've developed our systems and theology in a way that makes sense, we talk about our systems and theology. When something exciting and new happens in our church, we talk about our church. When a new event or movement of God happens, we tell people about the new event or movement.  We invite people to come and see the thing rather than staying focused on the King.

I have been grateful for the burden I see in Revive Indiana leaders to continue pointing toward Jesus. Jesus is the One who heals us, delivers us, and saves us. The prayers, going out each day, the events, the miracles, and the music exist only for the purpose of engaging with Jesus and inviting others to see Him.  The favor of God is clearly resting in a new way on northern Indiana. He is doing things I never imagined He would do. The Revive Indiana team and the area churches have been faithful stewards of this movement. I don't know exactly what God will do next. But I do know this: If a church fails, if something negative happens with Revive Indiana, God's movement here in this area is bigger than any of our organizations.  God will carry forward with whatever it is that He wants to do.

This movement of God is dramatically changing lives, especially in our youth. Pretend kings are being dethroned as the One True King is placed on the throne. These acts of God are breaking down the preconceived ideas of every denomination and church about how God will get things done. For seasoned people of faith, we cannot plan or anticipate this. But we can get involved. We can pray. And we can test everything with the scriptures. Too many times we reject new things because they don't fit with what God has done in our lives in the past. But the witness of scripture is so much bigger than our own theology, traditions, and experiences.

Last Thursday, I was able to participate in an historic, multi-racial gathering of pastors in Elkhart. Why did it happen? It wasn't because of elaborate planning on anyone's part. It happened because God decided it was time for it to happen.  And as a result of a few people saying yes to God's timing, walls are starting to break down.  

So please come and see.  Come and see because we need your help. If you're keeping your distance because you're afraid this thing will go off the rails, come and see. Pray, test it with scripture and help us stay true to the way of Jesus. If you don't live in this area. make plans to come.  We'll get plowed out of our snow storm by the end of the day and we'll have room for you. We need you. Not because we want to glorify Revive Indiana. But because we see the glory of God in our midst. We think you'll see it too.
-John M Troyer

Over the last two weeks, I've been involved in Revive Indiana.  The pace has been a stretch, and I've made many new friends.  I've also had a number of conversations with people who have questions.  What is this about? Who is involved? Is it really a move of God or just some great marketing?

There is an important distinction to be made. Revive Indiana is a vessel, an organization with leaders who are a vehicle that God is using to change our community.  The excitement and energy that is currently focused around this organization does not negate the way God is already at work in many others places, both inside and outside the local churches in our community.  The level of involvement a pastor or congregation has with Revive Indiana is not a sign of how faithful and true they are. The outpouring and blessings of God are not constrained by human designs and plans. 

At the same time, something is clearly happening in a powerful way.  What is making this work?  I believe it is the coming together of the favor of God through the commitment to very specific acts of obedience.  Ultimately, this "works" because God is at work. It is as if God has simply said, "It's Time!" to our community.  The reports of healing, commitment to Christ, the openness to disruption and life change are not a result of human power.

For me personally, it feels like the story of the man who went to the hardware store to buy a chainsaw.  He asked the worker for a good saw, and selected one of the most powerful and largest models they had in the store.  He purchased it and went home, but was back the next day.  "This is a terrible saw, I've hardly made any progress and I've been working for hours on one small tree."  The worker took the saw from him, pulled the starter cord, and the saw roared to life. Startled, the customer jumped back and said, "What's that noise?"  After years of trying to use a chainsaw that wasn't running, it feels like the power has been turned on. 

There are four specific acts of obedience that I see as being critical to this continued favor. The first is the willingness to put the work of God's activity through the Holy Spirit, grounded in scripture, at the center of daily discernment.  The Revive Indiana leaders ask us to Love - Listen - Discern - Respond in every encounter.  I see them exemplify this in the pattern of their own lives. 

The second is the humility of gathering with others that help us cross denominational boundaries within the church. Churches are coming together, not as a rejection of the local churches, but for the purpose of unifying together in prayer and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit for this community.  

The third is the faithfulness of simply going out each day in teams to pray for others. About ten years ago I gathered with several groups of church leaders that would read and reflect on Luke 10, the passage where Jesus sent out the 72 to share the good news with others. We did this every time we met for several years, and not once did I make it a point to actually go and do what the passage invited me to do. We are now doing this.  On Saturday, 400 gathered to form 100 teams and pray for others. This was not about promoting a local church or Revive Indiana, it was about encounters with Jesus.

The fourth act of obedience is to eat together. In Acts, the table of fellowship is not just about communion, but also about the nature what it means to be connected with each other around an open table. Breakfast, lunch and dinner for six days of the week form the core of these places of connection as the gathered church.  Revive Indiana and the local churches have partnered together to make this a reality for 52 days. This comes at tremendous cost and sacrifice with no dramatic appeal for donations to cover costs. It is simply the church being the church together.
-John M Troyer

If you haven't yet been present for any Revive Indiana events, I invite you to come and check them out.  
Monday - Thursday
7:00am – Prayer time at Maple City Chapel (2015 Lincolnway E, Goshen, IN 46526)
8:00am – Breakfast at Maple City Chapel
9:00am – Organize into teams and Go Out to pray for churches

12:00pm – Noon time Prayer
Monday – First Baptist Church Elkhart 53953 County Road 17, Bristol, IN 46507
Tuesday – Nappanee Missionary Church 70417 State Road 19 North, Nappanee, IN 46550
Wednesday – Brenneman Missionary Church 61115 Indiana 15, Goshen, IN 46528
Thursday – Faith Mission 801 Benham Ave., Elkhart, IN
1:00pm – Lunch
2:00pm – Organize into teams and Go Out to pray for people

Monday - Thursday
5:30pm – Supper at Maple City Chapel (2015 Lincolnway E, Goshen, IN 46526)
7:00pm – Evening Prayer and Worship at Maple City Chapel

Friday
7:00am – Prayer time at Maple City Chapel (2015 Lincolnway E, Goshen, IN 46526)
8:00am – Breakfast at Maple City Chapel
9:00am – Organize into teams and Go Out to pray for churches
12:00pm – Noon time Prayer at River of Life Fellowship (11162 Indiana 120, Middlebury, IN 46540)
1:00pm – Lunch
2:00pm – Organize into teams and Go Out to pray for people
5:30pm – Supper at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church (63846 County Road 35, Goshen, IN 46528)
7:00pm – Training at Clinton Frame Mennonite (nursery through 3rd grade)

Saturday
7:00am – Prayer time at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church (63846 County Road 35, Goshen, IN 46528)
8:00am – Breakfast at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church
9:00am – Organize into teams and Go Out to pray for churches
12:00pm – Noon time Prayer at Calvary Assembly of God (1010 East Mishawaka Road, Elkhart, IN 46517)
1:00pm – Organize into teams and Go Out to pray for people
2:00pm – Lunch (out in the community with your team)
5:30pm – Supper at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church (63846 County Road 35, Goshen, IN 46528)
7:00pm – Evening Worship at Clinton Frame Mennonite (reviveKIDS and nursery)

Sunday
Worship at your local congregation and celebrate what God has done
Rest

I was moved last night as I saw hundreds of you gather on the stage at Revive Indiana.  I was moved, not because of your numbers, but because of the palpable movement of the Holy Spirit in your midst. All day, as I was praying alone and with others, I had a strong sense that Day 10 of our 52 day adventure was Freedom Day, especially for young people. And now, for those of you who weren't there, I want to invite you into something new. Some of you are in bondage. And Jesus has declared that in Him we can find life and freedom and joy.

You are the first generation to carry in your hands access to unlimited pornography which has crippled and trapped many of you. I invite you live into the favor of Jesus for your generation in this community and find freedom.

Some of you are struggling with addictions to drugs and alcohol, seeking out the next thrill without caring about the cost it may have in wrecking your life and your body. I invite you to live into the favor of Jesus for your generation in this community and find freedom. 

Some of you, like the Biblical Hebrews living in slavery in the land of Goshen, have carried heavy weights and expectations that are too high and too burdensome. You are asked to make more and more "bricks" by us adults in your studies and in extracurricular activities. We repent of the immensity of that burden, and shed tears for the emotional and physical damage it has done to you. We invite you to live into the favor of Jesus for your generation in this community and find freedom. 

Some of you are living a religious life that is without life. You have dutifully tried to be good and to do the right things but are mystified by what it means to truly live in the power of the Holy Spirit speaking into your life. We invite you to live into the favor of Jesus for your generation in this community and find freedom.

Some of you embraced a way of life that is that is presented as the path of peace and justice but is emptied of the living and real presence of God.  We repent that we as a church have remained quiet and avoided these justice concerns and have failed to demonstrate in our own lives the living and real presence of the Holy Spirit. We invite you to live into the favor of Jesus for your generation in this community and find freedom.

Some of you have lived in a roller coaster of emotions with intense worship but have not known the fruits of a transformed life. We repent that we as a church have not helped empower you to live into the favor of Jesus for your generation in this community and find freedom. 

This movement of God is much larger than one church or even an organization like Revive Indiana. It is a favor of God that only He has brought to this time and place.  Freedom is only found for the captives when we truly hear the direct voice of God through the Holy Spirit and then respond in obedience to the promptings He brings. As a host pastor, I invite you to take the opportunity to participate and be trained for that kind of life by joining Revive Indiana on Friday night at Clinton Frame Mennonite Church.  It is a night to strengthen all the churches in the community. This is a special night with not just worship, but clear Biblical teaching on how to press forward in the life of faith and freedom that only God can give. We will eat supper together at 5:30 and then begin at 7.  Bring a friend and come see what God will do.
-John M Troyer

This past few days I have seen God work in ways that I have longed to see for many, many years. On Friday, one of the young men in our youth group had his faith renewed and received the full indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday he went with a team of people to pray for our community and received a clear call and path to find and pray for a young man walking along the road and helped lead this young man to say yes to Jesus. Some friends of mine whose son has struggled with allergies and eczema received miraculous healing through the prayer of faith.  Yesterday, I was able to be a part of a team that was uniquely equipped to care for a sweet Christian lady who is experiencing intense pain and loneliness. These are just some of the stories of some of the people I know. Hundreds more are daily experiencing these divine appointments and healings in their workplaces and through intentional prayer in the community. People are seeing visions of God's favor and blessing resting on this community.

God is at work. Revival is happening in Northern Indiana. In this revival, we are seeing "fruit in keeping with repentance." We are seeing not just the sorrow of letting go of things of the past, but also the joy of new life and witness. We are not just seeing people who embrace the boldness of sharing faith with words, but people who are also sharing life and sacrificing on behalf of others. We are seeing not just conversion stories, but intentional follow up and walking together as disciples of Christ. We are not just seeing people from one background, congregation, or age, but people from all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. 

This movement is not the movement of  people who do everything right, who carefully plan their way forward. It is a movement of courage and challenge and mistakes. It is a movement in which we brush up against the denominational preferences of others and they rub us the wrong way. It is a movement in which cultures clash and our language is clumsy. It is a movement which will frighten some, anger some, and create barricades. But in the midst of this movement is the power of God at work to transform and do something new. 

We will see a backlash, a renewed effort to assign labels meant to discredit what is happening. But at its heart there is a simple return to the power of Christ's living presence and the desire to fully yield one's life in His service. I am ready and willing to serve.

Some of the numbers: Since a week ago, several hundred are going out each day in teams and praying for the community. The number gathered for worship each evening has been growing and is currently around 2,000. The intention is to continue doing this for a total of 52 days. 
-John M Troyer

When I talk about the division of a denominational institution, it's easy to jump immediately to the assumption that I am dividing the church. No denomination is the church. The big C Church is the people that are gathered around a real relationship with the Holy Spirit. When the institution becomes primary, that's when things begin to break down.

Institutions can be helpful. They're like buses, cars, ships and planes. When people hear God asking them to move together in some effort, it makes sense to get organized. But the church is never the mode of transport, it is the people inside. When our allegiance shifts, we shame each other into doing what we want. We lie and hedge the truth for our ends. We shame into silence with an attack others' character if they speak up. We work as silent allies so that we can rescue those within who we believe are victims of bad theology or ethical understanding.  We want the bus to be full even if the people on board don't like the destination.  So we make it hard for them to exit or we leave them stranded alone, isolated from others they might join.

Some are saying that the answer for Mennonite Church USA is to shift to a congregational polity. This sentiment is supposedly rooted in the idea of giving each other the freedom to follow Christ in whatever way it makes sense for each congregation. If that were truly the motive, then this sentiment would not be coupled with a fierce emphasis on loyalty and unity as a denomination. A true polity of congregationalism would do its best to help those with differing points of view join together and go their separate way. It would help them exit gracefully at the next bus stop and help them find a new ride. Congregations will bless same-sex marriages and ordain pastors in same-sex relationships. But when they do, and when they begin to determine the direction of our institutional bus, it's time for many of us to get off that bus. The attempts by those with the unity perspective to shame leaders for leaving is a sinful and diabolical attempt at manipulation and control. It is inconsistent with the congregational polity they claim to hold. It needs to stop and should be named and exposed for the abusive and ungodly use of power that it is. It is the spirit of Constantine, not the Holy Spirit.

I love Mennonite Church USA. But I love the people in it even more. It's time to help us separate well.
-John M Troyer

This blog is updated each weekday. Liking the Facebook page will not automatically update your news feed with new posts. If you would like receive regular notifications of new posts, join the Facebook group at this link. If you would like to subscribe by email, you can do so at the top of this page.

I've been reflecting on the meaning of the church. And by church, I don't mean a building or institution, but any place and time where people live in relationship because of a shared unity in Jesus Christ. By definition, the church is focused on Jesus, the risen and living Lord that lives in our hearts and lives today. We trust Jesus and what He says and does. He speaks to us today through the Holy Spirit. Our work is to discover what He is saying and live into that.

In the church, relationships matter. As those united with Christ, we put less on our daily agenda so we can slow down and truly see the people around us. Making that space in my own life has been a treasure as God has placed people in front of me. For some, it's just a smile and other times it's extended conversations with strangers who become friends. Church happens, it is not a place. You never know where you will discover it, but it can only be found in real relationship with others who are united with Christ.

In the church, the Bible serves as the introduction to the living Christ, it does not replace the living Christ. We let the written word shape us into being united with the Living Word. The one who is united with Christ will abandon sin, love sinners, and bring healing. The world will hate those who truly embrace this path.

We have authority in the church only when we actually are united with Christ. Our authority does not come from a title, credentials or official membership. If I spend no time with God each day, I really do have nothing to offer to those around me that is of lasting value. The value of leadership is in knowing the game plan the Coach is putting into place. If I can't hear the Coach, I'm not helping with the game plan.

In the church, our lives are characterized by respect and mutual affection. If an institution loses the ability to cultivate that, it is no longer serving the church. We point each other toward Christ, not toward policy and rules. We say the hard things, we separate from those who are false teachers because we have come to love the One who confronted evil and embraced what is good. We reject the ugliness of humanity's false unity for the freedom and beauty of the Holy Spirit's leadership.

Our lives are about living in loving agreement, not about imposing conformity on others. The value of the relationship is only as good as how we help each other become united in Christ. We equip and build up each other to serve in unity with Christ and not as conformists to an institution.

Here are some questions to consider as you think about your life:

• Is the reality of the Holy Spirit's voice within you becoming clearer or is it becoming more difficult to hear? 
• Is your heart being filled with the fruits of love, joy and peace? 
• Are you tired and worn out and feeling more distant from God? 
• Are you being honest about your unity with Christ or are you more focused on what you think you should be and what you think you should do? 
• Is most of what you do characterized by a sense of obligation and guilt with your heart at a very different place? 
• As you let go of obligations, are you losing yourself in God's love or pursuing a path of self-interest?
  

These questions can serve as a spiritual checkup, and they are only as valuable as your honesty in answering them. I challenge you to find a friend or two who walks with Jesus, and give them your answers to these questions. Eat a meal as a family and tell them how it's really going. I guarantee that in the conversations you will find church.  It's good living.
-John M Troyer

This blog is updated each day except on Sunday. Liking the Facebook page will not automatically update your news feed with new posts. If you would like receive regular notifications of new posts, join the Facebook group at this link. If you would like to subscribe by email, you can do so at the top of this page.

I've shared a number of the difficult moments in my life on this blog, but I haven't told you yet about the worst decision of my life. As a teenager, I started in a new school and quickly became best friends with another new student. After a while I noticed others were making fun of him, calling him names as we walked down the hall together. At one point he told me how much the name-calling bothered him. He came out to me about his struggles, wondering if he was gay, and wishing the bullying would stop. That night I went home, having absolutely no idea how to respond. So I made the worst decision of my life. I stopped being his friend. I've never been able to make it up to him, to have that conversation where I can let him know how sorry I am that I did what I did. I made the decision at that moment that was worse than all the bullying, I betrayed his trust in a moment of great vulnerability

Penny Dugan has a different story that took place in the same time period in the '80's. She founded New Jerusalem Missions, and here is how her story is told on their web site:

Penny provided hospice care for her ex-husband as he faced death. She lives in Newton, KS and New Jerusalem Missions runs a homeless shelter there for Harvey County. She has also started hospice work in South Africa. 

I believe in mercy and grace. I believe in the power of speaking truth in the context of relationship, of self-sacrifice and compassion. One of my favorite videos is below and it tells of the power of God's grace in a community in Australia.  It lasts about one hour but it is well worth watching.  At about 16 minutes Debra begins to talk and she has a compelling story to tell. Jump to that point if you want to move through it more quickly.

"Don't hurt the lambs." It's the phrase that continues to echo in my mind. In my clumsy walk through life, I hope that phrase will continue to take root in me.
-John M Troyer

This blog is updated each day except on Sunday. Liking the Facebook page will not automatically update your news feed with new posts. If you would like receive regular notifications of new posts, join the Facebook group at this link. If you would like to subscribe by email, you can do so at the top of this page.