Paul was a prisoner aboard a ship being pummeled by rough seas, encountering a tremendous loss of provision, and facing the ultimate threat of being shipwrecked. The captain's disregard for sound warnings led Paul and all of the passengers into grave danger. 

It was in the midst of this scene that God chose to speak. His message of hope intersected desperation with a promise echoing louder than the perilous storm raging about them. God spoke a promise of safety and protection that required a response of faith; faith expressed through actions.  

As the storm continued to rage fiercely about them, Paul proclaimed God's message of deliverance as he stood steady, believing his “Promiser.” Paul's faith, fueled by his identity rooted in God, was proved authentic through the storm.

Though their fears were valid, Paul's fellow shipmates were confronted with the choice to join him in faith or abandon ship, hoping for survival another way. While waves crashed and winds whipped through the deck of the battered and beaten ship, Paul issued his call to faith once again, and his shipmates responded in belief in Paul's God.

In an extreme act of faith, the soldiers cut the ropes that secured their lifeboats, severing all ties to a Plan B. 

Reflecting on these passages stirs my heart to remember that we serve a God who powerfully shows up in the middle of the most desperate circumstances we face. Not only is God present, but also He is a God whose whispered promises can penetrate the most burdened and frightened heart with truth; and His truth always brings a rescue. 

Like the men aboard the ship that day, God offers us a choice. When His whispers echo into the storms of our circumstances, will we respond in faith and trust, or abandon ship, hoping for a Plan B? 

Faith means taking God at His Word and severing all ties to Plan B. This is the kind of faith that moves the heart of God in rescue and, in the end, pleases Him. 

By: Jenna Javins served with Foursquare Missions International as youth pastor at Mochudi Foursquare Church in Botswana. She currently is a youth minister and missions/outreach mentor at Westside Church in Bend, Ore. 

Share your journey through Acts » Comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads through Acts together this year! You can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights on Acts from Foursquare leaders around the world.

In previous articles and updates, we outlined the projected priorities for putting the offering into immediate ministry use. These priorities include reaching unreached nations and people groups, developing global leadership and planting churches in world-class cities.

Now, we are pleased to announce the phase one allocations, and we give God thanks for His wisdom as these important decisions have been considered. Further, we appreciate your continued prayers for God’s anointing as these allocations begin to reach the field, and the lives of people are transformed.

North Asia

One of our first investment priorities is for strategic evangelism, discipleship and church planting amongst the Hokumin, or “Northern People,” of Japan who were most affected by the March 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. There has not been a viable Christian witness amongst the majority of these Hokumin for at least 450 years, but the people there are now open to the gospel because of Christian relief and compassion efforts.

Also in North Asia, the Connection 2011 offering will provide ethnic leadership training and church multiplication efforts that will link together indigenous workers, minority people groups and the global Foursquare Church in creative access environments.

Africa

In French-speaking Africa, we plan to complete a medical clinic in a very needy part of a regional capital city where there are no such clinics. We believe this will be a highly effective strategy to reach children (over 50 percent of the population) and their mothers in the region.

We are also pleased to announce that this year’s Connection 2011 offering will allow us to open a new country in Central Africa to The Foursquare Church, in partnership with Foursquare Holland.

Additionally, we will purchase land and develop a world-class training center for missionaries to the unreached people groups and nations of West, Central and North Africa. Specific goals include equipping missionaries to unreached people groups in the region, focusing on major cities. We also plan to build bridges for potential workers from our Hispanic churches in the U.S. and Latin America to serve in Africa.

South Asia

Foursquare leaders are starting churches among unreached villages in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The region represents 1.5 billion people; 97 percent of them do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Funds from the Connection 2011 offering will allow us to train 1,000 pastors and leaders in the region to impact the 10/40 Window.

Southeast Asia

Two different allocations are being made for Foursquare works in closed countries in Southeast Asia. One will provide church planting support for works already in progress, and the other will help initiate church planting in a closed country where we previously have not had a Foursquare work.

South Pacific

We already have open doors for reaching the nation of Nauru, but funds from the Connection 2011 offering will help us send our first missionary and officially register The Foursquare Church in Nauru.

In addition, the Foursquare work in Tonga is ready to expand into a stage-two church; we will host a pastoral training seminar there to aid in this process. Fiji is experiencing a dynamic move of God, and Connection 2011 funds will help us share what God is doing through evangelism events in Sigatoka, Suva, Tavua, and the Nadi areas of Vita Levu, Fiji.

Central and Eastern Europe

National leadership development in Foursquare Russia and Foursquare Ukraine will include training, mentoring and church planting initiatives, helping them become fully nationalized works. During the next 12 months, we plan to establish Foursquare ministries in the post-communist nations of Croatia, Romania, Czech Republic and Serbia.

Caribbean

We plan to partner with Foursquare Jamaica to plant a stage-one Foursquare church in Grand Cayman, opening this Caribbean country to The Foursquare Church.

Mexico

Funding from the Connection 2011 offering will help expand the already successful church planting efforts of existing Foursquare missionaries in Baja California. Funds will also allow us to provide a strategic planning event for Foursquare Mexico leaders and FMI missionaries as we multiply our leadership development initiatives in the region.

Worldwide

International training and recruiting seminars will equip Foursquare pastors and leaders to reach followers of non-Christian religions in their nations. The events will also prepare workers for effective ministry to the most unreached people groups around the world; many of those are in countries closed to traditional American missionaries.

Thank you for your faith and partnership as you committed these funds, and for your faithful giving to FMI. Please pray with us that the eternal fruit that results from this seed will be millions of new disciples and new leaders, pastors, evangelists and missionaries—and transformed cities and nations!

By: James C. Scott Jr., vice president of Global Operations / director of Foursquare Missions International (FMI)

Take a moment to reflect on how you, as a member of the Foursquare family, were a part of something bigger than yourself—a part of making a difference for the kingdom. Take a moment to learn, to grow, to mentor. And perhaps another moment to think how we can continue to work together to let the world know that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Four Most Read Topics on Foursquare.org in 2011

Japan. In March, Japan was ravaged by a devastating tsunami triggered by a 9.0-magnitute quake, followed by many aftershocks. Local Foursquare missionaries were already on the scene to help provide comfort, hope and assistance to locals. 
Read More

Reading Through Acts. The Foursquare Church across the U.S. joined together to read through the book of Acts each month during 2011. The year kicked off with hundreds of pastors participating in a 21-day fast, and the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email brought insight to Acts from Foursquare leaders around the world.
Read More

District Supervisor Appointments. The Southern California area welcomed two new district supervisors this year. Tim Clark was appointed to the Greater Los Angeles District, and Dennis Easter took the reigns at Pacific Coast and Valleys.

Connection 2011. The Foursquare family joined together for our annual international convention in Columbus, Ohio, this year to worship, connect and learn more about where Foursquare is headed as a movement. During the event, Glenn Burris Jr. announced his five targets, Foursquare pastors pledged more than $1 million to Foursquare Missions International, and the convention body approved Foursquare Financial Solutions.

Top Relief Giving to Foursquare Missions International (FMI)

• FMI General Relief: $120,036.43
• FMI Haiti Relief: $123,885.49
• FMI Japan Relief: $271,251.31
• Other Relief: $20,080.42 (includes Colombia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and East Africa)
• Total to Foursquare’s Relief and Compassion: $535,253.65

Four Most Read Resources

• FMI monthly prayer guide
• Child and Youth Protection Manual and Series
• Holy Spirit Discovery for Kids
• Wordpress Theme

2011 Resources Not to Be Missed

• Best Technology: Foursquare Wordpress Theme
• Best Book: Max Lucado’s Max on Life
• Best Music: Matt Redman’s worship album 10,000 Reasons
• Best Foursquare Resource: Wayne Cordeiro’s The Irresistible Church
• Best Download: Foursquare Brochures and Foursquare Certificates

Four Featured Foursquare Personalities of 2011

Tommy Green
After coming to Christ in 2003 through the influence of a friend in what he calls the “hardcore” community, Pastor Tommy Green, an assisting minister at Salt Lake City Foursquare Church in Utah, knows the importance of reaching out to young adults overlooked by traditional churches.

Rosalinda P. Vint
Growing up, Rosalinda P. Vint was a ward of the court in the Los Angeles County foster care system. Her broad smile, now radiant, wasn’t perceptible back then, if it existed at all. She endured horrific abuse. Now she’s an assisting minister at LightHouse Church in Newbury Park, Calif., and has dedicated her life to helping troubled youth who desperately need hope and healing.

Niki and Kelly Tshibaka
Just outside Washington, D.C., the center of politics, power and prestige—or, as Foursquare Pastor Niki Tshibaka calls it, “the schmoozing capital of the world”—Mount Vernon Foursquare Fellowship (MVFF) nestles in the picturesque city of Alexandria, Va. Niki and his wife, Kelly, co-pastor the church and are bringing the love of Christ to the nation’s capital and beyond.

Adam and Sarah Hartel 
Considered to be one of the most significant cultural centers in Europe, Amsterdam, the capital city of the Netherlands, is rich in heritage and diversity. Spiritually speaking, it’s also one of the world’s most challenging cities. FMI Missionaries Adam and Sarah Hartel came to Amsterdam in 2010 and are already seeing God do some amazing things.

Four Topics Foursquare Explored

Immigration. In “Welcoming the Stranger,” we examined immigration to the U.S. and the incredible opportunities for evangelism it affords. We covered the controversies involved, and looked at Foursquare churches that are effectively reaching out to the diverse groups of people coming to our shores.

Ministry Burnout. In this three-part series exclusive, we took a close look at the growing problem of pastoral burnout. Dissecting the statistics and exploring the topic with leaders in our denomination, we examined its signs, how to heal from it, and how to prevent it in the first place.

Standing the Test of Time. In “The DNA of Longevity,” we took a look at the values, traits and behaviors woven into the makeup of Foursquare churches that have remained relevant and effective in their mission through decades of ministry. What is it about these congregations that has caused them to endure over the long haul and make a lasting impact in their communities?

Reaching the Next Generation. The latest research reveals that most young people today are resistant to the church. It’s a disturbing trend, but Foursquare churches across the nation are tackling the issue head-on. It’s not too late, say the Foursquare NextGen leaders we interviewed, to develop a successful ministry that effectively reaches the “cradle to college” crowd.

Historic Foursquare Events of 2011

• The Foursquare Foundation broke ground on Parkview Living, a senior living center located across the street from Angelus Temple. Move-in is scheduled for June 2012.
• The convention voting body approved Foursquare Financial Solutions (FFS), which will manage planned and estate giving, the new FFS loan fund, retirement services, investment services and more.
• Foursquare churches pledged to give more than $1 million over and above their normal giving to Foursquare Missions International. FMI is using the money to reach unreached nations and people groups, develop global leadership, and plant churches in world-class cities.
• Emerging Leader Network dramatically expands.
• Originally introduced in 1997 in John Amstutz book Disciples of All Nations, the Foursquare movement reignited The Four-Stage Development Model, which looks to evangelize, strengthen, multiply and make responsible, reproducing missionary-sending churches around the world.

By: Marcia Graham, editor of Foursquare Leader and Foursquare.org

But retirement for this dynamic couple isn’t about rocking chairs and sleepy schedules.

Serafin and Alva plan to continue their online ministry, which they say reached 40 million people in 2011 alone. They have a strong following on Facebook, and thousands of people are coming to Christ through their radio and TV ministry, videos and Bible studies.

When some people think of retirement, they visualize quiet days at home with the occasional visit from friends or family. Not so for Alva and Serafin. They plan to open their home regularly to ministry couples needing spiritual counseling or times of personal refreshment. When they relocate to Panama in January, they will welcome people into their home for days at a time as they help restore and then release them to effective ministry.

Ministry is a lifestyle for this called couple. It’s all they have ever known, and all they ever hope to do.

In the Beginning

Alva was 5 years old when she was introduced to Jesus Christ by Foursquare Missionaries Darlene and Edgar Coombs in San Cristobal, Venezuela. Darlene discipled Alva and gave her the opportunity to teach Sunday school at the age of 13. Alva would later study pastoral ministries at the Foursquare seminary in Venezuela, earn a certificate in missions and Christian education in Costa Rica, and graduate with a master’s degree in biblical counseling from Doxa International University in Coral Gables, Fla.

Serafin also received Christ at the Foursquare church in San Cristobal, at the age of 16. Almost immediately he felt a definite call to the ministry, and both he and Alva recall being filled with the Holy Spirit within one year after deciding to follow Jesus.

“Our lives were challenged for God to be witnesses of Jesus anywhere we could,” Serafin recalls.

The couple became Foursquare ministers and accepted their first pastoral assignment in 1969. They pastored in Venezuela for 21 years, serving congregations in San Cristobal, Tariba and Barquisimeto. In 1989, Serafin and Alva began serving as Foursquare missionaries and, in successive years, ministered in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize, El Salvador and Panama.

Life of Service

They currently serve The Foursquare Church as area missionaries leading the Foursquare presence in Central and South America. In addition, Serafín has represented The Foursquare Church and Foursquare Latin America as a member of the advisory and executive committees of the Pentecostal World Fellowship.

Foursquare Latin America has grown significantly under the leadership of Serafin and Alva.

“We have almost 17,000 churches and meeting places, over 38,000 licensed workers, and 1,300 churches planted in the last 12 months,” Jonathan Hall tells Foursquare.org. He says it is a wonderful privilege for him to follow Serafin and Alva, and a great honor to partner with other strong ministry leaders in Latin America.

Jonathan believes leaders in the region are committed to praying for an increased move of the Holy Spirit as the gospel is spread through the Latin nations. He affirms that kingdom expansion will continue in Central and South America through a new generation of leaders who are fully trained and released, and characterized by healthy partnerships and strategic networking.

New Season of Ministry

After years of fruitful ministry leading the Foursquare work in Latin America, Serafin and Alva say the Lord began to speak to their hearts about a new season of ministry for them. Last January, while in Los Angeles for a time of prayer and refreshing, God spoke to them “with boldness to our hearts,” the couple says. They knew the voice of the Lord was clear, and that the time was right for a change.

FMI Director Jim Scott recalls praying with Serafin and Alva about what the Holy Spirit was saying to them. He says it was like that eternal moment in the book of Acts when the church council in Antioch was asked to set apart Barnabas and Paul for the work to which God had called them.

“The church in Antioch was being asked to send their best into a new season of ministry,” Jim says, “and I was aware that FMI and The Foursquare Church were being offered a similar opportunity.”

The couple’s connection with FMI and Foursquare Latin America remains strong. Although their location may change, they will no doubt find themselves in high demand, speaking and ministering at Foursquare churches and in conferences and events worldwide.

They always remember how they were brought to Jesus Christ and carefully discipled for Christian service while they were still young. Much like Darlene and Edgar Coombs did so many years ago, Serafin and Alva want to help disciple emerging leaders, and already plan to make room for ministry couples in their home in Panama.

Hundreds of people who have received Christ under the ministry of Serafin and Alva have already been discipled and become pastors in churches throughout Latin America. The couple is humbled and grateful by this legacy.

They aren’t the only ones who are grateful. FMI and the national leaders, pastors and congregations of Central and South America are grateful, as well.

“Serafin and Alva are truly apostolic elders,” Jim Scott affirms. “They have provided visionary leadership, able administration, anointed instruction and compassionate pastoral care as a ministering couple in The Foursquare Church for 42 years.”

They will always be loved and honored in their homeland and, indeed, throughout The Foursquare Church.

By: Rod Light, an ordained Foursquare minister and educator in Los Angeles

The minister was shocked. She only knew this gentleman casually—he had been her husband’s friend—but her husband had clearly been able to build a bridge of friendship and communication with this man, despite the myriad doctrinal differences between Mormonism and traditional Christianity. The man had been watching their lives carefully. And now the fruit of that spiritual labor was blossoming.

This story vividly illustrates what is perhaps the biggest key to effectively reaching Mormons with the gospel: building authentic bridges of friendship. Outreach to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Georgeann insists, is not something effectively accomplished through a mass evangelism campaign. It needs to happen one-on-one, in the context of friendship, over time.

“We focus our evangelism on developing genuine, loving relationships and friendships with the people of our community,” Georgeann explains. “This allows the trust necessary for sharing the love of Jesus in a genuine way. This one-on-one method has been the most successful because of the specifics of Mormon culture.

“We don’t single out men and women with specific outreaches,” she continues. “We befriend and genuinely love these people. They often become the dearest of friends. It is usually the consistent witness of a normal life committed to Jesus and His love that seems to speak the most.”

Live Your Faith

Tony Maupin Jr., co-pastor with his wife, Carol, of Shiloh (Idaho Falls Foursquare Church) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, would agree. He recounts the story of two brothers, Warren and Brent, who came to Shiloh 10 years ago and gave their lives to Christ. They had been raised as devout Mormons.

Brent, at age 61, passed away recently, but when Tony asked Warren why he and his brother had decided to become Christians, his answer was clear: “Because the people at your church lived what they believed—and they loved us.” Warren’s two adult children and their spouses have also made decisions for Christ.

“I’ve lived virtually all of my life in eastern Idaho, an area that is predominately Mormon,” says Tony. “I’ve served with committed Mormons on public school boards, and served Mormon bishops as customers as an independent businessman. Many of my friends, neighbors and relatives are Mormon.

“I have yet to see one committed Mormon argued into the kingdom of God,” he asserts. “What I have frequently observed are many who have come to faith because someone loved them, prayed for them and shared their faith with them.”

Shiloh has, from time to time, joined with other evangelical churches in the area to sponsor a speaker who address audiences regarding Mormonism and traditional Christianity. This can be educational and beneficial when the speaker is a former Mormon who understands the issues and genuinely loves Mormons. Still, evangelism is most effective within personal relationships.

Take the Long View

Pete Akins, senior pastor of True Life Center (Cedar City Foursquare Church) in Cedar City, Utah, lives in an area that is so steeped in Mormonism that any type of grand public outreach or staged attempt to evangelize would be culturally insensitive, if not outright offensive. That’s why the church he pastors with his wife, Cami, doesn’t focus on such evangelistic efforts, he says; they focus on getting to know and love their neighbors and co-workers.

Doing so requires a long-term vision, an important key that anyone who wants to reach a Mormon friend needs to keep in mind. Change isn’t going to happen overnight.

“My wife and I asked the Lord to give us 20 years in our city so that we could earn the right to speak into their situation,” Pete says. “Mormons are amazing people who have strong family values and a deep sense of commitment to their church. My heart breaks for the works-driven society and the misguided concept of who Christ is.”

Pete tells the story of a former Mormon man who is now a pastoral leader in his church. When he came to True Life Center, he was disillusioned with church altogether. Because Mormons are raised to believe their church is the only true church, and that if they ever leave it they are lost, as there is no other truth, such disillusionment is common among those who exit Mormonism.

But when this man encountered True Life Center, he found it to be a place where he could learn and grow. He was free to struggle openly with his questions.

“He attended a men’s camp with us, and the Lord opened him up to dimensions of life that he never even thought possible,” Pete recalls. “It is great to know that God can—in His own time—do what He intends to do in the hearts of people when we don’t run them off and accept them where they are, no strings attached.”

Love Your Neighbor

Our Foursquare pastors who minister in areas of the country with high Mormon populations offer helpful tips we should all be mindful of when it comes to interacting with Mormons we encounter and befriending those who may live next door or work with us.

“Love is essential,” affirms Georgeann Dillard. “Seek to build a genuine relationship first. Do things together and enjoy friendship.” She notes that Jesus wants to show Himself to be powerful and available to the seeker, so we should get His perspective and be empowered by the Holy Spirit, moving in the spiritual gifts.

Pete Akins echoes these sentiments. “Pray that the Holy Spirit would accomplish through your friendship what you cannot with an adversarial approach,” he suggests. “Enjoy the dialogue that springs forth as two friends talk about what they believe, value and practice. Listen to them and appreciate what they say; that is what friendship is about.”

Tony Maupin Jr. advises that we should study and understand Mormon doctrine, but that when we meet Mormons, we shouldn’t make Mormonism the primary issue.

“Let God’s love making its appeal through you set the agenda,” Tony says. “Be kind to them. If you aren’t a Mormon, they’re expecting you to challenge them, and they already have the stock answer rehearsed. They already know you’re different. What they really want to know is why.”

Resources for Further Study

The following books and websites will prove helpful to anyone wanting to understand Mormonism better and how to reach Mormons for Christ.

• Understanding Your Mormon Neighbor by Ross Anderson (Zondervan)
• Understanding the Book of Mormon by Ross Anderson (Zondervan)
• I Love Mormons by David L. Rowe (Baker Books)
• Mormonism Explained by Andrew Jackson (Crossway)
• Institute for Religious Research
• Mormonism Research Ministry
• The Religious Researcher

You are reading Part 2 of a two-part series.

Read Part 1: “Understanding the Sensitivities”

By: Bill Shepson, a Foursquare credentialed minister and freelance writer in Los Angeles

On March 20–22, 2012, both current and prospective Foursquare institute leaders will gather at Life Pacific College in San Dimas, Calif., for the 2012 Foursquare Institute Symposium.

The symposium will emphasize the theme “Training for Core Competencies” and will consist of keynote sessions, workshops, Emerging Leader Network (ELN) and Hispanic tracks, as well as fellowship and networking, according to Dan Hedges, Foursquare national director of education and leadership development.

“We are keeping step with our district and national leaders who are calling us to a higher level of training that will better meet the needs of our churches,” Dan affirms.

Dan says the significant question that must be answered is this: “What are these essential competencies, and how can we better equip new and established leaders with them in church-sponsored training?”

Registration cost for the symposium is $100. More information on registration and specific hotels—including special hotel rates—will be available in January. Contact Dan Hedges via email, or by calling 213.989.4258.

Vy recruits several dozen youth, auditions them and then invests the better part of a year transforming their individual voices into a powerful choir with one voice. In the beginning, many of these young people have a difficult time publicly declaring their own names and where they are from. The program is designed to address their lack of identity, purpose, brokenness and often their guilt and shame.

If you’re like me, you’ll find it difficult to get through the segment without being deeply moved by Vy’s passion and her commitment to helping these young people reclaim their voice and ultimately their purpose. You can watch the videos here: 4sq.ca/60Minutes.

“Speak: Reclaim Our Voice” will be our theme for 2012. I have been deeply moved by the Holy Spirit in my times of prayer and reflection concerning this next season ahead. The church that finds its place of influence during the 21st century will not seek to play it safe. It will commit to taking risks, not being afraid of a world that is desperately seeking purpose and clarity.

Our roots are intertwined in the persuasive story of a creative entrepreneur who boldly declared her dependence on the Lord. Flawed and fruitful, Aimee Semple McPherson left a global legacy of a passion for the disenfranchised, a contending for the power of the Spirit, and a desire to tell the gospel story in a compelling way that would transform individuals, a city, a nation and the world.

Most of us would agree that the apostle Paul knew how to speak. He was bold and even boisterous in his pursuit of taking the gospel to the ends of the earth. Yet in Acts 18:9, the Lord spoke quite directly to Paul, saying, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent” (NIV).

The city of Corinth would have presented multiple challenges to anyone on a mission to bring the message of the cross. A large, cosmopolitan seaport city of 500,000, Corinth was godless, immoral and idolatrous. Ministers of the gospel were up against significant opposition.

God confronted Paul’s fears, because giving place to them would squelch any possibilities of a spiritual transformation in this city. That encounter with the Lord re-energized Paul, and he stayed for 18 months, engaging in a powerful ministry partnership with Aquila and Priscilla.

The most talented and focused among us need to be reminded occasionally not to let life or circumstances rob us of our voice and influence. We must keep on speaking—and not be afraid!

The Foursquare Church is a MOVEMENT (of leaders and churches), with a MESSAGE (Jesus Christ as Savior, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, Healer, and Soon-Coming King), on a MISSION (making disciples of all nations).

This past year, many in our Foursquare family read through the book of Acts every month, revisiting the foundation and MISSION of the early church. This coming year, I’m asking you to join us on a new shared Bible journey, as we read through the Gospels. Our weekly prayer emails will focus on the fourfold ministry of Jesus, as we revisit this powerful reminder that is the centerpiece of our MESSAGE.

The simple clarity that Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give us as witnesses to the most powerful life lived is a testimony to God’s great love for all of us! There’s a reason the Bible is still the bestselling book of all time—no other story provides such hope. Let it saturate your soul during this coming year, and may the Lord help all of us to reclaim our voice!

Let me share several important points of celebration, clarity and communication:

Connection 2012

Phoenix, Ariz., will be the host city for our annual convention, May 28–31, 2012. We are excited about the guests who will unpack more of the theme, “Speak: Reclaim Our Voice.” Wayne Cordeiro, Chris Hodges, Ted Olbrich, Ralph Moore, Keith Jenkins, Margaret Feinberg, Obed Orozco and Ed Stetzer are among our speakers and guests. Worship will be led by Eric Diaz in the morning and Matt Redman at night.

We will provide a full day of learning tracks with something for everyone, including worship leaders, administrators, ForeRunners, NextGen leaders, international missionaries and guests, and senior pastors. We will also host a one-day Hispanic convention, called Conexión Hispana.

The team is working extra hard this year to make convention a place for all kinds of leaders, and Phoenix is a great opportunity to bring some or all of your team with you. In my recent mailing, we included a few “save-the-date” cards for you to share. We are encouraging everyone to consider sponsoring a younger leader and his or her spouse to come and experience convention.

Convention is the only opportunity we have each year to connect as a global tribe, experience our diversity, and discern God’s voice for us as a movement. Would you prayerfully consider whom you might invite and sponsor to go to Phoenix with you? Debbie and I have personally decided to give air miles, provide a travel stipend and cover the registration for one young couple to get to Phoenix.

Global Summit

Please pray as we gather with over 200 national leaders and invited guests to help us pray, strategize, network and commit together toward an acceleration of taking the gospel to every nation. The summit begins on Friday, June 1, immediately following Connection 2012. We are most encouraged by the responses being received from our Foursquare family around the world. This event will be a dynamic gathering of global leaders. Following are two significant developments:

(a) A Global Prayer Strategy will be in place, in which the nearly 70,000 Foursquare churches around the world will join in prayer together for 21 weeks leading up to convention in Phoenix. Is that exciting or what? Having our global Foursquare family engaged in a focused prayer plan brings unprecedented unity and celebration. Beginning January 9, a three-part prayer strategy will begin to (1) Exalt His Kingdom; 2) Establish His Kingdom; and 3) Expand His Kingdom. More information can be found at 4sq.ca/globalprayer.

(b) We will be receiving a Global Summit offering to help provide scholarships for some of our national leaders around the world. On Sunday, March 4, we will ask our international family to consider taking a special offering to assist in making this Global Summit a success. (A video and accompanying communication will be sent out in January.) Thank you for considering how you can take part in this important statement to our global Foursquare family.

Five Missional Targets

Significant progress is being made on the five missional targets that we shared in Columbus this last year. The five targets are Leaders, Churches, Nations, People Groups and Resources. The National Church Office (NCO) has taken the lead on three out of the five (Leaders, Churches and People Groups). There will be an update after the first of the year on these targets that include Leadership Development and Church Planting.

Also, Foursquare Missions International (FMI) is helping to serve the focus on Nations, and with the launch of Foursquare Financial Solutions (FFS), we are laying the groundwork for covering the administrative costs of ICFG so that we can invest 100 percent of our tithe into field ministry.

Finances

We continue to make considerable progress in the areas of our financial stewardship. It looks extremely favorable that we will finish this year in the black and realize significant reductions in our delinquent loan exposure. A full financial picture will be given after the first of the year, as well as in Phoenix.

You may recall from our convention business in Columbus, Ohio, the topic of The King’s University building in Van Nuys, Calif. I am pleased to report that the original $14 million loan has been fully recovered. The actual sale closed at $14.75 million. Praise the Lord!

Foursquare Financial Solutions (FFS)

Officially formed on July 1, 2011, FFS is destined to be a world-class financial services organization, bringing the Foundation, Planned Giving, Retirement, Loan Funds, Income Property and Insurance departments under one roof. This will increase financial support to The Foursquare Church and reduce its dependency on the tithe dollar.

The FFS Loan Fund provides loans to Foursquare churches and ministries, and loan certificate investments to individual Foursquare constituents. The Planned Giving department provides personal assistance to help Foursquare ministries and ministers give to kingdom purposes while receiving significant tax savings. The FFS board and the FFS Loan Fund board comprise a balanced mix of talented clergy and experienced, ministry-minded financial and business professionals. You can learn more about FFS at: 4sq.ca/FFS.

Parkview Living: A Foursquare Senior Living Community

Within the last two weeks, you should have received a letter and FAQ that explains this exciting project. Funded by Foursquare Foundation investments (not tithe or operations money), this pilot project in Echo Park is a fulfillment and result of the fruitful legacy of KFSG, the radio station founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. My letter can be read at www.foursquare.org/news/article/parkview_living_announced.

Prayer and Bible Reading Plan for 2012

As mentioned above, the new prayer and Bible reading plan begins on January 1, 2012. If you currently receive the Foursquare Leader Prayer email on Mondays, you will continue to get next year’s. If you’re not getting Foursquare Leader Prayer, please sign up today at foursquare.org/newsletters. You can get a head start on the January readings by reading one chapter of Matthew each day.

We have also received requests to provide this year’s Acts reading in book form. I am pleased to announce that in early 2012, a full compilation of this year’s devotionals, as well as new and revised info, will be available in print and digital formats (e.g., Kindle, iPad). It has been designed specially for small-group study and includes reflection questions after each reading. More to come!

The church is often known more for what it stands against than what it stands for. My prayer is that The Foursquare Church will be known for our battle to rescue those who are victims of injustice, that we will be known for bringing the gospel to ears that have not yet heard, and that we will be known as a movement that contends for the entrance of the power of the Spirit into every facet of our lives and ministries.

Jesus declared that the revelation of who He is would give rise to a church that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against” (Matt. 16:18, KJV). May our fellowship rediscover who He is and, in so doing, find our voice again as Salt and Light to this generation. “Speak: Reclaim Our Voice.” Take some risks; be bold and stay focused on Him!

By: Glenn C. Burris Jr., president of The Foursquare Church

Parkview Living: A Foursquare Senior Living Community is the fulfillment and result of the fruitful legacy of KFSG, the radio station founded by Aimee Semple McPherson. The center, which is funded by Foursquare Foundation Investments (not from our operations or tithe money), will provide a significant benefit—not only to our Foursquare family, but also to the city of Los Angeles. This practical answer for a very vital need has become a reality!

I could not have a better seat from which to watch this dream come true! Just outside my office window here in Echo Park, I’m able to view firsthand the day-by-day progress as the building takes shape before my eyes. I sent a letter to Foursquare pastors, as a first announcement and first mailing, to give them the good news that they are invited to dream with me. It also was an invitation for them to consider the potential of them or someone they know becoming part of this community as a future resident at Parkview.

God’s Word clearly directs us to embrace an “attitude of honor” for our spiritual fathers and mothers. Such a perception is a way of not only honoring God, but also worshiping and obeying Him. I am convinced the reason this building is under construction and nearing completion is because it is our DNA and consensus not only to profess our “attitude of honor,” but also to proclaim, through faith, our commitment to this higher call.

I want to introduce to you three significant people who are in key leadership positions for this project. Greg Campbell, executive director of Foursquare Foundation, has lived with this vision in his heart and mind for years. As the Lord graciously blessed us to be able to provide for worldwide ministry through a stream of revenue overseen by the Foundation, Greg saw the vision of providing a place for seniors as a mandate of faith. He has led the way to where we are today.

Greg’s wife, Tamara Campbell, and Rick Wulfestieg, former director of Foursquare Media and ForeRunners, are working side-by-side to help spearhead our communications and facilitate the Preferred Waiting List for those who would like to consider occupancy. You, being a part of our Foursquare family, have priority. A typical resident will be an active, independent senior, age 62 or older.

It is no accident that Parkview Living is in Echo Park, directly across the street from Angelus Temple, where The Foursquare Church began. Echo Park is the official location where Sister Aimee had the vision to begin Echo Park Evangelistic Association on Sept. 28, 1921, for the purpose of worldwide evangelism. How fitting and prophetically significant that Parkview Living is being established at this very location, which is so historic in our Foursquare heritage!

If you want to learn more about Parkview, or if you desire immediate contact about this opportunity, please call the Parkview Living office at 213.927.0002. You may also go directly to the Parkview website.

You will be hearing more soon and will have the option to join with us in upcoming events that will offer more information about this exciting project. There is great fruitfulness in our family! My letter was sent to “sound the trumpet,” so to speak, and to begin gathering us together in unity, vision and prayer. I am thankful and delighted to be the bearer of this good news. It is nothing short of a miracle that God has brought us this far, and He will take us forward, as 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, from “glory to glory.”

Download Frequently Asked Questions About Parkview Living (PDF, 360 KB)

By: Glenn C. Burris Jr., president of The Foursquare Church

The first night, when we opened in the Boston Garden—which seats some 8,000 people—we did not have the crowd that we expected. Now, 5,000 is a sizable crowd at any revival meeting anywhere, especially in Boston, where faith had faded drastically from the days when that city had been the cradle of American religion. Nevertheless, 5,000 spectators scattered through that immense Boston Garden looked like a small crowd.

Some of my best-attended revivals, however, had commenced from much smaller beginnings. One had grown from about 3,000 at the first service to almost 18,000. After a few meetings, Boston Garden, too, was crowded, and I was preaching to some of the largest audiences I had ever addressed.

The closing service drew almost 24,000, and many were turned away because there was no room left inside. I was told it was the largest audience ever assembled together under a roof up to that time for an evangelistic meeting anywhere.

It is impossible to estimate how many were converted in this Boston revival. The Holy Spirit moved in the place, and when I gave the altar call, it made me dizzy. I could not believe that the people had heard correctly. Hands went up all over, many even behind me, where some 1,500 people sat who could not see my face all the time I was preaching. In one single service, as many as 2,000 people stood, signifying their desire to receive Jesus.

From Boston we went to Providence, R.I., for three days and preached God’s Word in a building seating 12,000. And God filled that place, too. The campaigns in New England were a real inspiration to me.

So often when I go into a city, some reporter approaches me and says: “It is a wonderful work you are doing. But how do you know the converts last? Don’t you suppose it is personal magnetism, or psychology, and the moment your back is turned, the coverts will go back to the world?”

“If they were converted to me,” I would reply, “that would be true. But if they are converted to the Lord Jesus Christ, it lasts.”

Still, in my mind often lurked the haunting question, “You say it lasts, but are you sure about it?” For almost nine years in Angelus Temple, I had had a chance to see the converts last. Only God could have held those people together through the storms and tests we had gone through. I know it lasts.

And back in New England, I discovered fresh evidence of this. When I stood on those platforms in Boston and Providence, people came up to me from every direction and said: “Do you remember me, Sister? I was converted in your meeting 15 years ago.”

“Do you still stand true?” I asked.

“Oh, yes,” came the reply. “And there is a whole band of us who were converted in your meeting.”

What a thrill it was to have people come and say, “I was converted 14 years ago … 15 years ago … 16 years ago … in your meetings.”

Soul-winning is the one abiding work that is going to last when all else has passed away. That is the reason why, when an offer of a stage career came to me while I was in the East from a well-known theatrical leader in Los Angeles, I sent word back: “Not even if it were for $10,000 a night would I accept. I expect to stay in the church and preach the gospel.”

Adapted from Aimee: The Life Story of Aimee Semple McPherson by Aimee Semple McPherson, copyright 1979. Published by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.

That unforgettable moment took place in September 2011. I was on the “Sent Out” tour with some 25 Foursquare leaders, following in the footsteps of the early apostles. Gary and I hosted the tour, along with Tim Clark and John Fehlen, as a vehicle for profound discipleship. We experienced the sights and sounds of biblical history together with a current contextual study of the church that was prepared by John and Tim as a means to guide the focus of the trip.

The intention was for this group to experience several of the ancient cities of the New Testament church (Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, Crete, Patmos and Rome), study what took place in the early church, and learn how it relates to today’s Western church. Study topics included Paul’s approach to evangelism and discipleship; cultural exegesis; male and female leaders in the church, and how gender wars influenced culture in and out of the church; the work of the Spirit; and the concept of the New Testament temple: God’s people.

The relationships that were built, the study and worship experiences, and visits to the historic sites all created a learning environment that was life-changing. Our hope is that those who participated will now multiply the experience by creating similar discipleship tours with many other groups.

The passion to facilitate immersion discipleship experiences in this context is shared by Pastor Jerry Dirmann of The Rock (Anaheim Foursquare Church) in Anaheim, Calif. After discerning a strong prophetic call to mobilize masses of young adults into kingdom service, The Rock prayerfully launched the maiden voyage of The Israel Impact in October 2010, when a group of 27 young adults ages 18-29, together with three leaders, prepared their hearts to meet God in Israel.
 
Though The Israel Impact lures young adults with exciting activities such as riding a camel, hiking Masada and sleeping in a Bedouin tent, it is hardly a vacation or a typical Israel tour. This 16-day wake-up call strategically combines soul-stirring biblical history of the land, the gravity of the current geo-political landscape, and the imminence of the fulfillment of end-time prophecy regarding Jerusalem and Armageddon. That dynamic combination results in a “king-size reality check” that exposes the foolishness of complacency and reveals an urgent mandate to immediately and permanently yield to God’s calling.

The Israel Impact #2, led by Pastors Jerry Dirmann, Ryan Oddo, Jessica Blomgren and worship leader Eric Diaz, returned to Los Angeles on November 8, 2011, having accomplished the same objectives as the first group. The 28 young adults who participated found themselves deeply cut to the heart and were moved to make lifelong commitments to fulfill their God-given destinies.

Long term, the vision of The Israel Impact is to see hundreds, and even thousands, of young adults from around the world travel to Israel and be profoundly impacted by the Holy Spirit. They will then be commissioned and sent out from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Applications are now being accepted for The Israel Impact #3, set for June 18–July 3, 2012. Young adults ages 18-29 (including high school seniors who will be 18 by the date of departure)—and leaders who desire to help with the vision—are invited to participate. Visit The Israel Impact website or email jessica@solidlives.com.

By: Tammy Dunahoo, general supervisor of The Foursquare Church

There is Ananias, the high priest; Tertullus, the lawyer; Felix, the governor; his replacement, Festus; and finally, King Agrippa. You could recite their pedigrees of experience and education, but not one of them seemed to be able to step back, ask the right questions and get a sense of the bigger picture as it related to what was happening in their midst. 

The decisions these leaders made seemed to be based more on appeasing the crowd or technically following the law, not on discerning the right decision.

Have we become too busy to step back and ask the important questions? Do we think we already know the answers? Do we have an opinion about the issue that keeps us from being swayed differently? Are we afraid to speak up? Has it become too easy to go with the flow?

Recently, I realized I missed the chance to make a difference. Afterward, I had a long plane ride to think about my decision! 

Waiting in line outside the baggage drop at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, I was frustrated while watching a scene unfold for nearly 25 minutes. A single man and a couple appeared to be traveling together, and they were trying to get their bags checked for an international flight. 

Apparently there was a language barrier, but in the end the conflict seemed to be about money, baggage fees and airline policies. They needed to pay extra money for their bags but only had cash. The airline employee would only accept a credit card for payment.

These folks had passports, boarding passes and cash, but no credit cards. It was rainy, cold and frustrating. 

There was a moment—and I remember it vividly—when I could have stepped in, used my credit card, paid for their bags and helped them on their way. It also would have freed up the growing line of frustrated flyers, and prevented the three from having to reload their bags and navigate their way through the crowded terminal. 

I'm pretty sure they weren't frequent fliers, so this turn of events was going to extend their busy morning.  

My failure was not that I was truly obligated, but rather that I wasn't responsive to the Holy Spirit. I don't think I'm supposed to pay every time I see someone struggling like these folks were, but I distinctly remember the moment where I was being prodded to step in … and I didn't. 

I found out that you have a lot of time to think about “what if?” while on a six-hour, cross-country flight.

I'm only trying to communicate that everyday situations come across our paths that are God-arranged. I took a few simple lessons away from what I experienced that day:

• When you are responsive to the Lord, others are helped, and you are left with a sense of fulfillment.
• When life has become so matter-of-fact that you miss Him, repent; start listening and looking again.
• When you get cynical or calloused toward a situation or others, remember that you have been a recipient of His help on more than one occasion, even when you didn't deserve it.
• Your intervention just may spark a rise of hope and faith in the recipient.

Finally, an impressive resumé of education and experience may have mattered to those leaders in that list in Acts 24-26. But in the end, what matters most is whether you are listening and learning before you lead. 

Some situations are looking for just one person to make the difference. Be that person.

By: Glenn Burris Jr., president of The Foursquare Church

Share your journey through Acts » Comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads through Acts together this year! You can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights on Acts from Foursquare leaders around the world.

Rev. Keith M. Abolnik
Deceased: November 6, 2011
Last appointment: senior pastor, The Bridge Community Church (Victorville South Foursquare Church) in Hesperia, Calif.  

Rev. Frank G. Saldana
Deceased: November 7, 2011
Last appointment: retired, MidSouth District

Rev. Wanda Vetter
Deceased: September 4, 2011
Last appointment: hospital chaplain, Foursquare Chaplains International

There are now 1,770 Foursquare churches in the U.S., with 6,788 credentialed ministers serving at churches and in the field.

The following reported data was confirmed by the Foursquare board of directors between November 3–November 22.

Churches

Church Openings — 4
 

• Cornerstone Church (Santa Rosa 4 Foursquare Church) pastored by Russ Clifford in Windsor, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Life Community Church (Fresno 4 Foursquare Church) pastored by Ryan Davis in Clovis, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• New Hope Metro (Honolulu Metropolitan Foursquare Church) pastored by Elwin Ahu in Honolulu, Hawaii (Hawaii District)
• Renton South Foursquare Church pastored by Brian Jackson, Sr. in Renton, Wash. (Northwest District)
   

Church Closings (Permanent*) — 6
 

• Soda Springs Foursquare Church in Soda Springs, Idaho (Great Northern District)
• Templo Christiano Emanuel (Guadalupe Hispanic Foursquare Church) in Guadalupe, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District)
• The Creek Community in Maple Grove, Minn. (Heartland District)
• The Well (Bunn Foursquare Church) in Bunn, N.C. (Southeast District)
• True Deliverance Outreach Fellowship Ministries (Gulfport II Foursquare Church) in Wiggins, Miss. (MidSouth District)
• Winds of Harvest (San Marcos Foursquare Church) in San Marcos, Calif. (Southwest District)

Total U.S. Foursquare Churches — 1,770
Total Attendance of the U.S. Foursquare Churches — 250,682
 

Pastors

Senior Pastoral Appointments to Established Foursquare Churches — 5
 

• Linda Brady to His Light Ministries (Worcester East Foursquare Church) in Worchester, Mass. (Northeast District)
• Jake Cordell to Life Church (Conyers Foursquare Church) in Conyers, Ga. (Southeast District)
• Demetrius Hayes to the Edge (Texarkana West Foursquare Church) in Texarkana, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Stev Trujillo to Turning Point Church (Rio Rancho Foursquare Church) in Rio Rancho, N.M. (MidSouth District)
• Chuck Wilsey to Wellspring Christian Center (Dinuba Foursquare Church) in Dinuba, Calif. (Central Pacific District)

Credentialed Minister Retirements — 13
 

• Dolores Burnett in Fort Worth, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Mike Burnett in Fort Worth, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Sandra Chalupnik in Rialto, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Ted Davis in Island City, Ore. (North Pacific District)
• Peter Host in Jacksonville, Fla. (Southeast District)
• Vivian Matheson in Waleska, Ga. (Southeast District)
• Jerry Mauldin in Henderson, Nev. (Southwest District)
• Leslie Ranck in Victorville, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Steve Ranck in Victorville, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Allan Trotter in Carrollton, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Linda Trotter in Carrollton, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Ida Whittet in Kalispell, Mont. (Great Northern District)
• Richard Whittet in Kalispell, Mont. (Great Northern District)
   

Total Credentialed/Licensed Ministers  — 6,788

* Closings: Churches are not permanently closed until assets are sold or transferred.

But what if the people you’re trying to reach are not unchurched, but very churched—in a religion different from historical Christianity? And, to make matters more complicated, what if the church these friends of yours belong to seems, at least at a cursory glance, to tout many of the same beliefs you as a traditional Christian hold? How do you begin to approach someone who says he or she sincerely believes in the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but is part of a church system whose doctrines buck many of the key teachings of historical Christianity?

Such is the unique challenge of reaching people who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints—14.1 million strong worldwide—more commonly referred to as the Mormon church. Mormons view themselves as Christians, using the broad definition of a Christian being someone who follows Christ. This conflicts with evangelical Christianity, which tends to use the term “Christian” more narrowly, meaning a Christian is someone who holds to a particular set of biblical beliefs.

Doctrinal Differences

In traditional Christianity, Jesus is God, having always existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit as part of the Trinity. In Mormonism, Jesus is a created being, the spirit-brother of Lucifer, and he was born after a physical union of God the Father with the virgin Mary.

Traditional Christianity teaches that human life begins at conception. The Mormon church teaches that all people preexisted in heaven, as spirit-children of God the Father. Mormons also believe in an “eternal progression toward exaltation,” meaning that humans can advance toward godhood, eventually becoming gods themselves.

These teachings, as well as many others—such as the Mormon church being the only true, uncorrupted church—clearly conflict with traditional Christianity. And what adds to the complication of dialoguing with Mormons is that there is a variance of views and practices among individual members.

Additionally, Mormonism is more than just a religion—it’s a culture with a strong sense of family and history. Most Mormons know their historical roots well and are very proud of them. Minimizing or dismissing that Mormonism is a culture as much as it is a religion will undermine any efforts to reach Mormons with the true gospel message.

Sensitivity and Respect

Foursquare pastors across the U.S. who minister in areas of the country with high Mormon populations affirm the importance of being sensitive and respectful if one wants to minister to a Mormon friend or neighbor.

Georgeann Dillard, senior pastor of Delta Foursquare Church in Delta, Utah, about 130 miles south of Salt Lake City, started the church in May 1996, co-leading it with her husband. Six months later, her husband suddenly became ill and passed away. Then, five years later, the couple’s youngest daughter, only 17, died in a car accident. Despite these devastating setbacks, Georgeann stayed in Delta, knowing God had called her there and that the deaths in her family did not negate that call.

Living among and befriending Mormons has given Georgeann crucial insights regarding the sensitivities of ministering to them. 

“I think it’s important to avoid needless arguments about Mormon doctrine, and focus on the Good News of Jesus Himself as much as possible,” Georgeann tells Foursquare.org. “It is helpful to look for common ground upon which to build when sharing with Mormons, just as you would with any seeker. The point is not to show how much you know; it’s about how much Jesus loves and cares. … Genuine, loving relationships are important. … If the seeker has questions about doctrinal differences, there is a foundation of trust to undergird evangelism.”

Genuine Love and Friendship

Tony Maupin Jr., co-pastor with his wife, Carol, of Shiloh (Idaho Falls Foursquare Church) in Idaho Falls, Idaho, agrees. He and his wife have served Shiloh for 22 years. Tony is also the divisional superintendent of the Mountain River Division.

“One of the best ways to engage Mormons is to plan to do so over time. Commit to genuinely loving them,” Tony says. “When they know that you care about them, the Holy Spirit always seems to arrange times when honest conversations about faith can take place. My experience is that many Mormons … have questions about their faith. For many, the biggest problem is that they don’t have anybody they consider ‘safe’ to talk with about their questions.”

Respect for others, he adds, is a key to building bridges. He notes that a person’s convictions aren’t a proof of truth, as one can be very sincere but sincerely wrong. Still, a person with convictions should be treated with respect.

“It is my firm belief that people of sincere faith are deserving of respect,” Tony asserts. “You are acknowledging that they desire to live their lives with integrity. Respect for another is a great place to begin the kind of relationship that will allow for an honest dialog. You can respect the person without spiritually validating his faith.”

Pete Akins, senior pastor of True Life Center (Cedar City Foursquare Church) in Cedar City, Utah, about 250 miles south of Salt Lake City, stresses the importance of building authentic relationships. He also serves as the divisional superintendent of the Utah Division, and his wife, Cami, is a disaster relief worker with Foursquare Chaplains International.

“The person is a valid relationship that needs to be enjoyed, not a goal to be met or a target to be hit,” Pete explains. “The love of Christ, and His life in us, is more powerful than any argument we could make.”

Pete says that we should avoid an adversarial approach when talking with Mormons, instead praying for the Holy Spirit’s leading in the context of friendship. Doctrinal discussions, he believes, are best handled in the context of relationships.

“Enjoy the dialogue that springs forth as two friends talk about what they believe, value and practice,” Pete says. “Listen to them, and appreciate what they say. That is what friendship is about.”

In Part 2 of this article series, we’ll take a closer look at how Foursquare churches are ministering to Mormons in practical ways, and cover suggestions for how each of us, personally, can reach our Mormon friends.

You are reading Part 1 of a two-part series.

Read Part 2: “Building Bridges”

By: Bill Shepson, a Foursquare credentialed minister and freelance writer in Los Angeles

The Lord moved on my heart, and I knew He wanted me to talk with that driver. I tried to connect with him on the two-way radio, but he didn’t reply; it must have been off. One try and I wanted to give up.

All sorts of questions were running through my head: What if he’s getting off at the next exit? Why is it so important for me to talk with him? All I had to go on was the continued tugging on my heart, and I knew it meant there was something more for me to do and that it would go beyond just talking with him.

Praying and asking God, “Why?” it became clear God wanted me to share communion with a guy I didn’t know, in another truck traveling 65 mph, after I had chased him more than 50 miles. This was not how I had planned my day!

His truck was stronger and faster than mine, so I couldn’t get alongside him to get his attention. Many times I tried to give up, but the Spirit was intent on me following through with it. Frustrated, I finally declared out loud, “If You want this to happen, then You need to slow him down!” (I should’ve been asking for that 30 miles ago!)

He slowed down because of a car in front of him. I got alongside, he turned on his two-way radio, and we started talking. I asked about the fish emblem and whether or not it was him who had put it there; it was. I told him I believed God wanted for us to share communion together; I had bread and a drink in my truck. We stopped at a rest area in Kennebunk, Maine.

I noticed in our conversation that he would not look me in the face. After sharing communion, I closed our time together by simply praying and thanking God for bringing us together. Then the Holy Spirit moved on him, and he began to pray out loud, giving thanks that became more joyful with each word coming from his lips. As he was doing this, I began to silently ask God that he would be able to look me in the eyes.

Not long after I had silently asked this, he opened his eyes and met my gaze. He continued thanking God that he could look me in the eyes. We talked a little about it, and I learned that for his whole life he had not looked people in the face.

I reminded him about our being a new creation In Christ, and continued our prayer by calling for God to seal this breakthrough so the devil would not be able to take it away. I prayed for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit, explaining it is the Spirit who empowers us to stand in faith.

After this, I had to get back on the road. But as I was leaving, he stated he would call his pastor (whom he had been avoiding) to share this divine appointment we had experienced. He also said he would be going back to his church.

As we each pursue maturity in Christ, study His Word and learn to listen to His Spirit, we need to let God in and let Him take charge as Lord. This means letting go of our own schedules, and making room for the simple spiritual disciplines of the Word and prayer.

Do we really mean what we say when we pray, “Your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10, NKJV)? If so, then He must be the central focus of each of our days before we can say He is the Lord of our lives.

The more we get into the Word and allow the Word to get into us, the more we will hear the Holy Spirit. We will have more for Him to bring to our remembrance (see John 14:26), and more understanding to live and act in obedience to His Spirit—which is the mark of true spiritual maturity.

By: J. Alan McCay, assisting minister at The Harvest Community (Southern New Hampshire Foursquare Church) in Raymond, N.H.

“The trailer, along with an older white box truck, has been an icon in West Salem and the Edgewater District for years,” says John Fehlen, lead pastor of West Salem. “When our community sees it rolling around, it represents hope and dreams coming true; it represents freedom from the fangs of oppression.”

Last year alone, donations of food, furniture and supplies were distributed to 540 families via the church’s trailer. But John says the trailer is simply a tool.

“It’s the passion of those who donate and serve that truly shows a hurting world that God is good,” he tells Foursquare.org. 

Enter an anonymous and generous donor who heard the story of the stolen trailer and wanted to replace it with a larger, newer one to help the church help the community. Others who heard about the church’s loss also made donations to help increase the outreach ministry using the new trailer.

One man and his daughter from a Foursquare church in Camas, Wash., drove 90 minutes just to make a generous cash donation and to deliver bags of clothing to the ministry. Another woman in the community stopped by the church and donated cash, a blanket and gifts for needy families.

The love of Christ and the spirit of Christmas giving are alive and well in West Salem, Ore.—and in other Foursquare churches around the country.

Jerry Walton, senior pastor of Faith Temple (Lamesa Foursquare Church) in Lamesa, Texas, says people in his church are encouraged to bring gifts that would have made the baby Jesus more comfortable. He says people plan to donate heaters, pillows and blankets to the cause. Then, they will deliver the gifts to families in their West Texas community this Christmas.

The unemployment rate in Crook County Oregon remains at 19 percent, and that means 1 in 5 people of Eastside Fellowship (Prineville Foursquare Church) in Prineville, Ore., is out of work. But church members won’t let that keep them from giving this Christmas.

Brian Carmack, an assisting minister at Eastside, says people gave gifts to one other on November 13 to kick off what they call “Live to Give.” They were encouraged to give a gift to someone else every day until the end of 2011. That’s 49 days, and gifts, that these faithful folks will give away to whomever they want.

“The gift does not need to cost money,” Brian explains. “We are encouraging creative ways of sharing Christ’s love to the world around us.” It’s an effort, he says, to remind people of the joy of giving and “to realize that we cannot out-give God.”

Gettysburg Foursquare Church in Gettysburg, Penn. will be taking part in the “Advent Conspiracy,” based on the book by Rick McKinley. Senior Pastor Mark Chester says the people in the church raised $31,000 last December to help fund a food ministry in their community that reaches 80 families each month.

“The idea is to spend way less, and maybe nothing, on Christmas and to give the money away to someone else,” Mark says.

Pastors and congregants from Neighborhood Bible Church (Bakersfield Northwest Foursquare Church) in Bakersfield, Calif., will be available every night through Christmas Eve to give folks from their community a most interesting gift.

Anyone who drops by their church will be given a clear glass Christmas tree ornament and a small slip of paper. They will be encouraged to write a prayer request on the paper and stuff it inside the ornament. Then, the ornament will adorn the church’s tree through Christmas.

This gift goes beyond a simple ornament, however.

Each night, one of the church’s pastors will spend time praying with any individuals or groups that come to see the beautiful tree. Senior Pastor Thomas Gnacke remembers that, last year, several ornaments containing prayer requests for new jobs were hung on the tree. He is delighted to report that many of those people have since become employed.

Pastor Tom hopes this year that 1,000 people from his community will take part and help them decorate the church’s Christmas tree—and allow the church to pray for them in the process.

And so it looks like the Grinch is nowhere near Foursquare churches this year. Individual churches may celebrate Christmas in different ways, but one thing is clear: Jesus Christ is alive and giving through His people again this Christmas.

By: Rod Light, an ordained Foursquare minister and educator in Los Angeles

In the beginning, as I read one chapter each day, I was most excited about setting up my heart and ministry for miracles of multiplication. I have since learned that Acts is also about how we live daily in a culture that is not church-friendly. It’s about how we act in a way that shows the power of Christ’s love.

In Acts 24, Paul’s life-journey gives us an example of responding to those who reject Jesus and “ 'spitefully use you' ” (Matt. 5:44, NKJV). Paul was falsely accused by religious leaders, and then protected from an ambush and taken by a security army to Caesarea to appear before Governor Felix. Through it all, we see Paul’s response guided by the power of the Holy Spirit and the evidence of his deep relationship with Jesus.

In the middle of much pressure, Paul did not lose his joy. He answered the governor by saying, “ 'I do the more cheerfully answer for myself' ” (Acts 24:10).  

When I read this, I asked myself how I would react under such pressure.

Whatever you and I face today, joy is the deep abiding work of the Holy Spirit in us, and my prayer is that I don’t lose our joy during seasons of stress.

Paul did not forget his message, even under extreme circumstances. Paul spoke his message clearly: “ 'I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men' ” (vv. 15-16).

In our world today, the enemy has worked hard to diminish our voice and confuse our message. In response, may we raise our voices with a clear message that Jesus is our only hope for resurrection to eternal life.

We also learn a lesson from Paul that he did not lose sight of his purpose. In the middle of persecution, slander, injustice and imprisonment, the purposes of God were fulfilled in Paul’s life and ministry as he shared the gospel with Felix and his wife.

Oh, by the way, Paul also had to be patient as he was held for more than two years. At the end of the day, Felix—the very person Paul had preached Christ to—left office and left Paul bound in chains.

May the Lord be glorified in our lives today as we serve with joy and preach the message of His love and forgiveness, all while being patient, not losing sight of His purpose in and through us every day. 

By: Dan Mundt, district supervisor, Heartland District

Share your journey through Acts » Comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads through Acts together this year! You can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights on Acts from Foursquare leaders around the world.

The Foursquare movement was growing in the U.S., and we were sending out missionaries overseas to Latin America, Africa and Asia. At Angelus Temple, I conducted my full schedule of services, plus teaching five times each week in the Bible school, which now was called L.I.F.E.—Lighthouse of International Foursquare Evangelism.

By now, Angelus Temple was beginning to appear a bit shabby. The biggest project in the remodeling of the Temple was the installation of the beautiful proscenium arch flanked by two choir lofts. This change afforded greater opportunity for the presentation of my illustrated sermons and all of the sacred operas the Lord gave me.

The development of this type of message came as a result of my disappointment that many left my meetings unconverted, in spite of the fact that hundreds and sometimes thousands flocked to the altars. The thought struck me that perhaps if people could see the messages as well as hear them, more would come to Jesus.

In the beginning, the illustrations were quite elementary compared with their later development. My first sermon to be presented in this way was titled, “Weighed in the Balances.” A large pair of scales was erected on the platform, over which a structure of wood canopied by velvet was built. Inside, a man was hidden.

I placed toys representing worldly amusements on one of the scale pans: a toy automobile to represent a joyride, a little house for a dance hall, a miniature oil derrick to represent the search for worldly riches, and so forth. As each object was added, the operator inside would tip the scales further downward.

Then a tiny girl clad in white and carrying a huge family Bible came forward. With the aid of a chair and a lift, she got into the opposite pan. The pan with the girl was lowered.

The illustration brought to the hearts of the people the assurance that the Bible, when received as a little child, outweighs the world with all its riches and amusements, no matter how high they are piled.

As time passed, these sermons were worked out much more elaborately and effectively. Beautiful paintings and pastel lightings, planned and prepared by artists and construction experts, were brought into use, and the musical programs were coordinated with the themes of the messages.

Through the years, these illustrated sermons proved to be a joy to the hearts of thousands, besides a delight to the eye and ear. Through them, countless souls who otherwise might not have come to Christ were born into the kingdom of God.

Forty days before Christmas in 1939, God gave me the idea of Regem Adorate—“O Worship the King”—my first sacred opera. It commenced with the creation and fall of man, and continued to the Christmas story. The opera had eight showings at the Temple.

Other sacred operas followed as the years ensued: The Iron Furnace, The Crimson Road, The Rich Man and Lazarus. And individual songs multiplied. Sometimes incidents in my ministry prompted a song, such as when someone commented that I could not be sincere, because I smiled so much on the platform. So I wrote, “Should Christians Smile?”

Another interesting event resulted in my song, “In the Center of God’s Will.” This I wrote on a paper sack retrieved from the floor of a railroad train when I heard newsboys hollering an extra heralding that I had been killed in an airplane crash. (I had missed that plane and taken the train.)

Adapted from Aimee: The Life Story of Aimee Semple McPherson by Aimee Semple McPherson, copyright 1979. Published by the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel.
 

" ‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked.

"And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting’ ” (Acts 22:6-8, NLT).

As far as we know from the Scriptures, the apostle Paul (as the Pharisee Saul) never met Jesus during His ministry in Israel. And while this is something of an argument from silence, there were many times in the Acts narrative and in Paul's teachings, debates and the defense of his apostolic ministry when the sharing of this significant experience in his journey would have added weight or a counterpoint to what he was writing or saying.

If it is true that Saul (soon to become Paul) had never met Jesus in life and, as a result, would not have been one of the leaders who sought to destroy Him, nor one who sat in judgment over Him, what could Jesus have meant when He confronted him with these words, "I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting."

Saul, in his persecutions, terror and murder, had no idea that there was another who was also experiencing the horror of his evil work, Jesus the Nazarene.

In this moment, Saul's discovery confirms for all time that Jesus is keeping His promises to His people, the sheep of His pasture: " 'For where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am there in the midst of them' " (Matt. 18:20, NKJV); " 'I will never leave you nor forsake you' " (Heb. 13:5); and "' I am with you always, even to the end of the age' " (Matt. 28:20).

Indeed, our Jesus is Immanuel, God with us (see Matt. 1:23)!

Jesus was with the first believers as they were persecuted and harmed, and He so closely identified with them that He said to Saul: “Why are you persecuting me? ... I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.” To attack one of Jesus’ disciples is to attack Jesus Himself!

I shudder to think of the times as a believer that I have attacked my fellow believers using my words of suspicion, misrepresentation, gossip and anger. I’m grateful for the forgiveness I have received from those I have hurt, including Jesus, who felt the sting as well.

I’m also strengthened and encouraged. I think of all those times I knew I could get through a painful season if only Jesus were with me, and He was! Each time I would cry out to Jesus, hoping that He knew my heartache, fear and loss, and He did.

Amazingly, incredibly, Jesus is with us, suffering with us. Then, as the King of His kingdom, He helps us as One closer than a brother with all we need. With great power He heals, delivers and restores us for His glory!

By: Jim Scott, Foursquare vice president of global operations, director of Foursquare Missions International

Share your journey through Acts » Comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads through Acts together this year! You can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights on Acts from Foursquare leaders around the world.

Seriously!

Often the Lord has to get my attention, in a solid-spruce-two-by-four-across-the-back-of-the-head kind of way, just to “rock” my memory. I just get so busy with family, ministry, work, various time-stealing activities and the general “have-to’s” of life that God has to remind me of the last great thing He did, and even where He did it.

I have found this to be true specifically regarding camps. I have had the pleasure of speaking at, planning for, participating in or directing over 350 camps in the past 18 years, including many Foursquare camps. In 2011 alone, I will have ministered at 17 camps by Christmastime. Those times could all become a blur, a medley of sounds and distant memories that have a faint familiarity accompanied by a vague recollection that something important had happened, somewhere along the line. Thankfully, that is not the case.

About three years ago, at Foursquare’s Camp Cedar Crest, I had an epiphany, an “ah-ha” moment, when a young lady who was a representative of Life Pacific College (LPC) was sharing her testimony. She told her story from the front of the sanctuary while positioning herself in the exact location where she had been standing 10 years earlier, when she felt God call her to go to LPC and to minister to children or youth after graduation.

I realized that day how important camp is and how many people, covering multiple generations, have that same kind of “spot” at camp—the place where they crossed over from being pre-Christian to becoming a Christ follower; from being self-led to being Spirit-led; and from experiencing captivity to discovering a freedom that only occurs when God does something so significant that it changes the landscape of one’s life.

Memorials of God’s Handiwork

Her story made me think about the Israelites. They experienced unearned freedom, victorious battles, rushing water from a rock, provision in the form of manna, water wells turned sweet, and leaders rising up from within the ranks.

Each of these triumphs had a festival, feast, celebratory day or monument to commemorate what God did at a specific time and at an identifiable spot, so His people would remember He met them in the midst of their greatest times of need: “Don’t forget that I was there, I AM here, and I will be there forever. Remember. Please remember!”

When they were escaping from their captivity and had to cross the Jordan, God made a way where there was no human way. Then, in the very place where He had delivered them, He had them take rocks from the dry bed of the Jordan and build a memorial. (See Josh. 4:4-8.) So, whenever they would see a memorial, it would “rock” their memory (pun intended).

Have we forgotten that camp is a place, a memorial, a spot for people to return to and remember what God has done in their lives, in their family’s lives, and in the future generations that will follow them, all because God provided for them on that spot? The added benefit is that, on returning to camp, people have the opportunity to revisit what He did and then experience what He will do, if they just remember that He still does! (See Heb. 13:8; Phil. 1:3-6.)

Foursquare Camps

Time after time, God meets people in the midst of their greatest need. We, as The Foursquare Church, get the incredible privilege of partnering with God at these pivotal points of what is a very personal process. Through Foursquare maintaining amazing camping facilities, organizing retreats, and facilitating camps and getaways, we make room for thousands more to encounter God and discover their own memorial spots of transformation, freedom or purpose.

I had the opportunity to oversee a combo camp this summer. As I was building the team, I was specifically looking for young leaders to fill lead staff positions. I had the incredible opportunity to place three gifted young female leaders in three key roles: Jennifer Thigpenn (camp director); Kimberly Wheeler (worship leader); and Abbie Balman (head group leader). All three were pastor’s kids and had been to camp many times through the years, but this was their first time running the entire program.

As the camp began, all three had an “ah-ha” moment as they remembered that they had been together, 10 years earlier, as extremely shy girls sharing a room at a Pastor’s Kids Getaway. Melinda Scott was their room leader, and they talked about how she had encouraged them throughout the weekend to become leaders and learn to be strong women of God. They have a shared memory of Knott’s Berry Farm, the laughter, the encouraging words, Melinda Scott challenging them and now, the memory—the fruit of those earlier words—of their time together leading a successful camp.

Where is your spot, the place that God called you into ministry, or where He healed you, or where He touched your life? I have purposed in my heart to visit my old spots at camp and ask for God to do a new thing, in a new spot.

I have to say that, after 350 camps, it is not as easy to remember, but I’ll never again forget that there is still an incredible need to create an environment for people to come to “the mountain” and spend time, face to face, with their creator—to rediscover their spot, stand on their spot, and remember.

By: John Cox, NextGen coordinator for Foursquare’s Pacific Coast and Valleys District