God has given me three essential purposes in this season of my life: (1) preaching and teaching; (2) consulting and coaching—helping pastors and their churches professionally and personally; and (3) building collaborative relationships between and among key leaders. My theme for this season in my life: Getting pastors into relationships with one another—and churches together leading efforts to transform our communities.

Networking Leaders/Impacting Our Community

John 17 Movement: Historic unity meetings with Catholics continue

What God is doing in Phoenix is nothing less than remarkable. Our John 17 Movement, which was birthed just a year ago at special meetings we had with the Catholic Bishops of Phoenix, has gotten the attention of Pope Francis and Cardinal Dolan in New York.
John Armstrong of Wheaton College is another leader who has taken note of our movement. He has written extensively about Catholic-evangelical unity—from the perspective of an evangelical.
We are also so grateful for the partnership and support of the American Bible Society which is hosting our John 17 Scripture Journeys. See what I’ve written for our first Journey.
Simply stated, the purpose of our Movement is threefold: for people to know Jesus personally, to read the Bible daily, and to become friends and partners in bringing about change in our city. Visit our new website, www.john17movement.com, and sign up for email updates.

Prayer for the Ebola Crisis in West Africa

My good friend Len Griffin, pastor at Covenant of Grace in Phoenix, asked me to share a word from the Word and to pray with African pastors and people.

Chair of the Arizona Council on Faith and Community

Which I’ve led for the last several years. We network faith leaders from the Valley and around the state at a monthly meeting at Catholic Charities in Phoenix. You can read about us at www.godenriches.org.

Chair of Congressman Matt Salmon’s Council on Faith and Community

Congressman Salmon wrote to me, “I wanted to take a moment and express my appreciation to you for accepting my invitation to serve as Chairman of the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnership Advisory Council. Your service will not only be of great benefit to me and my office, but also the constituents of Arizona’s 5th Congressional District.” Our Council is focusing its efforts on mental health issues, because our mental health system is in crisis.

The Super Bowl and Sex Trafficking

My friend and colleague Chuck Fitzgerald, Director of the Governor’s Office of Faith and Community Partnerships, called a meeting of key Christian leaders to create a collaboration to address sex trafficking associated with the Super Bowl. Leaders from the Dream Center and StreetLight have given us their enthusiastic support.

The Souper Bowl

I’ve been invited to participate on the steering committee for a statewide campaign against hunger, using the Super Bowl here in Arizona as a center point for this effort. All the major food banks are on board, and the Boy Scouts of America, all the troops in Arizona will be joining us in this effort.

Preaching

Teen Challenge

Wow! What a night I had with about 100 young men at the Teen Challenge center in in central Phoenix on Grand Avenue. The worship was wild, and the guys were wildly responsive to my message.

ASU

It’s always a wonderful Sunday at Hope Christian Church on the ASU Tempe campus, where 300-400 students worship. As I write this, it’s midweek between two Sundays I’m speaking there. The students love it when I come—and make me forget about the fact that I’m on Medicare.

Around Arizona

In August and early September I spoke at churches in Tucson, Oracle (north of Tucson) and Flagstaff. At two of these churches I spent an extended time with their leadership teams teaching and responding to questions about church ministry and leadership.

Fall in Upstate New York

Marilyn and I led a pastors and spouses weekend for the Church of the Nazarene in western New York. Nearly 100 pastors and church leaders were present.

Yeah, the pastor’s conference was at fantastically beautiful retreat center in Upstate NY.

Depressed in Philadelphia

Our special friends Lee and Anne Wiggins lead a great church in suburban Philly. He asked me to speak about freedom from depression. I had an amazing response. A woman in the congregation, Cindy Speaker, Editor-in-Chief of Law Firm Marketing Magazine and Producer/Co-Director of Well of Dreams set up a YouTube site with my message and 90 minute seminar.

Personal

Our biggest news in the last few months?

Our youngest Matt and his wife Kate had their second child in September, Samuel Kinnaman! When we were on the east coast in October, we added a week to see Matt, Kate, Oliver and new baby brother.

New dad Matt at work (Second picture – left front)

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