passioncitychurch blog

Lift is definitely the word I would use to describe PCC in the summer of 2010! Thanks for welcoming our team back from our five World Tour cities in June with a packed-out GACS Forum and so much excitement.  It’s hard to explain how much it meant to us as we circled the globe knowing that our PCC community was with us every step of the way…praying+believing+investing!  The way you welcomed us home and celebrated all God had done in the lives of students around the globe was brilliant.  We are in this together!

And speaking of Lift, the past two weeks at Cobb Energy Centre have been out of this world!  We definitely are beginning to hit our stride a bit (Ok, it may be a small stride!) and it feels like we are gelling into family.  With the official “515″ announcement, and more people than could fit into the place this past week, our momentum is growing.

But, for us, it’s not really about numbers and capacity crowds as much as it’s about people connecting with God in significant ways.  In such a negative and unstable global climate, where each day seems to bring another major calamity to the forefront, dominating the news and weighing on our hopes and expectation, it’s so life-giving to look up to the God of Creation and know that our help comes from Him.  He is unshakable and unstoppable, and He is for us!

The LIFT series is going to take a massively encouraging and somewhat challenging turn in two weeks as we look beyond ourselves to those in need all around us.  Trust me, you don’t want to miss it.  If you need to catch up on talks 1-3, you can watch at passioncitychurch.com or download the audio from the Passion City Church Podcast.

“I lift my eyes up, my help comes from the Lord.”

See you soon,

LG

For the past two years it has been a huge treat to have Matt and Beth Redman on our team as we have planted and launched Passion City Church.  These guys have been close friends and a part of the Passion/sixsteps family for years, so it has been really cool (and pretty surreal) having them live down the street and not across the ocean.  Yet, the time has come for them to return to family and friends in the UK.  Obviously, we hate to see them go, but we know God has great things ahead and will see them often as Matt remains a part of our sixsteps tribe.

If you’ve been around our world at all you know we have a running routine of short jokes between Mr. Tomlin and Mr. Redman, but in all seriousness, in our eyes Matt is one hundred feet tall.  Both he and Beth are gifted in extraordinary ways and their beautiful family–Maisey, Noah, Rocco, Jackson, Levi–will be missed by all.

We love you all so much and have great expectation for your lives in the days ahead!

Louie and Shelley and the PCC Team

PS- Matt will be leading at PCC this week [July 25/Cobb Energy Centre/6PM] and on August 8.

A brief word from Matt and Beth….

In the summer of 2008 we left the UK and made our home in Atlanta for the launch of Passion City Church. Having known Louie and Shelley for a decade, our move to the USA has simply been an extension of an already existing friendship and partnership in ministry. We’ve spent two exciting years here, and feel very privileged to have been around for the beginnings of such an inspiring expression of church. We now feel it’s time to head back to England and raise our five children there – and anticipate re-locating sometime later in 2010.

We value our friendships with the Giglios, Chris Tomlin and the team here as highly as ever, and know we’ll journey with them for many years to come. Our enthusiasm for the vision of Passion and sixstepsrecords also remains as strong as ever. We’ll be sad to leave this wonderful local body of believers here in Atlanta, with such exciting days ahead of them – but look forward to all that God has in store for us back in the UK.

Matt and Beth Redman, summer 2010.

Summer is on and that means PCC is meeting again!  Beginning Sunday night June 27 PCC is back with four summer gatherings.  Our summer series — LIFT — is going to be great and we will be celebrating our first five Passion World Tour stops as well as preparing for our proposed move to 515.

Also, Passion Kids have had their first-ever gathering and will meet again on July 24.  Passion Teens also had a very cool time in the park and will reconnect for a service project on July 17.  For more info on upcoming Kids and Teens events visit passioncitychurch.com.

Don’t miss our first summer Sunday gathering.  June 27. GACS Forum.  See you there!

It’s just before midnight back home in ATL, but already fully Sunday here on the other side of the world.  If you haven’t heard already, we had a really special night here in Tokyo, a city of 30+ million people…yet a city with only 60,000 followers of Jesus.  That’s less than .20% of the population who have tasted the grace and goodness of Christ.  So having 2300 people in Tokyo International Forum was a huge honor as 1 of every 30 Christians in the city were gathered in one place for one name.  In any language, that’s simply–WOW!

Our team will definitely miss being at PCC tomorrow night, but we are in the right place today and we are here at the right time.  Thankfully, we’re all in this together, something more special that words can fully convey!

Just in case you haven’t connected the dots, more photos and a short blog post are up at 268Blog.com.  As well, a short little PCC family video is on the way soon, this time with a sneak peak into the actual event.

Another flight awaits.  Manila, here we come!

Sure, it’s been a few days since everyone left the building…but Passion London was more than about getting into an arena together and leaving again.  We say it all the time, but Passion is a “movement,” which means it’s about things changing, evolving, spreading…well, moving!

Our time here has been amazing, with our last night on Saturday being as powerful a night as we have experienced together.  But our hope is that Passion London didn’t end there, but that seeds have been planted that will shake up the world until the day Jesus appears again.

Today, CT and I shot a little video for our PCC family out in Trafalgar Square.  You’ll love it given it’s part me being a really bad tour guide, part CT and I telling you how much our team misses you, and part the National Gallery police telling us we couldn’t shoot the video on the spot we were standing.  But, the reason for the little clip was to try to stay connected face to face with our family back home…and to tell you for the 100th time that it means the world to us to know that we are being supported by so many people in ATL.

Two weeks have passed now without us having our Sunday night gathering.  But I have to believe that we are more than a weekly event, but that we, too, are a “movement.”  Please know that we have not forgotten you, even though we are now pushing fourteen days outside of the country.  And we hope you have not forgotten us!  We are counting on the fact that you are contending with us for great things!

Tokyo is on the horizon and we are ready.  God willing, we will be making history Saturday night in one of the most arid spiritual climates on earth.

Please take time while we are away to meet up with others from our PCC community.  Be generous with your time to invite people into the story that God has invited us to be a part of…and watch for more details on the PCC summer schedule coming via email soon.

Much love from sunny, cloudy, sunny, cloudy, warm, cool, sunny, windy, sunny, cold London!

LG

PS-The link to the video will come to those on the PCC email database.  If you haven’t given us your email details on the passioncitychurch.com website, take a minute to do that now and stay in touch.

We are loving being in Kyiv, Ukraine tonight, but I have to say I really miss being at PCC.  The opportunity here is huge, and we are privileged to be standing in this moment.  But we are truly away from home…not the States so much, but away from our family at PCC.  We know you guys are with us, praying and believing for God-sized things in the days ahead.  We wouldn’t want to do it without you, and feel the wind of your encouragement and support at our backs.

And speaking of PCC, the past three gatherings have been the best days of “church” I can remember.  The “US” series, aimed at helping our fledgling little tribe create community and forge culture, has awakened my heart again to the potential we have as His people to not only see individuals come to life, but to see neighborhoods (and the city) restored by the power of the Gospel.  If you missed it, the first few talks are available for download on the passioncitychurch podcast, with the final message to come.  You can also watch all the talks in the series on the website here.

We have experience a nice burst of momentum over the past month or so and it feels like our last few steps are pulling us together like never before.  That’s why we hate to press “pause” for a few weeks, and are so grateful for the way you have affirmed our journey to the world.  You have sent us out so well and are very much a part of what God is doing here in Ukraine.

Speaking of Ukraine, it’s a national holiday today as they celebrate Victory Day and the defeat of the Nazis 65 years ago.  A massive military parade filled the streets this morning and fireworks just filled the night sky.  The whole city is buzzing and freedom is on people’s lips.  (To put today’s Victory Day celebrations in perspective it helps to remember that the Soviets (of which Ukraine was a part) lost 23 million men and women in WWII.)

Kyiv is a beautiful mix of old and new (the original Golden Gates of Kyiv were constructed in 1037!), and in many ways feels like a city poised on the brink of a not yet realized promise.  The nation has only known independence since 1991, nineteen short years of freedom which both offer great hope for the future and the challenges of forging a sustainable future apart from the Soviet State.

The Church is definitely alive here, though in many ways divided.  The role we play is vital as we serve the nation and it’s people by bringing together many different streams to lift up the only name that really matters.  The name of Jesus brings power and freedom, so our hope is that our names get smaller and His gets bigger and brighter as we make Him famous in Kyiv and all of the Russian-speaking world.

Thanks again for allowing us to be here.  The distance between us cannot stop us from being US.

Holding the door in Kyiv and beyond!
LG

PS-Stay tuned for info on our summer reading program and our summer gatherings for Passion Kids and teens!

PSS-Follow the Passion World Tour at 268Blog.com.

Many of you have been asking for updates from our friend Hannah Redd as she shares the story of grace among the Bozo people of Mali, Africa.

[If you're new to the journey, we all met Hannah back in September during the Passion 2010 Live Link, an event she was supposed to be joining us for from Mali, where she was working among a people group called the Bozo with no known Believers.  Our hearts were crushed that day at the news that Hannah's mom had suddenly died here in the Atlanta area, and though Hannah was already on a plane back to the States during the link, thousands prayed for her family and the Bozo that night via the web stream.  While she was home for a few weeks following her mom's death, we at Passion City Church got to meet and pray for Hannah.  And, on the night before she returned to Africa in November, we were privileged to come around her as a church and send her out again.]

This came from Hannah and her team over the weekend:

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”

This scripture was brought to life yesterday here in a small village in Mali as myself and Mr. Y, a Malian Christian, sat with 20 or so men and women who were eager to here the word of God. After some storying and explanation, they answered with “We are ready, tell us exactly what we need to do to follow this Jesus road!” Praise the Lord, not only did 6 Bozo men and women receive Christ yesterday but 12 others from 5 different people groups received Christ too! Already these new believers are asking how to gather, how to pray, and so many other questions that can only be explained by the work of the Holy Spirit. Before we left the village yesterday, I challenged each of the new believers to tell at least 5 people each what happened in their lives today to which they replied, “That won’t be a problem, we’ll gather the whole village and tell them!”

I am so happy and amazed by God, I don’t think there are adequate human words to describe the feeling.  Honestly, over the past year there were few days when I truly believed I would ever be here to see a Bozo man or woman come to know Christ as savior. But praise Him that He is the God and Father of all things and that He does more than we could ever fathom or expect.

Please join us in praying and rejoicing for these new believers who are so hungry for the Word. Pray that their faith is strong and endures and that it produces much fruit in the coming days and weeks!

Rejoicing with you

hannah

I agree with you, Hannah.  Human words seem to fail in this moment, but not shouts of praise!!  History is being made right before our eyes, the promise of God being fulfilled as we carry the message of Jesus to the nations.  Thousands around the wold are shouting with you, rejoicing in what God is doing…and we are all believing this little tribe among the Bozo will become a mighty nation for His renown! Hannah, we love you and our hearts are with you and all those working throughout Mali.

Until the whole world hears…

LG

Following an amazing Easter weekend [thanks to our incredible Team and volunteers who made such a meaningful weekend possible for so many] we are moving on toward the finish of our Father series this Sunday night, April 11, 6PM at The Cobb Energy Centre.

Speaking of Easter, we were pretty blown away to see so many of you out there for our first ever PCC Sunday AM gathering!  Beautiful…and so encouraging.  Not to mention how powerful it was to have so many make their first public stand for Jesus on the day we celebrate the life that never ends.  Yes!

One was named Megan, and she allowed us to share a little of her story:
Dear Louie,

I’ve been meaning to write you an e-mail for a long time now, but I guess I just never knew what to say or how to start it until yesterday. I don’t know if you’ll remember, but I’m the girl that stood up at the end of the Easter service Sunday morning at Passion City Church, the one that you talked to. I just wanted to share my story with you.

Growing up, I was never very religious. Both my parents had gone to church as kids, but when they grew up and had kids themselves, I guess they wanted us to figure out our religious views on our own.

When I started middle school, I began to feel a social obligation to convert towards Christianity. My best friend was a strict Baptist, and I would sometimes go to church with her, but I always felt guilty, out of place, and awkward every time I went. It made me hate church. However, I somehow converted anyways, but I don’t think I truly believed in what I was saying I believed in.

Then high school started, and I began to “fall-out” of Christianity. I don’t exactly know why. I think it was because I was relying more on science than on religion. I always felt comfortable with science, because there seemed to be a clear and definite answer to everything. In 11th and 12th grade, I was actually an Atheist. I saw no purpose in a personal God, and I thought God was just something people created to comfort themselves in the unknown. And I must admit, I liked being an Atheist (at least at the time). I had a definite set of beliefs and I was no longer worried about if I was going to get into Heaven or Hell. I was care-free, and I felt like me.

But then college started, and everything changed. My parents decided to get a divorce about a month after I started school last year. It shook me emotionally, which I didn’t quite understand because I had been through some very hard years with my family as a kid. But for some reason, I felt incredibly empty. I had the love and support of my family, friends, and boyfriend, but it never made me feel better. I just had this feeling that something huge was missing from my life.

I began hating myself. I didn’t understand who I was anymore, and I felt lost and out of place. I started struggling endlessly with God, religion, and science. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t get in a bad mood because of it. I felt that the answer I was looking for was just on the tip of my tongue, but I could not for the life of me figure it out.

Then I started hearing about Passion 2010. I actually went with my boyfriend and his family to a Passion City Church service, and that was the first time I heard about you. It was the service where you had all those plastic containers and where you talked about Jesus living inside of us.

Finally the day came where my boyfriend left to go to the conference. I started following some twitter accounts that were covering the Passion conference because I was really interested in what it was all about.

I remember sitting at home on January 1st, 2010 and feeling that empty feeling gnawing away at me again, for no reason.  The same questions came into my head that had driven me insane for the past months. Then I began feeling an overwhelming connection to everything in the world. I realized that the answer was around me the entire time. I realized that God created the universe, and that He was in everything. I remember feeling like I was literally being filled up with emotion, content, and happiness. I honestly can’t explain it, but the answer just hit me like a wall, and I began praying for the first time in 3 years.

Since then, I’ve seen God working in my life. I feel like me again. I’m no longer filled with that empty feeling of helplessness. I’m happy. But still, I didn’t understand where Jesus fit in the picture. I knew the stories, but I didn’t see it until yesterday at Passion City Church, where you talked about Him as a real human being. I realized that they weren’t just stories, they really happened. He became real to me.

Anyways, I didn’t want to ramble on like this, and I didn’t mean for this to be so long or anything. I just wanted to let you know that yesterday was the first time I had ever been to church on Easter, and I wanted you to know why I stood up.

Thank you for everything,
Megan

Beautiful and amazing…and what Easter morning was all about!

This week we are back to Sunday nights, sharing the talk “Growing Up Like Dad.”  The bottom line: we are His.  We have His DNA, His genes…and the most normal thing we can do is to grow up and look like our Father.  Hope to see you there!

Thanks for being part of such an amazing and powerful night at Good Friday at Verizon! The weather was perfect, the Cross powerful and life-change was everywhere.

In addition to the sold out Verizon gathering, somewhere between 30,000-40,000 people joined online as radio stations across the nation streamed video of the night live on their website to viewers in all 50 states and 22 nations.

Together, we not only amplified the Saving One, we reached out as His hands and feet to the people of Haiti, working with partners Compassion International, Samaritans Purse and Living Water International to assist rebuilding efforts and restore life and hope amidst the rubble and devastation that have followed the February 12 earthquake.

Our goal for the night: to restart five Compassion projects for children and babies (touching over 2000 children) at a cost of $44,225, provide thirty semi-permanent shelters through SP (each housing up to 10 people) at a cost of $30,000 and give $10,000 to help rehabilitate wells damaged in the earthquake through Living Water (the two guys pictured above–Cort and Christian–just completed a 2700 bike ride from Santa Monica, CA to Savannah, GA to raise money for this cause)—for a grand total of $84,225!

We’re happy to say that Cort and Christian’s check is GOOD as we gave $189,469 on the night and will now be able to double each goal!  What a great way to celebrate the price Christ has paid for us as we reach in turn to touch the lives of others in His name.

If you missed Good Friday, and even if you didn’t, remember that Passion City Church will be back at Verizon Wireless for our first ever Easter morning service at 10:30. All are invited and this is a beautiful opportunity to bring your friends.  Gates open at 9:45 and we expect there will be plenty of free on-site parking for everyone.

He is alive and we are His.

See you Easter!

PS–And see you next year at Good Friday at Verizon Wireless.

Updated::3/31/10

Good Friday at Verizon is SOLD OUT! We are so sorry for those of you who could not get tickets this year.  For those coming, remember the night is a benefit for rebuilding efforts in Haiti through three of Passion’s partner organizations.  You’ll here about the specific causes Friday night and an offering will be taken as most of the $10 ticket price only covers the expenses for the night.  Please come prepared to give something extra for Haiti Rebuilding!

If you missed tickets for Friday (and even if you have them), Passion City Church, with Chris, Louie and crew, will be meeting at Verizon on Easter morning at 10:30 AM.  No tickets necessary!

________________________

Undeterred by last year’s weather situation, we are returning again for our annual Good Friday celebration at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park.  Good Friday is a gathering for the city (and the southeast), so join us Friday, April 2, for what promises to be a powerful night of worship and teaching as we contemplate the Cross and the amazing grace poured out for us all.

All the info is available at www.goodfridayatverizon.com and tickets are going fast!  Tickets are only $10 and the night will benefit rebuilding efforts in Haiti.

We hope to see you there!

–Note that Good Friday is General Admission seating and will take place rain or shine.  All seats at Verizon Wireless are not covered.  Information on lawn seating is available on the website.