New Hope Discipleship Movement.

Next Sunday, I will be heading to the Exponential West Conference in Orange County, CA.  There is a pre-conference event called The National Discipleship Forum, which is hands down the best event I have been to anywhere, anytime.  Exponential is the largest gathering of church planters in the world.  The one in Orlando in the spring has about 5,000 in attendance.  I think West has about 2,000.  I love going because of the energy and optimism.  It's thousands of people who believe everyone is going to be baptized... tomorrow!  The worship is some of the best I know of and the teaching is from the best practitioners.  Even though it is church planting-specific, church planting is kind of like the space program of the church-- it develops great evangelism and discipleship tools.

Jessie, Mike Adams (our former youth pastor who is planting our church in Frenchburg, KY) and Jacob Wilson are going with me.  I hope to keep taking more people each year. The Discipleship Forum by itself is worth the time and effort to get to.  If you have a holy discontent about the church, about your own discipleship, let's talk.  New Hope Discipleship Movement (a non-profit Mike, Wes, and I set up to start new churches in Appalachia) will be taking a crew to Orlando in April. Hit me up if you want to go.

Pray for us-- for safe travel, for great fellowship, for deep learning.  Last year I went with Mike and Jacob.  Jesus wrecked our lives.  I daresay we are still figuring out what happened, still dealing with the fallout, still putting things into place to be better at making disciples. Pray that we get wrecked again, hearts broken for the neglected mission of making disciples.  Pray that we come back with a spirit of humility, because we are going to be on the cutting edge of the Church.

About this time last year, I went to take one of my 15 minute afternoon naps.  But I could not.  God had me raise my arms in prayer and I knew I just had to keep them there in praise.  After a while, He spoke.  "Ask me for anything you want."  I made a few feeble stabs, ashamed that I was not ready!  Everything I asked for, He said "I already do  that. Ask me for something that only I can do."  I would pray at other times for the next few months, but still was not asking for enough.  I shared this with a small group  of friends, some prayer warriors.  Finally, one day I just cried out in desperation for the mission, "Lord, give me a disciple-making movement that takes back Eastern Kentucky for Christ!" And then there was absolute peace and assurance.  Thus New Hope Discipleship Movement was born.