Fenway Church Blog

The Gospel & The Kingdom

2012-01-30T14:17:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, we started our Rooted Series in a packed club. God was definitely present. I preached on "The Seed" from Jesus' parable of the sower found in Matthew 13. You can listen to the message here.

The Big Idea from yesterday's message was that the gospel proclaims that there is a Kingdom, a King, and a Way.

The parable of the sower (which Jesus called the key to all his other parables, Mark 4:13) begins first and foremost with a sower who is sowing seed. Luke tells us that “the seed is the word of God.” (Lk8:11)

Jesus as he stands in the boat preaching this parable is the sower of the seed. His words are the word of God (the gospel).

Matthew gives us additional insight into what the seed (the gospel) is. “The seed is the word of the Kingdom.” (Mt13:19) Jesus' gospel message was a proclamation of the reality of his coming Kingdom.

As we start this series, we want to understand what the gospel is saying. What is the seed, the word of his Kingdom, that Jesus is sowing into the world?

First, through Jesus' preaching, God is saying, "There is a kingdom!" Jesus during his trial would tell the Roman governor Pilate, "My Kingdom is not of this world." The gospel begins with a simple proclamation that a Kingdom that is not of this world exists, and it is entering our present reality. It is a Kingdom of among other things hope, healing, and freedom. A Kingdom where there is no sin and death.

The second thing the gospel says is there is a King. This statement makes complete sense for wherever there is a kingdom there must be a King who reigns over it! The King that is proclaimed in the gospel is the man, Jesus. A King who came to earth as a peasant, to live a selfless life, and die a brutal death. So that he might rise from death, in order to make life in his Kingdom possible.

The third thing the gospel says is there is a Way into the Kingdom. The gospel proclaims not only is there a Kingdom and a King, but that the King has made a Way for a person to enter his Kingdom.

King Jesus through his death made a way for us to be cleansed from sin and through his resurrection made a way for us to be freed from the power of death. Since sin and death have not part in the realm of the resurrected King, we must first be cleansed from sin and freed from death in order to enter into the life of the Kingdom.

Jesus' death and resurrection made a way for those who believe his message to enter the Kingdom. When we understand and accept there is a Kingdom, a King, and a Way, we are repenting (changing our way of thinking). We end our old lives where we were our own rulers (and headed towards death) AND begin new lives with Jesus as ruler of every area. We demonstrate this decision through baptism.

This new life is life in the Kingdom, life with the King Jesus, a life heading in a totally new direction.

As we continue this series, we will be taking an expansive look into what this new direction and life with Jesus looks like and how we can be firmly rooted in it.

Something I Learned by Investing in Others

2012-01-25T08:32:00.003-05:00

ONE LESSON I have learned over the last 6 years is that when I invest in and disciple others, when I take the time to focus on others instead of myself, I learn and grow.

This week, I had the opportunity to spend time one on one with 3 young men in our church. In our times together, we prayed, talked, assessed our lives, read scripture, and made decisions to take specific actions in the coming week in our journey of following Jesus.

One young man I was encouraging to come to Father daily asking for what he needed for that day. The next day in prayer, I thought - wow I should do that too - and I did! Another young man I was encouraging to pursue the gifts and fillling of the Holy Spirit (I Corinithians 14 & Luke 11). It reminded me to spend more time praying in tongues in my personal prayer times, and I did. Finally, a young man asked me whether he was teachable or not, and we had a fruitful conversation. Today, the Holy Spirit started asking me if my heart was teachable. Was my attitude the attitude I had encouraged him to have?

These relationships illustrate a significant principle. As I invest in others, I become more like Jesus myself.

This principle is the beauty of discipleship - it is not just me teaching someone else - but through the relationship that is fostered in discipleship we BOTH become more like Jesus.

Daily Prayer Guide - Our Future Jan.7

2012-01-06T21:45:00.000-05:00

"They shall build up the ancient ruins;

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations."

(Isaiah 61:4)

This week has been filled with many life giving moments. Mainly, I believe because when I take the time to learn to walk with Jesus my life becomes filled with life. Guess that's what Jesus was referencing when he said, "I want you to have life and have it to the full." (John 10:10) Strange how in the midst of partially starving ourselves and saying no to our bodies, we can find fuller living then when we are indulging in all the world has to desire... that is the wonder of life with Jesus.

As we come to the end of this week, two things stand out to as having had the greatest impact on me this week.

One is our corporate times of prayer. I am so encouraged listening to and agreeing with the prayers of my brothers and sisters - what passion, what love for God, what incredibly compassionate hearts for those they encounter in their lives. They make me want to be more like Jesus and through their faith make me want to keep coming back to the place of prayer. If you haven't made it out to a prayer gathering this week, you need to make it out Saturday night just to hear some of our brothers and sisters praying (January 7 from 6-8PM at 874 Beacon Street).

Two is the daily schedule of early morning prayer and fasting has produced a certain rhythm to my life that causes me to end up praying throughout the day as I go about various activities. I have been so much more aware of Jesus' presence with me. This awareness has encouraged me greatly and I am seeing God move and give me faith for things in ways I don't typically experience.

As we enter into this last day, Isaiah 61:4 reminds us of what our future will be. We will be those, though once lost and wounded, who now build up, raise up, and repair. Through our love and hope many will be encouraged and built up. Through our faith and the Spirit of God, many will be raised from death to life. Through our compassion and diligence, households, neighborhoods, and whole people groups will find their societies transformed into communities of hope, love, and genuine care for each other.

On Saturday night, we will pray into this future. We will pray into this task that lays before us. We will pray that the Holy Spirit will anoint us so that we may continue to partner with Jesus to build his church, raise sinners to life, and repair the lives of many.

Why not join us? Or, let your amen be heard right now where you are as you join your spirit with ours in faith that God will do it.

Love and grace in Christ Jesus. It is a joy to labor with you for the desires of the Father's heart. I thank God for you and this week he has given us together.

Love,

David W.

Daily Prayer Guide - Planted Oaks Jan.6

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

"That they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified."

(Isaiah 61:3)

What is God's purpose in the proclamation of the gospel, the anointing of his messengers, the binding of broken hearts, the freeing of captives, and the comforting of those who mourn?

It is two fold.

First, it is for the good of those who were once far from God but have now been brought near by faith. Their healing and restoration is so that they might be planted with roots growing and surging deep into Christ and that from from this relationship they would grow into mighty oaks bearing the fruits of righteousness. Imagaine, the person that once felt their life was crumbling into ashes, whose heart was broken from mourning, now rooted and established in the love of Christ bearing the fruits of the Holy Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, and goodness.

Second, the result is that the power, majesty, steadfast love, and glory of the LORD is revealed through our transformation. As John Piper says, "God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in him." God longs to exalt his Son and his name, and therefore he longs that we be completely and fully satisfied in him. God calls, anoints, and transforms because he wants to display his glory and goodness in us! This is our inheritance, this is our future.

Prayer Points

Father God, thank you that your desire is to bless me.

Jesus, thank you for healing me, restoring me, and giving me a hope and a future.

Holy Spirit, continue to make this truth ever real to me.

Father, pour out a revelation of your goodness in my life that I might be fully satisfied in you so that you may be glorified.

Extension of Early Morning Prayer

2012-01-05T12:20:00.003-05:00

This morning God showed up at early morning prayer (EMP). It truly felt like a holy moment lasting for more than 30 minutes. At the end of prayer, God confirmed by speaking to multiple people who were there that we were to continue our corporate daily prayer gatherings.

What does that mean? It means tomorrow we will again meet at Ruggles for 6AM prayer. Saturday we will meet for our previously scheduled 6-8PM church prayer meeting. Beyond that we will together continue to weigh and assess how long to keep meeting for daily early morning prayer.

What are we longing for? Themes that emerged this morning (and throughout the week) were a greater measure of the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives, a deeper understanding of Jesus' love for us, and the salvation of our family members.

What is our passion? Like Jacob (Genesis 32:24-26) and the persistent widow (Luke 18), we will not stop coming to God until we receive the fullness of what he has for us in this season.

Sarah Neslund captured this mornings encounter with God well. I pray you will be encouraged by it. For those pondering a Biblical model for this type of persistent prayer, our model is the Jerusalem Church which met every day and was devoted to prayer. (Acts 2:42-47)

Sarah's account of today's prayer gathering:
David encouraged an attitude of reception and invitation for the Holy Spirit to fall, inviting anyone to receive prayer and be filled. At least four people expressed a desire, but even after at least 25 minutes of intense spiritual prayer, that sense of urgency, of desperate thirst for the Holy Spirit still remained. And we agreed that, yes, we are contending-- our appetites have been whet and now we are hungering for more. Even though he can fill us, even when we don't ask, as a lover He seems to be romancing us, leading us closer, causing us to long more for Him. And to this we are responding with passionate pursuit, declaring, "WE WANT MORE OF YOU, GOD."

We will wrestle with him, clinging tightly until we get more of Him! We want to be filled; to receive His presence and experience all that it confers- spiritual gifts, power, love, compassion, mercy, courage and conviction. And, we will not easily relent. No. Just as he has pursued us, so we pursue Him fervently with that same intent of Jacob-- to receive His blessing and a greater impartation of the Holy Spirit. And, like Jacob, knowing it may cost us everything or just something, we lift up our hands in full surrender and complete desperation saying, "There is no place I'd rather be and no joy outside of You. You are my only desire and I don't want to be anywhere without you fully there."

Daily Prayer Guide - Comfort for the Faint Jan.5

2012-01-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

"The LORD has anointed me... to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit..." (Isaiah 61:1-3)

The world is full of mourning. The mourning of death, incurable diseases, broken relationships, emotional pain, and more. An abused child mourns the loss of security, trust, and innocence. The grieving parent mourns death of a young child. The tired woman mourns the pending divorce from an unfaithful husband. The Lord is very aware of the distress of this world. He knows our lives can become charred and fragile by the harshness of life. He knows our lives can waste away disintegrating into nothing but ashes. This He knows, and this is why he is the God of all comfort. (1 Corinthians 1:3)

It is a part of the missionary calling is to comfort the afflicted. One must not be surprised when he discovers great darkness and sadness in the world. As this passage demonstrates, bringing comfort really is a significant part of the missionary calling. So much so, that the prophet interrupts his sequence of statements to elaborate on God's promise to those who come to Zion (his church) in mourning.

To those who feel like their life has come to nothing, God promises a headdress - a sign of beauty, purity, and acceptance (typically worn out weddings or by priests). To those who are mourning, the oil of gladness - pressed down, shaken together the joy of knowing were loved spilling over into our hearts. To those worn down by life, the garment of praise. Why? Because you will find the anointing of God is strong enough to bind up any heart, break any bondage, take your sadness and clothe you with gladness. Those who have encountered the anointed ones of God will be clothed with praise!

Yet, we come to those who are mourning with quiet hearts and meek spirits. We come along side them in the place of prayer and in the realities of life. We weep and cry with them, and we ask God to comfort them.

Prayer Points

Father, comfort all who mourn. (Pray for those who God puts on your heart)

Father, give to your children who mourn - a beautiful headdress, the oil of gladness, and the garment of praise.

Father, strength the faint hearted in our church, in our families, and in our lives.

Father, break our hearts for those who are truly mourning.

Father, may those your heart years for come to know you as the God of all comfort.

Amen.

Daily Prayer Guide - The Year & the Day Jan.4

2012-01-04T00:01:00.107-05:00

"To proclaim the year of the LORD's favor,

and the day of vengeance of our God..."

(Isaiah 61:2)

Yesterday at early morning prayer, God was speaking clearly to us about being God's laborers in the harvest. In answer to the call of Isaiah 6, we were responding in prayer, "Lord, send me." Pastor Dave encouraged us at the end of prayer about how meaningful it was that each of the attendees gathered had made commitments to be a witness for Jesus in the city of Boston. We were all reminded that if Pastor Dave had not heeded God's call to come to Boston in 1989 we would not be here right now. Praise God for a man who did not just say "send me" but actually went!

The anointing of God empowers us for the task (see previous days). Does God have a message that he expects us to proclaim as we go out into our world to be witnesses for Jesus? Yes, he does.

The message has two parts.

We get to tell the greatest news ever known to mankind - we are living in the age of the Lord's favor! Since Jesus' death and resurrection, we are living in a time in history where salvation is freely available. On the cross, Jesus paid the debt from sin you owed, purchased you out of slavery to sin and Satan, and earned you the right to share in his future inheritance - heaven's riches. Though each one of us was indebted due to our sins, in bondage to self, and unable to earn God's favor, God by his grace and mercy through Jesus Christ has shown unmerited favor to humanity and welcomes every person who puts their faith in his Son Jesus to enter into fellowship with Him. What hope we have to proclaim!

It is exceedingly good news when we also proclaim that not only does God save us out of our sinful condition but also saves us from a future judgment sentence. We live in the year (age) of his favor, but this age will have an end. There will be a day of the vengeance of our God when he will destroy all that is evil and corrupt, when he will banish Satan and his forces to eternal torment, and when he will send those who despised or refused his offer of grace to the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The proclamation (good news) that we get to speak of is that this day of vengeance need not be dreaded.

Friend, you need not be uneasy. God offers you today the gift of faith in his Son Jesus so that the last appointed day can be one of rejoicing for you as you are welcomed with a mighty throng into the new heaven and new earth, NOT one of weeping, judgment, and hell.

Prayer Points
Father, thank you for extending an age of grace to humanity.
Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to save me from my sin and the judgment to come.
Father, make me a speaker of your truth.
Holy Spirit, empower us to proclaim the reality of this year of favor and the coming day of vengeance.
Jesus, may you get all the glory you deserve (the salvation of many) as the reward for your suffering.

Daily Prayer Guide - Good News Jan.3

2012-01-03T00:01:00.102-05:00

"The LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound." (Isaiah 61:1)

What is the purpose of the anointing of the Holy Spirit? Why should we long to be clothed with the anointing of God? Simply put, the Lord anoints to set the captive free.

The Lord anointed Jesus, and he anointed Peter, and he anointed Paul. He will anoint you too. The Lord anointed Ananias (Acts 9), a man who had a quiet time one day, so that when he laid his hands on the newly saved terrorist named Saul, Saul's eyes popped opened, scales fell off, and Saul himself was clothed with the life-empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. And in that story, we see the vitality of the anointing of God.

The Lord anoints an apostle like Paul and a regular believer like Ananias and uses them to be his messenger and conduit of salvation in this world. God chooses to manifest his power in the lives of those who are far from God and without hope in this world through the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

For the Christian, God has called us to be witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, and the ends of the earth; and he fully intends to anoint us for this task. He anoints us to preach. He anoints us to bind up. He anoints us to proclaim without hesitation the joyful truth that the prison gates have been flung open.

If we long for the poor to know peace and security, if we long for the brokenhearted to know love, if we long for those bound in chains to sin and Satan to be free, if we long for hell to be plundered and heaven to be full, than we must long for the pouring out the Holy Spirit. As we step out in faith as Ananias did, the anointing of God will set even the most bound prisoner free. This reality is Good News.

Prayer Points

Father, teach me to trust the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

Father, send me to the poor, the captive, and the prisoner.

Father, give me the boldness to step out in faith into where your Spirit is calling me.

Father, release your anointing upon my life and our church that we might fulfill your mission in this world.

Daily Prayer Guide - Anointing Jan.2

2012-01-02T00:01:00.060-05:00

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me..." (Isaiah 61:1)

Jesus claimed that this verse applied to him at the start of his ministry in Luke 4. The Spirit of God had come come upon him at his water baptism (Luke 3:22), and he was now prepared to do what God had sent him into the world to do - destroy the devil's works. (I John 3:8)

The Spirit of God anointed Jesus for a specific task. We see what the task was in Acts 10:38.

"God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him."

Jesus dealt a death blow to Satan on the cross hurling down the accuser of the brethren and paying the ransom price to redeem his people out of Satan's kingdom where they were bound as slaves to sin. When Jesus returns, he will banish Satan from the world forever and destroy all evil. Until then, Jesus anoints his followers with the same Spirit of God that Jesus himself was anointed with.

In the Old Testament, priests were consecrated (see yesterday's post) and anointed (Exodus 30:30). We as Jesus' followers are also priests, a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6)! We are set apart to continue Jesus' ministry of doing good and healing all who are oppressed of the devil AND are anointed by God with the power to do it.

Let's pray for that!

Prayers

Father, thank you for Jesus - The Anointed One.

Father, thank you for sending Jesus to destroy the devil's works.

Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross to free me from the kingdom darkness.

Holy Spirit, come upon me now. Anoint me and fill me with your power.

Jesus, thank you for setting me apart to participate in your redemptive ministry on earth.

Jesus, thank you for anointing me for this task.

Daily Prayer Guide - Consecration Jan.1

2012-01-01T00:01:00.006-05:00

"As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." (John 17:18-19)

Consecration
The word consecrates first definition is to be set apart. Jesus set himself apart from the rest of humanity; he did what no other human throughout of all of history could do. He rejected the devil's temptations, lived a life free from sin, and offered himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.

The Reason
His reason for consecrating himself is that we his followers could be sanctified in truth. The word sanctified also has the meaning of being set apart but with the added connotation of being purified. Jesus did not need to be purified because he had no sin, but we all have need to be purified from our sin. We need to be set apart for God's work in the world ("so I have sent them" vs18) as Jesus was set apart. We also need to be purified from our sins and the effects of sin upon and within us.

Our Response
Thus, we start this year consecrating ourselves - reminding ourselves that we have been set apart and cleansed by Christ Jesus through the faith that we have in him as the truth.

Today at our service, we will be praying through several passages of scripture. Why not join us as you read the passages below (out loud!) and consecrate yourself to Lord as we start the New Year?

Psalm of Confession - Psalm 130
Reminder of Truth - Romans 8:33-39
Blessing for the Year - Numbers 6:24-26

Week of Prayer & Fasting (January 1-7)

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Week of Prayer & Fasting (January 1-7)
We will be starting 2012 with a week dedicated to prayer & fasting. Join us for corporate times of prayer & worship throughout the week.

Out of town?
Join us in prayer by returning to this blog each day to read and pray through the daily prayer guides that will be posted to this blog each day from January 1-7! You can also subscribe to this blog via email in the sidebar to receive the prayer guides by email.

Looking for helpful guidelines on how to pray and fast?
Check out this blog post that I wrote on how to pray and fast.

Gathering Times
Sunday - Worship & Prayer Service @ 11AM
69 Kilmarnock Street (Usual Sunday Service Location)

Tue, Wed, Thursday - Early Morning Prayer 6-7AM
874 Beacon Street 2nd Floor

Saturday - Prayer Meeting 6-8PM
874 Beacon Street 2nd Floor
(We will be joined by Abundant Grace Church!)

2012 Bible Reading Plans

2011-12-31T10:51:00.000-05:00

Last week, I finished Journey Church's (St. Louis) Bible reading plan for 2011. It was only the second time I have been able to complete a year long Bible reading plan, and it I felt refreshed and much more aware of who God is through the process.

I recommend you consider committing to a Bible reading plan for 2012. Usually, we avoid Bible reading plans because we hate falling behind and end up not finishing them. Don't give into that fear! Thankfully, there are many different Bible reading plans that you can choose from.

There are several links below that will help you choose a Bible reading plan for 2012.

If you are still working on finishing 2011, keep going! The two key practices we are trying to instill in our lives is daily (or at least several days a week) getting the word of God into our hearts and minds & getting to know the WHOLE Bible story. I'd say its more important to keep checking off those days to finish reading through the Bible even if it takes you another year than starting over again.

Bible Reading Plans
Justin Taylor at the Gospel Coalition gives extensive summaries of and tips on different Bible reading plans. If you scroll to the very bottom, you can see the Bible plan I used last year.
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2011/12/27/bible-reading-plans-for-2012/

Desiring God Ministries gives a much more condensed version of potential reading plans including one that caught my eye - "For Shirkers & Slackers."
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/2011-bible-reading-plans

Helpful Guidelines for Prayer & Fasting

2011-12-30T15:51:00.001-05:00

Fenway Church will be kicking off the New Year with a week dedicated to prayer and fasting. See this post for information on the schedule and daily blog updates.

I have a passion for prayer and fasting that began in my college years. For those considering embarking on the fast this week, here are three helpful things to consider - Why fast? What does a fast look like? What can prayer look like?

Why Fasting?

God has always used fasts to increase my hunger to spend time with Jesus, allowed me to spend more time in prayer, and reminded me that this world and its desires are passing away. I find at the completion of these fasts I am often more focused on God's kingdom and more filled with God's power simply because I have been spending more time with him!

Many heroes of the faith fasted including Moses, Elijah, and Jesus! Jesus expected his followers to fast knowing how good it would be for them, "They will fast in that day." (Mark 2:20)

If Jesus did and he expected us to, we should!

What Does a Fast Look Like?

First, please remember that if you have certain health issues a change in diet or a fast can be medically dangerous and should be avoided. As always, remember to drink lots of water especially when fasting.

A Fast

The phrase "fasting" in our context is typically used to mean fasting from all foods for a meal, day, week, etc.

A Water Fast

A water fast involves abstaining from all substances EXCEPT water. This typically should last for no more than 3-10 days.

A Daniel Fast
The idea of a "Daniel fast" is found in Daniel Chapter 1 where Daniel and his friends refuse to eat the king's fine food and instead embrace a diet of vegetables during their time of training in Babylon. A "Daniel fast" for me consists of not eating any meats or sweats or fine foods (define that however you want :). I generally eat fruits, vegetables, some breads, beans, rice, & grains. Some keep a stricter diet than that. I have used a "Daniel Fast" for when I am doing fasts of more than 2-3 days.

A Media Fast

A media fast can involve abstaining from some type of daily entertainment - such as twitter, tv/movies, internet, computer games, etc. - for an extended period of time. I have found these to be very helpful for me when I have done them.

In fasting it is not the diet that matters, it is a heart that wants more of God and less of the world that matters. Prayerfully, consider what God may be leading you to fast for this week.

Finally, it is usually best to use the time normally spent in eating or entertainment in prayer and spending time with God. Otherwise, we can easily miss the point of the fast!

What can prayer look like?
1) The main purpose of fasting and prayer in the New Testament was to align with God's plan and be filled with his power. Let's get involved where HE is already working - how do we know where he is? We pray and listen! (Acts 13:2, John 5:19)

2) God is sovereign. His plan to redeem of humanity and establish his church among every people group is not in doubt. (1 Cor. 15:24-26) Yet, he calls us to pray for, "Laborers to be sent out into the harvest." Jesus told his disciples to pray for laborers then immediately sent them out! (Matthew 9:35 - 10:5) Will you not only pray for laborers but allow God to make you one?

3) The one thing Jesus desires most for us is to be with him, listening to his voice. (Luke 10:28-42) He wants revival more desperately than we do. A true revival begins when God's people hunger and thirst for Jesus above all else NOT when we desperately plead with God to change the world.. It is in Jesus' presence that we are changed and empowered. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

4) God has been showing me in the word that he will show his people things in prayer that will open up huge doors to be witnesses for him IF they will act on what they see and hear immediately. (Acts 9:10-12, Acts 10) We too often hesitate after praying seeking "God's will" AGAIN and we MISS opportunities. Don't wait go find out if God spoke or not!

Let's do it!

Come Again, Lord Jesus...

2011-12-23T22:40:00.004-05:00

I was driving home tonight in a mid-sized luxury SUV filled with just-opened Christmas presents. Ayanna (my 3-year old) gently asked my wife and I to play some "songs about Jesus" as my girls glanced at the windows looking for more Christmas lights and my almost 2 year old boy drifted off to sleep. My wife, Betsy, was commenting how this first of what will be three days of Christmas gatherings couldn't have gone better. I was thinking we are sooooo blessed.

My stomach was stuffed with food. In fact, I had been different levels of full pretty much all day. I was warm, warm. Warm and full. And safe. Not everyone can say that this Christmas.

Click pictures to learn more.

My thoughts turned to starving children in Africa like the ones I had prayed for early this week. I thought about the girls hidden in sex-trafficking dens. Most probably don't even know Christmas is two days away. They probably just hope tomorrow doesn't come. I thought about the girls abandoned in China...

Click pictures to learn more.

Got home read about people who marched 170 miles over 4 days for freedom who on arriving at their capitol got beat up and killed. Thought about my friends in Sanaa who since I left in March have lived in a virtual war zone under siege in their own apartments and homes.

Click pictures to learn more.

And in the midst of my car ride home filled with thoughts of Christmas, I found myself whispering, "Come Again, Lord Jesus..."

Come again, and make all the wrong things right. Come again, and make "all the sad things untrue."

Come like you did at Christmas 2,000 years ago.

Come again, to destroy all evil, wipe every tear, fill every stomach, and banish all darkness.

Come again, so the last can be first and the first can be last.

Come again, so that there will be no longer be any orphans or sickness or pain or sin. Come again, so the unwanted girls can have a home and the abused children can know love.

Come, come again, Lord Jesus.

The End of All Evil, Nov 13, 2011

"Johnny" Finds a "Home" this Christmas

2011-12-19T16:31:00.003-05:00

By Rebecca Nelson

Our church (Fenway Church) did a “month of service” this December in which each of our community groups delivered presents to children whose parents were in prison, made blankets for homeless veterans, hosted dinners for neighbors, etc.

One night, I was in a group that packed bags of stuff for homeless people around Back Bay (granola bars, pen, flashlight, socks, gloves, hand warmers, paper, etc..).

As we did “listening prayer” and asked God where we should go, I saw a picture of the steps of Trinity church.

We were led to pray that “God would reach someone whose family has been praying for them, and who seems like the last person who might come into God’s family”. It was a prayer for lost sheep, especially those who no one really believed could return to God.

Off we went.

We went to the church and didn’t see anyone who needed one of the bags we had prepared. But when we walked around the side of the church and there was a man kneeling in prayer and another man standing nearby. As we had prayed in the apartment, “Johnny” had been praying outside. While two others prayed for his friend’s knee, I sat on the ground and talked with Johnny. He recently left a halfway house where he was required to stay after a jail sentence. In the bitter cold, we talked for quite a while and he told me all about his family, his father and sister who love Jesus and pray for him. We prayed and he promised with much sincerity to come to church Sunday if we’d get him from Copley.

Lost sheep at the church, just like God said.

When we returned to warm up and debrief, we found that the 3 other groups also had successful evenings. They prayed for a blind man to receive sight (we are still looking for him to see if it has happened), they felt great boldness, much more than usual, an answer to prayer. Even those who had never done this kind of thing were deeply encouraged and used by God.

When we returned Sunday with a car to get Johnny, he was nowhere to be found. I checked Finagle a Bagel, Burger King and all the surrounding stores, and he was gone. He had been so excited for church! We prayed for him together, that he would know we looked for him, and went to “friend Sunday” at Fenway Church.

Towards the close of service, who walked in but Johnny? First this shaking, weak man took a guitar and played a beautiful song of praise to God. Then, we prayed for him to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to turn and live a holy life, and he laughed with joy as we closed the prayer.

He got a warm meal, lots of cookies and a hot shower with men from our church. And when I checked my email late last night, I found that Johnny was spending a few nights off the streets with a church member who had offered a spare room.

Today I am thankful for our church family, God's guidance, and his love for every single person in Boston.

www.fenwaychurch.org

Why I am Encouraged

2011-12-13T09:55:00.004-05:00

Why I am Encouraged

I am encouraged today by...

Our young men. Young men leading small groups on their campuses and ministering God's love to those who have not experienced it yet. Young men who persevering in their education and callings in business, law, and the sciences. Young men who tell me to "be hard on them" because they want to become true representatives of Jesus wherever they go.

Our young women. Their seemingly insatiable passion for worship and prayer. The commitment and purity of their hearts towards Jesus. Their willingness to be the first to go to the unreached people groups of the world. And, their love for the church and the community in and around it.

Our single moms. Who host community group gatherings. Who find time in their weeks to cook for the church. Who bring their children to be a part of our church family. Who consistently our an example to me of real faith as they proclaim and exhibit a trust, belief, and ability to lean on God each day.

The husbands. Who have modeled the right way to pursue a young woman with respect, honor, purity, and purpose. Who lay down their lives for their wives and are learning to lead their families and marriages.

The wives and moms. Who work harder than anyone I know. Your reward is great in the kingdom of heaven.

Our inroads in building relationships with our Muslim friends. Learning their culture, values, and world AND loving them by opening our own lives and homes to them.

Our presence in the club. The sounds guys and staff who have witnessed miracles, testimonies, and the growth of our church. The guy who came up and played the tamborine with our worship team after service, and the guy that tattooed a scripture verse on his back that one of our member's gave him.

The way our church family has demonstrated the love of Jesus by taking care of the building and treating the staff with respect.

Our presence in the community. Volunteers at Operation Peace's after school program this fall. Funds being raised for local non-profits in our neighborhood. Relationships formed with seniors who live in the Fenway through art, music, and food. Serving at community events and being one of the only places in the Fenway that I know of that consistently provides opportunities for fun and education for children and their mothers.

Our presence among homeless communities. In transition homes. In front of Shaw's supermarket. In conversations in the Fens. And the ones who find their way into our services knowing they will be welcomed, loved, and embraced.

Our vision. For transforming neighborhoods like the Fenway.... and now with growing hope for Roxbury. For the unreached nations of the world and the prayers, travels, and training that are linking us to that world even now.

I am encouraged...

That we love one another.

That those who God moves onto to other cities and nations can say things like, "As I get ready to end this season, I see God giving me victory in things that I never had victory in before."

That the Holy Spirit is alive and active in our midst.

That people are being physically healed.

That Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

That the cross will always be enough.

That faith is growing.

That hearts are turning.

To HIM.

Hope

2011-12-13T09:30:00.000-05:00

When we are encouraged, we feel the freedom to dream and imagine what God can do. Encouragement increases our expectation of "the good" that God has in store for us. This expectation of good is the definition of hope. As we prepare to begin 2012, may our hearts and minds be encouraged and freed to hope and may the Lord establish his assurance in our hearts that gives way to a living and active faith our church.

David W. Hill

Listen to Fenway Church's recent messages on Hope and Encouragement.
http://www.fenwaychurch.org/media.php?pageID=5

Jesus & the End Times: How is Kingdom of God Unfolding Today?

2011-11-14T16:33:00.000-05:00

In our series on Jesus & the End Times, we have been going through Jesus' teachings on the End Times in the book of Luke. Each of the 3 passages we are preaching from begins with Jesus correcting or expanding the Jews' view of the kingdom of God.

The Jews' thinking was that if Jesus was the promised Messiah he would establish a physical, earthly kingdom of God immediately in Jerusalem. However, Jesus had a different plan. The coming of the physical, earthly kingdom Jesus taught awaits another day, the day Jesus returns. (see Luke 21:31)

For Jesus' contemporaries view of the fulfillment of the kingdom - click here.

A Story
So Jesus told a parable (story) in Luke 19:11-27 to explain the right view of the coming kingdom of God.

The story describes a nobleman (Jesus) who "returns to a far off country to receive a kingdom and then return." He leaves his servant the responsibility of engaging in his works until he returns. Upon his return, he asks for an account of his servants and destroys those who refused to receive him as their King.

This end represents when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead and establishes a new heaven and a new earth where his kingdom will forever reign.

The Questions
The questions that may arise are if the kingdom is "not yet" if it is awaiting its final fulfillment - what is Jesus currently doing? Is he ruling and reigning in the world today? And if so, how?

To briefly address these questions, I will turn to Psalm 110 which parallels the story Jesus told in Luke 19 and gives us a framework by which we can understand our current place in God's plan in history.

Psalm 110
In verse 1, we have the LORD (Father God) saying to King David's Lord (Jesus), "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." This verse points to Jesus' ascension after his resurrection to the Father's right hand. In Acts 7:56, the dying Stephen sees Jesus, "Standing at the right hand of God." In Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel sees "the Son of Man" presented before the "Ancient of Days" and given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. This scene is once again a picture of Jesus ascending to the Father's right hand in heaven and receiving the kingdom that the nobleman returns to receive in Luke 19:12.

In verse 2, we see that although Jesus has received authority and a kingdom for a time he will remain in Zion (heaven) ruling in the midst of his enemies. How does Jesus rule in the midst of his enemies? The clue is found in verse 3. Verse 3 describes a willing people who volunteer themselves for God's cause in "the day of your (God's) power." This description is a picture of the church - a willing community of believers who are living for God's mission in the age of the Spirit's power. As described in Acts 2, the Spirit in these last days is being poured out in an active, empowering on all who believe.

Jesus rules and reigns in the midst of his enemies (those who refuse to acknowledge or have yet to acknowledge him as King) through the Church. This is the age that we live in. We as the Church are the empowered servants of Jesus who faithfully bear witness to the gospel message among the nations until he returns. He reigns and rules as King and great High Priest (see vs 4) in the midst of a rebellious world through his Church.

Lastly, we see in verses 5-7 Jesus returning this time in "the day of his wrath." He shatters kings, executes judgments, destroys the wicked, and drinks from a brook. This is the physical return of Jesus to earth which parallels the description of the death of the rebellious enemies of Jesus in Luke 19:27.

So here is our historic and future Biblical framework from Luke 19 & Psalm 110.

Past: Jesus' Ministry (Commissioning of Disciples) -> Jesus' Ascension
Now: Jesus' Rule & Reign from Heaven through the Church ->
Future: Jesus' Return (To Judge the Wicked) -> The Kingdom Fully Realized (On Earth)

Jesus & the End Times: Old Testament Prophecies (Video)

2011-11-14T16:31:00.001-05:00

Post-Sermon Discussion - End Times Part 2 from Jesse Sudirgo on Vimeo.

In order to understand the second coming of Jesus, we need to get a picture of what the Old Testament says about this coming kingdom. This video is a discussion on what Jesus' contemporaries were expecting the Messiah to do, and how Jesus' work on the cross effects that expectation.

Listen to the message this discussion follows at http://www.fenwaychurch.org/media.php?pageID=5

Stay Awake: Jesus & the End Times

2011-10-26T14:07:00.001-04:00

2012, Radio Preacher Predicts End of World.... The topic of the end times has been buzzing in today's culture and media, but what did Jesus have to say about it?

In our upcoming series on Jesus and the End Times, we will be looking at what Jesus said about the last days in the book of Luke and how his teachings help us answer the questions like these. Why do end times teachings matter? Are we living in the end times? How should our knowledge of ends time impact our daily living?

Sundays 11AM @ Fenway Church - November 6, 13, 20

Scandal: Jesus & Grace

2011-10-05T13:11:00.002-04:00

Second Series from the book of Luke starts Sunday October 9!

Jesus was accused of being involved in many a scandal. How what Jesus taught and lived turned religion on its head and made Jesus a friend of many sinners. AND why it matters so much for us today.

Sundays 11AM @ Fenway Church - October 9, 16, 23

Audio

Book Recommendations I

2011-10-05T12:54:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share a few books that have really shaped my life, caused me to love Jesus more, and imparted faith in me to believe I could be a part of God's mission to radically change the world.

First, two which were published this year written by two author's whose writings have perhaps influenced me more than anyone else.

King's Cross I became a Christian because I had a revelation at a young age of just how much the Son of God had done in dying for me. Since that day, I have always loved the person of Jesus. This book by Timothy Keller opens up the life and death of Jesus in a profound and vivid way. You will love and believe in Jesus more having read this book.

The Spirit-Filled Church Many respect and love Jesus as a prophet, teacher, and model for living. Few however find themselves equally attracted to his Church. Discover how and why the Church can be a dynamic, transparent community filled with the life-giving presence of Jesus where diverse peoples can find a true home. By Terry Virgo.

Second, two incredible stories of how God can use any person's life in order to bring about his redeeming purpose among the most broken people in our cities and the world.

The Cross & the Switchblade How God took one young country pastor's decision to stop watching TV and used him to save gang bangers and druggies in NYC. I read this book as a pre-teen, then in highschool, college, and again when I started church planting. Inspired me to believe God could do anything through me.

Chasing the Dragon Rejected by missions' agencies a young woman buys a one way ticket to Hong Kong and sees God move in the Walled City, a haven for drug dens and prostitution. This book taught me so much on the importance of the baptism of the Holy Spirit in my life and ministry. Out of print so get a copy!

Forgotten God: Jesus & the Spirit

2011-09-12T14:28:00.003-04:00

Often forgotten but an equal member of the Godhead, the role and work of the Holy Spirit is vital to our regeneration and understanding of God. Join us as we explore the role of the Holy Spirit in the Life and Incarnation of Jesus and what their relationship can teach us about what our own experience of the Holy Spirit can be today.

Sundays @ Fenway Church (September 18, 25, October 2)

www.fenwaychurch.org

Why Sundays? Why CGs?

2011-08-18T16:40:00.002-04:00

Many people consider “church” in the Sunday morning tradition boring, routine, and lifeless. Thus, attendance at churches across North America has decreased significantly in our generation. Some are now experimenting with simple church (smaller house or dorm based gatherings) and others have given up on Christian gatherings all together. So why do we as a young, hopefully relevant church meet on Sunday mornings?

One is we are attempting to model the vibrant, life-giving church that Jesus founded through his disciples (chronicled in the book of Acts). Two is we want to give those who live in our neighborhood (Fenway) and our city the opportunity to experience Jesus.

Acts Model

At Fenway Church, we attempt to follow the New Testament model of God's people gathering BOTH in public places (when they could) to worship, pray for the sick, preach Jesus, and be a public witness of the corporate body of Christ AND in households to share meals, pray, build each other up through spiritual gifts, teach, and care for each other. As the church in Acts saw what God was doing in both these public and household-based gatherings, they willingly and gladly participated in and gave financially to the mission of preaching the gospel and care of the poor in their communities. For a vivid picture of this type of church, read Acts 2-6.

These churches were led by teams of men with recognized Spirit-given gifting (see Ephesians 4, Acts 20:28) such as the apostles in Jerusalem (Acts 2), prophets and teachers in Antioch (Acts 13), and elders in Ephesus (Acts 20). Theses churches were started by ordinary Christians spreading the gospel in their communities and marketplaces and apostolic (church planting) teams like Paul's made up of among others gifted apostles, evangelists, and prophets.

9 Reasons for Why Sundays @ Fenway

To give city residents an opportunity to come experience Jesus and his family in a local, public gathering spot (that's why we meet in a CLUB!).
Because a public site is much more comfortable for some people (many people?) to attend than the intimacy of someone's home they don't know.
Even though in our culture there are many who avoid Christianity, they still view Sunday gatherings as a place where they would go if they had an interest in exploring or discovering more about God. (They might not think of hunting around for the local private house church gathering, although maybe if you advertised your house church on the web they might show up... which raises other interesting questions.)
To with one voice proclaim and exalt Jesus through song (worship as instructed in the Psalms!).
To experience the power and workings of the Holy Spirit as he releases gifts (like prophecy, words of knowledge, and healing) to members of the body. I Corinthains 14:24 describes a situation where an outsider walks into a public meeting where this is taking place and immediately begins to worship God! We've had this type of experience happen to several non-believing guests we have had the privilege of hosting in our gatherings.
To hear the truth of the gospel of the kingdom preached. (Acts 2:42, Romans 10:17, Acts 19:8,9)
To pray for the sick and those who are spiritually thirsty.
To be Father's welcoming team on the front porch waiting for prodigals as they return to the family. (Luke 15:20)
To join in a corporate vision and give financially to the work of the church that is being administrated by God-ordained leaders and includes care of the poor and the ministry of the word and prayer. (Acts 2-6)

9 Reasons for CGs @ Fenway

CGs are small groups of people that meet during the week in members homes and apartments in the Fenway and adjacent neighborhoods.

Because some of your friends are very intimidated by large gatherings of Christians (can we blame them???) but would love to come over to your house and meet the Christian and non-Christian friends who go to your CG and enjoy a free meal.
To share meals and build relationships with one another (fellowship - food facilitates that so well!). (Acts 2:42,46)
Because every member of a healthy, growing, and effective church needs to be empowered to use their gifts. (Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthains 14:26)
Because each member needs to be being building each other up in love. (Ephesians 4:16)
There is simply not enough time on Sundays for everyone to contribute!
Because church is not a Sunday meeting; it is something we are. We are the church. We are a people not a building. Be the church wherever you meet. Do the things we do – pray, eat, love, encourage, share...
Because we can learn more when we can ask questions. Hard to yell out a question in a crowd of hundreds.
Because I've learned the most from watching how people live and love in their homes.
Because the early church met in people's homes and in public places. (Romans 16:5, Acts 18:7)

This post is dedicated to those that will find Jesus and a home at our Sunday gatherings in the Fenway and in CGs across our city AND to those who forgot why they kept going to meetings every week.

May our expectations of what God can do in the midst of our gatherings soar as we see Jesus' picture of what his church was meant to be.

In Love,

David W.

Moments to Movements II (The Catalyst)

2011-07-11T07:20:00.001-04:00

Part II: The Catalyst
For moments to cause real, transforming change, they must become movements. A martyr's death is inspiring. A preacher's words can thrill souls. The stories of sacrifice bring tears to our eyes. The death of a friend causes us to pause and ponder. Rarely though do these moments become a movements, rarely do they cause us to fight more battles and give our own lives. Yet moments that become movements change the very fiber of society, they shake nations, and move history forward.

Biblically, what is the catalyst that takes a moment and makes a movement?

The two of the most compelling moments in history were Jesus' death and resurrection. Yet on their own they yielded no immediate changes in the city of Jerusalem or the nation of Israel. Jesus knew his moment needed a catalyst to become a movement. So, he gave his followers final instructions. He told them to wait. Not a passive waiting, not a reflective waiting, an active waiting. It was the re-positioning of their lives and their priorities. What was the catalyst Jesus pointed them to? The catalyst was prayer.

A person can shape a moment, but only PEOPLE (plural) can create a movement. Catalytic events are never caused by a singular person but by a GROUP of people who become desperate enough to give of their time and themselves to a cause.

For ten days, ALL of Jesus' followers gave themselves daily to prayer.1 They didn't exactly know what would happen. They didn't fully know what to expect. But, they knew they had a cause worth living for. So, they positioned themselves before God. Acknowledging their need for power, acknowledging their need for love, their need for courage, their need for Him.

It was from the catalytic place of united, persistent prayer that suddenly heaven invaded a room. The windows flew open and the doors flung wide. So effective was this catalyst that within hours 120 people had been transformed into a living, dynamic community of thousands who had suddenly found a cause worth dying for (and die they did).

The catalyst is no different today. Many of us at Celebration Northeast experienced a moment on Saturday night that powerfully reminded us how great the cause is. However, it will be nothing more than a moment unless we embrace THE catalyst for change.

The Biblical mandate has never changed. We must shift our priorities from wicked and worthless pursuits to the place of corporately and humbly coming together to acknowledge our need in prayer.

Every moment needs a catalyst to become a movement. Are you ready to pray?

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

II Chronicles 7:14

Part I: The Cause

Moments to Movements (Piper Video)

2011-06-28T11:53:00.000-04:00

Found this link on facebook right after I posted the first part of this series. Watch it.

Moments to Movements I (The Cause)

2011-06-28T11:34:00.009-04:00

Part I: The Cause
There are moments, and there are movements. Martin Luther King Jr.'s statement, “I have a dream....”1 created a moment. Nathan Hale's, “I regret I have but one life to give for my country...”2 was a moment. But these memorable speeches created more than a historic moments, they inspired movements that would change nations.

What allows moments to become movements?

First, there must be a worthy and compelling cause. In these cases, the rights of a suppressed minority and the rights of an emerging nation captivated the hearts of hundreds of thousands of young people. Second, the cause must be compelling enough to be worth dying for. Both Martin Luther King Jr. and Nathan Hale paid the ultimate price for the beliefs they held. To them, the realization of their beliefs and freedom of their fellow man was worth giving their lives for.

Many in Christianity today will claimed to have experienced a moment, sometimes many moments. In fact in the West, we have become very effective in creating “moments” with compelling conferences, inspiring speakers, and cutting-edge technology. However, society is not fooled by Christianity's moments. They see through much of the hype. Today as always, humanity is looking for something authentic, something genuine, something worth dying for. Thus, the weakness in churches and our lives is not due to our inability to create compelling moments in services but in our inability to live compelling lives.

To live a compelling life, we must find a belief worth living for and a cause worth dying for.

When I discovered Jesus, I found more than just a belief; I found a person. Jesus created his own moment.... on the cross. But the cross is more than the most well known moment in all of history. It has triggered the greatest movement the world has ever known.

It was on the cross that Jesus revealed the how much humanity was worth – the life of God's Son. The cross revealed that freedom is possible only through sacrifice and that the only hope for humanity is found in the proclamation of Jesus' work. It is cause that creation is waiting to see realized.3 It is a cause worth dying for because Jesus found it worth dying for. It's a cause that captivated me. Has it captivated you?

Part II: The Catalyst

Celebration Northeast (No Service on June 26)

2011-06-06T15:14:00.000-04:00

On Sunday June 26, we will have no service at the club. Most of our church will be gathering with several other churches from around the region over the weekend at Gordon College to celebrate our God and be a part of His mission through Newfrontiers, our family of churches.

If you were unable to attend the whole weekend, you are welcomed to join us at the last session on Sunday morning at 9:30AM in Gordon's chapel building; the meeting is open to the public. It will be a powerful time of experiencing God's presence and catching the vision for what God is doing in the world and through Newfrontiers USA. You don't want to miss it; come on up!

To learn more about Newfrontiers USA visit - http://www.newfrontiersusa.org/

Directions to Gordon College, MA
• Take 93 North from Boston to 95 North
•Stay on Route 95 North until it separates from Route 128.
•Take Route 128 North towards Gloucester, passing through Peabody, Danvers and Beverly
•Take Exit 17, Grapevine Road
•Turn left at end of ramp, going 0.6 mile to main entrance

Thoughts on our Easter Weekend (Fox25 News, Globe, Baptisms & more)

2011-04-25T21:49:00.007-04:00

What can I say but that I am totally blown away by God. I tried to pick an adjective to describe the weekend - monumental, transformative, catalytic - but couldn't.

Monumental? Seems like the peak of something, and this is just the beginning of what God is going to do.

Transformative? Yes. But as some of you know God has been transforming many in our midst for some time, and those of you who have been praying with us the last month weren't blindsided by this at all.

Catalytic? Only if we allow it to be. And to allow it to be we must become a church filled with people who, as one young woman from our church put it this weekend, are "recklessly abandoned" to the call of Jesus no matter the cost. (1)

Weekend Highlights

3 Prophetic words God gave us during the week of prayer to start April being fulfilled

Love of God filling club and pouring out into streets (on Easter there was standing room only with 127 chairs setup and our welcomers were greeeting outside the doorway)
Nets being broken open and Holy Spirit being poured out (it was absolutely electric at times and real conviction from the Holy Spirit for those responding to the message)
Spiritual gifts being released on Easter Sunday (leading up to and the morning of Easter God released gifts of knowledge, wisdom, faith, and prophecy which directly related to all 127 sits being filled and the salvations & baptisms that tooks place)

One
Mission
Serve The
City

40+ people from Newfrontiers churches in the Northeast (Boston, Portsmouth, Norwalk, Portland) serving the a local Boston housing development in the pouring rain and giving Boston residents a tangible reason to celebrate this Easter. These volunteers worked so hard with such joy. I am priveleged to be a part of a group that embraces Jesus' example of servanthood like that.(Check out facebook.com/fenwaychurch for more pictures!)
2 people making first time commitments to follow Jesus and be baptized.
3 people total spontaneously deciding to be water baptized!!!
Boston Globe Article from our International Sunday helping drive our website hit total to 273 up 225% from the previous week
FOX25 filming our Easter Service (watch the segment below to get a great feel for what it was like on Sunday!)
All of you (you know who you are) who prayed at early morning prayers AND participated on evangelism teams on Friday night AND prayed and worshiped late Friday night AND woke up the next morning and served all day at One Mision AND rehearsed later on Saturday AND got to church at 8AM on Sunday AND SAW GOD MOVE IN WAYS WE'D NEVER SEEN BEFORE. You guys are my heroes.
Worship team, setup team, prayer team, welcome team, my staff team, breakdown team, kid's church team and all the various people who just kept jumping in to help so that everything that took place this weekend could happen. Your reward is great in heaven. It is a joy to serve with you. Some day we are going to be a part of a party that doesn't stop.
The Fox newscaster who said, "Their next venue might be House of Blues." (only seen if you watched it live). You words may just be more prophetic then you will ever know.
EVERYONE who PERSONALLY invited a friend. Almost every single one of our guests who was there came because a friend brought them. Publicity is nice, but the kingdom grows because we love others enough to invite them into our journey and an encounter with Jesus.
And finally, a tweet that somes so much of this weekend up...

@littlewilds: @David_W_Hill dude! We can't go back 2 "normal" christian living anymore. We gotta do today more often #OneMission #success

The best is yet to come #fenfam!

Love you all so much,

David W

(1) To that end, let me put in a plug to listen (or listen again) to our two Easter messages at http://www.fenwaychurch.org/media.php?pageID=5 They reveal just why we believe Jesus is so worth our while to follow...

One Mission: Serve the City (Saturday April 23)

2011-04-05T13:38:00.005-04:00

Time: Saturday, April 23 · 9:30am - 5:00pm

Location: Abundant Grace Church // Faneuil Gardens Housing Development // 77 Guest Street Boston, MA

"As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me..." - Jesus

A day of service with college students & 20s from Boston and the region to give a community something to celebrate this Easter. Restore grounds, paint apartments, and give back to the city.

Lunch will be provided.

If you plan to attend the event, please register at the link below:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dExzZ2ZzRHV6aVJ1ZkZpX1pwdEFnaHc6MQ

Directions via Public Transit from Kenmore Square! Click here

A Newfrontiers Northeast Event

Contact David W. Hill, dwhill@fenwaychurch.org for more info.

Notes from the Story of Lot's Daughters

2011-03-22T23:16:00.000-04:00

Here are some follow up notes I have out to our Community Group (CG leaders) following the message I preached on Lot's daughters (Genesis 19) on March 20, 2011. You can listen to the message here: http://www.fenwaychurch.org/media.php?pageID=5

The notes have been divided into three sections.
1. The Story
2. The Story Continues (Ruth)
3. The Parallels of the Stories of Lot & Noah (personally I find this fascinating and instructive but you will have to read until the end, :)

The BIG IDEA in this story is that God's mercy is always greater than my sin. To me that is the story of the Bible and no story illustrates this so clearly. The way to see this theme is by looking at ways a couple of different scriptures connect. I think this story more than any other story we have done will give your CG a chance to look at how different passages of scripture connect together. To accomplish that, you will need to take a look at a couple of these scriptures yourself before hand!

1. The Story

Read Genesis 19:30-38
Notes

- How would you have felt if you were Lot's daughters in this situation? What led them to think up such a shocking plan? It is important to note here that up until this point their lives have been dictated by others. How have people in your group experienced or been led into sin by others? It may be worth discussing or at least keeping in the back of your mind as we approach this story. We cannot condone their act, but I am certainly sympathetic towards their plight. Some members of your CG may have experienced or witnessed horrible sins be careful not to focus on how bad this was it may people push people away from experiencing God's mercy and freedom from shame.

- The story of Lot in Genesis ends abruptly. Romans 6:23 states, "The wages of sin is death." Lot's life comes to an abrupt end such is the wages of sin. Do we really believe that sin leads to death? What sins are we holding onto or ignoring (or embracing) in our lives?

2. The Story Continues

Read Deuteronomy 2:9,19
Notes: How does God tell the Israelites to treat Moab and Ammon? Why? An amazing example of God's grace. He is providing for the descendants of this sordid incident. He remembers Lot and his daughter's despite their sins (drunkness and incest). If this is so, why would we ever doubt God's grace towards us through the provision of his own Son when we sin?

Read Ruth 1:4-5,15-18
Notes: One of great,great... grandaughters of one of Lot's daughters is Ruth. God will divinely orchestrate the events of Ruth's life (the arrival of her husband due to the famine, the death of her husband, and later she happens open Boaz's food) to make a path for her (she is the great,great grandmother of King David) to participate in God's long-awaited rescue plan - Jesus. Her willingness to face her fears
(and not be controlled by them) and live a life of faith (your people will be my people, your God will be my God) is an amazing example of true repentance. Do you view the circumstances of your life as a curse or as a way that God may be leading you into his eternal plan of redemption?

Read Matthew 1:1-6
Notes: Ruth, the Moabitess, is one of only there women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus. One of the offspring of Lot and his daughters is the Christ. I can't help but worship. GOD'S MERCY IS TRULY GREATER THAN MY SIN. Let the full ramifications of how the story of Lot fits into the "big story" of scripture really sink into you. Meditate on it until in grabs at your soul.

3. The Parallels stories of Lot & Noah

Read Luke 17:26-32
Notes: Jesus ties together the stories of Lot & Noah to help us see how these stories shed light on what we can expect as his return draws near. Jesus explicitly says that in his day (that continues till now) the world will be like the worlds of Noah & Lot before their destruction came suddenly. Do we believe Jesus is returning? Do we believe in eternal judgment? If not, why not? Jesus taught it. How should this effect the way we live our lives as believers?

Read Genesis 9:18-29
Notes: Jesus ties Noah and Lot together. Let's look at how their lives parallel in this story and what we can learn from them.

Both men were living right after their respective world's had been judged and destroyed by God.
Both men were lulled into vice - drunkness.
Both men had children who had witnessed God's rescue of their families (or parts of their families in Lot's case) from destruction.
Both men's nakedness was "uncovered" by some of their children.
One man had the respect of two of his sons, one man's son-in-laws laughed in his face.
One man's children covered his nakedness, one man's daughters uncovered his nakedness.

What do these observations (feel free to look for more!) teach us?

1) How we live out our faith effects those around us (especially our families!). Noah was a man who walked with God (Genesis 6:9) and obeyed God's call to build an ark. Lot was a man who chose to leave the only man he knew who truly walked with God (Abram) to pursue economic opportunities in the most sinful of cities on earth. Their families watched their husbands' lives. Both men are called righteous (2 Peter 2:7) by God's grace, but only Noah lived his life in such a way that his family respected his faith. When Noah does sin (even Noah was imperfect!) two his sons mercifully cover his shame (interestingly Ham doesn't even though he was raised in the same house, we do not always understand why some follow God and others do not). Does the way we live our lives reflect what we believe? Think about this carefully. Are we the reason people around us do not believe that Jesus is returning or that there will be eternal judgment? Do we live like these truths are an reality?

2) It is easy to grow comfortable with the sin around us. Notice Ham's reaction to his father's sin; he laughs and jokes about it. He gossips about it. When we see sin (on TV, at work, at a bar) do we laugh at it, do we tell others about it? Are we like Ham? Similarly, Lot's son-in-laws in Genesis 19:14 thought Lot was joking when he told them that Sodom would be destroyed. Apparently, Lot while troubled by the sin of Sodom (see 2 Peter 2:7) had found a way to live in the midst of it without upsetting those around him. When he finally gets up the nerve to tell his closest neighbors (his son-in-laws) that the city will be destroyed for its sin, they think he is jesting. And why wouldn't they? It appears that had never condemned the sin of the city before. He had found a way to look a lot like the city he was in while maintaining his "internal" righteousness. How many Christians live like that? Never rocking the boat at work. Never standing up for what is right. Never calling sin sin. Even when like Lot they know better. Then, when catastrophe strikes still no one listens to them. Our lives speak louder than any circumstance. Do you live with this truth in mind? Does our church live like this? Does our community group live like this? Jesus words ring loudly here, "Stay awake." (Mark 13:35-37 // Luke 21:36)

3) Covering the sin of others brings about a blessing for a community. Shem and Japheth are blessed by Noah. Do we talk about peoples' sin with others? Or do we seek to help a person in the midst of their sin, communicating the weight of the sin (they walked in backwards) but gently protecting and helping them in the midst of it? A church will be ruined by Hams but will be unstoppable when we treat one another as Shem and Japheth treated their father.

By now you have realized that you will only be able to focus on either the story of Noah or Ruth in your CG. I would suggest you go with Ruth unless you really feel up for the Noah story (be prepared to spend a significant amount of time on it; it will be a fruitful study if you think your group is ready for it).

Grace to all of you!

David W.

Team Leader
Fenway Church
__________________________________
Website: http://www.fenwaychurch.org/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/David_W_Hill

Fenway Church Summer Internship

2011-02-08T17:35:00.002-05:00

Fenway Church is receiving applications for a six-week summer internship program (May 16 - June 28) until March 6. To fill out an application go to: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dDU0aGEwaDRTakRINkN0UWVrV0RLR1E6MQ#gid=0
Here is a preview of what to expect!

Mission Statement:
To equip those interested in engaging local and global mission fields through the local church in a six week intensive of discipleship and community engagement.
Who:
Those willing to take a break from normal living to focus on spiritual formation, community living, and discovering what Jesus meant when he said, “Come, follow me.”

Training Capsules
Discipleship (Week 1 and 2)
Become more like Jesus through personal/spiritual inventories, doing what Jesus did, living in Christian community, and being trained in Christ-likeness.

Community Engagement (Week 3 and 4)
Find a cause through assessing a community, developing neighborhood relationships, and volunteering in local non-profits.

World Missions (Week 5 and 6)
Awaken a vision for world missions through spiritual/global mapping, Biblical study, and interaction with international missionaries.

The internship will end at Newfrontiers Northeast Celebration weekend, June 24-26.

Foundations: Scripture // Bible Reading Plans for 2011

2010-12-31T17:22:00.004-05:00

This Sunday we are going to be starting our series on "Foundations" with a look at the spiritual discipline of Scripture reading.

Why read the whole Bible?
One of the great attributes of the Bible is that it tells a story. Coming from a "church" background, I was surprised when I got to Boston University and discovered that several of my most well educated, secular college friends were not familiar with some of the most well-known Bible stories like Noah and Abraham. I also found in church among my generation few attendees have actually read through the whole Bible.

To not have read the whole Bible and become familiar with it is similar to only reading a couple chapters in the middle of a large novel. You don't know all the characters; you can't figure out the whole plot; and you could even get a totally confused about what the author is trying to communicate.

Bible Reading Plans
Therefore, it is important to read through the whole Bible. To do that you will likely need a plan and a community. There are 3 resources below that will help you plan for how to read through the Bible in 1 year. My wife (Betsy) and I are going to be using the plan and resources that Journey Church in St. Louis has generously provided online (see option #2 below).

I want to enourage everyone involved in Fenway Church to consider committing to do a plan together with others in our church; the accountability, encouragement and discussion that will come out of it will be valuable. A building is only as strong as it's foundations - let's dig deep together this year!

1) 10 reading plans from the EVS Study Bible website (a study Bible I use): http://www.esv.org/resources/reading-plans-devotions/

*recommended*
2) This plan was developed by Journey Church (an Acts 29 church in St. Louis). It involves reading only 3 chapters (1 NT, 2 OT) a day with an an off day every 4 days. If you are like me, the off day is key for catching up or reflecting on what you have red. To make this plan possible, they pull out 12 of the more confusing and dense books of the Bible and provide video snapshots that provide a background for the book and then encourage you to speed read them in one sitting to catch the main ideas of the book. Here are the links:

Vision and explanation of plan includuing guidelines for how to read the Bible effectively and an introduction to the Bible's mega-narrative (I highly recommend reading through this .pdf it is a rich resource!)
http://journeyon.net/sites/default/files/attachements/blog/BibleReadingPlan.pdf

Introductory and Snapshot videos to each book of the Bible. (I watched two and they were great, hoping the rest will have similar quality and content)
http://journeyon.net/media/engage-scripture

3) A pair of bookmarks that let you check off days and leave buffer days for each month. It more typical of traditional Bible plans in that it has you read from 4 different parts of the Bible each day. http://www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/15074%20BRP.dj.pdf

Thoughts for the FenFam as we head into 2011

2010-12-30T14:23:00.001-05:00

To my Fenway Church Family (#fenfam on twitter),

I love the start of a new season. I think God wired me that way. I love the anticipation of Opening Day, the preparation for the start of new YMCA basketball league season where everyone starts at 0-0 and no matter how bad your teams was last year you have a shot at the championship this year.

I love looking at a blank canvass and dreaming about what could be painted on it (although I have no skill in painting - I can DREAM up a killer picture in my mind).

And, I love church planting because God takes a small group of messed up people and creates something with their shared lives that impacts not only the world but eternity. He takes our past seasons and our unknown futures, and He creates a masterpiece.

So as we begin 2011, I am excited. It's a new year, and many people are considering changes that they want to make to their lives. Some of us have had time to relax and reflect over Christmas. As I did yesterday I was driving back from western Pennsylvania...

I was considering the New Year, what ideas needed to come through in the preaching series, ways our church could grow and work together more this year... and God directed my thoughts from all my plans, desires, and dreams to past New Year's Eves and how every year for the last 10+ years when I've looked back at the year that is ending and thought about the year that is begining I've had the same thought:
I wish I had prayed and shared my faith more last year. I want to pray and share my faith more this year.

To me if you read the New Testament and you read what Jesus said and watch how he and his disciples lived, if you forget about church structures and strageties and leadership gatherings, if you step a side from the discussion of how the band sounded and how long the message went, if you just read the gospels and the book of Acts, you can't really escape this message that comes pulsating through. Life is about knowing Jesus and loving others.

The main way I get to know Jesus is through prayer. Prayer the way Jesus taught it - closing the door to everything on the outside, being alone with him and his Word (the Bible), and opening up our hearts, minds, and mouths to him. And prayer the way the disciples did it - gathering daily to seek God together and experiencing his power corporately.

The way I love others is by sharing Jesus with them. Jesus said, "What does it gain a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul." (Mark 8:36) We can be people's best friends, we can be servants of the poor but if we enable others through our love and companionship to gain things here on earth but we never introduce them to Jesus we have done them a great disservice - they will forfeit their souls.

So for another year in a row, I am setting my heart on Jesus. I want to follow him to the place of prayer, and I want to share him with those God places around me.

In January at Fenway Church, we are going to be talking about Foundations - the practices of scripture reading, being filled with the Holy Spirit, working in team, and confessing our sin that root us in the our foundation stone, Jesus. What I've discovered is that these practices drive me to prayer and witness. My prayer for our church this year is that as we discover Jesus together we would gain an even greater capacity to pray with him and love like him in 2011.

Grace and peace to all God's adopted kids at Fenway Church and to those who don't know they've been adopted yet may you come to know the Father this year...

David W.

Metro - Music venue ‘Church’ is also rocking Jesus

2010-12-20T12:34:00.001-05:00

Metro - Music venue ‘Church’ is also rocking Jesus

Check out this article about our church by Justin A. Rice that landed on the front page of the Metro Boston on December 20, 2010. Great publicity and positive article! Great job by Justin and the Metro.

Trilogy Project

2010-11-29T16:39:00.002-05:00

Our Newfrontiers churches in Boston are committed to working together not only across the globe with our family of churches but also with one another here in the city. To see Boston transformed and the nations reached, we must continue to remain committed to training present and emerging leaders within our church communities to disciple people, plant churches, and reach nations.

The Trilogy Project is a valuable training opportunity. It is a college-level three-year biblical and leadership training program that offers courses in biblical theology, biblical hermeneutics, leadership theory and practice, missions, and church history to equip students for effective leadership within the local church.

Abundant Grace Church and Fenway Church are collaborating together to form a group of leaders and emerging leaders from both churches who will participate in Trilogy Online (the online version of the Trilogy Project). We believe working together as churches will give students greater exposure to different giftings, experiences, and methods and allow for stronger and more well rounded leaders.

To learn more about Trilogy visit their website - http://www.trilogyproject.org/. If you are interested in participating in this course, please contact us via email community@fenwaychurch.org.

Trilogy is a training initiative of the Newfrontiers USA family of churches (www.newfrontiersusa.org), but it is not restricted to those who are part of a Newfrontiers USA church.

Newfrontiers Boston Joint Service Report

2010-11-29T16:12:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, three different churches from the Boston area gathered together to worship Jesus. It was certainly a faith-building time. I was encouraged by the full house on a Thanksgiving weekend (a weekend when a lot of people are gone in Boston) and by the strong sense of family and kinship that pervaded the service and the fellowship after over coffee and holiday treats. So many welcoming smiles, introductions, re-introductions, and catching up with people you had not seen in months.

The most encouraging aspect of the gathering was the stories told by several people of how God had been working in their lives through dreams, healings, the salvation of family members, and the start of seeker-oriented Bible studies. One particular story of a baby who had 60% hearing loss and who doctors determined would eventually go deaf being completely healed to the astonishment of the nurses and doctors was incredibly inspiring and a real encouragement to perserve in prayer.

We also made an announcement about how our two Newfrontiers churches in Boston are planning to work together more closely in training present and emerging leaders to fulfill our call to love others, transform the city, and serve nations. To learn more click here to view our announcement about the Trilogy Project or visit us on facebook at www.facebook.com/newfrontiersboston .

Newfrontiers Boston City-Wide Service (Nov. 22)

2010-11-26T16:10:00.002-05:00

This Sunday (November 28) @ 10:30AM, we will join with our fellow Newfrontiers' church in Boston, Abundant Grace, to celebrate God's goodness and Jesus' greatness. Come meet with God and catch a vision for what God is doing in Boston! There will be no Fenway services at the club.

NEWFRONTIERS BOSTON CITY-WIDE SERVICE
SUNDAY NOV. 28 10:30AM

ABUNDANT GRACE CHURCH 77 GUEST ST. BRIGHTON
At the Corner of Life & Guest Streets

Directions by Car click here
Directions by Bus (MBTA) Take the 57 bus to 'Cambridge St @ N Beacon St' and walk 1/2 mile down North Beacon St and turn right on Life Street. For map & walking directions click here.

Month of Prayer in November

2010-11-03T14:59:00.000-04:00

Month of Prayer in November from David W. Hill on Vimeo.

From Jaeson Ma's visit in mid-October where hundreds of people committed to following Jesus whole heartedly and praying for awakening on their campuses to the 6,000+ people that gathered at Boston University for the Boston Night of Worship, http://www.bnow2010.com/, it is evident God is at work in the city of Boston.

Now is not a time to sit back and watch the ride but to align ourselves with God's plan for our city and church. Jesus stated in John 5:19, that he only did what he saw the Father doing. It is not surprising then that in the gospels Jesus is frequently found arising early and escaping late to the place of prayer with his Father. It is when the church united in corporate pray in Acts 2 and Acts 4 aligning themselves with God's plan for their city that thousands were saved.

If we sense God may be at work in an unusual, as we receive prophetic words (which are weighing in this season of prayer) about Fenway church becoming a place where worship development explodes and many churches are planted out of, and as regional leaders call for an end to "self-preservation" and to greater cooperation, we must give ourselves to the place of prayer encountering the Holy Spirit in all his power and discovering God's plan and will for our lives, church, and city.

Our first early morning prayer meeting of the month was one of our largest early morning turnouts ever. Fenway Church let's join together in the place of prayer this month at Ruggles Baptist Church - 874 Beacon Street, Boston.

Monday November 8 @ 7PM
Tuesdays & Thursdays 6-7AM

5 Pillars of Manhood & Womanhood

2010-10-20T14:58:00.009-04:00

This Sunday we had Jaeson Ma (http://www.jaesonma.com/) speak at our church. We were impacted by his challenge to embrace discipleship (bearing the outward fruit of becoming like Jesus that comes from an inward experience of God's grace), his encouragement to plant 12 churches in 5 years (only God can help us do that!), and his vision for more instruments, more teams, more songs, and more prayer to fuel an extraordinary outbreak of the worship of Jesus in the Fenway.

Recently, Jaeson wrote a blog entry that went viral (the servers for his blog went down because of all the hits!) called the 5 Pillars of Manhood. I believe all the hits highlight a serious hunger in our culture to know what manhood is really all about; a subject we are addressing in our church's series on Sex, Love & Identity. Personally, I have a life-long commitment to train young men to be real men. We need fathers, brothers, and men of courage to step up in our churches and culture. Jaeson's post also raised some comments from my friends - what does becoming a godly woman look like?

So, I've first put together some scripture references for all you guys to look up that will show why Jaeson's 5 pillars of manhood are Biblical. So first read Jaeson's blog entry. Then, get your Bible out, roll up your sleeves & go see what God has to say about your identity.

5 Pillars of Manhood
1) Lead - Titus 2:6-8, Ephesians 5:23, I Timothy 2:12-14
Remember the call to lead in a marriage relationship is a call to servant leadership that starts with serving your sisters now, see below.
2) Protect - Genesis 2:15, I Timothy 6:11-12, I Timothy 5:1-2
The word "keep" in Genesis means tend/guard/protect.
3) Provide - Proverbs 24:27, Genesis 2:15, Matthew 25:14-30, Ephesians 5:25-29
In other words get a job so you can get married and provide for your wife (or give to the kingdom), be provider not a consumer.
4) Integrity - Daniel 1:8 Corinthians 6:18, I Timothy 6:13-14
We must follow through, prove our commitment, and be culture shapers not cultural sponges.
5) Courage - I John 2:13-14, Matthew 10:16-20, Joshua 1:6-7
It takes courage to preach the gospel, start a family, and live as a light in this world. Do it!

And for the ladies...

Note that I spoke with my mother (an amazing woman of God, teacher, and mother of 6!) who provided the majority of this material and scripture references as an older woman instructing younger women (per Titus 2:3). When you read this, hear her voice coming through. Let's go!

5 Pillars of Womanhood

1) Worship - Luke 7:36-50, John 5:15-20, John 12:1-11, Luke 2:36-38, Exodus 38:8
God is seeking women after his own heart. He is passionately in love with you and wants you to be passionately in love with him. All of our lives (men and women) are an act of worship, but women are especially seen as lavish worshippers in the Bible. The sinful woman washing Jesus' feet with her tears. The Samaritan woman at the well seeking a place of worship. Mary breaking her alabaster vial. And Anna's life of continual prayer and fasting modeled after the Old Testament women who ministered to the Lord at the entrance to his Presence, the tabernacle. A woman's passion should be to please her Lord through a life centered around the extravagant worship of Him. Single woman have a unique opportunity to be single-mindedly devoted to God. Fight being distracted by trying to find mister right or getting ensnared in wordly pursuits. Your creativity, devotion, love, and emotions are all meant to be used as expressions of worship and praise to God. He loves to minister to you and loves when you minister back to Him. You were created for worship and relationship.

2) Worry-Free - I Corinthians 7:34-35, Luke 10:41-42, I Peter 1:3-4, Matthew 6:50
God wants you to be worry free! Free from all worry! He doesn't want you to be anxious about your appearance, adornments, or about pleasing anybody (if you are single, wives you get to please your husbands!). God has actually called you to be anxious about only one thing the development of your spirit in holiness and devotion to him. That is something HE is glad to do inside of you - his yoke is easy and his burden is light - he delights to shape you into his own image. He wants you to be a woman at rest in the midst of busyness, at peace in the midst of turmoil. Like Jesus he wants you to have a quiet and gentle spirit (Matthew 11:28-30) that is unfazed by the proliferation of tasks or the judgments of others.

3) Inner Beauty - I Peter 1:3-4, I Timothy 2:9-10, I Timothy 3:11, Proverbs 31:30-31
My mom says, "God wants us as women to be focused on our inner person not our outward appearance. We are not to be defined by 'being wearers of costly garments' but by the inner beauty God created us with (Genesis 1:27)." The devil subverts your true beauty causing you to compare yourself with others or malign them with your words. You were created for so much more. You don't need to be in a relationship to prove your worth or have a boyfriend to tell you are beautiful. God knows you are beautiful and created you to be respected for who you are on the inside - not by success, money, power, or appearance. God loves your healthy humility that is based on your sense of self-worth and your respectable modesty that is based on the knowledge you do not need to be seen by others.  You are called to be trustworthy and temperate. It is your inner beauty that he longs for others to know - a gentle and quiet heart at rest in the midst of a world that glorifies fleeting charm and fading outward beauty. Your fear and knowledge of the Lord is what will bring you praise even from an unbelieving world.  The way of humility and inner beauty is the path to honor, success, and affirmation.

4) Devotion - I Corinthians 7:34 (NIV), Ephesians 5:22, I Timothy 5:10, Genesis 2: 18, Acts 21:9
Women are created to nurture others. They naturally nurture growing babies in their womb and are called to create a nurturing home environment for their husbands, children, and the church. The word devotion means ardently dedicated and loyal. This describes so many of the wives, mothers, and sisters I know. Women are called in this order to be devoted:

To the Lord.
To their husbands.
To their children.
To the church.

Wives model Jesus' obedience, humility, and servanthood when they submit to their husbands leadership and make their first focus their home, husband, and children.  The Proverbs 31 wife finds times for both her primary call of homemaking and for business opportunities! Go girls! Women, you are called to be helpers just like the Holy Spirit is a powerful helper to us (John 14:26). Godly women devote themselves to serving the church and meeting the needs of its poor and ministries. They are deacons and prophetesses, servants and queens, judges and mothers, church planters and worship leaders, and so much more. Women, your devotion to God and your devotion to others reveal the loving heart of God and the majesty of his character. He is 100% dedicated to the fulfillment of your desires and is ardently loyal to his daughters who bring him unimaginable joy.

5) Works - I Timothy 2:9-10, Acts 9:36-39, Luke 8:3, I Timothy 5:14, Titus 2:5, Proverbs 31:10-31
Women, you are called to good works. It is the outward fruit of your inner life with Jesus. Dorcas, who is one of the few people ever raised from the dead beside Jesus, was described as full of good works and charity. Her care for the poor was exemplary. Some of Jesus disciples, who were women, supported Jesus' ministry out of their own means. Women, especially single women, can use the skills and talents God has given them to generate wealth for the kingdom. Women are called to be managers, entrepreneurs, home makers, real estate buyers, and to use their creative abilities in fashion, business, the arts and more. Women are called to work hard and plan ahead. You are to maximize every gift God has given you to reveal how great God is to others.  Your good works will praise you and bring glory to God.

Why I am going to the Boston Night of Worship (Oct 29)

2010-10-06T09:18:00.005-04:00

Fenway Family, let's join with the body of Christ in this moment. DW

http://www.bnow2010.com/

Throughout scripture, praise is a weapon that releases captives, snatches victory away from the hands of defeat, and delivers God's people. It is the sound of praise that drove demons from the mind of Saul, tore down the walls of Jericho, broke the chains off the apostles' feet, and delivered the city of Jerusalem from certain destruction. Praise is the sound of worship when still in captivity, joy when foundations are laid yet a work not complete, and jubilation when your enemies lie defeated at the bottom of the Red Sea.

Too often the church has chosen between apathy and distress rather than victory or defeat. A people that have been bought out of captivity, cleansed by the blood, delivered out of darkness, adopted into God's family, and made alive together with Jesus should never be forced to choose between the twin evils of lethargy and fear. Sadly, today if you were to read mainstream newspapers or some Christian newsletters, you would be tempted to think the church in America has been neutered, the age of Islam is at hand, and the moral decay of America may have at last tipped the scales towards judgment. Anger and pessimism, sorrow and sadness, complaining and fear seem to mark the church. Efforts to pray focus on the oppressing gloom and increasing darkness of our nation rather than the glorious future God has promised his church.

It is therefore no “small coincidence” that God has chosen to raise up in this region and for such a time as this a young man from the continent of Africa, Zenzo Matoga, who resonates with a sound that casts out fear, proclaims freedom, announces victory, and calls the Church to set their eyes on Jesus. In a region that has for decades lived under the oppressive atmosphere of man-made religion, humanistic education, and self-glorifying achievement, a movement (Boston Night of Worship http://www.bnow2010.com/ ) has emerged that echos the cry of Paul, “Set your mind on things above (where Christ is seated at the right hand of God!). And not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

I believe the favor God has bestowed upon Zenzo and the Boston Night of Worship (as witnessed by the thousands that gathered and the hundreds that were turned away at last fall's Night of Worship at MIT) is not just the result of individual or corporate consecration or expectation, but a sovereign move of God in which he intends to shake his church free from apathy and fear and deliver a death blow to the strongholds of humanism and intellectualism that have for far too long kept New England ensnared. I will be the first to confess that a spirit of heaviness has pervaded and controlled much of New England and its church. It is my understanding from scripture that the God-ordained prescription for a spirit of heaviness is to put on a garment of praise (Isaiah 61). This means putting off seasons of mourning, shedding the rags and ashes of solemn fasts, and standing in the beauty and gladness that have been bestowed on us in Christ.

Can the church in New England finally confess that God has set the Cornerstone of his church in New England firmly in place? The gates of hell cannot prevail against us because they cannot prevail against Jesus. It is only when we lose sight of this reality that we begin to cede ground to the enemy.

What then distinguishes a victorious church and region from a losing one? One thing. Praise.

Praise invites the hosts of heaven, causes havoc in the enemies camp, and displays the splendor of God. Rejoicing is the Biblical antidote that produces strength and resolve for the work of rebuilding ancients cities and restoring places long devastated (Isaiah 61). It is the difference between 40 more years in the wilderness and entrance into the promised land. Seasons of prayer and fasting must lead us into to the gates of thanksgiving and doors of praise so battle can be won. ( Psalm 100:4, Nehemiah 8)

Just like God released a word to Jehoshaphat in II Chronicles 20, God has given a word to New England. He has promised us revival. What if the walls of intellectualism that Derek Prince prophesied about await an united roar of praise before they come tumbling down?1
Are you ready to rebuild ancient cities and restore places long devastated? Put on a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness! Surely we need strength, power, and faith to push forward. Then surely the joy of the Lord must be our strength.
Praise is a choice. It is those who refused to be overcome by heaviness and praised while their feet were still shackled and the walls of their cities still besieged that saw the power, salvation, and glory of God manifested in their day.

That is why on October 29 I will make a choice to join with Zenzo and the saints of Boston to unleash a cry of praise that heralds the beginnings of revival.

Yours for His Glory,

David W. Hill

Team Leader || Fenway Church

http://www.fenwaychurch.org/
http://www.twitter.com/David_W_Hill

1Derek Prince 1972 “Boston is the Jericho of America and when the walls of intellectualism come tumbling down, the Lord will pour out his Spirit on the whole land.” http://jaesonma.com/jhop-boston-uprising-2/

Roads in Fenway Closed Sunday September 26

2010-09-23T14:54:00.002-04:00

Please be aware as you plan your travel to our Sunday gathering.

DCR WILL CLOSE SEVERAL ROADWAYS

TO ACCOMMODATE “HUB ON WHEELS” BICYCLE RIDE

The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will close several roadways in Boston on Sunday to accommodate the thousands of riders expected for the Hub on Wheels charity bicycle ride through the city.

WHEN: Sunday

Sept. 26, 2010

7 a.m. – 11 a.m.

WHERE: Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road

Westbound (outbound) from Charles Circle to Eliot Bridge

Eastbound (inbound) from Eliot Bridge to Bowker Overpass

Bowker Overpass (which carries traffic from the Fenway onto Storrow Drive)

The Fenway

Between Westland Avenue and Boylston Street

Boylston Street

Between Ipswich Street and Hemmingway Street

Park Drive

Between Boylston Street and Brookline Avenue

University Road

Agassiz Road

Riverway

Southbound (outbound) from Park Street to Brookline Avenue

Morrissey Boulevard

Right lane northbound from Freeport Street to the entrance of UMass/Boston

Exit ramp from Interstate 93 northbound onto Morrissey Boulevard

Closed from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Sex, Love & Identiy Series - Starting September 26

2010-09-15T15:46:00.002-04:00

Click here to view Facebook Event

Blackberries, up to the second tweets & 100s of facebook friends. Are we missing anything? Are life long partners, deep friendships & committed relationships still possible? In a 21st century city where lonely people feign security and views on sex, love & relationships are constantly evolving, is there a path to meaningful living?

Discover why God Loves Sex, what Real Love is, how Sexuality & Identity shape us & how Fulfilling Relationships are possible in our new series “Sex, Love & Identity.”

Sundays 11AM @ Fenway Church

September 26 - God Loves Sex

October 3 - Real Love

October 10 - Sexuality & Identity

October 17 – Fulfilling Relationships

NEW AUDIO PAGE

2010-09-08T16:58:00.001-04:00

By now, I hope you have visited our new website: http://www.fenwaychurch.org

It looks great and has a good amount of information about our church and ways to connect with our community.

In the process of transitioning the website, all the links for our past audio files were destroyed. I've taken down all the "NEW AUDIO" entries on this blog. I encourage you to visit our NEW MEDIA PAGE - http://www.fenwaychurch.org/media and click on the media player to watch and listen to most of our past messages right on your web browser. It is an awesome resource.

An Impossible Life

2010-09-08T15:36:00.000-04:00

Do you reach out for things that are beyond yourself? Are you living for dreams that currently seem unattainable? Does the thought of something beyond your control terrify you or cause you to want to dive right in?
Too often we let dreams and visions that we've had fade into the rear view mirror because they seem impossible or impractical. We settle for a life of low expectations and therefore fewer dissapointments. But is that how we were meant to live?

I like to think about a few fishermen 2,000 years ago who were coming back from an exhausting night of work. No fish = no money. They were broke, tired, and probably stank. They had no expectations, no dreams, and seemingly no future. I doubt any of them could have imagined leaving the shores of Galilee. Yet on their way back from work, something happened. They met a man named Jesus. They'd probably seen him before even heard him speak. They respected him enough to begrudingly and faithlessly throw their nets over "the other side of the boat" like a kid that says "if I have to" and then half-heartedly picks up a handful of the hundreds of toy pieces he needs to clean up.

What they didn't know was because of their simple obedience they were about to move from having an idea of who Jesus was to encountering his life-changing power. They threw their nets into a situation that seemed impossible and before they knew it they were exploding with fish! So improbable and impossible seemed this turn of events that Peter was left terrified begging Jesus to leave him alone because he felt too sinful to be around this man who held such divine power.

Jesus didn't leave Peter grovelling on the deck of his boat; instead he invited Peter to leave his nets and follow him. And Peter, his brothers, and his friends began a journey into what moments earlier they would thought to have been an impossible life.

A few year later, Peter and friends would find themselves alone in an upper room in a city which had mocked and killed their best friend and heavenly emissary, Jesus. He had commissioned them with another impossible task to testify to the whole world about who He was.

Peter and friends threw their nets in one last time. Out of simple obedience, they hosted a series of daily prayer meetings, and one morning they encountered the life-changing power of Jesus once again. This time in a different but even more powerful form - the Holy Spirit. The result was 3,000 people met Jesus that day and started their own impossible life. The world would never been the same.

Throw your net on the other side. Pray with Jesus. Encounter his power. Live an impossible life. Join us at...

Fenway Church's Fall Kickoff Prayer Meeting

Monday September 13 @ 7PM

874 Beacon Street Boston 2nd floor

http://www.fenwaychurch.org/calendar.php?pageID=6

Fenway Families Magician Show @ Ramler Park (Saturday Aug 21 @ NOON)

2010-08-16T15:19:00.015-04:00

Ramler Park is located across from 139 Peterborough Street between Kilmarnock St. & Park Dr. in the heart of the Fenway.

AtsMagic
http://www.atsmagic.com/

C.R.E.A.T.E Boston

2010-08-16T15:05:00.005-04:00

Renee Deuplisea joined our new church plant shortly after it launched in the Fall of 2008. Her energy, enthusiasm, and love for Jesus were contagious. She connected with our friends at Operation Peace in the Fenway and began working there with their after school program after graduating from Wheelock College. She made a huge impact on the lives of young people in the Fenway and represented Jesus so well to many families in the Fenway neighborhood.

At a Sunday meeting at Fenway Church, God began to speak to Renee about connecting participants in the higher education institutions of the Fenway to the needs of Boston residents throughout the city who were dropping out of high school, suffering from increasing violence, and coping with fatherlessness.

Out of this vision and a desire to follow and become like Jesus, C.R.E.A.T.E. Boston was born.

This Sunday (August 15), we sent Renee off on a new adventure to start an intentional community in Mattapan that will serve the community, run Alphas, and practice intentional living as a community.

Renee said, "Speaking at Fenway went great, and the offering for CREATE (which was a last second idea from a Fenway member) put us in the clear for paying the rest of the apartment fees."

Renee is an answer to our prayers and vision for Fenway Church that we would "gather to scatter." We want to see people gathered to Jesus and his church right here in the Fenway and then see them scatter to the lost and broken places of our world starting right here in the city of Boston. Our prayer is that many more would follow Renee's example as together we seek change the expression of Christianity and plant community transforming churches throughout the world.

Check out Renee's C.R.E.A.T.E. Boston website: http://createboston.webs.com/

Celebration Northeast 2010 // No Sunday Meeting @ Club (July 25)

2010-07-16T12:01:00.004-04:00

FENWAY CHURCH WILL NOT BE MEETING AT OUR NORMAL LOCATION (69 KILMARNOCK ST) ON JULY 25

Join us on Sunday July 25 9:30AM at the Gordon College Chapel for a celebration and a time to learn more about God's calling on our lives was we gather together as a family of churches from across the Northeast region. It's our time to celebrate our God and move forward together on His mission!

Learn more at http://celebration.newfrontiersusa.org/ne-home.html
(Note: if you have not registered for the whole weekend you can still join us for free on Sunday morning!)

Directions to Gordon College from Boston

Take 93 North to 95 North
Stay on Route 95 North until it separates from Route 128.
Take Route 128 North towards Gloucester, passing through Peabody, Danvers and Beverly
Take Exit 17, Grapevine Road
Turn left at end of ramp, going 0.6 mile to main entrance

View Larger Map

NEW VIDEO: Values: Prayer

2010-07-16T11:28:00.001-04:00

Values: Prayer - Sunday June 20, 2010 from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

In the final preach of our "Values" series David looks at prayer, why we pray, and what blocks us from praying.

NEW VIDEO: Values: Giving

2010-06-25T11:32:00.000-04:00

Values: Giving - Sunday June 13, 2010 from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

In the second installment of our "Values" series David explores the value of giving and what that means for our lives.

The Story of Fenway Church’s Montreal Missions Trip

2010-06-23T14:38:00.002-04:00

Unless the Father Draws Him
The Story of Fenway Church’s Montreal Missions Trip
By Jeremy Jackson, 2010

The following events take place between Thursday, May 28th and Monday, May 31st. Events occur in real time . . . . like in 24. Inspiration for this report was also taken from Bill Simmons’ ESPN.com game-time journals, which usually provide thorough analysis and a good laugh. … and from John 6:44 “No one comes to me [Jesus] unless the Father draws him.”

[Below is an excerpt from the complete report. Many stories were removed for brevity-sake. A more complete and equally entertaining report can be viewed on a note on Jackson’s facebook page, or sent by request.]

Saturday – Evangelism Explosion!
9:00AM
Jackson arrives at Malek’s to wait for Brandon. Harry is left with Impact Church members at an alternative prayer location.
9:25AM
No Brandon.
9:34AM
No Brandon.
9:36AM
Jackson drives Malek to grocery store to buy groceries for BBQ in the afternoon. Neighbor, Eva, in courtyard sounds like she’ll be there.
10:11AM
Jackson and Malek return, budget in tact, no mayonnaise. No Brandon.
10:13AM
No Brandon.
10:18AM
Heads being scratched. No Brandon. Group prays.
10:28AM
Knock … Knock … Knock. A frustrated Brandon comes through. He had been lost, on the other side of the major park across the street from Malek’s house. Stifled by language barrier, and a dog who just refused to help, it took him some time to find the place. But glad that he had arrived safely, we welcome him and continue in prayer.

10:52AM

Girls go out to witness, Brandon and Jackson stay back and pray. God, start a church in this apartment building!
12:29PM
Jackson and Malek go out to get propane, while Brandon, Kelsey and Becca go out to witness more. They meet a man who likes Hare Krishna and another who volunteers that he wouldn’t believe even if Jesus appeared to him in a dream.

2:00PM
Party “starts”.
2:03PM
Benoit arrives, helps set up propane stove. Burgers, tables, chips, hot dogs, condiments, chairs arrive.
2:29PM
Harry Katz and numerous Impact church members arrive.
3:13PM
Harry and Jackson head out to use My Soularium cards in the park.
4:23PM
Party is rockin. Locals stream through, most for a short time. Some stay longer. Lots of seed is scattered as most members from our team and some from the local church are eagerly talking about the gospel. Jackson meets a local, named Matthieu, who “wants to have Jesus in his heart” but doesn’t understand how Jesus is different from a tree, or a rock, or a lake. Seems for sure God has done something to begin a spiritual journey for this man. A good person who wants to get married, Matthieu is even interested in coming to a church service some time.
6:54PM
Party is wrapping up. Jackson is planning with Becca and others what to do for the evening. Different ideas are thrown out. Brandon has been in conversation for some time with Mohammed, a Muslim from

Mauritania

who offers to take the group to a Mauritanian restaurant he recommends highly. Bixi bikes are found, and Jackson drives to pick up his friend Joni. On the way to the restaurant, he drives by the group on their bikes more than once. “Why is Harry all by himself?” he wonders aloud to Joni. Both groups arrive at the restaurant simultaneously. A comfortable atmosphere. Ali, owner of restaurant sits down with a chalkboard in hand to explain how things work. At the bottom of the chalkboard is written a price: $25. After his explanation we realize that he’s asking $25 per person. Too much. But fortunately the group is savvy enough to know that any Arab likes a good bargain. So we bargain, explain that not all of us are very hungry. And Ali very graciously and generously offers us a meal at half of his original price. Favor!
8:08PM
Jackson enjoys conversation and catching up with Joni.
8:37PM
Meal is great.
9:02PM
Even tea!
9:23PM
Mix up with how to pay is solved somehow … Harry was indispensable in this, and really in innumerable ways throughout the trip.
9:35PM
Jackson asks Mohammed if he’s ever met a Christian in his life. Mohammed reflects thoughtfully … hard to believe he really ever has. Wondering how the Father could ever draw Him. He seems interested. We compare notes. He reflects on Jesus and Islam. His thoughts and our conversation carry us outside.
9:39PM
Group splits into two, Becca and Brandon conversing with Mohammed on corner. Joni and Kelsey. Harry with Becca, Brandon and Mohammed. Jackson feverishly reading scripture from his iphone paces away, trying to prepare for message he’ll give tomorrow about discipleship.
10:13PM
Conversations continue, all parties in same places.
10:14PM
Jackson realizes he’s standing in front of a storefront mosque. Praying to himself in front of it, he senses God may somehow use this.
10:18PM
Mosque prayerers begin to exit. Conversations about Jesus paces away continue.
10:22PM
A dignified, garbed man comes to the door of the storefront mosque. “I like the aroma, the fragrance”, Jackson says in broken French, trying to somehow explain his presence in front of the building. Invited in, seated, and granted tea and a Jewish bagel from down the street, he quickly becomes a student of Suffi Islam. “First time I’ve ever been inside a mosque!”
10:24PM
“Master” teaches that Suffi’s believe we have four enemies in our pursuit of purity: 1. the Satan 2. the world 3. the desires of flesh 4. the ego. I nod in agreement. My Master, Jesus taught these things as well. “Allahu Akbar” he says. Praise be to God. “For the law came through Moses” I say, “but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” He agrees and again gives glory to Allah. The pain in my heart makes me want to stay, but my responsibilities to the team and a missed call from Joni outside lead me to politely thank him for the hospitality and dismiss myself.
10:53PM
Conversations on the corner continue. I join the group and explain my brief absence. We try to reformulate our plan.
10:57PM
A man who appears distressed comes to us and asks for three dollars to go to a housing shelter nearby. Becca wants to give him money but stops before she does, and asks if we can pray for him first. “Yes, you can pray for my soul” he says. Becca - “What’s wrong with your soul?” Man – “I have schizophrenia, and it really bothers me.” Sure that God wants me to pray for his immediate deliverance, I step forward. Harry explains that we’re going to pray in the name of Jesus. He nods. I ask – “Do you believe in Jesus?” … “Do you believe all authority in the whole world belongs to Him?” Man – “Yes, I believe in Him.” Seems for sure this man is being drawn! Language barrier makes it difficult to have him repeat my prayer, but I lay hands on his shoulders and pray in Jesus’ name that he be set free from the illness. In my mind I can see something violently assailing this man. I hate this evil. The man is eager to get to his bed before the home closes the doors. Before I let him leave I ask him if he felt anything when we prayed – “Yes, I felt God’s power.” Devastated that this man was not completely set free, deeply saddened that not all are immediately healed, I walk away. Harry walks with me around the corner. Crying, I break down and fall to the ground. My soul longs to see God do the works He promised to do, the works He did through Jesus in the Bible. How we long to see our heavenly Father!
11:14PM
Harry and I return to the group. We make our way down to St. Viateur bagels – world famous, 24hour bagels. Brandon is already in a conversation. Is the soil good? A guy and a girl – typical liberal stuff about Jesus not being the only way. “They sound like Americans,” I think to myself. Becca joins for a period. Harry too. Not sure where the Spirit is leading us here. Don’t want to be doing work without Father’s leading. We enjoy the summer air.
11:45PM
Brandon still in conversation. The two he’s talking to seem hostile, but I did pledge to the group that I trusted them and believed in them, and they HAVE stayed this long to talk … maybe the Father is drawing them? … Rest of group ready to make for home, it seems.
11:53PM
We try to make hints at Brandon that we’re ready to go. Conversation continues. Concerned about how Brandon would ever make it home or anywhere safely without us, I start to pray about what to do.
12:01AM
We make a decision to head home and leave Harry with Brandon.
12:02AM
We get to the car.
12:04AM
Harry is racing up the street towards the parking space we just left. “Let’s pretend like we don’t see him!” Harry looks perplexed as the car passes by him. He raises his hands in resignation.
12:05AM
Harry is in the car. “What are we going to do about Brandon?” "I thought you were going to stay with him?!" Car pulls past bagel place. Brandon has reluctantly bid adieu to his potential pen pals and hops in car.
12:07AM
Collected and civilized discussion over Spirit’s leading and commitment to group.
12:11AM
Jackson flips out and drops Brandon off in middle of nowhere … Just kidding.
12:29AM
Girls are dropped off at Malek’s.

1:45AM Guys arrive at Benoit’s place. Discussion about following lead of Spirit and responsibility to team. Much to praise God for. Feeling of accomplishment in having faithfully preached the gospel. Words of Jesus sit with me deeply, comforting my fears: “No one comes to me unless the Father draws him.” Enjoying love of Jesus so much I pray, Father would you draw them?

Church at the bar - Neighborhoods

2010-06-16T15:54:00.002-04:00

Check out this article and video done by Emerson College's online new service on our church!

Church at the bar - Neighborhoods

NEW VIDEO: Values: Community

2010-06-07T08:35:00.001-04:00

As a church we value community. Jesus lived in community; the early church lived in community and we must seek to foster and develop community. In this sermon David talks about why we value community and some of the obstacles to participating in community.

Values: Community - June 6, 2010 from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

NEW VIDEO: Stewardship

2010-06-02T09:27:00.001-04:00

The final preach in the Fenway Church series on work. Chris explains that fear can hold us back and encourages us to step out of fear into faith so that we can be good stewards of the gifts God has given us.

Stewardship - Overcoming Fear with Faith from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

The War of our Souls (Dave Csinsi)

2010-05-31T08:00:00.000-04:00

Dave Csinsi who is a member of our church here in the Fenway wrote a challenging entry entitled "The War for our Souls." It is usally a good thing when you have guys in your church writing about war :) Here is an excerpt.

We are in a war, whether we like it or not, a war for our souls. 1 Peter 2:11-12 says "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us."

Because of this it's especially helpful to know the definition of war. As stated above it's "an attempt at altering either the psychological hierarchy or the material hierarchy of domination or equality between two or more groups." In other words, it's an attempt to overthrow the dominant power. God is the dominant power. He created the universe, he sustains it, and he rules over it. Satan has come into this creation and has been slowly taking over parts of it. He focuses his energy on individuals. When he does this, when they lose, they no longer recognize God as the dominant power. He loses his rightful place. And because God is a loving God, he doesn't come and over-throw the new hierarchy by force. He comes and knocks gently on the individual's heart and wins them over internally.

The thing that is necessary to recognize, and what made me go "AHA!" is that a war is ocurring because there is...

To read the full article at his blog - click here.

The Church: Lazy or Overworked?

2010-05-25T11:11:00.001-04:00

We will finish our series on Work where we've seen God at work, Daniel's example of work in the marketplace, and the importance of preperation this Sunday. It will be followed by a memorial day extravagnza in the Fens by the Rose Garden. Here's an except from Dave Csinsi's blog based on his and Jeremy's preach on work 2 weeks ago.

Read how we can avoid both these extremes at his blog: http://blessedmorning.blogspot.com/2010/05/sundays-preach.html

LAZY CHURCH

Imagine a church where nobody works. There is no one who preaches a sermon, there’s no one who plays a song, there’s no one to set up the chairs. No one works. There’s no one who puts words on a screen with a computer and projector, because there’s no one who sets up the screen to put them on. There’s no one who goes to the printers to get communication cards, there’s no one who watches the kids, there’s no one who smiles and greets people as they come in. The only thing in this lazy church that even remotely resembles work is that everybody shows up. They all show up and what will they get? As we heard a couple weeks ago they might hear an improvised sermon from David, but what else would they get? What else would expect them to get? Nothing! Work makes things happen, obvious yes, but sometimes it’s hard to remember the purpose of work. Work is meant to create. We were made in the image of God, and he creates. We were made to create, therefore we were made to work. Whether that work creates anything tangible or not is not the point. God created the world and part of that creation involved simply separating light from darkness. Sometimes at work you may simply organize papers into categories to be placed into folders. God created the world and part of that creation was simply speaking. Sometimes your job might just be speaking, but those words create new thoughts in the minds of those who hear them. My point is, work is creation, whatever that form may be.

OVER-WORKED CHURCH

Now imagine a church where the pastor and one other person does everything. He preaches the sermon, he plays a song, he sets up the chairs, he gets all the communication cards, his friend somehow manages to simultaneously watch the kids and change the words on the projector. The pastor greets everyone that comes in, he prays for everyone before they leave, he brings in coffee, he gets donuts, he juggles not 2, not 3, but 4 cats, he sings an aria. You get the point. Thankfully, God can do anything and everything, and thankfully he understands that we can't. He can do everything and even he rested on the seventh day of his creation. So what is the balance between overwork and outright laziness? Maybe the bible can give us an idea.

Why We Are Sending a Team to Montreal this Weekend

2010-05-25T08:44:00.002-04:00

By Jeremy Jackson

Jesus said he came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). We want to give our lives while we're on earth so that others might know the love of God which has given to us through the cross. Next weekend, from May 28 - May 31st, five members of Fenway Church will be driving six hours north across the Canadian border to spend a few nights in Montreal, Canada.

Currently there are very few born-again Christians in the province of Quebec where Montreal lies. Though at the top of the hill at the center of Montreal there is a cross, very few of the city's inhabitants believe in the God of the Bible. Attendance in Christian churches is lower than 0.1% of the population (although that statistic was taken some time ago, there is not much to suggest that it has changed dramatically). A trip down St. Catherine street, the main drag, and a visitor to the city is treated to a series of images of nude women on giant fluorescent signs advertising strip clubs. Further down the street...
is the home of many clubs and bars, and also a place where male prostitution is commonplace. Prostitution and drug dealing are rampant in the city's underbelly, as much of the popular night scene is secretly influenced by these and other illegal industries. Homelessness is a very evident problem in certain parts of the downtown core. Quebec is historically a forgotten, neglected, and abandoned place, a place that today is still searching for an identity, for something on which to put its faith and trust. The Quiet Revolution allowed Quebecois to leave the church in the 1960's in pursuit of material wealth and social promotion. Since then, Quebecois have rallied around their identity as a "nation", separate from Canada. These pursuits, however have not satisfied the desire to know God and experience the grace of forgiveness of sins through Christ.
Since we are not far from Quebec and we are able to go there fairly easily, I've awakened to the idea that we as a church could send a missions team there to reach the lost and encourage the body of Christ there. Harry Katz, Becca Nelson, Kelsey Shelton and myself have committed to going this weekend to do just that. We are spending a few hours in prayer together each day, and we are planning to do outreach consistently in the parks while also planning for some time of fellowship with believers there. We are doing outreach Friday afternoon, Saturday morning and Sunday from 10AM - 2PM. We are excited about what God is going to do during this time, as we plan to set up tables with images that will stimulate spiritual conversations with locals in parks or in public places. Please keep us in your prayers and ask God for the following with us:

That God will give people we meet a desire to turn from sin and follow His ways.

That God will use us to water seeds that have been planted.

For lost children to return to their Father.

Romans 5:3-5 for perseverance in prayer as we are there.

For gift of evangelism to be given to even the most unlikely in our group.

For the time/opportunity to spend time with the church and for fellowship.

In the laying on of hands, healing of sick.

To develop deep relationships with those we talk to.

That God will reveal not good plans but His plans.

Finally, most important I feel is a need to pray for protection for our group. We go into hostile territory doing work that many people and the enemy oppose us for. We are confident in God's grace, his provision for us and his sovereignty, but as we go we ask that He'll protect us from the evil one as we seek to worship Him in such public ways.

Thanks for your prayers and support for us, Fenway Church.

Jeremy Jackson

The document I've co-worked on and link to here can tell you more about Quebec & Montreal:

https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B6UVgj_e4_sjZjFkMWNlOGUtMGY5ZS00ZTRmLTk3MzItYWM2N2UzZWUzMDc0&hl=en

A Bouncer & a Tattooed Foot (Part 4 of 4)

2010-05-21T11:28:00.001-04:00

So, God is definitely moving. After a couple weeks of going out where it didn't really seem like we were making much of an impact (see last couple entries, I even skipped a week because I was tired), things started picking up. I thought the following story wouldn't be topped for a while, but God totally broke out last night totally directing us multiple times and ending in a guy getting saved on the spot and instantly being made sober even though moments before he had been in a very different state! Check out Jeremy's note for the full story here on facebook: "God's Power in Front of Staples." It's important to note that we had a very powerful time of prayer that morning. I really believe that the 6AM morning prayer (Tues. - Thurs.) is the fuel for the Thursday night outreaches. I definitely want to encourage people to come to both.

Two weeks ago, Jeremy and I headed out again, but first we met at his studio apartment in Kenmore Square to pray. We specifically asked God to show us where to go or who to talk to. God gave me a picture of different people out in front of their apartments on particular block.

Responding to the leading of the Holy Spirit, Jeremy and I went to the block and walked down it. Only, one person was on the block a bouncer who was about twice my sized in front a basement bar. Since, he was the only person out despite our intimidation and the fact that he was on the job we decided to talk to him. We asked God what to tell him, and I felt God wanted me to tell him about his love. It felt pretty awkward to go up to a big, strong guy whose job it is to keep kick people out and tell him God loved him!

At first, he was pretty skeptical of us but after talking for a while it became apparent that he was open to spiritual things. I gave him a copy of the gospel of John, and he told Jeremy he would read it.

We headed down another block, and passed a college aged girl who was sitting out on her front steps. We usually don't approach girls during the night outreaches since we are guys, but I felt the Holy Spirit prompting to go back and offer to pray for her. We did, and she shared that today was 9 months since her 16-year old sister had died in a car wreck; she had a beautiful tattoo with her sisters name on her foot - it was a really sad story. We talked to her awhile and found out she had hardly any experience church and hadn't heard much about who Jesus is, but she was really open to spiritual community and prayer. As we were about to start praying for her, her friend walked up. Surprising me, she totally welcomed her friend to join in with us. We were able to pray with them right in front of her apartment building as people walked by, and she was totally encouraged.

As we left, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me to go back and give her my contact card. To my surprise (I probably shouldn't have been - God can do anything right?), she emailed me two days later; and she and her friend came to visit our community group that week. It was amazing.

God is going to keep revealing Jesus to people on the streets even setting them free immediately from the things that keep them from knowing him. Come see for yourself some time!

Contact me: dwhill@fenwaychurch.org

Read how it all got started: "Jesus, the Streets & Mayor Menino"

His Fingers Had Frozen Off (3 of 4)

2010-05-20T10:59:00.001-04:00

Another Thursday night. This time Red Sox fans and ticket and merchandise hawkers crowded the streets. People were certainly more interested in enjoying themselves and the atmosphere surrounding the game then talking about spiritual things. We ended up prayer walking one of the sidewalks of Kenmore Square occasionally talking to passerbys running into alot of apathy and disinterest. I started to really wishing we had prayed together before meeting out on the street.

A couple homeless guys were out in front of Seven Eleven working the doors for change. Seemed like everyone even us was trying to get something. It can be frustrating when your intention is to give something (the good news of Jesus, a healing, and encounter with God), but it starts feeling like you are just trying to get people's attention like any other hawker. This is why we need the Holy Spirit to open up doors.

In the end, I started talking to one of the homeless guys telling him why we were out here. Surprisingly, he told me that he needed to "be delivered." Before I had time to talk to him more about it another man emerged from the store. I greeted him asking him for his name, whoops mistake (always introduce yourself first!). He responded rebuking me and telling me to smile. Haha. Not the reaction I was prepared for. Here I was trying to share Jesus, and I wasn't evening feeling any joy.

Convicted I continued to talk to the man when I suddenly realized I had met him before when he was homeless in Copley Square. I remembered his story of how his hand and 4 fingers were so badly frost bitten one night as he slept in a stupor on the roof of a building that they had to be removed. This man had a lot of anger towards God, and in a way he had a reason to be. We struggled to communicate God's love for him. Finally, a breakthrough came when God gave me a scripture verse for him and told me to offer him some money. As I did, he suddenly opened up. He told me how he wanted my help in helping him be reconciled to his 80 year old dad. I promised to meet him next Tuesday for lunch.

I went away thinking about the pain and the anger that exists on the streets. On Tuesday, I spent over an hour looking for Sonny; I couldn't find him. But, God knows his story better than me. As I prayed for Sonny, it really moved me - those who sow in tears will reap in joy... Why don't you pray for Sonny too?

Tomorrow: "A Bouncer & A Tatooed Foot"

A Night on Lansdowne Street (2 of 4)

2010-05-18T09:23:00.006-04:00

It started in the Fenway Panera Bread talking, praying, asking God to lead us to spiritually hungry and thirsty people.

Jeremy and I headed out around 9pm stopping to talk to a guy who had just gotten off work; we talked for a few moments about Jesus before his bus arrived. He told us to stop by again tomorrow he'd be at the same stop, same time.

I couldn't shake a desire to go to Lansdowne Street across from Fenway Park which is filled with night clubs, bars, and the House of Blues. We walked down the street slowly asking God to move there. We stopped to talk to a couple people, but they weren't interested in talking. As we headed back up the street, we passed a group professionals who we had early seen chatting loudly in front of the House of Blues. Jeremy wanted to go talk to them. I really didn't want to; they seem pretty engaged in their conversation and at least one of them seemed pretty drunk. I doubted they would want to talk. Jeremy headed over, and I tried to remind myself that Jesus was accused of being a drunkard because he hung out with some many of them!

Much to my surprise, Jeremy was able to get into a conversation with them by simply asking if they were willing to talk about spirituality. I got into a conversation with the drunk guy who had grown up in Catholic church but had a real problem with how it was responding to various crisis's it was facing. He even gave me his business card.

They headed back into their fund raising party, and we headed to Kenmore Square asking God that one day crowds would gather there to hear Jesus being proclaimed.

I called the man's number on the business card a couple days later; he had given me his friend's card :) I laughed. I stopped by the bus stop a few days later; the man wasn't there but a teenager who didn't know much about the story of Jesus was. Talked to him for a few minutes, encouraged him to read the gospels, and prayed with him that he would get into college.

You never know what people are thinking on the street. They could be messing with you like that drunk guy, they could be seriously searching, they could just need to be awakened to a fresh reality. We sow seeds. God causes them to grow...

Tomorrow: "His Fingers Froze Off (Sowing in Tears)"

Jesus, the Streets, & Mayor Menino (1 of 4)

2010-05-17T14:36:00.003-04:00

Whenever I read the accounts of Jesus life, I am struck by the fact that the settings for many of these stories are the streets and roads of Palestine. Today, when most of us think of a religious teachers we imagine them ministering in a mosque, a church building, or a synagogue. We don't picture the dusty by-ways between rural towns or busy city intersections. Yet, that is exactly where we find Jesus so often. He's meeting people who are out on the streets of the towns and cities he stayed in. The funny thing is Mayor Menino knows where we should find religious leaders (see "Mayor Calls for Help after Teen Slain" from the Boston Globe). Menino told the ministers he called to his office: “Get out of the churches and get on the street and help us out. Help us out.’’

As a Boston minister, I want to take Mayor Menino's plea to heart. I've felt for a long time that we will truly know God is moving when we start experiencing on the streets of our city stories like the ones we read Jesus and his followers experiencing in the gospels and the book of Acts.

This feeling and a love for the people of my city has motivated me since I was a teenager to take the message of who Jesus is to the streets to the people that you won't find in church on Sunday mornings. That's why for the last month my friend Jeremy and I have been spending our Thursday nights meeting people on the streets of the Fenway where our church gathers. Over the next three days, I will be sharing stories from our more recent experiences from drunken business associates to bar bouncers will see how the love of Jesus can make a difference...

Tomorrow: A Night on Landsdowne

Resurrection Sunday @ Fenway Church - Is the Church Irrelevant?

2010-03-30T05:00:00.003-04:00

Is God dead? Has the church become irrelevant? Join us Sunday April 4 @ 11AM. Click here to view facebook invite.

Easter Promo from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

Resurrection Sunday @ Fenway Church - Hope Returns

2010-03-28T08:21:00.001-04:00

Luke 24:1-12

In the cool of the morning, several women journey through a garden to give their last gifts to the man they loved more than any other. He had delivered some of them from demons, taught them, ate their food, healed them, and showed them the love and forgiveness of God. Now, he was dead...
Yet his memory lived on compelling them to honor his body and his life with their gifts.

Strangely, it was in the cool of the morning thousands of years before near the world's beginning that God had walked through a garden to find a man and his wife who had rebelled against his friendship and rule. That journey resulted in a round of blame shifting and banishment from God's presence into a world cursed by sin.

How different these women's journeys will end! For on arriving at the burial grounds and finding the tomb, they are perplexed to find the heavy stone rolled away from tomb. They rush in seeking the body of their Lord. Only to discover it is not there! All is not as it seemed just moments ago.

Unsure of what to do they hesitate and there surrounded by the reminders of death two dazzling beings like men suddenly break in to their reality. Stunned and terrified, the women fall to the ground. Heaven has invaded earth with the greatest announcement the world will ever hear - "Christ is risen from the dead; he has trampled over death. The glory of God has defeated the night. He is not here; he has risen!"

Imagine for a moment the turmoil of these women's dreams just hours before. Everything they had ever hoped Jesus might be, everything they had hoped he represented of who God was and who they could be had been ripped away. This man they loved had been mocked and ridiculed for what they believed he was - God's Son. He had been tortured and executed for his refusal to deny this reality. Everything they had put their faith in was invalidated and destroyed by their Lord's crucifixion. They would now be the most ridiculed of people for having given everything to him. Having abandoned their own lives to follow him. Quietly they mourned the crushing of their hopes and faith.

Yet, here in the early morning hours, everything changed. He is not here, he is risen. Just as he said he would. The words of Jesus come rushing back into their minds, "The Son of Man must be handed over to evil men and be crucified but on the third day he will rise." Their faith has in the most shocking of ways been suddenly affirmed. Everything they had lived for is suddenly validated. By the resurrection of the man Jesus Christ. He is alive! His promises were true. He was God. Eternal life is possible. We will rise one day with him. Hope for today. Faith for tomorrow. Life awakened from within. In one moment, all of history turns. Nothing will ever be the same.

Resurrection Sunday @ Fenway Church - Why Did He Die?

2010-03-25T10:14:00.001-04:00

Who is Jesus? Why did he die? Discover the answers this Easter at Fenway Church... April 4 @ 11AM www.fenwaychurch.org/easter

Resurrection Sunday from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

Resurrection Sunday @ Fenway Church - The King is Dead

2010-03-25T10:10:00.008-04:00

Luke 23:44-56

The King is dead (vs. 37-38). The innocent man has been crucified (vs. 47). The crowds leave mourning (vs. 48). His acquaintances witness these things from afar (vs. 49). Creation groans waiting for the Son of Man to be revealed. Darkness reigns (vs. 44-45). Life breathes its final breath (vs. 46). He is buried; his lifeless body laid on the hard, cold rock of a newly hewn tomb (vs. 52-53). Death's cruel finality is all too real.

Yet, a glimmer of doubt remains. Has death truly triumphed? Jesus' acquaintances particularly the women seem to be waiting, watching to see what will happen (vs. 49, 55). They have not lost their love for the man who knew "everything they ever did" (John 4:39) yet told them "your faith has saved you, go in peace." (Luke 7:50) A man named Joseph still looks for the kingdom of God (vs. 51). On the Sabbath day, they rest. Waiting in quiet solitude... for Sunday to arrive.

"For there is hope for a tree,

if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,

and that its shoots will not cease.

Though its root grow old in the earth,

and its stump die in the soil,

yet at the scent of water it will bud

and put out branches like a young plant."

Job 14:7-9

A Journey from Drugs to Jesus

2010-03-17T13:39:00.001-04:00

Luke 15 contains a series of stories Jesus told about God's love and the importance of communicating that love to others. Jesus' heart always longed for those who did not know him to be welcomed back into his family.

I wanted to share a story today that shows how much God is willing to do to reveal his love to people.

On Sunday at Fenway Church, we baptized a young man. Just a week earlier he made a commitment at our Sunday gathering to follow Jesus, yet it was very apparent to all of us who had met him that God has sovereignly been working in his life for some time.

He had grown up in a semi-dangerous environment. Throughout his teen years, he turned to alcohol and drugs. He left Boston two years ago to try and escape a life that was spiraling downwards but instead became addicted to even harder drugs. However while away, he met a friend who invited him to church. It was during a handful of visits to that church that he began to realize Jesus was real.

The young man returned to Boston and was able to suddenly stop doing drugs. A few months ago, he began praying and worshiping Jesus alone. God was moving in his life. He met two members of our church at a Dunkin Donuts he worked at. They were there trying to convince another employee that had said he was going to come to church but hadn't come yet to come! Instead, they met a different young man who was hungry for God.

As that young man shared his story on Sunday, you could tell how much he loved Jesus. Jesus had done so much in his life, and he was truly grateful. His journey is just beginning!

Kingdom Come III: What is the Kingdom? (Part II)

2010-03-09T17:26:00.000-05:00

Continuing our series on the kingdom by answering the question - what is the kingdom? The kingdom is a matter of the heart more than anything else. Miraculous works and bold declarations are not what God is looking for (Matthew 7:21-22). They are merely signs of the kingdom. The fruit of the kingdom, what the kingdom really is, is an internal heart change. True repentance - change our way of thinking- involves adopting the attitudes of the heart described in in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-8).

Unfortunately, this message was not recorded due to a technical error. Hopefully, it lives on in the hearts and minds of those who heard it :)

Sunday February 28
David W.

Start of Daily Devotionals for 40 Days

2010-03-01T15:06:00.000-05:00

I felt led by God to start writing a daily devotional that people could follow on a daily basis as we commit ourselves as a church to pray more. The Bible reveals who God is and serves to strengthen our faith and breathe life into our prayers. I hope these devotionals will encourage you. I will only be posting the first one here at this blog. To follow the devotionals daily go to http://bostonawake.blogspot.com and subscribe to the email list on the top right corner.

Devotional Day 1 for Monday 3/1

New Testament Reading: Luke 1
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 118:1-8

One of the major themes of the books of Luke & Acts is prayer. Over the next 40 days why not read 1 chapter a day of Luke and then into Acts? Look for how prayer is involved in Jesus' conception, birth, life, death, and instruction to his disciples. It was in the place of prayer that Jesus aligned himself with the Father's will, was empowered by the Holy Spirit, and was transfigured. Let's model Jesus' example!

Often times when I go to pray, I found myself tired or distracted by my thoughts. Psalm 118 encourages us. It is good to pray these verses back to God as you go to pray. It begins by reminding us that God's love and mercy endures forever! How freeing to know as we go to pray that God loves us and no matter what we have done, how far we have strayed, or how tired we feel there is mercy available to us because of Jesus' death on the cross! Thank Him for that.

It does not end there. Verse 5 reminds us that if we call out to Lord in the midst of our anguish; he will set us free. Do you feel bound as you approach God? Cry out in prayer. He will answer. Do you need help to pray? God is your help (vs. 7).

We may think. Why I am I fasting? Why am I walking up early? The answer is found in verse 8.

"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man." (Psalm 118:8)

The Upcoming 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting

2010-02-28T22:30:00.004-05:00

The 40 Days
Starting tomorrow morning (March 1), many Christians from across the nation and especially in New England will be embarking on a 40 day Daniel fast to pray for an awakening in the churches and universities of New England. To learn more about this effort visit http://www.jhopboston.org .

Prayer in Luke & Acts
I have lately again been struck about the role of prayer in the books of Luke and Acts. In Luke, we see Jesus over and over again spending time in prayer with God aligning himself with the Father's purposes and receiving power from the Holy Spirit. In Acts, we see the church doing the exact same thing on almost a daily basis; the result was a constantly growing church filled with grace and power serving the culture it lived in.

I believe times like these 40 days can be used by God to awaken us to the importance and power of consistent corporate and personal prayer. Why not begin to read Luke & Acts as these 40 days begins?

What Fenway Church is Doing
For our church (Fenway Church), these 40 days will mean an expansion of our corporate early morning prayer times from Tuesday & Wednesdays to Mondays through Thursdays. It will be also mean we will be seeking to gather together as a church to pray on a more regular basis starting this Friday night. Some of us are committing to do the Daniel Fast (see below). Others may want to fast media, a particular day of the week, or a particular type of food. I would encourage our members to fast as they feel prompted to by the Holy Spirit.

A Daniel Fast
The idea of a "Daniel fast" is found in Daniel chapter 1 where Daniel and his friends refuse to eat the king's fine food and instead embrace a diet of vegetables during their time of training in Babylon. A "Daniel fast" for me consists of not eating any meats or sweats or fine foods (define that however you want :). I generally eat fruits, vegetables, some breads, beans, rice, & grains. Some keep a stricter diet than that. To me it is not the diet that matters (choose what God leads you to do), it is a heart that wants more of God. Please remember that if you have certain health issues a change in diet or a fast can be medically dangerous and should be avoided. Also, remember to drink lots of water!

God has always used "Daniel fasts" to increase my hunger to spend time with Jesus, allowed me to spend more time in prayer, and reminded me that this world and its desires are passing away. I find at the completion of these fasts I am often more focused on God's kingdom and more filled with God's power simply because I have been spending more time with him!

Some Principles on Fasting & Prayer
I have a passion for prayer and fasting that began in my college years. I have learned up a few key principles that I think are worth sharing for those who might be considering embarking on the fast.

1) The main purpose of fasting and prayer in the New Testament was to align with God's plan and be filled with his power. It was NOT to get him to bless their plans or get him to do what they wanted. Let's get involved where HE is already working - how do we know where he is? We pray and listen! (Acts 13:2, John 5:19)

2) God is sovereign. His plan to redeem of humanity and establish his church among every people group is not in doubt. (1 Cor. 15:24-26) Yet, he calls us to pray for, "Laborers to be sent out into the harvest." Jesus told his disciples to pray for laborers then immediately sent them out! (Matthew 9:35 - 10:5) Will you not only pray for laborers but allow God to make you one?

3) The one thing Jesus desires most for us is to be with him, listening to his voice. (Luke 10:28-42) He wants revival more desperately than we do. A true revival begins when God's people hunger and thirst for Jesus above all else NOT when we desperately plead with God to change the world.. It is in Jesus' presence that we are changed and empowered. (2 Corinthians 3:17-18)

4) Finally, God has recently me been showing me in the word that he will show his people things in prayer that will open up huge doors to be witnesses for him IF they will act on what they see and hear immediately. (Acts 9:10-12, Acts 10) We too often hesitate after praying seeking "God's will" again and we MISS opportunities. Don't wait go find out if God spoke or not!

Recently at a student & 20s conference we were hosting, around 15 us prayed that God would show us who to talk to and what part of the mall to go to as we headed for a local mall. One young woman heard God tell her, "Go to the cafeteria and talk to the girl who is sitting alone." She did. The cafeteria was relatively crowded but only one girl was sitting alone. She talked with her for awhile got her contact info and now the girl she talked to and 3 of her non-Christian friends our doing a weekly Bible study with they young woman who listened and obeyed! Praise God. He is at work. Get in on his plan :)

I truly believe if we will be prepared to listen and act during this fast we will not need to wait to see God begin moving in major ways. Jesus longs to bring in many lost sheep in the city of Boston. The Father and the Holy Spirit are already at work Will you find yourself discovering what they are doing? It starts in the place of prayer.

Now, I gotta get to bed. 6AM prayer starts tomorrow!!!

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he (Jesus) departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. - Mark 1:35

When God Calls us to Pray

2010-02-25T18:56:00.000-05:00

Since the beginning of the year, we have had a growing sense that God is calling us to an increased level of prayer. In prayer gatherings in January & February, God encouraged us by meetinng and speaking with us both corporately and individually.

Recently, JHOP Boston, www.jhopboston.org , released a call to pray and fast for 40 days for awakening in New England and college campuses. Churches and university students from around New England are responding.

We are not surprised that God is stirring other parts of the body to pray for God to move in our city and region. God cares so much about his church knowing him more intimately and following him more zealously. He also cares more than we could imagine about those who are lost in the midst of spiritual darkness.
We want to continue to align ourselves as best we can with what we believe God is doing. Starting Monday March 1, we are expanding our early morning prayer times to Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday mornings from 6 - 7:15AM. There will be no men or women's specific prayer days. On Friday March 5 @ 7PM, we will gather at Jayan & Nisha's home to seek God as a church.
We have much to pray for as God continues to expand our influence through Alpha, campus work, and in the neighborhoods of our city. We expect him to continue to speak to and direct us.
Your involvement in prayer is vital to our future and your personal growth. May God's grace and the wonder of Jesus' love continue to breathe life and vision into your hearts and minds.
On Sunday, we will plan to speak more about the upcoming 40 days.

David W., Jesse, Chris, & Jayan

Fenway Leadership Team

How I Found the Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount

2010-02-13T21:00:00.004-05:00

A preview of how my journey through Matthew 5-7 led me to brink of the kingdom with shocking implications for my theology and life... "Kingdom Come" starts Sunday February 14 @ Fenway Church.

The Sermon on the Mount is the most well known of Jesus’ teaching and is held in high regard by people of many religions and cultures. Men such as Ghandi used it as a basis for how they lived and led influential movements. In my experience, the Sermon on the Mount is generally taught in two ways...

Most Christian commentaries view the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus’ instructions on how his followers should live. It serves as a model of the type of behavior and attitudes citizens of the kingdom of heaven should exhibit. Verses like “turn the other cheek” and “treat others the way you want to be treated” serve as behavioral guides and ethical goals for many. (Martin Lloyd Jones, Dow Robinson, ESV Study Bible) The Sermon on the Mount is also largely used as tool to show our need for Jesus. Jesus’ affirmation and extension of the law leaves a person with no hope of being able to fulfill what Jesus teaches in this passage. Statements like “if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” & “you therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” vividly reveal mankind’s inability to achieve God’s standard and the depths of our sin.

Both of these interpretations while surely accurate reveal a tension within the text. For the believer in Jesus, it sets forth the possibility of and an ideal for a Christ-like life. Almost all would agree that a world filled with people living out the attitudes and instructions of the Sermon on the Mount would be a true utopia. Yet, our inability to live out this teaching ends up making it feel burdensome, overwhelming, and unrealistic. How many can truly love their enemy? How many truly turn the other cheek? Who actually seeks other well being before their own on a consistent basis? Thus, the teaching merely becomes a tool to highlight our need for a Savior. He will forgive your many sins. In fact, he may even help you live a more holy life. Yet, in the heart of every person that has ever glimpsed of the glory of who Jesus is lies an aching desire that the Sermon on the Mount be more than just a verdict of guilt, a sentence of condemnation, an acknowledgement of our own imperfection. We wish we could actually live this way. We wish the church were actually a light to the world. We wished our lives really did demonstrate the love and life of Jesus. We wish we were salt the earth. We wish that when people bumped into us they caught the fragrance of Jesus not the frustration of our busy lives. THAT is the tension of the Sermon on the Mount. It leaves us yearning for a true utopia (the kingdom of heaven) yet dismayed at the lack of its reality in our own lives and world.

Many having discovered that tension have thrown themselves at the mercy of the cross of Jesus, thanking him for providing forgiveness of their sins through his sacrifice, and asking for newness of life by a spiritual re-birth (new start) through the Holy Spirit.

However, having begun a new life, they soon discover that living out the Sermon on the Mount is not much easier than before. They are shocked to find non-Christians exhibiting more Christ-like attributes then themselves or even the church; in this city, it may seem the world is more concerned with such concepts as social justice, world peace, and love then the church is. We search for fixes. I must be filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit. I must pray and fast. I must join an accountability group. I must find a pastor that understands my needs. I must surround myself with more positive people. I most avoid contact with the world. I must setup boundaries from others’ sin. I must do more for God. Then questions begin… Am I really a Christian? Is the power of the Holy Spirit real? How come I haven’t changed? Does God love me? Is God judging me for my sin? I must be a terrible Christian. Surely God is angry with me. God can’t use me; I hope he uses those other super Christians the really on fire ones. It was better in the world. Is God real? The Bible doesn’t seem to be true. I give up.

For years, I avoided the Sermon on the Mount. I quoted a verse or two from it when needed and that was it. I read it and couldn’t figure it out. Was Jesus speaking in hyperbole? Did he really expect this kind of life from his followers? Was he serious when over and over again he said to enter the kingdom of heaven you had to live this way? If he was, I and my Christian friends didn’t have a chance of getting in. If he wasn’t, how could we take anything he said in the gospels literally? Hell irrelevant – a motivational tool for rebellious pre-teens. Jesus the only way? Nonsense he was just showing a way. Miracles a metaphor for hope. Sinning and still a Christian – grace, grace - every Christian does. Don’t worry about it. Sanctification – pursued mainly by legalists. Let’s just enjoy his love. The world? It’s a lot more fun than in here – let’s focus on making the church more attractive – lights, cameras, action! Damn, church splits, in-fighting, divorce, immorality. Really? This is the light of the world?

So for many, the Sermon on the Mount remains an unattainable reality even with Jesus. As a Christian I preferred to think that the Sermon on the Mount was part of that Old Covenant law, the law that was abolished at the cross. It was Jesus making sure we got Moses’ point – you can’t approach God unless you’ve been purified and consecrated. So, I was grateful for the blood of Jesus which did that but frustrated by my inability to live a Jesus like life. So many Christians seemed to be ignoring the stronger elements of Jesus teaching. Why did some seemingly fiery Christian leaders filled with the power of the Spirit seem to promote such man-centered, commercial driven tendencies? Why did some Christians with seemingly great personal character seem so timid and removed from the lives of lost? If people were going to hell without Jesus, why weren’t we mobilizing the church for an all out world-ending missional campaign? And why couldn’t we do that without making the world our enemy instead of the recipient of our sacrificial love?

I looked for answers in spiritual experiences, conferences, books, Christian leaders, unity, and prayer for revival, fervency, and evangelistic programs. I felt led to start a house church 5 years ago. A small, vibrant community emerged enjoying worship & the ministry of the Holy Spirit. We reached out the lost on the campuses, streets, and apartments near us. I began to teach about the kingdom. We explored scripture together. I wrote some discipleship materials. A couple years in I decided to tackle the Sermon on the Mount. I would like to say it changed my life. I am sure of one thing. It changed my perspective, and it has the potential to change my life in an incredible way. As our community of 12 - 15 studied the Sermon on the Mount over 2 months, I saw a theme beginning to emerge. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I wondered if Jesus had a central point he was trying to communicate throughout these 3 chapters that represented his message. The repetition of the word kingdom grabbed my attention. I always viewed the Sermon on the Mount as a manual for how to exhibit Christian character. Instead, I began to see something I had never seen before. Jesus was revealing a mystery within those 3 chapters. He wasn’t just giving a list of requirement or points on what the Christian life should look like. He wasn’t just trying to just help us see our need for a Savior. He was trying to get his disciples to see something so much more. He was talking about something that was greater than the Law and Prophets, greater than a philosophy of life, greater than our sin, greater than any earthly utopia. He was talking about something that transcended every philosophy, every religious practice, every holy book, every god, every empire, every nation. He was talking about “a kingdom.” He was talking about something that would shake the very foundations of the world. It would shake every other kingdom, every ideology, every social enterprise, every tribe, every tongue, every human. He was revealing a kingdom “not of this world.” It was the kingdom of heaven. It was coming. It was present. It was in the here and now. Heaven had invaded earth with the incarnation of its Son. The rock that would smash all others had finally hit earth. Only it looked different than anyone could have expected. The crowds missed it, and so did the religious leaders. We often miss it too. He was cracking open the doorway to a new world, a kingdom that couldn’t be shaken. He was laying out a whole new reality for life. He was laboring to how one got in to this realm. Really got in. Really experienced a new life, a new reality on earth as it is in heaven. Here was an invitation to really live in the confrontation of the heavenly kingdom with the earthly one.

Somewhere between Matthew & Revelation I had gotten lost in the theology of salvation, church planting, pastoral letters, and end-times prophecy. I missed the kingdom. Yet there it was staring me in the face in Matthew 5 – Jesus’ first teaching. I knew it held a key, and I wanted to find it. I wanted to play with the big boys. I wanted in on everything Jesus intended when he said follow me, when he said pray his kingdom come. But the road to glory shocked me…

I am not sure I’ll ever recover.

"Kingdom Come" A 7 week series on Matthew 5-7

Starts Sunday February 14 @ www.fenwaychurch.org

Kingdom Come: Jesus & the Sermon on the Mount

2010-02-04T15:43:00.001-05:00

STARTING FEBRUARY 14

11AM @ FENWAY CHURCH

"Swim Together"

2010-02-02T15:24:00.002-05:00

In the classic Pixar film "Find Nemo," Dora is trapped in a fishermen's net with hundreds of other fish. Only when the fish swim in the same direction can they break out. God gave me a picture of that net over Christmas break. Listen to what it might mean for our church's mission in 2010.

Click here.

Haiti Benefit Concert - Monday February 1st

2010-01-28T11:20:00.001-05:00

ALPHA: Ever Wondered What Life's All About?

2010-01-28T11:11:00.011-05:00

Type:	Party - Mixer
Network:	Global

Date:	Sunday, February 14, 2010
Time:	1:15pm - 2:45pm
Location:	CHURCH (Boston's newest restaurant & music venue...)
Street:	69 Kilmarnock Street
City/Town:	Boston, MA
	View Map

Description

Why Alpha?

Alpha is a worldwide phenomenon. It’s found in over 160 countries. More than 13 million people have taken this opportunity to explore the meaning of life. Perhaps it’s your turn.

What is Alpha?

Alpha is an opportunity to explore the meaning of life in a relaxed, friendly setting. Alpha Brunch will meet on Sundays @ 1:15pm for seven weeks. Each session, people enjoy great food, laughter and learning in a fun and welcoming atmosphere where no question about life or God is seen as too simple or too hostile…questions like—Is there a God? Why am I here? Where did I come from? Where am I going?

Who Is Alpha For?

Alpha is for anyone…anyone who thinks there may be more to life than meets the eye.

People attend from all backgrounds, religions, and viewpoints. They come to investigate questions about the existence of God, the purpose of life, the afterlife, the claims of Jesus and more. Some people want to get beyond religion and find a relationship with God that really changes life.

Many guests have never been to church, others may have attended church occasionally but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith. Everyone is welcome.

Hosted by Fenway Church
www.fenwaychurch.org

If you plan to attend the first brunch, an RSVP would be welcomed!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

RSVP FOR ALPHA ON FACEBOOK

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=265535634732&ref=nf

"And they devoted themselves..."

2010-01-22T10:33:00.000-05:00

The word devotion means ardently dedicated to, giving or directing effort to a cause of activity. Today, Americans are devoted to many things. Ardent Red Sox fans will spend 140+ evenings watching 3+ hours of baseball. Band junkies will spend hours a day listening to music, voicing adoration on blogs, and checking myspace and facebook fan pages every 2 hours. Gym enthusiasts direct daily effort and dozens of hours a month to becoming fit, and we haven't even touched on the computer game addicts.

In Acts 2:42, the church was experiencing a powerful move of the Holy Spirit. Tongues, prophecy, salvations, baptisms, and soon healings were becoming common place. In the midst of all this, we find the church is devoted to something. "And they devoted themselves to the apostle's teaching and the fellowship, to breaking of bread and to prayers."

I honestly believe we may be coming into a genuine move of the Holy Spirit. Our church gatherings are being touched by the presence of God and over the last months several people have been instantly healed including 2 in the last week at Boston University!

We can give our time to many activities in our culture. As the Holy Spirit begins to move, are you prepared to sacrifice some of those activities, pick up your cross to follow Jesus, and devote yourself to gathering with your church, prayer, and reading the Bible? For a move of God to be sustained, we need to be prepared for such sacrifices. Interestingly, one of the Merriam-Webster definitions for devotion is "religious fervor." Let's stir up that fervor and devote ourselves now to what God is doing!

It starts by taking time each day to read the Bible, pray, and listen to and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit. We can do this together!

Video of Today's Announcement

2010-01-17T22:17:00.002-05:00

The announcement to the church regarding our shift to combine the two services at 11AM and to launch out with evangelism and prayer at the 1PM time slot.

Sunday Jan 17th Announcement from Fenway Church on Vimeo.

Announcement of Shift in Sunday Structure (Text)

2010-01-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

Today, we announced the shift from two 10:30AM & 1PM Sunday worship gatherings to an 11AM gathering. The text of the announcement and our vision for 2010 and beyond is below. I am excited for all God has in store for us this New Year; may his kingdom come!

Where We Have Been

Since the public launch of our church last fall, we have enjoyed God’s grace as we have tripled in size. God promised when we launched that we would “gather quickly,” and he is fulfilling that promise. Every day we are making progress in fulfilling our vision of transforming the Fenway neighborhood through preaching the gospel, serving our community, and forming Jesus worshipping communities in the Fenway. We have built strong relationships with many residents and organizations like Operation Peace, CHURCH, and other neighborhood associations. In 2009 many members of our church community represented Jesus at block parties, service days, and after school programs. For these demonstrations of grace we rejoice. God has been faithful. With thanksgiving, we now look to our future.

Where We Are Going

We started this church because God called us here to the Fenway; a neighborhood where less than 3% of residents attend church (that’s less than mainland China at 5%!) and where many residents come to study from other nations (21% of residents are international!). We are here to reach the people of this neighborhood with the transforming message of the gospel and send church planting teams to the nations. It has and always will be our desire for every member of Fenway Church to live out this calling to see both the Fenway and the nations saturated with the worship of Jesus.

The Immediate Future

As our leadership team looked to the future, we became convinced through the guidance of the Holy Spirit that our church would benefit from uniting together for a series of Sunday gatherings. Our desire is that the WHOLE church would gather in ONE PLACE to worship Jesus, pray for His Kingdom to come, and mobilize for the mission God has given us. As we have been preaching through the book of Acts, we see the power of the whole church gathering to pray, worship, and hear preaching. We believe we are entering a season where this corporate expression of unity will propel us forward into what God wants to accomplish through our church in the Fenway.

For the next eight months our Sunday gathering will be at 11AM. We want everyone who attends Fenway Church on Sunday to gather together as ONE corporate body at this time. We are expecting the Holy Spirit to meet us powerfully and for the club to quickly fill with worshippers of Jesus.

We will continue to utilize the 1PM time slot to host a series of training and evangelistic gatherings over the next eight months that will focus on equipping members for mission, hosting conversational events like ALPHA, and gathering to seek God for missional ideas. Our desire is to actively engage those in the Fenway and our city who are interested in learning about Jesus and do not want to attend a “church” service. The 1PM gatherings should serve to share the gospel with those that would otherwise not be reached by our 11AM gathering.

The Fall and Beyond

As we look to the fall we expect our growth will result in the “re-launch” of a cutting edge 1PM service. Throughout this year, we will work to train and form a strong launch team of thirty made up of current members and those who will be getting to know Jesus over the coming months.

In the next 3-5 years, we will start new services, launch new meeting sites, and begin forming new churches. We know this because God has promised us that he will “build his church,” “we will gather quickly,” and “we will impact cities and nations.” We know that this church will welcome in many people who will meet Jesus, be transformed by his Spirit, and catch a vision for loving their neighbors, transforming this neighborhood, and going out to serve nations. We will seek to partner with everyone who calls Fenway Church ‘home’ and with God’s global purposes as we start new works, go to the nations, and build a strong community in the Fenway that will serve to strengthen “home base” making all of this possible.

In Conclusion

We are making this shift to one corporate gathering at 11AM because we envision our Sunday gatherings as a catalyst for mission, service and evangelism. We appreciate your flexibility, willingness to embrace change, and partnership in the mission of Fenway Church. We invite you to actively participate in prayer, community groups, and sharing the gospel of Jesus with your friends.

Thank you for your commitment to Jesus being known in the Fenway, in the city of Boston, and beyond.

David W., Jayan Koshy, Chris Bressoud, & Jesse Sudirgo

Fenway Leadership Team

When the Church Prays

2010-01-14T12:58:00.003-05:00

"When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting... And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:1-4)

"After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. All the believers were one in heart and mind." (Acts 4:31-32)

The power of corporate prayer gatherings cannot be underestimated. The life and work of a church hinges on meeting together with God in the place of prayer. Our vision to "Saturate Fenway and the nations with the worship of Jesus" can only be accomplished when we unite together in prayer as a church family. Corporate prayer fills us with the Spirit, empowers us to speak boldly, and unites our hearts and minds together. It is vital.

Please note the upcoming prayer gathering dates (students & 20s make special note of One Mission) and plan to attend. We truly believe we can accomplish more together than we can alone!

Corporate Prayer Gatherings

Monday January 18 @ 7pm (Fenway Church, MLK Day)

874 Beacon Street Boston 3rd floor

Saturday January 23 11AM - 9PM (One Mission Student & 20s conference)

77 Guest Street Brighton Abundant Grace Church

Click here to register (free) & learn more.

Friday January 29 @ 7pm (City-wide Gathering of Churches)

77 Guest Street Brighton Abundant Grace Church

Early Morning Prayer @ 874 Beacon St. 2nd Floor

Tuesdays 6am (ALL)

Wednesdays 6am (Men)

Thursdays 6am (Women)

Sunday Pre-Meeting Prayer 10AM

Room next to stage.

CHURCH IN THE CITY: CULTURE SHIFT (Jan. 10 - 24)

2010-01-09T15:04:00.014-05:00

In the Book of Acts, the gospel shook cultures, turned cities upside down, & began to influence almost every aspect of Roman government and society. Does it still have the power to do that today?

Over the next 3 Sundays, we will discover how Paul sought to demonstrate the fullness of the kingdom of God through preaching Jesus, working in team, moving in the power of the Holy Spirit, & forming churches. Watch Paul's church planting strategy evolve as God leads him on a journey through ancient Athens, Corinth, & Ephesus and learn how we can still be done today!

Sundays January 10, 17, 24 @ Fenway Church
www.fenwaychurch.org

How to Respond When Life is not Ideal

2009-12-31T14:51:00.005-05:00

Based on a message I preached at Abundant Grace Church on the last Sunday of 2009.

Most people relate to God the majority of the time in 2 ways.

1) To thank him for extraordinary blessings. (Think winning the Super Bowl.)

2) To beg God to change unwanted circumstances. (Think my rent bill is due tomorrow and I just overdrew my bank account!)

In moments of great happiness, we might thank God; in moments of great peril or stress we might request God's aid. In between, there is the absence of any real relationship or communication with God. When we are happy we thank him, when we are not we curse him, in between we don't miss him.

This type of relationship is never something God intended for us. It reveals that we are treating God as an aid or a tool to get what we want. You don't have a relationship with your hammer or credit card, yet we attempt to use God in a similar way. God becomes our servant we tell him what to do, thank him when he does it, and grow angry and bitter when he doesn't...

God created us, sent Jesus to redeem us from our sin, and sent the Holy Spirit so we could experience the life-giving grace of a relationship with Him. If your relationship with God's feels empty and lifeless, if there is an absence of joy when you try to worship and pray, if the very idea of a relationship with God seems like a great idea but in reality is a foreign experience, you are not experiencing the beauty of walking in a relationship God.

Our anger, frustration, skepticism, and bitterness towards God develops because we have abandoned the possibility of a genuine daily walk with a loving, sovereign God. We know people or hear of Bible characters who have or had amazing relationships or experiences with God and wish we could be like them. Yet, we find despite our best (or worse) efforts that we still end up getting angry, discouraged, and going through the monotony of another lifeless week. You go to sleep or wake up hoping that today might be the day it all changes but secretly knowing it won't.

The good news if you have arrived at this realization that your own best efforts have not brought a genuine and life-giving relationship with God, you are actually on the doorstep of breakthrough.

Personally, I need grace to not get mad at my wife. I need grace not to yell at my children. I need grace to stay focused at work. I need grace to keep pushing forward through life. These are things that don’t just come naturally to me. When circumstances start to turn against my will, when my ideal for the day, meeting, or family time is not going according to plan, then something in me can begin to either curse God or others. A frustration, anger, or deep bitterness begins to surface in my thoughts that moments ago I did not know existed. I feel like slamming doors, smashing walls, breaking down, swearing, or worse.

If I am honest, that is how I often react when life is not ideal. Admitting my own inability (in other words my need for grace) is the first step according to Jesus in learning to walk in a real relationship with God. Acknowledging it is my own sin and selfish view of God that has caused a separation in our relationship.

However, this step is only the first step. Jesus told a parable in Mark 4 about sees that fall on different types of soil. The soil represents different types of people who have each reached that first step of acknowledging their need for Jesus' forgiveness and a new life where walking daily with God is a reality. Yet, Satan's lies, hardship, the worries of life, and the desires for riches, success, and relationships choke out their faith. It is only the seed that goes beyond the first step and learns to react when life is NOT ideal that grows into person that knows the fullness of life of walking with God.

Many of us many not know what these vital next steps are. The Christmas story found in Matthew 1 & 2 and Luke 1 reveals 7 key steps we can take.

Mary's Story

Upon hearing news the Angel delivers to her that (despite the fact that she has never slept with a man) she is about to have a baby, become a single mother, and be in danger of being sentenced to death for adultery, Mary shows us how to respond when life is not ideal.

Troubled by evil or hardship, questioning why some evil has happened, frustrated by life circumstances? Here's how Mary responded.

1) Seek to discern what God is doing in the midst of it. (Luke 1:29)

2) View YOURSELF as God's servant NOT God as your servant. (Luke 1:34, 38)

3) Pray for God's will to be done. (Luke 1:38)

4) Seek counsel from mature believers in Jesus (Luke 1:39-40)

5) Praise and thank God even when you feel like begging and cursing Him. (Luke 1:46)

Joseph's Story

While Mary is left alone to figure out much on her own, God speaks more directly to Joseph. Has God given you a dream of what you can do, has God spoken to you through the Bible.

6) Consider what actions to take, but remain flexible if God changes your direction. (Matthew 1:20, 24)

7) Stay where God has led you but obey immediately if he tells you to go. (Matthew 2:14)

Nike was right sometimes the best step is to face your fears and doubts and "Just do it!"

The key to walking by faith is learning to respond to hardship, disappointment, and pain by admitting your own inability, wrong thinking, and sin AND learning to trust in God's sovereignity, power, and love for you. Jesus died not just to forgive your sin but to make possible a daily walk with God even when life is not ideal. Next time you feel yourself spinning downward these steps will help you confront your wrong thinking and put your trust in Jesus. He's your only hope.

I am learning with you. My prayer so often is, "Jesus, I don't know what your doing and this really hurts right now, but I am your servant let your kingdom come and will be done in my life. I praise you because your God and you love me. You have everything in control. Help me seek out wise counsel and obey you immediately even when I don't want to. Help me in my weakness." The amazing thing is he always come through just not always in my timing.

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised

to those who love him.”

~ James 1:12~

Next Two Sundays @ Abundant Grace Church

2009-12-26T15:12:00.002-05:00

On Sunday December 27 & Sunday January 3. We will be meeting with Abundant Grace Church in their building in Brighton. Start off the New Year right and join us in worshiping Jesus and setting our sights on all God has before us.

Sunday December 27 & January 3 @ 10am

77 Guest Street

Boston, MA 02135

www.abundantgraceboston.org

Christmas Greeting

2009-12-24T23:44:00.004-05:00

To my friends and brothers and sisters at Fenway Church (and those who might watch online):

Sending along my thoughts via a webcam recording this Christmas. What a joy to celebrate Jesus' entry into our world. Have a merry Christmas and grace-filled New Year.

David W.

Christmas Greeting from David W. Hill on Vimeo.

Christmas Festivities @ Fenway Church

2009-12-02T15:44:00.004-05:00

Christmas is the celebration of God entering our world. It is a celebration of life, hope, humanity, & Deity. As Eugene Peterson put it, "Christ moved into the neighborhood." And, the neighborhood was never the same again.

Experience the life-giving power of Jesus as we invite our friends, neighbors, & co-workers to worship and celebrate with us.

Celebrate with Christmas carols, worship of Immanuel, festive food, coffee, and messages from the advent story that reveal how Jesus' changed the lives of those who first met him.

Be inspired as members of our church share how everything changed when Jesus entered their world.

Gatherings @ 69 Kilmarnock Street, Boston

Sunday December 6 10:30AM & 1PM - "Jesus Entered Our World: Three Magi"

Sunday December 13 10:30AM & 10PM - "Jesus Entered My Life: A Young Carpenter"

Sunday December 20 10:30AM - "Jesus Entered Our Job: Restless Shepherds"

Sunday December 20 1PM - Christmas Caroling & Party

~Guests from Peterborough Senior Center and St. Cecilia's Senior House will be invited to join us for carols & party.~

Stay tuned for how you can be involved in the upcoming homeless outreach & caroling at the senior centers as we give to our city this Christmas season!

Learn how the Advent Conspiracy is restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption... click here.

Advent Conspiracy

2009-12-01T20:48:00.005-05:00

Advent Conspiracy is an international movement restoring the scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption.

The story of Christ's birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love.

So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists.

And when it's all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas?

What if Christmas became a world-changing event again?

Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.

www.adventconspiracy.org

Check out this movement and re-assess your priorities this Christmas. As a church can we allow our own desires for consumption to dissipate by learning how to give sacrificially and show compassion to others?

Rick Warren on Meet the Press

2009-11-30T16:40:00.004-05:00

Rick Warren is a Pastor in California who wrote the New York Time's best seller, "A Purpose Driven Life." He represented Jesus well in this interview on a big, secular media platform. The stories he told illustrated his love for the hurting and his generosity with the wealth God has given him.

As we enter the Christmas season, this interview serves as good reminder for us of what it might look like to follow Jesus in 21st century America.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Famine in Kenya

2009-11-19T16:07:00.003-05:00

Newfrontiers is our family of churches... We will be taking up a collection at this Sunday's Newfrontier's Boston's City-wide service (see above).
Famine in Kenya

There are 160 churches in Kenya who are part of the worldwide Newfrontiers family of churches. Many nations in that part of Africa are experiencing severe famine caused by a shortage of rain. This has come hard on the heals of the crisis which erupted at the end of 2007 following the elections. Inter-tribal conflict resulted in widespread destruction of property and crops and the internal displacement of tens of thousands of people. Many are still displaced.

Through the Newfrontiers churches Edward Buria, who brings apostolic oversight to these churches, many of which he has planted, is seeking to alleviate the effects of the famine which is claiming the lives of many people, livestock and even wild animals... Read more Famine in Kenya.

Photos from 1-Year Church Celebration

2009-11-10T15:13:00.008-05:00

Our 1-year celebration was a raucous affair with tons of food, dancing, music, and guests. God has been good to us as he fulfills his plan to reveal Jesus to many in the Fenway. It is amazing to think that it all began 4 years ago with 4 people in my apartment and that just over a year ago 20 of us took the risk to start a public Sunday meeting in a night club & bar called "Church." May people continue to meet, "Jesus at the Bar!" - David W.

Click here for more pictures.

"Jesus Was My Deliver" - Lashondra's Story

2009-11-06T15:29:00.004-05:00

This young woman's story from a Fenway Church service of freedom from abuse and depression reveals the very heart of God and the transforming power of Jesus' life. Listen here (6 mins).

Meet Jesus @ Fenway Church this Sunday 10:30AM & 1PM
69 Kilmarnock Street Boston

www.fenwaychurch.org

Mobilise USA January 15 - 17 2010

2009-11-06T14:30:00.004-05:00

Students & Twenties you don't want to miss this conference...

MOBILISE USA JANUARY 15 - 17

Why Mobilise?

Against the backdrop of a declining Church in our nation, students and twenties are sensing a new season is upon us. Among younger generations, there is a greater interest in the God of the Bible giving us the opportunity to make a huge Kingdom impact in the coming years.

Mobilise USA is a conference that seeks to inspire students and twenties to pursue all that God has for them. Join us in St. Louis, MO, January 15-17, 2010 as we worship together, experience great teaching and focus on our mission to reach the earth with the Gospel.

http://www.mobiliseusa.org/cms/home.html

Death's Painful Sting

2009-11-03T11:19:00.004-05:00

Death can often come suddenly. I recently attended a funeral for my close friend’s mother; it was a somber day as we remembered and buried a woman who was only in her 50s when she died. Tragically, it had seemed that an initial round of chemotherapy several years ago had worked only to find out a year later that the cancer had come back viciously and within two months this wonderful woman was dead.

Death can often be unsettling. That weekend a man was asking me how my week had gone, and I mentioned I had gone to a funeral. He responded, “It wasn’t cancer was it?” When I informed him it was cancer – brain cancer, he was visibly shaken and angry. He described how several of his relatives had died of cancer and how much he hated it. He relayed how he wanted to go out in a car accident, in a blaze of glory.

Each human being must wrestle with the reality of death. It jars us out of the grind and comforts of life and causes us to assess. As I was praying this morning, I was reflecting on these events, and I was struck by my own response to the reality of death. I can honestly say I don’t fear death. Death at times seems sudden, yet it does not unsettle me.

In this world, our bondage to sin brings a fear of death. As the Apostle Paul said, “The sting of death is sin.” (I Cor. 15:56) To be born again is to be freed from the power of sin and the fear of death. I know I have been freed from sin through faith in Jesus’ death and resurrection. Thus, I can say with Paul, “O, death where is your victory? O, death where is your sting?” (I Cor. 15:55)

Some will say like Clint Eastwood does in Gran Torino that Christianity just gives old ladies a hand to hold and a false security as they drift from this world. This idea is not my experience.

It is the overwhelming sense of God’s presence I in my life, the power of the word of God to change my life as I have followed it, and the testimony of people healed as I have prayed for them in the name of Jesus that remind me that I have indeed been born again. It is these marks of newness of life that grant weight to my hope in the resurrection of the dead, a full freedom from the pain of this world, and the joy of seeing Jesus in eternity.

Do you have that confidence? You can.

Church in the City (A Two Part Series on Acts)

2009-10-09T15:56:00.005-04:00

Church in the City is a two part series on the Books of Acts where we will journey through the stories of the early church as they fight for the gospel, plant churches in ancient mega-cities, and watch these cities' cultures shift.

In Part I "Church in the City: the Fight for the Gospel" (Sundays October 11 - November 29), we will examine what church looks like in a city and what resistance the gospel faced. We will also talk about current modern values and how they relate to the church and the gospel. Here is a look at a few of upcoming weeks.

October 11 - Acts 1 & 2 - Sexuality vs. Worship
October 18 - Acts 2 - Comfort vs. Sacrifice
October 25 - Acts 3 (AM) - Security & Apathy vs. Obedience
October 25 - Acts 4 (PM) - Rel atavism & Individualism vs. Truth

In Part II "Culture Shift" (Sundays January 2010), we will look at how Spirit-empowered, Jesus-witnessing churches shifted the culture of pagan cities.

Are you ready?

Sundays 10:30AM & 1PM 69 Kilmarnock Street Boston

Fenway Church's 1-Year Anniversary Celebration (Sun. Oct . 18, 12-1PM)

2009-10-02T11:31:00.005-04:00

Please join us as we celebrate our first year since we launched our first public service... for our story click here.

Church in the City: the Fight for the Gospel (Acts Part I: Oct. 11 - Nov. 29)

2009-10-02T11:19:00.006-04:00

Why were the apostles imprisoned, persecuted, and killed?
What message did the apostles preach that triggered these reactions?
Why did the first church care for the poor, preach the gospel, and suffer for their faith?
What message did these young believers so passionately hold onto that it cost them their lives?
What does a church in a city look like?

Discover the book of Acts as we begin in a new preaching series - Church in the City: the Fight for the Gospel (Oct. 11 - Nov. 29 @ CHURCH).

Sundays 10:30AM & 1PM 69 Kilmarnock Street Boston

In fire’s aftermath, Restaurant Row eager to get back to business - The Boston Globe

2009-09-30T17:32:00.000-04:00

In fire’s aftermath, Restaurant Row eager to get back to business - The Boston Globe

Posted using ShareThis

The Restaurant Row Revival Block Party was awesome - great band called Prospect Hill, the youth break dance team had serious skills, and the drum group was a blast. I got to meet a lot of awesome people from around the Fenway neighborhood who are really trying to give back to the community and make this neighborhood a great place to live. The Fenway CDC and Lori did a great job putting it on, and I am glad there quite a few Fenway Church members there helping out! Read about the Globe wrote and learn about the tragic fire that hit this row of restaurants in January. Let's all pray and hope they make it back!

Thoughts On Ruth

2009-09-30T10:47:00.003-04:00

Ruth is a magnificent, short book. It is the story of the lives of ordinary people in an ancient agricultural world living in a society where many were choosing to do whatever "was right in their own eyes."1 (Not unlike our own!) The result as we learn from the book of Judges was a Israelite culture where sexual immorality, rape , civil war, and violence were common - a culture slipping toward collapse. In the midst of this culture, we are introduced to a small family which flees the famine in Israel and settles in Moab, a culture know for its sorcery, child sacrifice, demon worship, and antagonism towards Israel. Talk about out of the frying pan and into the fire.

In Moab, our friend Naomi takes center stage. Her husband (Elimilech) whose idea it was to move to Moab dies. Naomi's two sons marry Moabites (Orphah & Ruth), but after a few years Naomi's sons also die. Naomi is heart broken, poverty stricken, and very angry with God. She returns to Israel upon hearing that God is again blessing his people. Despite this news and the kindly accompaniment of her daughter-in-law Ruth who pledges to join Naomi's people and follow her God, Naomi remains bitter and depressed.

As the days go by, Ruth realizes that they are running out food as they live in Naomi's home that is about to be foreclosed on. She patiently waits for Naomi to take action. When she doesn't, Ruth asks Naomi for permission to go out into the harvest fields and scavenge what barley is left in the fields. Ruth's commitment and submission to Naomi is not without reward as she happens (perhaps by divine chance) to enter the field of a man named Boaz.

Boaz is an able man although getting older in years who unlike most of people of his day still sought to live according to God's ways and laws; God is central to everything he does. He greets his workers in the morning with the blessing of God and notices a new young woman in his field. He soon finds out she is Ruth, the Moabitess, and he welcomes her to Israel promising that she will find refuge on the shadow of the Lord God of Israel. Knowingly or unknowingly, Ruth has found herself in new land, a land where Lord God is King. Unknowingly, Boaz will end up fulfilling his promise of God's goodness to Ruth.

As the story unfolds, we see Ruth's commitment and patience as she waits for God's promise to of good to come to past. We see Boaz fulfill God's plan of redemption for Ruth and Naomi as he demonstrates God's goodness by purchasing Naomi's land and marrying Ruth.

The story of Ruth reveals that God is both good and sovereign (in control). The main characters struggle to reconcile these two truths in the face of death, economic crisis, pain, and suffering. Elimelech and Orpah are examples of people who the circumstances of life and not who God is motivate their decisions. They die in Moab apart from God. Naomi represents a follower of God who is desperately struggling with her faith finding it almost impossible to believe a sovereign God is good in the midst of her suffering. Her honesty and openness give Ruth a flickering yet real faith to seek after.

Ruth models an ideal follower of Jesus who not only is coming into a belief that God exists but is actively seeking him out by serving and listening to an older believer (even though the believer is clearly in a crisis of faith). Ruth models kindness, faith, humility, and obedience. Ruth's statement to Naomi, “All that you say I will do.” clearly foreshadows Jesus command to his own disciples to "obey everything he commanded them."2 Ruth exhibits a tremendous level of respect and trust by refusing to chase after other younger men as many of her fellow peers were.

Boaz introduces us to the concept of redemption. Ruth and Naomi no longer have a right to live in Israel - God's kingdom - because their land is being foreclosed on. As human beings we have no right to a relationship with God because we have lived lives filled with lies, selfishness, and rebellion to God's way. Thankfully like Boaz Jesus paid our redemption price by his blood shed during a brutal death on a cross. Because our redemption price has been paid in full, a relationship with God is possible. Like Ruth and Naomi we must in the face of tragedy, suffering, and the injustice of this world believe Jesus exists, Jesus is sovereign, and Jesus is good. As we join with his church (his people) in knowing him, we discover that the circumstances that seemingly brought great pain and torment into our lives were the very circumstances that God was using to draw us into relationship with himself.

Thus, the book of Ruth is the story of God's incredible grace in using Elimelech's flight to Moab, the death of Naomi and Ruth's husbands, and the poverty they faced to bring Ruth, a Moabite woman that would have died apart from God in pagan land, to a place of relationship with himself and a part of his son Jesus' lineage.

Read the story click here.

1 Judges 21:25, 17:6, 18:1
2 Matthew 28:20

The Book of Ruth

2009-09-12T20:08:00.000-04:00

Two women struggle through fear, devastation, death, doubt, and famine while holding onto to each other and learning that there is a God who always provides. Share their journey as we sojourn through the book of Ruth and discover the power of commitment, waiting, and love.

Sundays September 20 & 27 10:30AM // 1PM @ Fenway Church

Meeting @ 69 Kilmarnock Street Boston

Our History Through Sept. 12, 2009

2009-09-12T13:49:00.000-04:00

In February 2005, I had been living in a studio apartment on Boylston Street next to the Fens for just over a month when I had a vision. God had already been speaking to me about church planting in Boston for almost a year, and I knew after spending 4 years going to school in the Fenway where I wanted to start. I moved to the Fenway mainly because couldn't imagine Jesus starting a church some where he didn't live. That month I had a vision. In the vision, I saw a light coming on in an apartment in a large brick apartment building along Boylston Street. I looked in the window, and I saw 3 or 4 people playing a guitar and worshipping Jesus. The people there had the door open and after a moment they began leaving to go knock on other people's doors. I could tell people in the building knew that worship was going on in that apartment. Suddenly, I saw a light go on in another building. Then, I saw multiple lights going on in the same buildings. I knew those initial worshippers were seeing others begin to worship Jesus. As the Fenway began to fill with these lights I heard God say to me, "Build a structure that can contain the coming revival."

That summer, I married Betsy - a radical Jesus follower and an amazing girl from Montana - who I had met while at Boston University. In the fall of 2005, we began a house church with the goal of "Proclaiming the kingdom, meeting the needs of a generation, and forming communities of the Spirit and power..." We saw people delivered from demons, the sick healed, people meeting Jesus, and a growing community of 20 people emerge. Much of our initial focus was on the 20,000+ college students that lived in the Fenway (some who would only be with us for a year or two).

In the spring of 2008, our team felt God leading us to begin meeting publicly on Sundays to have a visible proclamation point in Fenway of who Jesus is. In October 2008, we launched a Sunday meeting in a brand new local club in the heart of the Fenway - ironically called CHURCH. Over the next 7 months, we grew from a team of 20 people to a gathering of 60+ even going to two Sunday meeting during the spring semester of 2009 and baptizing four people. We received a fair amount of media interest with an independent film team documenting our journey for over a year and 2 articles in the Weekly Dig (Barstool Churches) and BU's Daily Free Press (A Church in a Bar). Our church became very involved in the community especially in partnering with Operation Peace to serve the Fenway neighborhood.

In a week, we will again launch a second meeting with meetings at 10:30am and 1pm on Sundays. I am more excited than ever to see more people experiencing Jesus at our meetings, worshipping in their apartments, serving the Fenway community, and learning what church is truly all about.

Learn more about us at www.fenwaychurch.org .

"Why We Do What We Do" Intro

2009-08-01T10:37:00.000-04:00

Many times we walk into a church and leave wondering why we just did what we did especially if it involved strange incantations or mystic dancing. Worse yet we might leave bored or disinterested from the formality or hype of it all. At Fenway Church, we hope that never happens (although it might)! Over the next month, we will listen to messages and participate in meals and discussions about why we do what we do and what it typically looks like at our gatherings. That way next time you find yourself jumping up and down at a service, shouting out at a prayer gathering, or listening to a guy preach at you from the stage of a club you will know just why you're doing it.

Sundays 10:30AM @ 69 Kilmarnock St. Boston
August 9 - "Why We Worship"
August 16 - "Why We Preach"
August 23 - "Why We Go" - Ralph Leo, missionary to Arabian Peninsula
August 30 - "Why We Give"
Septem. 6 - "Why We Pray"

"Why We Do What We Do" - Dinner & Discussions - Mondays @ 7pm
August 10 - September 7 @ 874 Beacon Street, 3rd floor
Please sign up for dinners on Sundays.