tribalgeneration

‘Amanecer X’ for a New Generation

Not long ago while walking around the streets of Santiago, Chile a group of young people caught my attention. Their different clothes and long, colored hair made them stand out as much as their singing and playing on the downtown streets. Imagine my surprise at their choice of songs—Christian songs! They are the new Christian generation of the country.

Stopping to talk with them, they said they follow Jesus, but not in the traditional evangelical way of the older generations. They are committed to reach those that will never go to a traditional church. Their surprising response sparked my desire to research this phenomenon throughout Latin America.

Today Latin America is a young continent. Sixty percent of the population is between 1 and 34 years of age. 300 million people in this group are without any religious affiliation at all. This is the emerging generation people group that encompasses a variety of subcultures: hip hops, rockers and pops to mention a few.

Through my research I found that the church today is doing almost nothing to reach this generation. This group in Chile left the evangelical church because they did not feel welcome. The challenge to the church is what to do? What do we need to do to reach this new culture, or do we just forget them?

Enter their web site at your own risk!

New places for sharing spirituality

With the up coming Emergent gathering in Nashville here is an excerpt from a local news web site:
Robbie Cheuvront made an unusual request before he started to play praise songs at a recent gathering of the young adult ministry of the Fairview Church. He reminded everyone to remember Mike, the bartender, and tip him well.
The group, which calls itself The Savage Generation, meets once a month at The Lady Godiva Pub, 300 N. Maple St. in Lebanon, to reach out to 20-somethings who are interested in talking about God in an unchurchlike atmosphere. More and more, church groups are meeting in bars or other nontraditional locations to reach out to people who might feel a little intimidated by churches and those who don't feel spiritual in traditional settings.
Read More

On the road again

Mike Steele and I find ourselves in the first regional House church Conference in Simi Valley CA. over 60 leaders gathering to share their stories. Truly it's a blessing to be here and see what it is the Lord is doing in the networks around CA. – More later

24-7Prayer

Been reading more on the 24-7 Prayer movement here are some excerpts from thier web page

Q. WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?
Simple really... 24-7 has become a worldwide, non-stop prayer movement. There are 3 dimensions to the movement:

First of all we're a network of Prayer Rooms determined to pray like it all depends on us and live like it all depends on God until the tide turns in our generation
A Missions movement quickly arose out of the Prayer Rooms as we received requests to take Teams to 'high places' in youth culture.
We also run Boiler Rooms - houses of continual prayer (24-7-365) like Gen X monastries.

Q. HOW DO THE PRAYER ROOMS WORK?
Participating groups pledge to pray 24 hours a day for a week or more in a dedicated prayer-room. They then 'carry the baton of prayer' for that period. The prayer passes from location to location in a never ending flow linked up by the Worldwide Web. We are a virtual community praying in real locations. Right now someone, somewhere is praying 24-7.

March Madness

March brings with it the excitement of the basket ball madness, personally I am a football fan so basket ball doesn’t quite do it for me. It does however mess up my Thursday night programs!! This has been an eventful month for the Porteous clan, we found out this week that our immigration visa’s have been approved which will now allow us to remain in the USA indefinitely.

As a result of the approval I have been asked to work more closely with Mike Steele. I have had the privilege to walk with Mike these past few months and truly learning much of what it takes to develop church planting networks. I realize I have much to learn, there are many parallels between simple church thinking and what is happening in the emerging generation. Can we see a church, a gathering of believers, within easy access of every person in the USA, world? Will the incarnated presence of Christ change the “pockets of lostness”. Yes and amen!

7 years and a few months ago there was a certain young women who threw caution to the wind and decided to embark on a life adventure with a man that she had not fully come to know, but with the faith and confidence of the Life giver she gave herself to this man willing to lay down her dreams for an unknown future.

Mary, my beloved wife and mother of my son Joel, and expectant mother of we are yet to find out … soon I hope, is the glue, the gel, the anchor that holds our family together with love and commitment. What blesses me most about this Gift that I have been given from the Gift giver is that she has been willing to GO on whatever adventure the Sending one has called us to be.

I write this today in acknowledgement of my deep love for her and the joy of having her by my side as we continue on this adventure serving the Master and Lord of Creation. Surely and most defiantly he who finds a wife, finds a good thing.

An Epic Adventure

A band of brothers left the foothills of Colorado Springs to join hearts together in finding out the power of uniqueness

It all started with 7 stories, accomplishments that we had enjoyed doing.. We spent 3 days in a remote prayer house in the mountains near Denver. For me it was a blessing to get to know these brothers and the life stories they carried. John White did an excellent job at facilitating the group helping us to dig a little deeper.

Each in there own uniqueness shared from their life, stories that gave me insight into the very heart and nature of the men that God has brought around me.

The book, “The Power of Uniqueness” has incredible insights that took us on a journey to discover the inner man that God has meant us to be..

Virus

Today I sit with a group of leaders in Ft Collins to discuss Organic Dawn. The morning started with a breakfast at the hotel where we anticipated the things of the day. One of the guys related a story about early century viruses, a well know physician realized that viruses where lying around and the thing that catalyzed the virus or caused it to take root was the readiness of the host. The host was the defining factor that either caused the virus to rapidly spread or not.

This message of the Gospel will spread like the early viruses if the Hosts are ready for it to take root and spread.

Deeply Moved

As i am sure many of you that have seen this epic picture, i write this entry today with few words to describe the emotions that continue to swirl within the very core of my being. I come away from this film with a deeper desire and determination to engage with the living Christ that i knew, and continue to want to know. A deep conviction of my own sin and the need to be broken before Him. I sat with my wife and son this morning on our bed as we watched the news, a clip came on and again i found myself weeping, this movie of the depiction of final hours of the Christ that we love and serve by far has been the most impactful experience that i have had in any movie house.

My heart is tender, I desire to enter into a relationship with God that goes to a level far deeper than i have yet experienced.

My good friend John Dale has a great review on his blog, i cant even read it now without being submerged into the emotions that are stirred by the very reading of this review

Resources

I am still navigating through the tools of typed and the more i get used to its features the more i like it. One of the challenging aspects of this "bogging thing" is having something smart to say! For those that may know me that is not my makeup so as on any pilgrimage there may be an end destination in sight but what ever happens along the way we are just going to have to wait and find out!! I am adding a Resource section to my "Type list" and will do my best to share what resources i am finding that may be helpful tools for aspiring God seekers who would like to start or strengthen communities of believers.