The ACTS Group
Activating Unified Gospel Initiatives
Praying and Rooting
A foundation for the ACTS Group from 2012 has been "prayer first". CityPRAYS has continued to carry a torch for prayer in the Sacramento, CA region and members of the team have traveled to other areas of the country - and other countries around the world - engaging in healing and transforming prayer. I am encouraged by the establishment of a weekly prayer night for this region on Saturdays being hosted in Rancho Cordova, CA. All over the nation, people are using the Seek God for the City prayer guide during lent to learn how to pray for cities and communities and people. Prayer was the foundation of the SEND gathering in Orlando, Florida February 23 that propelled and mobilized gospel action among the 53,000 gathered and the many more tens of thousands watching live stream.
When we pray, our hearts are warmed in love and our attitudes begin to be aligned with other Christians who are faithfully seeking to lead and serve in their communities. Cooperation around gospel initiatives is another foundation stone of the ACTS Group and is expressing itself in many ways. The book, Rooting for Rivals, has gained momentum on how we can practice Kingdom generosity as we serve in common causes. Ministries like Link2Lift are practically working this out in cities and communities. The Exponential Conference is emphasizing what they call the "missing piece" of our calling. We know to "go" Matthew 28:18-20 and to "love" Matthew 22:37-39, but we must add the "missing piece" to do it "together" John 17:22,23. Go, love, together is our calling in Jesus. The breakthrough is together.
The rest of this newsletter is meant to encourage you in Prayer and in Cooperating with other like minded Christians!
TRANSFORMED! A Conference on Personal Freedom and Connection
The Transforming Hearts Conference that is coming to Sacramento is designed to help participants on their road to freedom and love in all aspects of their lives.
CityPRAYS leader Judy Trent-Whitnack shares that "the prayed for outcome of the conference is for the Lord to provide noticeable movement of blockages in people's lives, and acceleration in the spiritual and emotional health of the Body of Christ. This will increase the effectiveness, connectedness and depth of all kinds of ministry in the Sacramento region and other places participants are coming from throughout California.
Transforming Hearts is a unique ministry with a focus on helping people overcome the things in life - and in our inner world - that encumber us from receiving the fullness of God’s grace, mercy, love, healing and wholeness. With a wonderful mixture of teaching, testimonies and modeling, Pastors Leroy and Jeanne Dillon walk participants through teachings from the Bible, giving insight to the spiritual dynamics and God’s provision of “a way out” of the things that bind us. The Dillons walk in a gentle and strong authority to walk people through the most difficult places of their lives without them feeling shamed, judged or condemned.
Register here for the conference happening April 25-27th!
Seek God for the City & the Local Church
Real Life Church in Natomas, CA is using the Seek God for the City app and guide book to teach the church to pray for the different spheres of authority in the city, and to pray for the nations of the world. From March 10 to April 14, church members are being encouraged to be in their chairs for worship 15 minutes early to pray with a live stream (www.prayercast.com) for the different countries and the peoples of the earth to know Jesus.
Real Life is one of thousands of churches on this journey. Waymakers has been encouraging churches for over 25 years in this prayer journey. The development of an app to guide the user has been a breakthrough. Like any app designed for phones and tablets, each user must download the app directly from the app store for their device, either iOS/Apple or Android. Go to waymakers.org/app for the direct links. Every user will need to buy the app for only 99¢.
Rooting for Rivals
Author Peter Greer did a great service to the church and the leadership of Christian Organizations in writing the book Rooting for Rivals. Now, groups of leaders all over the place are grabbing hold of these concepts and changing how they work. Greg Squires, president of the Parable Group, has a role as one of the conveners of the SLO Pastors Network and is getting copies of the book for the 30 pastors who meet in that group. In the San Francisco Bay Area, Transforming the Bay with Christ is having Peter Greer come and share with leaders on April 23 in a long lunch meeting at Peninsula Covenant Church. Nearby? You can register here.
Changing the Way We Educate
Across the country, we hear of school districts in distress. While per student spending has increased, the results and the direct engagement of students through teachers has declined. More money is not the answer, it is changing how we teach and shape lives. The rise of alternative school experiences, charter schools and even home schooling has been changing the conversation and challenging the status quo that usually means hardship for the most vulnerable in our urban centers.
The Imagine Charter School is just one example of this. In environments where elementary children are on perilous trajectories towards poverty, crime, pregnancies, social assistance, gang, drugs, violence, and incarceration, they have rallied high powered community partners including universities, professors, pediatricians, and the areas finest nonprofits serving children and their families to present new alternatives.
Director Richard Moore states that “we intend to disrupt the trajectory of the most vulnerable children in the Twin Rivers district.” The goal is to help the students struggling the most, not the students who are the best and the brightest. All must be given the opportunity to succeed. While they await a vote of the Trustees on April 9, they are continuing to work and build bridges with community and teachers.
Learn more about Every School Partnership.
National Conferences and MissionHUB
You can make your contribution to The ACTS Group
The ACTS Group continues to do our work based on the support of individual and church financial partnership. Monthly partners help us to plan with confidence the work that we can do. If you have been aware of this ministry and never made a contribution, we encourage you to do so now here. Monthly giving partners are particularly helpful. If you would be willing to join our monthly donors, please contact Merisa Moy at merisa@actsonline.net and she will help you through the simple process.
The ACTS Group is...
activating unified gospel initiatives in communities and cities. Gospel-based activators provide expertise, guidance, training and outcome tracking that helps leaders accelerate unified movement in their local community and spheres of cultural influence in the city.
Email: info@actsonline.net
Website: actsonline.net
Location: 1100 Blue Ravine Road, Folsom, CA, United States
Phone: (916)836-7123
Facebook: facebook.com/TheActsGroup
Twitter: @TheActsGroup