The disciples weren't the only ones who have struggled with the depth of truth Jesus taught. We love the aspects of Jesus the Savior reconciling the world to God, of settling our debts and removing our condemnation, of bringing us into His life and giving us the word of reconciliation. But sometimes we’re not as excited about His payment for sin when we’re talking about other people’s sins against us. What about the aspect of Jesus being the reconciler—the satisfactory reconciliation—of our debtors?

Years ago, one of my best friends and co-laborers went off the deep end. It got so bad that he threatened a lawsuit against the church we had worked on together. We received legal advice and decided to pay him; it was cheaper than winning. Reluctantly, we paid. I could hardly believe I was awake during this nightmare.

Then, someone stepped in and reimbursed us. The person actually added a little more to round out the numbers. And I was faced with a soul-gouging question: “What am I going to do about forgiveness now?”

The offense had been paid in full, and then some. I couldn’t be mad about the money. It had been replenished. I couldn’t even be mad about our relationship, because now that I wasn’t distracted with the small stuff, I could see the bigger picture: the pain of my friend, the self-inflicted suffering he was enduring and the triumph of our “true enemy,” who erroneously thought he had beaten both of us.

Two thousand years ago, there was that one sacrifice on the cross, and God counted it satisfactory for all time.

So, what about us? Will we respond like God? Will Jesus’ one payment be enough? Or will we still struggle to withhold what was perfectly done? If we see forgiveness as a work completely accomplished—sin settled and a little more—then we will grant it, immediately, with or without other people's apologies, and be free to see things as they are.

To this day, I have never been asked by my friend for forgiveness. However, I smile when I see him in church and working alongside us again in full restoration, because I profited from my experience with him, in so many ways.

Jesus is the reconciler of all our trespasses and all the trespasses done against us. So the next time you’re pushed and shoved—and there will always be a next time, because people always will be people—forgive freely and quickly. You can be sure there’s profit in it for you!

By: Cere Muscarella, senior pastor at Life Church in Angleton, Texas

Share your journey through the Gospels » Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads reads through the Gospels! Download the reading plan bookmarks for 2012, and you can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights and inspiration from Foursquare leaders around the world.

Internationally renowned worship leader and songwriter Matt Redman will lead corporate worship during the evening general sessions. Eric Diaz—worship leader with the Hispanic congregation at The Rock (Anaheim Foursquare Church) in Anaheim, Calif., and previously the worship leader at Angelus Temple Hispanic Foursquare Church in Los Angeles—will lead worship during the morning sessions.

Of specific interest to pastors and worship leaders this year will be focused time during the morning Connection Tracks with Matt and Eric, along with a collaborative group of Foursquare worship leaders. Matt and Eric will be leading a Connection Track focused on worship and songwriting. One of their primary goals is to connect worship leaders from every level of experience, and encourage an ongoing network of Foursquare worship leaders following the gathering in Phoenix.

“Our Foursquare family has something that worship leaders can benefit from,” Eric affirms. Simply put, it’s spending time with one another. He says senior pastors look forward to connecting with other senior pastors, and this is often what draws them to Connection each year. He believes worship leaders also appreciate the opportunity to build relationships with veteran leaders in their field. This year’s Connection Track on worship will encourage those relationships to begin, and to become stronger.

Songwriters who pre-register for the worship Connection Track may submit songs prior to Foursquare Connection 2012 for a possible opportunity to share their original work during the session. The track will also include a panel of worship leaders who will answer questions and engage discussion about other ways Foursquare leaders can network and support one another.

Among the Foursquare worship leaders who are planning this year’s Connection Track is David Dirmann, senior associate pastor at The Rock in Anaheim. David has always had a passion for raising up young worship leaders, and spent a number of years teaching music at Life Pacific College.

David hopes the connection made between worship leaders in Phoenix will have long-lasting benefits for them and for the churches they serve. He would love to see worship leaders sharing original music and building lifelong, healthy relationships through which they may continually learn from one another.

Connection organizers say this year’s worship track is just one more way to keep the “connection” in Foursquare Connection 2012.

Full Foursquare Connection 2012 details, including early-bird registration rates, are available online.

By: Rod Light, an ordained Foursquare minister and educator in Los Angeles

There are now 1,752 Foursquare churches in the U.S., with 6,798 credentialed ministers serving at churches and in the field.

The following reported data was confirmed by the Foursquare board of directors between January 5–January 26.

Churches
 

Church Closings (Permanent*) — 9
 

• Boulder Downtown Foursquare Church in Lafayette, Colo. (Gateway District)
• Bridgeport Hispanic Foursquare Church in Bridgeport, Wash. (Northwest District)
• Centro Cristiano Gerizim (Chino Hills Spanish Foursquare Church) in Chino Hills, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Dios es Amor Foursquare Church (Anaheim Hispanic 4 Foursquare Church) in Anaheim, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Hermosa (Watsonville Foursquare Church) in Aptos, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Life-Power Family Church (Tulsa North Foursquare Church) in Tulsa, Okla. (MidSouth District)
• Lifestream Worship Center (Norwalk Foursquare Church) in Norwalk, Calif. (Greater Los Angeles District)
• Redeemer’s Way Church (Locust Grove Foursquare Church) in Jenkinsburg, Ga. (Southeast District)
• The Rock (Henderson East Foursquare Church) in Las Vegas, Nev. (Southwest District)
   

Church Anniversaries (50+ years) — 2
 

• Chatsworth Foursquare Church in Chatsworth, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District) — 60 years
• The Walk (Tampa Foursquare Church) in Tampa, Fla. (Southeast District) — 50 years

Total U.S. Foursquare Churches — 1,752
Total Attendance of the U.S. Foursquare Churches — 250,761

Pastors
 

Senior Pastoral Appointments to Established Foursquare Churches — 10
 

• Joe Cude to Praise Fellowship (Lake Havasu City Foursquare Church) in Lake Havasu City, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Will Fillingham to The Bridge (Christiansburg Foursquare Church) in Christiansburg, Va. (Mid-Atlantic District)
• Cory Garrett to Storehouse Family Worship Center (Casselberry Foursquare Church) in Fern Park, Fla. (Southeast District)
• Mark Hladek to Grace Community (Merced Foursquare Church) in Merced, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Charles Moody to Family Worship Center (Libby North Foursquare Church) in Libby, Mont. (Great Northern District)
• Rob Noland to Restoring Place (Chester Hope Foursquare Church) in Chester, S.C. (Southeast District)
• Jeff Padgett to Trinity Christian Center (Artesia Foursquare Church) in Artesia, Calif. (Greater Los Angeles District)
• Yolanda Ramirez to Iglesia Cristiana Remanso De Paz (Warner Robins Hispanic Foursquare Church) in Warner Robins, Ga. (Southeast District)
• Aaron Redshaw to New Hope (Scotts Valley Foursquare Church) in Scotts Valley, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Ricky Temple to The Church On The Way (Van Nuys Foursquare Church) in Van Nuys, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District)

Credentialed Minister Retirements — 10
 

• Larry Briney in Fresno, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Sonia Bringas in Cerritos, Calif. (Greater Los Angeles District)
• Thel Bringas in Cerritos, Calif. (Greater Los Angeles District)
• Jack Christman in Lewisville, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Ethel Conard in Elephant Butte, N.M. (MidSouth District)
• Owen Conard Jr. in Elephant Butte, N.M. (MidSouth District)
• Lawrence Cooper in Hemet, Calif. (Southwest District)
• Don Knapp in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho (Northwest District)
• Lynn Knapp in Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho (Northwest District)
• James Sommer in Twin Falls, Idaho (Great Northern District)

Total Credentialed/Licensed Ministers  — 6,798

* Closings: Churches are not permanently closed until assets are sold or transferred.

Rev. Myron M. Corser Jr.
Deceased: January 2, 2012
Last appointment: retired, MidSouth District

Rev. Geoffrey L. Nelson
Deceased: January 4, 2012
Last appointment: Central Office/Foursquare Missions International

Rev. A. Wendell St. Clair
Deceased: December 24, 2011
Last appointment: retired, Central Pacific District
 

A. The grief you express about the condition of the world is exactly like what God feels. Evil has invaded His creation with loss, destruction and death. How has this happened? You shouldn’t be surprised when I tell you our race is responsible.

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s instructions for living, they opened the door and let in all sorts of terrible “insects.” Evil got inside! And evil continues to plague our world, because people keep the door open to it.

Unfortunately, our culture has an incomplete understanding of the specific forces in the world that are dead-set against God’s life-filled purposes. The Bible describes four categories of death-dealing evil, and a quick review of them may help explain why terrible things keep happening on this planet.

The World: Like a driver who refused to follow directions, the world is on the wrong course. It is heading where God never intended it to go, so “wrong” is where things usually end up. People suffer and die and do terrible things because the whole planet is surrounded with a diseased atmosphere.

Long ago, mankind failed as stewards of this planet and gave it into the hands of the devil (see Gen. 3). The world was kidnapped into futility (see Rom. 8:20). It fell under the cruel influence of Satan (see 1John 5:19), and it now sabotages life with disease, violence and emptiness.

The Flesh: Everyone has appetites. We want air and food. If those appetites are not satisfied, they can become all-consuming. When we’re really “starved” for food, we eat almost anything!

On the spiritual side of things, we also have appetites. Collectively, they are called the flesh, and our flesh craves and lusts after satisfaction, regardless of consequences.

People do many terrible things to keep their flesh happy. Like a spoiled 9-year-old child, the flesh likes to be in charge. To get what it wants, or to show its displeasure when it doesn’t get its way, it generates problems such as jealousy, anger, envy, addiction and quarrels (see Gal. 5:19-21).

The Force of Sin: Our ancestors knew no evil until they ate the forbidden fruit (see Gen. 3:7), but the moment they disobeyed, our world was invaded by an invisible power. It bent human hearts toward evil. It was like a malignant infection spreading death and misery everywhere.

God warned that it would seize every opportunity to ambush us with evil desire (see Gen. 4:7). I call it the sin-force. Sin is more than just an individual act or thought; it is also a power at work in our world. It acts like a giant spider, catching our thoughts and feelings in deceitful webs to drain us of the good life God wants for us.

The Evil-Spirited: Though our Western culture scoffs at the existence of a spiritual dimension, we know the unseen world is real. The “spiritual forces of wickedness” in the heavenlies create staggering amounts of ruin and wrongness in life (see 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 6:12).

Just myriad angels are sent by the Lord to minister to us (see Heb. 1:14), so a smaller number of evil-spirited beings afflict people with unexplainable mental torment and heartache. Like traces of toxic chemicals seeping from a waste site, causing deformity, disease and death, the evil-spirited weave their way into the human psyche and the human condition.

God’s longing for people to be saved for eternity is stronger than His grief about the condition of our world right now. If He eliminated all evil, He would need to erase all life like He did in the flood. So He chooses to be patient with the evil condition of our race in order to rescue more of us for heaven.

By: Daniel A. Brown, Ph.D., founding pastor of The Coastlands (Aptos Foursquare Church) in Aptos, Calif., and Commended to The Word (CTW), a ministry through which he develops resources to mentor believers in spiritual leadership.

Shortly after accepting the pastorate, I began to look around town at vacant facilities that could house our growing congregation. We had overstayed our welcome at the local middle school and needed to find permanent digs. Questions emerged: Where? What will it cost? Do we build from scratch or remodel something existing?

In looking for a meeting place, I remembered a vacant drug store in the center of the city. We met with a relator and looked inside. And so, at 27, I went into my first council meeting as the new senior pastor and presented the proposal of purchasing a $750,000 shell of a building.

We went on to purchase that facility, and engaged in an architectural process and a full remodel. It was a really exciting time for our church and its young pastor. Actually, let me be frank: I was scared and didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

But I did have a simple, confirming word from the Lord: “John, this will be a no-brainer in terms of your future and the future of this church. This will pave the way for bigger decisions, facilities, budgets and issues that you will deal with. Learn everything you can now so that you are better prepared for the future.”

God was right. I would learn a few things. Here are some of the lessons gained in my first building project as a 27-year-old senior pastor.

No. 1: It’ll Take Longer Than You Think

Every pastor wants the new building to be up and running by one of the biggest-attended services of the year, such as Easter, which my buddies and I call Super Bowl Sunday for church. We want our community to walk into a freshly painted, tastefully decorated, newly unveiled facility and say: “Wow, this is amazing! We’ll be back next week!”

Well, it didn’t happen by a long shot. Easter came and went. Six months later, we finally got a conditional use permit to meet in the building. But it didn’t have carpet, staging or paint.

The lesson for me was to set realistic goals and then be flexible. It’s like going on an overseas missions trip. No matter how many plans you make, it never goes as anticipated. Something will invariably go wrong or slow things down. Go with the flow and trust God’s sovereignty in these matters.

No. 2: It’s Best to Stick to Preaching

One day during the remodel, the general contractor challenged me: “You know, Pastor, God has given us both tools. He gave you a Bible, and He gave me a hammer. Let me use my hammer to build this church, so that you can use your Bible to build it too.” In a nutshell, he was saying: “Get outta here so we can both do our jobs!”

My driving thought had been that if I was onsite every day, the project would get done more quickly. I would often get in the middle of it all with the singular goal of “spurring one another unto love and … a finished church.”

The lesson for me was to let the builders build, the painters paint and the preachers preach. A general contractor is worth his or her weight in gold-tipped framing nails.

Don’t buy into the garbage that the senior pastor would make the best general contractor. You make the best senior pastor; believe me, to try to do both effectively is ministry suicide and ultimately doesn’t serve the church very well.

No. 3: Measure Twice, Cut Once

I picked up this carpenter’s slogan during our remodel project: “Measure twice, cut once.” This makes good sense. It’s always regrettable when a project moves too fast and key aspects are overlooked.

One of the lessons I learned was that we should have taken a little extra time and spent a little extra money in the beginning to design and equip our facility exactly the way we wanted. In an effort to save a little bit of money and speed up the process, we sacrificed important functions and took shortcuts. Going back and trying to retrofit things ultimately cost the church much more than if we had done it properly to begin with.

No. 4: Prepare for Sticker Shock

Count on this: The project will cost at least $100,000 more than you planned on spending. Note the key words: “at least.” No matter how you slice it, dice it or spreadsheet it, you will likely be over budget.

This can happen for an array of reasons. Perhaps certain aspects of the project weren’t thought of initially. Maybe the cost of materials went up during the process. In the case of remodels, challenges might be uncovered as you go, such as finding layers of dry rot.

Plan for it. Pray about it. Talk it over often with your leadership so it can be both expected and funded in a healthy, non-threatening way. It would be so unfortunate to get down to the wire and not be able to finish the project or occupy the property.

No. 5: Limit the Size of Committees

If only our people would take as great an interest in the doctrine of sanctification or justification as they do in the color, grade, cost and consistency of the sanctuary carpet! Thankfully, the congregation I was serving gave very little input into the carpet choice.

It was, however, enough of an issue that I was led to create a policy regarding the choosing of carpet. It is drawn directly from Scripture: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20, NKJV).

I realize this is a radical misinterpretation of this passage, but don’t miss the lesson I learned. Limit the size of the group to choose carpet (and many other decisions) to “two or three,” and that is it. This group size is perfect for decision-making. It doesn’t need to be a huge committee (or, worse yet, the whole congregation), and choices aren’t left to the whim of one.

These are a few of the many lessons gained in my first pastorate. God was right when he spoke those vital words to my heart about how they would prepare me for the future.

You see, in 2008, we accepted a call from the Lord to assume the pastorate of a larger congregation in Oregon. This congregation had just moved into a new, large facility. The cost for the church campus was substantial, and the debt was great. I entered into a season of bigger decisions, facilities, budgets and issues.

I am grateful to the Lord for teaching me lessons along the way. Like King David, I gained the wisdom and courage to take on the “Goliaths” from taking on the “bears and lions.”

By: John Fehlen, senior pastor of West Salem Foursquare Church in Salem, Ore.

At His birth, Mary’s Son was named Jesus (Savior), a name supernaturally given to Joseph in a dream predicting that He would save His people from their sins.

In his first few chapters, Mark clearly teaches that Jesus the Savior provides salvation (deliverance) from demons (1:23-26, 29; 5:1-20), sickness (1:29-34, 40-45), sin (2:5), legalism (2:23-28), barrenness (4:1-9), danger (4:35-41; 6:45-52) and death (5:21-43). 

The psalmist wrote, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1, NKJV). We need light, because we are blinded to our sinful condition as well as God’s wonderful remedy for it. Jesus reveals Himself as our salvation; for those fearful that they could never live the Christian life, He also reveals Himself as the strength of our lives. 

Rather than being a warm, cozy feeling, our salvation is a person—Jesus Christ. 

When Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to the temple to present Him to the Lord, a devout elderly Jew, Simeon, held the baby in his arms and said, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation” (Luke 2:29-30). The salvation lying in Simeon’s arms now lives in our hearts! 

John Wesley said of baby Jesus, “He was God contracted to a span.” This little 18-inch-long, dark-haired, dark-eyed baby was God in flesh. He had made the ground His mother walked upon, the water she drank, and the air she breathed. Rather than coming to Earth to simply masquerade as a man, He became a specific identifiable human being with a name, rank and serial number.

Today Jesus the Savior still seeks to save the lost. This One Who is “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Heb. 13:8) is still able, willing, ready and anxious to meet the needs of all who come to Him. As surely as He delivered those referenced in Mark 1-7 who were troubled by demonic powers, sickness, sin, religious legalism, barrenness, danger and fear of death, our Savior does the same today.

In agreement with the hymn writer we say, "Hallelujah, what a Savior!" 

By: Harold Helms, pastor, educator, and church administrator for over 50 years. He was senior pastor of the historic Angelus Temple in Los Angeles for 18 years; served on the International Board of The Foursquare Church; served as vice president for 13 years; and served as interim president for one year. He continues to minister out of Bakersfield, Calif., where he and his wife, Winona, now live.

Share your journey through the Gospels » Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads reads through the Gospels! Download the reading plan bookmarks for 2012, and you can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights and inspiration from Foursquare leaders around the world.

“After 16 years in Europe, my wife and I both sensed that we had entered into a transition phase, something we had learned to recognize over the years,” Marc tells Foursquare.org. “Kathy was feeling very strongly that our time in Europe was finished and that we were to return to family and American culture. The Lord opened doors for that to happen.”

Following a season of pastoring in Hillsboro, Ore., and a sabbatical, Marc and Kathy planted Generations. Meeting on the campus of an elementary school, the fledgling congregation of nearly 40 members has already become very active in their community. Marc serves as lead pastor, Kathy as an assisting minister. Two of their three adult sons, who live close by, are helping with the church plant, as well.

Generations has conducted music outreaches in secular venues such as restaurants and malls, using talented, professional musicians. These events, Marc says, allow church members to mingle with people in the community and invite them to church services. The congregation has also done beautification of a service club and school facilities.

It’s all about building a band of disciples, Marc says, who are motivated by the transforming love of Jesus to be change agents in their world on a daily basis—to find and express God’s heart for the community and everyone they see. In addition, he notes that the congregation’s name, Generations, is not mere window dressing; it’s a key value in the church’s mission.

“We want to develop a band of leaders who are inter-generationally focused,” Marc explains, “not simply including new generations to help us do our thing, but focusing on releasing them to do God’s thing in and through them.”

Doing God’s thing—recognizing His voice and following His lead—is something Marc has experienced personally and can model for others. He shares, for example, about a time many years ago when he was leaving the gym and, as soon as he walked outside, felt prompted by the Holy Spirit to go back inside and invite one of the young men he had seen—a total stranger—to lunch. Marc hesitated at first, fearing how weird it would seem, but ultimately obeyed what he believed God had told him.

To Marc’s surprise, the young man accepted the lunch invitation, and they went to a nearby diner. Over time, they got to know each other. The man started attending the church Marc was then pastoring and gave his life to Christ. Due to a new job opportunity, however, he soon moved to the other side of the state.

“We didn’t see each other or hear of each other for another 10 years,” Marc recalls, “until I received a call from him one day after we had departed for missions ministry in Europe. He had tracked me down, and wanted to thank me for being obedient to the Holy Spirit and leading him to Christ. He said he was now serving Jesus as a Presbyterian pastor.”

Absolutely nothing excites Marc more, as he puts it, “than seeing a life connected to Jesus for the first time, experiencing in his or her spirit His love, forgiveness and gift of eternal life—being hugged by the Father into His eternal family.”

Equally satisfying, he notes, is watching people embrace God’s truth in ways that not only change their lives, but also the lives of those around them. Such transformation started in his own life when he accepted Christ and was baptized in the Holy Spirit at age 17, and he has observed God do the same for others time and time again.

Musically gifted, Marc’s passion to share Christ after he was saved was soon channeled through participation with the “Jesus bands” of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Singing in churches, schools, parks, camps, rock festivals and prisons, Marc and his friends witnessed true historic revival.

“Wherever we went, young people turned to Jesus,” Marc, now 59, recalls. “Youth groups either developed or grew, and many future leaders and pastors came into the kingdom of God. This set the course for a lifetime passion of kingdom ministry.”

That passion includes mentoring the younger generation, a value to which Marc has always held and one that is key to his new congregation in Woodinville. And with that, he offers some great insight to pastors who want to successfully disciple others and experience a ministry that multiplies.

“Look for gold in everyone,” Marc asserts first. “It’s there. God put it there. It’s been buried under layers of negativity, sin and lost identities, the dirt and rocks of this fallen world.”

Second, he conveys, we must love, believe in, and invest personal time into those God draws to our attention as “multiplying leaders.” It is important, he asserts, to develop “authentic relationships that build trust, honesty and an excitement about the future of kingdom growth as these individuals blossom in ministry.”

Marc also shares a lesson that, he says, is one he needlessly learned the hard way and hopes will prevent other pastors from experiencing burnout: We need to take care of ourselves and the ministries God has entrusted to us, so that our “modeling of Jesus-likeness is not only authentic, but also consistent and sustained.”

Finally, he gives perhaps the best advice of all, simple yet profound, and an important reminder to us all: “Let the Grace of Jesus Christ overwhelm your life!”

Do that, and you may be surprised by where God will take you.

By: Bill Shepson, a Foursquare credentialed minister and freelance writer in Los Angeles

He had no difficulty with believing Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God. But Peter couldn’t imagine that Jesus’ life would end as the Savior described in Matthew 16. The image of Jesus being brutally tortured and killed by evil men could not register in his soul.

I imagine Peter saying to himself: “This can’t be true; it must be another test to see if we’re paying attention. This is not the God I know!” 

Peter's sharp rebuke of the Master in Matthew 16:22 only exposes the struggle we all have in trying to make sense of a God who could make such an unbelievable demand. Jesus’ response was “unthinkable” to Peter. 

So what happens when the road in front of us entails an unusual amount of pain, suffering and sacrifice? When it goes beyond the boundaries of what seems reasonable or fair, how will we respond? Can we follow the Lord down a road that appears unredeemable?

Peter struggled to believe God’s plan could entail the torture and death of His Son. What good could come from such a messed-up situation? How could Jesus allow Himself to go along with this plan? Peter must have had a hundred ideas that sounded better to him than this one.

But Jesus declared: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:24-25, NKJV).

The cross was the unthinkable road before Jesus. The true power and purpose of His life lie at the end of that road.

Resurrection, life and power lie at the end of the unthinkable road.

Several times along our discipleship pathway, we will find ourselves staring down a road that challenges our perspective of what God can redeem for the good. Like Peter, we might ask, “How can this be God’s best plan, and how can He bring life out of this?” 

Be encouraged! We follow in the footsteps of a Savior who has already been down that road. In His resurrection, He redeemed our lives from the abyss of pointless suffering. 

Now, when we walk down the unthinkable road before us, we know what awaits us: everlasting life, unshakable faith, kingdom reward, transformed character, greater authority, increased intimacy with the Father and more! 

Thank you, Jesus!

What unthinkable road lies before you? What reality pushes the limits of your faith? It may be that you are at one of those discipleship moments right now.

Praise the Lord, for He is good! His love endures forever!

By: Ryan Oddo, senior pastor The Bridge (Rancho Margarita South Foursquare Church) in Rancho Margarita, Calif.

Share your journey through the Gospels » Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads reads through the Gospels! Download the reading plan bookmarks for 2012, and you can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights and inspiration from Foursquare leaders around the world.

When KFSG first went on the air, thousands of fans registered emphatic and vigorous protest because some non-selective sets were not able to tune out the new station, but that is ancient history now. Most of the people wouldn’t tune KFSG out now if they could.

This is a personal narrative of a church that not only brings the people to it by the thousands, but also goes to the people by the hundreds of thousands in their homes, the rugged mountain peaks, the whirling sands of the desert, the tramp steamer on the high seas—everywhere, in fact, that the Word of God can go.

Aimee Semple McPherson knows human psychology. Or, more properly speaking perhaps, she knows the practical application of everyday psychology. Her programs include masterful benedictions, messages of cheer and inspiration, powerful and penetrating sermons, testimonials delivered with a punch and vigor, and healing services of faith and power. But the thing that stamps Angelus Temple as different in radio annals is the uniqueness and beauty of the musical programs.

Surely radio has a multitude of uses. The day of miracles is not over, and such an unprecedented opportunity for preaching has never been known. Angelus Temple also receives church members by radio. In Angelus Temple, the congregation hears the pastor saying, “Do you pledge to live clean Christian lives for God?” Immediately comes the overwhelming response, “We do.”

The congregations in the outlying districts hear the queries from the Temple through the receiving sets, and immediately their answer is dispatched back to the Temple via private telephone lines, amplified in the radio room and broadcast through the loudspeaker.

The stately dome of the Temple rises over the skyline of Echo Park and is now well established as a landmark of Los Angeles. On the roof, the imposing antenna towers are plainly visible, while the glass-enclosed operating room for the radio is nestled snugly on the top floor.

The Gray Studio, splendidly appointed, is used for afternoon programs of musical numbers furnished by individual artists and includes readings, sermonettes, as well as vocal and instrumental selections. From the main auditorium in the mornings are broadcast a special Sunshine Hour service, which is radioland’s very own. Then there are the regular church programs, twice on Sunday and on evenings, with the Temple always crowded and with thousands of radio church members listening in.

The initial cost of the station—some $25,000—was received from voluntary contributions. So also is the cost of upkeep. Every day in the year, a new patron of the radio church steps forward and pays the maintenance of the day. What more evidence can you desire of the fulfillment of a crying need in spiritual development? Not only has this been going on the past year, but already patrons are booked many months ahead to stand as sponsor of radio for a single day.

So this church that is never closed, with a radio that is seldom silent, continues to find new and novel channels for its activities. Vesper organ recitals, midnight musical programs, midday programs for shut-ins, sometimes a special midnight service especially for missionaries in far distant lands—all of these are but milestones for a congregation and a pastor that follow no beaten paths, but blaze trails of their own.

And the Radio Bible Class has become a natural adjunct to the radio services of KFSG. So many could not attend the church services, the Sunday School classes, or the resident Bible school, and today the Bible class—with lectures, printed outlines of courses and other necessary material—has become an indispensable part of Mrs. McPherson’s activities.

Go, if you can, to the Temple at any of its services. Perhaps you’d like Thursday nights, when an average of 100 people are baptized. Or maybe Wednesdays, with the testimonials. It makes no difference when you go. You will always find crowds waiting outside.

This great Cathedral of the Air reaches thousands who could not get to the Temple because of distance or infirmities. It also reaches those who cannot gain entrance, because no matter how large the structure becomes, it can never adequately accommodate all those who wish to enter.

Radio has saved thousands of lives on the seven seas, when ships in distress have flashed the fateful S.O.S. The call has always found a quick and willing response, for human lives were at stake. And now millions of distressed human souls, through radio, are finding an answering message of courage, hope, comfort and joy.

Download the original article as it appeared in Radio in the Home magazine (PDF, 2 MB)

This article is adapted from an editorial written by Ralph L. Power, titled “Angelus Temple Is Unique Among Broadcasters,” which appeared in Radio in the Home magazine in January 1925.

One day, my mother spoke to me about my conversations and behavior. She taught me a principle about forgiveness that I will never forget. 

She said: “Anyone who has offended you and that you have not forgiven controls you. Your mind is consumed with how you might get revenge or how you might cause that person to hurt as much as you hurt."

“They take power over your life,” she continued, “and guess what—they don’t even know it. No one deserves that much power.” 

My mother prayed with me and asked me to confess my sin of not forgiving this friend. In so doing, she taught me the Matthew 18 principle of forgiveness. I was free!

A group of friends brought a paralytic to Jesus, requesting healing. Everyone looked for the miraculous to occur; instead Jesus’ first response was, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you,” and later, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house” (see Matt. 9:1-8, NKJV). 

Forgiveness of sin is miraculous. But what did Jesus’ responses have to do with their request? 

It’s quite simple, really. Jesus didn’t just see a paralytic. Instead, He saw a man with hidden sin who needed forgiveness. Jesus saw sin that caused brokenness and sorrow. Addressing sin as the source of brokenness and physical pain is the core of Jesus’ work in us, especially as it relates to forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the act of exempting or releasing a guilty party from punishment, the act of extending freedom. Jesus forgives us of our sin; therefore, we must forgive others (see Matt. 6:12).

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. exemplified the power of forgiveness as he led powerfully and non-violently, peacefully with control, during times of social upheaval in this nation.

“Let freedom ring,” the clarion call of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech, was not solely looking to change political laws, but rather focused on the repentance of a nation to her God and His Word. It was about the reconciling of mankind to one another through repentance and forgiveness. 

By: Doretha O’Quinn, PhD, an ordained Foursquare minister, college professor and a member of the Foursquare cabinet.

Share your journey through the Gospels » Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads reads through the Gospels! Download the reading plan bookmarks for 2012, and you can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights and inspiration from Foursquare leaders around the world.

On March 20–22, 2012, both current and prospective Foursquare institute leaders will gather at Life Pacific College in San Dimas, Calif., for the 2012 Foursquare Institute Symposium.

The symposium will emphasize the theme “Training for Core Competencies” and will consist of keynote sessions, workshops, Emerging Leader Network (ELN) and Hispanic tracks, as well as fellowship and networking, according to Dan Hedges, Foursquare national director of education and leadership development.

“We are keeping step with our district and national leaders who are calling us to a higher level of training that will better meet the needs of our churches,” Dan affirms.

Dan says the significant question that must be answered is this: “What are these essential competencies, and how can we better equip new and established leaders with them in church-sponsored training?”

Registration cost for the symposium is $100. Hotel rates range from $103-$130 per night. For more information, contact Dan Hedges via email, or by calling 213.989.4258.

Download the Symposium 2012 registration form, (PDF, 59KB).

Download the Symposium 2012 flyer, (PDF, 1.9MB).

Bangkok, a city of over 9 million people and the nation’s capital, is a popular tourist destination and one of the world’s most exotic cities. In fact, in 2011, Travel + Leisure magazine named Bangkok “the world’s best city.”

This is the context in which Andy and Christina Opie, Foursquare Missions International (FMI) missionaries to Thailand, find their calling to plant churches. The couple has lived in Bangkok for four years. They desire to rapidly reproduce Christian Thai leaders who can transform the nation. Currently, Andy notes, there are fewer than 350 evangelical churches in Bangkok, and very few with more than 150 people in attendance.

When it comes to Foursquare’s Four-Stage Development Model, Thailand is in various stages. Among the nation’s major cities, Andy explains, Thailand is in stage one, the “initiate” stage, meaning believers are evangelizing and discipling new Christians. However, among the “hill tribes,” the indigenous people living in the north who are not ethnic Thais, Foursquare is making greater inroads. Therefore, Andy says, because of this and the fact that a national church has been set up and is operational, The Foursquare Church in Thailand overall is at stage three, the “expand” stage, where the goal is to make responsible, reproducing congregations.

How did you end up as a missionary to Thailand?

Andy: We first visited Thailand as tourists, partly to see how well I could function in the city context as a blind person. To make a long story short, one day we took a boat ride, and I fell in love with Thailand. I wrote about that personal experience on my “Ask the Blind Pastor” blog.

Beyond the connection to Thailand and a passion to serve the people, we love serving in a place that has not been touched by the gospel yet. I believe God led me to the place He wanted—a place where I can express the fullness of who God created me to be.

What challenges do you face living in Bangkok?

Andy: With such a large population, it feels as though people are everywhere at all times, day or night. Also, Bangkok has some of the worst traffic in the world, along with suffocating tropical humidity.

As a blind person, I remember the trepidation I felt in venturing too far alone during my first year in Thailand. The sidewalks are narrow, and the traffic and obstacles are daunting, even for someone who has sight! But now, I will go almost anywhere by myself. Often my life becomes a testimony far more than anything I say to the people in the church through a sermon or Bible teaching.

Relationally, the toughest challenge in Thailand is the length of time it takes for a Thai person to trust foreigners. In Asia, relationships are forged over many years. At first, one can mistake the quick superficial friendship with a deep connect, but heart connection takes years to establish. Therefore, we spend a long time establishing credible relationships with the people in order to help them walk out their journey toward faith and then into discipleship.

What does your typical week look like?

Andy: Our primary role in Bangkok is raising and training the Thai people to plant new churches throughout the city and country. Right now, the biggest chunk of our week is dedicated to language learning.

Aside from language learning, we spend our afternoons at the church office to connect with the people in the church. This allows us face-time with the key people in the church. In Asian culture, the value of relationship means we spend a lot of our time in person with people to build consensus and vision. In the evenings, we visit the small groups in order to train the groups on how to grow in Jesus. This sounds busy, but we make sure to take a day just for our family and a date night each week.

We work to push the church into streams of evangelism in this urban center. When we go onto the university campus and begin relationships with students, we find that few have ever heard of Jesus. They may know of Him as the Christian God, or the God of the foreigners, but they have little to no knowledge of God’s story. In this city, evangelism starts at the most basic levels and happens through relationship.

Are there short-term missions opportunities in Thailand?

Andy: Short-term teams are welcome in Bangkok. We are looking forward to our first team coming next spring to help us connect with university students in our community. Teams provide a shot of energy to our ministry and set an example of servant leadership. When teams come with a right heart and right attitude, they can offer a significant amount of help. We welcome people who want to come and walk alongside us for a week in Thailand and pray over the ministry happening here.

How can people support your ministry?

Andy: We view our financial supporters as our ministry team. We commit to work diligently in Thailand and pray for those on our team. In turn, we rely on those who commit to partner with us financially and pray for us.

We were church planting for almost a year when we were asked to pastor the main Bangkok church, Our Home Chapel. Our primary church plant team members are the ones that are church planting in Phuket.

We want to see the slum children’s ministry funded well to offer holistic aid to these families. We give them Jesus and offer them skills and hope for a future. We are hoping to raise $1,680 monthly to take care of the children.

We also want to establish job training for students and young people. We want to help people get on their feet and support their own families with microenterprise.

How to Pray for the Opies

Andy: This year, our first child came, a beautiful daughter, Eliana. We appreciate prayers for our family as we raise Ellie in a different context than we had imagined a few years ago. Also, pray that Christina and I can grasp the Thai language more proficiently in order to minister to the Thai people at a heart level.

We are already sending our first church plant to Phuket. Pray for the launch of small groups throughout Phuket in apartment complexes, shopping centers, community centers, slum communities and anywhere that people gather.

Finally, pray for the political stability of Thailand. There is a spiritual battle of discord throughout the nation. Pray for God’s presence and power to thwart the plans of the enemy and restore the Thai people into a deep and healthy community.

How You Can Bless the Opies

In addition to donating to the Opies and their church planting efforts, our Foursquare missionaries are always encouraged by and grateful for any correspondence they receive. Whether it’s a gift sent on a holiday, or simply a letter or note of encouragement, you can make a difference by expressing your support in a practical way.

To send correspondence to Andy and Christina Opie, email them, or write to them at the following address:

Our Home Chapel
16/1 soi Ramkhamhaeng 30
Huamark, Bangkapi, Bkk. 10240
Thailand

By: Amy Swanson, a pastor’s wife and director of women’s ministry at New Life Church (Santa Barbara Foursquare Church) in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Engaging the Generations

The heart of the Foursquare family has always included equipping and releasing emerging leaders into effective ministry. However, historically our annual connection has been viewed as an event primarily for senior pastors. Younger leaders have sometimes struggled to find their place.

Tammy Sevcov, newly appointed connection manager, can personally identify with that feeling; she and the connection team are working hard to make sure this year’s event is different.

“It’s our passion to see that, regardless of age or role, every minister is refreshed, reinvigorated in their calling and equipped with keys that are specific to their journey,” she says.

President Glenn Burris Jr. recently wrote the Foursquare family and strongly encouraged all senior pastors to take their ministry teams with them to Phoenix this year. Further, he challenged every minister to consider sponsoring young leaders, and to share airline miles or help financially with travel expenses so they can experience Foursquare Connection 2012 together.

Reclaiming the Generations

During this year’s convention, Barna Group President David Kinnaman, author of You Lost Me, will challenge our thinking about how the church has lost a generation and what it will take to turn things around. But this year, there will be more than mere teaching on the subject—the next generation will be fully engaged in the discussion.

Foursquare leaders such as Randy Remington and Wayne Cordeiro will spend focused time with young leaders, interacting and reflecting on their respective journeys of ministry leadership. General session worship leader Matt Redman will engage local church worship leaders with training and networking during a four-hour Connection Track.

Children and youth who attend Foursquare Connection 2012 will experience an all-new approach to NextGen ministry this year. This year’s NextGen Connection Coordinator is Stevie Mitchell, the family pastor at Anthem, Ariz., Foursquare Church. Stevie says this year will be a camp experience for children and youth. Each young person will enjoy age-appropriate worship and teaching, and will be encouraged to fulfill their individual calling.

New Territory for the Generations

Foursquare Connection 2012 speakers and presenters will appeal to ministry staff as well as senior pastors, event planners tell Foursquare.org. In fact, Foursquare ministers of every age and ministry position will find plenty of opportunities this year to expand their ministry “tool belts” and personal competencies with restructured, all-new Connection Tracks.

Leaders will find the latest in ministry resources in the Connection Center. They will also fellowship with other leaders in the Connection Center, where they can play ping pong and Foosball, enjoy personal networking, or simply relax over coffee to the sounds of live acoustic music.

Global topics will be addressed this year during general sessions and Connection Tracks, with the hope of expanding our understanding of international needs, immigration issues and multicultural ministry. Leaders will also get a firsthand update on the Foursquare Global Summit that officially launches in Phoenix following Foursquare Connection 2012. 

Foursquare Connection 2012 promises varied opportunities to enlarge the boundaries of our ministries—and our thinking—as the generations are united, global ministry is more fully engaged, and emerging leaders are more completely welcomed into the spiritual fiber of The Foursquare Church.

The psalmist David aptly expressed the concept of a multigenerational gathering: “Generation after generation stands in awe of your work; each one tells stories of your mighty acts” (Psalm 145:4, The Message).

Full Foursquare Connection 2012 details, including early-bird registration, are available online.

By: Rod Light, an ordained Foursquare minister and educator in Los Angeles

The colonel’s prediction was accurate to within 25 minutes of the actual time of the bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Remember the Sony MP3 player? It was the first digital audio player on the market, and yet you would be hard pressed to find one today. Steve Jobs' book tells us that Apple got the upper hand in this marketing battle, in part because of Sony’s reluctance to hurt its own record division.

Wow! 

Remember where you where when Jesus first called you to Himself?

“When Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called 'the Baptizer,' was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: 'Change your life. God’s kingdom is here,' " (Matt. 3:1, The Message).

John’s call was not just to the Galileans but also to us, to turn to God and change. Change your life because the presence of the living God is here! As we will see in this week’s reading plan, John was so committed to preaching a message of personal change that it would ultimately cost him his life (Matt 14:1-12).

The word “change” in Matthew 3 is often the word “repent” in other versions and is most often used to tell us to change directions. Yet, we tend to judge repentance on how much emotion is packed into the change. Did you cry, wail, grovel or beg for forgiveness, as opposed to truly changing your direction?

God coming near to me brought radical repentance, which translated to deep change in my life.

It was easy to change from darkness to light, and yet He isn’t through with me, and is still calling me to change. What sin I was to repent from back then was obvious. But the changes He calls me to make today are no less important to the kingdom of God.

I don’t want a Pearl Harbor to happen in my life because I disregarded the warning signs God put in my path. Nor do I not want to become the Sony MP3 player simply because I’m reluctant to adjust my course.

Change! It’s what’s required of me every day.

What is the Lord asking you to change today?

By: Dave Veach, district supervisor of Foursquare's Northwest District

Share your journey through the Gospels. Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads reads through the Gospels! Download the reading plan bookmarks for 2012, and you can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights and inspiration from Foursquare leaders around the world.

My search for God began almost 30 years ago. I remember asking questions to myself about Christ: Why did such a good man have to die? Why was He tortured to death by His own people? In my spiritual ignorance, I wanted to know God’s plan for salvation, but I didn’t even know the right questions to ask.

At this point, I first came into contact with religion—Mormonism first, then the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jehovah’s Witnesses seemed to answer all of my questions; they had a little book for everything. I soon married a high school friend who was a Witness.

After a few years, I was appointed a ministerial servant (similar to a deacon). It was my cue that I was “approved” by God; if the Watchtower Society granted you privileges, it was the same as God smiling on you. Soon I carried many weighty responsibilities. I remember having to isolate myself more and more from my family to carry out my duties as an elder.

Then, due to immorality in the congregation and the consequential loss of two elders, my workload increased to an unbearable degree. My separation from my family also increased. It became too difficult to juggle everything.

I knew I should be caring for my family, but as I viewed it, I could let down my family or let down God. There was no separating our religious organization from God himself. With Jehovah’s Witnesses, the “truth” and the “organization” are your whole world.

With the cracks leading to a collapse clearly in place, the catalyst that started all things crumbling was a fire, which destroyed our home in January 1999. I finally had the good sense to step aside as an elder to care for my family and to take on the task of building a new home. However, as with our house, the damage to my family was already done. My marriage crumbled.

My faith was in a shambles. I was burned out. After relocating, I lost my new home to foreclosure because of the divorce. I also lost my job. My kids were the only thing I didn’t lose.

By this time, with all that my family went through, I could not continue on with the Witnesses, mainly because I did not feel true love from them. I was completely drained and, when we needed support the most, we were abandoned.

At the same time, however, I could not consider any other belief, because we were programmed to believe all other religions were a part of Babylon the Great; all other churches were under Satan’s control.

Soon thereafter, I met my wife, Arely. She would go to church occasionally, but I wanted nothing to do with it. During this time, my sister, who had drug problems for many years, entered a Bible-based rehab program. She made remarkable changes. My brother also became a Christian during this period. I wondered what was happening to everyone around me.

I decided to start going to church with Arely as an occasional Sunday churchgoer. Needless to say, I hated it. But Arely helped me without even knowing it. At night, she would read her Bible; she didn’t say anything but would just sit there and read. I started asking her what she was reading about. She would read to me from the Bible. It was very comforting.

One Sunday, the pastor highlighted Hebrews chapter 11. It was like cool water flowing over me. Then, more Sundays, more scriptures, more cool water; it was so refreshing. I began to be consumed with a desire to read God’s Word.

I eventually gave my heart to Christ. God is truly blessing my family. In addition to my brother and sister becoming Christians, my mother and niece are now attending a Foursquare church with my sister. One of my cousins is now a Christian serving in youth ministry.

My closest aunt and uncle’s lives have been touched by God; they recently gave their testimony at our church. And now my youngest son, a teenager, is reading the Bible and growing. How could you not glorify a loving Father who does such great things?

All of the anger and confusion of the past is gone. I don’t blame anyone for what happened. My life was not a waste. It was a preparation. Because of what happened, I have a burning desire to follow my Lord wherever he leads; and with my wife and children, I want to help His sheep do the same.

To share the water that gives everlasting life—isn’t that what it is all about? God has even given me the desire to share these waters with my former Witness associates. I have begun doing it with joy.

Be Aware

The first step is developing global awareness. You have to search beyond the mainstream news to get much of an understanding of what’s going on globally. Events in developing countries make headlines only when another atrocity erupts or a disaster occurs. A few ways to enhance your global consciousness include:

• Visit BBC news for one of the more robust purviews of world events.
• Check out www.worldpress.org for a quick overview of current stories globally.
• Visit www.languagemonitor.com to see the top 10 words of the year.
• Tune into public broadcasting.
• Consume a variety of news sources to see how the “same” events get reported differently.

Inform and Recruit Others

As you learn about various issues, weave them into your conversations. Look for ways to interject stories about our global neighbors.

When selling or buying a coffee blend from Ethiopia, reference how inspiring it is to see East Africans’ resourcefulness despite ongoing war and poverty in the region. When caring for a group of kids who say, “We’re hungry,” gently describe what hunger means for many kids around the world. As you have lunch with a friend, talk about an underreported news story.

The organizationally savvy may want to go further by coordinating a walkathon to raise money and awareness for a particular cause. Or you might develop an online network to coordinate efforts to grow awareness, prayer, advocacy and funding. Perhaps you could start a local organization that convenes around a concern or join other organizations already doing something like this.

Work It Into Work

Employees can influence their workplace to be an agent for God’s work in the world. For example, my friend Adam works as a computer programmer for a large grocery store company. Most days he sits in a cubicle working on various projects for the company.

Adam has observed the increased attention his company is giving to marketing and selling organic products. Because he is concerned about the environment and health issues, he celebrates this initiative. But he’d like to see the same kind of spotlight put on selling “slave-free” products. He’s approaching management with some ideas about how they can be on the competitive edge of selling a line of products like this while also doing good in the world.

There are countless other ways Christians can live out Christ’s presence in the world through the work they do. There are lawyers doing pro bono defense work for those unable to afford it, politicians working for legislation that brings about redemptive change in cities and nations, and pilots safely transporting people from one side of the world to the other.

Give

Donating money is the most common response we’re offered when confronted with global needs. Recruit your friends and family members to join you in raising money for a cause. Garage sales, benefit concerts, party fund-raisers and walkathons are just a few of the many fund-raising strategies that your group can use. You can’t fund everything, but you can get involved somewhere with the people and causes dear to your heart.

Shop Responsibly

Take some time to learn more about the products you buy, especially those you purchase most regularly and the ones that cost you the most money. Ask things like:

• Where and how was this produced?
• What raw materials were used in its production?
• What impact did producing this have on the environment?
• What sort of ethical track record is behind the companies involved?

Invest/Divest

Examine the companies you invest in, in light of their labor practices and environmental commitments. We should see our dollars producing returns there as well. Socially responsible investing (SRI) is a growing movement that measures social and environmental practices of companies as well as financial criteria. For help understanding the SRI movement, visit www.socialinvest.org.

Growing numbers of state pensions and investment companies are divesting from funds that directly or even indirectly support malicious dictators. The Khartoum government in Sudan is being starved financially because of efforts like these. Activists are helping cut off the funding for the genocidal campaign in Darfur, particularly by divesting from many oil and energy funds.

Influence Government and Media

Finally, send a letter, stop a genocide. It sounds too simplistic, doesn’t it? But Senator Paul Simon said that a mere 100 letters to each member of Congress could have changed the outcome of the genocide in Rwanda.

Writing letters to Congress, having face-to-face meetings with local officials, and sending letters to the editor of your local paper can raise public awareness of problems like genocide and human trafficking. The media, like any business, simply respond to the interests and demands of viewers. The news media need to hear from citizens in order to prioritize news and programs and focus on those we care about.

Here’s a specific word to college students who might view their influence as limited or, at best, delayed until they graduate from college. Historically, when governmental power has been threatened, it’s usually the students who are feared the most. Consider the revolutions that took place at the Berlin Wall, in Tiananmen Square, or during the 2009 Iranian elections to get a glimpse of the powerful ways that students can influence their governments and gain the attention of the news media.

Don’t discount what God can do through you. Every one of us can make a global difference. Start right where you are. Respond to God’s invitation and speak up for your global neighbors.

Adapted from What Can I Do? Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are by David Livermore, copyright 2011. Published by Zondervan. Used by permission. No portion of this article may be duplicated or distributed in any form.

2011 ended with 1,759 Foursquare churches in the U.S., and 6,796 credentialed ministers serving at churches and in the field.

The following reported data was confirmed by the Foursquare board of directors between December 1– December 22.

Churches

Church Openings — 5
 

• Bloomingdale Foursquare Church pastored by Chris Mazzola in Bloomingdale, Ga. (Southeast District)
• Centro de Vida (Fort Dodge Centro de Vida Foursquare Church) pastored by Saul Cortez in Fort Dodge, Iowa (Heartland District)
• King’s Palace Foursquare Gospel Church (Riverdale Foursquare Church) pastored by Richard Oloidi in Riverdale, Ga. (Southeast District)
• Las Vegas Bulgarian Foursquare Church pastored by Ivan Bakalov in Las Vegas, Nev. (Southwest District)
• PDX Simple Church (Sherwood Foursquare Simple Church Network) pastored by Ed Stanton Jr. in Newberg, Ore. (North Pacific District)

Church Closings (Permanent*) — **20
 

• Abundant Life Fellowship (Oregon City Foursquare Church) in Oregon City, Ore. (North Pacific District)
• Atlanta Urban Foursquare Church in Atlanta, Ga. (Southeast District)
• Centro Cristiano (Smith River Foursquare Church) in Crescent City, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Eastside La Roca (Portland East Spanish Foursquare Church) in Portland, Ore. (North Pacific District)
• Elk Grove Filipino Foursquare Church in Elk Grove, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Faith Fellowship (Oakland Central Foursquare Church) in Oakland, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Fresno Hispanic Foursquare Church in Fresno, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• First Light Community (Sherwood Foursquare Church) in Sherwood, Ore. (North Pacific District)
• Living Hope Community (Ceres Foursquare Church) in Ceres, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Lytle Creek Foursquare Church in Lytle Creek, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District)
• Ministerio Internacional La Cosecha (Norcross Hispanic Foursquare Church) in Lilburn, Ga. (Southeast District)
• North Glendale Foursquare Church in Glendale, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District)
• Pleasant Grove Chapel (Mount Olive Foursquare Church) in Long Valley, N. J. (Northeast District)
• Restoration (Santa Cruz West Side Foursquare Church) in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Stamford Foursquare Church in Stamford, Texas (MidSouth District)
• Sutherlin Foursquare Church in Sutherlin, Ore. (North Pacific District)
• The Connection (Anchorage South Foursquare Church) in Anchorage, Alaska (North Pacific District)
• The Living Well (Santa Rosa West Foursquare Church) in Santa Rosa, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• The River (North Charleston Foursquare Church) in Hannah, S. C. (Southeast District)
• Waterford Foursquare Church in Waterford, Calif. (Central Pacific District)

Total U.S. Foursquare Churches — 1,759
Total Attendance of the U.S. Foursquare Churches — 251,180

Pastors

Senior Pastoral Appointments to Established Foursquare Churches — 9
 

• Donald Boyer to Ripley Foursquare Church in Ripley, N.Y. (Northeast District)
• Linda Brady to His Light Ministries (Worcester East Foursquare Church) in Worcester, Mass. (Northeast District)
• Alejandro Garcia to Los Hechos (Canby Hispanic Foursquare Church) in Canby, Ore. (North Pacific District)
• Ubirajara Oliveira to Hyannis Portuguese Foursquare Church in Hyannis, Mass. (Northeast District)
• Jim Romack, Jr. to New Life Center (Everett Foursquare Church) in Everett, Wash. (Northwest District)
• Kevin Rusk to New Hope Center (Fostoria Foursquare Church) in Fostoria, Ohio (Mid-Atlantic District)
• Paul Sheldon to Life Path Christian Community (Eden Prairie Foursquare Church) in Eden Prairie, Minn. (Heartland District)
• Dan Smith to Expectation Church Network (Las Vegas Mountains Edge Foursquare Church) in Las Vegas, Nev. (Southwest District)
• Rick Trimble to Living Rock Fellowship (American Canyon Foursquare Church) in Benicia, Calif. (Central Pacific District)

Credentialed Minister Retirements — 8
 

• Lee Bush in Lancaster, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District)
• Mildred Bush in Lancaster, Calif. (Pacific Coast and Valleys District)
• Robert Fetters Sr. in Mesa, Ariz. (Southwest District)
• Ron Hamrick in Vancouver, Wash. (North Pacific District)
• Kammi MacDonald in San Leandro, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Doris Pennington in Bakersfield, Calif. (Central Pacific District)
• Don Smith in Grove, Okla. (MidSouth District)
• Bonnie Yake in Dover, N.J. (Northeast District)

Total Credentialed/Licensed Ministers  — 6,796
 

* Closings: Churches are not permanently closed until assets are sold or transferred.
**Temporary Closings: Six churches were temporarily closed during the month of December.

Rev. David L. Benner
Deceased: December 9, 2011
Last appointment: retired, Heartland District

Rev. Vincent C. Del Re
Deceased: November 25, 2011
Last appointment: retired, Mid-Atlantic District

Rev. Edna O. Jenkins
Deceased: December 18, 2011
Last appointment: retired, Southeast District

Rev. Edith Meyers-Taylor
Deceased: December 16, 2011
Last appointment: retired, Central Pacific District

Rev. Nancy D. Robbins
Deceased: November 22, 2011
Last appointment: Pacific Coast and Valleys District
 

When I visited this impressive cathedral, I was immediately reminded of the foundational message that was preached in Oakland, Calif., by our founder, Aimee Semple McPherson, in 1922. In it, she described Ezekiel’s vision and confidently declared that his vision had prophesied the four compelling pillars of the coming ministry of Jesus Christ: that of Savior, Healer, Baptizer with the Holy Spirit, and Soon-Coming King.

Savior: In the face of the man, Sister McPherson saw that Jesus took upon Himself the sins of the world so that we could be restored in our relationship with God.

Baptizer with the Holy Spirit: In the face of the lion, she saw this mighty king of the beasts, the “lion of the tribe of Judah,” as one who would constantly cause the flow of the Spirit to infill us with His power.

Healer: Sister McPherson saw in the face of the ox the burden bearer, the one who bears not only our sins and iniquities, but also our pains and sicknesses.

Soon-Coming King: She saw in the face of the eagle a sweeping downward without warning to retrieve His bride, as one exercising complete dominion over the earth.

These identity markers—framed by our movement’s present symbols of the cross, the dove, the cup and the crown—still connect a global movement that has exploded from one church in 1923 to nearly 70,000 today. Jesus declared in Matthew 16 that He would build a church that hell could not hold back. He would build that great church on the revelation of who He is.

In 2012, we invite you to take a journey with us through the gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read a chapter a day from these eyewitness accounts, and you will cover the gospels each quarter. As you do, watch God rekindle in you the greatest story ever told.  

Each week, we will use our Foursquare Leader Prayer email to focus on the fourfold message of Jesus. That combination of reading, praying and focusing together will embolden and strengthen us as we advance the cause of the kingdom, to make disciples of all nations!  Let’s contend for a breakthrough year in 2012, both in our personal lives and families, and in our ministry assignments! 

Shalom!

By: Glenn Burris, president of The Foursquare Church

Share your journey through the Gospels » Leave a comment below to share what God is showing you personally as the Foursquare family reads reads through the Gospels! Download the reading plan bookmarks for 2012, and you can also subscribe to the weekly Foursquare Leader Prayer email to receive insights and inspiration from Foursquare leaders around the world.