For those of you outside of the USA is can be hard to imagine just how big America is. To give you some perspective, the British Isles could fit into the state of Texas almost 3 times. It is not uncommon to turn onto an interstate/motorway in the USA and the GPS/SatNav tells you to keep going for 500 miles (or more!) before the next turn!
So when it comes to planning an in person gathering for USA Missioners, it is no small thing. We are not just inviting people to come and share some fellowship, but often asking them to give time and resources to travel significant distances to be together. And that’s even before the usual challenges of finding dates, organising child care and navigating changes to schedules. When you throw a pandemic into the mix, it feels all the more impossible.
So when it does all come together, we do not take it for granted. We marvel at what the Lord has done and enjoy our time together with even greater thanksgiving.
For the first time in 3 years, Inspire USA Missioners gathered in person in Wilmore, KY for 3 days in May. We couldn’t bring them all together on this occasion, but it was so precious to be together with some of them in the same room.
The gathering began with the Core Team meeting on Thursday (12th May). We were joined by others for Friday and Saturday when we gathered for coffee at 9 a.m. and stayed together until 9 p.m. We divided the time to follow the rhythms we use in House Fellowship.
Starting with soul sharing, we asked the question, ‘How is it with your soul, and especially as an Inspire Missioner?’ The Lord moved beautifully through our conversations, wisdom sharing, and prayers. Then we opened the Scriptures and shared with one another what we felt the Lord was speaking to us as Missioners, for Inspire in the USA and for the Inspire Movement. It was amazing the threads the Lord drew out from the humble offerings that people brought. We have much to ponder further. Friday concluded with a time of worship and sharing stories from around the Movement. There was plenty of eating and talking around the table all through the day.
Regrouping on Saturday morning we had a time of prayer and worship to open our teaching and conversation about engaging mission which focused on discipleship as the process of disciple-making. After more great food for lunch, we were led in teaching on healing prayer and then spent time in band working through that. The Spirit was moving mightily.
On Saturday evening we invited people from the Wilmore House Fellowships to join us for food and a fire-pit. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the goodness of God. You can read more about that, and see some pictures, HERE.
It is hard to capture in words what the presence of Jesus looks like in the midst of people gathered, but when you see it, you know it. We are so thankful for the all the opportunities that the Lord is giving us to grow a community of Inspire Missioners across the USA. We give thanks for online technology which makes it possible for us to have friends and fellowship with people we would never of met otherwise, and we look forward to all the ways the Lord is going to continue to use those means for His good purposes in the coming year. But today we give special thanks for the only-God-could-do-that Missioner Gathering in Wilmore in May 2022 that gave us a foretaste of the heavenly party we will all be at together, in person, one day. HALLELUJAH!
Contact us if you would like to find out more about joining the Inspire Missioner community.
