Dreams and Visions for 2008

Acts 2:14-21 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“‘In the last days, God says,

I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

your young men will see visions,

your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

and they will prophesy.

I will show wonders in the heaven above

and signs on the earth below,

blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

and the moon to blood

before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls

on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

With the arrival of a new year the Phoenix International Christian Church is very, very excited about what God is doing among us! Looking back to 2007, we are so grateful for the amazing things that we have seen God do. Early in the year Helen and I began to focus on the ASU Campus ministry. It was a tough start, but the Spirit gave us an incredible sister when Stephanie Mendoza was baptized in March. Then later in March, Brittany Taylor was powerfully restored to the Lord and the fellowship. Bob and Chris Billaber were invited to Mark Garrido’s groom honoring party and Chris was soon baptized (only our second high school teen and his dad Bob just a few weeks later in the West House Church)!

Within a few months Millie Levine was baptized from ASU, and then she and others helped study with Ashley Godwin who was then baptized! Miraculously, God allowed us to end the year with 2 more incredible additions: Tim Reed was baptized right before Thanksgiving and then invited Danielle Savedra who became a disciple and was baptized right before Christmas! What an incredible year for our young campus ministry! But that was not enough for our awesome God who allows us to dream and have visions- to close out the year the Holy Spirit moved powerfully to “blow” Mike Patterson into the Phoenix Valley from Portland. We are proud to have Mike now leading this fledgling group onward to victory and for the glory of God as our new campus minister. By the end of January, as 2 more sold out disciples move in, we will have grown from 3 students in March to having 13 this month! That is a multiplying ministry and an inspiration to the whole church.

In addition to all this, the North led by Chris and Sonja Chloupek restarted and saw Trinity restored and some incredible disciples added. The Chloupek’s have totally regained their dream (God’s too) of being full-time in the ministry! The heart of this couple has refreshed the entire church as they see the “old men” dreaming again. An amazing thing happened late in the year as they answered the call of what it takes to be a sold out leader. Many lead, but few are truly sold out and so their ministry shows it. Chris and Sonja and I were having dinner with Kip. At the table, Chris made it clear- he would go anywhere, do anything and give up everything to serve God and take up the torch once again as a paid evangelist. I was so inspired! Here is a 46 year old man with 2 kids and an awesome wife. They could settle into their house and be very COMFORTABLE until their retirement years. Instead, Chris and Sonja have a dream of leading once again. Be praying for them as God reveals their exact role in the months to come!

Next, we have the West House Church faithfully led by Robb and Theresa Hamblin. They have had a few struggles this year, but that did not stop them from laying their lives on the line so others could be saved and still others raised up to leadership. The West started with just a handful of disciples and the Hamblin’s have been used by God to grow from just 1 Bible Talk at their house to now multiplying into 3 Bible Talks! God allowed Mark and Keri Garrido (newlyweds and pregnant) to begin leading a new Bible Talk in South Phoenix and God blessed them with several baptisms. Also, the Lord raised up Jim and Dena Blowe to lead a new Bible Talk in the far west (we like to say: East L.A.) of Goodyear. All 3 groups have been blessed with a fruitful start and the joy of the Spirit is alive in the West Valley.

This year we have just begun a new House Church in the East. All the left over “older” folks from the former campus ministry have been gathered together and are starting a new Bible Talk this coming week in Tempe. Luke and Brandyn Speckman will be working side by side with me and Helen to build a powerful fellowship in the East. This group will focus on Tempe, Mesa, Apache Junction, Gilbert, Chandler and even as far as Queen Creek to make disciples in these largely unevangelized cities. Joining us will be Steve and Grace Droblas who are joyfully leading our Latin Ministry. Pray for us as this new group gets started, that we will live faithfully and multiply disciples, workers, Bible Talks and then House Churches. When a church is growing like this- there will soon be a multiplying church as we seek to send out mission teams into the Southwest U.S., Caribbean and South America from right here in our hometown.

Overall, we saw the church grow from about 25 early last year to 46 by the end of December through baptisms, restorations and move ins. This year the Lord has put some very specific dreams & visions on our hearts and after prayer, discussion and advice we are putting forward our prayer goals for 2008. Because Helen and I are leaving for Santiago, Chile in June- our goals at this time will only include up and through June 1^st. As soon as we determine the new leadership- we will work with them on goals (dreams and visions) for the rest of the year. These will not be pipe dreams or chasing fantasies, but true goals we believe our God will do for us through hard work, prayer and walking with Him. Following are the 7 goals for the Phoenix International Christian Church through June 1, 2008:

1. See our membership grow from 46 to 60 with over 100 in attendance every Sunday.

2. 15 Baptisms along with those placing membership and restorations.

3. Every member committed to the Jubilee in L.A.- July 31-August 3 (in hotels).

4. Weekly contribution solidly growing to $2000 per week.

5. Special Missions Contribution May 4 of $30,000 (for Mike Patterson & our move to Santiago).

6. Appoint 3 Deacon Couples and begin working with an Elder in training.

7. Continue international benevolent work with Africa Trust Fund and start a local work in Phoenix.

Phoenix Church, remember that our God allows us to dream and have vision. He puts on our hearts the dream to evangelize the world in a generation and asks us to trust him fully as we embark on a new year. Our God “is able to do immeasurably more that all we ask (pray for) and imagine (dream)”- so let us watch as He stoops down to make us great for His glory in 2008! Let us all pray faithfully and work joyfully together for these congregational dreams and visions.

AMEN!

Matt Sullivan