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PASTORS AND LEADERS FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT CHURCHES CAME TOGETHER FOR THE ROOFTOP MEETING ON HOW TO CONDUCT EVANGELISM EFFECTIVELY IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CHURCHES AS THEY JOIN JESUS IN HIS MISSION
Boniface Ojode, The Rooftop Pioneer Kenya reports:
Praise God servants today I had a privilege to train children ministry workers on how to teach children effectively the word of God.It was amazing seeing children workers recommitting themselves to join Jesus in His mission and reaching out to every child for Christ. The session will be conducted monthly. Glory to God.
Thanks be to God for the successful ROOFTOP PRESENTATION, June 18, 2019 in Antananarivo Madagascar, led by Rev Dennis Pethers, International Pioneer and Rev Chris Dikana, National Pioneer in South Africa. They introduced JOSOA Salama Emmanuel, National Pioneer in Madagascar.
THE ROOFTOP MADAGASCAR was launched officially in the city of Antiananarivo. 71 churches and Evangelical movements’ leaders, from 15 organisations attended this event. Many are interested in the Vision of the Rooftop.
Please pray for the executive committee to be used and sent into the harvest field and for Malagasy people to be equipped to make disciples who make disciples.
The Rooftop Madagascar Executive Committee with Rev Dennis Pethers, International Pioneer.
The Attendees chat over refreshments
Rev Dennis Pethers is interviewed by the local radio station.
On Monday, May 6, the first Dallas Rooftop City Encounter took place at the Baylor Medical Center in downtown Dallas. Sponso
red by the Dallas Baptist Association, over 60 pastors and leaders met to seek God for a fresh vision of His heart for their city. Following the time of prayer, they shared with each other how God had spoken into each of their lives. God’s presence was evident as they sought God’s face in prayer and encouraged one another in joining Jesus where He is alr
eady at work in their communities. Following the Encounter, I had the opportunity to meet with several leaders about our new coaching opportunity for pastors led by Dennis Pethers. It was an amazing day and plans are being discussed for future Dallas Encounters.
On Sunday, May 19, the 3rd Chicago Rooftop Encounter took place on the 99th floor of the Willis Tower. This year
’s Rooftop Encounter was led by one of our Rooftop US Board Members, Cheryl Dorsey. Over 60 Christians came to seek God for a fresh perspective of their city including several pastors and the Chief Chaplain of the Chicago Police Department. God is at work in Chicago and the Rooftop Encounter is one of several ways prayer is covering the city as God’s people seek to Join Jesus in His Mission!
On Monday, April 29, the 2019 Rooftop City Encounter in Washington, D.C. took place. This year was our second Rooftop City Encounter in our nation’s Capital and God provided one of the best venues in the city for the Encounter – The Rooftop Terrace at Charlie Palmer Steak. This year’s Encounter was also special because it was in conjunction with the National Bible Reading Marathon at the U.S. Capitol. Therefore, as we prayed over the city, the Word of God was being read aloud from the Capitol steps. As they prayed, God clearly impressed on several the need for spiritual awakening in the church and across our nation; for God’s people to be a holy people, living as salt and light in our culture. It was a compelling moment as God reminded us once again of our calling to go and engage those around us with the Gospel.
4. Repent
“To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands. I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Revelation 2:1-7
It is possible that over the time that you have been a Christian, the love for Jesus and His Mission that you had at the beginning has waned. Perhaps it is true of you, just like the church at Ephesus that: You have forsaken the love you had at first.
If this is the case the you do not need to despair, but you do need to do something rather than just ‘accepting this situation’.
The church at Ephesus was told to:
Consider how far you have fallen!
The best way to ‘consider’ is to take time to reflect on how things were. If you keep (or kept) a journal, then look back at the time when you know that you had a deep love for Jesus and read the things that you have written down. If not, I suggest you grab hold of a pen and a notebook and spend some time writing down some of the things that you remember about the time(s) when your love for Jesus was real and then, once you have written down what you can remember, read through what you have written.
As you read and reflect upon the words you have written you will, I believe, be prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask God to do something in your life that will cause you, once again, to have a deep love for Jesus.
This leads on to the second thing that the church at Ephesus, and you, have been told you must do:
Repent and do the things you did at first.
It is important that your time with God doesn’t end with you just wishing you could go back to how things were. The truth is that you need a fresh and present tense encounter with God. This will follow repentance!
The word repentance, in the context of this letter, means something like ‘turn around and get back on track’. Your life may have been going in an increasingly ‘non-Jesus-centred’ direction for months, years or even decades. You may have become increasingly focused on things that have little or nothing to do with being a follower of Jesus. All of these things have somehow pushed out, or covered over, the love that you felt for Jesus – so!
Stop going in the direction that you are heading in, turn around and then begin to do the things that you did in that time (those times) when your love for Jesus was real.
This week, I strongly encourage you to make some time to CONSIDER ‘how far you have fallen’ and then to REPENT!
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Dennis Pethers, The Rooftop International Pioneer recently completed the first online session of ‘Joining Jesus’ with pastors from across Northern Kentucky in the United States.
‘Joining Jesus’ is an online coaching process for pastors who want to be equipped to make disciples who make disciples.
Dennis comments:
As I travel across the world, I meet so many pastors who are honest with me and admit that they have never been equipped to make disciples of people who are beyond the walls of the church. This is a real problem because, in a time when fewer and fewer people are coming to church, it is essential that Christians are equipped to be ‘disciple-makers’. To equip others, it is necessary for the pastors to be equipped! This is at the heart of the Joining Jesus coaching process.
The Joining Jesus coaching process is beginning to be used by pastors across the US and the continent of Africa.
For more information about how to join a group please email joiningjesus@therooftop.org
On March 9th I was able to join with other members of the International Council in Cincinnati for our twice-yearly meeting to hear what God is doing around the world & consider what he might be calling us to moving forward. Even the location (a house provided for us overlooking downtown Cincinnati) provided a visual illustration of the work as we met.
The meeting opened with a reading from Isaiah 61:1-3:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendour.”
and we reflected that, whilst some in the church debate the extent to which this should be about Social Action or Spiritual Proclamation, it must include both for it to be a true expression of our faith.
We heard a report from London in the UK, where links are being built across the city with different groups & leaders seeking to reach their communities, particularly through prayer & worship. With various events being planned in 2020, the UK team are considering how best Rooftop can network into what God is planning.
We heard how 8 cities in the US (from Chicago to Tucson, Los Angeles to Washington D.C) are planning Rooftop Encounters in 2019, with 7 others in consideration.
Much of the time was spent considering growth opportunities in both Africa & Latin America. An African-wide ‘Summit’ will be held in Kenya in June to bring together all pioneers across Africa; Dennis Pethers will expand on the Rooftop vision & Stephen Gaukroger will bring biblical teaching. With 15 African countries involved so far & the possibility of expanding into others, this is seen as a key step in laying a foundation for sustainable growth & hopefully can be replicated elsewhere.
Following Dennis’ recent visit to 4 countries in Latin America & with Esau Canales joining us (an El Salvadorian pastor based in Los Angeles with a deep understanding of Latin American cultures) it was exciting to see God opening up opportunities in this part of the world.
Whilst in Cincinnati, I was able to attend the Spiritual Awakening Conference organised by the Northern Kentucky Baptist Association (at which Dennis was speaking) & accompany John Whaley to Union Baptist Church for the Sunday morning service.
Before returning to the UK, I got to spend 24 hours in Chicago & there met Cheryl Dorsey, a member of the US Board & the local coordinator. She shared how she felt God call her to organise an event from a high place overlooking the city… which for the last 2 years has turned out to be the Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), the highest building in Chicago. God spoke powerfully to those who attended, even showing different things to people facing out to different parts of the city, and a 3rd event is planned there for this May. She was also able to show me different parts of the city & share something of how God is using The Rooftop to bring believers together with a shared vision for the city.
The National Pioneer for Tanzania, Bishop Ezekiel Joseph has launched The Rooftop in the City of Mwanza.
Below are photos of the event.
These are some pastors and leaders who attended the launch of The Rooftop in Ilemela, Mwanza, Tanzania