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We dare to dream! Our Foursquare movement is in an important season of re-engaging in strategic conversations. We are reimagining, listening to one another, and voicing our thoughts, hopes and concerns.

The Town Hall meetings, which began in early August and continued throughout the month of August, were remarkable! Seeking the presence of the Lord and His plans for our Foursquare family was, and will continue to be, the principal focus of Town Hall meetings.

We have several more of these gatherings before us, and I encourage you to make it a priority to attend the Town Hall meeting in your district or online. On Oct. 12 we will host an online live event in English; then, on Oct. 26, the Town Hall meeting in Spanish will be streamed from La Iglesia en el Camino in Van Nuys, Calif. Your presence, your voice and your prayer partnership make all the difference. Please go to reimaginefoursquare.org for a list of meetings, locations and updates.

Recently, I was deeply impacted when I read an article in USA Today about a pastor in Clarksville, Tenn., who had been called to serve a church in that city. Before officially beginning his new role, Rev. Willie Lyle responded to the Lord’s call to live on the streets as a homeless man for several days.

Pastor Lyle told the story of his journey and the powerful, though uncomfortable, lessons he learned. What so moved me was the complete willingness of this pastor to obey such an unusual directive. He believed that his obedience and his willingness to allow God to reshape his values and priorities would help him preach the gospel message in Clarksville in an innovative, effective way.

Our movement is at a similar juncture. God has challenged us to reimagine going forward as a church that is relevant and relational; a church that has been restored to its apostolic beginnings. I am convinced that we are not to go back just to our own beginning as a church; we must go back 2,000 years and recapture the values and mission of the New Testament church. I urge you to join me and our leadership on this journey of discovery and obedience.

Other important Foursquare news includes the newly formed ministry outreach, Foursquare Disaster Relief. Combining the power and strength of our chaplains and our Relief + Compassion team into one, we are encouraged about the increased effectiveness this change will bring about.

I also want to alert you to the fact that, beginning in late October, you will be able to register for Connection 2014 and take advantage of the Super Early Bird rate. Plan to join us May 26–29 in Dallas. You will be blessed by the ministry of Jack Hayford, Francis Chan, Dave Ferguson, Ed Stetzer and others. Please pray for this important time together as the Foursquare family.

I want to inform you of the Prayer for the Peace of Jerusalem event on Oct. 6. Psalm 122:6 states, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee” (KJV). Please put this important date on your calendar, and plan to join in this prayer focus with believers around the world.

Another day of prayer, organized and planned by Dr. James O. Davis of Billion Soul Network, is planned for Oct. 27. It is anticipated that this event, officially called “A Global Day to Pray for the Unreached Peoples of the World,” will have participants from hundreds of denominations and organizations around the world, all praying for the more than 6,000 unreached people groups throughout the world. More information is available here.

Foursquare Missions International (FMI) is planning a special Christmas offering, which will go to ministries that nurture and support orphans. I encourage all church pastors and leaders to make this year’s December Christmas offering a priority and to plan to participate in global partnership to change lives. You will receive more information as the time for receiving the special offering approaches.

As we move into a season of “new beginnings,” I feel great anticipation and excitement. I believe we are standing at a crossroads of promise, and we will inherit that promise together, as a family. Thank you for your faithful partnership, leadership and prayer covering. May we join together in agreement with the prayer of Jesus that is recorded in Luke 22:42: “Not My will, but Yours, be done” (NKJV). We know that His will is our future and our abiding hope!

served as the president of The Foursquare Church from 2009-2020.
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