Spiritual Renewal: Hearts Alive with God’s Desire"

God is at work in the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Our ministry team area is privileged to hear and see spiritual renewal happening as hearts come alive to God’s transforming work. This seems to be a prerequisite for any kind of evangelism, our hearts being penetrated with God’s desire in ways that open us to God’s shaping and molding.

There’s a church in Atlanta that coordinator of Evangelism Ray Jones and I attended on Sunday morning after Big Tent — North Avenue Presbyterian Church. In the 1960s when other churches and businesses were leaving the city they felt called to stay and “bear witness” to their corner, ”their Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8). Nearly 50 years later the church continues to be faithful to their mission. They’ve worked with a coalition of community leaders to build Street GRACE. To those in the alliance of churches GRACE is God’s love for humankind through Jesus Christ. It is also an acronym for Galvanizing Resources against Child Exploitation, a growing problem happening on their street corner.

The church’s first response to this injustice of child exploitation that garnered national headlines in 2005 was to pray “how are we to respond?” in light of our knowing “that God wants us to be a witness to our Jerusalem, our street corner.” A midnight prayer vigil attracted 300 people from all over the city. This year alone 63 new members, representing eight different nationalities, have already joined the church. You’ll hear more about this story in our Evangelism Sunday (September 27, 2009) resource packet.

These are stories of good that we hold up and celebrate — part of how God is Growing Christ’s Church Deep and Wide through evangelism, discipleship, servanthood and diversity.

Our work to encourage, equip and resource Presbyterians to claim, live into and share with others their stories of transformation in Jesus Christ continues to expand. Find out more.