I was reminded last week of the importance of prayer. Not just personal prayer that is a regular part of our daily spiritual disciplines, but a fervent, congregation-wide or region-wide movement of prayer. In a meeting last week about the Great Barrington, MA church plant, I was asked if I had initiated a Converge Northeast – wide prayer effort.

Where are the next generation of pastors, leaders and missionaries coming from? What is your role in raising up the next generation of leader?

Many of us are familiar with the story of Jonah. God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, but he proceeds to go the opposite direction, essentially trying to flee from God. He ends up on a ship in the middle of a storm, gets tossed overboard and is swallowed by a big fish. Jonah calls out to God in his distress, God hears and causes the fish to eject Jonah on dry land.