boston – Page 12 – UniteBoston

Nov 22 2015

UB Pics: “Better Together” Workshop and UB Bonfire!

On November 12, UniteBoston hosted Paul Fleischmann from the Better Together Ministry.

Paul shared 12 strategic principles of collaboration to help Christians grow in learning how to work together more effectively in order to accomplish what God has put each of us here to do.

20151112_203047 — Vito Nicastro and Paul Flieschmann together holding the Boston Globe article on Christian Unity that came out that day.

Stories and S’Mores on Singing Beach!

UniteBoston hosted a bonfire on Singing Beach on Saturday November 21st.

The night was beautiful; with a moonlit sky and the ocean waves crashing behind us, we shared stories around a campfire about how God was working in our lives.

New friends, great laughs, fun songs.

May 26 2014

Visions in Dark Places

This week, Doug Hall from the Emmanuel Gospel Center shares with UniteBoston a reflection following an event he had attended at Lion of Judah in the South End of the city.

Doug and Judy Hall have had a tremendous influence in the body of Christ, here in the Greater Boston area over the past 50 plus years. Doug began leading the Emmanuel Gospel Center, with his wife Judy, in 1964, and is also the current president. He is an adjunct professor with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary as well. Together, they wrote, ‘The Cat and The Toaster,’ and have worked side by side in urban ministry since the early 1960’s.

This past April during an event hosted at Congregation Lion of Judah’s new facility, they were both impacted by the dramatic difference they had witnessed at the site of this new building, at 68 Northhampton Street in the South End.

They reflected on how much had changed in the past 35 years. Once this had been a terrible slum with a violent bar at it’s center, but over the decades a tremendous transformation has taken shape.

Doug shared that they remembered a important evangelistic meeting that was held at this location in 1969. Following that event two significant things transpired:
1. The bar in the center of this slum, ‘Louie’s Lounge’, burned to the ground that very same night.
2. Judy experienced a vision where she saw that this location would be redeemed by significant Christian developments in the days to come.

The redemption did not happened as quickly as they hoped, but over time the spiritual landscape has indeed changed not just in this location but in the city of Boston and surrounding communities.

Doug said that they were encouraged years ago, when an anointed church planter named Juan Vergara came to start a Hispanic church in the South End, together with Ralph Kee and the Conservative Baptist group. The church originally started at EGC’s building, but later moved to Cambridge, under the name Central Baptist (Iglesia Bautista Central). Years later an EGC staff member Eduardo Maynard, challenged this church to acquire some property that had come available on Northampton Street, they did so, with no knowledge that it overlooked the very site of the evangelistic prayer meeting held in 1969. What was once an urban ghetto became the site of a thriving Christian community.

It is significant to note that this all began with a meeting that invited the presence of God, and a vision from God given to a woman who would foresee that in this dark place God would do a redemptive miracle.

Doug shared, “When I think of the restoration we are witnessing today, it appears to be aligned with the scripture found in Luke 3:4-6:”
“ As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:
A voice of one calling in the desert,
Prepare the way for the Lord,
Make straight paths for him.
Every valley shall be filled in,
Every mountain and hill made low.
The crooked roads shall become straight,
The rough ways smooth.
And all mankind will see God’s salvation.”

Doug said, “This was one of a number of visions that were revealed in dark and desolate places, visions that prophesied God’s redemptive power would indeed be poured out in our city. The Quiet Revival, that represents the move of God happening now just below the surface through church planting and ministries throughout the city, began when Boston was on the verge of economic collapse, and filled with slums. But God has made the rough places smooth. It may be wise for us to pay attention to visions that occur in dark places, because surely through those visions we are seeing God’s redemptive power being displayed today.”

Below, two young woman pray over the city during UniteBoston’s spring evening night of prayer for Boston.

Written by Sheila Donegan

May 08 2014

Arise & Shine: A Message for Boston

Today, Kelly Steinhaus, UniteBoston’s Team Leader, shares her perspective on God’s destiny for the city of Boston and how this is reflected in what is currently happening within the Christian community.

Above: Sunrise over the Charles River

Do you like watching the sunrise? I sure do.

Whether or not you prefer to wake up that early in the morning, we are in an amazing time where God is rising over this city, awakening hearts and calling people to the place of prayer.

Isaiah wrote this message to the city of Zion, the heavenly Jerusalem, and I believe it’s also a representation of what God wants to do in here in the city of Boston.

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.
See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.
Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.“ (Isaiah 60:1)

I want to specifically draw your attention to verse 3: “Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” This is actually strikingly familiar to a sermon preached by John Winthrop on his way to America, where he spoke that the new community they would form would be "a city upon a hill, that the eyes of all people are on us…We shall be made a story and a by-word throughout the world.”

You see, Boston’s destiny is to be a beacon of the nations.

Thus, the question becomes: what do we want to be known for?

Currently, Boston is one of the smallest world-class cities, known for its rich history and being an intellectual hub. With over 300,000 college students, Boston is a popular place to come to pursue high-class education.

But I believe that God has so much more for us – This is only the beginning.

What if Boston were to be known for the way the Christian community works together? As a city where people pray? As a place where love is displayed?

If you’re intrigued by this, I’d encourage you to listen to the short message that I shared on Easter at the first Awaken Winchester service.

We all cry out for revival but don’t realize that what brings revival is repentance. Two weeks ago, Dr. Paul Jehle gave a lecture on the spiritual history of Massachusetts – he said that the Great Awakening was a direct result of the repentance that happened after the Salem witch trials.

Above: Pastors and leaders gathering to pray for Boston at the New England Regional Leaders meeting

I’m convinced that God wants to bring revival to Boston, we’re not ready for it. Our light shines brightest when we extinguish the darkness, so my prayer is for conviction and changed hearts, that we might be capable for the revival God seeks to pour out.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, may we arise and shine, so that the glory of the Lord can come upon us, that Boston might be awakened to its destiny as a city on a hill and a light to the nations.

Below: A photo of His Eminence Sean O’Malley of the Boston Catholic Archdiocese and His Eminence Methodios of the Metropolitan of Boston of the Greek Orthodox Church joining together to light the first candle of Easter night. Photo taken by Alexander Mavradis.

Apr 26 2014

A call to participate in the National Day of Prayer

This coming Thursday, May 1st, churches and individuals across our city will be joining together for the Annual National Day of Prayer gathering in downtown Boston. Sheila Donegan, the UniteBoston Journalist, had the opportunity to sit down with Latonya Brown to hear more of the history behind this year’s event.

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We have a rich history of prayer as a nation. The National Day of Prayer was first signed into law by President Harry Truman on April 17th, 1952. He asked that the people of the United States would come together on this day and collectively turn our hearts to God in prayer and meditation. But the call to pray goes back much further than this. In fact, days of prayer have been called for in the United States since 1775, when the Continental Congress designated a time for prayer as the new nation was forming.

In his 1983 declaration, Ronald Reagan said, “From General Washington’s struggle at Valley Forge to the present, this nation has fervently sought and received divine guidance as it pursued the course of history. This occasion provides our nation with an opportunity to further recognize the source of our blessings, and to seek His help for the challenges we face today and in the future.”

As a country, we are celebrating the 63rd year of this event with over 40,000 gatherings across the United States. LaTonya Brown, this year’s coordinator for Massachusetts, told us that this year the focus is on mobilizing and equipping the Body of Christ to pray for sustained worldwide revival, reformation and restoration. LaTonya shared that in Massachusetts, we will be joining the millions across our country as we pray and seek the face of God on behalf of our city, state, and nation. There are currently fifteen prayer gatherings scheduled across the Commonwealth.

There will be two strategic events in the city of Boston:

National Day of Prayer Noonday Prayer Gathering at the State House

Gardner Auditorium, 12pm – 1pm

“That They May Be One” Clergy and Intercessors United in Prayer for Massachusetts

7pm – 8pm

Location: Congregation Lion of Judah, 20 Reed Street, Boston

(Worship lead by Zenzo Matoga)

“There is a move of the Holy Spirit happening across the earth and it is being strongly felt within Massachusettes and New England. We are here to call the body of Christ in our communities to come together and stand in the gap on behalf of our city, our region and our nation.” LaTonya shared. “We hope that all that are a part of the Body of Christ in the Boston and Greater Boston area will join us in this most significant time as we come together as one and lift up the Name that is above all names…the Name of Jesus over our city. May we see His Kingdom come here and his will be done on this earth as we do!

For more information on the National Day of Prayer in Boston and how you can be a part, watch the video below or email: latonya@praymassachusettes.org

Apr 22 2014

The Testimony of Oneness: City Transformation in Lowell

Local pastors and leaders praying for Pastors Najem and Hernandez during the 2nd Annual School of Transformation in March 2014

The last prayer that Jesus prayed in the Bible concerned unity. What beautiful departing words Jesus spoke comparing the oneness between himself and the Father, to the oneness that was now possible within and among believers. His message was clear; the testimony of a people united in the love of God speaks a compelling story of love and redemption to future generations.

Jesus prayed, “I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these. My prayer for all of them is that they will be of one heart and mind, just as you and I are, Father—that just as you are in me and I am in you, so they will be in us, and the world will believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you gave me—the glorious unity of being one, as we are—I in them and you in me, all being perfected into one—so that the world will know you sent me and will understand that you love them as much as you love me.“ John 17:20-23 (TLT)

In this spirit, a group of 12 pastors in the Greater Lowell, Massachusetts area gathered at the invitation of Pastor Rafael Najem of Community Christian Fellowship, and Pastor Cecilio Hernandez of Iglesia Christiana Ebenezer Asambleas de Dios, to examine the prospect of working together. The two pastors presented the concept of a citywide church, an influential, evangelical church body that would bless the city and help to fulfill God’s purpose and will for it. Pastor Najem, a longtime proponent of church unity shared his heart with the group saying, “I cannot save the city, you cannot save the city; but together we sure can make a impact for the Kingdom of God here.”

The group responded enthusiastically and the pastors began to gather monthly to pray, fellowship, and strategize. Together they host annual events including a men’s conference, youth training and outreach, a citywide Block Party, and the School of Transformation designed to train and empower Christian leaders. They call their affiliation the Citywide Church of Greater Lowell – a catalyst to ultimately transform the City of Lowell into the City of God!

The Citywide Church of Greater Lowell (Citywide) strives to unify, empower, and mobilize God’s people to love with his heart and to serve with his hands. As Jesus expressed his love through both spiritual and practical means, so too does his church. The objectives of the Citywide church are to be: 1) Salt and Light in the City, 2) Prophetic Voice for Social Justice, 3) Catalyst for Church Building and Development, and 4) Catalyst for Cross-Cultural/Ethnic Unity.

The number of churches actively participating in Citywide has almost doubled with a wonderfully enriched membership of multilingual, multi-ethnic, and multi-denominational believers. This diversity reflects the population in the city of Lowell, and the differences among them are respected and appreciated. Since no one church can meet the needs of all people; diversity broadens the access for new believers to settle in a church that suits their individual expression.

The message of God’s love and redemption is preached through various means. In the case of Citywide, God is using the marvel of oneness.“ Jesus prayed, “I am not praying for these alone but also for the future believers who will come to me because of the testimony of these…”

Written by Donna Dougherty
donnad@AllWeatherGod.com
www.AllWeatherGod.com

www.ebenezerag.org

Click here to listen or download the messages from the School of Transformation

To learn more about Citywide Church of Greater Lowell please visit: https://www.facebook.com/CitywideChurchOfGreaterLowell

Pastor Rafael Najem, Community Christian Fellowship, www.ccfcca.com

Pastor Cecilio Hernandez, Iglesia Christiana Ebenezer Asambleas de Dios,

Signs held by Citywide church pastors & leaders around the city of Lowell

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