UniteBoston

Nurturing Relational Connections Across Boston's Christian Community

  • Home
  • Events
    • Submit Event
  • Join In
    • Worship & Pray
    • Racial Justice
    • Kingdom Conversations
    • Neighborhood Dinners
  • Serve
  • About
    • UB Staff & Volunteers
    • UB Worship Team
    • Christian Unity Canvas Prints
    • History
    • Christian Unity
    • Annual Reports
  • Forums
  • Blog
  • Give
  • Contact

Nov 12 2021

INVASION

This is a Christmas night of worship and celebration where many greater Boston church will come together to lift up the name of Jesus.  There will be worship, dance, spoken word, some of Boston’s biggest Christian Hip Hop artists, and pizza party that follows the show.  Join us as we celebrate our Lord’s humble INVASION into our dark work as a baby in a manger.

Get you ticket HERE!

Written by Andrew Walker · Tagged: body of christ, boston night of worship, christ, christian, christian unity, christiansinboston, christianunity, fellowship, jesus, jesus in boston, jesus in the city, jesus unites, jesusinboston, jesusinthecity, jesusreigns, united night of worship

Nov 03 2014

10 Days is Changing Lives in Boston and Across the Nation!

photo 1-15 copy

Coordinators and regular participants from 10 Days Boston gathered together on October 17th for a culmination dinner to share stories of how God impacted our lives.  Here are a few testimonies:

Growth in Personal Relationship with God:

“My time alone with God was one of the most personal and intimate that I’ve had.” – Anne Freeman

“Many things were brought into my awareness and things hindering my relationship with God were broken off” – Anonymous

“I had a personal transformation in my understanding of people from the Orthodox and Catholic traditions, and I now understand how important it is to form alliances and friendships based around Jesus, not on our differences." – Sung Yun Lee

Growth in understanding God’s work in Boston:

"Despite what people think, God is alive and well here. I love how God loves on His people.” – Derek Arledge

“I always love to worship with people who are not like myself. There’s a richness and beautiful harmony present when different groups come together.” – Kaci Norman

“I was able to hear of God’s work across churches and different parts of the city. Coming together for prayer and worship was and is what Boston needs.” – Kevin Ortega

“I feel a greater sense of unity and better understanding of cultural attributes and realities of other ethnicities and denominations.” – Nicole Singleton

“My church doesn’t do all that much with other churches; it was new for me to see so many different churches cooperating, especially because Boston is so parochial. I think this is a move of God!” – Anne Freeman

“My biggest takeaway is the splendor and breadth of the church!” – Matt Crane

A Cool Scatterplot

We took the data from the survey that we passed out with the 10 Days participants (n=15) and then correlated the number of gatherings that each person attended with a “Spiritual Growth Indicator." To determine the "Spiritual Growth Factor,” each person answered “Strongly Disagree,” “Disagree,” “Neutral,” “Agree,” or “Strongly Agree" to these three prompts:

1. 10 Days Boston helped me to personally grow closer to God

2. 10 Days Boston impacted my view of what God is doing in the city of Boston

3. Because of 10 Days, I now have a greater sense of respect for Christians of other denominations and ethnic groups.

Each answer was coded with a specific number of points (Strongly Disagree = -2, Disagree = -1, Neutral = 0, Agree = 1, Strongly Agree = 2)  Each person was given a "Spiritual Growth Indicator” based on their answer to these questions and plotted on a chart with the number of 10 Days events that he/she attended:

scatterChart_jpg-3

As you can see, the number of 10 Days events that people attended is correlated with spiritual growth! The people that went to more 10 Days events indicated more of an impact in their personal relationship with God and corporate understanding of how God is working throughout Boston.

The bottom line is: 10 Days is changing lives. Thanks for being a part of it!

For more details about each of the 10 Days evening gatherings, check out the

10 Days Boston Photo Gallery and Praise Report

I’d also encourage you to read Pastor Dana Baker’s word that the Lord impressed on her, “Are we willing to be interrupted?” I believe this word is the key phrase that God is speaking to us this year with 10 Days.

10 Days Testimonies Across the Nation

10 Days is part of a larger, nationwide movement of cities coming together to seek God. There were over twenty cities that participated this year! Here are some testimonies:

New Hampshire: Repentance and reconciliation between Catholics and Evangelicals; 95 leaders around Manchester coming together for a ministry leader’s breakfast!

Houlton, Maine: Many churches who previously haven’t been interested in partnership are now asking to be involved in praying and building the kingdom together!

Connecticut: This state-wide movement began with a night of worship with over 2,000 people and 100 worship leaders

Chico, California: “Going low” leads to God “lifting us up” – unity leads to Joy!

See the full 10 Days Nationwide report here:

http://www.10days.net/node/101

This is a season of fulfilled promises. God is truly up to great things, and the best is always yet to come.

I want to close with the concluding prayer recited across the nation during 10 Days:

Come, Lord Jesus.

Come, in the fullness of your kingdom!

Come, in the fullness of your victory!

Come, in the fullness of your glory!

Amen.

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: 10 days boston, 10days.net, jesus in boston, jesus in the city

Oct 10 2014

Strategic Prayer for Boston

How do you pray for a city?

It can seem to be overwhelming to discern how we can be praying for Boston. Yet Boston is just made up of various congregations and Christ-followers serving as Jesus’ hands and feet in their individual communities.

At the last gathering of 10 Days Boston last Saturday, we stood in front of a wall of windows overlooking Boston to praise God and make declarations over the city.

We also divided into groups and shared about how God was working among our various communities. Here are some insights that Christians from all over the city shared:

Somerville/ Watertown/ Greater Boston Area

Praise: Unity across various Christian congregations and many new church plants
Prayer: Due to the transient nature of this part of Boston, strong church leadership and discipleship is needed to help Christianity to continue flourishing here
Dream: We dream that the gospel would have an irresistible influence in the community

Cambridge/ Allston

Praise: In the various outreaches that have been done, there is more openness and receptivity to God
Prayer: Pride and self-righteousness is a stronghold; pray that God would bring us to our knees and show people how much they need God
Dream: We dream that every resident in Cambridge would know the true extravagent love of God

Somerville

Praise: We praise God for new life in Somerville including the YWAM base and many new church plants
Prayer: Pray that the people who have been jaded and hurt by Christians would encounter God’s love
Dream: We dream with God that the Christian church in Boston would be reknown all over the world

Everett/ Revere/ East Boston/ Chelsea

Praise: This group was united in same vision to work with people who are improvised
Prayer/ Dream: Pray that all churches would gather together under one purpose

Brookline

Praise: God is saving many Hindus in Brookline!
Prayer: Pray that God would continue to work within the Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, and young adult populations.
Dream: We dream that everyone would respect the various streams of Christianity in the city and we would all come under the banner of Jesus

South End

Praise: Many churches in the South End are very active in the community (Starlight, Lion of Judah, more) and there are many new church plants!
Prayer/ Dream: In the South End, there is a large divide between the rich and the poor and tension between people of various socioeconomic backgrounds. Pray for peace and the fullness of God’s shalom.

Jamaica Plain/ Mattapan/ Back Bay

Praise: Crime rates lower than in the past
Prayer: Pray that everyone in the city would have a Christian friend
Dream: We dream that everyone would be able to do the work God created them to do and that this would strengthen and encourage the city

South Shore/ Quincy/ Plymouth/ Randolph

Praise: There is a tremendous movement of new people groups coming to this part of the city, including Brazilians, Haitians, and South Asians
Prayer: As God weaves new fabric, we pray that something new would arise from the old and that God’s movement would become visible
Dream: We dream that the people of God would learn to live with unquenchable expectation that they are part of God’s unstoppable movement. We also pray that the staff, systems and support needed for the South Shore dream is provided.

It’s when we come together that we begin to see how God is working corporately. Truly, God is up to great things in Boston!

What else is God doing in your midst? How else can we be praying for your community?

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: 10days.net, 10daysboston, god in my city, jesus in boston

Sep 03 2014

Healing the Land: Strategic Prayer for Boston

Over the past six years, Christ Otto and a team from his ministry Belonging House have been doing strategic prayer in Boston. They have seen a series of dramatic answers to prayer in the South End and in the area near the Massachusetts State House.

Today’s blog post is an excerpt from Christ’s report on these prayer initiatives called “Healing the Land.” The following points are the foundation of transforming prayer in cities and regions.
1. Listen to the Lord and Do what He tells you.
Effective prayer is a dialogue, and He who knows all is your best guide for each situation. We begin with scripture. Taking time for silence, waiting on God, and journaling has been helpful. I have found that God’s simple direction is better than a thousand strategic planning meetings.

2. Teamwork is essential.
The biggest breakthroughs have happened when someone gave me an insight I never considered. No one has all the answers and working in a team has helped us all hear God more clearly. The most helpful insights have come from people who live outside of Boston. Their fresh perspective often brought the breakthrough.

3. This is a ministry of healing and reconciliation.
Most of what we have done is address the specific things that release curses on the land–the shedding of innocent blood, sexual immorality, breaking of covenants, moving of boundary stones, and the breaking of relationships. When these sins are confessed and forgiven we can then invite God to heal the brokenness. You will notice that we did not hold large “reconciliation events.” Although we often had one person who represented the parties involved, we did not focus on trying to get parties together to have an event. All of the prayer has been strategic and precise, and often in almost secret.

4. There are no magic bullets.
One interesting aspect of this ministry has been hosting groups from outside Boston to pray in the city. Many times these visitors have come with the attitude that they have the “answer” and that if we would apply their “method” things would be done “right.” Most of the gimmicks have produced little or no lasting fruit. We have found that the long, low, humble road of obedience has been the game changer.

5. Being weird is not intercession.
My ministry Belonging House and the people I work with have a supernatural worldview. Sometimes we have had to depend on the simple direction of the Holy Spirit. Because I work with many groups I have seen how some have felt they needed shofars, flags, victory shouts, swords, or complicated “rituals” while they pray. Right up front, we have done all of these things at different times, but they are not the center. Sometimes prophetic acts are part of what we are doing as an expression of what God has already done.

6. The Cross of Jesus makes everything possible.
It is the finished work of the cross and applying of the Blood of Christ to the sin of the past that real change happens. As we openly confess sin, and our current agreement with it, and apply the forgiveness of the gospel, shifts begin to happen.

7. Listen to the Land.
We pray with our eyes open. We have taken time to learn the real history of where we are– and that means going into the library and doing research. It means getting to know the streets and terrain. It means knowing where and when things happened. Some of the delays in this process were because I did not do the right research in the beginning, and I trusted local “folklore” and polemical versions of history rather than accurate sources. Listening to the land has also involved noticing things like wildlife behavior, odd topography, and the wind. For example, we have noted dramatic gusts of wind during important breakthrough moments.

8. Praise and worship are our chief weapons.
Many times we have asked those with us not to enter into “intercession.” Most of this kind of prayer only reinforces the negative beliefs and judgements about a place or a situation. Praising God shifts the atmosphere in a given place and opens up our ability to pray and hear God. Entering into praise also gets us in tune with heaven, and God’s perspective. In praise we are able to pray from a place of triumph.

9. Authority comes from honor.
God directed me to spend almost two years giving honor to the people who prayed for me to come into New England, even though neither they nor I understood this at the time. I also sought permission to be on the land from the first nations people. By honoring and receiving this blessing, I have walked in a base level of authority that many ministries lack. Rebellion is the root of witchcraft. A culture of honor breaks this.

10. A large part of this ministry has been about “going low.”
We have taken the directions of Jesus to take the lower place at the banquet seriously. In praying on Beacon Hill, we chose to not take the road of political activism, and we have chosen not to build a ministry. We have simply walked and prayed. This story is a report of the outcome.

—-
Christ Otto has recently published a book entitled An Army Arising and is also available to lead prayer tours of Boston and to share how prayer and creativity is transforming New England. Learn more about Christ’s ministry at belonginghouse.org

Written by jasonjclement · Categorized: Blog · Tagged: beacon hill, belonginghouse, jesus in boston, jesus in the city, pray new england, prayer walk, reconciliation, transformation, uniteboston10


Give to Further Christian Unity

DONATE!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Copyright © 2023 · UniteBoston · Built on WordPress · Site Design: site design: red letter design