Sharing a vision of God’s Kingdom in our County -- PACT May, 2010

In May, 70 pastors and church leaders from across Washtenaw County met together for the periodic Vision Lunch sponsored by Pastors Alliance for County Transformation (PACT). Over the years these have been important occasions for folks involved in serving the Lord in their different ministries to meet face-to-face with other Kingdom servants and begin to build relationships. It is amazing how little ‘cross-fertilization’ takes place ordinarily between churches and other ministries without deliberate efforts like the Vision Lunch. In addition to fostering personal contact, the Vision Lunch is an opportunity to stretch everyone’s view regarding God’s work in our County. Different folks share about what they experience Him doing. This year we were blessed to hear from Pastor Joseph Son of the Korean Church of Ann Arbor.

In the last several years since he has come from Korea, the church has experienced rapid growth to over 400. However, as he has prayed, the Lord has shown him the strategic importance of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti as the home to so many international people who are destined to be leaders in their home countries. Reaching them is a vital task and it will require the whole Church in our County.

A growing group of churches in Washtenaw County are praying and beginning to plan for a county-wide public school outreach. The developing vision for this was shared at the lunch, as well. There is a nation-wide ministry called Youth Alive which has an outreach entitled the ’7 project’. They work with coalitions of local churches to prepared Christians in the public schools to reach out to their peers and then do a series of ‘values based’ assemblies in the schools. There the students get solid advice about answers to 6 key issues facing youth, but if they want to hear about a 7th answer that covers them all, they are invited to come to an evening event. At this multi-media event they hear the gospel and get a chance to give their lives to Christ. This is where the churches come in, following up on those new believers and others who indicate that they are seeking.

Wouldn’t it be fantastic for the churches in Washtenaw County to work together for such an outreach to the next generation! Stay tuned for further developments!