One of our Global Leaders, Phillip Nelson, shared his soul with us last week during the ELC. For 45 years, he has been calling the African American (AA) church to assume her place in God’s harvest. It is a deep burden. We prayed over Phillip later in the week. Sterling and I were privileged to  work with Phillip when we hosted our African American Summits back in the early 2000s. We asked all attendees to write down take aways, things God was saying to them from the plenary sessions, Word, worship, and prayer sessions. One take away for me, is to reenter into Phillip’s deep burden to see the AA church mobilized for mission. I entered into his calling and pain that day and sensed God wants us with the ELC and the Center for Global Mission to partner to see his life calling realized in our time.

By the end of the week, God had touched down upon our young ones. It does not happen often. But when it does, the script and schedule must yield to the movement of God’s Spirit. I am humbled when God shows up in such power. So many lives were/are being transformed.

This and so much more came about because you believe enough to pray and to give. Thank you!!

Sterling and I are so blessed to have you as friends. We are doing a few days of vacationing then next week to begin afresh for the next chapter.

Much more I want to share. I’ll do so in small portions in the coming weeks.

Love you all,

Jim and Sterling

The Center for Global Mission