Its been pretty busy the last 14 days with 24-7. Trustees meetings, an office move from Chichester to London, and a significant financial challenge have stretched the old ‘to-do’ list to the limits of what I can manage.
After seven years, we’ve left the building in Chichester that we shared with Revelation Church and a number of other ministries and businesses. Revs have been a great support to 24-7 over the years, and although the move is the right thing, its sad to be leaving behind the close working environment with the church that birthed the 24-7 Prayer movement.
After lugging all our gear up to London in a fairly precarious trailer, we still have the task of unpacking everything. But that’s another weeks worry!
I’ve also been doing a lot of work on our finances. I’d been feeling for a while that our account was a little precarious, but only once I had done quite a bit of investigation did the complete picture become apparent. We had over 6.5k debts and were running a monthly deficit, so obviously we had quite a problem – especially when you consider that we have no reserves, and run on a budget smaller than a lot of small churches.
Prayer and action were both required! And as always, God has been faithful. We plugged the debt hole, and have started to address the monthly shortfall. Its been great to see not just the money brought in through our own efforts, but the complete surprises that remind us that God has been answering our prayers.
During all the activity, we arranged a two day operation to contact all of our supporters. I was exhausted before the start and had very little time to prepare, but the 24-7 staff who had dropped everything to be involved, were fantastic. By the middle of the first day we were a working away like a smoothly oiled machine, and it was fun to hear everyone on the phone as they blessed our supporters by thanking them for their contributions, and told them about some of the things going on at 24-7 at the moment.
We’ve still got a long way to go, but we’ve made a good start. One person advising us at the moment has challenged us that we need to be more consciously linking the vision for both the things that we are being called to do, and the finances to be able to do them. We need to learn how to do this, and only God can fully release that vision to us.
This crazy movement is on a huge learning curve at the moment, please pray that we’re good stewards of all we’re being called to do and be.
Hang in there Pete! We are thankful for all that you do.
keep up with the pewpewness, pete!! *hug
Lately, I have been praying a lot about architecture and ancient gateways and kingdom finances… specifically I’ve been studying the muddy waters of the Cistercians (reformed Benedictines with the vow of friendship), Bernard of Clairvaux and the Templars (Poor Knights of Chirst). And I’ve been praying an awful lot for 24/7 leadership and funding…
My blog confuses most people because I shroud everything I’m learning under layers of metaphor… I rarely write clearly and directly. We have to be careful not to throw our pearls to swine 🙂
But, I’ll say this as “straight” as I can muster… (from way over here in the mountains of Alberta, Canada, and just after commenting on Brian’s recent heart-pleading Ibiza blog post)
Speaking of “straight” (before I get straight allow me to digress in another twisty direction, here I go again…) – the King James version uses a lot of words to describe Jesus’ experience in the olive press of Gethsemane, “sore amazed, terrified, deeply troubled… and this word ‘straightened'” which is symbolic of a bull being pulled into a tight stall with it’s horns roped and pulled…. prep for castration! nasty…
So, in speaking straight I know it can feel like someone is grabbing you in a very delicate area… and telling you to turn your head and cough 🙂 I’m not wanting to come off like, “The Doctor is in!” but this has been burning and refining for quite a long time…
Anyway, here goes my credibility if I’m wrong:
It’s time for 24/7 to storm the City of London. Who of your movement walks the halls of those tall towers amidst the power brokers sipping their Single Highland Malts? Who in your movement? Who from the 24/7 team is being called deeper into the financial ghetto? I’m not asking, “Who do you know in those places?” but who “OF YOU” is in those places or about to be welcomed in? Carrying their cross into J.P. Morgan’s corner office – or wherever!?
Who are you prepared to accept funding from? The World Bank!? Rockefeller, Morgan, Lloyds, the Queen mom!? I’m not tempting anyone… I’m just asking you how close are you willing to walk with the broken helpless leaders of this earth.
Joseph interpretted Pharoah’s dream and was put in charge of 14 years of history. Esther, breaching protocol and walking freely in the palace of the Medeo-Persians. Daniel in Babylon. Cyrus, King of Persia, (God’s Servant) funding the rebuilding campaign of a certain Temple amidst the ruins of a certain City.
Moravians sold themselves into slavery. For 24/7 that might mean putting on a suit and re-entering the current slave trade pontificated by mulit-national beauracractic corporations with the corporate persona’s of psychotic murderers who dehumanize everyone buried under their techniques and efficiencies for the sake of their bottom line.
Gotta run. I have a lunch at the Petroleum Club in downtown Calgary – a creepy place… my prison cell.
btw, i pray for you all quite a bit… so i feel like i’m in the trenches with you, gutter to gutter for the glory of God in the face of Christ… engaging heaven in the midst of this holy birthing time.
I go to church in the City of London – and I’m telling you it is a real battle ground – we need all the prayer support we can get!