Thanks so much for reading this month’s news from The Initiative, a community committed to “walking in deeper friendship with Jesus and his followers, so that the love of Christ might exceed all divisions.” We do this primarily through prayer, sharing of our lives, and proactive work for greater unity.
This month, we continue with both our Zoom prayer and conversation gatherings, explore another emerging unity resource (that came from the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity), highlight a couple of events coming up, and take a quick glimpse into Scott’s campus world.
Discussing John 9 with students the other night, we were struck by how almost everyone is engaging the situation from a posture of either problem-solving, theological inquiry, or moral urgency. Everyone but Jesus, who sees it as a divine opportunity for the light and love of God to be revealed in the midst of physical and spiritual blindness.
As we all move from the routines of the summer into a new fall season, let’s follow Jesus into that same posture of hopeful anticipation in the midst of an increasingly dark and hostile age.
This Month’s Zoom Gatherings
Over the past month, we kicked off two types of gatherings on Zoom – and they were great! So we’re keeping them going. In the middle of the month, we’re connecting for an hour to pray together: for a radical increase of love in the whole body of Christ, and for other needs and intentions related to Jesus’ own prayer that all his followers would be one.
The next Zoom prayer time is Wednesday, September 17th from 8:00 until 9:00pm Eastern time, using this link. We’ll follow various forms of prayer to help us pray together. And you don’t need any experience in a particular style of prayer to pray with us. We’d love to have you join us!
Our second type of monthly Zoom gathering happens in guided conversations together around something related to our way and our practices. This gives us a great opportunity to deepen our friendships and share our wisdom and experiences with one another by exploring places where Christ’s love and the differences and divisions of the church intersect.
The next conversation is happening on Wednesday, October 1st from 8:00 until 9:30pm Eastern time, using the same link. This time we’ll be focusing on the third practice of our community, “working… for greater missional unity in the Church.” How does that happen? Aren’t mission and unity often at odds with one another? What does it look like to navigate that tension? Come join us for that as well!
Resource of the Month: “Dear Unity”
Some of you may already be familiar with this movement that has emerged from a dinner hosted in Australia during this past year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. What emerged is “a powerful exchange of overdue love letters set to heal the body of Christ” and includes folks like Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, Archbishop Ian Ernest, Professor Timothy George, Pastor Darlene Zschech, Rev. Nicky Gumbel, Francis Chan and Dr. Norberto Saracco.
Check out their website, look at resources like the letters (compiled in a book), shared meals, an ongoing unity post, or this video conversation between a few of the folks who’ve been involved.
Christian Churches Together – and a date to save
Before the next update comes out in early October, Tom Masters and I will be participating in the annual Christian Churches Together Forum, this year in Philadelphia from October 6-10. Please pray for us then – it’s been such a rich and formational time over the past two Forums that we’ve been involved with.
Also, we’re excited to have reserved space for our 2026 annual gathering, again in the Chicago area, so put the dates in your calendar! We’ll be sharing more about it over the late fall and into the winter.
I couldn’t resist leaving you with a picture from my other world of Campus Ministry at Assumption University with InterVarsity. This is from our last Monday night Bible study, where 30 students from pretty diverse denominational and cultural backgrounds showed up for a conversation in the gospel of John (in this case, chapter 9, which I referenced above). I hope you find it encouraging to see a little glimpse of the amazing things that God is doing as college students come together around Scripture!
As you transition from the summer into new things – a new academic year, a new season of work or life, a new place or routine, or perhaps just the new week or month – may each of you be graced with new friends (and old ones too!) and may you know and share the deep of love of the One who doesn’t call you a servant, but a friend (John 15).
Thanks as always for your attention, prayers, financial partnership – and especially your friendship.
Yours in Christ’s Love,
Scott Brill
Executive Director
