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, after reflecting on the past week at the CCT Forum, we invite you to our monthly Zoom times for prayer and for conversation, and to join Christians from many traditions and convictions in prayer & fasting against violence.

     Jesus was not afraid to enter into our world. That may be stating something rather obvious, but it is a profound truth to me when I acknowledge it in contrast to how uncomfortable I can sometimes be in unfamiliar settings. The essence of the Incarnation was not paralyzing disorientation but rather compassionate initiation. I am invited to become more Christ-like when I resist fear and move toward others in friendship. This movement engenders love. When we imitate Christ in love, love is formed in us.
     I was reflecting on that posture a good bit last week during the Christian Churches Together Forum in Philadelphia. As an older, white, confessional Protestant, experiences like a pilgrimage to Mother Bethel AME Church, pausing to remember the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, praying evening Vespers at an Armenian Apostolic Church, or even just listening to young ecumenists share their (varying) perspectives can make me awkward or withdrawn. That’s why I’m thankful to be immersed in the Forum (and similar spaces) with so many invitations from the Holy Spirit to move toward those around me rather than away from them.
     Allow me to pass that reflection along to you in the form of a question: How might God be inviting you this month to follow Jesus in taking the initiative in uncomfortable places?

October Zoom Meetings

    Our rhythm of gathering on Zoom two Wednesdays each month – once for prayer and once for a guided conversation around something related to our way and practices – continues:

     The next Zoom prayer time is tonight! Wednesday, October 15th from 8:00 until 9:00pm Eastern time, using this link. As is our practice, we follow various forms of prayer to help us pray together. No previous experience with any particular style of prayer is needed to join us. Just come and pray (either silently or out loud!)
    
     The next guided conversation will take place on Wednesday, November 5th from 8:00 until 9:30pm Eastern time, using the same link. In our last conversation in early October, we started to dig into all the ways that talking past one another has seeped into our culture and decided that the practice of creating opportunities for thoughtful and respectful interactions deserved its own conversation. So come join us this month to dig even deeper into how we can grow in dialogue as a spiritual discipline.

Resource of the Month: 40 Days of Prayer & Fasting

     This came out just a couple of days too late to get into last month’s update, but we wanted to invite everyone who’s reading this month to follow the lead of our friends at Kingdom Mission Society and join other followers of Jesus from many backgrounds and traditions in the last 10 days of this 40-day commitment to pray and fast against violence (especially political violence) and to seek repentance, reconciliation, healing and the power of the Holy Spirit: “This is not a passive act of retreat; it is a powerful, biblically-mandated discipline of engagement. From the prophets who interceded for God’s people to the fasting of Jesus himself in the wilderness, we know that this is a spiritual tool with the power to break strongholds and humble hearts.”
     You can find more details and resources at the KMS website. Thank you.

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity + National Gathering

     More material and resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from January 18-25, 2026 – including the prayer guide and the outline for the prayer liturgy – are available from the Dicastry for Promoting Christian Unity website. Reply to this newsletter or reach out through our website if you’d like more information about prayer services in your area or would like to explore the possibility of hosting one.
      And it’s certainly not too early to make plans for The Initiative’s 2026 annual gathering. Put the dates on your calendar, and look for registration to open later next month with some “early bird” discounts for registering before the end of February.

I remain so very grateful for all of you as you take the initiative to imitate Christ in love. And I appreciate your time and attention as you read, as well as your partnership in prayer and generosity. May you always experience his love being formed in you!

Yours in Christ’s Love,
Scott Brill
Executive Director