The Salem community recently lost a very humble man: Ron Elliott. His name is neither a household name nor what he did nor will how he died become a water cooler topic. He was homeless for many years, living in several shelters and most recently, a deplorable rental unit on 14th Street in Salem. A man who had nothing, asked for nothing, but gave all he had. He was remembered on September 24, approximately two weeks after his death at the Blue Pepper, downtown Salem. Many homeless people gathered upstairs at the Blue Pepper to share with Ron Elliott’s children their life and experiences with this special man. The people who gathered at this “wake” were mostly homeless. I had not seen some of them in a few months, and in some cases, a few years. Some had worn a shirt and tie, others the best they had to wear. But they wore what I had always remembered them by; they all wore a smile. It was good to see them again. We embraced, shared a tear and a story or two. Some, not many, have moved out of staying in shelters, others are still stay in shelters. Some are camping, and others are somewhere between nowhere and goodbye.

“He that loves his brother abides in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him.”
1 John 2:10

Ron was homeless and was residing at the Salem Union Gospel Mission when I first met him many years ago. While he was staying at the mission, he worked doing laundry, cleaning bathrooms, and most importantly, helping people one on one. He was not in need of a recovery program or a support group. Ron never asked for a handout or special favors. All he asked from this world was shelter and a meal during his cancer treatment; he was willing and ready to work for that. And work he did. He loved helping people. It was ironic he was remembered a block away from a place he made the most impact with people. “If You Help, You Care” was one of Ron Elliott’s creeds. He was stricken with terminal cancer a few years ago. When you saw him, you could see he was not well, but when he spoke, his appearance no longer became a concern. You would never know that this man was dying. He was alive with the hope of life ever after with Christ and shared that hope with all he met. On occasion Ron and I would walk around downtown Salem. He told me of the mistakes he made during his life. Yet he was amazed of the love that God had for him during his life. Although suffering, he was enthusiastic with the opportunity to help and assist others during their time in “the pit” as he called it. He really believed we were to help one another every day, not just on Holidays.

I found out recently that his final days were very painful. He was bandaging his own open sores. His diet was anything he could find to eat. He told another homeless friend a few days before his passing that “it will be ok, the Lord is in charge.” He was cleaning the community bathroom where he ended up living his last days. It was so very sad he ended up in such a dreadful place after giving so much of himself to other people and organizations.

Most people I know who are homeless are surviving with what cards are dealt to them by the courts and the extremely bad choices they made during this journey of life. They are not lepers; they need a hand or two along the way. Take a lesson from Ron, whatever your heart directs you to do when you see someone hurting, please follow your heart. CS Lewis wrote in his book The Four Loves that “friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of each of all the others.” Ron never feared being alone. He feared he may have to leave someone alone and not able to help them. For people, homeless or not, a life of loneliness without Christ can be endless.

In a world of “me first,” it was refreshing and such a blessing to know a person like Ron who cared for others first; not by the directions of man, but by the Spirit of God. I am aware that there are many ‘Ron’s’ out there; I wish it were not so. I hope someday to start a fund in memory of and honoring Ron Elliot. This fund would insure that a homeless person‘s last days would be comfortable and dignified. Sadly, this may be a very active fund. Ron died on September 10, 2009. He was proud of his faith in the Lord and he wanted to share it with anyone who resided at UGM and other areas of town.

Michael Olsen was the Director of Ministries for the Salem Union Gospel Mission for 10 years. Prior to his work at UGM, he retired from the U.S. Army after 21 years and worked for Trans World Airlines in New York after his military retirement. He and his wife Wendy live in Salem. Michael can be reached at mjeccl4@gmail.com.

It’s hard to believe in miracles isn’t it? Do you think perhaps it’s because we have become jaded by charlatans, or because we have become desensitized by all the special effects we se on TV and movies. But make no mistake; miracles still happen. They happen at the edge of a mean and sinful world where light pushes back the darkness.

Many miracles happen in distant remote places where God is able to show His awesome power. I’ve talked to missionaries who have witnessed awe inspiring miracles. But, I’ve seen them too, and I saw them when I went to the edge.

It all started that first day when I walked into the Edgewater District as a volunteer of the Salem Dream Center (a ministry that reaches people through volunteer service and works projects). I stepped on to the edge that day; looked over and jumped. My life has not been the same.

On my first day in Edgewater, my team and I knocked on the door of a woman who wouldn’t tell us her name. Week after week she would talk to us, but never tell us her name. Our conversations were always centered on everything that she did, kind of her way of telling us, look I’m OK; I don’t need your help.

I was resolute to learn her name. Every Saturday we would knock on her door and try some new clever way to learn her name, only to be thwarted by her determination to remain anonymous, and I guess impersonal.

This battle went on for some time, then on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, when we knocked on the door, it swung open and a hand thrust out. In a stern and harsh voice she proclaimed, “I’ve had enough of your friendliness, leave me alone,” and the door slammed in our faces.

That was a first. We weren’t sure what to do. After walking away in disbelieve we talked about what just happened, and what we should do. We came up with a plan to write her a note that said we were sorry for bothering her, that bothering her wasn’t our intent. We only wanted to be friends. We acknowledged all that she did: working full time, going to school, and helping to raise her grand kids.

We closed our note saying; “We won’t bother you, but we will always be out here on the street on Saturday mornings if you need us.” We placed that note on her door on a Saturday, the week after Thanksgiving. We snuck up, quietly put the note on her door and ran.

That same day our anonymous woman called West Salem Foursquare Church, and asked if we were part of the church?

You know the feeling you get when you are driving and you see those blue lights flashing in your rear view mirror? Well that’s what I felt when on Sunday I was asked if I had left a note on a door in Edgewater, because a woman had called about it. But relief flooded over me just like when the police car passes and pulls over the car in front of you.

The woman called to tell us she was sorry, and to tell us that we could come back. Melanie, the pastor who answered the call, could have taken the message as it was given, but instead she asked, “Are you OK?” The woman broke down crying and told Melanie that two days before she slammed the door on us, her 7 year old grandson died a tragic death.

Melanie went on to talk with her about God, about death, and about a world that is cruel: one that doesn’t make sense. At the end of that conversation Melanie could have said goodbye, but instead she asked if she could pray for her. The woman broke down crying again, and said yes please pray for me.

The next Saturday, we went back to that same door that had been slammed in our faces, and as we knocked. It swung opened, only this time two arms were thrust out of the door and the woman grabbed me in a tight hug. Then all of the sudden she pushed me back and said, “My name is Linda. My name is Linda.” I replied, “That was my mom’s name, she passed away a few months ago.”

Linda slammed the door, but God opened a heart.

As time passed Linda and I became very good friends and we are great friends to this day. On Saturdays Linda and I always talk about what I read in my devotionals, about what she has read in the Bible, and about her family and mine.

A little more than a year later after Linda opened her door and welcomed me with a hug, she received Christ. A short time later her daughter and son-in-law received Christ. I was amazed at how God worked in her life, and then through her life to reach her children. I never took a Bible, or even tried to get her to accept Christ, I just listened, talked and told stories, and God did the rest.

Linda and I talked a lot and I honestly thought I knew everything about Linda. She had told me about her daughter who led a life of regret, about her son-in-law who was drug addict. We talked about some very deep and painful stuff. Then one day she asked me, “Did you know I have a son?” I said, “nope.” She replied, “That’s because I’m embarrassed of him.”

She continued, “My son is in prison for murder. He’s in there for life without parole.”

She went on to tell me about his life and how terrible he was to her. She said all he ever did was take, and never cared about anyone, never said he was sorry for the pain he caused.

Then she told me that her son had received Christ. My first thought was jail house conversion. She must have read my mind because she said, “Yes that is what I thought, but then he told me something that made me know it was true. He told me, ‘Mom, I did it. I killed that man, I deserve to be here. I know God didn’t have me kill that man, but I think God wants me here so I can help people come to know Him.’”

Linda looked me in the eye and said, “He always said he didn’t do it, he said he was framed. Now he said he did it, that’s how I know he really has turned his life over to Christ.”

Then she told me, “You know my boy always took from everyone, now he wants to give back. He wants to be a pastor.”

She went on to tell me that he called her every Sunday and for the past year and a half she shared our talks, shared our devotionals and what she heard in church or on TBN. She said God just took those words and made them grow in him. He told her that over the phone he could hear the difference in her, and his sister. He wanted what they had, they were happy, they had moved beyond their past and were alive. He wanted that.

One Saturday a few months ago Linda told me she knows she will never see her boy on the streets of this world, but she knows she will see him walking down streets of gold, and he will be holding the hand of Mike’ her grandson.

More than a year has passed since that day her son accepted Christ and her son is still studying to be a pastor. He is also helping in the chapel. He has moved beyond his past and he is alive. He said the change in his life is so dramatic, that other inmates will come up to him and ask him, “What happened to you?” It’s then that he tells his story and offers them what his mom offered to him: life with a Father who loves them exactly as they are and forgives all their sins.

Miracles still happen. Some are simple, some are amazing, but they happen in far off distant and remote places, and yes they happen right down the hill from the church I call home.

I walked into Edgewater in 2003 knowing that I had nothing to give, you know what? I was right I didn’t and I don’t, but God does. All I have to do is step to the edge every Saturday and push back at the darkness of a cold and harsh world with His love. Then He shines with a light that goes beyond the blocks I walk, and shines into a prison thousands of miles away.

You know I was terrified that first day I stepped into Edgewater, It wasn’t easy but all I had to do was step out of the boat just like Peter did. All I had to do was exactly what the Bible says I should, go out into the world and use the gifts God has given me, and use the passion that He put in my heart. That’s when I get to see miracles right there at the edge.

Craig Oviatt is the Director of the Salem Dream Center and is on the pastoral staff at West Salem Foursquare Church. Craig is married to Renee`, the love of his life, and has four wonderful children, a son-in-law, and one beautiful granddaughter. He loves to write, read, cook, and be at the Salem Dream Center.

GOD IS PROVING, THROUGH THE LIFE OF PASTOR JOHN STUMBO, THAT HE IS STILL IN CONTROL

Imagine a group of church leaders sitting down to pray and dream about the future, drawing up their long range plan. Included are two new Saturday services, hiring additional personnel, partnering with another church in reaching out to the community, strategically joining with a ministry in another country, starting a building project. Sidelining the lead pastor. WHAT?

Imagine being the lead pastor at a large church. You are a visionary who foresees, with God’s blessing and grace, amazing things ahead. You are greatly loved by your congregation, respected in the community. You are in excellent physical condition, running marathons. You are working on your doctorate. You are steering the largest building program the church has ever undertaken. In the blink of an eye, it seems, you can barely talk and can’t get around without a walker. WHAT?

The week of October 19th, 2008, John Stumbo, the lead pastor at Salem Alliance Church, thought he was coming down with the flu. When he didn’t improve he was checked into the hospital. He stayed there for 77 days. Five times his wife, Joanna, was advised that she needed to come quickly because he wasn’t responding. It was bad and it was frightening.

Fast forward, months later…

John is suffering from a disease that the doctors call dermatomyocitis, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the muscles and has left him in a very weakened state. He has lost 45 pounds from his original weight and because the muscles that aid in swallowing were affected, he has to receive his nourishment through a feeding tube. The average person swallows 1,000 times each day, but John can’t even swallow his own saliva. His voice is an agonizing whisper. His heart and his vital organs are fine. His memory and mind are as sharp as they’ve ever been. But since he was allowed to go home last February he has been in constant discomfort, dependent on Joanna and other caregivers to help him with almost everything he does. Doctors cannot tell him what the future holds. John is 48 years old.

In the meantime, what has happened to the church whose dynamic, brilliant leader was struck down in his prime? Everyone, to a person, would agree that, even though we are a better people for John’s ordeal, our hearts have been broken by the things he and his family have had to experience, and never-in-a-million-years would we have wished for this to happen. As we walk with him through this journey we have all shed many tears, asked many questions of God, and have had to come to grips with the knowledge that, simply put, God’s brain is not like ours, operating on a different dimension. We do believe that God weeps with us and that what John, his family, and Salem Alliance are going through deeply matters to him. We also know that God is in the business of redemption. He will use this for his purpose, and the good will be magnified to a much greater degree than the pain. We continue to hope. One night last November, over 1,000 people gathered – with four hours notice – to pray for John.

Others prayed in their homes. That was one of the times God brought him back from the brink of death. John later told the congregation, “I had my hand on death’s door, but I had about three thousand of you pulling me back. I didn’t have a chance to get into heaven with all of you people praying for me.”

There have been other corporate prayer times – at Salem Alliance and at churches all over the world – and millions of individual prayers offered on John’s behalf because we believe that John is “one touch away” from being completely healed, that God is able to remove this curse from John in an instant – if that is his will. As we anticipate that day we are sensing the Holy Spirit’s closeness in a new way as we lay John’s needs, as well as those of the church, before our all-powerful God. Many people, young and old, are making decisions to become followers of Jesus Christ. Life isn’t going on as normal. We’ve changed. We go deeper. Things we took for granted are now reasons for thankfulness. God, through John, has touched the hearts and lives of his people in unique ways.

And John perseveres. He can slowly walk a mile on his treadmill. He continues to minister to literally thousands of people throughout the world on his blog (johnstumbo.org or salemalliance.org) where he shares insights into his mysterious journey. John writes very well, and his story is an honest, gripping, encouraging, heart-breaking, challenging, and sometimes humorous tale. The comments that are left on the blog demonstrate that he speaks to many people where they are, helping them with their own trials, their own pain.

On recent blogs John discussed fifteen elements of persevering that he clings to, that have helped him personally. Included in those are suggestions to keep praising God, to rely on what you know to be true and not what you feel at the moment, to intentionally look for humor in the circumstances, and to take on day at a time, knowing that some are going to be more difficult than others.

This past June, John, of his own initiative, stepped down as lead pastor of Salem Alliance Church and has been reassigned to a part-time associate pastor role. As we wrestle with exactly what that will look like, we know that God has a plan and it is perfect.

We are thankful that, in God’s providence, Salem Alliance has a preaching TEAM. Ours has not been a “one man show” so even though John is terribly missed, his absence has not been devastating and the church has moved forward in health. One of the associate pastors, Steve Fowler, has been appointed as interim lead pastor. Others – staff and volunteers alike – have stepped up to the plate, filled the gaps, worked many extra hours, poured their hearts into their calling – to honor God and to honor John.

We are all in this together, for the long haul. John is not leaving us and we are not leaving him. We are committed to the Stumbo family, in whatever form that may take in the future. (John and Joanna have three children – one married and two in college.)

When asked about how the family is handling this crisis, Joanna said, “After being married for 26 years, we thought we knew our script pretty well. We thought we had a good idea of what our future looked like. But working through this illness has forced us to learn improv. We’re making it up as we go.”
On John’s office wall is this prayer: “O Lord, may the power of my example far exceed the authority of my position. Amen.” It is evident that John’s awe-inspiring example is touching lives in ways he never imagined and in ways that are more far reaching than a “position” could have taken him. And we don’t know the end of the story yet.

God does.

On June 24th, when John spoke briefly to the congregation (at all five services!), he said, “God is in this and God is good.” At another time he commented, “I never would have chosen to lose my health and be in the situation I am in, but I am trusting that God’s ultimate purposes will be fulfilled.”

That is the embodiment of faith.

Before retiring, Natalie Warren served on the pastoral staff at Salem Alliance church for eleven years. She graduated from Westmont College and took several short-term mission trips to Guinea, West Africa, and Jordan. Currently Natalie serves on the Governing Board of Salem Alliance, enjoys spending time with her eight grandchildren and, along with her husband Jim, lives in rural Monmouth, Ore.

Almost daily, a young white woman walks through the streets of a South Africa shantytown that is still hurting and divided after the oppressive former “Apartheid” government. Young children with crusty noses and mouths run up to grab her hand, barely dodging a honking taxi. She passes by large, humming South African mamas standing over open grills, cooking animal entrails and sheep’s heads, surrounded by mangy, rib protruding dogs, hoping for just a morsel of meat to fall to the ground. Hip Hop music vibrates out of the local “Shabeen” as the thumping base notes seem to resonate through her chest as she avoids with a smile the beer inspired men on the streets, hoping to lure her over for a suggestive conversation.

As her pedestrian trek continues past drafty tin roofed shacks, she passes a seated Sangoma, (sacred woman) who brings empty promises to this poor township of cures for HIV, broken hearts and the usually empty pockets of the tribal Xhosa people of Masiphumelele. The Sangoma will employ charms and chants designed to summon up the help and power of long dead tribal ancestors. Bethany O’Connor keeps walking and smiling and waving to friends and acquaintances, but this 27 year old American woman, who seems maybe a bit out of place, projects a different kind of presence and power as she moves through this poor township that has captured her heart. O’Connor’s mission is to bring healing and hope through extending what she believes is the most powerful force on the face of the earth — The tender kindness and unconditional love of a living God.

If you had told O’Connor just a couple years before that she would be strolling through an infamous black township where many local white people would tremble to find themselves, she too would have laughed in your face. Originally from Salem, Oregon (Sprague High School 2000) , and a 2004 Social Work graduate of Oral Roberts University (Masters Degree from University of Oklahoma), she was first introduced to the rich and complicated culture of South Africa through a business and community development trip with her father in mid 2007. Her father, Joe O’Connor and a non profit foundation he runs (www.csdcouncil.org) has been involved in designing & advocating for new Christian based community enrichment centers in poverty stricken neighborhoods. Little did Bethany know that this fun, father-daughter bonding trip overseas would play a pivotal role that would change the course and direction of her life.

“During that trip, Capetown struck me as a complicated, beautiful and yet sad place where I could for sure see my self living and working some day in the distant future”. O’Connor continues, “But my vision and goals at the time were pretty focused and I felt obligated to get back to Portland, Oregon and further my Social Work career in a fulfilling and good paying job”.

But God seemed to have another timetable. After 3 months of excellent and encouraging job interviews, O’Connor started to wonder if maybe God had different plans for her immediate future. O’Connor remembers, “On the drive home from one interview , I had this “revelation moment” and I heard this inner prompting seem to say specifically – “Now is the time to go, I have different & better plans for you”. O’Connor found herself pondering the meaning of this inner voice as she found her mind wandering to the poverty, squalor and large beaming smiles of the people in the slum townships around Capetown.

In a surprisingly quick staccato of events, O’Connor found herself making some critical life changing decisions. Within weeks she was selling her car, storing her possessions, researching airfare and housing and launching headlong into an orientation course with a creative outside the box ministry founded by Floyd McClung, the legendary leader and pioneer of the large YWAM ministry in the infamous Amsterdam red light district. During this training course in Capetown, called CPX (Church Planting Experience) O’Connor was encouraged and counseled by McClung to dream big and find the cultural keys that can touch the hearts and needs of people living in fear and repression, especially in poverty stricken areas.

“Masiphumelele” is the name of the informal settlement where O’Connor works. Also known as “Site 5” by the former apartheid government, “Masi” was one of many squatters villages that sprung up in the 60’s and 70’s under the white dominated governing party as a “solution” to try and limit the mixing of different races. At that time, it was not unusual to see forcibly evicted families and their belongings loaded in trucks and literally dumped on the barren ground on the outskirts of the populated areas. Masi developed as a squatters camp during this same era, and even today hosts many refugees, living in sparse and drafty shacks, who have come to South Africa from other African nations, seeking a better life.

It has only been 14 years since apartheid has ended. O’Connor says she can still sometimes detect the wounded and rejected spirit reflected in people’s eyes when she, a white person, engages them in conversation. There is also a palpable tension between black people of tribal origin and the mixed race “coloured” people that further creates cultural complications.

In the midst of this rich and cultural dynamic, O’Connor moves about on her daily mission to bring hope and practical tangible services to families, abandoned mothers and vulnerable children. In her early days working in Masi, O’Connor encountered a white South African woman, Michelle Pughe-Parry, who also reflected a passion and concern for at risk mothers and the secret shame of baby dumping. Together they teamed up to research and address the causative issues head on. O’Connor’s heart was both outraged and pierced at the thought of a mother being so desperate for food, shelter and basic survival needs that she would literally throw her baby away in the garbage. O’Connor’s research and resulting community networking led her to create a remarkable solution known as “The Baby Safe” which has now become known throughout much of the Capetown region (population 2 million +) . O’Connor says – “If there is one thing I have become more and more convinced of, it is that God is a refuge to the oppressed and He loves to channel His love and hope to the brokenhearted, the fatherless and to the desperate. A scripture that O’Connor clings to that reflects this is – “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, defend the cause of the weak, advocate for the rights of the needy.”

After 8 months of research, networking with government officials and involving other faith based poverty initiatives, The Baby Safe was launched as an official ministry/sub organization of McClung’s organization- All Nations of South Africa. The Baby Safe, installed at a church owned site within walking distance of Masi, is a simple engineering marvel consisting of a safe, tamper proof steel deposit door with a small weight sensitive shelf with a mattress inside. The technology, developed by a volunteer Christian engineer from Sweden, is wired and monitored to detect the presence of a baby by sensing the weight of .5 kilograms or more (about 1.2 lbs). O’Connor explains – “When the door is opened and a baby is placed inside, the sensors detect the weight and activates the system which simultaneously locks the door and sends out electronic messages to Baby Safe team volunteers who can literally respond within 3 – 4 minutes.”

As important as offering the Baby Safe itself, a myriad of services and resources are now also offered to at risk young mothers (often as young as 14 years old). Word of mouth and colorful posters that are plastered all over Masi and other nearby communities have gotten the word out about The Baby Safe. Word has also spread beyond Masi and O’Connor is now deluged with invitations from government groups, radio talk shows, hospital counseling staffs and other agencies that have opened doors for her to become involved in pre-natal counseling, pre-abortion counseling, job development, and identifying and intervening in vulnerable households. “I feel like the heart of Baby Safe is to connect with women, babies and children to offer life, hope and options”, says O’Connor. “ I have been profoundly blessed as I have watched many women (on almost a weekly basis) cancel their scheduled abortions, explore the options of adoption, and many have received encouragement and other resources that actually empower them to choose to keep and raise their babies.”

O’Connor has also been instrumental in helping to launch the Vulnerable Children’s Project (www.vulnerablechildrensa.com) that provides food, clothing, bedding and also addresses the safety of groups of children living alone in shacks in the township. These child headed households often have a parent who is either sick in the hospital (usually with AIDS) or already deceased , leaving brothers and sisters all on their own, with only the eldest child to care for them. O’Connor comments- “This VC program allows us to link compassionate supporters and donors in the West with a Masi child headed household to meet their basic food, housing and clothing needs, all for only $40 a month for each child headed family, which is pretty amazing.” She continues- “We also are able to provide bible clubs, after school mentoring and tutoring, better school placement and other “Big Brother- Big Sister” type friendship to these incredibly resilient kids.”

O’Connor observes that it would be easy to have a sense of utter hopelessness in the face of the cyclical ravages of poverty, crime and the AIDS epidemic that she sees daily in Masi. “ I often struggle with the weight of the immense need and wonder how I could ever make even a little dent” says O’Connor. “But always, almost every day, I am amazed and stunned at the extravagant love of God for the poor. Jesus and his loving kindness comes shining through when I meet women and children in crisis and wonder what on earth can I do? I used to be very self sufficient, smart enough to figure most things out and not really feel the pressure to rely on God for every day things in my life. But now, many times a day, His voice, direction and peace are literally my lifeline.”

This remarkable American girl shares that one of her biggest personal lessons while serving in a poor township has been grasping the meaning of John 15 where it says “I can do absolutely nothing apart from Him. He is the vine, I am the branches”. She continues, “I have come to the realization of how ridiculously dependent I am on Him, to try and bear fruit and to have wisdom in the face of decisions that bear so much weight- many involving life and death of little ones.”

O’Connor is an ordinary young woman who has found herself doing extraordinary things. She is a full time mission worker who is 100% dependent on the financial gifts and monthly support of people that have heard her remarkable story. If you are interested in finding out more about her work and mission you can visit her website at www.bethanyoconnor.com. There is a “Give” page on her website for people who want to get involved and have a tangible impact on serving the poor through her efforts in South Africa. You can also learn more about The Baby Safe at www.thebabysafe.org.

If you know of an ordinary person who is doing extraordinary things, then feel free you can share their story with Lindsay Goodier who is a writer and author living in Houston, Texas. She has enjoyed being published in numerous magazines including Relevant Magazine, Rethink Monthly Magazine and other publications. You can contact Lindsay at lindsaygoodier@yahoo.com.

For 3 Years, Hillsong United traveled with a documentary and production team to record the worship experiences, culture, and history of young people around six major regions of the world. WITH HEARTS AS ONE was released in 2008. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER the eagerly awaited documentary is about the movement, a call-to-action. It’s about you, and how you can get involved.

DETAILS.
When: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 8PM PST
Where: Regal Cinemas / Lloyd Center 10 / Portland, OR (Click here for other theaters)
Tickets: Click here to purchase tickets
Group Sales: Click here for group sales
Website: www.i-heart.org

A BIT FROM JOEL.
“We’re All in this Together”- Part apologetic, part documentary, part call to action, the film is a story made up of many stories, told by many voices, no individual voice any more or any less important than any other, yet every voice working together to ultimately tell the ONE story – A story that involves everyONE; that seeks to capture our collective and idiosyncratic purpose in ONE.

And so… WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER will officially be launched this November. We’re taking it into cinemas for ONE night only – our prayer; that the Church across the earth would rally together and do whatever it takes to see as many people as possible gather at the same time in cinemas everywhere and be stirred and inspired by the message of Christ, to ultimately work closer together in seeing the real needs of humanity collide with a love that can only be found in God who by definition – IS Love.

W.A.I.T.T. isn’t for a second about Hillsong UNITED.. It doesn’t serve to document the music and the adventurous nature of travel, nor has it been designed even to quench our thirst to be entertained.. This is ultimately about YOU – It’s about all of us.. And so our hope is that we would ALL get behind it.. We never had a big budget.. No corporate sponsorship or professional help.. It has been pulled together by a small team of incredibly selfless and dedicated people who have tirelessly given of themselves and persevered to make it a reality.. And our prayer is that we all as individuals would play our part and take it upon ourselves to see as many of our friends, youth, churches mobilised to be a part of this event. It has the potential to be HUGE!! – READ MORE