eNews | Thurs 3rd Sept '20

Dear e-News friends and church members,Remarkable - Ever Thankful"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits" - Psalm 103:1I hope that you had opportunity to join with me and the team last night as we did an hour-long Family Forum? We were astounded when we began to count up and realise just how much has happened during this the most challenging of seasons.From 1.4 million social media connects, 3 new language launches, and new church groups in Mexico, Columbia, Ghana. Over 1,000 people connected just this week for our online growth groups, dozens saved, and many baptised. The food bags and hot food ministry are now into tens of thousands.This doesn’t even include the hundreds healed, the very many answers to prayer through the praying4u@destiny-church.com email address. We are also hearing of so much happening in all the locations and local churches.We have never grown so fast and seen so much happen in our history.We have no idea how the provision has just kept coming to do all of this, but it has.We thank God for all of you who have been so faithful with your giving, and for GOD who never ends with His faithfulness.

Watch The Family Forum

We said at the outset of this pandemic that God intended for us to thrive and not just survive this season, and in truth we have.

But now we have a fresh challenge, moving forward without moving back.Our natural human instinct wants to go back to where we were, how it was, and what we knew.But we can’t go back, for the call of God is always upwards and onwards.God always does more not less. We read:"There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this."- Isaiah 9:7So, we the leadership team need your prayers, and ALL of us will need courage.With present restrictions we feel it unwise to reopen the buildings in Glasgow for church services, knowing that if we did so less than 10% of our church could come, even if we ran 10 meetings a day, we still wouldn’t all get in. And then with masks, no singing and the 2 metre rule, it’s not church as we would know it. We think that would be moving back.Then of course, so much of our beloved family live out-with Glasgow, where public venues are no longer available for hire.But our friendship houses are up and running, and for all of us who have attended them or hosted them, realise just how powerful they actually are.Therefore, for the moment, we think this is the way to go, whilst we continue to produce, push forward and advance church online with all its missionary endeavours.The friendship houses of course are a 100% biblical model, and this was how church was and grew in the first 300 years of its history. We have the added boost of technology, but thankfully the same Holy Spirit.The one thing that has surprised me the most, is how many people have been baptised in the Holy Spirit over the phone or online, and how many people have been healed without being able to lay hands on them. Distance is obviously no problem to God.I’ve reflected on the difference between us and the early church, how did they grow so fast without the internet?I think that they saw many things very differently. Here are some examples:

• We think sin, they thought righteousness
• We think behaviour, they thought belonging
• We think going to church, they thought we are the church
• We think weakness, they thought power
• We think events, they thought fellowship
• We think meetings, they thought service
• We think buildings, they thought nations
• We think failure, they thought victory
• We focus on Jesus being saviour, they focused on Jesus being Lord
• We think heaven, they thought resurrection

All because perhaps, we think law, they thought grace.

That’s a sneak preview of Sunday’s message, you won’t want to miss it. The message is called ‘Thinking like God.’We are still in much need of very many more volunteers, in lots of departments, and you don’t even need to live locally to involve. You can connect below.

Volunteer

We are also needing to invest in our kids and youth ministry, so that they also have God encounters through this season, perhaps you would like to give specifically to that cause then please click below.

Give Here

There are 2 other causes that need financial input at the moment,1) INDIA, NIGERIA and PAKISTAN where new doors are opening for developing leaders to grow through Destiny College, they need laptops/internet connections and other tech tools, can you give?

Support A Student

2) MERCY MINISTRIES, FOOD BANKS AND HOT FOOD SUPPLIES, for those in desperate need in our community, we thought the need would now go down as lock down lifts, but it’s actually going up, you can give a one-off gift.

Help The Foodbank

Look forward to being at church and doing church with you over the weekend.We love you guys,Andrew