More from Philly

I admit that when I was getting for the overnight trip to Philly, I was wondering if it would be worth the time and effort. I was not disappointed and I walked away with a lot of useful ideas.

I was reminded how critical prayer is to a church planter. Bruce Finn, the coordinator for the Philadelphia Church Planting Network stated that at the begining all they had was prayer. No sugar daddies, no large sums of money laying around. Vision & Prayer were it.

You know, it is so easy to think that if I just had a million dollars, or if just the right church got involved, or if just the right person stepped in we would be accomplishing our goals. Those are good things, but they DO NOT replace God and our need to pray.

Vision & Prayer comes from the top down. The PCA men in Philadelphia were able to talk to elders and congregations about the importance of reaching lost people. Once the Presbytery, congregations and sessions were on board, that was when things got interesting.

It has reminded me of the importance of being on my knees and praying for the ministry in Northern New England. It also has reminded me of the importance of vision. I need to be constantly talking to people about reaching lost people and a vision for NE. With vision and prayer, things can indeed get interesting.

"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply" -- Hudson Taylor

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God" -- William Carey, who is called the father of modern missions