Cityreaching and Pastors' Prayer Summits
Guests: Dennis Fuqua and Tom White
Teleconference Transcript - 7/17/08
Jarvis welcomed callers. Early callers identified themselves by name and city. Copi Valvidiez led in opening prayer. Sudden interference interrupted the quality of the call, so everyone hung up and called in again.
Jarvis asked Ron Thaxton asked to bring a report on a tragic shooting in Charleston, WV.
Ron: A week ago Saturday, a young couple with a child, domestic situation, violent, she 19, he 22. He abducted her, drove to local Taco Bell parking lot and shot her there. She escaped from the car, went behind the counter of Taco Bell. He vaulted over the counter and shot her 6 times, then fled. An employee tried to revive her. Monday the local president of the Ministerial Alliance of Charleston was called by Taco Bell management to meet with employees. Within 24 hours we had a group of pastors and Christian counselors who came for a joint session with them, ministered individually and as a group. This was unprecedented for Taco Bell. The store was closed, would remain closed for a few days, but stated that when they reopened, the proceeds from that day would be for the child survivor. Taco Bell doesn’t normally do things like that. They re-opened last Monday; the place was packed. As I shared with our alliance meeting, I realized this is a result of relationship building and networking in our city. Geo Otis Jr talks about doing things that attract the presence of God, like doing justice. Corporate America is not ordinarily known for that. They did things they had not done before. This was spiritual warfare. What God was doing in our city was pushing back the darkness with his light. Monday the atmosphere was almost celebration, joy. When I looked back toward where she was executed, I thought “We shouldn’t be having these feelings”. But the joy was in what God was doing. We were saying “yes” to life.
Introduction of guests:
Dennis Fuqua has pastored for 25 years and has been the Director of International Renewal Ministries since 2000. International Renewal Ministries (IRM) is well known for coordinating Pastors' Prayer Summits They have become a recognized and respected catalyst for people, denominations and organizations to cooperate, participate and unite together in the name of Jesus Christ. In addition to facilitating scores of Prayer Summits, and equipping others to do the same, both in the states and overseas, he has conducted many workshops and conferences on prayer, and has shared on the topic of corporate prayer in several seminary and Bible college classrooms. He interacts with leadership teams from several cities encouraging them to see a greater move of God in their city. Dennis has authored several articles on prayer and His book entitled Making the Lord's Prayer Your Prayer is due out next year. Welcome, Dennis.
Tom White is a pioneer in the cityreaching movement; a strategic thinker with a strong biblical foundation. Tom's ministry is international. He serves citywide and denominational prayer summits and brings a balanced teaching on spiritual warfare to conferences and seminars. He leadership gifts are also highly valued as a member of the National City Impact Roundtable Lead Team and as a coach for the Loving Our Communities to Christ (LC2C) framework
Interview
Jarvis: Many people have heard about Prayer Summits but there are different perspectives about what is their primary purpose. How would you describe the main purpose of a Prayer Summit as it relates to impacting a city?
Dennis: Dr. Joe Aldrich gave birth to the idea. I think it’s important to understand the questions in his heart. It was not “How can we stir more prayer?” Not “How can pastors be renewed for personal revival?” It was “How could God accomplish his purpose of reaching a city, impacting a city?” Just the last few weeks, I have heard of 2 events coming up, both called prayer summits. I’m sure they will be good events, but they are different from prayer summits we are familiar with. They are more prayer conferences. The problem is, other people can take a name and use it in a different way from the way Joe used it. There is some ambiguity when people hear about a prayer summit. I would ask, “Is it going to be lectures, workshops on prayer, or the traditional prayer summit where you worship and pray for 2-3 days?”
Jarvis: for those hearing about prayer summits for the first time, what makes a prayer summit?
Tom: It’s a meeting with God, coming to hear God speak. For a busy leader, sometimes exhausted, it’s a safe place where people can be themselves and be refreshed by God. It’s “he manifest presence of God.” He’s attracted to our praise. When brothers and sisters come together … primarily it is a meeting with God and one another. Specific to city transformation, the value, the genius of a prayer summit as it relates to city transformation is (1) It creates context for relational cohesion, the cement, agape love, leaders coming from different perspectives. In the presence of the Lord hearts melt. (2) It creates a context where you can deal with issues like charismatics/evangelicals, gender issues, etc. (3) The Lord releases vision, He speaks. I remember Dr. Joe saying “You have to go somewhere with this.” (4) It provides a context in which a leadership team can emerge or be selected. The prayer summit is a place of trust where that team can be formed and move forward.
Jarvis: What is it about a Prayer Summit that makes it a force in the city reaching process?
Dennis: We set up the date of this call months ago. The July-August issue of Pray Magazine - get it! I just ordered 30 copies. It so addresses urban renewal. Tom White and Phil Miglioratti have articles in it. There are five articles that tell city stories. Four of the five say it started at a prayer summit: Birmingham, Boulder, Fresno and Boise. Those are cities that have recently been written up. Most of the LC2C pilot and new wave cities have had prayer summits -- not just 1 or 2, but on-going meeting with God. We’re aware of two to three hundred cities that have had prayer summits and 50 or so that have 3-4 days away. That relationship has been established. I would add to what Tom said, the issue of humility. In God’s presence, the natural response to the holiness of God is humility. We’ve witnessed that time and time gain. In that humility people are able to lower barrier walls, reach out and be reached out to. One other thing about the dynamic of a prayer summit: so often in our prayers we come asking God to bless our plans. The prayer summit model is not like that. Rather, we come asking God what his plans are. As Blackaby says, the issue is to find out what He is doing, and then He will bless what He is doing. One of the dynamics is the ability to come out aligning our time schedule, and our budgets, to what God is doing.
Jarvis: You have documented some success stories. Are there places where prayer summits have taken place but a city movement has not resulted?
Dennis: First, people may have a different vision or expectation of what a prayer summit really is, and therefore when they left, it wasn’t a starting point, catalytic for the future. They thought of it as an event. Inviting them to a prayer summit is not as effective as inviting them into a vision. Vision is one issue, second is leadership. Sometimes God changes leadership. Glen is on the phone – he remembers when Star gave anointed leadership, but at the height of his game, he died, and leadership was changed. Tom’s presence in Spokane made a difference. Godly appointed, anointed leadership may not take the mantle. The prayer summit can be a place where leadership is recognized. Sometimes it doesn’t happen.
Tom: We are imperfect people. We might have a high expectation of meeting and prayers. Sometimes conflict arises, racial differences. The cohesion doesn’t happen, so people come away thinking it didn’t work. I would agree that sometimes leadership doesn’t pick up the mantle. It takes decisive competent leadership to move a city forward. Cities that get over the hump of 3-4 summits get leadership and traction move ahead. Santa Rosa has had prayer summits for 16 years, Tuscaloosa 17, Corvallis is coming up on 19, and Fresno has had very positive city results coming out of prayer summits. Also Euguen Oregon. Where leadership builds diversity of participation you can see measurable results.
Jarvis: Are Prayer Summits for more than just pastors? What about marketplace people? Ministry leaders? Women? Or just the "average person in the pew?"
Tom: in early days it was men with men. All over world, continents and cultures, I like to get men and women together. I think that’s kingdom. But marketplace folks, men and women in business and spheres of influence have very different DNA. I think it is better for them to have their own summits. You have to work together in the city to have impact, but I think for a prayer summit, it works better not to have them with pastors.
Dennis: I think peer is a better word – peer summits. Sometimes marketplace people and those involved in vocational ministry don’t see themselves as peers, so better to have them separate. Congregational summits – I’m excited. Pastors are taking prayer summits back to congregations and feeling a fresh sense of renewal with worship based prayer. I believe for a city to be impacted, it won’t be impacted on the backs of leaders. There have to be followers who are engaged as well, so congregational summits are key to impacting a city. My vision would be that every congregation that values a meaningful weekend service would value an annual time away experiencing personal renewal, so laity and vocational ministers can grow together.
Jarvis: You started something there. You have a congregation that wants to have a congregational prayer summit. How do you facilitate that?
Dennis: Some of us on the call are familiar with Daniel Henderson. He took the concept of prayer summits ahead when one of men in his church said, “We need to take this to the congregation.” They invited the congregation to 3-4 days time away. Daniel did that himself. Over and over again, I heard people from his congregation say they were so grateful that their pastor helped them love Jesus more through these summits. I think the best facilitation team is the pastor of the congregation inviting another pastor who has participated in prayer summits, facilitating together. The pastor has a tremendous opportunity to disciple people in a prayer summit environment.
Tom: The ideal is to get church people out into a retreat setting. That’s plan A. I’ve done a plan that has been effective: 2 hours on a Saturday or Sunday night. You can touch the presence of the Lord in a short piece of time, stir that hunger,
Dennis: Let me share a definition of the kind of prayer at a prayer summit. I say it; primarily Spirit led, worship fed, scripture based, corporate prayer. It’s not about requests. We get too many requests, but it’s primarily worship based prayer. As far as pastors wanting to facilitate, there’s Tom, me, and others we can point you to. Anything we have we are happy to give away.
Question and Answer:
Bruce Jones, Syracuse, NY: Could we have phone numbers?
Tom White phone: 541-760-0126 email TomWhite08@earthlink.net
Dennis Fuqua phone 503-517-1975 email: Dennis@prayersummits.net
Jarvis: We will have the transcript of the call posted at www.cityreaching.com or you can contact info@cityreaching.com
Al Ortiz, Miami: Dennis, would you repeat the 4 points.
Dennis: Spirit led, worship fed, scripture based, corporate prayer. Many of us are familiar with the
Loving Our Communities to Christ (LC2C). Prayer summits are intricately connected to LC2C stuff, specifically from our perspective. We’ve seen that the prayer piece is supposed to lead to the care piece which is supposed to lead to the share piece. They are not isolated categories. Here in Portland we are excited about the good prayer base. It’s come in waves. Now there is a different source in the care piece. I’m pleased that God is not keeping us in silos; he’s making stew out of us and our ministries and initiatives, overlapping one another.
Alan Doswald, Fresno: God has given vision over the years, coalescing last year, affirmed by dozens of pastors and leaders. We’ll have a prayer summit in October and then Tom White is coming. How would you introduce a vision for prayer summits so it doesn’t look like your trying to promote your own ministry?
Tom: I was in a prayer summit where a ministry had intentionality. It bombed. It felt like we came to a no-agenda prayer summit and you guys pulled your agenda out. You have to be intentional, laying it out to fellow pastors and leaders, that this is how we have felt about it -- what do you think about this? How do you respond? Then inquire of the Lord. There has to be diversity of ownership, or people will think you guys are on the train, pulling out of the station and now asking us to jump on board. Especially when you have racial diversity in a city, you need to work hard at generating seeds of vision, broadening ownerships. Take the time. Otherwise you get a small group, but not enough diverse ownership.
Al: The vision is love your neighbor, care, share. They look at that as their agenda rather than Word of God. It’s strange to offer such a biblical vision and have them hesitate to buy into it – love your neighbor.
Dennis: I would add that questions plant seeds. In the early stages of casting vision, ask questions like, “How do you think we could experience John 17 in real life/? Could we experience part of the answer to Jesus’ prayer for unity?” The other thing, prayer summit is not necessarily the fulfillment of the vision, but the vehicle that helps vision be fulfilled. Perhaps a prayer summit is not the best time to ask people to buy in, but as Tom said, do that before. Then the prayer summit is affirmation of what we will be doing and where we go.
Tom: The purpose needs to be protected - leaders coming to sit at feet of Jesus to be fed. I think in a way that stirs vision.
Dennis: not only carefully, but sensitive to the Lord. We say there is no agenda. Complete the sentence: There is no agenda other than the Lord’s agenda. If He brings up vision, ride the wave.
Gary Heller, Boise, ID: We’ve done pastors prayer summits for many years. It’s been an exciting time. I think what is missing is the intervening prayer between summits, i.e. congregational prayer. Do you have any other suggestions for intervening prayer to build toward transformation?
Tom: I call them LPGs: Leadership Prayer Groups, where pastors, leaders of ministries and congregations pray regularly. I think once a month is too infrequent. Here in Corvallis there is such love for one another - Koinonia, praying intentionally for the city, intercessory prayer for Corvallis. There has to be something like that to keep relationships alive, keep fires burning for the city.
Thomas Bush, San Diego: It kind of begs the question. The fact that summits are happening indicates something was missing. I do a lot of networking in San Diego County. There was an employee here who had a network of volunteer to pray. They don’t pray for the city.. 80-90% of prayers were “break the glass when needed” kind of prayers. How can we turn networks and prayers toward things related to the kingdom and community, not disease and disaster?
Dennis: When I hear that question I would say that the Lord’s Prayer has been important in my life. Let Your name be holy, Your kingdom come, Your will be done. Unpacking those 3 things puts prayer in a new level. Our first request is that God’s name be seen as holy here in our county as in heaven, that righteousness and peace flood our city. Unpack those things. Help people se the biblical pattern of prayer. Epaphros wrestled in prayer for the will of God. Also, the thing that is missing is worship-based prayer. It’s not about me bringing the proper change to the vending machine expecting what I asked for be kicked out. Before the fall, when Adam and Eve walked with God, I don’t think they were making requests. The prayer seen there is worship based prayer. This is a key component of prayer summits. Seek his face, not his hand. When we simply worship him, he will direct us to the things that concern him.
Thomas Bush: Often people bring a technique rather than show the impact of scripture on coming into the presence of God.
Tom: I think leaders have to define a higher level of prayer, move away from shopping/health list. A call to I Timothy 2 or Isaiah 62. Leadership really needs to provoke people to higher levels of intercession. It takes good leadership of that prayer time. We are not here to pray for our own needs, but standing in the gap on behalf of our city.
Dennis: That comment is part of answer to ongoing prayer. From my perspective, leadership of those groups is so important. Continue to press into God, keep it fresh.
Sherry Lorentzen, Gig Harbor, WA: Thank you, Dennis and Tom, for moving in the Lord’s agendas. We live in a society that is me-driven, I-driven. I am blessed to know you both, and want to thank you for paying the cost, moving us back to what needs to be. God bless you both, brothers.
Jarvis: My colleague in these calls for many years has been Glenn Barth. His sister is in ICU - Glenn called just before the call to say she is on a respirator. He asked us to pray specifically that she be able to get off the respirator so she can have surgery.
Announcements: We are about to send out an update on the national CIR. This year we are suggesting Regional CIRs. If you would be interested in planning a Regional CIR, please email us at info@cityreaching.com.
Remember the August 21 call on Marketplace Ministry Dan Spader and Oz Hillman. Any final thoughts:?
Tom: Dennis and I are passionate about prayer summits. We were part of the beginning with Joe Aldrich. Leaders who take that time annually to sit at His feet, allow the Spirit of God to bring that agape love. It takes that kind of relational bonding to move the city impact forward.
Dennis: That lengthy time away is a powerful time. That environment and time away can bring renewal so people have on-going devotion to prayer, as in the book of Acts. This devotion to prayer is on a different level from just praying. If this call challenges, if it stirs people, if we can help in any way, we are happy to do so.
Jarvis: Folks, take advantage of Dennis and Tom’s willingness to help. Pass on the information. That’s one of the things we do though City/Community Ministry: equip leaders for that. Go to www.cityreaching.com
Dennis and Tom led in closing prayer.
