ICOM 2015 and beyond ..VEF roundtable recently.

so about a week and a half ago I was at a Church Leaders meeting for the promo of the ICOM 2015 coming to Virginia.

David Empson, (Executive of ICOM) and Jim tune (president 2015) were there along with reps from MACU and the VEF. It was interesting to hear that the Restoration Movement was known for 1. Weekly observance of the Lord's Table. 2. Chapter and verse. (Where is it in the Bible ....) and that 3. Baptism is part of the plan of salvation. There tends to be a 4th that we're not known for and should be: PRAYER. We need to be people of prayer.

There were some stats given on average age at ICOM is 24; only 10% at the conference are missionaries ....the need for appeal for the Great commission ....

ICOM 2015 - Jim tune gave some of his history and that We (The Church) is the Visiting Team ..... we need to think criticaily as Christians only. It is not Jesus plus .... we need to focus on the essentials ....love the church too much not to. We are the Mission Field.

jim did recite the following poem:

I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown,
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command,
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed:
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away"

The VEF mentioned three takeaways from the meeting.

1. MAP of the 7 Church plants from the ICOM conference - Still need $50 000 to make it a reality. 7 churches to be planted across the world.

2. Bring our people. Volunteer to serve ...and support. ICOM is to help change the world for Christ.

3. Pray www.icomvirginia.com So a lot of work to do ....

Finally, there was discussion on how you know how your church is doing? Or how know what difference making ....then it went from don't ask how big, or how well your church is doing but ask how is your city doing? If you are making an impact on your city ...it should be different ...

(From a tweet inspired from Jason Bedell)