I was humbly convicted - again. I've been reading a book called Church 3.0 where Neil Cole shares his thoughts on starting churches, errhhh ... starting and growing disciples.

He is sharing about addressing the occult in a local coffee shop. An occult group targeted this coffee shop as their recruitment range. So, Neil's church, errhhh ... disciples ... decided God desired peole to know Him at this coffee house - instead of being drawn to the occult.

 What did they do? They prayed and believed God!

They showed up at the coffee house, and approached people considering the occult. They went to Satanic recruitment parties and prayed fervently inside and outside that party. Bold, huh?

Listen to this ...

Perry Noble writes on May 7th, "Here are a few things I believe…

• I believe the churches BEST DAYS are ahead of her…not behind her.
• I believe that God is getting ready to do something in the world unlike He has ever done before.
• I believe that what I mentioned above is GOING to happen through the local church–the ONE thing He said He would build.
• I believe that God is going to call more and more people into full time ministry that never even considered that vocation.
• I believe that God is going to take leaders who are sold out to His Spirit (not a denomination or a doctoral program) and CHANGE how the world views church!
• I believe the best, most influential churches that will exist in the next 50 - 100 years haven't even been planted yet." -- Perry Noble, 2009

I believe the church's best days are ahead too! What's my evidence? I hear people excited about what a church could do; I see younger people accepting the call of God upon their life; I see the advent of "church outside of a building" being more accepted, even embraced by older churches; I resound with the Virginia Annual Conference in establishing new church plants as a major way of life; and in prayer I hear God challenging me to walk more boldly 'onto the ledge' with Him.

How about you? Do you think the church's best days are ahead?