Sermon Available Online

I preached two days ago, Sunday, March 29th. You can watch my sermon online at U-Stream.

Directions

Once you get to the link above,

1. pause the playback
2. scroll down and look on the left side
3. you'll see about five small screen shots which represent video recordings
4. use your mouse to find the one entitled "Nine Mediations on Return"
5. click on the thumbnail and scroll back up to the top

Let me know if you encounter any issues!

More Info:

I talk for about 51 minutes. I won't be offended if you just watch part of it!

There is a progress bar and clock. You can click on the progress bar to go to that point in the recording. I start speaking at about 4:00, and I stop speaking about about 55:00.

I Am Now On Twitter!

Lately, I've been wanting to reach out in relationships more. Jackie Hughes, Kevin Moffatt, and Dee Copley have spent much time mentoring me regarding relationships, and I want to thank them for the extra energy I have to reach out. Facebook, Twitter, and more frequent blog posts seemed like a good ways to do this. Today, I want to focus on my new account with Twitter.

Twitter vs. Texting

Twitter allows me to send out short updates between blog posts. I often do this on my cell phone by sending out a "mass text" to reach many people at once. Twitter looks like it will have advantages over texting:

1. Less Texts. I can send one text (to Twitter) but then Twitter sends it to everyone who wants to receive them. If there are 10 people receiving texts from me, I'll only be sending out 10% of the texts!
2. Less to Remember. If I want to send out an update, I can just text Twitter. Twitter manages the list of people receiving my updates, and each person can manage their own preferences (whether to receive updates by text or just online).
   

More Information, More Available

Twitter is a communication tool that distributes short (140 character) messages called "Tweets" between Twitter users. But it also keeps a history of all the tweets that you've sent out. This gives you the ability to go back and read all the past updates just like a blog.

Furthermore, you can ensure that all the updates get sent to you. One Twitter user can "follow" another Twitter user through a button-click on the website. If you are following someone, you will receive all the "tweets" they send out.

Possible Use as Prayer Tool

The idea behind Twitter is that you can send out "tweets" at any time whether you have your computer or not. This seems like an effective way to inform others of prayer requests.

For example, last Saturday, I could have sent out something like this: "I'm preaching tomorrow/Sunday night. I've been working on my message for weeks, and I really want it to be blessing." And then on Monday, I could send have sent another: "Preached last night. Many people said they were touched. Now, I'm catching up on my emails and responsibilities from last week!" Anyone "following" me could receive these right away on their cell phone. Or, they could view them online when they have set aside time to pray for me.

I am hoping that Twitter will spark more connectivity and communication with others.

Try It For Yourself!

You can sign up for your own Twitter account in less than 10 minutes. My twitter user name is jonjacobson (you can request to receive my updates after you sign-up). You can also get your cell phone involved. Send me an email or give me a call--or send me a tweet!--if you want any help!

Online Donations Are Now Available!

You can now financially support my ministry by making donations online!

Just include my name, "Jon Jacobson" in the comments section.

Thank you for giving generously!

Click Here to Donate!

P.S. Thank you, Cyndi Swasey, for setting this up for us!

Spring in Winter: A Reflection on Freedom

I wrote this in my journal on December 12th, 2008. This season has been a trying time for my church community; and I wanted to publish this glimmer of light I saw a little over a week ago.

Today I'm stepping into something new, into something uncharted, and into something I know only through my heart. It is a plan that hasn't been discovered, an idea that hasn't been thought of, and a conversation with someone I haven't met. It's new, but it has always been there.

What does freedom taste like?

Freedom comes after we know that everything the rules were meant to achieve can't be accomplished that way. It starts with Jesus; when we trust him to never let us go. But it can only grow when we let go, throwing out the rules we rested on so that we, with open arms, can embrace a single love of Life. Freedom is an obsession with limitless luxury.

A sprout springs forth from a seed wherever, however, and whenever it can. The husk of it is cracked so that the plant can come forth. It's not malicious; it's not even deliberate. Yet the explosive New certainly brings the end of the Old. It can't be contained. If you could have withheld the few drops that were needed and turned back time, then the life would have stayed inside; but now it has to sprout! And the spreading roots can crumble even age-old rocks.

Yesterday, after a surprise winter rain, I smelled in the air the scents of mud-season, still a long way off.

But today, I'm stepping into Spring. Today, I'm living in freedom.

With Joy Inexpressible

My roots here in Vermont are growing stronger. I am becoming so united with the vision of Revival Connections to impact the region, that I could not imagine being anywhere else right now. The love and trust among the servant leadership continues to deepen in wonderful ways. There have also been many moments of breakthrough for me, but let me highlight one that has just occurred recently...

This last week it seemed like the Holy Spirit fully activated my Glory Positioning System and I was led into glory. I experienced the joy that comes from being "in the glory" – knowing that I am fulfilling in moments and actions all that God has prepared for me to do from long ago. 1 Peter 1:8 was my confirmation, "Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory."

The shift that occurred just over a week ago was that I began armor-bearing for my Pastor, Dee Copley. My model for this was Jonathan's armor-bearer in 1 Samuel 14:7 who said to Jonathan, "Do all that is in your heart. Do as you wish. Behold, I am with you heart and soul." I have echoed this scripture in my actions as I have served Dee this week, and the fruit has been unmistakable. I believe it was the Holy Spirit who placed the desire on my heart to serve Dee in this way.

For those of you who don't know Dee, let me take this opportunity to introduce her - Dee is a fun-loving visionary with a pastor's heart. She has faithfully sowed into the vision of the people of God worshiping him in freedom and joy. All along, her heart has been to help each person with what they individually need to step into the plans God has for them. She is continually connecting people and has a God-given, fruitful gift to invite ministries into the region. In 1996, she and her husband Todd founded what later became Revival Connections, combining their administrative skills and technical know-how to bring national and international ministries into the region for special events. While continuing to host events at rented facilities, they started an evening home fellowship for the local "family" that grew up around their ministry. In 2002, after less than a year, this fellowship outgrew their converted two-bay garage, and they began renting "The White Horse Café" where they still meet weekly for food, fellowship, and worship. They have since expanded into nearby buildings as they began hosting ministry training schools in addition to weekend conferences and events. For those in the region who want more of God and who want to connect to what God is doing across the whole Body of Christ, Dee is a bridge-builder and facilitator extraordinaire.

Although ordained, Dee never sought to become a pastor or even to found a church. The Holy Spirit just continued to promote the Revival Connections ministry until these structures became necessary. Even now, as they continue to hear and obey, they keep finding themselves stepping by faith into things they had never imagined were possible.

(One of my favorite pictures of Dee is this one where she saw an Elephant during one of her trips to India and Sri-Lanka. I particularly like this picture because our meeting place here in Hartford, VT at one time held shows with performing elephants -- seriously!)

Like so many things done in faith, I believe that shifting to give personal assistance to Dee, has opened doors in my future to an extent that I am not yet fully aware. I don't know where all of this is going next, but I know I am being conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ (Romans 8:14). He is bringing to completion the work he has begun in me and I thank Him for prospering the work of my hands (Philippians 1:6, Psalm 90:17)!

Thank you all for your prayers for me to step fully into the plans God has for me. This last week has been an answer to those prayers! Thank you for standing with me, and for persevering in prayer that I might fulfill all that the Father has for me!

A Happening Summer

These two months have been busy! I'm just starting with Revival Connections, but apparently this is our most active season.

From June 20 to June 29, we hosted a series of revival meetings entitled, "Joy Unspeakable, Filled with Glory!" To give you a picture of what was involved, there were three sessions a day, each longer than two hours: we provided hospitality for fifteen guest ministers, prepared lunch and dinner each day, and facilitated around two hundred participants from all parts New England and New York. I ran the sound board during the morning and we recorded our afternoon and evening sessions to audio CDs. I now am fully responsible for the A/V duplication room, but during "Joy Unspeakable!" I was still being trained how to print and duplicate our CD media. We had some equipment malfunctions in the midst of everything that really livened things up!

Directly after "Joy Unspeakable" we had a three day "Equipping Institute" with one of the guest ministers that had come for the revival meetings. Revival Connections has an "Institute" just about every month to provide an opportunity for in-depth teaching and training conducted by a guest minister. Generally they run from 9am to 4pm with an hour for lunch -- two three-hour blocks of training a day! This was a popular institute that had been filled to its capacity of 50 students. From the A/V room standpoint, we kept quite busy, producing 20 copies of the Institute for sale by those who had attended and others who had pre-ordered them -- more than 260 CDs!

Then we had two "quiet" weekends. This was just enough rest for us to get geared up for the rest of July and the beginning of August!

For the next three weekends we hosted weekend meetings (Saturday and Sunday). We had invited a guest minister each weekend and prepared a meal for each meeting, and again we had large numbers of people visit from all over the region. From a technical side, these three meeting were our transition into recording and producing DVDs for sale. The first weekend we had an additional guest minister who had done video recording for thirty years and lately was using his experience to bless ministries like ours. Over an evening and a day, he trained eight of us in individual camera operation and to direct multiple cameras. We used his equipment the first weekend, and were ready to set-up and use our own for the second and third weekend. We will continue recording DVDs along side Audio CDs, and we are looking forward to live streaming both audio and video over the internet. I also learned how to handle the kitchen and coordinate volunteers for the second two weekends, rounding out my areas of experience here at the Cafe.

Almost overnight, I feel I am becoming a ministry jack-of-all-trades. But it has been so much, I almost would be afraid I'd forget what I've learned! But God knows the plans he has for me; and, through Jesus Christ, he has plans to redeem each skill that I'm learning. I'm praying, therefore, that I would hear his voice clearly -- and that I would obey! That's the key to finding out what his plans are!

"What Are You Doing, Again?"

Here is a response to those of you who may have been asking this question...

I am currently being mentored as a "Son of the House" through Revival Connections in White River Junction, Vermont.

My multi-faceted training has already included...

1. technical services and church media:
• running sound board and recording audio CDs
• running cameras and recording DVDs
• distribution of CDs & DVDs
  
• ministry communications
• volunteer coordination
• fund raising and finance
2. and ministry skills:
   
• personal study
  
• one-on-one ministry & counseling
  
• facilitating small groups
  
• preaching at public meetings
• envisioning new ministry structures

Revival Connections is a non-denominational, charismatic gathering of Christian believers. We seek to connect churches throughout the region and equip believers for ministry. We regularly host other ministries at our facilities during both our weekly meetings and special meetings and conferences throughout the year. Once a month, we host an "institute" which gives an outside ministry an opportunity to give an in-depth training on a particular topic or practical skills. For example, our next institute seminar is on writing/publishing from within the Body of Christ, whether it be short stories, poetry, training manuals, or even whole books.

Revival Connections also has a strong international focus, hosting international ministries and sending members out on missions trips nearly every month. This summer we hosted guests from Wales, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia, Peru, and India.

Our weekly meetings follow a community dinner on Sunday evenings. Things you might experience at one of our services include: open-mic testimonies, spontaneous songs during worship, and prayer for healing, with both men and women ministering to the body of Christ. Because we often host ministers who operate in different styles and giftings, our meetings can differ dramatically from week-to-week.

Between our major ministry pushes, we relax with "Cafe Nights" where we gather without a guest minister for special times of fellowship. Generally, 1-2 of our elders will prepare a teaching, and we will have longer times of corporate sharing and more intimate times of worship. We are a spiritually eclectic group and we like to enjoy the best from many different areas of the Body of Christ!

Your prayers and financial gifts are welcomed and appreciated!