The following is an invitation to an historic gathering called RESTORE, in Northfield, MA. Please read, pray and come if you can. This fall 10 Days of Prayer, Oct 2-12, promises to be special!
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Dear Friends,
I invite you to reserve the date of October 12, 2016 for Restore: A New England Convocation in Northfield, Massachusetts to celebrate our unity as the Church in New England, and to seek God’s greater anointing for ourselves and our communities. We will come together on that date to worship and pray, to lift the name of Jesus together, and to intercede for our nation in a time of extraordinary need.
We have chosen the Northfield location because it is central to many ministries and congregations, because it takes us away from the usual Boston locations of past meetings, and especially because of the huge historical significance of this place.
As many of you know, The Northfield/ Mount Hermon campuses were founded by the well-known evangelist and apostle Dwight L. Moody in the late 19th century. Northfield especially served to unleash the Student Volunteer Missions Movement and for many summers served as a gathering place for college students from campuses all over the United States and the world. The spiritual conferences that took place there brought together the most famous Christian leaders and speakers of their time, such as A.J. Gordon, John R. Mott, A.T. Pierson, and Andrew Murray.
For decades Northfield embodied the spirit and anointing of the great evangelist and incorporated the salient elements of his vision–his passionate love for souls, his acute sense of social justice, and his inclusive attitude toward women in ministry, children, minorities and the poor. In many ways, Moody was ahead of his time, establishing enduring institutions such as the YMCA, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Press. Moody was the quintessential spiritual entrepreneur, toiling incessantly to advance the interests of God’s Kingdom, and seeking fresh, creative ways of communicating the Gospel to a rapidly changing world. I cannot think of a better model for the Church in our time.
As you can see, Northfield is pregnant with spiritual significance. It truly is a sacred place, inspiring profound reverence and even awe, especially to those who are familiar with its extraordinary spiritual history. Holding an event there highlighting unity, worship, prayer and revival is a marvelous way for the New England Church to keep alive the sense of fellowship that has held us together through all these years, as we’ve done our part to hear God’s voice in this spiritually challenging region. It is also a way to celebrate Moody’s spirit and legacy in a timely way, and to reinforce those values among ourselves.
The Restore gathering will take place in the middle of the week, on a Wednesday afternoon and evening. We’re aware that this represents a potential challenge for those coming from a distance, but for many different reasons this seems to be the only feasible date that we have available for this year. It also happens to coincide with the end of 10 Days of Prayer.
I do believe that the potential significance of this meeting justifies an extraordinary effort. Many things are happening regarding the Northfield campus. The National Christian Foundation that presently owns the campus is initiating a major effort, called The Moody Center, to promote the ideals of D.L Moody. The Moody Center is partnering with us for the October 12 event, and officers of it will attend. It’s a great opportunity to start exploring opportunities for ministry around this intriguing project.
So, there you have it! Please forgive the long missive, but I want you to have a clear sense of the importance of this initiative. I strongly encourage us all to reserve the date, and to put forth that extra amount of energy and effort to attend. Please encourage your congregations and friends to attend as well. The Northfield auditorium, where the event will be held, has great prophetic significance, and so will the event itself.
I look forward to seeing you on October 12 as we gather as the New England church to Restore a key aspect of our collective inheritance!
Roberto Miranda
Senior Pastor, Congregation Lion of Judah, Boston
Co-Founder and Convener, New England Alliance
