Have we started Destination Church Chicago because it’s the cool thing to do? What is our motivation? What drives us and holds us together? What helps us maintain our focus on the mission of God and not get sidetracked? What is our history? How are we connected, encouraged and accountable? One simple word: Newfrontiers (ok, it’s really two words)!

Ed Stetzers blog recently commented that Newfrontiers was starting churches before it was trendy. As Destination Church continues to start more churches in Chicago, we do so because God has called us into an authentic ownership of His plans.

Watch this 4 minute video to learn about our exciting origins as a church. Visit this Sunday and experience it for yourself …

One of our values at Destination is that we love starting and growing churches. We have a HUGE vision to plant reproducing churches in the top 100 cities of the USA. It is so important that we take our eyes off our own city and grasp God’s bigger plan to reach the nations.

If you like Destination then you are going to LOVE Celebration! The event is open to anyone and will occur over the weekend of June 4-6 at the University of Central Missouri.

Register Now For Celebration Midwest

We already have a number of people signed up for the conference. If you’ve been thinking about it then don’t hesitate any longer. Online registration closes midnight Monday May 24. Phone bookings will still be available.

Watch the 2010 Video

We have made some tweaks for the 2010 internship to make it even more fruitful. If you have 4 weeks this summer and you want to accelerate your spiritual development, then apply for the Summer Internship. It WILL change your perspective, deepen your heart for the lost and give you the confidence you’ve always wanted to effectively engage with the unchurched in a natural way.

So how will the internship work? I’m glad you asked!

We’ll focus on running a number of booths at festivals over weekends, which will be the bulk of the work. And, then we’ll follow up during the week in personal ways with those who requested more information about the church. Festivals provide a natural context to engage about spiritual matters and collect contact details. Unfortunately, many of the simple evangelism methods of the past no longer work in our culture. Street preaching is a BIG no-no, door-to-door barely works. But, engaging in continual surveying at summer festivals with 100′s of people provides a powerful and relevant method to connect people to Jesus and His church.

If you are a regular or member of Destination Church please add these weekends to your calendar: July 26th – August 22nd, 2010

Please spread the word. If you happen to know of any potential interns or if you are considering it yourself, waste no more time, apply now.

Apply Now For The Destination Church Summer Internship 2010

Check Out The 2009 Video

It is so encouraging to have those outside our context come and share what God is doing in other places. I find that when a speaker from the outside comes in it builds excitement, accountability, helps sharpen our own vision and increases our global vision. And, I couldn’t be more excited than to have John Lanferman visit and shape us. He has planted churches himself and lived to tell the tale. We can certainly learn a lot.

To whet your appetite here are 2 recent blog articles that John has written about our vision to plant reproducing missional churches:

1. Why Plant Churches Reasons 1-4
2. Why Plant Churches Reasons 5-8

Also, Sunday Dec 6th will be our special launch day offering! If you consider Destination Church to be your church please prayerfully seek God for an amount to give above and beyond your regular offering.

On the third weekend in January 2010 we are shutting the doors of Destination Church and taking as many students and twenties to St. Louis as possible for an inspirational conference. MobiliseUSA seeks to catalyze our plans to plant reproducing churches in the top 100 cities of the USA.

If you are a student or a twenty, there is no other place to be.

Sign up here MobiliseUSA.org

See previous blog post here: http://destinationchurch.org/newfrontiers/mobiliseusa-2010-conference/

Our work in Africa presents great opportunities for collaboration, faith and generosity. Zimbabwe specifically has suffered through turmoil for many years. This ongoing struggle reached a climax at the end of 2008. The Newfrontiers churches around the world responded by taking up a special offering to assist Newfrontiers churches in Zimbabwe in alleviating the crisis. This video reports on the intervention and plans for sustainability.

Email subscribers click here.

With this in mind NewfrontiersUSA hosts the annual MobiliseUSA conference to gather students and twenties for worship, teaching and a clear focus on our vision to plant reproducing churches in the top 100 cities of the US.

Darrin Patrick from the Journey Church will be the guest speaker. Plus, Bryan Mowrey the lead elder of Jubilee Church in St. Louis (a Newfrontiers church) will be speaking. In addition, Simon Brading will be leading worship. He is a young Newfrontiers worship leader from the UK who is making a huge impact in the worship scene. Check out this mix up of one of his worship songs, it’s pretty cool (he doesn’t normally have the rappers!).

Destination Church in Chicago is not an isolated community. We are on a mission together with an international family of churches. Newfrontiers is one of the most exciting church planting movements on the planet, approaching 600 churches worldwide in roughly 30 years. Attending the MobiliseUSA conference in 2010 will not only increase your passion for Jesus but will get you on track for fulfilling the great commission Jesus gave us, to make disciples of all nations.

There is simply nothing better to do with your time than attend the students and twenties MobiliseUSA conference on January 15-17, 2010 in St. Louis, Missouri. See web site for cost and further details.

Register online now: MobiliseUSA.org

The Celebration Midwest event is really important for what we are doing as a family of churches. It helps us to gather momentum, to stay connected, it provides an opportunity for us to financially contribute to the broader mission, it provides a chance for deeper relationships, it helps us gain perspective and stay focused on the mission, and I could go on!

Our primary vision right now is to plant reproducing churches in the top 100 cities of the United States. Every time we gather together as Newfrontiers churches we get closer to that goal. We inspire more leaders to give more and risk more. We captivate the attention of young people to get in on the game. We encourage those who are struggling and send them home with renewed faith.

If you couldn’t make the conference then please take some time to download and listen the following messages. You will find them very beneficial.

• Terry Virgo, Main Session 1, June 5, 2009. Download here
• Terry Virgo, Main Session 2, June 6, 2009. Download here
• John Lanferman, Main Session 3, June 7, 2009. Download here

The dates for Celebration 2010 are June 4-6. Please mark your calendars and make this a priority for next year.