Flip Sides of the Same Coin
Many of you have heard me say this for years, but John 17 unity - loving one another the way Jesus loves us - is Jesus’ strategy for fulfilling the Great Commission. I’ve never found a New Testament strategy that can even compete with the one Jesus prayed.
So whether we’re uniting the Body of Christ in Tucson or around the globe… in 2026 or 2033… it’s all the same sheet of music: the harmony modeled by Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and both described and prescribed in John 17.
Which also means that J17 Ministries and JC2033 are flip sides of the same coin. Both recognize our oneness as diverse members of the same Body with the same Head, Jesus - that oneness is the most strategic and productive way for the world to come to know and believe who Jesus is and how much God loves them.
So much is happening locally, nationally, and globally that one newsletter can’t possibly do it justice. Actually, we already have had two newsletters: this one every week, and a John 17 Weekend alumni newsletter that is sent approximately monthly. Now, we’re adding a third - for JC2033 in the USA. If you’re interested in that one, you can sign up HERE.
We’ll occasionally share highlights here, of course, but just the last two weeks on the national front just beg for more exposure!
Every City Summit, October 13-15, Washington DC Museum of the Bible
Approximately 150 leaders from around the US and Canada gathered for an incredible time of relational unity, big picture inspiration, and strategic planning. This event was the first of its kind - another answer to Jesus’ John 17 prayer for unity. For several years, the City Leaders Collective and the Palau Association have held annual events for citywide unity and collaboration. Many of us, like myself, have been in both. The leaders wisely connected the dots between relational unity, citywide transformation, and unified evangelism, and formed the Every City Coalition. Can you hear the angels singing? In this new season, where acceleration feels daily, not across decades, old wineskins must give way to new ones. And the biggest of those is that competition and isolation (which is a kinder word for competition) are kaput. Old wineskins that will not hold the new wine Holy Spirit is pouring out. At the Every City Summit, Deb Waterbury and I connected with several national partners and dear friends and… look out! You’d have to be sleeping to miss what’s coming in the next 9 months.
Amplify, October 20-21, Wheaton College
Billy Graham’s fingerprints are everywhere around the world. In many ways, he was a harbinger for this current season of unifying acceleration for the sake of the Gospel. I attended for relational reasons, especially because the Lausanne Movement in North America (which Billy Graham cofounded) is a sponsoring partner for Amplify. The three Lausanne workshops I attended got me all kinds of fired up… as if I needed more of that! As did Ed Stetzer and David Kinnaman in their keynote addresses. You want to know the title of the new book David Kinnaman (Barna president) is publishing next March? Jesus is Back! And for the first time since the Jesus Movement, the US won’t miss out on what God’s been doing around the globe.
All Nations Worship Conference, Oct 22-24, Judah International in Mackinaw, IL
A couple of my dear pastor friends from Pastor Partnership in Tucson are part of the Judah International network, and this was their annual Fall worship conference. Can you say A-MA-ZING? I had the privilege of sharing the keynote address Friday night, talking about how we’re all pieces of a couple billion piece jigsaw puzzle, which the Lord is assembling. No box can contain it, so we don’t have a clear picture on the cover to guide us. But we do have a hint: Revelation 7:9 which talks about every nation, tribe, tongue and language in unity around the throne and the Lamb.
And there’s more…!
But we’ll have to save that for later! Especially if you live outside the Tucson area, including smaller communities like Sierra Vista as well as around the state or nation, please consider signing up for the Nov 6 first-of-its-kind City Leaders’ Vision Zoom Call. Email me if you’re interested, or look for info on the new national website jc2033usa.org. Because…
If unity isn’t happening at the city and community level, it’s not happening at all.
Dave Drum, Executive Director
