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Monday, August 01, 2005Interesting: Jesus Northwest Why did the Christian music extravaganza, "Jesus Northwest" in Clark County stop being a yearly function? Here's why: Executive Director of Jesus Northwest, Randy Campbell said: "For the past three years we have had a growing unrest with the focus of ministry at Jesus Northwest. In the fall of 1996 the Lord began to call our church to a deeper walk of faith and holiness. As He continued to reveal more of His presence and character to us, much of the ministry and direction of our church began to change. Because Jesus Northwest is such a large ministry of Peoples Church, it was obviously affected by these changes. Initially we questioned Jesus Northwest's validity because of our growing concern over the worldliness and idolatry we had watched, allowed and even facilitated. We knew the Lord was stirring something in us regarding Jesus Northwest, but for many months we did not clearly understand what it was. As the festival drew closer, we began to see glimpses of the fact that the problems with Jesus Northwe st were not simply within the festival environment itself, but many had to do with us as a body... Our concern over the idolatry we saw at the festival, such as believers exalting artists and speakers, was now over-shadowed by the reality that Jesus Northwest had become an idol to our church. The festival had come between us and the direction and heart of the Lord. On Sunday, July 27, 1997, the Lord directed our Senior Pastor to lead our church body into a time of corporate and public repentance for what we had done. We sensed the Lord calling us to lay the ministry of Jesus Northwest at His feet and to begin to truly trust Him for His will and purpose. We are continuing in that process, but sense at this time He would also have us repent to those in the body of Christ we have endeavored to serve. We humbly repent before the Lord and ask the forgiveness of the body of Christ for inadequately representing Christ in our ministry, message, and methods. We have failed in diligently seeking to know His purpose and will. We have provided a ministry that has been a blessing to some but for others has opened a door to commercialism, focus on man and not on Christ and appealed to the flesh more than the spirit. We repent for criticizing both the public's apparent worship of the artists and of the artists' apparent unwillingness to confront this issue. We arrogantly blamed the problems, inherent in festival ministry, on everyone else, never allowing the Lord to turn His light on us. Our sins were ones of presumption and ignorance. We did not intend to mislead the body of Christ or bring offense to the name of Christ. Our hearts were for ministry, but our methods were misguided. Our encouragement to the body is to not take any ministry at face value, but be discerning of His Spirit, and of people's motives. Just because something or someone comes in the name of the Lord, there is no guarantee it is directed by the Lord. Sadly, we have been an example of that. We have been encouraged by many to accept what the Lord is doing in our lives and return to the ministry of Jesus Northwest with new hearts and focus. Although the Lord is changing us, many problems still remain in the greater workings of the contemporary Christian music industry, the Christian publishing industry, and independent ministries we have worked with over the years. These issues prevent us from being involved with the type of festival we've been providing. We feel that within these industries and ministries much of what is done (e.g. ministry direction, decision-making, methods, even the message itself) is often driven by marketing - not the mind of the Lord. It is driven by analyzing demographics, not His anointing, by audio/visual production, not His power or presence. Money, success and business have become the bottom line. For a time we looked the other way and justified what was happening because ministry was taking place. But now, having been convicted of the same problems in our own lives, we know the Lord will no longer allow us to continue in this direction."
Bazooka-Joe made it so at 9:45 AM
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