Two Types of Church

•01/20/2010 • Leave a Comment

In 2001 I became aware of two separate and very different ways of doing church. One was the old school way most Christians have grown up. Its the same system and order of doing things for the last 1600 years. A single priest (pastor) gives a oratory (sermon) from the scripture. There is some form of worship or sacraments and prayer. The layperson comes in, sits down, shuts up and off, and listens. One person or at most a few people do all the work of the ministry of the church. The laypersons only job is to obey God and do the ministry stuff “outside the four walls of the church”. that is the pattern we have all grown up with, change the lingo and the ritual but the essence of the whole deal is the same.

Yet in 2001 I saw a different way of doing church. It wasn’t a new model or postmodern method. It was in fact the first way of doing church. For the first 250-300 years of Christian history the church had one way of doing church. They would gather in homes or public places (if safe). Though leadership developed over the first few centuries it was vastly different than what we have today. The bulk of day to day minster was done by ordinary believers. Both men and women. The method of this ministry was the spontaneous spiritual manifestations of supernatural power from the Holy Spirit. The church functioned as each believer moved in supernatural power. On the practical side they would share huge meal together that were celebrations of Christ’s raising and soon return. These AGAPE (love) feasts are what we have reduced to a wafer and swig of wine.

Clearly the question was which was right? Were both right or were both wrong? The next 8 years of my life would be trying to discover that.

Spiritual Core Values

•01/16/2010 • Leave a Comment

At the end of 2009 the Lord had me focus on what I’m calling “core values”. These are truths and values of the Spirit that are supposed to become part of our lives so that our internal culture is one with the heart and culture of heaven.

So I’d like to invite anyone believer to join us for Session 1 of the series:

The Centrality and the Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ

We are going to be talking about Jesus Christ as the centrality of ALL of God’s works:

  • creation
  • scripture
  • the church
  • and the believer

We will also talk about how He is supreme over all things and how it is the Father’s eternal plan for Jesus to have the preeminence. This is the single most essential revelation in the world and everything else in the world will be misunderstood without it.

Introspective

•01/15/2010 • 1 Comment

William Shatner has a a show on the Biography channel called Shatner’s Raw Nerve. I find it quite the interesting because it allows actors and other well known personalities to bare their soul. It’s not really about their work or their own image but about who they really are. Shatner is a soft soul who has a away of asking really deep and hard questions in a way that makes a person feel safe. It is interesting seeing people respond differently. Some answer the questions a bit more superficially than others. Some bare it all and leave you reeling.

People have told me I have some odd abillity to get them to open up and pour out their secret selves. I’m not sure why that would because it really isn’t something I do on purpose. However, I do recognize that people tend to be a little more “real” around me than usual. I’ve long said that I’d love to have conferences that were extremely stripped down and intimate. I’d love to gather a hundred or so people and bring in a prophet, author, church planter, missionary, and have them share informally and from the hip so to speak. As a speaker I know the comfort and fun I have speaking here at home. I can just let it rip! I’d love to produce a series where we have cutting edge and radical ministers without all the religious garb and trappings. Just two real life people and a wonderful Lord between us. Intimate and real in color perfect HD. It’s an odd dream but I think I’m going to go for it at some point.

Support Letter

•12/21/2009 • Leave a Comment

I may set up a pay pal account so that you can donate directly

Dear Friends & Family,

You can send me to AFRICA! That is sort of a big statement so let me unpack it for you. For the last 15 Rolland and Heidi Baker have been taking care of orphans in one of the worlds poorest countries in the world. That nation is Mozambique Africa. After years of burn out God supernaturally blessed their ministry. In the last decade they have gone from a few hundred and children and a handful of churches to tens of thousands of children and thousands of churches! Rolland and Heidi are regarded as some of the most influential people in all of the continent of Africa!
This upcoming summer I have an amazing opportunity to join Iris Ministries (Rolland and Heidi Baker) and Dr. James W. Goll to build a playground for orphans in Pemba, Mozambique Africa. The playground was the dream of Michal Ann Goll who died of cancer in the fall of 2008. She died before her dream could be realized and before the children of Pemba could have their playground. Her Children and Husband (Dr. Goll) are continuing her mission of compassion this summer by completing the Dreamer’s Park playground.

Almost 11 years ago I first felt the unction to travel overseas to share compassion and the good news of Jesus Christ. The very first place I wanted to go was Africa. I wanted to immerse myself in the heart of poverty and sorrow. To see the starving bodies of little boys and girls was a problem I wanted to personally solve. That dream has never left me and though I have yet to stand of African soil my heart is still with it’s orphans. Over the years I’ve read about Heidi’s work and longed to join her on a short term trip to Pemba. I’ve read almost every book she and her husband have written. In many ways their lifestyle of radical love, mercy, and compassion has been a huge example to me. I’ve had the blessing of meeting Heidi in person twice in the last two years. Meeting her and hearing her stories of good triumphing over poverty and injustice has only strengthened my resolve. I want to go to Africa this summer and you can help me!

Prayer
First and foremost I need lots of prayer support. I’d like to assemble a prayer team that will pray for me and get special updates once a month. Upon my return I’ll meet with the team to debrief and tell them all about my trip to Mozambique. If you want to join my prayer team please email me.
Donations
I need Financial support. I need to raise $3,000 by April 1st 2010. I need the first $1,500 by the end of February 2010. Here is the financial breakdown:

Financial Breakdown
Deposit Due: January 25, 2010 $500 (non refundable)
First Installment: February 25, 2010 $1,500
Total Balance Due: April 1, 2010 $3000
Total Trip costs (subject to change): $3,500

Make Checks Payable To:
Jason Aldridge

In case I do not raise the total amount in time all money raised will go to either this project or another mission trip/relief project in 2010. All donations are non refundable but I will definitely let you know where you money goes no matter what. Though I trust that God will provide the total amount on time if it is His will.

In His Service,

Jason I. Aldridge

A Bit of Frustration

•12/10/2009 • Leave a Comment

So I’m doing some writing and I’ve hit a block. Not so much in what to say but in where to start and how to organize all that is in my head and my heart. It is one thing to write a blog and another to write something that is meant to bring a clear understanding to the reader. Especially when the content is fairly abstract. I need a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to blow on me and give me wisdom and revelation. I need an anointing to write this. It is His work and it will be done His way and in His time. Holy Spirit Come!

That brings up a great point. Sometimes the Lord comes and brings a task. He comes in fire and revelation to reveal to us and empower us to do His work. Then the sensation of His approval wanes and we are left with the task alone. So how to do we get done what God told us to do? We remain in the same position we were in when He gave us His word. Our hearts must remain in a posture of dependence and brokenness before God. Just as we saw ourselves as poor when we were ignorant we must remain in poverty when we have understanding. We must realize that He gave us understanding as a free gift of grace. It was and still is His. Though the vision is alive in us it does not belong to us. We were not responsible for getting it and we are not responsible for making to come to pass. We are only rich in Him. Apart from Him we are nothing.

So Lord, do this work through me. Take my hands and type your story for your glory. I confess that I can not do this thing. However, you have given it to me as a steward. Let interest be gained as I cast my bread upon the waters. You are more than able and willing to do your will in and through me. Touch the nations!

Plans

•12/02/2009 • Leave a Comment

I’m really excited for the next few months. If the Lord allows I’ll be leading a spiritual formation retreat that will lay the ground work for 5-6 months of teaching weekends on what I’m tentatively calling Spiritual Core Values. My belief is that this can really change some peoples lives (including mine). So I’m hoping all goes well. As always if you are interested please message me for details.

“Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, it’s pleasures, and it’s pains, to a dear friend.

Tell him your troubles, that he may comfort you; tell him your joys, that he may sober them; tell him your longings, that he may purify them; tell him your dislikes, that he may help you coquer them; talk to him of your temptations, that he may shield you from them; show him the wounds of your heart, that he may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, your instability. Tell him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.

If you thus pour out your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subject of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back, neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of their heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God.”

-Francois Fenelon

Africa 2010

•11/28/2009 • Leave a Comment

Ten Years ago this past September marked 10 years of knowing Christ. Now I had been raised in religion my whole life but in 1999 I had a real encounter with the Lord of Glory. I gave my life and have been walking out His grace ever since. After my conversion I was compelled to witness and compelled to go overseas. The very first place I wanted to go was Africa. I didn’t even care where. I felt the need to go to Africa. As a 14 year old kid my parents, still reeling from my sudden change of heart, very shocked that I would choose to go to another side of the world. Out of protection and assuming it was a phase the banned me from Africa.

 

Two years later I would travel to the Dominican Republic. That trip began a series of prophetic encounters that I’m still living out to this day. I assumed that I would travel all the time after that trip. After all God had led me on that little trip to get His heart for missions and the poor. He had branded me with a fiery desire to travel the world preaching good news and loving the poor (both material and spiritual poverty. So I assumed that that was enough and that doors would swing wide open. Just the opposite happened. Every door shut so tight I couldn’t open it if I tried.  Since that time I’ve gone through so many years of equipping. Learning to operate in healing, the prophetic, learning to cultivate and release an atmosphere of His glory. Above all learning to serve and love others more than myself. I continue to learn and grow and go through the Holy Spirit’s “School of Christ” .

Now after 10 years of waiting and nearly 9 years since I was on the foreign mission field I’m headed (Lord willing) to Mozambique Africa with Encounters Network to build a playground for the area near Rolland and Heidi Baker’s Pemba mission .

Here is what needs to take place:

1. My application needs to be accepted by Encounters Network

2. I need at least $2,000.00 more dollars

3. I need prayer support!

Here is my plan if my application is accepted

1. I will be putting together a team of intercessors who will pray for me and the whole team going to Mozambique. I’ll keep this group up to date on all the ins and outs as well as special prayer requests from he point my application is accepted to my return to the U.S..

2. I will set up a pay pal account or such by which anyone online can give to help send me to Mozambique

If you’d like to help pray for me please leave a comment on this post and I’ll be in touch

 

Leaving the Dream,

Jason Aldridge

Schedule for 2010: Ministry Dates Open

•11/10/2009 • 1 Comment

Hey Everyone!

I’ve been on the road for about 2 weeks and extremely busy. I hope to start more regular blogging soon. Right now I’d just like to let you know that I’m working on a schedule for 2010. If you would me and my friends to come to your area for ministry in 2010 please leave a comment and I’ll be in touch.

Thanks,

Jason

Live

•10/20/2009 • Leave a Comment

This site is now LIVE! This is the new online home of jasonaldridge.org. I’ll be uploading some older posts then rolling out some new ones.

Active

•09/29/2009 • Leave a Comment

This site will go active  soon. It will serve as the NEW online home of www.jasonaldridge.org