God at Work in the Northeast

TERRY SHANAHAN, NE REGIONAL PASTOR

The indwelling power of the Holy Spirit is working everywhere in the Northeast and the CCCC. In the Northeast we are in a season of transition, with 30 of our 120 churches in some phase of transition. But for the leading of the Spirit, this would be a frightening time, relying on the wisdom of man. However, time and time again, I see the Spirit’s work in the hearts of men and woman seeking to follow God and to advance the cause of Christ. They are so clearly led by the Spirit as they find agreement and seek their next settled pastor. And those new pastoral calls have been revealing much fruit already! It reminds me again that the church belongs to the Lord and He will build his church. Amen!

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”
Matthew 16:18

In the NE region we have also held several Pastor Roundtables where we gather on a regular basis to sharpen our tools, fellowship, share truth and pray. These groups can be of any size and they’re indeed a blessing. So often in these meetings I see the guiding of the Holy Spirit as we are led in our discussions and in our prayers and concerns for one another. What a blessing this is to us as we share our lives and how God is working in us.

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
II Corinthians 13:14

In addition to our Roundtables, we are forming our smaller community pastors groups. These are intimate groups where we can share our hearts, our lives and our ministries. These small groups give us much more than a time of fellowship. They allow us to grow in our faith, our daily walk with Christ and our relationships. Here we truly see the heart of our brothers and sisters and the work of the Spirit in their life. The testimonies of how the indwelling of the Spirit guides us, sustains us, leads us, as God has directed and ordained, are an encouragement to us all as we labor for the kingdom.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13

If you are a pastor in the CCCC and are not plugged in to a pastors group, we encourage you to do so. It is necessary for our own spiritual formation and bears much fruit for the kingdom!