Brushfires Ablaze! were initiated in the Southern District by Rev. Gary Faith in the spring in the spring and early summer of 2005. Brushfire gatherings were conducted throughout the District. The primary goals for these Brushfire gatherings was to identify and equip Ablaze! reps with information about the Ablaze! vision.

Brushfires Ablaze!  were initiated in the Southern District by Rev. Gary Faith in the spring in the spring and early summer of 2005. Brushfire gatherings were conducted throughout the District.  The primary goals for these Brushfire gatherings was to identify and equip Ablaze! reps with information about the Ablaze! vision.

This was a start for congregations to be aware and involved in the Ablaze! movement.

2005 also included a District-wide intergenerational gathering under the name of Ablazing Grace.  This event was held in Panama City Beach, FL.  The theme was based on 2 Timothy 1:5-7:  I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  The logo gave emphasis to the goal of God's grace to be Ablaze! in our:

* personal life

* family/home

* church

* world

 

The people of the Southern District are more ready than they realize to be part of the Ablaze! movement.  This an observation of Rev. Gary Faith!  Do you believe this?

The theme of the Southern District Convention in 2006 was Spirit Kindle!  The theme verse came from Acts 1:8: "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."  It's:

• A PROMISE
• A PRAYER
• A POWER

“Spirit Kindle,” reflects the Church’s passion for God’s Word to fulfill our core mission of proclaiming the abundant and eternal life we share in Jesus Christ. Kindle is a verb meaning 1. to start burning; to catch fire 2. to bring into being; to become animated 3. to cause to glow; to become illuminated.

Ablaze!® began as a vision of LCMS World Mission to involve every member of the LCMS, its partner church bodies, and partner mission agencies in one focused and concentrated effort to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with those who do not yet know Him. By joining together in this effort, not only would those who hear and receive the message of salvation in Christ be transformed by it and brought into the body of Christ, but our own church bodies, mission organizations and congregations would be strengthened as members grow in discipleship through mission involvement. Additionally, all our Lutheran resources would be strategically coordinated, so that more can be accomplished in mission to the glory and honor of our one, true God. It was the desire of LCMS World Mission to give this vision away—to ignite a spark that would become a mission movement of individuals, groups, congregations, etc., all committed to the goal of reaching 100 million unreached and uncommitted people with the Gospel by 2017.  The Ablaze! initiative also involves the revitalization of 2,000 LCMS congregations in the U.S. along with the planting of 2,000 new congregations.  All of this is to happen by Reformation 2017!

These are aggressive actions on the part of our Synod and reflect a growing movement.  We know that for these initiatives to be accomplished it calls for the involvement of many along with a need for increasing dollars available for mission support. The Synod in the 2004 Synod convention passed a resolution establishing Fan into Flame as a funding effort throughout the Synod in support of the Ablaze! Fan into Flame was initially piloted in the Texas and South Wisconsin Districts and now has spread to more than 10 other districts being involved. The Southern District committed to participate in the Fan into Flame effort in 2008. A Steering Committee is in place and is chaired by Rev. Ted Richter, First Vice-President. The major part of Fan into Flame effort in the Southern District will be conducted between late summer and Thanksgiving 2008. There are six pilot congregations in the Southern District who have initiated the Fan into Flame effort in their congregation in the Easter – June 2008 time frame.