REGISTER or VOLUNTEER for free revival service, Feb. 1, 2019.

As a bishop, I often get called on to give words of wisdom or counsel. The closest to one-size-fits-all advice I have is the following: “Keep saying yes to Jesus.”

But this phrase is more than a good idea. It’s also the theme of our
2019 annual Diocesan Convention, Feb. 1-2, 2019.

A Kingdom-Worthy Event
I have a question for you. What if you could come to a worship service featuring:
• music that reflects our cultural diversity,
• heartfelt testimonies from people of faith and,
• enthusiastic, interesting, often funny preaching that brings people in and calls them to a deeper relationship with Jesus?

Of course, I have an answer for you, too: Keep saying yes to Jesus. Say you’d love to attend, and bring a friend (or several) along.

On Feb. 1, 2019, we’ll have just such a service at First Baptist Orlando. We’re celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formation of our diocese, and we want to make it a kingdom-worthy event. We’ve reserved this large venue so we’ll have plenty of room for you, your church and all the others who will keep saying yes to Jesus.

We’ve asked the Most Reverend Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church and recent preacher at the royal wedding, to be our featured speaker for this worship service, which we’re calling a revival. This year and next, Bishop Curry will hold similar revivals all over the country with the purpose of sharing the good news of Jesus Christ
and inviting people into the Jesus Movement. This July, I attended the revival at the Texas Diocesan
Convention, where more than 8,000 people heard the Gospel.

But what exactly is a revival?

The denominational website devoted to these services says a revival “combine[s] inspiring worship, compelling teaching, honest faith-sharing, intensified prayer and some form of engagement with the mission of God—all for the sake of the spiritual renewal and transformation of people and of society.” It’s an opportunity for people to keep saying yes to Jesus.

You see, there is a profound difference between a great church meeting and a true revival service. And it has to do with the impact on people and how those impacted people end up having an impact on their community.

A Life-Changing Encounter
In other words, our underlying, over-arching hope is spiritual renewal: that everyone who attends will experience a genuine life-changing encounter with Jesus. And we also hope our local churches, to which these people will go back, will have what they need to say, “Let’s talk about how God might want to use you, given what’s happened, right here.” If life-change happens in individuals, and hose individuals create and affect life-change in their communities, I believe we begin to  approach true revival. And this only happens as people keep saying yes to Jesus.

As you can imagine, lots of planning and preparation goes into an event like this. Beginning this month, we’ll have a series of deanery meetings across the diocese to cast a vision toward this revival and begin to train people for the many service  opportunities that come with it.

Saturday, 10/20/18 at 10 a.m. Southeast Deanery
Trinity, Vero Beach

Sunday, 10/28/18 at 4 p.m. Northeast Deanery
Grace, Port Orange

Sunday, 11/4/18 at 4 p.m. Northwest Deanery
St. Mary’s, Belleview

Sunday, 11/11/18 at 4 p.m. Southwest Deanery
St. Paul’s, Winter Haven

But our greatest opportunity, and our deepest need, is for intense, committed prayer. Throughout the history of the world’s  reat revivals, the single component that made them effective, regardless of where they fell in history, in what culture or  ation, was concerted intercessory prayer. We’ll discuss— and participate in—this type of prayer at each deanery meeting.

A Vital Opportunity
Yes, there are lots of logistics associated with an event like this, many tasks to accomplish and boxes to check. We need sound and lights, musicians and music, catering and more. But what makes a revival truly effective is concerted intercessory prayer. God uses those prayers in a way that changes people’s lives. At this stage and every stage, prayer is the most important single component both in preparing for our Diocesan Convention and for the genuine revival we are asking God to bring through it. What starts with one service does not have to end there. Please pray about attending the deanery meeting in your area. We’ll have much more information available here about how you can best intercede for the revival and perhaps join the team of intercessors who will play a huge and active role before, during and after the event.
As we look toward our annual Diocesan Convention and the revival we believe God will bring, I have one final word of encouragement: Keep saying yes to Jesus.

Grace to you,
Bishop Gregory O. Brewer