The Map is the Mission – PRESENCE – Acts 1:4-9 (NLT) 4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptised with[b] water, but in just a few days you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” 6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom? 7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. 9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no longer see him.” How is God’s presence being experienced? Who is Holy Spirit? How do we know Spirit’s presence, activity, energising andempowering as we Gather & Grow? Resources Surrender To Love (Paperback) - David Benner https://amzn.eu/d/09pek7pM The podcasts track with the talks from the Sunday communications at Elim Life Church in North Birmingham which you can find on the ELC Youtube channel. Jonny is Lead Pastor at ELC and Sarah is Head of Prayer & Leadership Development, as well as leading a national role for Elim as head of prayer. Moving on from last year's theme of Walking Well, they now look at how we Gather & Grow. Got questions? Drop us a line on podcast@elimlifechurch.co.uk or DM us on socials. We believe the Kingdom of God brings hope to the hopeless, freedom to the oppressed, provision to those in need, welcomes the stranger and invites us to share the good news of Jesus. Perhaps these things have felt like a dream and not a reality all of the time? In 2026, as we follow Jesus, we want to be an inspired community responding to this Holy invitation. It is a year to build on where we’ve been walking well. Now is the time to Gather & Grow. How do we Gather & Grow? Gathering - building community. From crowd to community. Our mission is always on. Our whole lives are worship. What is Holy Spirit inviting us into? Growing - becoming more like Jesus; contributing to community formation, centred on Jesus in contemporary culture.We want more people loving Jesus and part of community. The map is the mission. We are co-missioned to join what God is doing by His Spirit. Where are you on the map? Where do you live or work? Where do you spend your time? Who do you connect with? How are we encouraging one another and choosing Jesus in all of our places and spaces? Being on mission together is on purpose and with awareness of how we share Jesus. What is Holy Spirit inviting us into Soul, Home, Near and Far? We are thinking about: · People - Who is involved and being reached? · Places - Where is this happening? · Presence - How is God’s presence being experienced? · Practice - What are we doing to live this out? The Map is the Mission. As the Kingdom expands, so too does community. Our direction and intention is: · Open to an 'always-on' mindset: spiritually and relationally aware. Using our grace gifts for Kingdom and community contribution. · Gathering can happen anywhere. Community and collaboration is fluid, from shared Sundays to households and community spaces. · Stepping into the unknown together with courage and faith. In 2026, what does Gathering and Growing look like for us? Let’s find out!
