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Something Wonderful is Happening in Kansas City

There seems to be a tender, gentle sense of the moving of the Spirit of God all across our region in our numerous citywide prayer gatherings and friendship groups. Over 50 24-7 Prayer Rooms have sprung up in the last 2 years in churches where believers are signing up in one hour slots to pray day and night for seasons of 3 to 30 days. Numerous believers are affirming a deeper desire for intimacy with Jesus and renewed hunger for God and the Word… The International House of Prayer in KC has mobilized nearly 500 worship/intercessors and has prayed continually 24-7 since September 1999. Our city is on fire with prayer and more is to come….

We want to avoid the idea that "transformation" is a model to be imported or the latest "trend" in church programs. The simplest description we have for "transformation" is intimacy with Jesus and passion for the manifest presence of God. How our individual lives, our churches and our communities will be transformed will unfold as God releases a historic outpouring of His Spirit. This will result in the KC region becoming a Habitation of His presence. God is raising up a Company of Thirsty Hearts in Kansas City - a desperate people who will not settle for the status quo or nominal Christianity, but will press in for the fullness of all that is in God’s great heart for our region.

The following is an excellent layout of transformation:

—Taken from International Fellowship of Transformation Partners, Transform World Conference, Jakarta, Indonesia, May 2005

About Transformation

What is the definition of Community Transformation?

"A condition of dramatic socio-political renewal that results from God's people entering into corporate vision, corporate repentance and corporate prayer. During these extraordinary seasons the Kingdom of God pervades every institution of human endeavor."

Although the word "transformation" is being used by many ministries to describe many different conditions, The Citywide Prayer Movement in Kansas City is committed to "presence-based Transformation" where the presence of Jesus Christ is so manifest that He is bringing about transformation in hearts and in society. The results of this condition of transformation are sustained fruitfulness in the lives of individuals and upon social institutions because of the abiding manifest presence of God. A geographic region actually becomes a habitation of God and the community senses life under an open heaven. The presence of Jesus is sensed everywhere….

"A transformed community is a neighborhood, city or nation whose values and institutions have been overrun by the grace and the presence of God. It is a place where divine fire has not merely been summoned, it has fallen. It is a culture that has been undeniably impacted by the full measure of the Kingdom of God. It is a society in which supernatural power flows like a river of molten lava altering everything, and everyone in its path."

What are the "Core Principles" of Transformation?

These principles are contained in the "Quickening" DVD, and the "Quickening Study Guide" available from the CPM office.

Core Principles of Transformation

  • God wants to be invited into our communities.
  • God is drawn to holiness and humility.
  • Corporate revival begins with individual obedience.
  • Biblical unity is a majority with God.
  • Breakthrough prayer releases destiny.
  • God' s work will always be unique.
  • God uses servant leaders.

Obstacles to Transformation

  • Theological misperceptions
  • Reliance on programs
  • Lowered expectation
  • Misplaced motives
  • Ignorance of the past
  • No sense of membership
  • Lack of hunger

"It is not enough to simply wish for change, or to hope that God will include our community on His revival itinerary. If spiritual transformation is to become a reality in our lives, then hope must give way to faith and commitment. Our solitary goal must be to prepare the way of the Lord, to ensure that He feels welcome and comfortable in our midst." -- George Otis, Jr

Indicators of Transformation

For the term transformation to be properly applied to a community, change must be evident not only in the lives of its inhabitants, but also in the fabric of its institutions. In the end, it is dramatic social, political, and even ecological renewal that sets these cases apart from common experience.

In short, a transformed community is:

A neighborhood, city, or nation whose values and institutions have been overrun by the grace and presence of God.

  • A place where divine fire has not merely been summoned, but has fallen.
  • A society in which natural evolutionary change has been disrupted by invasive supernatural power.
  • A culture that has been impacted comprehensively and undeniably by the Kingdom of God.
  • A location where Kingdom values are celebrated publicly and passed on to future generations.

Community transformation is indicated when:

  • Political leaders publicly acknowledge their sin and dependence on God (2 Kings 11:17-18; 23:2; Jonah 3:6-9).
  • New laws, curricula, and business practices are put into effect (2 Chronicles 19:4-10; Nehemiah 10:31).
  • The natural environment is restored to its original life-nurturing state (Leviticus 26:4-5; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Ezekiel 34:27; 36:29-30).
  • Economic conditions improve and lead to a discernable lessening of poverty (2 Chronicles 17:3-5; Psalm 144:14; Isaiah 60:5; Amos 9:13).
  • There is a marked change in social entertainment and vices as Kingdom values are integrated into the rhythm of daily life (Ezra 10:1-4; Nehemiah 8:10, 16; Ecclesiastes 10:17; Acts. 19:17-20).
  • Crime and corruption diminish throughout the community (2 Kings 12:13-15; Nehemiah 5:6-12; Isaiah 60:17-18).
  • Volunteerism increases as Christians recognize their responsibility to heal and under gird the community (Isaiah 58:10-12; 61:1-4).
  • Restored hope and joy leads to a decline in divorce, bankruptcy, and suicide (Nehemiah 12:27-28, 43; Isaiah 54:11-14; 61:3,7; Jeremiah 30:17-19; 31:11-13; Hosea 2:15).
  • The spiritual nature of the growing socio-political renewal becomes a hot topic in secular media (2 Chronicles 20:29; Nehemiah 6:16; Isaiah 55:5; Ezekiel 36:36; Acts 19:17).
  • Overwhelmed by the goodness of God, grateful Christians take the embers of revival into surrounding communities and nations (2 Chronicles 17:9; Isaiah 61:6; Acts 11:20-26).

This is a matter of faith, not triumphalism. There is, and will likely continue to be, gross spiritual darkness in the world. Our goal is not to make a new heaven and a new earth, but rather to create salty spots on the earth that stimulate a thirst for God. Like many salty appetizers, these temporal transformations point the way to a larger, more satisfying meal to come.