End of the Year at The Gathering

There are far too many friends we have made in the last 11 years to mention, but if you are one of those who has been a part of this ministry - thank you.  May blessing return upon you in great abundance.

The Gathering has been serving the city of Salem, MA since 1999. During this last decade we have developed into one of the most unique missional communities in the United States.


Why?

For the entire month of October we serve the community of Salem, and the half a million visitors who come for Halloween experiences. The Gathering has become one of the top spiritual experiences in our city.

We train and equip Christians from around the world to help serve in mission alongside us teaching them to serve creatively during America's kooky, second largest holiday of the year.

We have made friends with the Witches of Salem (and in fact Witches around the world) without compromising our Christian faith, and we have trained thousands of people to navigate living their faith authentically in a post-Christian world.

We have been meeting for the last 4 years in a prime location in downtown Salem, allowing us to better serve the community and the tourists who visit here.

Our Most Challenging Year Yet?

Financially this has been our most challenging year, and we are entering the new year in our most vulnerable position yet. If you have been blessed by the work of The Gathering, or have participated in the outreaches we have been doing for the last 11 years in Salem, MA would you consider helping us as the New Year dawns?

The year before us will perhaps be our most challenging yet, and we may not be able to continue as we are currently serving without your help. You can give through paypal by following this link.

I see Jesus in Santa Claus...

Last night, I had "an interview with (a) Santa Claus..." Not only am I going to write a book and sell the movie rights, but I learned cool things about St. Nick. Apparently, Santa Claus developed time travel around the 19th Century, and obtained 25th Century technology, including the ability to make clones of himself (c.f., THE PRESTIGE) who all often use a Star-Trek-like TRANSPORTER BEAM for houses without chimneys. He consequently went back in time, recreating gift deliveries for children all over the globe in different guises since roughly the 5th Century. All this, apparently, my cat, Kitten, The Apprentice, was well aware of which explains a lot since she claims to rule the world (and talks via telepathy - something that should have tipped me off months ago...)

The Santa Claus clone I interviewed, whose name was Ralph McManus, also shared with me something earth-shattering: Apparently, the Risen Christ appeared to the original 19th Century Santa Claus and asked if one of his clones could go back in time to assume the role of St. Nick in roughly the 5th Century, establishing His (Jesus') work in a way that would be more culturally received in the "second" time-stream (of which, apparently, you and I are a part of). It seems, Ralph, who proclaimed himself a Christian, related to me, in the "original"/"first" time stream, the legend of Santa Claus was not perpetuated and, since the love of Jesus and Santa Claus and general good-will was not extant in the "original" 19th or 20th Centuries, it appears that Nazi Germany was - in this alternate universe - successful in invading Britain, was the first country to developing atomic weapons, and successfully established the 1000-year Reich...

-----

Now before anyone issues a fatwa against me from blaspheming the name of Jesus in a tale about Santa Claus, I would like to pose the following hypothetical(?) question: If the Risen Creator of the Universe chose to perpetuate the "image" or "persona" of Santa Claus, at least for a time, if the Sovereign Lord in his wisdom saw a greater chance of infiltrating the world with the love of Jesus - his love - in a guise that was more readily accepted by the culture of the modern era, who am I to argue with the Almighty? I am not saying that Santa Claus is a post-resurrected, pre-rapture incarnation of the Lord Jesus. I am not even saying that there was (or is) actually a (good) angel (or bad demon) named Santa Claus. But let us remember what writers of holy scripture said: "How great is the richness, majesty, mystery, and wisdom of God - so beyond searching out..." and "Some unawares have entertained angels..." If one holds to an evangelical worldview - and I personally do, to a large extent - if even one, and only one, person was 'saved from hell' through a good use of the "tool" of Santa Claus, does that not speak against "anti-clausism?..."

=p

><>

Sleep in Heavenly Peace...

This year, for me, has been one of the most tiring on record. With the delayed adoption of our son (we thought his adoption had been a fall-through), right during the stock market crash of October 2008, applying to multiple jobs all over the country - only to receive an 11th-hour job offer a week before my contract-ending date from the place where I've been working, to being a part of a team during a two-month 100,000 volume library move, to attempting to downsize from our house - only to find ourselves possible, though not guaranteed, unintended recipients of federal stimulus aid, to serving two disenfranchised friends and wading through their misadventures, the year has been exhausting.

Most, if not all, of the Gathering immediate family, extended family, country, and world has experienced the same. For some reason, God has chosen to bless our household in tremendous ways, through family, friends, and circumstances. This has not been true for all around the globe. Regardless, whether we feel God's blessing or not, most, if not all of us, are tired.

I awoke this afternoon with prayer on my heart and mind, particularly for my Gathering family, all of who have been through so much together this year, both in our individual lives, and in our corporate lives - often serving the City of Salem. If there is one Christmas prayer I would offer to Santa this year (I, personally, see St. Nick as a cool revelation of the person of Jesus in a culture that often tunes out Jesus - but that is for another post), it would be for sleep in heavenly peace for the City of Peace (Salem) and for my friends (and family). May this Christmastime, despite the storms of life outside our doors and all around us, be a time of sleep and rest. And may we huddle close together, as we are able, against the cold.

Joseph, repentance, and a reason I love my dad...

Gentry preached on John the Baptist's call to repentance and various responses in light of what God has done, is doing, and is going to do in the lives of all. As I thought of repentance in my own life, I began to think of Joseph, earthy father of Jesus. Let me explain:

Even though we know very little about Joseph, this obscurity, itself, is one of the qualities that endears Joseph to me. Joseph was a trustee, albeit a temporary one, of God Incarnate. Yet Joseph seems content to serve God his earthy son, in quiet humility and strength, and what little we do know of Joseph indicate he was a gentleman of consistent character, though surely with faults as we all have.

Most of my good qualities I attribute to my parents - at least half to my (earthly) dad. I understand many do not have the same relationship with their earthly dads, to which I would add my prayer of blessing and restoration. When I think of my dad or, for that matter, my wife's dad, I think of greatness without notoriety. When I get to heaven, in addition to my mom and, if he passes before me, my dad, Joseph, dad of Jesus, will be one who I would like to spend some time conversing with.

And now for something completely different...

Green Man [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Man] is a magnificent, if not relatively recent, religious syncretism. "His" motif (there are female versions of Green Man, from Asia to North America, though they are rare...) touches history (medieval art on churches) older and newer fiction (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Tolkien's Tom Bombadil), and religion. Before I am able to complain about the infiltration of supposed and actual Pagan symbology, of who, in the dead of winter, fills me with new joy and hope and promise of spring. The evergreen, lights, even Jolly Ole St. Nick (Santa Claus), and Greenman actually bring me closer to Jesus rather then shutting him out...

But, I think Jesus can take it... Not that all should not stand for what we believe in... But didn't this happen once to the Master before (shut out of the inn?... ;-)

And I wish I had been one of the few shepherds (other "shut-outs") who had the privilege of the greatest rendition of "Handel's Messiah" ever "recorded..."

=)

Grief and sorrow...

Grief and sorrow...

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."



Grief and sorrow...

"My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?
Turn, O LORD, and deliver me;
save me because of your unfailing love."



Grief and sorrow...

"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."



Grief and sorrow...

"In my alarm I said, 'I am cut off from your sight!' Yet you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help."



Grief and sorrow...

"Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.'



Grief and sorrow...

"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
and his wonderful deeds for men,
for he breaks down gates of bronze
and cuts through bars of iron."



Grief and sorrow...

"...for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again..."



Grief and sorrow...

"An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him."



Grief and sorrow...







-j

The Incarnation in the Stars

Pastor Phil has given a tremendous meditation on how the constellations of the Zodiac (including the Decans) portray the Gospel of Jesus Christ, described in a work called, THE GOSPEL IN THE STARS. I will attempt to later post a link if it becomes available. This teaching might be akin to what a friend of the Gathering engages in when they use a "Jesus Deck" - playing off the "Halloween" theme of the Tarot Deck - as a bridge to talk about what God may be doing in someone's life.

I am not an astrologer. I am an astronomer. I know, for example, that the universe is estimated to be 15 billion (not 20 billion, as it was when I was young) years-old and that the current "initialization theory" holds that the Big Bang (or the last Big Bang) occurred because there were slightly more matter particles (perhaps even just one more) than anti-matter particles.

As a child, at the Boston Museum of Science, I heard an interesting theory that the Magi from the East of the New Testament account were, at the very least, STARTED on their journey due to a triple planetary conjunction (not a direct line-up - just close movement/proximity of three of the visible - at night - planets) in the constellation of Leo. Though these gentlemen were probably adherents of Zoroastrianism, Astronomers, Astrologers, and Sorcerers, I find it interesting that God felt them worthy of a specific invitation to His birthday (regardless of the specific details of "clues" He gave them). I also find the reaction of these Magi (the English term I, myself, prefer for "wise men"/"kings") compelling: they worshiped Jesus. One may say they were simply worshiping another divine being of their pantheon, though Matthew seems convinced of their joy and sincerity. Also of note, God saw fit to speak to them in dreams.

I love how even when being born Jesus was reaching out to others...

To walk and not faint...

Isaiah is a powerful book to me (whether one contends for one, two, three, four or more parts of Isaiah). One part of Isaiah (or one part of one of the theorized "books") is Isaiah 40. I think if I had one chapter of the Bible to carry with me, it would be Isaiah 40. Not only does it begin with tangible, divine, comfort from God, it has an interesting verse of how God relates to us in our time of need. Let me "pen" (via electrons) some of the chapter here...

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.


I know, just as it tortured God the Father to call His Son to die for His obstinate Creation who He loved, I know God was tortured from the wrath unleashed upon Job. And I know when God says, through Jeremiah, "...they will walk and not be faint..." God knows sometimes it is all we can do to walk and not faint, let alone run.

This verse and my musing are not for me, per say. These days represent a memorial stones of blessing and praise that I am erecting, as the Patriarchs did, to remind myself when times get tough again. But, during a season where there is not much light, in the spirit of Santa Claus and the Spirit of Isaiah and the Magi, I hope you find hope in Isaiah that one day, you will "run and not grow weary" and "rise up on wings like eagles."

The little boy that santa claus forgot...

Without sharing details, serving the disenfranchised has been particularly draining these past few months. But all it took for God to encourage me to hang in there was one timely rendition of this song on my mp3 player. Not only am I so blessed but there are so many are the little girls and boys, who could be just like my son, who santa claus forgot...

---> click HERE for the Nat King Cole version and a video. I first heard the Vera Lynn version ---> here.

The Gathering: Offering Peace, Welcoming Pilgrims, Pursing Gospel Mission

More than a Local Church: A Community Peace Project, a Pilgrimage Location, a Gospel Mission.

Over the last couple months The Gathering at Salem has been engaged in some of the most innovative and culturally appropriate missions work to be found in the United States.

Every October a half million pilgrims pour into our city to celebrate Halloween, experience alternative spiritualities and party with their friends. Every year we welcome these guests by extending hospitality, offering spiritual counsel and inviting them to experience the incredible grace of God. We could not maintain this mission without the hundreds of people serve beside us throughout the season, or without your generous prayer and financial support.

The rest of the year we continue to impact our city through community service, events designed to reach the city of Salem with lovingkindness, which we believe God has expressed to us through His Son.

Although we have been serving the Halloween pilgrims for 11 years, the last 3 we have had the great privilege of serving them from The Vault – a unique location at the very heart of the city. Since The Vault is a “safe place” for people to experience the hope of Jesus, our location has magnified our ability to introduce the city and its pilgrims to the mission of God.

Over the course of these 11 years, hundreds of people have expressed a desire to meet God, and we have helped them to meet Him. Tens of thousands have been counseled about spiritual issues as we teach them to know the voice of God. They have been served free hot cocoa, entertained by live music, and been blessed freely by our roving "monks." They have received apologies for the times when churches may have hurt them. They have learned about some of the most compelling challenges to social justice in our day, and we have all been gently touched by the Gospel of Love.


Preparation for the Coming Season:

Now, we move into the quieter Winter season. We will gather cold weather clothing for the poor. We will serve the families of Salem with music, and free hot cocoa during the holiday season, and we will create opportunities to meet the community in discussion groups and events in The Vault.


Our small church has become a place, which has been utilized for evangelical mission and social service by dozens of churches and hundreds of individuals each year. Our little group has sacrificially responded to make this mission a reality, but we are in need of help from our friends and those who believe in our mission in order to be able to continue the mission.

Would you consider helping to support the work of The Gathering at Salem this season by offering a one time gift, by joining list of friends who support us monthly and pray for us as we serve both our city and its pilgrims, perhaps with an offering at your church on Sunday morning, or adding our mission to the list of missions your church supports throughout the year? We are confident that God has placed us in Salem for such a time as this and we would deeply appreciate your support.

Miracle sunday at the gathering...

This Sunday, just another Sunday at the Gathering, as always, is a miracle. I want to thank everyone and mention how I was touched by Sunday's service, from the worship, through the message, through the sharing, (and through the bulletins!; eternal kudos to Melissa and Carl! =) both prior to, and prompted by, Greg's sharing.

Each person in the room that Sunday (including the kindly gentleman who snores! =p ) - and out of the room - has touched me and my family so much these past few months and prior to these past few months. I have been overcome, in a good way, by gratitude and a deep sense of worship in November through December - during Thanksgiving and Advent - because of not just the music and the messages (and the printing of the bulletins!) but also because of the worship demonstrated by each one of you, not just on Sundays, but all during this recent "season" of my life (and the lives of Stef and Levi).

Some of us (as myself) may frequently enjoy climbing the "high mountains" of worship. Others spend their time worshiping in the towns and the foothills. Regardless, it has been neat to experience both thanksgiving and worship, not just in moments, but over days and as a process with each one of you and together as a Body.

The question now is what is Gentry, self-admittedly not a Jazz Hands frequenter ( =) ), is going to do now that his preaching has led to a Pentecostal e-testimony?... =p

In Him,

Mike =)
><>

"The darkness is here..." - an Advent meditation (partial re-post)

Some not-so-readily-apparent holiday-related themes stand out for me at the Gathering this year as we head into a season of Advent. They are "re-creation" (along the lines of our daily and, over time, being re-created for new and exciting things), being a servant, and an openness of church life which invite others to co-participate with us, regardless of spiritual label, as we seek renewal together daily and through the seasons of our lives. Along the lines of these three themes, I am reminded of a scene, two thousand years ago, where wise men who sought the creator of the universe, the King, found, along with the Incarnate Creator, great joy in a weary world and among weary souls. The wise men (and wise women and wise men still) are recorded, accurately, as WORSHIPING Jesus. "Worship and Thanksgiving" is a forth Advent theme we have been considering as we move from the Thanksgiving Holiday and prepare to enter the Advent season.

Arriving soon is another season, the Winter Solstice – the longest night of the year. While walking home from the Salem train station one night recently, I noticed Christmas (Holiday) lights here and there. For me, the colored lights, and the white lights, lingering in the eventide, spoke to me as a reminder of the Risen Creator who entered time out of eternity to be with a weary world so many years ago.

Pastor Phil has mused on the godliness of darkness--> [here]. In some cases, we can imagine darkness as a “thin place” – out of which/where, for him, Jesus, the Light of the World, speaks.


"He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him—
the dark rain clouds of the sky."

-Psalm 18:11 (New International Version)


The title of my post is in quotes because I borrowed it from a facebook friend. My sense is, this friend, too, finds solace in the darkness – maybe because there is sometimes felt power in mystery and secrecy – but also, perhaps, as my friend Phil, because he finds comfort in the darkness. For me, the darkness of Winter Solstice, interspersed with lights, makes me think of my favorite Christmas Carol…

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth…

…Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth…

…He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger...

…Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother...

…A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn…

…Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born…



-image found at www.copperflatsfarm.com/babypage.htm

Stories from Halloween (Part 4) Bridge Church Friends

From a letter to John Harding:

I had the opportunity to be on a prophetic team a couple of weeks before Halloween. Not surprisingly, the people who came for the "spiritual readings and dream interpretations" were very open to and hungry for the supernatural. (This made our jobs easy and exciting!) We were able to give several people encouraging words. They all seemed receptive and intrigued by how we got this insight into complete strangers.

A moment that stands-out for me, was when our team leader got a word for one of the young women who came for a reading. The word was that her view of her future was being limited by past hurts that were still affecting her. He then offered to stand in as the man who had wounded her and apologize. She was deeply moved and I think we all shed a few tears. She and her friends have since stayed in touch with our team and have shown an interest in finding out more about the supernatural.

What I personally took away from the day was a deep sense of the Father's urgent yet patient love for His lost sheep and the exhilaration of being able to participate in the revelation of that love to them. Giving prophetic words puts us in a place where we are given a glimpse of God's perspective and it forever changes our vision.

Olivia

Today's sermon: the s-word (submission...)

Philippians 2

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

-----

Gentry delivered a timely message with regard to biblical submission today. All of us have opportunities to exemplify biblical submission: at work with a difficult co-worker or boss, on the road, we can biblical submit through stewardship (not just money but time as well - this author saw too much time on facebook or blogging as an opportunity for himself to reconsider biblical submission), we can be thankful/grateful and worshipful for what God is already doing in our lives, not always needing to (scene from Empire Strikes Back) "have our eyes to adventure and the future - not on where we are, what we are doing..."

Jesus, at many times during his life, was not submissive, particularly with regard to unjust applications of God's law. And Gentry emphasized we are not called to be, for example, subjects of abuse in our relationships or guilt-ridden into emptying our bank accounts for the cause. Nevertheless, Jesus granted all of us eternal life through "resolutely [taking] the road to Jerusalem" to submit to an unjust verdict and a deplorable death. Gentry also reminded us that folks such as those pictured below are the true leaders of the Church/inheritors of the Kingdom of God...

Braveheart and Ezekiel 37

"And now for something completely different..."

I am going to compare Stephen the Irishman with Ezekiel 37. Many might be close to the mark in guessing this is another "close-but-not-quite" typical 'casserole' of mine where apparent connections are found mainly in a slightly-odd imagination. However, I'd like to give it a shot anyway.

Stephen the Irishman guards William Wallace (in the mostly-fictitious account of Wallace's life in the movie Braveheart) from the shadows. Shadows, typically connotate (by Jung, for example) as "dark" or "evil." In this case, Stephen's use of concealment in battle is, from his perspective, less dark and evil, and simply more hidden.

Alot of what occurs in the Kingdom of God, for ill and for good, is hidden and unseen - though just as real as the seen. This is particularly applicable, I feel, in the realm of prayer. We can advocate for friends from the "shadows" of the "forest" or the privacy of our homes. God can direct the trajectories of our spiritual weapons.

Another scene in the bible, Ezekiel 37, begins just as grimly as a hopeless rag-tag band of madmen against the English army. But instead of defeat in the midst of betrayal, as the heroes suffered in Braveheart, Ezekiel 37 describes the ultimate triumph, not only in the next life, but, on occasion, in this life of new life out of something not just from something "mostly-dead" but from something as "completely-dead" as "dry bones" are.

Below are two links that have recently inspired me to pray for new life on a local through a global basis...

***warning - the first link is a video with violence, foul-language, and hunting - things I typically dislike. But I like Stephen the Irishman. Go figure.

***warning - the second link is a video of fantastic artists - though they and the audience could use a little more 'soul...' =p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gHH0ih867U

http://www.christiantube.net/video/223-ernie-haase-signature-sound-dem-bones

Even More Stories from Halloween Outreach '09

Here are three more tales from the October Outreach in Salem, MA. May they bless you as much as the people who were involved in them.


The experience I had at Salem was one of the most challenging times of my life. I tried to force the Lord to work through me and give each person the kind of experience that I wanted him or her to have. The Lord revealed to me the absolute need to trust in Him. Without His Spirit working through me, I am capable of nothing. The times that the Lord chose to use me as his instrument were so powerful, yet humbling. I realized that the encounters were not for me, but were meant for the benefit of the person sitting in front of me. Feeling the love the Father has for his people was so overwhelming and is something that I will never forget.
-Liz Koch
Intern Streams School of Ministry

A young woman came to our team looking to have a re-occurring dream interpreted.  She had dreamed several times over the last ten years about snakes in her bed.  It would terrify her so much she would jump out of bed screaming.  She admitted that she is generally terrified of snakes even in the natural.  We felt the meaning of the dream was simply that her general fear was so great it was ruining her rest.  Upon sharing this with her, she began to open up to us about her fears.  She seemed to have a great deal of trust in us even before sharing the dream but as we talked further her trust grew.  After talking through some of the sources of her fear, she explained to us that she has recently left the Mormon Church of which her family is still heavily involved and even has family ancestry that can be traced to Joseph Smith, the father of Mormonism.  Upon her sharing this, a marvelous shift came in the atmosphere.  Though her experience was marked with harassment for leaving Mormonism both from the people in her life and from the spiritual realm, we suddenly saw in her a courageous and bold seeker of Truth. And in that moment we watched as her concept of God transformed before our eyes.  He went from being a dictator that cruelly demanded things of her to a great big Goodness that Loved her immensely and knew her intimately! The Presence of God became so heavy and sweet as we communicated this to her that all of us were moved to tears.  I found myself filled with awe as God revealed to all of us (including this precious woman) what He felt about her.  It was truly an honor to meet this over comer and to encourage her that, contrary to what others may have pressed on her, she is on the right path as God draws her into her destiny!
-Ali Carter
Staff Streams School of Ministry


It’s October 31 Halloween and the streets are packed with more people than ever. As the night goes on our lines get so busy the wait become about two hours to receive a spiritual reading or dream interpretation. After ministering all day I begin to break down our tents and a man walks up to me. He asked if I could interpret a dream for him. To be truthful I was far too tired and weak to help him but I still agreed. He started by telling me that he had an experience 25 years ago that he has not understood since he has had it. He said others tried to interpret it but did really understand it. Their interpretation didn’t really stick with him. The Dream started out with Him in the back seat of a cop car in hand cuffs. There was also a cop car in front of him. From the side he saw a Buffalo charging the cop car in front and hit it with extreme force. He was so excited and continued to encourage the buffalo to hit the car. Soon the car was off the road and destroyed. A moment later the buffalo was charging the car he was in but just before it hit his car the buffalo changed into the most beautiful Native American women he had ever seen. She stood next to him with a love readapting from her that he had never felt before. He said this love changed him. It was like he tasted of something that was not from this planet. Since that day he has never forgot the Love he felt. He also told me that since then he has never felt a love so real and fulfilling. This man had given me tremendous favor to speak into his life. I then began to tell him that the Holy spirit had given him Justice where he was imprisoned. I was able to share a visitation I had years ago that was very similar to his experience. I told him how God wanted a relationship with him. He wanted to give him the Love he felt from the Native American women. This story taught me a lot, when I am weak and tired God has those he wants to touch. This man had waited 25 years for a interpretation and it amazes me that Jesus touched him so powerfully that 25 years later he was still searching for the answer.
-Lance Carter
Staff Streams School of Ministry

More Stories from Halloween Outreach '09

The following stories are just a few of the many that come from the gang at The Streams Ministries Internship in New London, New Hampshire. This team has joined us faithfully for the last 6 years, and October in Salem has become one of the life changing events for the interns, and a primary training ground for their prophetic proclamations and blessings.

This comes from one of the Leaders, Brandon Crummer:
I was standing outside of our ministry tents with a group of us that were doing “healings” and “spiritual encounters.” A lady came out from being ministered to and said, “It was okay, but I wish they had said something about my eyes.” I overheard her say that and then I asked her, “What’s wrong with your eyes?” She then began to say, “No, it’s ok I am not going to worry about it.” Again I said, “No seriously what’s wrong with your eyes I really want to know?” She began to tell me how she has Macular Degeneration and is losing her eyesight. I told her that my Grandfather has the same disease and was one of the first people to receive all the experimental tests. This instantly gave me favor. I then asked if I could pray for her. As I prayed she took off her glasses and began to look around. At first she said it was a little better but the second time I prayed she yelled, “Oh my God I can read that guys shirt!” While praying, I watched as the cloudiness in her eyes began to shrink to just a small spot in the corner of her left eye. As we prayed one last time she cried, gave me a big hug and then disappeared into the crowd.
-Brandon Crummer
Staff Streams School of Ministry

My experience at Haunted Happenings in Salem, Massachusetts was a life changing one.  I’ve never felt so much overwhelming love in my heart for complete strangers before.  I went into this outreach doubting the Lord’s ability to move and left with a much greater knowledge of His unconditional love for His people. I remember one woman who came into our tent who was oppressed by a demon, lonely,  depressed, and lost. We got to minister to her for almost 45 minutes and she left released from the demon that was following her, alive in her new life in Jesus, and overflowing with the Joy of the Lord. Her countenance was completely switched around by the time she left our tent.  The funny thing was, she asked for an encounter with Jesus!  She was so open to a touch from the Lord and ended up asking Jesus to come into her heart and change her forever.  I cried for about 20 minutes after that encounter.  It no doubt touched her life, but it surprisingly touched mine deeply as well. All we had to do was be there.  We both left Salem with a new revelation of God’s love, and I am so, so grateful for it.  I will never be the same, and I’m sure every person who walked into our tent, whether by happenchance or on purpose, were forever changed as well.
- Jourdan Meyers
Intern Streams School of Ministry

For me, the Haunted Happenings outreach was a first for many things. I quickly realized that in addition to never traveling to Salem before, it was a bit intimidating attending my first formal outreach and giving my first prophetic words in an environment swarming with psychics and witches. Once we began to minister, however, I saw how the thirst of the people in Salem for deep spirituality drew the presence of the Holy Spirit in such a thick and powerful way. I no longer needed to worry about performing because it was not me touching those people anyway. My weakness, combined with their hunger, was a perfect situation for the Lord to pour out His love on them. Whether it was the lady who walked away with her glasses in her hand after being healed of Macular Degeneration, or the countless people whose jaw hit the floor when they found out that the Lord knows and loves them, God was thoroughly demonstrating love to His people in very powerful and intimate ways. Many who came expecting the typical festivities of an October weekend in Salem were surprised to find that the Lord had other plans. They entered our tents with mere curiosity and exited completely changed from the experience, as was I.
-Kyle Koch
Intern Streams School of Ministry