In just a few days we will be airborne and on our way to Mexico City for what promises to be a nation-changing weekend with a sold out crowd of over 17,000 university-aged young people in the largest of the world’s great cities!  Wow!  Sounds like a great way to start Leg 3 of the Passion World Tour and a perfect kickoff to Vancouver, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.  The next post you read will be coming your way from Mexico City and we hope you’ll join us for the next 30 days as we touch down on three continents with a ton of new friends and stories to tell.

Hopefully, you guys in Cape Town have not forgotten about us…and are still bridging the gap with your prayers as we connect the dots from nation to nation, city to city.  Knowing that you’re praying for Mexico City, like Jozi prayed for you, means the world to us…and will mean a lot to them when they see the video of you cheering for them.  That’s been such a kick for us, seeing how excited every city gets for the next, and how blown away they have been by the love that has come their way from the one before.  I’m not sure what that means for us in Sydney on October 21.  Maybe on that night we all start praying again for the next steps God has for us?!?  Anyway, if you’re out there CT, pray for us this week as our leadership team is already in MC and the rest of us are on the way.  We are praying the unique and unrivaled message of grace we carry will rush through Passion Mexico City, inspiring a wave of students to live for the One that sets us free.

I know most of you are on board with our new Do Something Now efforts, but take a minute to visit onemillioncan.com.  This is our new DSN initiative, and since we all will not be together under the same roof until Passion 2010 in 14 months onemillioncan gives us all a chance to be a part wherever we are in the world.  Take a look and let God lead your heart.  If we all jump in, our small gifts can add up to a big difference in the lives of people all around the globe.  We’ll talk in detail about onemillioncan.com later, but as we introduce this opportunity to people in the next six WT cities we want you guys to be with us, as well.

Believing for mercy, power, favor and grace each step of the way!

Louie

First it was Gustav and now Hurricane Ike, with the latter making a near direct hit on Galveston, Houston and the surrounding suburbs–America’s fourth largest metro area.  Millions have been effected as Ike leaves pain and devastation in its wake, and it will be a long time before countless families are back on their feet.  Please choose to fight indifference and Do Something Now to help the people of Texas, Louisiana and beyond.  Click any link and give generously, or click the text option and give to the Red Cross by texting GIVE to 2HELP (24357).  Care. Go. Serve. Give.

OK, maybe my Spanish isn’t all that sharp, but what I’m trying to say is “Let’s Go Mexico City!” In three weeks we will be rolling into town (if you can call home to 30 million people a town) and getting set for Passion Mexico City for what is shaping up to be a phenomenal start to Leg 3 of the Passion World Tour. As of this week, registration is closed for this two-day event! That’s amazing when you think back to Philips Arena in Atlanta when we announced the WT in January 2007. Some of you were sitting in the second venue at GWCC, but there were about 18,000 of us in Philips and that’s how many people have claimed tickets for Passion Mexico City. Crazy, crazy stuff! But once again, it’s about more than numbers, it’s about a seismic shift taking place in the hearts the people who pack out the Palacio de los Deportes and the ripples that we pray will touch every campus and church in the nation.

Once again, we are asking you to rally behind us with your prayers. These are unstable days throughout Mexico, and uncertainty and security risks have become a way of life for everyone. We believe it’s the right time to be in Mexico City, a light shinning for His fame, and we are praying God will amplify His grace through these days like never before.

And speaking of rallying behind us, I just want to say thank you again to everyone who has believed in this global undertaking and given to make it possible. We are not super great fundraisers here at Passion and always look for ways to exhibit less hype when treading in these waters. But we cannot help but say THANK YOU to those of you who have taken amazingly creative and sacrificial steps to help make the 6+million dollar journey possible.

The good news is we have only $900,000 to go! I know, that’s a huge number, and it seems rather odd to be using the word only in any sentence where there is a figure as big as $900K. But from where we have come, and in light of all God has done, we can say with a smile, we ONLY need $900,000 to cover all that God has given us to do! And all our hope is in Him.

Some have given very large amounts, amounts we have never received in our 13 year history. And in light of each of them we say a very big “wow!” We are humbled. Others have given small gifts–$75 given through the GIVE button on the website, $25 cash that was handed to me a a youth event this summer and everything in between–that move our hearts the same as those that have many more zeros attached. Every day something arrives that blows us away, causes us to be extremely grateful and assures us that we are on the right track with God.

I mentioned on the Podcast the students in Texas that sent a support letter to everyone they know. So far, we have received multiple batches of checks form these girl’s crazy little adventure, a God-breathed idea that has allowed us to touch the loves of other students around the world. In case you missed it, I am posting their letter here.

And just this week we received this letter from a professor at a Christian College in Chicago:

In my Speech Communications classes at Moody Bible Institute we do a persuasion exercise that involves each student picking a ministry or service organization that is special to them and persuading the class that this organization is worthy of their support. At the end, the class chooses which one was not only effectively presented, but also is a ministry they would like to support. Last semester Jake H. [Jake I'm preserving your full identity!!] gave an excellent presentation of your work so I am sending this check at the request of his classmates.

With the letter was $100 towards the Passion Word Tour!! Again, wow!

Jake, sounds like you have a very persuasive way about you and a passion to see your generation live to make Jesus famous.

God is an unending provider, and He is so creative in the ways He chooses to make His resources available in our lives. It will be very cool to watch and see how He moves the remaining $900K into place to impact students in Mexico City, Vancouver, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.

So, so thankful!

Louie

It’s been a busy two weeks, with great projects coming from Charlie Hall and DC*B during that span.  And now, to complete the trifecta, the latest from Chris Tomlin–Hello Love.  Honestly, we couldn’t be happier or more proud of this release, twelve amazing songs marked by the familiarity of the worship leader we have come to know and love while reflecting a tireless approach to his craft that breathes fresh and new.  That’s a phenomenal combination, and a rare trust.  By God’s doing, Chris is writing the songs that are literally giving voice to the church around the world.  With Hello Love, there are brand new moments of musical inspiration, yet many beautiful and easily accessible paths that will lead a worshiping church to anthem the One they love.

I know the arrival of Hello Love is not news to our regular readers, but I didn’t want the week to go by without saying DON’T MISS IT… and asking you to pray with us.  Our desire is that the energy that has been invested in bringing Hello Love (and all three projects) to life will result in many divine moments and hopeful smiles for people everywhere.

Say hello and enjoy!

Louie

In between legs of the Passion World Tour, we are back to our regular First Monday schedule.  The idea is simple, on the first Monday of the month, we’ll meet here from places all around the globe.  We’ll post 16 prayer points (2+6+8=16).  If you’re new to Passion, the number comes from Isaiah 26:8–Yes Lord, walking in the way of Your truth we wait eagerly for you, for Your name and Your renown are the desire of our souls.  This confession has been the root of the Passion Movement since the very beginning, and still shapes everything we do as we seek to see a generation awaken to make Jesus famous.  So take a few minutes and join your voice with people like you from every corner of the world.

I will praise You, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of You among the peoples. For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, let Your glory be over all the earth.  Psalm 57:9-11.

16 (2+6+8) Prayer Points For September

1. Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi (as well as Cuba and other parts of the Caribbean) have been hit hard by Gustav. Let’s look for ways to turn prayers into action to lend a hand in bringing aid and relief to those in need as a result of this storm system.

2.  Looking back, we have recently been in Kyiv, Stockholm, Sao Paulo, Kampala, Paris, London, Manila, KL, Jakarta, Johannesburg and Cape Town.  Please pick one of these cities and pray for the seeds that have been sown and for the strengthening of the church, especially in ways that would impact the university campuses of these cities with the story of God.

3.  University campuses are coming to life across the US.  Pray with us today for the students of your city.  The campus is the most crucial intersection of our time.  If you’re post-university age, pray for the churches and campus ministries who are called to this crossroads with the light of Jesus, and ask God to show you ways you can support and encourage them.

4. If you’re in university, pray for your campus, church/ministry community, leaders…and also foster unity by praying for the leaders of another ministry other than yours.

5. Passion is headed to six additional global cities in the next 30 days.  At the start we needed $6millon+, but as of today the amount is down to under $900,000!!  This is amazing!!  While 900K is still a lot, take a minute and thank God for the incredible ways He has provided, enabling us to take Passion to over 61,000 new friends on four continents.

6.  Let’s make sure we are grateful and continue to trust God for all that is needed to complete the world tour journey.

7. Our first stop is Mexico City, home to 30 million people and over 1 million university students!  Please pray today for UNAM, the world’s largest campus with over 300,000 students.  Pray for those who are called to reach this campus for Christ and for new vision in the hearts of tons of others who God is calling there.

8. Our two-day event will be in the Sports Palace in Mexico City and 16,500 people have already claimed tickets for this event.  Pray over this venue and for the thousands of students who will encounter the message of God’s greatness, fame and staggering grace.

9.  Pray for a wave of grace in Mexico City that will break the chains of religious effort and unleash in us all a desire to live for the one who makes us free.

10.  Pray for Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, a spiritually vibrant city, but one in great need of the truth and grace of Jesus.  We are thrilled that 6000 tickets have already been claimed for this night, more than numbers, a sign of the hunger and potential that are there.

11.  Pray for our volunteer teams that are leading the stops in Mexico City, Vancouver, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Sydney.  These guys have jobs, families and responsibilities, yet they have taken on these Passion Events because they believe in university students and care about God’s fame.

12.  Pray for Passion Seoul, our last two-day event of the current world tour and a gathering that has the potential to awaken a new generation in a nation where spiritual leadership and passion have been so prevalent.

13.  Tokyo is also the largest city in the world (with MCity), depending on the day and who you’re talking with.  30 million+ people and only 3% who know Jesus.  Pray that Passion Tokyo will be a catalyst for the Church throughout Tokyo and Japan.

14.  We are excited to be in China for Passion Hong Kong!  Pray for all the logistical details to be worked out and for the word to spread throughout HK and into the mainland about this event.

15.  We end in Sydney, where over 8500 people are already coming!  Pray for a powerful deposit of what it means to live for what matters most.

16.  God is leading us, but we are being hit on every side.  Please pray for a covering on all of those on our staff team and world tour team and their families.  Pray for mercy, healing, protection and energy for His glory!

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