Dear Friends:In the opening verses of 1 Thes., Paul says that He thanks God and remembers their.... “work produced by faith, their labor prompted by love, and their endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”  We are thanking God too, for the Church in our region is abounding in the same manner.  People are putting their faith into action, the labor that is being displayed is anchored in love and there is no giving up in sight.  As a matter of fact, people are hearing of our faith all over the place.  You recall that Shasta Lake City has asked us to come over and help; now the Red Bluff pastoral association (30 minutes south) has invited me to share what God is doing amongst us and, by faith, Mount Shasta City will soon be linking up, increasing our swath to almost 100 miles north to south.
The Grace in Motion team is starting to impact our community as The Church labors together.  Joanie Griffin, who is establishing a Christ-based youth center in the midst of several low income hotels, has seen “grace in motion.”  She says: Grace in Motion teams helped clear out 20 years of accumulated stuff.  The residents here are so excited and impressed that people they don’t know are coming here. Seeing that act of kindness and labor that doesn’t help the people who did it has been powerful - there’s just a real openness.  That hasn’t happened before and it just made an impression that there were all these people here working because they care. And it wasn’t just like one church cares, but the Christians here care.  A downtown business, which is owned by a passionate, ministry-minded couple, hosted a “Block Party” unlike any other on August 25th.  The Body came together to share food, music and prayer with hundreds who gathered.  Thousands of cars swung through the intersection during those 4 hours.  Many stopped to hear the sounds of praise and register the fact that Jesus is lifted high in Redding, CA. We even had a brother from Kenya in our midst who gave a quick, impromptu, Christ-centered gospel message!  You could sense God’s presence all night long.  We saw salvations, healings and many people touched and uplifted.  This paves the way for other businesses to follow suit, taking God’s grace into the heart of the city in new and united ways. 
 
We did have some sound issues out there though, so our trumpet player took it upon himself to write the band (and you) to seek help with our sound need.  He writes: The limited equipment we have makes it challenging for our sound tech to do his job with excellence, as well as the rest of us.  Plus, when we have a gig, Jon has to gather equipment from other places.  This is a huge time consumer, as Jon and/or others have to drive all around town trying to get the equipment we need for the gig.  Churches have to approve the loan of their equipment, and later it has to be separated from our equipment and returned.  This takes even more time and can add unnecessary strain to our relationships with local fellowships. We are in need of a graphic equalizer (to cut out feedback), subwoofer, wind screens, floor monitors, more stands, cords, mics, etc. What we are communicating is worth doing with excellence and effectiveness.  Not only will sound excellence be required, but also video.  Video testimony and short, vision-packed DVDs can be easily plugged into established meeting times to spread the word.  When we film, many times the sound is compromised because we film in public places and our borrowed camera doesn’t have the ability to work around the noise.   About $1000 is needed for us to purchase a video camera of adequate quality.As INUNDATE approaches, our giving level will need an extra boost.  Our monthly giving is usually around $3000, while our need is $6000. The cost of venues, promotional materials, park rentals and leading the INUNDATE week of prayer with excellence is $5500.  Please consider either monthly support or a one-time gift so this prototype can expand with Godspeed. (You can now give online at our website http://www.reddingtransformation.com/ and click on DONATIONS.)As we closed out this month, 120 community leaders came together to affirm that God is linking us in a spiritual assignment that will shake the region and nation.  Our new sheriff, Tom Bosenko, was present and welcomed prayer.  He declared, “although Catholic and more regimented in my prayers, I sensed a powerful uplifting and surge within my being as you all prayed.”  The mayor of Shasta Lake, Ray Siner, shared how he had a desire to see leaders unite and a prayer movement commence in his city.  The mayor of Anderson, Keith Webster, was present and we blessed him.  Ken Murray, Redding’s mayor, had a family emergency that morning and couldn’t come, but the Lord arranged for me to bump into him later that day at the gas pump, where I was able to personally pray for him and his situation.Be encouraged, transformation is coming.  The crescendo effect is unmistakable.  Hundreds are mobilizing to the streets; Youth are assembling a team under our covering; Mayors are among our friends and co-laborers and other regions are wanting to walk together down this road of transformation.  These are all dynamic, powerful strides forward and this is just a taste.  These pictures visually depict our heart, yours and God’s – that the Body walk in unity, that the grace hit street-level, that the generations work together, that whole regions be discipled.  The CHURCH is being transformed so the city can be! This is a new season and the grace is flowing!In the current,Jon ThompsonRedding Transformation Team Leader