The Seabourns

Keith Seabourn

Movement leaders

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I read in Steve Addison’s World Changers blog today:

The breakthroughs in the renewal and expansion of the Christian movement always occur on the fringe. Why? Because those with the biggest investment in the past and the present have too much to lose by facing reality.

Plummeting attendances and ordinations are painful, but not terminal if you’re sitting on millions of (dollars, euros, pounds) worth of assets.

Movement leaders raise the sense of urgency. They face the brutal facts. They heighten discontent.

The italics are mine. These are the sentences that connected with me. I am a leader in my missionary organization, Campus Crusade for Christ. I am celebrating 31 years with Campus Crusade this summer. I have a big investment in the past and in the present.

But I also feel a sense of urgency. Reality is my friend. The status-quo is not my friend.

And I know other leaders who feel the same way also.

The discontented feelings that we can do better in accomplishing the Great Commission. The urgency of the needs today. The desire to unleash new momentum among students.

These thoughts led Campus Crusade leaders to call thousands of students to Busan, South Korea. 15,994 students and staff members from 121 countries concluded a conference this week in our first ever global student missions conference. It was a historic event. The theme: Christ Magnified, Connected Movements, and Completing the Mission.

Read more at http://www.cm2007.net.

My friend Angie Bring has written and photographed extensively. Read her tremendous information at http://angiebring.com/.

As these students return home, pray that movements will be launched on all 8,000 top universities around the world.

Yes I am

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Yes, Karin, I’m reading this! I’m black coffee also, but not a Starbuckshead (except when I drive by one, or when I need a pick-me-up, or when I want to be a great husband and treat my wife to a chai tea latte and of course join her with my coffee!). I agree, you are low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable. And a joy to work with!


You are a Black Coffee


At your best, you are: low maintenance, friendly, and adaptable

At your worst, you are: cheap and angsty

You drink coffee when: you can get your hands on it

Your caffeine addiction level: high

If You Say Go

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We sang a new song at church. Well, it was new to me. Very thought-provoking. I scribbled down some of the words. Google is such a great way to find words to a song or look up a quote used in a message. I found it on the Vineyard music site.

If You say go, we will go
If You say wait, we will wait
If You say step out on the water
And they say it can’t be done
We’ll fix our eyes on You and we will come

Diane Thiel (2002 mercy/vineyard)

I remember someone teaching on Romans 12:1-2:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

He made the comment that the problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps trying to crawl off the altar. I think that describes my current state as a living sacrifice — crawling off, retracting my attitude of surrender.

Not all at once. I’m too “polished” as a follower of Jesus to do it all at once. No, it happens little by little, one small decision at a time. Just a little boundary around my heart. Bypassing a little opportunity to serve. Putting myself first just a little.

Maybe I’m not crawling completely off the altar, but I’m sure wriggling around a lot. I don’t want to be a wriggly sacrifice. Father, today I renew my commitment to being a living sacrifice, acceptable and pleasing to you. Because of your mercy. Because of your sacrifice.

1,000 Languages

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Jesus Film pictureIn July the JESUS film will be translated into its 1,000th language. It look 20 years to hit 500 and eight years to reach 1,000. The 1,000th language is Ho and is spoken in India.

10 of those languages are ones I gave leadership to producing. It’s a small drop in the 1000-language bucket, but a major source of personal satisfaction. The Jesus Film has been an amazing tool for sharing the gospel. Involvement was very rewarding.

Keith. Fred. ???. with Jesus Film equipmentIn 1983, I carried the portable recording studio to Nigeria. Portable was an interesting adjective. It was portable if you had a pickup truck! But still, I carted those large cases of equipment to Nigeria, to Sierra Leone, to The Gambia. I’m sure you understand there is a difference in traveling around West Africa and traveling in the U.S.!!! Clearing equipment into a country through customs then back out is always interesting and frequently unique.

Jesus film on a motorcycle front view

Jesus film on a motorcycle back view

Of course, getting the recording equipment into a country and back out again paled in comparison with some of the trails those who showed the film took. At least I could hire a pickup truck or van. Some had to do their transportation on motorcycles or even a bicycle!

But the end result is the same: helping everyone know someone who truly follows Jesus. Giving everyone a chance to hear the goodnews of love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. It’s worth the effort. It’s worth the dangers. It’s worth investing my life.