In 1960, 10-year-old Jon Edmonds was sent by his father into a bowling alley in Indiana to help integrate the business. He won the Christmas tournament that year and has been bowling semi-professionally for decades.
At that time, Jon had no idea that God would use his life so effectively for the gospel. He spent many years leading initiatives for neighborhood revitalization and community development. Last year he was asked to become Executive Director of Movement Day Greater Dallas. Jon has become my dear friend and partner in the gospel. I have watched God use his many years of experience in leadership and ministry to help unify the body of Christ and advance the Kingdom in our city.
Movement Day began in New York City under the collaborative leadership of Dr. Mac Pier and Dr. Tim Keller. They have seen the evangelical population of Manhattan grow three-fold in recent years. Five years ago they began an annual leadership conference to discuss ways God was at work in their city. In 2013, leaders in Dallas asked Dr. Pier to bring Movement Day to our city. Movement Day Greater Dallas convened in the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center last January, gathering more than 1,400 leaders representing more than 650 churches and ministries.
In the 12 months since, collaborative ministry strategies have emerged dealing with education for children, financial stability, human trafficking, hunger, immigrant care, orphan care, prison re-entry, and other issues in our community. Christians from across the body of Christ work together utilizing business strategies to accomplish measurable outcomes for Dallas. We are meeting felt need to meet spiritual need, earning the right to preach the gospel.
I have watched as Jon and his leadership team have become catalysts for city transformation. It is a great privilege for me and our ministry to partner with them for spiritual awakening in our culture. I urge you to join us this Thursday for the second annual Movement Day Greater Dallas gathering. The day begins at 8:30 A.M. and concludes with an evening session for young adults led by Matt Chandler and Grant Skeldon. If you’re not able to come to Dallas, please pray for the Holy Spirit to anoint and empower all who attend.
Unity in the body of Christ has never been more urgent than it is today. In The Great Evangelical Recession, John Dickerson predicts that “evangelicalism may split into dozens or hundreds of new small- and medium-sized, overlapping, and sometimes chaotic groups. The result could be a completely disorganized and un-unified national church.” The enemy always attacks the unity of the church, from Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) to today. The good news is that God’s Spirit is unifying God’s people to advance God’s Kingdom and magnify God’s glory.
How will you work with fellow believers to exalt Jesus in your city today?
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