Bestselling author, pastor, founder of the national Bible teaching ministry, Walk in the Word, and founder of Chicago-based Harvest Bible Chapel, James MacDonald, will embark on a forty-city tour beginning this August 2012.
The Vertical Church “Worship and the Word” tour, beginning August 8 in Minnesota and ending October 3 in Florida, is based on the releases of MacDonald’s forthcoming Vertical Church book (David C Cook, August) as well as the CD Live Worship From Vertical Church, which releases from Provident on July 31, 2012.
Each event, taking place in venues across the country, will consist of worship time with sets from the new CD performed by the Vertical Church Band as well as a message from Pastor MacDonald based on the Vertical Church book.
MacDonald says the problem with the church today is not that people don’t go to church like they used to, it’s that God doesn’t attend.
“There are astounding statistics that six thousand churches close their doors every year, thirty-five hundred Americans leave the church every day and only fifteen percent of churches are growing annually,” says MacDonald.
The solution to this failure, however, is less a solution and more of a change of perspective.
“We can’t survive spiritually without a corporate connection in heart, soul, mind, and strength with God. That’s what I mean by Vertical,” MacDonald writes, explaining the title of this new release. “To see a return to prevailing church in our day, in our land, we must see a return to Vertical Church.”
When the church, first and foremost, gives God glory (Vertical) then His glory falls upon the church, and everything else (Horizontal) falls into place.
“Vertical church is about faithfulness and fruitfulness…It’s about getting out of the various horizontal extremes, which excel at part of what church must be, but fail at the remaining priorities.”
“If churches begin again to more frequently and more universally resound with the adoration of Jesus and proclamation of God’s Word…it would revive the church and rock the world,” says MacDonald.
And, it all begins by worshiping vertically.
For more a list of cities and more information about the Vertical Church “Worship in the Word” tour, go to:
www.verticalchurchtour.com
The Vertical Church tour will be in Buffalo, September 16
About James MacDonald
James MacDonald, from Ontario, Canada, is married to his high school sweetheart, Kathy. He is the father of three grown children, a daughter-in-law, a son-in-law, and four amazing grandsons. James’ ministry focuses on the unapologetic proclamation of God’s Word. In 1988, along with a small group of ministry partners, James and Kathy planted Harvest Bible Chapel outside Chicago, Illinois, which has grown to over 13,000 people each weekend, meeting in seven locations.
In 1997, a Bible teaching broadcast ministry called Walk in the Word was established, now reaching more than three million people weekly. In 2002, a church-planting ministry called Harvest Bible Fellowship was born and has given birth to more than 70 churches across North America and around the world. James’ vision is that God will use him to help plant 1,000 churches in the next 20 years.
James’ extensive ministry also includes a training center for pastors, a year-round camp, a biblical counseling center, and a Christian school—all used to reach more people with the life-changing message of the Gospel.
Now impacting millions of lives annually, God’s favor upon these ministries has been what James describes as “abundantly baffling.” The MacDonalds view these blessings as proof only that God still works through broken vessels to pour out His grace.
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