Rooted & Established

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19) 

Since coming to Copenhagen, I have been continually reminded how my dependency on the love of Jesus is utterly essential. And not just for the ministry's sake, but for my own. Over the last couple months, I've been thinking about what Paul wrote in his letter to the church in Ephesus - what it means to be rooted & established in the love of Christ. There are so many things I can base my identity or value in: my performance, my relationships, my talents, my circumstances, my work in the ministry. But all of these things can change just as quickly as Danish weather in a single day (and let me tell you, that's pretty fast). 

Often times, we are looking at what life can bring us or how we can bring an impact to the world around us. We tend to focus more on the “fruit” and less on the “roots”. But, I would argue that what, or rather who we are rooted in matters more than what we want to produce.

"What, or rather who we are rooted in
matters more than what we want to produce."

 Jesus said that He came to bring us abundant life, one with "lasting fruit". And that abundant life comes with deep, healthy roots. Banning Liebscher, founder & lead pastor of Jesus Culture, wrote in his book Rooted, “lasting fruit only comes through the long journey of putting our roots down deep in Jesus. Without deep roots, there is no fruit, and if there is fruit, it’s not the kind that lasts.”

As I think about the vision of student ministry in Denmark and the ways I want to see God move here, I am continually reminded that my roots in Christ's love are the most vital part.  

Apart from Him, I can do nothing.

George Floyd & Justice By Way Of The Cross

I have something heavy upon my heart today that I have been looking for the right opportunity to share. As missionaries, you understand we are admonished to stay apolitical to avoid creating any obstacles in presenting the message of the gospel. I concur with that position and will not deviate from it here. However, Scripture exemplifies two kinds of conversations regarding polarizing political events. When Jesus was asked a political question about taxes, He responded by saying, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God” (Matthew 22:21, NLT). This command transcends culture and politics.

The recent events surrounding George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis have created an opportunity (unlike any I have seen in my lifetime) for Kingdom people to engage in redemptive conversations that transcend the political conversation. We could begin with something like this:

George Floyd was unconditionally loved by God and had immeasurable worth to God and to me. As a follower of Jesus Christ, I am overwhelmingly saddened by the injustice and evil that has deprived humanity of this beautiful life. Although I am profoundly grieved, I recognize people of color feel this atrocity in a personal way that I as a white person cannot fully comprehend. As a person who believes in the message of the Cross, I am called to self-sacrifice and compelled to suffer with those who are suffering. I stand united in love with my brothers and sisters of color!

May our conversations bridge racial divides and include the voice from the Cross that completely understands injustice and suffering. The people of God must always advocate for redemption, peace, justice, and unconditional love for everyone.

As a declaration of action, I have personally donated to the George Floyd Scholarship Fund through North Central University. If you sense the Lord stirring you in a similar direction, click here.

I pray each of us can separate the transcendent conversation from the political one and be a voice of unconditional love and peace with people of color for His glory.

Your brother,

Paul Trementozzi

The Power of Teams

We’re better together. Jesus repeatedly emphasized this message to His motley band of followers. He sent the 72 out on their ministry internship with coworkers but no possessions. As a resource-poor people, they would have to rely on the leadership of the Spirit and the hospitality of people who did not yet appreciate the significance of their message. Jesus sent them in pairs to demonstrate authentic community and invite others to join their fellowship. He was introducing a church-planting strategy that reflected the very nature of our triune God—the One who sent Jesus to bring flesh to our understanding of the Father and exemplify the communion of the Trinity. The disciples must have internalized Christ’s directive; apostolic partnerships and teams crisscrossed the world, forging communities of faith by welcoming people into the family of God.

In Europe, we firmly believe in the power of teams because:

THE BATTLE TO ADVANCE HIS KINGDOM ON OUR CONTINENT IS INTENSE.

For centuries, faith has diminished here as intelligence, self-reliance, and rebellion against God have compacted the soil into stony ground. Just as effective plowing requires multiple points of contact, long-term ministry in Europe requires time-intensive, strategic relationships with multiple workers. Cultivating the ground of secularism into rich, fertile soil takes the concerted effort of diverse teams working together with one heart in the Spirit. Even in areas formerly suffocated by communism or currently held in Islam’s grip, faith can thrive and people can be discipled. The damage is deep, but it is not irreversible.

TOGETHER WE REFLECT GOD’S NATURE MORE COMPLETELY.

Europeans jaded by hollow and corrupt religious systems need to see a variety of expressions of faith. An unbeliever might attribute a missionary’s warmth to a cultural quirk, but encountering that same enduring joy in a whole team and connecting it to relationship with Jesus triggers the search for truth. Diverse populations need to know God uses diverse individuals—males and females of all ages, races, and personality types. Pioneering together encourages future churches not to settle for the usual church model, but to contextualize for the unique population of their location, reflecting the beauty of multicultural Europe.

GOD WANTS TO RELEASE EVERY BELIEVER INTO HIS OR HER GIFTING.

Planting a church with a team illustrates the way every member of Christ’s body should function cooperatively. Historic church models where only the pastor is considered “trained” to minister stunt congregations’ spiritual growth. Conversely, healthy teams demonstrate New Testament fivefold leadership and enable believers of any demographic to discover their place of service under the covering of their leaders. Teams also raise up a new generation of apostolic church planters as veteran missionaries come alongside new team members and form organic mentoring relationships in the style of Paul and Timothy.

As individuals connect deeply and serve side-by-side, they soon recognize the beauty and potential of working together.