First official travel

Dear Friends,

Once again, thank you so much for your thoughts and prayers.

I begin a trip near the end of this week. This trip will take me through California, Nevada, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Here are some objectives for the trip:

• Meet with individuals interested in the JONATHAN PROJECT.
• Present this "multiplying church movement" to interested churches.
• Establish new friendships and networks.
• Focus in on new church plants, especially as they begin to develop their Global Initiatives.
• Share the opportunities with already established churches.
• Generally be a good Ambassador for the STADIA INTERNATIONAL-JONATHAN PROJECT Ministry.

I am really looking forward to telling the story! As I mentioned in last week's blog, everytime I tell it I get excited all over again! To be a part of a "multiplying church movement" among unreached people groups...at this season of my life...is truly a thrilling adventure!

Feel free to be in contact: graydon.jessup@gmail.com or call 714.488.7922. Let's collaborate and see what God is up to...then join Him in what He is doing!

Prayers and blessings,

Graydon and Judy Jessup

Are we having fun yet?

Too our many friends scattered everywhere!

The Title of this entry is: "Are we having fun yet?" And the answer is, "YES! We are having "over the top" fun!!!" Every time I speak with someone about THE JONATHAN PROJECT, they get excited...maybe it's because I am so pumped by the entire adventure! Whatever...it is just a whole lot of fun as well as a ton of serious work.

"Serious in what way?" Bottom line, this ministry takes the Gospel to people who have never heard! I mean, whole, entire, unreached people groups who have never had the opportunity to hear the name of Jesus, who have never had the option to make a choice about whether to follow Him or not! That is a "serious" responsibility to carry the Gospel message to them!

The "fun" part is to hear of the many, many churches planted among people who are hearing about "this Jesus" for the very first time and who have made their personal choice to follow Him...just like you did one day! Then double fun follows as those people tell their relatives, or the other unreached people group they have traded with for centuries, but who live just over on the other side of the mountain! This is truly a mounting tsunami of people telling people about Jesus.

When this kind of "good news" gets out it travels fast and before you know it you are heavily involved in a "movement" of people choosing Jesus, who begin planting multiplying churches and then doing it all over again in other villages and cities with people who have not heard! That is what is involved here...a MOVEMENT...a GLOBAL MOVEMENT of telling the "old, old story of Jesus Christ" in a winsome, compelling way, within the context of a specific, unreached people group! That is why we are looking for GLOBAL JONATHANS (I Samuel 14:6) who catch the vision and who begin to "turn their world upside down" even as happened in the First Century Church! If you want to know more about possible opportunities of involvement at many different levels you can contact me. Just remember, because of the nature of this ministry we do not have a web site.

Thanks to all of you who responded to my blog from last week. Your names, suggestions, recommendations and your prayers speak into this Global Initiative with great enthusiasm. Thank you so much.

Thanks to Senior Pastor Mike Maiolo and Mission Viejo Christian Church for the opportunity to speak this past weekend. We had an absolutely great time. It was a privilege to have two of our children in attendance with their families. It was just a great weekend all around...plus I was able to tell the Church about the JONATHAN PROJECT! That is the proverbial "icing on the cake!"

Please keep us in your prayers. And "YES," we are having fun!

Graydon and Judy

Team Building

To all of of our friends...scattered all over!

Thanks for your prayers for the efforts in Salt Lake City. I believe, along with so many others, that that city and valley are "just right" for the preaching and teaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ right now. (See last week's blog.) Hearts have truly been prepared to receive the Word of the Lord embodied in the story and life of Jesus Christ...alone! I will keep you posted as events unfold.

Our work with THE JONATHAN PROJECT continues to pick up steam. I am putting a team together...a "team of champions" who will articulate the vision and the mission of THE JONATHAN PROJECT. As this church planting movement continues to speed forward throughout the world, the vision and mission must also be presented here in the United States. It has been my experience, as short lived as it has been so far, that as individuals and churches in the United States hear the vision they become energized and excited.

The question we ask is "Why? Why are people energized and excited about THE JONATHAN PROJECT?" This is the short answer. When an individual or a church understands that they can make an eternal impact in an unreached people group (UPG) they naturally have that desire to become a part of this incredible multiplying church "movement." In fact it is more than a "desire." It quickly becomes a reality! Consequently churches and individuals are praying over possible unreached people groups. After prayer folks are selecting a specific group, and then are adopting that group for a five year period. They know that within that five year period the Gospel will be preached to that UPG. In other words, people who had never heard the Name of Jesus before will have had the opportunity to make a choice to follow Him. Multiplying churches will be planted within that UPG. The Gospel will extend beyond that people group. The "movement" blossoms. People are impacted for eternity!

If you are interested in knowing more specifics- in other words how you might become involved in this exciting "movement" of world wide church planting and what this would mean for you as an individual follower of Jesus Christ, or as a church family, I invite you to contact me- graydon.jessup@gmail.com or call: 714.488.7922.

Thank you ahead of time for your keen interest and your prayers!

Graydon and Judy Jessup

P.S. I will be speaking at Mission Viejo Christian Church, in Mission Viejo, this weekend, March 15, 2009. Go to www.mvcchome.org to get service times and directions.

Salt Lake City

To all of our wonderful friends,

Currently I am in Salt Lake City with a team of about forty people praying over this city. We are seeking the heart of God for a whole new church planting movement in this place. This includes many details- a person(s) to lead a team that would plant a multiplying church plant; people who would move to Salt Lake and be part of such a movement; the raising of necessary funds to accomplish the task. This conversation is all very edifying, encouraging and stretching! Out of these next few hours (Monday and Tuesday) we believe the Lord will show us what we need to see and confirm the directions that are prepared for future development.

Bottom line, we do want to see six churches moving forward with witness and testimony in this city in the next three years! Pretty ambitious, but we are trusting the Lord in this project!

As part of my JONATHAN PROJECT role, I am here helping, networking, praying and strategizing. We continue to move forward on all fronts.

Most of all right now I covet your prayers. God is good!

Prayers and blessings,
Graydon and Judy

P.S. This note will be shorter as you can see. More next week!