It is widely agreed upon that there are at least 600 million Pentecostal and charismatic believers in the Church. That is a phenomenal size for a group of people who have only been around for one century. And while the rest of the 25 largest denominations in America experienced a decline or had no growth, two Spirit-filled associations actually grew last year. These include the Assemblies of God (Springfield) and the Church of God (Cleveland). This information shows that empowered Christians are gaining a respectable place in the world's religious landscape.

     In light of these major advancements, leaders from various Pentecostal and charismatic groups have decided to convene and prepare for even further accomplishments. These ministers, scholars, and organizational heads are partaking in a series of meetings throughout 2009, and plan to hold a concluding “congress” in Tulsa, Oklahoma, during April of 2010. Among those involved in these activities will be officials from the Foursquare Church, the Church of God, Regent University, Oral Roberts University, the Assemblies of God, and many other ministries.

     There are several goals to be accomplished by these discussions. The scholars hope to pin-point the 10 most significant questions that our movement will face in the next few years. All who are involved hope to discover new ways to spread “full-Gospel” theology, and to come up with fresh terminology that will improve the way Pentecostal and charismatic Christians interact with those of other backgrounds. Building unity is also central to the members.

     This complete initiative has been named “the Commission on Holy Spirit Empowerment in the 21^st Century.” Some of the meetings in this forum have already taken place, and when the entire number of them are finished, the recommendations that the group has for Pentecostals and charismatics will be released both through a Web site and in a book. No doubt there will be much conversation in the Christian media about what comes out.

     As this projects continues, let us pray that the resulting effects of it will be very beneficial to the Body of Christ at large. We may also ask:

• That all Spirit-filled believers would become more proactive in sharing about the baptism in the Holy Ghost, and “evangelizing the saved” with this message of empowerment.

• That Pentecostals and charismatics will improve in their relationships with other renewal-focused movements, such as the Holiness and Third Wave churches. This could give us greater support in promoting teachings like divine healing, and helping other born-again Christians to seek the tangible presence of God.

• Also, that the apostolic oversight of our churches would prepare us to receive fresh revival and reformation, even as we become more solidified in our agreement upon past-received revelations.

     We can not forget to commune with Christ, and be open to all He has to share with us. We need prophetic insight if we want to see the revivalist segment of Christendom continue in the direction our Father has for us, without becoming stuck in an old pattern of doing things. Otherwise, even our churches could start to decline as those that have rejected the Pentecost experience.