In 2008 Presence underwent several exhilarating transformations. We’ve developed a grand vision, set and achieved specific goals, and nurtured key relationships in order to bring about substantive change to people and societies.
We intend on increasing that momentum in 2009.
Presence understands that meaningful transformation occurs from the inside out. Instead of clinging to conventional methods that emphasize a top-down system of pronouncing doctrines and controlling people, Presence fosters dialogue with real people from all walks of life. Our maxim is, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
This open-source mindset has allowed Presence to work with leaders in religion, publishing, business, academia, non-profit organizations, and the arts. We’ve been able to bring the Transmillennial voice to significant conversations, and we’ve grown by partnering with people in key fields. Our strategic working relationships with people in several nations has blossomed. The result has been the blessing of mutual modification.
As the leading think tank of New Heaven and Earth realities, Presence has published books, produced videos, and created online content that shapes a unique and innovative way of telling the Biblical story. The Transmillennial approach has helped countless people in every corner of the world frame the story of fulfillment and experience abundant living.
Books and Publications
The most recent Presence publication is This Book Will Change Your World: How All Things Become New. This concise introduction to the Transmillennial view empowers you with the awareness that you have the God-given gift to tell the Biblical story in a way that surpasses the worn out catastrophic message of doom and gloom.
This Book Will Change Your World surveys the historical development of New Testament theology throughout the past century. It acknowledges the contributions and the limitations of these traditional schools of thought while offering a vibrant alternative.
More than a theological textbook, This Book Will Change Your World is an accessible resource that presents basic Transmillennial concepts. It is designed to point to the crossroads of faith and life. This Book is written for people who want to know, “Ok, what does all this mean?”
People are using This Book for their private study, small groups, and faith fellowships.
A recent college graduate wrote to say, “I actually just finished reading your book. I thought it was a very good and thorough introduction to the Transmillennial view of scripture and how that might affect our lives today. Even though it's an introduction, it gets specific with scripture and offers a lot of ideas to think about. As someone who is not new to Transmillennialism, it is good to kind of look under the hood and see things broken down. Plus your book offers practical insight into how our lives might be changed in light of this view. Good sense of humor too.”
Another reader said: “I read your book for the fourth time today and I enjoyed is as much as the first time I read it. I plan on reading it again because it is so full of love.”
Presence has launched a new website in association with This Book Will Change Your World. It allows visitors to download the e-book and to connect with other readers using a social networking service.
In 2009, Presence plans to produce more publications that will continue to reshape the theological landscape. Max King’s forthcoming book will explore the cosmic breadth of the gospel message. Grounded in Paul’s understanding of covenant, Max launches from Romans 9-11 as he takes in the entire scope of God’s promise.
Tim King’s next publishing project takes an original look at the purpose, point, and place of scripture. He will free people from modernist methodologies that lock them into flat readings of the Biblical text. This new appreciation for scripture liberates people to experience God afresh today.
Throughout 2009, Presence will continue to release two weekly e-zines. Parousia is designed to help you experience a deeper awareness of God’s presence by giving you creative wisdom to enhance your life practice. Presence This Week inspires active engagement in your life and world. Plus, it keeps you updated to all of the activities going on with Presence.
Subscriptions to both of these are free. You can subscribe when you click here.
Conferences
Transmillennial 2008 was the twentieth annual conference for Presence. The theme, All Things New, explored how people can thoroughly transform their lives as they embrace the creative impulse of comprehensive grace.
About half of the conference attendees had never been to a Transmillennial conference before. One first-time participant said, “I’ve been to a lot of conferences say that they create a safe space for people to ask questions and share their ideas. Transmillennial 2008 was the first time I actually felt it was true.”
Speakers and musicians from seven countries asked open-ended questions. What does a new life, a new world, and new you look like?
Best-selling author Brian McLaren was a keynote speaker at Transmillennial 2008. He compared the social dynamics of Jesus’ day with those of our day, and provided a vision of hope for actualizing an ever-increasing practice of the peaceful kingdom of God.
Transmillennial 2009 will be held Jun 10-13 in Little Rock, Arkansas. The theme for the annual conference is The One Inclusive God.
Contrary to popular belief, God is not the exclusive property of any single religion, nation, or denomination. The apostle Paul celebrated the fact that there is one God who is above all, through all, and in all.
This God leaves no one behind.
The workshops and keynote sessions will paint a picture of a God who is all-encompassing love, acceptance, and welcome. You will discover the radical peace that comes with a new vision of a God for the twenty-first century and beyond.
I’ve never been more excited about a Transmillennial gathering. This is a timely subject that has practical implications for everything from our personal relationships to world events. You will be able to register online around the first of the year
On January 23-25, Presence will visit the greater Houston area to gather with the Sjolander Road Fellowship. This progressive group hosts an annual Transmillennial regional conference. The theme for 2009 will be: “What is Sin, Really?”
Speakers will explore a deeper understanding of the concept of sin, going beyond the simplistic notion that sin is the breaking of arbitrary rules restricting our behavior. Redemption will be re-evaluated, not in terms of Christ being a penal substitute for mankind somehow allowing God's sense of justice to be satisfied. Rather, we will discover the ultimate revelation of the Father's Love and the announcement of a counterintuitive, liberating wisdom. This fresh look at this central theme of the Bible will open the door for many related issues.
If you cannot attend in person, you can participate in the SJR conference webcast. For more information, click here.
Later in the year, the Acts 29 Fellowship on the island of St. Maarten will be hosting a regional conference. If you are in the area or would like to travel to the Caribbean for this conference, click here for details.
If your group would like to host a regional conference, you can contact Kevin Beck for details.
Transmillennial Life Practice
The six-week Transformations course introduces people to the dynamics of covenantal, personal, organizational, and societal transformation. This online class gives you hands-on tools that will help you consciously create preferable futures in your thinking, your life, your relationships, and your world.
Hundreds of people have experienced the life-changing experience of Transformations. One recent graduate of the course said, “My insides were alive and light, how even my blood stream felt pure moving to the flow of God. It kept getting stronger and stronger as Kevin spoke, and I was loving every minute of it. I feel wonderful today, lifted and free. WOW! I think I'm just going to bask in this surge I feel at the moment. Love is in the air"
Transformations is perfect for individual and group study. Transformations will be held in the spring and the autumn. Click here for more information. If you belong to a group that would like to make arrangements for a private session of Transformations, please click here.
Additionally, Presence will host The Zone. The Zone is a webcast that offers people an opportunity to go online to share fellowship and undergo a learning experience. We open The Zone monthly and bring in a variety of speakers who are experts in their field. This allows us to develop New Heaven and Earth thinking and find ways of putting it into practice.
Besides all that, Transformation Intensives are 2-4 week online workshops. They deal with the four quadrants of transformation in-depth. The most popular intensives involve personal transformation. These online courses help people deal with and redeem everything from housework to the loss of their children.
International Representatives
In 2009, Presence will be developing our international offices. We are pleased to announce our associates in several nations.
Sonnyboy Skosana, Eunice Maselana, and the Hilaros Team serve as the representatives of Presence Johannesburg. Together, this group has been involved in touching lives in South Africa.
Eric Vlaun and the Acts 29 Fellowship in St. Maarten make up Presence Caribbean. The multicultural voice of the Caribbean is sharing a post-colonial perspective on faith and life.
Gary Reid is a physicist and mathematics professor who represents Presence Canada. His warm heart exudes the loving inclusion of god.
Graham Old is the point person for Presence UK. Graham is a former pastor and popular blogger who works with families. He has a passion for peace and reconciliation.
Markus Moismann is the author of the German-language book that explores fulfilled eschatology, Wan war Endzeit. Markus will head-up Presence Switzerland.
Upgrading Technology
To stay on the cutting-edge of communications, we will be upgrading our technological capabilities. Along with new computer hardware and networking tools, Presence will be designing a new website with more user friendly media, including fresh podcasts and embedded webcasts.
Updated social networking features are integral to the new website. This will allow you the opportunity to connect with people from around the world. Creating space for community is an important goal of Presence. We want you to be able to make friends, share conversation, and participate in learning experiences with other people.
Relationships
We’re forging working relationships with popular authors, scholars, musicians, and bloggers. One popular novelist is including Transmillennial themes into his stories, and musicians such as the Redding Brothers are singing about Transmillennial issues.
Additionally, Presence is providing scholarships for graduate students who are becoming leading voices in their fields. As a learning community, Presence believes in shaping the lives of future generations through continual education.
Since the publication of Max King’s seminal book The Spirit of Prophecy, Presence has introduced and developed conceptual tools such as Covenant Eschatology, the Transmillennial view, Comprehensive Grace, Archonology, Agapetheism, and Agapeology. These ideas have allowed us to help people frame the Biblical narrative in ways that produce creative emergence.
In 2009, we intend to bring forth more fresh ideas that contribute to people’s lives. The Transmillennial view is continually unfolding as it makes its way into churches, people’s lives, and the public awareness.
At Presence, we believe that Love is at the heart of God. Because God is all-in-all, we believe that love is at your heart too. One of our main goals is to help people actualize the love of God, to help them to see that they are perfect in the love of God, and that God loves us all just as we are.
We believe that little things make a big difference, and loving people in the “little things” of life will make a major difference in bringing about creative transformation. God is in the people business, and so are we. That’s why we bring a personal touch to what we do.
Because our Board of Directors funds all administrative costs, all of our partner donations go directly to funding projects. If you would like to learn more about how you can help, please contact me. Presence International is a 501 (c) 3 organization. This means that your gifts are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, all of our partners, and our entire staff, I’d like to thank you for your friendship and partnership. Presence is supported by people just like you. More importantly, the world is experiencing a profound transformation as you share in the work of awakening.
As we journey together through 2009, I anticipate that we’ll meet and exceed our expectations through the God who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or think. I’m eager to move forward, and I’m thrilled that you’ll be coming along.
If I can ever be of service or if you have any questions, I invite you to email me. I answer all my emails personally, and I consider it a blessing to hear from you.
This is going to be an awesome year filled with amazement and wonder. Thank you for sharing it with us.
Kevin Beck is COO of Presence International and author of This Book Will Change Your World. He is married to Alisa, and they live in Colorado Springs with their three electrifying children.
URL:
http://www.presence.tv/cms/org_excitement2009.php
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