A generational mission opportunity

Mark Pugh challenged Elim leaders to stop camping at the edge of God’s promises and step into a once-in-a-generation moment of mission, faith and gospel opportunity.

“There’s a place that looks spiritual, sounds responsible and feels safe, but is actually a dangerous place to camp.

“It’s the place between Egypt and the inheritance – the place where you see God’s promise, talk about it, study it, sing about it but never actually step into it.” This was Mark Pugh speaking at this year’s ELS.

Here, during his opening session at the conference, he challenged Elim’s leaders to consider honestly whether they were in that place: camping on the edge of God’s promises.

It was a provocative question, but a vital one during a season where the UK is experiencing remarkable openness to faith.

Many, Mark warned, are in danger of missing this opportunity.

“There are leaders, churches and movements that have unintentionally begun camping at the edge of the promise – they are close enough to talk about revival and mission, and to admire what God is doing, but not actually moving into it.” He used the Numbers 13 story of the 12 spies sent into the Promised Land to explore the issue, sound a warning and encourage action.

The tragedy of Numbers 13

When the spies were sent to the Promised Land, it wasn’t to decide whether Israel should enter the land, Mark began.

“God had already told them he had given them the land – that promise had been given to Abraham generations earlier.

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