Hello Burning Ones!
After getting blasted at the Global Burn Summit in PA with a bunch of fiery tribe leaders that we call family, we’ve had a bit of time to reflect on the past and dream about the future. We’ve been going hard for over three years almost every month with 6, 8, 12 (usual), 24 and even 72 hour Burns with minimal resources. We’ve done a year as a traveling Burn to local churches/ministries in the area. We’ve done a year in a neutral location to eliminate any territorial boundaries. We’ve done a year of traveling tent ministry outside of the four walls. Sara and I spent five years plowing with Burn Greenville under Matthew Lilley (now the US National Director) before launching Burn New Bern. We each spent four years (1997-2001 for me, 2003-2007 for Sara) sowing into campus ministry where we both discovered and pursued what “burning ones” looked like while also discovering what true discipleship and accountability looks like. We’ve invested individually and corporately into many other local, regional and national gatherings. We’ve even brought our sounds and Burn DNA to the nations (literally). We’ve been “burning” with every ounce of our souls for nearly 20 years and Sara has been by my side in many areas for 14 of those years. To summarize… we’re tired but it’s been worth every minute of it!!!
Even though we may be the Directors of Burn New Bern and cover a lot behind the scenes, those that partner with us exponentially increase our reach in the community and beyond. There are some that stick with you no matter what and those pillars are what keep the firing burning. Others may come and go for various reasons but the Lord has always been faithful to provide everything we NEED for each season but not always everything we WANT. He has even sent some of our previous core team members to the nations… PERMANENTLY! Sometimes He has chosen to do more with less (normal) and sometimes He chooses to overwhelm us with overflowing assistance (rare). In either case, we recognize that we can’t do this alone. There is such power in team. Commitment, trust and covenant with those you labor among can take you through seasons and victories that you never thought were possible. We’ve had a skeleton crew for a core team since moving into the uncomfortable, outlandish, audacious journey of tent ministry that is way out of the comfort zone for many. However, it has been a VERY fruitful season and we even pulled off a 72 hour Burn with the smallest core group we’ve ever had. We serve a God that is more than enough! Interestingly enough, I gave a prophetic word about a “concentrated” season (doing more with less) to our SC friend and fellow minister, Tammie Southerland, at about the same time that we were entering our own skeleton crew season! Tammie’s crew probably didn’t realize it in the moment but their faithfulness to pursue His presence despite seasonal circumstances has produced tremendous fruit. We honor their perseverence! This past weekend alone they helped pioneer an Awaken The Dawn (ATD) regional convergence with Fire On The Altar/Frontline Fire House Prayer & Revival Hub that had impacts that will shake the ENTIRE region… and beyond. I wasn’t even there due to scheduling conflicts but the testimonies travel quickly! Steadfast commitments bear much fruit! Just sayin’!
We charge pretty hard on a regular basis but we also have reasonable discernment, knowing when to back off to avoid burnout and when to push forward. We’ve been anticipating a shift coming for this fall season almost as if it’s a restoration and re-birthing season connected with our re-branding (in terms of logo and Burn 24-7 corporate upgrades). We feel led to cancel our normal 4th Friday Burns for the rest of the year and put all of our focus on serving local, regional and national events since we already have so many on the calendar and more in the works. We want to sow more into our neighboring Burns as well to help fuel the flames of their fires. It’s not about building our kingdom but about building THE kingdom. We will continue meeting weekly at our home with those that want to commit to being part of our core team. We are going to shift from 6-8pm food/fellowship/worship/prayer/study type of meetings for the rest of the year and move to fasting/prayer/worship type of meetings from 7-8pm on Monday nights. The numbers are usually pretty low at those type of meetings but if we’re praying for God to do miraculous things in our community, we need a hardcore team plowing with us to lead the charge. For those that want to participate and commit to Monday nights with us, we’ll also be asking them to commit to signing up for AT LEAST one hour of weekly prayer with our Craven24Seven initiative. If you aren’t praying at minimum one hour per week for our community, you’re impact will probably be minimal as well. If we have to meet and contend by ourselves until God sends more of those who are faithful, we’ll do it.
If you're spending extended time in prayer individually or corporately for at least one hour, we encourage you to log that time by signing up on Craven24Seven so we can capture prayer coverage in our area. Sign up HERE! We're more powerful together!!! Engage with us on our Craven24Seven facebook page to help spread the word!
Upcoming Events:
Aug 14th - (7pm-8pm) Burn Community Group (BCG)-Mondays @ The Hobbit House
Aug 21st - (7pm-8pm) Burn Community Group (BCG)-Mondays @ The Hobbit House
Aug 25th - No 4th Fri Burn - Joining forces with Ignite Jacksonville
Aug 27th - (6pm) Ignite Jacksonville pre-rally@ Good News Ministries(Jacksonville,NC)
Aug 28th - (7pm-8pm) Burn Community Group (BCG)-Mondays @ The Hobbit House
Sept 1-3rd - Regional Burn Summit (Leaders) @ The Refuge
Sept 20th-24th - Ignite Jacksonville @ The Jesus Tent (Jacksonville,NC)
Sept 22nd - No 4th Fri Burn - Joining forces with Ignite Jacksonville
Oct 6-9 - Awaken The Dawn - 50 Tent City @ National Mall (DC)
Oct 27th - No 4th Fri Burn - Joining forces with The Drop
Oct 26-28th - The Drop/Presence Pioneers (Raleigh,NC)
Nov 11th-21st - Guatemala Missions @ LWI/AAC (Burn Core Team)
Nov 24th - No 4th Fri Burn for Burn New Bern - sow into other regional Burns
Dec 22nd - No 4th Fri Burn for Burn New Bern - sow into other regional Burns
See current schedule and event details at Burn New Bern and Facebook sites.
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A plethora of time, talents and treasures are invested to organize and host Burn gatherings. If you feel led to sow into this ministry, donations are welcome!
I can't give an offering from that which costs me nothing!!!
Michael Thorsby
Check out our blog for historical Burn recaps and newsletters to stay in the loop!