No Houston Downpour, Explained
Posted by James MacDonald on February 27, 2007 07:34 AM | Comments (10)Well, I am sad to report that the Downpour Conference scheduled for March 9-10 has been cancelled. Speakers have been informed to cancel their travel plans and registrants will have their tickets refunded. This was to be the fifth Downpour and I was very excited to work with Bob Coy and Greg Laurie, in addition, of course to my good friend, Joe Stowell.
Wanna know why we cancelled it? How about if I totally leveled with you? Would you want anything else? :)
The Downpour events themselves have been extremely fruitful in terms of any way we might measure. They have been attended by several thousand people each time. We have seen incredible responses to the gospel, to the call to repentance, and to the biblical message about personal revival. It really has been everything we had hoped and prayed for in terms of God's Spirit deeply impacting people's lives.
In retrospect, I regret only the trajectory at which we launched the events. Be it the speakers, or the vision itself, or the high capacity of our event planning partners at Lifeway--we decided to hold the first events in small arenas. Informal Walk in the Word rallies on a Friday night across the U.S. and Canada had drawn attendances of up to 5000, so it seemed we would need these venues to accommodate the crowds. With that decision came the need to rent stage/light/sound equipment, security, and to pay union wages to set up and run all that equipment. Suffice it to say that the expenses were very large.
I have never been quite comfortable with the fact someone had to buy a ticket to come to hear a message about personal revival. I know that we buy tickets to hear a Christian artist sing, and I understand that they too have huge tour expenses in most cases, so I thought it would not be a big deal. But the further I got into '06 the more I was grieved by the feedback we got about charging for the events. Originally, there were two events scheduled for April. We cancelled Charlotte, North Carolina before it got off the drawing board, and our partners know that I was always very reluctant about Houston. Add to that my grief that the Houston ticket sales were not covering the cost of the event and I began to wrestle in prayer as to what I should do.
In spite of our well-attended Walk in the Word rally in January at Beth Moore's church in Houston, in spite of the radio announcements from our good friends at KHCB and KKHT, in spite of our networking with enthusiastic local pastors--registrations were so low that Lifeway was again going to run a large deficit in hosting the event. I just couldn't allow that to happen.
As you can see, we were selling tickets to something that I really think should be free (concerts are different; this is not entertainment) and we were still not covering costs. As I prayed about this, I decided two things:
1) To cancel the ticketed event and protect our friends at Lifeway from further financial loss (my decision, not theirs).
2) To prayerfully consider coming to Houston some time in the next year and doing the Downpour event for free. We would do the same messages, same music, but in a smaller venue--maybe at a large church if we should be invited where we could welcome the people freely, take a free will offering to cover expenses, and have the joy of ministering to whomever the Lord would bring.
In 25 years of ministry I have flown around the world to bring a biblical message without charge to whomever the Lord should gather. I don't require a certain fee, no one has to pay to hear me preach, and we don't allow financial considerations to block God's direction of where and when to go. (i.e. In '04 we went to Hong Kong for 10 days to minister to 160 hungry hearts.) God's people paying for the cost of the ministry they receive is certainly biblical though historically that has come in an offering according to people's capacity rather than in a required ticket price. I DO NOT CRITICIZE MINISTRIES WHO DO SELL TICKETS! After all, I did it for a year; I just do not believe that is what the Lord wants me to do.
I am saddened to disappoint the nearly 1000 people that already signed up for Downpour Houston, but I am hopeful we will be able to contact them sometime in the next few months and tell them where in Houston they can come to a free Downpour event. Invitations are coming in from many large churches around the country to come with our worship team and do a Downpour event in their church. If you'd like to be spiritually prepared for these events to come, the Downpour curriculum, music, and book are available at Walk in the Word.
So . . .
It's not easy to disappoint people and I am sorry for that. Decisions can be more complicated than they appear and are very difficult to make sometimes. I thought you deserved a full explanation and thanks for your prayers and understanding. Stay tuned to Downpour.org and WalkintheWord.com for a Downpour Conference coming to your area. I am very thankful for the hard work of our friends at Lifeway and look forward to serving the Lord with them in other ways in the years ahead.
Your friend, james
Comments
Posted by: Susan Powell | February 27, 2007 03:06 PM
Wow! This is great, I love to read your blog....But I am sadened to hear of the cancellation here in Houston. Pastor James your ministry has touched many of us here in Houston for close to 10 years,(I think):). I am just thankful to have seen you at First Baptist, recently. My associate pastor and his wife had come and they got alot out of your message and style of preaching(they have never heard of you before, imagine that). I cannot say I have heard any other pastor tell it like you do, and yes, you use the word stupid sometimes and I have had to explain it to my 10 year old in the past as he was growing up, but it did not offend me since it is used in Jeremiah quite a few times,(which I pointed out to my son) if you have Bible software its easy to find it in other places too ... So please continue to be who you are and preach as you feel led to preach because there are alot of us who relate to your style. God will use it for the good since you do love him and were called according to his purpose, Right? Have a good week and let us know when your coming back to Houston. SP
Posted by: Joy | February 27, 2007 04:10 PM
We are saddened at the news that Downpour Houston has been cancelled. Our Sunday School class is in the middle of the workbook and we were planning a mini-retreat to attend the conference. We were quite shocked at the news when we attempted to purchase our tickets on Monday. We hope that Downpour will be scheduled for Houston in the near future. The study is wonderful. The ministry of Walk in the Word is in our prayers.
Posted by: Jason Floyd | February 27, 2007 05:45 PM
Totally bummed! My wife and I attended the preview at Beth Moore's church in Houston and it was the best thing I had ever been to that my kids weren't involved in....and I had floor seats to Led Zepplin's last concert!
I invited 60 men and their wives from my church group, providing them with links to the event, etc, and did not get a single response.
I'm miffed. I guess people just don't want to be "revived". Anyway, my wife and I will now plan to travel to Hamilton or Indy.
See you there!
jas
Posted by: mike smith | February 27, 2007 07:42 PM
Hey James!
I hope and pray that you can continue to bring Downpour to many lives in the future! Myself, my wife and my daughter went with another couple and their daughter to the event in Hamilton Ont. Our friends actually made it possible for us to go or else it wouldn't have happened. We were incredibley blessed, and had a phenomenal weekend. I appreciate your conviction in this matter and feel that you are making the right decision. It reminds me of Keith Green's conviction of charging for albums and shows many years ago. How can we put a price on changed and transformed lives? I'll be praying that God opens the door to allow this ministry to continue and reach more lives than you ever imagined.. with Him, all things are possible! Hey maybe you'll even be able to bring it here to your hometown sometime in the future! I'd help make that happen any way I could!
In Christ,
Mike Smith
Posted by: Dencie Tucker | February 27, 2007 09:20 PM
Dear Mr. Macdonald,
I just want to say thank you for all that you have done for me. I want you to know that I appreciate the time that you spend before God so that you can have a word. Many times you save my life. I look forward to looking into the heart of God everytime I listen to you speak.
Although I live in the Bahamas, you are my second Pastor. I am praying for you.
Posted by: Allen C. Stilwell | February 28, 2007 12:20 AM
As I read this news of this cancelation, I began crying, why you might ask...It's just that I understand the cost for such a large event. I have been to hear Pastor James speak in Conover, NC, which I ask a whole bench or pew of my friends to come, because I know, Walk in the Word is straight up and it helps me to walk closer to the Lord. I keep hoping North Carolina will have a chance to worship God, just like I do everyday~thanks to Walk in the Word. Pastor James you help me and know that I'm praying for you and the ministry of Jesus Christ. The church in Conover, NC was overflowing and I was happy to see that many people want to come worship God in Song and through the message God placed on your heart. My wife and I both enjoy Walk in the Word. I may not get to see you down here again, but I'll totally see you in Heaven. God is totally transforming my life and I love being in an atmosphere that produces an attitude that is pleasing unto him. At one point in my life, I thought I could not have fun without alcohol...I don't need a drop to keep the real spirit flowing! Here in NC, we have several local gospel stations, that help nurture and keep a positive God focused person. I'm glad that you are fired up about the same things I'm fired up about. I want to share my life verse with you. John 3:30 He must increase and I must decrease. It's a short verse, yet it holds a life time of truth to be lived out. God Bless and keep the faith! Burn Hot For the Lord. Cause you know what the Bible says about, luke warm Christians...You don't want to be one....Thank you! Allen
Posted by: Trish | February 28, 2007 10:46 AM
That's why i loved Keith Green and the way he'd offer free concerts.
Posted by: Pastor Rene | March 5, 2007 11:03 AM
Thanks for the straight forward response to this situation. You made a good choice. We are stewards of people's money and lives, and we must walk that fine balance. This decision screams, "Integrity" all the way.
Posted by: Stephen Parish | March 7, 2007 09:51 AM
Thank you for being so real! It is totally refreshing! We look forward to the next "Downpour"!
Posted by: Jim | March 16, 2007 04:41 PM
I think Erwin Lutzer has a cool book called "Failure is the Back Door to Success." So keep persevering in the Lord.