Our Region is Growing!
Dear brothers and sisters,
Welcome to the SOS North American Region’s new website! Every month, you’ll be hearing how the Holy Spirit is moving in and through so many brothers and sisters in our region. From Kentucky and Indiana, from Florida to Vancouver, you’ll hear how far and wide our Region spans!
You’ll also hear in the coming months how our communities are growing through their Young Professional/Young Adult outreaches, how the Lord has guided our college outreaches through important transitions, about how we are continuing in concrete ways to strengthen our safeguarding policy, and how Kairos is serving our youth through new programs. One thing I know for sure: God is faithful to his promises and to his covenant. We can see this through the many ways he is working in our midst.
Our Region is Growing!
Sometimes when life is difficult, we look back after a few years and realize that God was working in amazing ways, and we didn’t even see it. I think this is the case in our Region these past few years. A few months ago, three communities in our Region signed our covenant and became Full Member communities of the Sword of the Spirit after journeying on this path for a couple of decades!
The City on the Hill (COTH) in Los Angeles is the first North American full member community with roots from our brothers and sisters in Ligaya in the Philippines. COTH began their journey as a community 30 years ago when some former Ligaya members joined together with others from the Philippines to build a new community. It has taken persistence and faithfulness on the part of all of their members and leaders, and through three decades, COTH has continued to be the community that the Lord has called them to be. Their community truly lives out the call that the Lord has given them to “go and conquer darkness and shine my light ever brighter!”
The Brotherhood of Hope (BOH), which serves in so many college outreaches and communities in our Region, became a Full member community of the Sword of the Spirit in May of this year at the International Assembly meeting in Costa Rica. BOH is a community of celibate brothers, and their motto is inspiring: Jesus Christ is All-Sufficient. I’ve served on visitations with various brothers in BOH, and although they are an entirely Catholic group, the Brothers all have a great love for our ecumenical call! How good and pleasant it is that we are covenanted to these brothers!
And lastly, Triumph of the Cross Community (TCC) in Maryland also become a full member community in May! This small band of brothers and sisters are, by God’s grace, building an ecumenical community with a vibrant young professional outreach (interestingly attracting more Protestant YP’ers than Catholics). TCC has transitioned to a new Senior Coordinator and both the Coordinators and Women’s Councils have newer younger leaders. Early in their journey, TCC received a prophetic word (before they were even part of SOS), saying, “You are my little army, and I will join you to a larger army to strengthen you.” TCC knows that it was the Lord who brought their community into SOS!
Brothers and sisters, it had been a long time for our region since a community became a full member. And now in one year, the Lord has given us three! And there are many other communities that are growing, are proclaiming the gospel, and are deepening in this beautiful call! But you’ll have to wait until the coming months to learn about these!
Your brother,
Jeff Smith
P.S. Take a look at the other article and you’ll see that our Region now spans all the way to New Zealand!
