Dear Friends,
There have been times in my ministry when I have stepped into something that feels, at first, really quite ordinary — and then, somewhere along the way, I have realized that I was standing on holy ground. My recent trip to Riga, Latvia was one of those times.
I travelled there to teach a series of seminars to local worship leaders. From the moment we arrived, the welcome we received and the warmth with which we were greeted was a true blessing, and it became clear that there was a quiet expectancy in the hearts of those we met from the very beginning. It wasn’t just about teaching songs or structures or theology. It was about something deeper. A hunger. A readiness. A sense that God is stirring something fresh in this nation.
Latvia is a beautiful place, with an incredible history. This is a nation that has endured centuries of shifting borders and decades of foreign occupation, yet the Latvian spirit remains unyielding and distinct. Beneath the surface-level calm of the modern capital Riga, something powerful was clear: a people who are remarkably open, receptive, and deeply aware of their need for God.
When We Gathered, God Moved
Unity in worship revealed a deeper hunger for His presence
As we gathered with worship leaders from different churches, backgrounds, and traditions, there was such unity and a shared passion for sharing the Gospel. We opened Scripture together, we worshipped, and had the joy of listening to the stories of individuals who had, time and again, proclaimed the love of Christ in the most challenging of situations. Time and again as I listened, I was struck by how present God was among us. Our voices united in praise, with lyrics in English and Latvian mingling together to express a yearning for God which transcends anything that spoken words alone can convey.
A note on worship: In a world that often reduces worship to mere music or emotional experience, I want to gently remind us of its biblical weight and beauty. Worship is not a warm-up act or a preference — it is the very purpose for which we were created. Jesus Himself declared, “The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him” (John 4:23). True worship is our highest calling and our deepest response to who God is. It is where we lay down our agendas, our striving, and our self-focus, and simply offer Him the glory due His name. Far from being optional or secondary, worship is warfare, intimacy, and alignment with heaven all at once. I am more convinced than ever that the Church rises or falls with the quality of her worship.
There were moments during the seminars when the teaching simply gave way to worship. No agenda, no rush — just a collective response to God’s presence. Those are the moments you cannot plan, and would not want to. They felt like a gentle reminder that worship is not something we lead or direct; it is something that we enter into, as a sacred place where our hearts can truly be opened to Him. As the psalmist invites us: “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” (Psalm 95:6).
I was particularly moved by the conversations in between sessions. The worship leaders shared stories of faithfulness in small congregations, of perseverance through challenging seasons, and most of all, a deep desire to see their nation know Jesus. There was no striving for platform or recognition, but rather a quiet, steady devotion to the Lord.
And I found myself thinking: this is how revival begins.
Not with noise or spectacle — but with surrendered hearts. With leaders who are willing to seek God not for what He can do, but simply for who He is. With communities that choose faithfulness over all else. As God reminded Solomon, “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
What made this time especially precious was the unmistakable sense that God is moving in Latvia. Not in ways that necessarily draw headlines, but in ways that transform lives. Seeds are being planted. Roots are going deeper. And I believe we are witnessing the early stages of something that will bear much fruit in the years to come.
It was a privilege to serve, to teach, and to learn, and we are already excited about returning to build on the connections we made there. But more than anything, it was a gift to simply be present; to witness what God is doing in this beautiful country and to be reminded, once again, that His Spirit is moving across the nations.
