New ARC Partners

Bridgewood Community Church Joins the ARC

2015-03-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

On behalf of the leaders and congregations in the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC), we are excited to announce that Bridgewood Community Church in Blaine, MN has joined the ARC.

Senior Pastor Brendon Fairley is a member of the ARC National Leadership Team and a graduate from The Master’s Institute Seminary. He writes, “We at Bridgewood Community Church are very excited to be officially partnered with the Alliance of Renewal Churches. We are blessed to know that we are joined in relationship with a network of churches that are dedicated to living and moving in the love Christ. One of the greatest blessings of the ARC is its' intentional desire to share life together through the love God. For us here at Bridgewood, partnering with the ARC was a no brainer because we are both for the Kingdom. What a blessing to have the opportunity to share life with people after the heart of God.”

Welcome aboard the ARC, Bridgewood!

Beachside Church Joins the ARC!

2015-01-27T13:55:00.001-08:00

The ARC is excited to announce that Beachside Church, a church plant in Palm Coast, Florida has joined the ARC. Pastor Chris Magnel is leading the team that has planted the church and shares the following:

“A few months ago, a number of us in Palm Coast heard the call to go out and do something new. Inspired by John 21:4-6 (New Living Translation) which describes Jesus standing on the beach and calling out to His disciples, telling them to cast their nets in a different place, we heard God calling us to cast nets in new places in Palm Coast. Like the disciples hauling in a huge catch, we hope to see fruit, transformation and new life in this move of the Spirit. This new endeavor is called Beachside Community Church, and we look forward to our official launch on April 5th.

We have a ton of great churches in Palm Coast. Yet, like any town, we have far more people disconnected from the Body of Christ than those who are connected. With around 85,000 residents, there are at least 55,000 people waiting to be connected to Christ. It’s our call to go to them. We can’t wait around in our buildings hoping that a slick marketing campaign is all that’s needed to “bring them in.” That certainly doesn’t seem to be how Jesus or the disciples did it.

So we’re going to go out into the community, build relationships, and see what the Spirit has in store for us. Going out will be a learning process that we’re just beginning at this point. I’m not sure there is a program or path that compares to trusting in God and letting Him lead the process.

So why has Beachside chosen to join the ARC? First of all, it’s the relationships. For me, as Lead Pastor, I owe a lot in my own faith development to a few of the places I hung out at during seminary, and the people I got to know. As a first year student at Luther Seminary, my time at places like North Heights and Hosanna! were foundational to my own discipleship. Along with hanging out at those places, and then interning at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines, I saw that there are pieces of our faith that felt lacking in certain parts of mainline Christianity. That’s not meant as a ‘better/worse’ statement, but more of an expression of gratitude at the people and communities God put in my life.

After being ordained into an LCMC church in 2001, a small group of us formed what would be the Evangelical-Renewal District in LCMC. As the ARC came into existence, there has been a huge overlap in the people and churches affiliated with both, and I’m excited we’ll have that at Beachside. There are a ton of people I love and respect in the ARC and I look forward to deeper partnerships. In addition to relationships, the ARC is a home for us in terms of the ways its people talk about, and live out, their faith. It’s a fit and a home.

The next few months will be exciting. We have a great planting team here in Palm Coast. We’ll be meeting in a local charter school right in the heart of town, but not close to any existing churches. It’s amazing to consider that God is starting this church for people we don’t yet know, and I personally look forward to meeting them and walking this journey together.

We ask for your prayers. Go to our website, www.beach.church, check out what’s going on, and pray for us specifically. Pray for protection, as we know the enemy is going to strike out at us, and pray for provision in every way. Pray that God guards our hearts and keeps our focus on His agenda. And for those who have walked the church-planting road, I would love to connect with you, and learn from your mistakes and successes. Any relationships that I, or our planting team, can build will be awesome. Thanks for bringing us into your fellowship in the ARC. Blessings to you all in Christ.”

Welcome Pastor Chris and Beachside to the ARC! You can contact Chris at: chris@beach.church

Church in Cuba Joins the ARC

2015-01-27T13:25:00.003-08:00

We are very excited and humbled to announce that a pastor and his church from Cuba have joined the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) network. Pastor Richard Lemus Diaz first reached out to ARC Director Mike Bradley over seven months ago, seeking relationship with a network that embraced the evangelical, sacramental, and charismatic streams of the faith, as well as desiring a relationship with a spiritual father or mentor. After months of communicating back and forth, Pastor Richard requested membership in the ARC. We’ve asked Richard to share a bit about himself, his family, and his church with you. He writes to us the following:

“Dear ARC members, my name is Richard Lemus Díaz. I am 31 years old and have been married with my wife, Lariza for almost 9 years. We live and minister in Cuba, a country that needs to experience the love and the power of God. I thank God He saved my family from Santeria, my grandmother was a spiritist medium and my mother was a fortuneteller. But the Lord arrived to my family and saved all of us.

I felt God's call to pastoral ministry early in my life and at 15 years of age I began to serve as a missionary in the mountains of Cienfuegos. After Lariza and I got married, we went to the seminary in Havana and we served in pastoral ministry in several churches located in Havana, Trinidad, and now in our own city—Cienfuegos, in the center of Cuba.

When we returned to Cienfuegos we had nobody, so we planted a church from scratch, walking on our city's streets, preaching the Gospel of Jesus. It was a hard work but now there is a church here with people who have given their lives to God. We named our church Gate of Heaven because our desire is that people experience the same thing Jacob experienced when he arrived at that place. He arrived alone, poor, defeated, hopeless and confused. But in that place he had an encounter that changed his destiny. He was exposed to the Almighty's glory.

A gate of heaven is a point of contact between God and men, a place of supernatural events, a portal that allows Heaven's atmosphere to pour into the earth. That is our desire as church, to experience God's glory in our generation.

That's why we are so thankful to God that He allowed us to find the ARC. We know we have joined people and leaders of God who desire this same atmosphere and work together to honor and celebrate the person who creates this atmosphere—the Holy Spirit. We believe when people like this are connected in love relationships and serve and worship God together, great things happen. We thank the ARC's National Leadership Team very much for allowing my wife, me, and our congregation to be part of this.”

Welcome Pastor Richard and Lariza, and Gate of Heaven church to the ARC!

New Lead Pastor for Rejoice! Church

2013-09-28T08:11:00.002-07:00

Zach Thompson was installed as the new lead pastor at Rejoice! Lutheran Church in August, and I was privileged to be there for the installation along with ARC leader, Dan Clites (who is the founding pastor of Rejoice!). Zach recently joined the ARC and as the Director for the ARC, I am very excited about the future God has in store for Zach and Rejoice. I asked Zach to tell us a bit about himself. He writes:

“My name is Zach Thompson. I am a fourth generation pastor who felt God's call to ministry while working at Bible Camp summers during college. I have a passion for preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus in a relevant and practical way, and helping people identify their gifts and a place to use them to God's glory. My wife Lexi is a special education and reading teacher, and we have a 9 year old son named Soren, and a 6 year old daughter named Elise.

After serving as Associate Pastor at Shepherd of the Valley Church in Afton, MN for the past 10 years, I have accepted a call to be Lead Pastor at Rejoice! Church in Dundas/Northfield, MN. I am excited for the opportunity to serve at a church that is passionate about reaching people for Jesus and sending people out to be marketplace ministers. My hope for Rejoice is that it continues to be a effective kingdom building and kingdom training center that makes a difference for Jesus in the Northfield area and beyond.

I have chosen to join the ARC because of its spirit-led leadership and mission. I am drawn to ARC's celebration of the power of the Holy Spirit. I look forward to networking with other ARC leaders. And I look forward to working together to make Jesus famous and to invite people into a saving relationship with him!”

Welcome aboard the ARC, Zach. We look forward to ministering alongside you and Rejoice!

Radiant Church Joins the ARC

2013-04-03T19:21:00.001-07:00

The Alliance of Renewal Churches is happy to welcome Radiant Church of Garden Grove, CA to membership in the ARC! Welcome to Pastor Jeremey King and all the leaders and members of Radiant. We’re excited to add you to the band of brothers and sisters on mission together in the ARC. It is evident Radiant Church is already living out the core values of the ARC, particularly are value for ministry to and with Forgotten Ones. Following is a bit of Radiant’s story.

Radiant held its very first service in the home of a mission partner on January 31, 2010. Three short years later lives continue to be changed and God is being glorified through the work of this vibrant church. Radiant is a church that is built on the premise of serving rather than being served, hence the name “Mission Partners” rather than “members.” Our mission statement is that we exist to authentically be the church and to reach out through the love of Christ. We are a community of believers committed to:

LISTENING to God through scripture and prayer
TALKING of God in our circles of influence
LOVING like God as we love the “unlovable”
SERVING like God as we meet the needs of those in need

The men and women of the church are doing life together in a wide variety of areas including home groups, orphanage support, women’s shelter help, low income family shelter workdays, Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse, hospital visitation, and many more. In addition Radiant continues to support and edify our local “sister” churches. Once a year around Christmas, members of the church trek down to Ensenada Mexico to deliver presents to the children at Reino De Los Ninos orphanage. Mission partners donate the gifts and they are delivered to the children in time for Christmas. For many of the kids, this is the only gift they will receive, so the smiles on their faces, as pictured, are priceless.

About once a month the men of Radiant put on their aprons, and make a trip down to Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos to BBQ for the women and children there. Not only is this a way to serve some great food and fellowship, it also models “Godly men” for these single mothers. Last Thanksgiving about 20 volunteers from the church served Thanksgiving dinner to the residents of Thomas House Temporary Shelter in Garden Grove. Radiant also plans to adopt an apartment at the shelter and be responsible for painting, maintenance and general upkeep.

The above examples are just the “tip of the iceberg” of the current ministries at Radiant. This year we have joined the Alliance of Renewal Churches and are excited to be a part of this connected network of men and woman building an atmosphere of Kingdom, renewal, mission, and transformation. The ARC has already been very influential in the lives of many Radiant mission partners, and we look forward to the years to come.

Welcome aboard the ARC, Pastor Jeremey, and Radiant Mission Partners!

The ARC Welcomes Chris Byars

2013-03-09T06:21:00.002-08:00

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We are happy to welcome Chris Byars into membership in the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Chris is one of a number of leaders in Florida and who are desiring to affiliate with the ARC. We asked Chris to tell us a bit about himself and his family. He writes:

“I am the husband of Dawn and the father of three beautiful children - Jameson (4), Nathaniel (2), and Charlotte (1). I have been familiar with the ARC for a number of years and Mike Bradley has been a great friend and guide that I met while serving my internship at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fridley, MN. I have served as pastor of Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Dade City, FL since March 1, 2008. After the decision of the ELCA in August of 2009 and through great discernment Shepherd of the Hills left the ELCA and became dually affiliated with NALC (North American Lutheran Church) and LCMC (Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ).

If I had to describe my faith I would say that I am an orthodox, Evangelical, Charismatic, Lutheran Christian fully walking in the various streams of the faith. The congregation I serve is not charismatic in nature, but in my tenure we have been focusing more and more on being a praying congregation with occasional periods of extended prayer within our reclaimed prayer room. After much discernment I felt that it was time to join ARC and be a part of a group that could feed my charismatic side. It is good to know that I will be with a group of fellow Christian brothers and sisters who will support and pray for each other in a very intentional manner that differs from the other groups of which I walk. I am a firm believer of the strength that can be found when tapping into all of the streams of our faith as we seek guidance in the Word, the Sacraments, and through His Holy Spirit. Being one of an eclectic faith understanding I look forward to seeing what our Lord does! Come Holy Spirit!”

Welcome aboard the ARC, Chris. We are excited to have you joining our band of brothers and sisters!

The ARC Welcomes Northgate Church

2013-03-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

The ARC is happy to announce Northgate Church as our newest congregational member. Welcome to Pastor Steve Perkins and his team. I asked Steve to tell us a bit about Northgate. He writes:

“The beginning of Northgate Church is truly a God-story. From the beginning of a prayer meeting on June 20, 2010 which inspired a church plant, to the launch of Northgate Church in August of 2010 with an average of 475 people in attendance that first month, we’ve truly witnessed a miracle. Northgate Church began with nothing, but with the passion and the gracious support of our people, Northgate has been able to grow and meet the needs of thousands of people in our area. Today, two and half years later, we’re averaging 750 people in attendance on Sundays, plus 80 youth, grades 6-12 on Wednesday evenings. It is exhilarating to work alongside God as he touches hearts and brings people closer to him. At this past Christmas, we opened our doors to nearly 1400 people, and we’re expecting even more for Easter.

Northgate Church presently rents space from PACT Charter School in Ramsey, though we are breaking ground on our facility at the end of March, 2013. We plan to occupy our building by Thanksgiving of this year.

In the meantime, we are faithfully serving this community with everything we’ve got. Every week we meet multiple visiting families—both churched and unchurched. Many persons are making first-time commitments to Christ (180 in the last year!) Last Sunday there were four. And, we have a hard-working, team-driven staff of about a dozen people, including four pastors.

Northgate functions as a somewhat independent “Lutheran” church with three different affiliations, including the ARC. Our interest in the ARC is primarily about relationship and DNA. We appreciate the culture of the ARC, especially in regard to the things of the Spirit, and the relationship formed with different, like-minded churches, leaders, and institutions.”

Thanks for the introduction, Steve, and welcome aboard the ARC, Northgate!

The ARC Welcomes Jude McClure

2013-03-06T06:38:00.000-08:00

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The Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) is happy to welcome Jude McClure to membership in the ARC. Jude, son of ARC leader Kevin McClure, is currently a student at The Master’s Institute Seminary. His wife Heidi served as ARC Administrator prior to the birth of their daughter, Elliana, this past year.

Jude has been in ministry for 3 years as a youth pastor, missionary, and evangelist. He rededicated his life to Christ 6 years ago after being miraculously healed from a serious drug addiction. Jude writes: “God has redeemed my life from a pit and crowned me with love and compassion. My wife and I feel a call to the nations in our future. In the meantime, I am attending the Masters Institute Seminary, working towards receiving wholeness, education, and ministry training. The heart for my ministry is simple: to pursue God’s heart, shape my life in a response to His love, and share that love with anyone open to receiving. I feel God is calling my wife and I to invade the darkness and resurrect the next generation to take the mantle that is waiting for them. I felt led to join the ARC because I believe it is God’s passage that will open the way to our calling in ministry.”

Welcome to the ARC, Jude!

The ARC Welcomes Lydia House

2012-05-14T04:41:00.002-07:00

We are excited to welcome Lydia House Church into membership with the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Lydia House is a new church plant in St. Paul, MN, meeting in the home of Paul and Karen Anderson. Lydia House is one of four new church plants who are intending to join the ARC, along with new church plants in Tampa, Florida; Frisco, Texas; and Tempe, Arizona.

Paul Anderson (pictured left) writes, “We joined the ARC because these are the people we know, trust and want to run with. It made sense to us to connect with our friends. We believe at Lydia House that we know far more than what we are doing. So our messages have a strong applicational bent. We would rather have a sharing time about what God is saying to us and what we are going to do about it than have a teaching that we may or may not apply. The last few Sundays we have been sharing our dreams, interspersed with teaching, then praying for the person sharing. It is exciting to hear what God has put in the hearts of our friends. We will make a master-list of the dreams so we can pray for one another and encourage each other to take risks and keep on believing. I have shared with our Lydia House family that between the promise and the Promised Land of our God-appointed destiny is the desert, where we must continue to believe in what God has given to us despite the circumstances. When people are walking into their hand-crafted destinies, as we see people doing, size is not an issue. A church of twenty people with only half of them fulfilling their divine purpose is a strong church. Welcome to Lydia House!”

Welcome, Lydia House, to the ARC!

The ARC Welcomes Nathan Hoff

2011-09-01T03:39:00.000-07:00

We are excited to welcome Nathan Hoff to the Alliance of Renewal Churches. Nathan is senior pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in San Pedro, CA and a member of the Board of Directors for Lutheran Renewal.

Nathan writes, “The Lord has been teaching me that thanksgiving is a fruit of true humility. Thanksgiving also severs the entitlement nerve that runs so strongly in me. ‘Thank you’ says ‘you have given me something that I didn't necessarily deserve.’ So I'm thankful! Thankful to introduce myself to a network that looks good on paper, but better in person. I'm thankful for good leadership in the ARC from the beginning days to today.

I'm thankful for my wife of 15 years, Joy (again much more than I deserve). She and I are grateful to parent 4 kids (Christian, Annika, Samuel, and Peter). I am thankful to serve as pastor at Trinity Lutheran in San Pedro, California. We have been at Trinity for 6 years. Trinity is giving thanks to God for 90 years of His faithfulness this fall. We are grateful for our past, and all that God is up to in the present, but also that He is leading us into a hopeful future here in the Harbor area of Los Angeles.

I thankful to join the ARC because I realized that ARC folks are the folks that I love to be with, minister with, and call when I'm in a bind and need prayer, support, or guidance. I love that the ARC values relationship.”

ARC members, you can meet Nathan at the ARC Midwest Gathering in St. Paul, MN on Oct 26-28. Welcome to the ARC, Nathan!

The ARC Welcomes Corey Paxton

2011-08-31T04:48:00.000-07:00

We are excited to welcome Corey Paxton to membership in the Alliance of Renewal Churches. Corey lives in Roanoke, VA with his wife Danielle and three little girls-- Hannah, Shilloah, and Norah-- serving as the Youth and Young Adult Minister of St. John Lutheran Church (LCMC). Corey also created and directs “Epic: Experiencing Passion in Christ”: a week of mission, discipleship, and adventure for teenagers in the Roanoke Valley. Before coming to the Lutheran Church, Corey served on Young Life staff and then as volunteer staff with Mosaic in Los Angeles while earning a dual master’s degree in Theology and Cross Cultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is currently finishing his MDIV with the Master’s Institute Seminary and is excited to join the ARC to connect with a band of brothers and sisters passionate about Jesus and His mission in the world.

Please add Corey to your prayer list, and you can look forward to meeting him at the ARC Midwest Gathering in St. Paul, MN on Oct 26-28. Welcome to the ARC, Corey!

The ARC Welcomes Dawn Lundgren

2011-03-02T06:04:00.001-08:00

We are excited to welcome Rev. Dawn Lundgren as the newest member of the ARC! Dawn is pastor of Cornerstone Church in Walker, MN, founder of Sundawn Ministries, and a graduate of The Master’s Institute Seminary. She and her husband Ed, will be married 53 years this July and have five grown children, nine grandchildren & four great-grandchildren. Wow! Talk about being fruitful and multiplying.

Following a devastating diagnosis of the onset of early Alzheimer’s Disease in 1983, Dawn retired to their home and began searching for God’s will in her life through His Word. In 1984 she experienced a “Damascus Road” encounter with the Living Lord, was touched, healed and commissioned on a path that eventually lead to an International ministry in 17 countries, plus conferences, seminars and worship services in many churches in the U.S.

In 2008 the Lord called her to become the pastor of a small, struggling church in northern Minnesota. With the support, love and prayers of many ministry friends and leaders, the church is growing, thriving and recently purchased the building they have been renting! Dawn writes: “I have chosen to become a contributing member of ARC partially because of my deep respect for the founders and leaders of this organization. After attending the 2010 Conference in St. Paul, and observing the number of passionate men and women of like minds and hearts, I was strongly moved to become a contributing part of this lively, inspiring and dedicated group of followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Welcome to the ARC, Dawn. We are excited to add you to our growing number in this band of brothers and sisters who want to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight.

The ARC Welcomes Ryan Kowlessar

2011-01-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

We are excited to welcome Ryan Kowlessar to membership in the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Ryan is serving as Campus Pastor and Mission Developer in Hastings, MN for Community of Hope Lutheran Church (CoH). Ryan came on board officially as staff in the Spring of 2010 but has been part of the CoH faith community since its early stages. A graduate of The Master's Institute Seminary, Ryan didn't know he would enter into the realm of church planting until half way through the program. That particular call was later affirmed after meeting his wife Renée, a Luther Seminary graduate, during his second year at an LCMC conference where they both were sitting in on a church-planting seminar. They now live in Hastings where they plan to develop the second campus for CoH and are expecting their first child in the Spring of 2011. They both enjoy camping and the outdoors together. Ryan has been known to say that if he was not in church work, he would be aspiring to be the next Survivorman. Ryan is enthused to be part of The ARC and its ministry. He hopes to develop life-long friends and partnerships in Kingdom Ministry. Ryan hopes to add to the conversation of church planting and mission developing within The ARC and would love to see ARC plants in the near future.

The ARC Welcomes Brendon and Shanna Fairley

2011-01-07T10:19:00.000-08:00

We are excited to welcome Brendon and Shanna Fairley to the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Brendon is the director of youth ministries at Penasquitos Lutheran Church (PLC) in San Diego, CA. A self-described third generation PK (pastor’s kid), Brendon received his BA in Biblical Studies from Eastern University, began studies toward his MDiv at Fuller Seminary and is completing his MDiv through The Master’s Institute Seminary as part of their distance-learning program. Shanna is a second grade teacher at a Christian school in central San Diego.

Brendon writes: “Hi all! My name is Brendon Fairley and I am the director of youth ministries at Penasquitos Lutheran Church (PLC) in San Diego. I have served at PLC for the past three and a half years and it has been a wonderful ride. God is doing amazing things amongst our youth. It has been my call to help equip our students for life in Christ, moving them beyond the decision to accept Him as Lord and Savior and into an intimate relationship with Him. Both Shanna and I have been extremely blessed by our time with the ARC and the powerful things God has been doing. It is our desire to continue to participate with what God is doing and what He wants to do in and through the people of the ARC. We are excited to play our role in this wonderful ministry.”

Welcome to the ARC, Brendon and Shanna!

The ARC Welcomes Communitas!

2010-12-03T09:27:00.000-08:00

We are excited to welcome Communitas to the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) network. Communitas is a young adult community, which began five years ago. Started by a group of young adults, this community meets in the home of Paul and Karen Anderson (Paul is the founder of the ARC and Director for Lutheran Renewal). At first the group met every three weeks, then every other week, and now meets every week. From the start Paul and Karen wanted to give away ministry more than doing it, so they said to the young adults, “Whatever we do you can do. You have what it takes.” Paul and Karen believed in them—and we have been doing the ministry ever since.

The young adults lead the meetings, do most of the teaching, and do the ministry. A leadership team of eight guys and gals give oversight; and an action team of twelve help with service and ministry opportunities. Communitas loves having retreats at North Heights or at the Ranch (Paul & Karen’s home). They also have a prayer meeting on Monday morning, outreaches from time to time on Friday night, and many other social and ministry events. Teams often travel with Paul & Karen to do ministry stateside and abroad.

Communitas has missionaries serving in the Twin Cities as well as in other lands, including Thailand, Tanzania and India. Many serve in ministry positions here and around the country. The vision is to raise up and release young adults into their destiny in Christ.

Paul writes, “We have enjoyed having ARC leaders speak at Communitas, including Mike Bradley, Kevin McClure, Mark Herringshaw, Robert Walter, Fred Thoni, & Dave Housholder. ARC leaders and pastors are clearly friends of Communitas, and we were friends of the ARC even before we joined. Now we are not jus friends—we are family. Our participation at ARC Gatherings has shown us that we are certainly the same DNA. We appreciate the vision and direction of the ARC and thank the leadership for including us.”

Welcome to the ARC, Communitas!

The ARC Welcomes Bob Rognlien!

2010-11-22T08:52:00.001-08:00

We are excited to welcome Bob Rognlien to the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Bob lives in Torrance, CA (outside of Los Angeles) with his wife of nearly 25 years, Pam. They have two sons, Bobby and Luke, both of whom are currently in college. Bob writes, “Jesus is the foundation of my life and my family is at the center of what the Spirit is building on that foundation. I serve as Lead Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, a dynamic life-changing community of multiplying disciples who are on mission together for the sake of God’s Kingdom.”

In addition to his local ministry, God has called Bob to a wider ministry of writing, speaking, and training leaders. He has published two books on Experiential Worship, spoken extensively at ministry conferences around the world, and now work with Mike Breen and 3D Ministries as the West Coast Director of Transformation Communities. Bob’s focus is training church leaders to develop a discipling culture where they can empower others to form missional communities that bring the Kingdom to the world. He is currently writing a book on living as empowered missional disciples, which is titled “A Jesus Shaped Life.”

Bob says, “I decided to join the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) as an expression of my commitment to seek the power and direction of the Holy Spirit in all I do and to recognize the many relational connections I already have with members of the ARC. I believe and have experienced that nothing I can do for God will ultimately matter unless it is done in submission to the power and presence of his Spirit. I look forward to sharing the joy of ministry with members of the ARC, receiving the many gifts this family has to strengthen me, and offering up the things God has put into my hands in the hope it will further the cause of Jesus’ Kingdom. To him be the glory and to us the joy!”

Welcome to the ARC, Bob and Pam!

The ARC Welcomes Julie Samuelson

2010-11-04T05:05:00.001-07:00

We are excited to welcome Pastor Julie Samuelson into membership in the Alliance of Renewal Churches. Julie is serving as the Youth and Young Adult Pastor at Lutheran Church of the Master (LCM) in Brooklyn Center, MN; a congregation whose lead pastor is Morris Vaagenes. Julie teaches confirmation, leads youth events and facilitates a young adult service called “Heart Core.” A recent graduate of The Master’s Institute (MI) Seminary, Julie and her husband Brad live in Pine City, MN and have two adult sons.

Julie writes: “ARC was my choice because I have seen the leaders in action. They are emotionally and spiritually whole people that lead with grace. They enjoy serving the God's kingdom by not taking themselves too seriously as they follow Jesus radically. ARC leaders are the ones I want to be encouraged, inspired and supported by. Thanks for welcoming me to the family!”

Welcome to the ARC, Julie. We’re excited to have you on board!

The ARC Welcomes Jon Anderson

2010-10-04T04:33:00.000-07:00

We are excited to welcome Jon Anderson as a new member of the ARC. Jon serves as pastor for Church of the Living Word in Hampton, Iowa. He and his wife, Chris, have been married for 23 years. They have three children, Joshua, 19; Rebekah, 17 and Noah, 13. Jon writes, “I am choosing to join the ARC because they are unashamed at their desperate reliance on the Holy Spirit, they put their money where their mouth is in regard to living out the gospel in practical matters of mission and ministry and I just plain like many of the guys that are already a part of the ARC.”

Church of the Living Word began on January 1, 2006 meeting in the local movie theater and enjoying the generosity of another local body of believers, using their facilities on Wednesday nights. In October of 2009, they purchased a 22K square foot facility on approximately 5 acres of land for $1 from the local school district. Since then God has been filling up the space with Bridge of Hope (a mission to single moms), a Christian pre-school that found itself homeless this fall and the alternative high school classroom for the public school. They have tried to focus on missions from the get-go, sending folks to Cambodia, Seirra Leone, Mississippi, Mexico, Botswanna, Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Togo.

Jon will be attending the Midwest ARC Gathering in October. Look to meet him there and get to know him. Welcome to the ARC, Jon!

The ARC Welcomes Ivan Sagal

2010-10-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

We are excited to welcome Ivan Sagal into the ARC. Ivan and his wife, Sandy, have three married daughters and four grandchildren, ages two through seven. They have shared an adventure following the Lord, which has included a variety of ministry opportunities.

They lived in a Christian community, Daystar Ministries, the first ten years of their marriage where they discipled new believers, helped the needy, which included people off the street and those in the occult. They also founded a non-denominational church in St Paul, MN, Lamb of God. Ivan and Sandy were part of Youth With a Mission, YWAM, staff two separate times. The first was in the middle to the late 1980's near Chetek, Wisconsin where they helped develop a 10-week Summer of Service outreach to Israel. The second time was from 1997 to 2008. They staffed a Leadership Training School in Trinidad, Colorado under Floyd McClung, and both taught and led YWAM Schools of Intercession, Worship, and Spiritual Warfare in the USA, Canada, and Norway. Both Sandy and Ivan have been on the International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem, board and Bridges for Peace board. In the late 1980's they planted a church in Hilliard, Ohio under Pastor Bob Swanger, Sr and also served on staff of the International Leadership Training Institute founded by Dr. Bob Heil.

Ivan writes, “I have been in approximately twenty-five nations helping build churches, teaching seminars for pastors, leading conferences on intercession, serving in prophetic ministry, and specific prayer assignments.
I am looking forward to fellowship with other members of the ARC as well as returning to my roots. It will be a joy for me to use my past experiences to serve in whatever capacity God leads in spreading the gospel. Sandy and I look forward to getting to know you and being part of this expression of the body of Christ.”

Welcome to the ARC, Ivan!

The ARC Welcomes Joy and Richard Frenette!

2010-09-20T06:20:00.001-07:00

We are excited to welcome Joy and Richard Frenette into membership in the ARC. Joy and Richard are from Kenora, Ontario, Canada. Joy graduated from The Master’s Institute (MI)Seminary in May of this year and Richard is a graduate of MI’s School of Ministry. They moved down to St. Paul for the three years of schooling and have now moved back home to Kenora where they are excitedly awaiting a call. Joy’s passion is to see that all people would be walking in the fullness of the freedom that Christ has made possible for us. Richard is especially drawn toward Men’s Ministry and Outreach Ministry.

Richard and Joy have chosen to join ARC because of its character and standards. Joy writes, “Being part of ARC also allows for and invites genuine caring relationships that provide encouragement, support, advice and ideas, and accountability, all of which both of us hold in high regard. We appreciate the networking connections that are possible with ARC, both those that have already been made and those yet to come. We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with ARC and its membership.”

Joy and Richard join fellow Canadians, Ted Hill and Glen Carlson as recent additions to membership in the ARC.

Welcome to the ARC, Joy and Richard!

House of Praise Joins the ARC

2010-08-30T07:35:00.001-07:00

We are excited to announce that House of Praise Church in Blaine, MN has joined the ARC. Pastor Steve Gaustad, an alumnus of The Master’s Institute Seminary writes: “At House of Praise we believe the Lord has called us to be a place where people can experience the love of the Father in a real way. Our hope is that each person will encounter the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit in a life changing tangible way. House of Praise desires to be a place where together, we can safely step into the fullness of all God has for each us. We're simple in the sense that it's really all about Him. Our earnest desire is to be a house of praise, a house of healing and a house of harvest that people can truly call home. We chose to join the ARC because we want to be a safe place for the dangerous kind.”

House of Praise is a small gathering of believers who will have a big influence in the ARC and for the Kingdom of God. Steve Gaustad has a passion to help others experience the realities of God’s Kingdom here and now, and he and his congregation are very blessed to now be part of the ARC. As Director of the ARC, I have no doubt they in turn will be a blessing to us. Steve, along with Brian Carroll and Tim Husnik, elders for House of Praise, are pictured in the photo with this article. Welcome to the ARC House of Praise!

The ARC Welcomes Glen Carlson

2010-08-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce that Glen Carlson has joined the Alliance of Renewal Churches. Glen is pictured in the middle with friends Joe Johnson (left) and Mike Bradley (right) at the Southwest ARC Gathering. Glen is a long-time friend to many of us in the ARC. He was a pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Stony Plain, Alberta for 37 years and the leader for Lutheran Renewal – Canada

In 2002 Glen left full time congregational ministry to become a consultant in Churches in Western Canada and in Southern California, assisting David Householder over a three year period. In 2006, he accepted the contract to serve Emmaus Lutheran Church in Edmonton with the specific purpose of equipping people for ministry. As a result of this the congregation has opened a center for the homeless, helping people to believe in themselves, believe in Jesus, and raise their level of expectancy.

Glen writes, “Since 2002 my passion is to listen to Jesus through the Scriptures. This has let me to write books with the overall theme of listening to Jesus. These books are of a devotional nature that helps one to listen to the heart of Jesus. Books I have written so far are: LISTENING ( a devotional guide for the whole year); REFLECTIONS ON PSALM 23 (Looking at milestones in one’s life; PLANTING FEET (Listening to Jesus through the catechism); THE BOOK OF HEBREWS (Listening to Jesus as Prophet, Priest, King.); KINGDOM FOCUS (focus for the church in the new apostolic age.); COLOSSIANS (Bible Study on Listening to Jesus in Colossians).”

Glen is joining the ARC because of the kindred spirit he shares with us. Welcome, Glen, we’re glad to have you in the ARC.

The ARC Welcomes Ted Hill

2010-07-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

The Alliance of Renewal Churches is happy to welcome Ted Hill from Alberta, Canada as a new member. Ted writes the following:

“My name is Ted, and I am hopelessly addicted to pastoring. I tried to get away from it various times in the last 20 years, but the grip is too strong! The pastoral talons got even more intense when I experienced renewal in the mid '90's and now I have been in full time ministry for almost 15 years.

All kidding aside - I find pastoral ministry a very difficult part of my life and also an intense joy. I serve in a small country parish in rural Alberta [I mean rural - the nearest town in is 30 minutes away]. I have been here for over 8 years and I love the people that I serve. When I first realized that I needed to be connected to the ARC I was in a Lutheran Renewal Canada meeting and Mike Bradley was speaking to us and encouraging us. He was sharing about Forgotten Ones and instantly I resonated with the ARC. Isaiah 58 has been a focal chapter of my life and ministry in the past few years and I really believe that the outflow of renewal experience is just that - outflow; outflow to the lost, the broken, the discarded, the forgotten. When I read, in the mission of the ARC, that quote from Bruce Cockburn's Lover's in a Dangerous, ‘you've got to kick at the darkness until it bleeds daylight’ I knew I had found a network that speaks my language. As I have connected with the ARC I have seen a humility, an intensity and a freedom that is vibrant and filled with substance. I need to be a part of a body of believers and leaders and followers of Jesus that have teeth to their faith. So I am delighted to be part of the ARC and am excited about what the future holds for my family, my parish and this grand connection to ARC!”

Welcome to the ARC, Ted!

The ARC Welcomes Sharon Franta

2010-06-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Sharon Franta is an adventurous follower of Jesus who believes in the transforming power of the Holy Spirit through the fellowship of believers.

In 2002, she answered the Lord’s call to work at The Master’s Institute in St. Paul, MN and has been on a voyage with God ever since. A recent graduate of The Master’s Institute Seminary (’10), she is currently serving as Director for the School of Ministry; a one-year course designed to equip disciples and discover destinies. She longs to see the church strengthened, empowered and mobilized.

She and her husband Scott live in Roseville, MN and have 4 children. Much of her down time is spent her family, on the golf course or curled up with a good book.

“Joining the ARC is like coming home. I find it’s a place where the transforming power of the Holy Spirit is not only embraced, but expected. The ARC’s desire to be a genuine, united fellowship where you are encouraged and supported to be all that God has called you to be fits well with a vision to see the church strengthened. Through this, we will see God’s army take the ground that has been promised.”

THE ARC WELCOMES JOEL AND MARISSA BIDDERMAN

2009-12-14T20:43:00.001-08:00

Joel & Marissa Bidderman are missionaries who are passionate about prayer, worship, and social justice. Having been staff members at the International House of Prayer in Atlanta for 3 years, in 2008 they answered the Lord's call to work with White Mountain Apache teens in northeastern Arizona.

Joel is a worship leader, as well as an artist/singer/songwriter (www.joelbidderman.com), and Marissa is a talented vocalist. Joel and Marissa are currently serving on staff with Apache Youth Ministries where Joel is the Media Director for the ministry's Little Bluebird Studios (an economic development program), and Marissa is the bookkeeper and Director of Discipleship.

Joel and Marissa chose to join the ARC because they feel yoked with the ARC and its leaders in its values and beliefs, and they are excited to be connected as missionaries to an association of churches such as the ARC.

Visit Joel and Marissa's personal ministry website at: www.thirdfloorministries.org

Welcome to the ARC, Joel and Marissa!