https://news.ag.org/rssThe official news source of the Assemblies of Goden{1687DCC8-57ED-4A5A-AFC2-D03F81FDB71D}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Police-Chaplain-Offers-a-Ministry-of-Presence-to-Officers<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Kevin-Kappler-1400.jpg" alt="" />Chaplain Kevin Kappler makes an impact for God by simply being available to police officers who otherwise may struggle in silence from the loss of life and atrocities they have witnessed.Wed, 01 Nov 2023 13:00:00 Z<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chaplaincy.ag.org" target="_blank">U.S. missionary chaplain</a> Kevin Kappler had just finished speaking at a church when a man approached him. Kappler, whose primary ministry focuses on law enforcement officers, had spoken about the unseen struggles that officers face daily. <br /> <br /> The man who approached Kappler revealed, “I am a police officer. We have had five homicides in the past few weeks, and I cannot stop thinking about it. I cannot handle it all.” In that moment, Kappler shared the gospel and plan of salvation with the officer, who accepted Christ on the spot.<br /> <br /> Kappler reassured him, “You are not meant to deal with these things alone. That is what Jesus is for.” <br /> <br /> <strong>NEW MINISTRY</strong><br /> <br /> Before becoming a fully commissioned U.S. missionary serving with Chaplaincy Ministries, Kappler engaged in chaplaincy from a pastoral perspective. He originally became acquainted with chaplaincy while living in Indiana and searching for a way to connect more with his community.<br /> <br /> Eventually, Kappler and his wife, Sharon, moved to Farmington, Missouri, where he spent the next several years pastoring New Life Church. Remembering that his time with chaplaincy allowed him to see what was happening in the community, he got involved with chaplaincy locally whenever possible.<br /> <br /> Kappler felt called to take the next step while listening to a U.S. missionary speak at a Rural Compassion conference. While he remained a pastor, Kappler connected more with local law enforcement and Emergency Medical Services. These connections led him to look into becoming a full-time missionary. <br /> <br /> “I got to the place where I recognized the huge need for chaplains, for a ministry of presence to our law enforcement,” Kappler says. “I began wondering what could be accomplished if I committed to this full time.” <br /> <br /> Still, Kappler was hesitant. He was in his 50s, and the idea of undergoing a major career change presented many new challenges.<br /> <br /> Though he did not feel prepared, Kappler wanted to educate himself about the ins and outs of law enforcement. He enrolled in a law enforcement academy at age 52. <br /> <br /> “The academy was my way of understanding the language and training of law enforcement,” says Kappler. “It was an extremely uncomfortable two semesters.” <br /> <br /> Through his time at the academy, Kappler was still pastoring, but he felt God leading him to engage in chaplaincy full time. He graduated with an associate degree in criminal justice in 2020 and became a fully commissioned U.S. missionary the next year.<br /> <br /> Now, Kappler serves the Farmington City Police, St. Francois County Ambulance District, Missouri State Highway Patrol, and Park Rangers Eastern Region. <br /> <br /> He travels across the country when he is not ministering to local law enforcement, educating others on the need for law enforcement chaplaincy and speaking with men and women who are involved in chaplaincy themselves. <br /> <br /> “The goal I have in my ministry is to recruit and equip other chaplains with practical things I have learned,” he says.<br /> <br /> In addition to his work with chaplaincy, Kappler also makes music and recently signed his first recording contract. “Just like chaplaincy, my music is a piece of who I am. The two complement each other,” he says.<br /> <br /> <strong>NEW PERSPECTIVES</strong><br /> <br /> After 10 years as a chaplain, every experience gives Kappler a fresh perspective on the life of a police officer, and he is even more aware that people are not used to experiencing the level of tragedy police experience on a consistent basis.<br /> <br /> One morning, around 1:30, Kappler got a call that two officers had been shot, one fatally. While he was not dispatched for this tragedy, he realized that the officer who had passed was extremely young and his coworkers were upset, with two of them being Kappler’s fellow academy students. He spent the next few days reaching out to officers and friends who knew the young man, visiting, praying with, and comforting them. <br /> <br /> “No one, not even police officers, should have to experience these kinds of things,” Kappler says.<br /> <strong><br /> NEW RESILIENCY</strong><br /> <br /> Between being exposed to tragedies on a regular basis and dealing with officers who, while dealing with tragedies themselves, may be hesitant to speak about their experiences, Kappler asks for prayer for mental and emotional resilience. <br /> <br /> “In May, we had a call of a 1-year-old lying face down in a bathtub. After arriving on the scene, I spent time attempting to console two parents who were utterly beside themselves,” Kappler sighs. “I do not know how others deal with these types of situations without Christ.” <br /> <br /> While he regularly implements devotional time filled with prayer and Bible reading, Kappler also requests prayer for a refreshing of his spirit. <br /> <br /> “When you are in the fire, it is easier to get burned,” he says. “I do not want to burn out.”<br /> <strong><br /> NEW STRUGGLES</strong><br /> <br /> While law enforcement officers are generally perceived as physically and mentally tough and resilient, this often translates into officers keeping their issues inside. According to a study by the National Library of Medicine, law enforcement workers in the United States are 69% more likely to die by suicide than civilians. Police officers also lead in the risk of alcoholism and divorce.<br /> <br /> Officers working in law enforcement can deal with graphic, gruesome, or emotionally taxing incidents multiple times in a single shift. Then they are often expected to leave work and live a normal life. <br /> <br /> Kappler explains that officers often do not talk about the issues they are facing with their families, but with other officers. “Many of the conversations they have would not be considered normal outside of the law enforcement culture,” he says.<br /> <br /> Kappler hopes to educate communities on the issues law enforcement faces. One of the most common things he hears after he speaks at churches or to groups is, “We knew the police dealt with things, but we did not realize it was that bad.”<br /> <br /> “The hardest part of being a police chaplain is having to see really rough stuff — suicides, bullets in heads, talking to parents whose children just passed away in traumatic ways … it is extremely hard,” says Kappler. “Law enforcement officers have the potential of dealing with that stuff every day.”<br /> <strong><br /> NEW PRESENCE</strong><br /> <br /> Kappler believes that one of the best things he can do is get into an officer’s car. These moments, no matter how mundane they may seem, allow him to build a relationship with the officers. For Kappler, this does not mean taking every moment of silence as an opportunity to “shove Jesus down their throat,” but to show His love through action. <br /> <br /> Kappler describes his mission as having a ministry of presence. <br /> <br /> “I constantly let them know that I am praying for them and attempt to be visible through their day-to-day lives. I want them to know I am there to support them in any way I can,” he says.<br /> <br /> It is through these casual conversations, prayer, and support that officers become more comfortable and begin trusting Kappler. <br /> <br /> “If I have built a relationship with an officer, they will be more apt to have a serious conversation with me when there is a critical incident,” he explains. <br /> <br /> Because of his ability to build relationships, Kappler has seen multiple officers accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior and has been able to disciple them as new believers. <br /> <br /> When Kappler sees officers surrender to Christ, when they invite him to be part of their day-to-day life, and when he is able to give people a sense of peace for even a second, “that’s when I know the Holy Spirit is working,” he says.<br /> <strong><br /> THE FUTURE </strong><br /> <br /> Kappler hopes to continue building relationships with those working as police chaplains, providing emotional and practical support and coverage through the creation of a local chaplaincy network. Eventually, he would like to help other counties institute similar practices as well.<br /> <br /> Kappler summarizes his love for chaplaincy simply: “I love serving those who serve.”{BFB44736-CA5B-463D-9C79-C216FEDBE98B}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/11/Wyoming-Church-Loves-Former-Pastor-Back-to-Health<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Wyoming1400-x-875.jpg" alt="" />In a community familiar with church division, Douglas Assembly devoted itself to unity and brought healing to its beloved former pastor and his family in one of their darkest times. Wed, 01 Nov 2023 08:30:00 Z<p>In 2019, when Pastor Richard P. Cullen, 46, found out his wife was having an affair with another staff member, the lives of him and his family were instantly turned upside down.<br /> <br /> The father still had all five of his children living at home when his wife left. His eldest daughter, who had just completed her junior year of high school, had gone to intern at a Teen Challenge facility when the news came to light. She immediately returned home to help care for her younger siblings.<br /> <br /> Also affected were Cullen’s congregants, the people of <a href="http://www.douglasassemblyofgod.com/">Douglas First Assembly</a> in Douglas, Wyoming.<br /> <br /> “My previous wife was very well-loved by the congregation,” he says. “Everybody was shocked.”<br /> <br /> The growing church was in the middle of purchasing a new facility when the affair was found out. Plans were halted so the community could deal with the fallout of this development.<br /> <br /> Brian A. Rossignol, 38, who had been the church’s youth pastor years earlier, was attending the church as a regular congregant when these events took place. Upon hearing the news, Rossignol says his immediate reaction was “to make sure Pastor Rich was OK and to make sure his kids were OK.”<br /> <br /> Rossignol adds that he and others were hopeful that the two would be able to stay together and heal.<br /> <br /> Though the couple briefly stayed the subsequent divorce proceedings, Cullen’s then-wife eventually decided to go through with them.<br /> <br /> “I just held them close,” Cullen says of his family. “Every morning, worship and the word kept me stable.”<br /> <br /> The pastor realized that he and his family needed time and space to process their grief, so he made the difficult decision to step down from his position as the senior pastor at Douglas First Assembly.<br /> <br /> “One of the things that really blessed me was having Brian near,” Cullen recalls. “He was just a real encouragement to me during that time.”<br /> <br /> Rossignol had been the youth pastor of the Douglas church in 2010, before Cullen was the senior pastor. A year and a half later, when the then-lead pastor transitioned to a different church, Cullen took over. <br /> <br /> Then, in 2014, Rossignol transitioned to a different pastoral job in another town. Years later, after a difficult ministry season, Rossignol felt drawn back to Douglas for a time of healing. <br /> <br /> “Douglas was the only place I felt safe,” he explains. “I knew Pastor Rich, and he was a person I really trusted.”<br /> <br /> Rossignol had originally planned on attending the church for a limited time before returning to pastoral ministry, but when word reached him about the affair, he knew he needed to stick around for support. On the very night that Cullen called to deliver the sad news, Rossignol had been planning to call the pastor to let him know that he was ready to transition back into ministry.<br /> <br /> “When I saw Pastor Rich calling, I thought, ‘Alright, good, we’re going to have this conversation tonight because I’m kind of eager,’” he remembers. “It wasn’t in my mind that I might pastor the church until Pastor Rich later told me he was going to resign.”<br /> <br /> When Rossignol was asked by the district presbyters whether he would be willing to lead the church, he says he just knew in his heart that “the answer was yes.”<br /> <br /> “I wouldn’t say that I heard a distinct thing from God,” he says. “But I knew this was why we were here. This was why I had transitioned out of my previous position.”<br /> <br /> After staying away from Douglas First for a time and attending other churches in the community to allow Rossignol time to establish his leadership within the congregation, Cullen eventually returned.<br /> <br /> Rossignol knew that the church operated in a spirit of unity and were good at loving people back to health, just like Jesus, so he asked Cullen to stay with his church family. <br /> <br /> “It was really at that point that I felt like my family began to heal,” he remembers.</p> <p>Since then, Cullen has been volunteering with the church while working in an oil field during the week. His eldest daughter, who is now married and has a child, is planning on pursuing credentialing with the Assemblies of God. <br /> <br /> His second-eldest daughter is also married, and she and her husband are active in their church’s worship team. His middle daughter is attending <a href="https://trinitybiblecollege.edu/">Trinity Bible College</a>, and his two sons are still in school and very involved in the church’s youth group.<br /> <br /> In the years since Rossignol became the senior pastor of the Douglas congregation, he’s gotten the opportunity to help head up a community outreach event with a service they and ten other local churches conduct in a nearby park.<br /> <br /> “Pastor Rich really created the foundation for a lot of the unity that we had because he had connected with some of the churches and some of these pastors,” Rossignol says. <br /> <br /> The unity, both within the community and within the church, for which Cullen laid the foundation has been the support God has used to carry him through his most difficult season and set him up for a return to ministry. <br /> <br /> Cullen preached at the large community event last year and expressed his thanks to all the churches that had supported his family through their darkest days.<br /> <br /> “I didn’t feel like I would ever preach again, to be honest,” he says. “At this point in my life, I really feel like God has brought me to a secure place.”<br /> <br /> “God has been good,” Cullen adds. “I just appreciate all that he was able to accomplish in a very difficult time.”</p>{A1E2155E-3F0D-4687-BAA7-347B9BF15EBD}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle-1400x875.jpg" alt="" />After an hour of spontaneous intercessory prayer for those facing a spirit of death, Fred Virtucio received a text confirming he had been used to stand in the gap on behalf of his own family. Tue, 31 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>Frederick Virtucio, 56, and his wife, Margie, 54, spent 23 years as entrepreneurs, building assisted living programs in and around Virginia Beach, Virginia. Although they served alongside Tessie Casaul, pastor of what is now<a href="https://www.freedomchurch757.com"> Freedom Church Assembly of God</a>, the Virtucios never desired to step out of the business world and serve in a pastoral role. <br /> <br /> However, after tragedy struck the Casauls, they felt a transition was best for their family. One evening, Casaul approached Virtucio about taking over as lead pastor upon their departure. <br /> <br /> “Since I had my master’s degree in hospital administration, I knew I needed to receive some training in seminary and theology,” says Virtucio. “So, I enrolled in a spiritual formation class at <a href="https://www.regent.edu">Regent University</a>.”<br /> <br /> While enrolled in the class, his professor prophesied over him, saying that he was a man who, like Nehemiah, would rebuild broken walls and repair gates that had been scorched. Still seeking confirmation from the Lord, Virtucio, who had kept the conversation about becoming senior pastor quiet from his wife until he had more clarity, decided it was time to seek the advice of his marital partner. <br /> <br /> “When I told her what door the Lord was opening, she simply replied that she didn’t know the journey but that she trusted me,” says Virtucio. <br /> <br /> That was all he needed to hear. From then on, he pursued his new future as a minister, and in January of 2018, two years after his original meeting with Casaul, the Virtucios officially became the senior pastors of Freedom Church. <br /> <br /> With a few years of ministry under his belt, Virtucio became part of the <a href="https://www.agfilam.org">Filipino American (Fil-Am) Assemblies of God Ethnic Fellowship</a>, which, according to Dennis Rivera, director of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ethnicrelations.ag.org//" target="_blank">Ethnic Relations</a>, has more than 90 affiliated churches nationwide. <br /> <br /> Soon after linking arms with this fellowship, he found himself serving as the national men’s director and serving as the <a href="https://www.potomacag.org">Potomac Ministry Network Circle Leader</a>. <br /> <br /> Although Virtucio had not foreseen what God had in store for him, nothing could have prepared him for the night of August 19, 2023. <br /> <br /> On this Saturday, Virtucio was attending the Fil-Am’s regional conference on the East Coast. His wife and three children had not accompanied him; they had stayed behind to help their youngest son move from his dorm. <br /> <br /> When the evening service started, there was a move of God during the praise and worship time, which led the guest speaker to call for a continuation of this segment, foregoing his teaching for the night. However, in the middle of the service, the speaker approached the stage and announced that he sensed a spirit of death was facing many in the room. <br /> <br /> He went on to declare that death would not be an option that night and fervently urged the group to begin to stand in the gap for people who were facing the end of their earthly journey. Virtucio began by lifting up his own family to the Lord. <br /> <br /> “While the prayers began flooding heaven, I saw a call come in from my wife,” says Virtucio. “I answered and immediately heard my daughter say, ‘Daddy, daddy, someone hit us.’” <br /> <br /> She began sending photos to his phone of the horrendous scene in which a vehicle had gone airborne and hit the passenger side of the car that was carrying his wife and two daughters. <br /> <br /> Stepping to the right of the stage, Virtucio began to process what had just happened and what a miracle it was that his family had sustained no serious injuries as a result of the wreck. He continued to review the images over and over again, shaking as he realized what could have been.<br /> <br /> “Then I noticed the time stamp on the photos my daughter sent,” he says. <br /> <br /> The accident had happened just as Virtucio was ending an hour of praying, interceding, and standing in the gap for his family in the face of death. When he spoke to his wife, she began describing the accident to him. <br /> <br /> “I looked out the front windshield and saw a car, mid-air, headed straight for us,” she reports. “Then, suddenly, it felt like the car began to dance; it moved and turned and the front tire somehow took the hit.” <br /> <br /> Hearing his wife recount the accident, Virtucio began to weep. He told his wife that he had been in a time of prayer against a spirit of death and had been dancing before the Lord at the exact moment the car supernaturally dodged out of harm’s way. <br /> <br /> “I cannot thank God enough for allowing me to be used to protect my family from over eight hours away,” says Virtucio. <br /> <br /> Rivera says that this testimony is a powerful example of being “sensitive to the Holy Spirit, even when it did not make sense at the time.” <br /> <br /> Angelo Austria, president of the Fil-Am National Assemblies of God states that one of the most compelling things demonstrated through this miracle is the power of prayer. “I am really proud of this Fil-Am region for being aware of what the Holy Spirit wanted to do and allowing Him to do His work.” <br /> <br /> This time-stamped miracle has been an encouragement to the Virtucios who firmly believe that “the will of God will not lead you to a place where His grace cannot sustain you.” </p> <p><em>LOWER PHOTO #2: Virtucio (circled) had stepped aside to view the accident photos sent to him by his daughter as this photo was being taken at the conference. </em></p> <p> <style> @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Calibri; panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:swiss; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073697537 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-font-kerning:1.0pt; mso-ligatures:standardcontextual;}span.EmailStyle15 {mso-style-type:personal; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-unhide:no; mso-ansi-font-size:11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; color:windowtext;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:12.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSectio </style> <div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle-2023/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle_Car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle-2023/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle_Car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle-2023/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle_Car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle-2023/A-Time-Stamped-Miracle_Car-4.jpg" title="4"/></div></div></p>{DFCD2258-EDC1-47F1-8A81-6237BBF2BF1E}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Remembering-the-Reformation<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Reformation.jpg" alt="" />Reformation month, observed in October, allows for a time of reflection on the blessings of the accessibility, availability, and authority of Scripture. Fri, 27 Oct 2023 08:30:00 ZFor many, October kicks off the parade of monthly holidays that lead into the end of each year. This month, we also celebrate the access, availability, and authority of God’s Word on Reformation Sunday. <br /> <br /> Specifically commemorated on the last Sunday in October, Reformation Sunday is a day set aside to remember the work of the Protestant Reformation. This includes the Reformation’s call to treat Scripture as our authority in faith and practice, and to make Scripture accessible and available to all people in their own language. <br /> <br /> “Scripture has always belonged to the Church, but the question was who got to interpret it,” says Allen Tennison, Theological Counsel for the <a href="https://ag.org/About/National-Office">National Office of the Assemblies of God</a>. <br /> <br /> Ruthie Oberg from the <a href="https://ifphc.org/">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Cente</a>r shared the importance of this often-overlooked day and its importance to the Protestant branch of Christianity. <br /> <br /> In the Medieval West, and for western Christianity, Scripture was only available in Latin which was no longer the first language of the common people. The people became increasingly dependent on church authorities to understand God’s word. <br /> <br /> Oberg explains that in the 1370s, an Oxford university teacher by the name of John Wycliffe started a project to translate the Bible into English, the language of the common people of England, his home country. <br /> <br /> Threatened by the loss of ecclesiastical and political power, church leaders and government officials began persecuting those who were learning and teaching Scripture in English. <br /> <br /> However, almost a century later in 1456, Johann Gutenberg printed the first book in Europe on a moveable-type printing press: the Bible. As popularity of the printing press grew, copies of the Bible became more available but language barriers continued to make accessibility a challenge. <br /> <br /> At the same time, certain church practices such as indulgences, guarantees for the remission of sins that could be bought or sold as penance, challenged the teaching of Scripture on salvation and grace. <br /> <br /> “Over 500 years ago,” she says in a special chapel service held at the General Council of the Assemblies of God, “a monk in Germany made a list of 95 arguments that would change the world’s culture, split the Roman Catholic church, and spark a reformation.” <br /> <br /> Fed up with the conflict between what he was reading in Scripture and the practices of the church, “Martin Luther challenged the Roman Catholic church to a discussion on the subjects of penance, the pope’s authority, and abuses in selling indulgences,” says Oberg. <br /> <br /> This challenge was written down in a document containing 95 theses and nailed to the door of his church with what she calls “the hammer heard around the world.” <br /> <br /> “The authority of Scripture had become intertwined with tradition,” Tennison says, “and the genius of the Reformation was the recognition of the authority of Scripture apart from the authority of tradition.” <br /> <br /> With Luther’s courage and the obedience of several other heroes of the faith, the protestant branch of Christianity was birthed. Luther would go on to translate the Bible into German, and many other Reformers would translate Scripture into the first languages of their communities. <br /> <br /> Today we commonly recognize the theological emphases of the Reformation by five “Solas (latin for “alone”):” “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture alone), “Sola Gratia” (grace alone),” “Sola Fide” (faith alone), “Solus Christus” (Christ alone), and “Solis Deo Gloria” (glory of God alone). <br /> <br /> The Protestant Reformation built a foundation for Western Christianity and attested to the authority of Scripture, sufficiency of God’s grace, justification by faith, salvation through Christ’s death and resurrection, and the glory of God as the point of all things. <br /> <br /> ‘“Sola Scriptura” did not mean that there was no longer a place for tradition,” according to Tennison, “as every branch of Protestantism would develop their own tradition. But the Protestant insistence on Scripture as the authority over tradition meant that scripture would remain the standard by which we could continue to question our traditions.”<br /> <br /> Oberg states that it is important to remember the Protestant Reformation because to ignore it is to risk raising a generation that is ignorant to the miraculous journey through which God has led His church, His children, and the Bible. <br /> <br /> Through Jesus, the gap between God and humanity has been bridged. God has always desired for His children to have access to Him and His revelation. God has continued to raise up people throughout church history to ensure that this access is understood and available. <br /> <br /> “There is a popular protestant saying that a church that is reformed is always reforming. This means that in a church built on the right theological foundations, individual members still need to be reformed in their hearts and minds. It can also mean that a church that has reformed with the right beliefs and practices still submits their tradition of faith and practice to the authority of Scripture as that tradition develops over time. In other words, you are always reforming,” remarks Tennison. <br /> <br /> As we remember the men and women who sacrificially obeyed God’s promptings, let us thank Him for His faithfulness to us, His children, and His desire to reveal Himself directly to us through His Spirit and the authority of His word.{6FE4CA7E-5967-46EE-BA5A-4F748BB8E9A4}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2018/10/This-Week-in-AG-History-Oct-24-1931<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/TW2023_CharlesPrice_1400.jpg" alt="" />Charles S. Price was a minister who attended a Pentecostal revival meeting in an attempt to reveal that what was taking place was a fraud, but he left convicted by, convinced of, and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.Thu, 26 Oct 2023 12:00:00 ZCharles S. Price (1887-1947), pastor of the theologically liberal First Congregational Church in Lodi, California, ventured into a Pentecostal revival service in 1921. His purpose was to expose the evangelist, Aimee Semple McPherson, as a fraud. He was so confident that he would achieve this mission that he even placed an advertisement in the local newspaper, promoting the title of his next sermon — “Divine Healing Bubble Explodes.”<br /> <br /> Some of Price’s church members had attended the revival services in San Jose and reported large numbers of conversions and miracles. He scoffed and replied, “I can explain it all. It is metaphysical, psychological, nothing tangible.” Price arrived at the revival with a pen and paper, ready to take notes. He had difficulty finding a seat, as the revival tent was packed with 6,000 people, but finally was seated in the section reserved for people with infirmities who desired healing.<br /> <br /> He was shocked to discover that the revival was being sponsored by William Keeney Towner, pastor of the prestigious First Baptist Church in Oakland. Price and Towner had been friends when Price had served as a pastor in Oakland. Towner came over to Price and told him, “Charlie, this is real. This little woman is right. This is the real gospel. I have been baptized with the Holy Ghost. It’s genuine, I tell you. It is what you need.”<br /> <br /> At the time, McPherson was an Assemblies of God evangelist. She later formed her own denomination, the International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. While Price expected McPherson’s sermon to be rife with fanaticism, he was surprised to discover that her message was thoroughly biblical and compelling. Hundreds responded to an invitation to go to the altar and accept Christ. He returned that evening and, although still skeptical, was seated on the platform with the other ministers. He quickly became a believer, however, once he began witnessing numerous healings, including a blind person regaining sight and a lame person being able to walk.<br /> <br /> When McPherson invited people to raise their hands if they wanted to accept Christ, Price raised his hand. A fellow minister leaned over and whispered, “Charlie, don’t you know she is calling for sinners?” Price responded, “I know who she is calling for.” He quickly went down to the altar, recommitted himself to Christ, and later would state that he left that tent “a new man.”<br /> <br /> Price continued to go back to the nightly revival meetings. He felt conviction about his pride and ambition and lack of integrity. After four nights praying at the altar, Price was baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues. Price shared his experience with his congregation, and soon 500 of his church members also were baptized in the Holy Spirit. The once-liberal congregation became a center for revival in the community and began holding evangelistic street meetings in nearby towns. Price ultimately became one of the best-known Pentecostal evangelists of the 20th century. While Price did not join a denomination, he regularly preached at Assemblies of God churches and district and national events. Price went from skeptic to believer because he witnessed the reality of God’s healing power.<br /> <br /> Charles S. Price preached a message, “Meet for the Master’s Use,” at the 1931 General Council of the Assemblies of God. Read his sermon on pages 2, 3, and 16 of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1930-1939/1931/1931_10_24.pdf#Page6">Oct. 24, 1931, issue</a> of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>.<br /> <br /> Also featured in this issue:<br /> <br /> • “Inspiration and Revelation,” by E.S. Williams<br /> <br /> • “How We Built a Church,” by Martha E. Thorkildson<br /> <br /> And many more!<br /> <br /> <a href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1930-1939/1931/1931_10_24.pdf#Page6">Click here to read this issue now</a>.<br /> <br /> <em>Pentecostal Evangel </em>archived editions courtesy of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://ifphc.org">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center</a>.{6CF008B1-878D-41E0-AD48-A36D4FEB79F0}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Investing-in-the-Community<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Investing-in-the-Community-1400x875.jpg" alt="" />Sharing the love of Jesus beyond the walls of the church, The Block Church is investing in the youth of Philadelphia to leave a biblical legacy. Tue, 24 Oct 2023 20:30:00 Z<p>Sharing the love of Jesus sometimes looks like a church service. Other times, it might look like a group of teenagers in a kitchen being taught to cook nutritious meals they can replicate at home; or families gathered around tables for a painting class; or excited neighborhood children enjoying a new playground. All those, and more, are happening in inner-city Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, thanks to <a href="https://theblockcares.org">The Block Cares</a>, the nonprofit affiliate of <a href="https://www.theblockchurch.org/">The Block Church</a>. <br /> <br /> The Block Church, headquartered in the Port Richmond area of Philadelphia, has been sharing the gospel message in Philadelphia neighborhoods since 2014 and celebrated their 9th anniversary in September. <br /> <br /> As the church has grown, now meeting in multiple locations, they have also looked for ways to serve one of the nation’s highest-need cities in practical ways. They especially focus on youth, who are significantly impacted by challenges of drugs, violence, and poverty in their neighborhoods. <br /> <br /> While a typical American might think of Philadelphia’s historic roots and connections to the Founders, Pastor Joey Furjanic knows another side, describing the city as having “more issues than you can count.” <br /> <br /> The city has one of the nation’s highest rates of deep poverty; and widespread unemployment, mental health issues, and epidemic substance abuse were all complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic. The original Block Church was planted in Port Richmond and near Kensington, a primarily low-income community with a variety of ethnic populations.<br /> <br /> The Covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for churches to become socially innovative, says Furjanic, and The Block Church’s team began asking themselves, “What else?” With several recovery ministries and food pantries already operating in Philadelphia, they felt God was directing The Block Church to specifically serve youth and children, while partnering with ministries already in place. <br /> <br /> “The pandemic really wronged kids, in so many ways,” Furjanic says. <br /> <br /> With the mission, “Empowering urban children and youth to experience a limitless future,” the church began taking youth outreach to the next level, focusing on community collaboration with other organizations, mentorship, and fostering creativity. The Block Cares was founded and launched as a separate nonprofit in 2021. <br /> <br /> “Each of the three main areas of focus is intentionally woven into everything we do,” says director Maria Little. <br /> <br /> To begin uplifting neighborhoods and becoming catalysts for change, one of the first tangible projects for The Block Cares was building a playground for William Steel Elementary in the Nicetown neighborhood. The intent was to create a place for kids to play and dream freely, something area kids haven’t had in 50 years. The year-long project was dedicated in August 2023, providing a safe and fun space that will be a legacy for years to come. <br /> <br /> “Things like this don’t often happen in this neighborhood, and it was so meaningful to have someone show up and do what they said that they would do,” says Little. <br /> <br /> The Block Cares currently mentors high school students at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School, located in a neighborhood notorious for being the largest open-air drug market on the East Coast. <br /> <br /> In addition to helping students develop cognitive, social, and emotional skills, the program helps instill a sense of ownership and value, serving as a preventative measure to keep youth off the streets and providing the stability needed to envision a future beyond their current circumstances. <br /> <br /> Maria Little shares the story of Jayden, a senior student who was failing and at risk of not graduating. His main way of communicating thoughts and feelings was through anger, but with mentorship, Jayden learned to communicate needs in healthy ways. <br /> <br /> “He was able to work with his teachers for support, improve his grades, graduate, and go on to college,” Little says. <br /> <br /> Another goal has been to provide space where youth can develop practical and artistic skills. Based on the belief that every person has unique creative potential, The Block Cares invests in existing creative programs as well as hosting their own. <br /> <br /> “A Night to Remember” in early 2023 brought families together for an evening with a painting instructor. A group of students spent summer, 2023, learning about health and nutrition and how to cook, as The Block Cares worked together with <a href="https://vetricommunity.org">Vetri Community Partnership</a>, a nonprofit founded by Philadelphia restauranteur Marc Vetri.</p> <p>A generous matching gift for Giving Tuesday 2022 enabled enhancements to the creative arts theatre at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts High School and provided a new after-school music production program.<br /> <br /> In addition to Little, current staff includes an administrative assistant and a director of development, along with 2 mentors who work for the church. Plans are in place to fund mentors working directly for the nonprofit because the program is proving so valuable. <br /> <br /> Furjanic participates in <a href="https://churchmultiplication.net/">Church Multiplication Network</a> as a host and speaker on the topic of church planting, where he explains that meeting needs is organic, and may develop differently than just starting to offer church services. <br /> <br /> “A good strategy for outreach includes starting to have services and see people coming to Christ,” he says, “but then asking, ‘Is there another step?’” <br /> <br /> While a separate nonprofit can be a good avenue for funding support, in case churches lose their nonprofit status, not every church needs to do one right away. Furjanic suggests researching what the city needs and what other people are doing to address those needs, and then seeking God’s will as to the church’s unique role. <br /> <br /> “We are truly blessed to be able to do what we do,” says Little. “Our desire is to create lasting change and leave a legacy for the youth and kids here in Philadelphia.”</p><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Investing-in-the-Community/Investing-in-the-Community_Car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Investing-in-the-Community/Investing-in-the-Community_Car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Investing-in-the-Community/Investing-in-the-Community_Car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{C17DB959-B8BA-438C-8648-4FA2657AD652}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/What-the-Lord-Giveth-this-Church-Gives-Away<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Journey-KY_1400.jpg" alt="" />Pastors Ryan and Tristan Franks of Journey Church in Brandenburg, Kentucky, allow God's blessings to flow through the church and into the community — and beyond — resulting in favor and growth.Tue, 24 Oct 2023 15:30:00 Z<p>“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Christ <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+20%3A35&version=NIV" target="_blank">said it </a>and pastors Ryan and Tristan Franks and the congregation of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.journeychurchag.org/" target="_blank">Journey Church</a> in Brandenburg, Kentucky, not only believe it — they live it. <br /> <br /> “The Lord told us, ‘If I give you something, I want you to give it away,” Ryan says. “So, that’s what we do. I honestly don’t know how God makes it work, but month after month the Lord continues to build the Kingdom through Journey Church.”<br /> <br /> Ryan explains that when they first arrived in 2016 to lead the small congregation — then about 50 people — the situation was grim . . . some might say impossible. But God had a plan. In the first four years, they were able to receive half a million dollars in renovations, establish a Christian school, pursue partnership with Adult and Teen Challenge to build a recovery center, hire staff, and implement church systems. <br /> <br /> <strong>OUTGIVING GOD?</strong><br /> <br /> As God has blessed Journey Church, the congregation has grown to over 450 on Sunday mornings. The impressive increase takes on an even greater significance when considering Brandenburg is a community of only about 13,000 people.<br /> <br /> In 2018, while experiencing growth and investing in improvements in the church, Journey Church committed to a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/Heading-on-a-Different-Journey" target="_blank">significant project</a> — helping launch a women’s <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.teenchallengeky.com/" target="_blank">Adult & Teen Challenge Center</a> in the community.<br /> <br /> “Since that time, we’ve donated $80,000 to the project,” Ryan explains. “Originally, we were going to partner with Kentucky Adult & Teen Challenge to build a home, but a large house that had been used as a restaurant, came up for sale. It can house 18 women plus three staff, it had a conference room, an industrial kitchen, and a number of other amenities — all turnkey ready.”<br /> <br /> Ryan says that since purchasing the building, a campus director has been hired and now they are searching for two live-in residential workers.<br /> <br /> “They’re interviewing women right now for those positions,” he says. “As soon as we find the right individuals, they’ll be ready to open the doors to the new center.” <br /> <br /> Three years ago, the church, against some heavy opposition, also funded the launch of a private Christian school in Brandenburg. Despite the initial opposition, the elementary school has flourished, has gained favor in the community, and now runs 85 students — again, a considerable number considering the community size.<br /> <br /> Then there are the meals. Each week the church partners with Feeding America to provide a meal for 130 families (more than 550 people) at the Brandenburg campus. <br /> <br /> And recently, the church held a soft launch on a Monday night for a second campus in Bardstown, Kentucky (about an hour’s drive east of the main campus). The former church had closed in 2022, and the new launch was scheduled in September with 45 people attending. And somewhat stunningly, that small church <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/TheHarvestFoodPantryOfBardstown" target="_blank">provides</a> 250 to 350 families (over 1,200 people) a week with groceries. <br /> <br /> “We have a volunteer team of 60 people from all over the community who assist us with the meals,” Ryan says. “We still have to raise funds for a lot of this as it’s a weekly expense — approaching 100,000 meals a year — but God is seeing us through as He continues to provide.”<br /> <br /> And as Ryan notes, in each one of these ministries, there are multiple opportunities to express God’s love and the gospel message through both word and deed.<br /> <br /> <strong>SCHOOL IMPACT</strong><br /> <br /> Biblical literacy is in <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/the-scandal-of-biblical-illiteracy-its-our-problem-1218766.html" target="_blank">sharp decline</a> nationwide. However Tristan Franks, academic dean for Journey Church’s <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067540699645" target="_blank">Meade County Christian school</a>, sees the school (which is finalizing the accreditation process) as a grass roots way to be a part of seeing that trend reversed.<br /> <br /> “Biblical literacy is absolutely a problem,” Tristan confirms. “But I also lead Journey Kids ministry, and the students here (the school) have a lot more biblical knowledge than the kids who just attend church once a week. They know the location of the books of the Bible (Old or New Testament), the main ideas and themes of the Bible, main characters — things we might call basic Bible knowledge — whereas many of the other kids do not.”<br /> <br /> Tristan adds that the increase in biblical literacy frequently impacts entire families as parents help their children study or kids talk about what they learned at school that day. The school also strongly encourages parental involvement with school activities and programs, where again families are often exposed to the Word of God.<br /> <br /> “In the world around us, many have gotten away from the family core unit,” Tristan says. “We encourage and work to enable family tribal units, where families — mom, dad, kids — eat dinner together, pray together, read the Bible together, serve together, and are working together as a unit. And we’re seeing that happen as parents are choosing to serve in ministry opportunities in the church, school, and community with their kids.”<br /> <br /> In addition to teaching core courses, Tristan says an important goal for the school is to help students not only have knowledge of what the Bible has to say, but to develop a relationship with God and His Word so they also become doers of the Word.<br /> <br /> “We have amazing teachers here,” she says. “Students develop a fantastic understanding of God’s Word because our teachers help them understand how the Bible is useful for everyday life. They discuss the different themes and explore how we should act and view things in light of what God’s Word has to say.”<br /> <br /> Currently the church is working on plans to invest more into the school by adding a wing for junior high students, with a high school facility to follow in the future.<br /> <br /> “We’re a missional school, where kids are actively involved in making a difference in lives of others around the world,” Tristan says. “And God is moving in a great way – kids are experiencing ‘ah-ha’ moments as they come to see God for who He really is, and as their relationship with God grows deeper, we’re seeing families grow more interested in God.”<br /> <br /> <strong>BARDSTOWN </strong><br /> <br /> The Assembly of God church in Bardstown had closed when the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.kyag.org/" target="_blank">Kentucky Ministry Network</a>, Journey Church, and pastors Jonathan and Kathy Watson came together to bring new life to the church.<br /> <br /> District officials asked Ryan, as an experienced church planter, to mentor the Watsons as they embarked on a new-to-them journey of church planting/revitalization in January.<br /> <br /> “We currently live about an hour away from Bardstown, but we wanted to get to know the community first,” Jonathan says. “So (taking a page from Journey Church), one of the first things we did was start a food pantry.”<br /> <br /> From the weekly pantry outreach, the Watsons formed a core group of about 45 people who they now meet with on Monday nights where the Watsons provide a meal, the gospel, and prepare the group to one-day-soon open the church for Sunday morning services. A number from the group also meet with the Watsons on Wednesday nights for Bible study.<br /> <br /> The pantry, as mentioned earlier, has been unexpectedly successful.<br /> <br /> “When we first started, my goal was to one day provide groceries for 100 families a week — people thought we would never reach that mark,” Jonathan says. “In just a few months (working with Feeding America and donations from local Dollar Generals), we were already feeding 100 families, which has since grown to 200 to as many as 350 families a week!”<br /> <br /> This effort, in a community of about 13,000, has not only helped spread the word about (and gained favor for) the new church coming to town — now known as <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/JourneyChurchBardstown" target="_blank">Journey Church – Bardstown</a> — it has brought local churches and others together on a weekly basis. Every week, Jonathan says, volunteers from as many as eight different denominational churches, businesses, and clubs come together to help distribute food through the pantry. <br /> <br /> Much like the Frankes and Journey Church in Brandenburg, the Watsons funnel whatever God places into their hands back into ministry. <br /> <br /> “Every week we wonder where the money is going to come from, and every week God provides,” Jonathan says. “These past nine months have been a whirlwind experience for us, but we’re humbled and privileged to be a part of it. We give God 100% of the glory and we’re excited to see what God has in store for us in the next nine months!”<br /> <br /> <strong>BLESSINGS</strong><br /> <br /> It’s of note that when talking about what God has been doing in and through their respective ministries, that the Franks’ and Watsons express a sense of awe and wonder, directing any acknowledgement of (what most would consider remarkable) success back to God and His blessings . . ., <em>yet </em>both couples still express their reliance upon God just to meet their weekly needs.<br /> <br /> Perhaps it’s a lesson to be learned? <br /> <br /> If the focus is on glorifying God, isn’t that made far easier when He’s being relied upon? What has been taking place in the ministries of both couples seems to indicate that God gives blessings <em>not</em> to grasp tightly, but with the intention that they are to be shared with others for His glory . . . as it <em>really is</em> more blessed to give.</p> <p> </p> <div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Journey-Church-KY/Journey-KY_slide1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Journey-Church-KY/Journey-KY_slide2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Journey-Church-KY/Journey-KY_slide3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{F2D23C0F-BABF-4556-9917-BA3182C89D46}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/California-Church-Creates-New-Model-for-Disaster-Relief<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/California-Church-1400.jpg" alt="" />When flooding devastated a community, a California church partnered with a local agency and created a new model for disaster relief. Mon, 23 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>When the rains started in January of this year in Merced County, California, residents said they hadn’t seen anything like it in <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-10/tiny-california-town-underwater-after-storm-deluge">more than 20 years</a>. Thousands of people in the region, which has few encounters with extreme weather, were forced to evacuate, with many facing utter devastation upon returning to their homes. One woman told the <em><a href="https://www.fresnobee.com/news/weather-news/article271201197.html">Fresno Bee</a></em> that she woke up to the sound of water sloshing.<br /> <br /> “It was chaos,” she recalled. “We lost everything.”<br /> <br /> “People just froze,” says Juan R. Ochoa, 39, pastor of <a href="https://www.mercedcalvaryag.org/">Calvary Assembly of God</a> in the city of Merced. “It came as a shock.”<br /> <br /> Merced County is a community racked by poverty, Ochoa says. Planada, one of its towns, was hit particularly hard by the floods.<br /> <br /> “When people can’t afford to live in Merced, they go to Planada because the cost of living is far cheaper,” Ochoa explains. <br /> <br /> All 4,000 of the town’s residents were forced to evacuate during the flooding. About 90% of those who live in the area are renters, according to the Los Angeles Times. Officials told the outlet that very few of those residents were likely to have flood insurance. <br /> <br /> Ochoa elaborates that as the cost of living has increased, given the rarity of severe flooding in the region, many chose to risk not having it.<br /> <br /> “People can’t afford to fix their homes, so they do everything that they can to remove the mold, but they do not have the cash to fix it. So you can imagine how they’re actually living,” he says, adding that many have had to rip out their carpet and cut out their drywall up to the flood line.<br /> <br /> Ochoa further explains that after the floods, county officials came through Planada to perform safety inspections. In doing so, they found many houses that were unpermitted, forcing some people out of their homes. <br /> <br /> The pastor adds that while FEMA was able to provide support to some in the community, they couldn’t help everyone. The agency offered low-interest loans to those who needed funds to make property repairs, but as Ochoa points out, a loan isn’t helpful if you can’t qualify for it in the first place.<br /> <br /> Another community in the area hit hard by the flooding was Watsonville.</p> <p>“There are great companies in Watsonville,” Ochoa says. “So you’ve got big people with a lot of money trying everything they can to be able to fix that area. Over here, we’re just farm laborers.”<br /> <br /> “Since day one, the Lord has really moved on my heart,” he adds. “I was in prayer, and I just said, ‘God, something needs to get done.’ And it was almost like the Lord said, ‘Yeah, something needs to get done, and I’m looking to you to get something done.’”<br /> <br /> “We didn’t have any money to help Planada,” says Ludwig G. Knoester, 73, a longtime board member and volunteer in the church. <br /> <br /> What the church did have, though, was a willingness to work hard and be obedient to the Lord’s leading.<br /> <br /> Ochoa worked to clear storm drains, and when they found out that many had evacuated to a local hotel, his church banded together to support those who were suffering. They made sandwiches and even set up a week-long program for the kids who were staying there, following the model of their regular after-school program.<br /> <br /> The church also teamed up with United Way and an organization called Community Organized Relief Effort (CORE). <br /> <br /> With CORE, the church spent one month helping seniors who lived in a nearby trailer park. Many residents of the park had homes come off their stilts. But seeing the massive need still to be addressed, Pastor Ochoa and his congregation wanted to do more in their community.<br /> <br /> The church had a residence on its property that had long sat unused. They didn’t have money to fix up the property, which was in need of repairs, but still wanted it to be put to good use. Ochoa came up with the idea to allow construction workers to come from out of town and stay in the property for free while making small repairs to it, provided they would agree to help victims of the flooding. <br /> <br /> When Ochoa pitched the idea to the church’s board, they readily agreed.<br /> <br /> After initially posing the prospect to one organization, Ochoa didn’t receive any interest. That’s when the pastor went back to God in prayer.<br /> <br /> “I mean, I’m sorry to say it, I got a little passionate with the Lord,” he says with a chuckle. <br /> <br /> God told the pastor that they would have a response by the end of the day. Sure enough, that day, Ochoa was informed that Habitat for Humanity was interested in leasing the property. <br /> <br /> Since then, the organization has committed to making needed repairs to the home as well as expanding it from a two-bedroom, one-bath to a three-bedroom, two-bath. Ochoa says that the repairs will cost the charity about $150,000. <br /> <br /> The residence is poised to become a home base of sorts, where Habitat for Humanity workers will get to stay while making repairs to hundreds of homes in the community. It will be returned to the church after five years, move-in ready and fully furnished.<br /> <br /> The church has been informed by an official at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services that the state intends to use Calvary AG’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity as a model for future disaster relief response.<br /> <br /> “We can see the smiling faces of the people of Planada,” Knoester says.<br /> <br /> “He gives beauty for ashes,” Ochoa says, referring to the Lord’s provision in the wake of this tragedy.</p>{5872A1EF-6F86-4B44-B579-DCA6F73C1657}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Kite-Strings-Help-Rural-Pastor-Connect-with-His-Community-Region<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Hesch-Kite-Strings_1400.jpg" alt="" />A kite string by itself isn't very strong, but as Paul Hesch, pastor of Victory Life Church, has learned, a single kite string can lead to strong connections. Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:30:00 ZA real-life parable is what Paul Hesch, pastor of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://myvictorylife.com/" target="_blank">Victory Life Church</a> in Las Vegas, New Mexico, says is what helped him connect with his community and beyond.<br /> <br /> Hesch says Kim and Laurel Harvey, AG U.S. missionaries serving with Convoy of Hope’s Rural Initiatives, were sharing ways how small-church and rural pastors can thrive in difficult settings. <br /> <br /> “They shared the story of how it was a single kite string that ultimately enabled the first suspension <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/niagara-falls-history/niagara-falls-municipal-history/historic-bridges-in-niagara/the-first-suspension-bridge/" target="_blank">bridge</a> over the Niagara River (home to Niagara Falls) to be built,” Hesch says. “They had to establish a line of communication from the U.S. to Canada over the river, so a kite was flown across the river. Once they had the kite string, they tied a cord to it and pulled that across, then a heavier cord, followed by a rope, and finally a wire cable.”<br /> <br /> Hesch says the Harveys, who are a part of U.S. Missions Chaplaincy window, then applied that true story to ministry. The kite string, they explained, were simple acts of kindness and in meeting small needs in the community. By itself, the kite string was frail, but over time, over multiple acts of kindness, that frail string would be strengthened with additional strands until a once weak link becomes a dependable “cable of connection.” <br /> <br /> “Our offer to help was initially rejected by many in our community – they didn’t know who we were or what we were about,” Hesch explains. “So, we started connecting with ‘kite strings.’”<br /> <br /> <strong>THE CHURCH</strong><br /> <br /> When the Heschs became pastors of Victory Life Church in 2010, on good days, 20 people entered the doors. Today, 60 to 70 attend, with Hesch noting that if everyone who calls Victory Life their church home showed up on a single Sunday, it would probably more than triple the attendance.<br /> <br /> Hesch says they started delivering boxes of goodies and cases of sports drink and water to seven different first responder organizations. Then they adopted three schools in the area (two elementary and one middle school) and began delivering goodie bags of treats to the school and custodial staffs, letting them know that if they became aware of a child in need of shoes or a coat, the church would supply it.<br /> <br /> Then for the past six years, the church has been offering an annual free steak dinner for first responders. <br /> <br /> “It started out with about 65 or so attending,” Hesch says. “But this September, we had 145 come!”<br /> <br /> To encourage those attending to stay and visit — providing additional opportunities for God moments — Hesch asked each chief (police, fire, warden, etc.) to select an outstanding officer/employee. Those individuals are then recognized at the meal and presented with a Bible with their name and badge number (when appropriate) engraved on it along with gifts certificates from local businesses.<br /> <br /> <strong>EXPANDING THE IMPACT</strong><br /> <br /> In addition to the church budgeting 25% of its tithes and offerings to missions and local ministry efforts, Hesch says that for the past seven years the church has partnered with <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://convoyofhope.org/initiatives/rural-initiatives/" target="_blank">Convoy of Hope’s Rural Initiatives</a> to bring in truckloads of goods.<br /> <br /> “We obviously can’t use it all (Las Vegas is a community of about 13,000), so we have around 15 churches in our region and up into southern Colorado that we connect with and let them know when the Convoy of Hope truck will arrive,” Hesch says. “Then they come with their vans and trucks and we pack them full of whatever they need for strengthening ‘kite strings’ in their communities.”<br /> <br /> “We believe God designed the Church to be the No.1 influencer and stakeholder in a community,” says Laurel Harvey, “so when the community is in need or has a problem, the local church is the first place it turns to for help.”<br /> <br /> <strong>TIME OF NEED</strong><br /> <br /> The Harveys point out that last year New Mexico experienced a massive fire that destroyed hundreds of homes and impacted thousands of lives in the Las Vegas region.<br /> <br /> “Who did the town ask to be on the team to help work through this?” Laurel Harvey asks. “Paul. Everybody knows who he is, and the church has been positioned so everyone knows who they are.”<br /> <br /> Matt Wilkie, senior director for <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://fieldteams.convoyofhope.org/" target="_blank">Convoy of Hope Field Teams</a>, says he’s met with the Heschs and has sent four teams to work with Paul and Diane over the past several months.<br /> <br /> “The community leaders I’ve seen interact with Paul have great respect, admiration, and gratitude for him and the church,” Wilkie says. “That speaks of his dedication to the community and his love for the people in the community.”<br /> <br /> “They’re just selfless people,” Harvey says of the Heschs. “Diane is an amazing woman – they just take care of everybody.”<br /> <br /> Wilkie, who took his 12-year-old son on his first missions trip to assist the Heschs, said that it was a impacting experience for both of them. <br /> <br /> “It’s always a joy to partner with people like Paul and Diane,” Wilkie says. “They’re just fantastic people and I so appreciated their tenderness, tears, compassion, and love for Jesus and people — all those things are just so very, very evident within just a few moments with them.”{C2EA767E-A55D-4674-ACFC-D74C676DA5B8}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Mike-Santiago-Elected-to-Executive-Presbytery<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Santiago-couple_1400.jpg" alt="" />Church planter and pastor, Mike Santiago, who has become a full time church growth enthusiast and coach, was recently elected to fill an open position on the Assemblies of God Executive Presbytery.Fri, 20 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>Michael J. Santiago was recently elected to the General Council of the Assemblies of God's <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/Executive-Presbytery" target="_blank">Executive Presbytery</a>, representing ordained ministers under 40 years of age.</p> <p>Mike and his wife, Ashton, both 36, started <a href="https://focus.church/">Focus Church Assembly of God</a> in Raleigh, N.C., as a Bible study in their living room. At the time, they were 24 years old and had three children in diapers, and Santiago was supporting them by working at Panera Bread.<br /> <br /> Twelve years later, Focus Church draws 1,400 people on a weekend at three different campuses, and Santiago is now helping other pastors grow their churches to a sustainable level through an effort called “Break200.”<br /> <br /> “The main thing is developing a growth mindset in the lead pastor,” Santiago says. “He has to be able to see the church larger than it currently is. Second is establishing a healthy leadership team. Then we get into specifics of how to fix the Sunday service, how to go more contemporary and use the internet more effectively with a live stream and social media.”<br /> <br /> Santiago launched <a href="http://break200.com/">Break200</a> as an online community, and it soon turned into a sold-out conference two years running. Santiago partners closely with the <a href="https://churchmultiplication.net/">Church Multiplication Network</a> (CMN) to train church planters to grow their churches to what he calls “a sustainable size.”<br /> <br /> “Two hundred isn’t a magic number, but a lot of guys under 200 have to be bi-vocational,” Santiago says. “When you are over the 200 barrier, it enables you to go full-time with the church, and enables the church to make a bigger difference in the community because the pastor’s attention is on the church.”<br /> <br /> Santiago comes from several generations of AG missionaries and pastors and grew up overseas where his parents served as missionaries.<br /> <br /> He and Ashton met at age 14 in the youth group at <a href="http://www.mysuncoastchurch.com/">Sun Coast Cathedral AG</a> in St. Petersburg, Florida, when Santiago’s family was on furlough. They married at 19 and were serving as youth pastors at Wekiwa AG, now<a href="https://www.onechurch.net/"> One Church Orlando</a>, when they felt a strong call to plant a church in Raleigh, a city foreign to both of them.<br /> <br /> “We felt such a burden when we came to visit the first time,” Santiago says. “We would drive around and couldn’t stop crying.”<br /> <br /> The Santiagos and a small team passed out flyers in department store parking lots and gave away 10,000 frozen treates at community fireworks shows one July to attract attention. They chose to plant the church in the growing suburb of Apex which is now the location of their west campus. Focus also has campuses in Garner and East Raleigh.<br /> <br /> “We drew a lot of younger families looking for a fresh start, college students, and people looking to be part of something they could see take shape,” Santiago says.<br /> <br /> Ashton, who had placed nationally in the <a href="https://youth.ag.org/Participate/Fine-Arts">Fine Arts Festival</a>, led the worship ministry, as she still does. Santiago preaches what he calls “fiery, passionate” messages and is “Pentecostal through and through,” he says.<br /> <br /> But the popularity of the Break200 effort has been “the biggest surprise of my life,” he says. “It is officially my full-time job. I dedicate myself to making sure churches are growing.”<br /> <br /> Break200’s online community counts 400 subscribers. Its video library, available only to subscribers, offers more than 150 training videos aimed at answering common questions about building and operating a healthy church.<br /> <br /> “A lot of guys lack practical how-tos,” says Santiago. “The videos are practical: How do I follow up with a first-time guest and not seem weird? We teach them how to make kids’ ministry safer, cleaner, more fun. Here’s how we onboard kids’ ministry volunteers. How to greet a new family when they come to check in. How to change the order of your service to make it seem more efficient and less long.”<br /> <br /> The most popular training, online and at the conference, is Santiago’s “Party with the Pastor,” which shows leaders how to host an effective gathering with newcomers, how to “cast vision for people who are kicking the tires,” and using language that compels people to stay.<br /> <br /> Tyler Harris, 33, and wife Kayla, 32, lead <a href="https://myawaken.org/">Awaken Church Assembly of God</a> in Cartersville, Georgia, 40 miles north of Atlanta. They launched in 2022 through CMN and were drawing more than 60 people per week — but Harris felt there were supposed to be more. He messaged Santiago on social media, then came to the first Break200 conference.<br /> <br /> “It was the most beneficial conference we have ever been to,” Harris says. “They gave us a very specific plan and said, ‘Try this. See if it works.’”<br /> <br /> The Harrises started hosting monthly Parties with the Pastor, which they limited to 10 minutes and a brief description of their background and approach to ministry, followed the next week by Serve 101 to present ways people could immediately begin serving.<br /> <br /> “The principle that Mike instilled, as basic as it is, is that if your team grows, your church will grow,” Harris says. “Rather than try to get more people in the seats, we focused on creating more positions and places for people to serve.”<br /> <br /> Within six months of the conference, Awaken was drawing 150 people per week and hit 200 people five or six times in 2023.<br /> <br /> “It was literally just running that play,” says Harris.<br /> <br /> Harris is now one of Santiago’s coaching clients and talks to him weekly. The church is expanding its leased space to accommodate its growth.<br /> <br /> “The thing that separates Mike from other guys walking at the same level is that his heart is for guys in churches of this size,” Harris says. “He’s not trying to get in the green rooms of churches of 2,000. He’s trying to help guys with 20 get to 200, and guys at 200 get to 500. He wants to help you build a structure for growth, and that’s what he does through Break 200.”<br /> <br /> This genuine passion for the local church is one reason he was nominated to fill an open position on the Executive Presbytery. <br /> <br /> During the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/Events/Events-Archive/60th-GC" target="_blank">bi-annual meeting</a> of the general council of the Assemblies of God, which convened in August of 2023 in Columbus, Ohio, Melissa J. Alfaro <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/General-Council-Business-Opens-with-Several-Elections" target="_blank">was elected</a> to serve as the ordained female executive presbyter. </p> <p>Having served as the executive presbyter representing ordained ministers under 40 years of age for the past six years, Alfaro’s election to her new position left a vacancy. <br /> <br /> On October 4, 2023, General Secretary Donna Barret announced that the General Presbytery had elected Santiago to fill that seat.<br /> <br /> In an online announcement, Alfaro expressed her excitement regarding Santiago’s appointment and thanked her fellow “under-40” pastors and ministry leaders for their “prayers, encouragement, engagement, and collaboration” during her time as their voice within the Executive Presbytery. <br /> <br /> As a third-generation Assemblies of God minister, Santiago has a rich history with the Fellowship and a heart for shepherding others, as demonstrated in his Break200 effort.<br /> <br /> Santiago will step into his new executive presbytery role in November as Alfaro transitions to a new representative position within the same governing body.</p>{CBC1AEE7-57E9-448C-B134-00E8DFD108A6}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/This-Week-in-AG-History-Oct-17-1954<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/TW-Alice-Flower_1400.jpg" alt="" />The research room of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center is fittingly named after this woman — Alice Adele Flower Dalton.Thu, 19 Oct 2023 12:00:00 ZAlice Adele Flower Dalton (1915-2006) was born into the hustle and bustle of the formative years of the Assemblies of God. Never one to wait on opportunities to present themselves, she created them – finding work to be done, stories to be written, and people to teach about the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. <br /> <br /> Flower’s birth came less than one year after the birth of the Assemblies of God. Her parents, J. Roswell and Alice Reynolds Flower, were instrumental in the early leadership of the new Movement. When Adele was 3 years old, they made the move to Springfield, Missouri. Their home was full of the excitement of ministers coming and going, bringing reports of all that God was doing through the Pentecostal churches and missions stations that were springing up both in the United States and around the world. <br /> <br /> A few years later, Flower’s father took a pastorate in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and then became superintendent of the Eastern District. She graduated from high school in Lititz, Pennsylvania, and soon enrolled at Central Bible Institute back in Springfield, finishing the three-year program in 1936. While there, she worked in the editorial department of Gospel Publishing House, writing Sunday School lessons that were being taught across the country. <br /> <br /> During these years, Flower learned to be ready to respond to whatever need would present itself and to tackle it without reservation. In her time between classes and editorial work, she assisted in prison outreach at the Missouri State Penitentiary, where the leader would often call on her to teach with no advance preparation. <br /> <br /> At the 1943 General Council, held in Springfield, Missouri, it happened that the scheduled speaker for the Friday afternoon session was not in attendance. Not knowing what else to do, the leader of the meeting called on Adele Flower and three other young women from the editorial staff to give an impromptu address on the various phases of the Sunday School work. Notes from the General Council reported that “this was of great interest to the whole congregation, who were happy to make acquaintance with these earnest young workers who are ministering to them week by week through our Sunday School quarterlies.” <br /> <br /> Later that year, Flower offered herself to the foreign missions department and was sent to Los Angeles and then Mexico City to study Spanish. In 1945, she and Marjorie Trulin ministered in Guatemala, establishing Sunday Schools and teaching women and children. In 1948, Flower was tasked to serve as Sunday School director for all Latin America. This led her to work with establishing conferences and training centers for teachers in numerous countries. <br /> <br /> To aid in the accomplishment of the huge task before her, Flower returned to Central Bible Institute for the recently added fourth year of studies in 1949. Given the opportunity to speak in the Feb. 4th chapel service, she spoke on the power of the transformed mind. It was reported that after she spoke “a spirit of prayer and worship seized the students. The pressure of the Spirit of God upon everyone was so great that the routine of school life was gloriously interrupted. All classes were merged into one large class in the chapel, with the Holy Spirit Himself as Teacher and hours slipped by as if they were minutes.” <br /> <br /> The Oct. 17, 1954, issue of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em> stated that Flower was continuing her work in Latin America, spending time “in Sunday School conventions and C.A. rallies in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. She has now gone to Venezuela, South America, where she will spend this term teaching in the Bible School.” Flower’s schedule often had her teaching 30 or more meetings a month – all in Spanish. <br /> <br /> In 1956, Flower was scheduled to teach at the Bible Institute in Puerto Rico. While there she enrolled for a summer term at the University of Rio Piedras, to learn more about Spanish history and literature. Her heart was captured with the history of Spain and its influence around the world. After she finished these courses, a crisis on the field caused her to return to the United States. <br /> <br /> Flower was completely unaware that another missionary, Roy Dalton, was also planning to be in the United States at the same time. The two had briefly corresponded several years earlier but had not made contact for more than five years. Dalton, serving alone in Spain, had reached his own crisis. He was the first American Assemblies of God missionary in the country and had managed to convert not only many Spaniards, but also a chicken shed into a small church. However, he found the task overwhelming and did not feel that he could face another term in Spain alone. <br /> <br /> Upon finding that both he and Flower were in Springfield at the same time, he decided to place a “fleece” before the Lord: “I’ll call her on the phone. If she invites me to go to see her, I’ll accept it as a sign that there is some hope for our future together. Otherwise, I’ll accept the matter as finished.” When Flower answered the phone and said, “Roy, I’d like to see you. Can’t you come over to the house?,” he was there within five minutes. <br /> <br /> Less than three weeks later, in the crowded hallway of a hotel at the 1957 General Council in Cleveland, Ohio, Dalton asked Flower if she realized what God had done in bringing them both to Springfield at the same time. When she nodded yes, he asked the question, “Will you return with me to Spain?” <br /> <br /> Dalton and Flower were married in December 1957 and the next January arrived at the small house Dalton lived in next to the converted chicken shed. While Flower had to adjust to the Spanish dialect of her new home in Ronda, Spain, she quickly adapted and soon their ministry together began to flourish as Flower’s gift for teaching and discipleship blended with Dalton’s gift for friendship evangelism. <br /> <br /> In God’s providence, just 10 years later, Dalton was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Together they continued to lead the church in Ronda, but Roy passed into the presence of Jesus in June of 1968. After his death, Adele Flower Dalton remained in Spain, serving as director of the nation’s International Correspondence Institute (now Global University), until she returned to Springfield in 1976. There she served as a researcher and writer for Assemblies of God World Missions. She also established the AGWM archives, a repository of materials relating to the AG USA’s missions work around the world. <br /> <br /> When the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center, also located in the AG national office, dedicated its new research facilities in 1999, it was only fitting to name its research room in her honor, recognizing her dedicated work that would benefit researchers for many years. Flower-Dalton passed away in 2006 and is buried in Springfield, Missouri where her family first moved to serve the Assemblies of God in 1919. <br /> <br /> Read a brief report of Flower-Dalton’s work on page 7 of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1950-1959/1954/1954_10_17.pdf#Page3" target="_blank">Oct. 17, 1954, issue</a> of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>. <br /> <br /> Also featured in this issue <br /> <br /> • “Afire in the Sky” by Chaplain Neville E. Carlson <br /> <br /> • “Let Us Not Lose Heart” by Thomas F. Zimmerman <br /> <br /> And many more!<br /> <br /> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1950-1959/1954/1954_10_17.pdf#Page3" target="_blank">Click here to read this issue now.</a><br /> <br /> <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em> archived editions courtesy of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ifphc.org" target="_blank">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center</a>.{26C4D0B1-C667-4C87-B910-305A9A5C193D}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Felled-Tree-Crisis-Moment-Yields-Unexpected-Blessings<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Choate-tree-fall_1400.jpg" alt="" />When a neighbor's large tree was accidentally felled onto a small church's roof and air conditioning units — and no one had insurance — it was a major crisis . . . and then God intervened. Wed, 18 Oct 2023 15:30:00 Z<p>It was the perfect storm for Taylor Choate, pastor of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://harvestpeople.com/" target="_blank">Harvest Church</a> of Daisetta, and his small, but growing Texas congregation, and the results of that “storm” seemed to be literally crushing.<br /> <br /> One of the church’s next-door neighbors wanted to have a large tree removed from her yard, but as tree removal is very expensive, she asked a handyman to do it instead. <br /> <br /> “I was in downtown Houston on Sept. 27 for a doctor’s appointment,” Choate says, “when the football coach from the high school called me and told me a tree fell onto the church.”<br /> <br /> Choate, who is a bi-vocational minister, serves as a high school teacher on weekdays. He says the news came at the precisely the wrong time. <br /> <br /> “Our insurer had just recently dropped us — along with a lot of other churches — and we hadn’t settled on a new insurer yet,” he explains. “And then I learned that the tree had not only damaged the church roof, but then landed on all four of our air conditioning units . . . and in Texas, even in September, you need AC.”<br /> <br /> Choate says he was feeling the stress, questions racing through his mind about what this would mean for the church . . ., but then God spoke to him through his wife, Morgan. <br /> <br /> “I called her and told her what was going on, and she told me exactly what I needed to hear,” Choate says. “She told me, ‘We have got to trust that this is God’s house and He’s going to take care of it.’ So, that’s what we did.”<br /> <br /> . . . and that’s exactly what <em>He</em> did.</p> When Choate first became pastor of Harvest Church in January 2022, the congregation consisted of two widows. Within a year, the congregation had grown to roughly 25. Today, the church currently averages 50 to 55 on Sundays, however the community is poverty stricken.<br /> <br /> “The initial estimate to fix the roof and replace the four AC units and install them was nearly $30,000,” Choate says. “We also learned that the neighbor didn’t have insurance and neither did the handyman.”<br /> <br /> Yet since the Choates began to minister at Harvest Church, they’ve been intentional in connecting with community leaders and doing their best to meet the needs and invest in Daisetta, including helping solve a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/Features/Church-Connects-with-Convoy-to-Continue-Impacting-Community" target="_blank">drinking water shortage</a>. <br /> <br /> “We didn’t have $30,000, but when I spoke to the repairman, his company volunteered to make all the repairs, buy the AC units, and install it all at cost, knocking the price down to $15,000,” Choate says. “Then I spoke to some families who I thought might be able to help – one family covered the cost of insurance on the church for a full year, another gave us an interest-free loan to repay as we could, and we also received gift checks from several churches, including generous checks from Evangel Temple in Springfield, Missouri, and Mercygate in Mont Belvieu, Texas.”<br /> <br /> Within five or six days of the tree damaging the church roof and crushing three of the four AC units beyond repair, everything was restored. The church was able to meet in air-conditioned comfort that following Sunday, and they had the finances in place to cover all the costs. <br /> <br /> The city was also buzzing about what had all taken place at Harvest Church as Choate kept the community updated on the blessings and progress through social media. Choate noticed that even people he didn’t know were sharing his posts with others.<br /> <br /> What made the timing of this “crisis” even more remarkable is that the AC units were at the age that they were going to need to be replaced in the next year or two. <br /> <br /> “We wouldn’t have had the money to replace them,” Choates says, “but God sent a tree to make it all possible. <br /> <br /> “I think God showed people, both in the church and outside of the church, that He is doing something here,” Choate continues. “He is blessing this church and letting people know this church is a good place to sow into.” <p> </p> <div style="padding:125% 0 0 0;position:relative;"><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/875622099?h=9e24845965&badge=0&autopause=0&quality_selector=1&progress_bar=1&player_id=0&app_id=58479/embed" allow="autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture" frameborder="0" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:75%;height:75%;"></iframe></div>{A9E8DFD2-C4F4-454B-8FBA-EDC95ECCCA6E}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Pianist-Serves-Church-for-Over-70-Years<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Pianist-1400-x-490-copy.jpg" alt="" />Divinely anointed with the gift of music, Florida resident, Johnnie Smith, has served her church as the pianist for more than 70 years. Wed, 18 Oct 2023 12:30:00 ZWith a divinely inspired talent and a passion for music, Johnnie Mae Smith has faithfully served her church as a pianist for over 70 years. <br /> <br /> Born near Panama City, Florida, Smith was one of nine children in her family. The rural town did not have a church building so her father donated an acre of the family’s land on which a community church was built. <br /> <br /> When the construction of the church was finished, 8-year-old Smith became fascinated with the piano that had been purchased for its use. <br /> <br /> “Every time I was there, I would lay my hands out on the keys and try to pick out songs note by note,” she says. <br /> <br /> Although she longed to develop her musicality, Smith’s family did not own a piano, nor was she able to take formal lessons. But one sunny afternoon, God miraculously granted her heart’s deepest desire. <br /> <br /> As she and her sisters played outside under a tree, Smith suddenly saw a bright light and felt a warmth sweep over her body. She immediately looked around to see what was going on, but the bright light was nowhere to be found and none of the other girls had seen or felt anything out of the ordinary.<br /> <br /> Unsure of what had just happened, Smith had an impression in her young spirit that God had just done something in her, but she didn’t know what it meant. As the family entered the church building, it was announced that the church pianist would be absent for service and the youth leader at the time was asking if someone was able to accompany the singers with the piano.<br /> <br /> “All of a sudden, my sister piped up and mentioned that I had some piano knowledge and they asked me to come up and try to play along,” Smith states. <br /> <br /> As the singers began, 9-year-old Smith laid her hands out on the piano keys as she had done many times before. All of a sudden, her fingers started gliding along the keys in perfect synchronization with the hymns being sung. <br /> <br /> “Then it all made sense,” Smith says. “I knew right then that God had imparted a gift in me and I would use this gift to serve in ministry for as long as He asked me to.” <br /> <br /> Smith continued to fill in for the church pianist on occasion until, at 12 years old, she and her family relocated to Oxford, Florida, where they began attending <a href="https://www.oxfordag.org/">Oxford Assembly of God</a>. <br /> <br /> While at Oxford Assembly, Smith was given occasional opportunities to play the piano during the service for special songs or for worship time. The pastor at the time began to show Smith formal chords and by the time she was 14 years old, Smith was the main pianist for the church.<br /> <br /> “The Lord continued to grow my gift and started giving me original songs,” she shares.<br /> <br /> When Derrel Strickland became the pastor at Oxford Assembly nearly 38 years ago, he recalls being impressed with the church’s talented pianist. <br /> <br /> “In my previous pastorates, we struggled with musicians. When I got to Oxford Assembly, I thought Johnnie was just amazing,” he says. <br /> <br /> Smith continued to serve the church without any formal training until she was 32 years old. It was then that a woman from a nearby church asked for a copy of a song she had written. Smith told the woman that she didn’t have any formal training, so she was unable to write the song down on paper as she only played by ear. <br /> <br /> Amazed at her talent, the woman offered to teach Smith how to read music, recognize scales, and write scores. This training went on for two years until Smith began teaching beginning piano students of her own. <br /> <br /> Smith knew that her gift was something she must continue to use to glorify God so, even while teaching 25 years of piano and working for 42 years as the church secretary, she continued to be the pianist for the church. <br /> <br /> “It never mattered who was leading worship, she could play right along. She never missed a service and was always dependable for both beautiful music and a smile through which shone the love of God,” Strickland says. <br /> <br /> “This whole thing was simply a miracle from the beginning,” she says. “I always think about how God chose to use me, a little girl, to minister through song. I’ve always given Him all of the praise for that.” <br /> <br /> Smith continued to play the piano for over 70 years until, in 2019, she developed a series of health issues that have kept her from being able to continue. <br /> <br /> During her career, Smith has worked with numerous worship leaders, accompanied countless performers in the church, and has written over 100 original songs. <br />{9A0CBC9F-2847-4407-AAE1-9F2081E2FF2D}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Sharing-Faith-through-Fine-Arts<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Fine-Arts-2023_1400.jpg" alt="" />Each year, thousands of kids from across the country showcase their faith and talents through Fine Arts Festival. Now, missionary kids can, too. Tue, 17 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>For most students, summer is filled with vacations, camps, retreats, and hanging with friends. For many students in the Assemblies of God, summer comes alive by expressing their creative gifts through fine arts and sharing them at the national <a href="https://youth.ag.org/Participate/Fine-Arts">Fine Arts Festival.</a><br /> <br /> This year, 10,000 attendees gathered in Columbus, Ohio, on July 30 - August 4 — the festival’s 60th annual meeting. Over 5,000 students from all over the nation, as well as Samoa and Puerto Rico, presented their work before 125 evaluators. <br /> <br /> Holly Davis, Team Advancement Director, is quick to say that the Fine Arts Festival isn’t a talent show. It’s a celebration of the Creator who inspires creativity in His children, and it’s rich in spiritual substance. This is reflected in the festival’s mission statement: to help students discover, develop, and deploy their artistry to spread the gospel.<br /> <br /> Davis made sure the festival provided plenty of opportunity for discovery and development this year. Students, ranging from sixth grade to college age, entered in 108 fine arts categories. A new category, music production, will be added in 2024, allowing students to produce their own music tracks at home and present them at the national event.<br /> <br /> This year students also attended an array of fine arts workshops and master classes, taught by high-caliber speakers. Subjects covered everything from sermon prep and delivery to songwriting, taught by <a href="https://seu.edu/">Southeastern University</a>’s worship team. Singer Jeff Deyo presented a master class on vocals and creating an authentic worship culture in youth ministry. Through the master classes, students can see how God is using these speakers’ artistry for His kingdom and that He can do the same through them as well.<br /> <br /> Davis, 47, is pleased with the instruction at this year’s festival and wants to expand master classes next year, but she stresses the focus of the whole program: discipleship, development, and spreading the gospel. Fine arts provide a fresh vehicle for sharing the Word. <br /> <br /> She explains, “One of the things we say is ‘My paint brush is my pulpit. My camera is my pulpit. My script is my pulpit.’ In other words, what we're trying to communicate to our students is that preaching the gospel, although it can be standing behind a pulpit doing a sermon, can also be in the worship dance category, choreographing a dance that explains who God is.”<br /> <br /> In addition to the positive impact of the Fine Arts Festival for the past 60 years, it was destined for more in 2023 by including entries from missionary kids. </p> <p>The idea came from <a href="https://jonathanandmichelle.com/">Michelle Wellborn</a>, a third-generation AG missionary currently serving in Argentina. For years her children, all born in the mission field, wanted to share their creative talents at the festival. But thousands of miles between the U.S. and their foreign assignments made that impossible.<br /> <br /> When Wellborn, 45, approached Davis about including MKs (missionary kids) in the festival, Davis jumped at the opportunity. With the blessing of missionary leaders in Springfield, the Missionary Kids District was born, with Wellborn as its fine arts coordinator. Thanks to the diligence and dedication of these women, 25 MKs from every continent submitted their work virtually this year. Some made it to the national competition in Ohio. <br /> <br /> Wellborn is thrilled with that response, but her desire to pull MKs into the festival fold goes deeper than just fine arts. Living in far-off places, these kids feel disconnected from the United States. <br /> <br /> Wellborn explains, “The question I think any missionary kid hates is ‘Where are you from?’ because they can't tell you. Part of them says, ‘I'm from Missouri,’ and then part of them are like ‘I'm from El Salvador.’ It’s the hardest question.”<br /> <br /> A district for MKs eases the pain of this question. It gives them a place to belong, to see what other students are doing, and to have their creative gifts validated so they can use them to evangelize. <br /> <br /> Perhaps more important, Wellborn believes the festival’s discipleship in the creative arts will have a positive spiritual impact on missionary kids. </p> <p>“I'd love to see these MKs know who they are and know they have something to give,” she says. “A lot of times the devil takes advantage, and some step away from the Lord completely — not just away from the ministry. They just can't find themselves.”<br /> <br /> Davis sees the same need and is ready to help. She says the festival comes alongside missionary kids in other countries just as it does kids in the States. </p> <p>“We want to say, ‘We see you. We see your gifting. And now let us help you develop it so that you can deploy it there as well.’”<br /> <br /> The Fine Arts Festival will meet August 5-9, 2024, again in Columbus. Wellborn will be there, drawing in more missionary kids. And Davis will be there, encouraging all students to take their gifting from a hobby to a higher calling. </p> <p>She puts it this way: “The Lord is saying, ‘Listen, I have anointed you. I've gifted you. Now go use it to tell people about Me.”</p> <p><em>UPPER PHOTO: Members of the group, "Seven," from Grace Fellowship in Bogart, GA, were awarded first place in the Vocal Ensemble, Large category during the 2023 Fine Arts Festival in Columbus, OH. <br /> </em></p> <p><em>LOWER PHOTO: Holly Davis</em></p> <p><em></em>[PhotoGallery path = "/sitecore/Media Library/PENews/Photo Galleries/Holly Davis"]</p>{333CC294-8D11-4321-B4C4-857526FB42BC}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Equipping-Swahili-Pastors-with-Fire<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Equipping-Swahili-Pastor-1400.jpg" alt="" />In a united effort, several Assemblies of God ministries joined together to bring a much needed resource to a group of pastors when they needed it most.Mon, 16 Oct 2023 14:00:00 ZAfter living 16 years as a refugee in Rwanda and Uganda, in 2011 church-planter <a href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/The-Refugee-Church-Planter">Amon Kajabika</a> resettled in Ohio. He knew the struggles of learning a new way of life and ministry in a foreign country using a language to which he wasn’t accustomed.<br /> <br /> To help other Swahili-speaking ministers across the United States in the same boat, Congolese native <a href="https://www.ohioministry.net/presbyters">Kajabika</a>, 60, pastor of Rehoboth International Church in Dayton, Ohio, aimed to form a new Assemblies of God <a href="https://ethnicrelations.ag.org">Ethnic Language Fellowship </a>with other resettled Assemblies of God pastors like him and find ways to address daily challenges exacerbated by lack of English proficiency: filling out government documents, navigating car and health insurance, and registering children for school.<br /> <br /> They also needed guidance on church matters such as getting credentialed; the system is in English. Plus, their only Bibles are well-worn copies they brought from their homelands. Having good study Bibles in Swahili would greatly enhance their ministries.<br /> <br /> All the pastors were refugees, some of whom had lived all their lives in refugee camps. They deluged him with questions both spiritual and social. <br /> <br /> “I have been trying to assist them with their needs,” Kajabika says, “but I don’t have the ability to help them all.”<br /> <br /> So, Kajabika called the office of Assemblies of God Executive Secretary <a href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership%20Team/General%20Secretary">Donna Barrett</a> who holds a <a href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/Pivoting-with-the-Times">burden for language fellowships</a> and wants to provide resources for their ministry. <br /> <br /> According to the <a href="https://ethnicrelations.ag.org/About">AG Office of Ethnic Relations</a>, currently 43 percent of the US Assemblies of God adherents are from ethnic minority people groups. In 2021, 32 percent of AG credentialed ministers were ethnic minorities, a record high.<br /> <br /> In time, Kajabika learned about the <a href=" https://firebible.org">FireBible</a>, the one-book library containing the Word plus Pentecostal commentary, notes and articles. It’s designed by Assemblies of God Life Publishers to deepen understanding of the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture , especially for those who lack a Bible school education. It’s readily available in English via the online <a href="https://firebible.org/store/">FireBible store</a>, plus 64 <a href="https://firebible.org/internationalfirebibles/">other languages</a> with some 19 more in the works. <br /> <br /> While the FireBible has a Swahili translation, the copies are shipped directly to East Africa where Swahili is the official language in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda. That’s why copies are not yet available in the United States via the ministry website, FireBible spokesperson Mindy Benintendi says. <br /> <br /> “This Bible is a very, very crucial tool for Swahili-speaking pastors,” says Alexis Muhumure, 29, assistant pastor of English services at Rehoboth. <br /> <br /> He is also administrator of the School of Ministry for Swahili-speakers in the AG <a href="https://www.ohioministry.net/home">Ohio Ministry Network</a> and son of Kajabika.<br /> <br /> Barrett pulled together a team from Ethnic Relations, <a href="https://usmissions.ag.org">Assemblies of God US Missions</a>, <a href="https://agwm.org">AG World Missions</a>, and the Ohio district, setting into motion a collaborative effort aimed at making Kajabika’s vision of providing resources for Swahili pastors a reality. She convened a Zoom call composed of representatives from each office, including AGUSM intercultural missionary Julie Kraus, who with her late husband, Paul, served 20 years with AGWM in West Africa, mostly in French-speaking Côte d’Ivoire. The couple later ministered to unreached people groups and other internationals in <a href="https://www.nymn.org/missions">New York City</a>. <br /> <br /> In New York City “We have many unreached people groups represented in places where we can share the gospel freely,” Kraus notes. <br /> <br /> A large part of her ministry has been helping and encouraging pastors, such as her longtime ministry colleague Kajabika. She notes that the focus of the AG General Secretary’s online meeting regarding Swahili pastors had one purpose: “What can we do to help you, Pastor Amon?”<br /> <br /> The AG representatives’ vision for pastor resources expanded to include the remarkable study edition of God’s Word that focuses on the work of the Holy Spirit: the <a href="https://firebible.org/internationalfirebibles/">FireBible</a>. What if pastors could each have a copy? That seemed to be an impossible dream as all available copies were in East Africa.<br /> <br /> But in God, all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). More than two dozen US Swahiliphone pastors would gather at the Ohio conference in July. What if these pastors could return to their home congregations and ministry with a FireBible?<br /> <br /> The Ohio Ministry Network and  <a href="https://lftl.ag.org">Light for the Lost</a>, which provides Bibles and evangelistic resources for missionaries and missionary partners, took on that task. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lifepublishersinternational/">Life Publishers</a>, which produces the FireBible, shipped the Swahili Bibles from Africa.<br /> <br /> But would the FireBibles reach the conference in time?<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Kraus says, the executive secretary and her office addressed some other pressing issues for <a href="http://https://ethnicrelations.ag.org/fellowships/">AG Ethnic Fellowships</a>. <br /> <br /> “From there, [Barrett] focused on AG ministries like <a href="https://globaluniversity.edu">Global University</a> and Life Publishers to more effectively resource ministers who speak other languages through the credentialing process... trying to make those available in every [AG Ethnic Fellowship] language” nationwide, Kraus says.<br /> <br /> Two days before <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrVhwk5yONs">the conference</a>, a big box of 30 beautiful black leather Swahili FireBibles arrived at Kraus’ home. She brought them to the conference. <br /> <br /> Ohio Superintendent <a href="https://www.ohioministry.net/omnstaff">John Wootton</a> was the kick-off speaker. AG Ethnic Relations Director Dennis Rivera preached on Paul’s vision of the man from Macedonia and spent two hours explaining the process for forming a fellowship and answering questions. <a href="https://agwm.org/redirect_to_missionary_page/2233070/Reed/">Edgar Reed</a> and <a href="https://firebible.org/ambassadors/">Charles and Marilyn Mattix</a>, AGWM missionaries from Life Publishers, were on hand at the event to encourage pastors. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://firebible.org/ambassadors/">Jeff Dove</a>, director of Life Publishers, has committed to provide districts with FireBibles in the heart languages of all second-language pastors getting ordained as well as FireBibles for their congregations, Kraus notes.<br /> <br /> AG affiliation wasn’t required for Swahili-speaking pastors to attend, but several who weren’t, expressed appreciation for the efforts the Assemblies of God had made to equip the pastors with the FireBibles, the Swahili School of Ministry, and other resources. <br /> <br /> Kraus recollected that one pastor told the group, “I came here not knowing about the Assemblies of God, but now I want to be part of the Assemblies of God Swahili Fellowship.” Others said the same.<br /> <br /> “Ethnic fellowships are gifts to the churches,” Kraus notes. “They’re keys to helping the church share the gospel to underreached and underserved people groups.”<br /> <br /> Jonas Ruganirwa, a Swahili-speaking pastor who lives in Tennessee, told the gathering, “I thank God that we have a place we belong.”{855276B3-FE13-4C1B-AE5A-6067690FA2FF}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/The-Presence-of-God-is-Tangible-as-the-Holy-Spirit-Moves-in-Grayson-Kentucky<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/New-Beginning_Burchett_1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />Pastor Kyle Burchett has been in the ministry for nearly 30 years and he's never experienced anything like this.Mon, 16 Oct 2023 11:00:00 Z<p>When people walk through the doors of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/nbagGrayson" target="_blank">New Beginnings Assembly of God</a>, many say it’s an experience they’ve never felt before – the tangible, overwhelming presence of the Holy Spirit. </p> <p>From pastor to parishioners to visitors, each one says when they enter the Grayson, Kentucky church, it’s unlike anything they’ve ever encountered. <br /> <br /> “The Spirit of God is there as soon as you walk in the doors,” says Heather Miller who recently began attending New Beginnings and rededicated her life to Christ. “You feel at home, you feel at peace, you feel like you can just walk up to the altar and give Him everything in your life. It’s this drawing in your stomach that He can forgive you for everything you ever did . . . I just can’t put it into words how awesome God’s presence is — it’s indescribable.” <br /> <br /> Just over three months ago, New Beginnings was averaging 100 in attendance, but now is seeing 150 to 160 coming through the front doors every Sunday morning. And in the last 12 weeks, pastor Kyle Burchett has baptized 132 individuals — a majority of them having recently made a first-time commitment to follow Christ. <br /> <br /> “Several weeks ago, I was getting ready to preach, and this woman just runs up to the altar after worship service, ‘I want to get baptized,’ she says,” recalls Kyle. “I’m thinking, <em>Sure, we can do this at the end of the service.</em> But then she tells me she wants to get baptized <em>right now</em> — so I agreed, thinking that maybe this would take 10 or 15 minutes.” <br /> <br /> But Kyle was mistaken. <br /> <br /> “As soon as I baptized her, another person runs up wanting to be baptized, and then another and another <em>and </em>another!” Kyle says. “I baptized 30 people that morning — making sure each one had accepted Christ and understood the significance of being baptized — and never got to preach.” <br /> <br /> Kyle says that people are being saved, healed, baptized, and filled with the Spirit. Some have experienced deliverance from demons. <br /> <br /> “There’s such a strong presence and anointing of the Holy Spirit during the service,” says Lisa Burchett, Kyle’s wife. “The anointing is so strong, people are just running to the altar . . . they feel the presence of God, tears are just flowing down their faces, they can’t leave until they get saved, the Holy Spirit convicts them so much!” <br /> <br /> Kyle shares that a woman, who appeared to be about 50 years old, recently walked through the church doors. <br /> <br /> “Suddenly, she threw herself down onto the floor and started banging her head on the concrete,” Kyle says. “A demon was manifesting. I had one of the men put his hand under her head to keep her from hurting herself and we prayed over her, and the Holy Spirit cast that demon out.” <br /> <br /> A few weeks later, a young woman approached Kyle. He had no idea who she was. She asked if she could share a testimony. Not one to allow people he doesn’t know or has not vetted to give testimonies, Kyle changed his mind when he learned the bright-eyed, 20-something young woman standing before him was the same “50-year-old” looking woman they had prayed over just a few weeks earlier. <br /> <br /> “She shared how she had been sexually abused by her father and uncle starting when she was just 5 years old,” Kyle says. “She said, ‘I’ve been tormented my entire adult life, and this is the first time, since I was a child, that I am free.’” <br /> <br /> “It’s just an awesome feeling to see what God is doing,” Lisa says. “You don't want to miss anything — you just want to be right in the middle of it. God is getting ready to turn Carter County, Kentucky, upside down!” <br /> <br /> <strong>HOW IT BEGAN </strong><br /> <br /> Few would have ever imagined this church being a place for the Holy Spirit to rest upon. When the Burchetts first began leading the church of then four people in 1995, Kyle was the 22nd pastor . . . the church was 26 years old. <br /> <br /> “When I was praying about whether or not to pastor the church, the Lord told me, ‘Don’t take it for one day if you won’t commit for at least 10 years — those people deserve better,’” Kyle says. <br /> <br /> The church building itself may have caused a “less-called” person to seek other ministry opportunities. Among numerous other challenges, there was no central air, no sound system, the platform was visually bending because it was rotting out, the walls were full of termite holes, and carpeting was a generous term for whatever was on the floor. A fixer-upper? Closer to a tearer-downer. <br /> <br /> But God blessed the Burchetts’ commitment. In 2001, the growing church of now roughly 70 people poured the foundation for a new 10,700-square foot church. And that’s when Kyle says he made a significant mistake — <em>he</em> tried to grow the church. <br /> <br /> “I began looking at all these programs and methods to increase attendance,” he says, “but what happened is, I found myself the CEO of the church rather than the pastor . . . and when your priority is getting people in the seats, you’ll find yourself compromising (Scripture) to do it — so as not to offend someone or some group.” <br /> <br /> <strong>MEET FRANCI </strong> <br /> <br /> Prior to Franci Middleton’s encounter with Christ about a decade ago, few, if any, would include her in the category of “warm fuzzy.” No, her demeanor leaned much closer to the “Don’t mess with me or I will hurt you” realm. <br /> <br /> Kyle confirms that Middleton was an intimidating individual, a brawler, who “would fight at the drop of a hat.” <br /> <br /> “I was on the needle – I had a heroin addiction,” Middleton explains. “Well, actually, I was using anything addictive that I could get my hands on to get some kind of feeling of relief.” <br /> <br /> Middleton got charged with trafficking drugs, which landed her in jail and drug court. That’s how she met Kyle, who was a part of an organization, called ENOUGH (Every Neighbor Outreaching Uniting Giving Help). Through that encounter, she ultimately accepted Christ. Even though she admits to relapsing into drugs for a time, when she came out of that and recommitted herself to Christ, this time her commitment stuck. <br /> <br /> “The enemy wanted to kill me, to see me dead,” she says. “But when I came out of that relapse, God gave me a hunger for Him that has changed me forever.” <br /> <br /> Several months later, in 2015, she worked with Kyle to begin a ministry through the church called <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064840811234" target="_blank">REwired</a> — a ministry for those caught in addiction and struggling with life-controlling issues. Middleton says that between 75 to 100 people now attend the REwired Friday night services and the altars are always filled. <br /> <br /> Heather and her husband, Nathan Miller, recently started attending New Beginnings and have found their lives turned totally around by Christ. <br /> <br /> “I met Franci while trading some farm animal and she had something that I wanted,” Heather says. “It’s hard to explain, but she made me realize how great God was and made me feel God again in my life.” <br /> <br /> Nathan, who says he struggled with addiction, has seen his life do a 180. He says he had gone to church before, but never had a relationship with Christ. He explains it was a chance encounter with a Christian man from Louisiana at a truck stop in Maryland that got him thinking about God again. <br /> <br /> “God put someone in my path, I went with it, and I’m glad I did,” Nathan says. “My life has changed a lot . . . the only thing it can be is God.” <br /> <br /> “God took my husband, of all people — he’s fully recovered,” says Heather. “He’s not drinking, not taking anything he’s not supposed to take, he’s living his life for Jesus — it wouldn’t be possible without God.” <br /> <br /> “People are looking for a place to be loved, accepted, and transformed and they found it here,” Middleton says. “Families are being restored, children are coming out of foster care, and people are even being called into ministry.” <br /> <br /> In addition to leading REwired with Kyle, where Nathan and Heather also volunteer, Middleton leads worship on Sundays, with Heather also being part of that team. <br /> <br /> “I remember, as a little girl, I had asked God to give me a voice to sing,” Middleton says, “and here I am a worship leader!” <br /> <br /> The Burchetts and Middleton agree that God is doing a great work among people in the community of 3,700 who others have shunned. <br /> <br /> “People you would not imagine coming to church in a million years, some addicted to drugs and others from really dark and lost places, are coming in here and giving their lives to Christ,” Middleton says of REwired and the church. <br /> <br /> <strong>2 CHRONICLES 7:14 </strong><br /> <br /> Kyle leaves little doubt as to Who and what is responsible for the sudden and intense presence of the Holy Spirit in the church. <br /> <br /> “It’s all about prayer,” he says. “We are the same church, same congregation, same style of worship, same preacher, the only added element is focused prayer. When I quit trying to be the CEO and instead be a pastor, let the Holy Spirit be the Holy Spirit, and made prayer a priority, it’s literally become the most exciting time I’ve ever had in pastoring.” <br /> <br /> Kyle believes that it’s vital for the pastor to be the main intercessor for the church — it’s not something to assign someone else to lead. <br /> <br /> “It had to be something I was in front of to be successful,” he says. “So at 7:14 (based on <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Chronicles%207:14&version=NIV" target="_blank">2 Chronicles 7:14</a>) to 8:14 every Saturday night we have prayer.” <br /> <br /> Prayer times are also held Sunday mornings before the service, with others praying Sunday afternoons and during the weekdays. Kyle and Lisa both view prayer ministry as the most important ministry of the church. <br /> <br /> As far as services go, the Holy Spirit has free reign. Worship songs might be changed, messages may or may not be preached or adjusted, service may last an hour or three hours, and people never have to wait to make a decision for Christ. <br /> <br /> “That’s one of the things I love about this place,” Nathan says. “They let God do the work and it feels great letting Him do it.” <br /> <br /> “I’ve never been in a service at New Beginnings that the presence of God is not evident,” Middleton says. “But these last few months, His presence has been tangible. There’s this draw, like an anticipation of something coming. I believe that in the hills of Kentucky God’s about to pour out miraculous things that are undeniable by any eye.”</p> <br /> <div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/New-Beginnings-Burchett/New-Beginnings_Car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/New-Beginnings-Burchett/New-Beginnings_Car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div></div>{E842082A-0A25-40D7-A446-50CEC2568405}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Newly-Elected-World-AG-Fellowship-Leadership-Spans-Three-Continents<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Dominic-Yeo_1400.jpg" alt="" />The general superintendents of Singapore, the United States, and Spain were elected to executive leadership within the World AG Fellowship.Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:30:00 Z<p>MADRID — Delegates at the World Assemblies of God General Assembly in Madrid, Spain voted to elect Dominic Yeo as its new chairman. Yeo serves as the general superintendent of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ag.org.sg/" target="_blank">Assemblies of God of Singapore</a>. In 2017, Yeo was elected as secretary for the World AG Congress. <br /> <br /> The <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://worldagfellowship.org/" target="_blank">World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF)</a> was founded in 1989 to serve as a cooperative body of national Assemblies of God fellowships on equal standing. While the WAGF is not a legislative entity, it serves as a means of cooperation in areas such as evangelism, relief work, and theological training. Yeo serves as the fifth chairman of the WAGF. </p> <p>Doug Clay was elected as vice chairman of the WAGF. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/General-Superintendent" target="_blank">Clay</a> has served as general superintendent of the U.S. Assemblies of God since 2017. Juan Carlos Escobar, general superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Spain, was elected to the position of secretary of the WAGF.<br /> <br /> For the next decade, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://mm33.global/" target="_blank">MM33</a> will become a major focus for the WAGF. Aligning with 2033, approximately 2000 years from the Resurrection of Jesus, MM33 seeks to make “His Mission Our Mandate.” MM33 represents the collaborative effort of the World Assemblies of God to engage in the greatest work of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting the world has ever seen.<br /> <br /> “Psalm 133 promises a great blessing when believers are in unity,” Clay says. “That's a blessing that's clear to see on the WAGF Executive Committee when leaders from nations around the world cooperate to fulfill the Great Commission.”</p> <p><em>PHOTO: Dominic Yeo (left) addresses attendees to the Ninth World Assemblies of God Congress in Madrid, Spain.</em></p>{007D55BC-BA42-49C9-9FC9-588286042177}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/AG-Leaders-Gather-in-Madrid-for-the-Ninth-World-AG-Congress<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Madrid_1400.jpg" alt="" />The much-anticipated event features a first-ever Next Generation Congress.Thu, 12 Oct 2023 20:30:00 ZMADRID — Thousands of leaders from Assemblies of God national fellowships throughout the world are gathering this week in Madrid for the Ninth World Assemblies of God Congress (WAGC). The <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://shineworldcongress2023.com/" target="_blank">WAGC</a> is the triennial gathering of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://worldagfellowship.org/" target="_blank">World Assemblies of God Fellowship (WAGF)</a>. While not a legislative or representative body, the WAGF serves as a means of fellowship and cooperation between sovereign Assemblies of God national movements throughout the world. <br /> <br /> The theme SHINE!, encourages leaders to rise in the midst of cultural darkness to let the glory of God shine through them. Central to the message of the event is the MM33 (His Mission Our Mandate, 2033) initiative. MM33 represents the collaborative effort of the World Assemblies of God to engage in the greatest work of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting the world has ever seen.<br /> <br /> Event organizer and general superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Spain, Juan Carlos Escobar, says, “It is a call to all leaders and workers of the Assemblies of God who are committed to the call of God to fulfill the mission. This leader’s gathering will cause a great spiritual impact which will initiate a new period in the history of the WAGF.”<br /> <br /> The triennial event was canceled in March 2020 during COVID lockdown, making this the first WAGC in six years. The WAGC features more than 40 speakers, many of whom are the national leaders of the Assemblies of God within their nation. More than 3,500 leaders from nations throughout the world have registered to attend.<br /> <br /> For the first time, the WAGC features both a Next Generation Congress intended to unite the next generation for evangelism and to address pressing issues affecting global youth.{01E4BA49-88A7-4EB2-8E80-7A944B000126}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Life-After-Death<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Life-After-Death-1400.jpg" alt="" />After a devastating tragedy prompted church planters in Missouri to relocate, it wasn't long before Gamal Gerges and his wife realized they were exactly where they were supposed to be. Thu, 12 Oct 2023 15:30:00 ZOne of the toughest pastoral situations 57-year-old Gamal B. Gerges has faced took place in July. A woman asked if he would talk with her husband in hopes the pastor could reconcile their marriage. <br /> <br /> Though initially resistant, the man finally agreed to meet with the pastor of <a href="www.hopearabicministries.com">Hope Arabic Church</a>. <br /> <br /> “During the trip to church I was wondering how that could be, but I prayed, ‘Lord, they have four children,’” Gerges says. “What is the future for their children without both of them? I can’t say what is going to happen, but You can do it.’”<br /> <br /> The ensuing conversation between pastor and congregants lasted for five hours, punctuated by raised voices and tears. But at the end Gamal and his wife, Amal, watched as the couple forgave each other.<br /> <br /> “Amazingly the Lord made it happen and they have a life together,” says Gerges, who started the mission of <a href="https://hbg1st.org/">Harrisburg First AG</a> in Pennsylvania in November of 2021. <br /> <br /> Its first service saw a dozen people. Today more than 50 attend Sunday evening services, plus 30 children and youth. Another dozen come to Hope’s Wednesday night Bible studies at <a href="https://clacamphill.com">Christian Life Assembly</a> in nearby Camp Hill. <br /> <br /> Hope Arabic has recorded about 10 conversions and baptized two members in 2022. Last November, its first Thanksgiving dinner attracted more than 150 people and this summer the congregation hosted three picnics.<br /> <br /> The church launched ESL classes last January. When the fall semester started in September, 59 students from 14 nationalities enrolled. Tutors come from Harrisburg First and other area churches.<br /> <br /> This fall Gerges also started the Arabic School of Ministry through the <a href="https://penndelsom.org/">PennDel District</a> at Christian Assembly, with 16 students enrolled in person and online. In addition to attendees from several states, a missionary from Jordan is completing his final courses in Arabic.<br /> <br /> It all adds up to a thriving ministry that is the latest example of Harrisburg First’s belief in missions, which includes supporting 100 missionaries and ministries worldwide.<br /> <br /> “Missions is the heartbeat of our church,” says Terry L. Lamer, 66, senior pastor since 2007. “We look at it as part of that. A lot of the world is coming to Harrisburg. There is definitely a need for this work. It’s not a struggle for people here to have them in the building. They’re excited about it.”<br /> <br /> Harrisburg First had the space for the mission after a Nepali congregation moved into its own quarters. But the full story of Hope Arabic Church spans a heartbreaking event: the death of a child.<br /> <br /> It happened in June of 2021 when the Gergeses were spending two months back in Egypt after finishing itineration as <a href="https://usmissions.ag.org/">U.S. missionaries</a> -- Gamal with the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://somoag.org/" target="_blank">Southern Missouri Ministry Network</a> and Amal with the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.nomoag.org/" target="_blank">Northern Missouri AG.</a> They have been in the U.S. since 2014, after Amal obtained a visa and they secured green cards to remain.<br /> <br /> In the summer of 2021, oldest daughter Martina, 26, stayed behind for three weeks to finish her degree at <a href="https://www.liberty.edu/">Liberty University</a>. When she flew into Cairo, her uncle volunteered to bring her back. An hour from the airport, they were hit by another car and died instantly.<br /> <br /> While the couple had been working to start a new work in St. Louis after several years working with <a href="https://heartland-ministries.org/about-us/">Heartland Christian Ministries</a> in Bethel, staying in Missouri proved too painful.<br /> <br /> “It was too hard to continue in the same place where Martina lived,” says Amal. “Our other two children decided they wanted to move too because there was too much grieving. We had a time of prayer and counseling with our missions and district leaders as we have a lot of contacts in Harrisburg from our country. We knew there are more than 12,000 Arabic speakers in the area who we can reach with the gospel.” <br /> <br /> Gamal has a long history with the AG dating back to 1998. It includes leading the Middle East Evangelical Theological Seminary, the region’s largest Pentecostal Bible school. That required periodic return trips to Egypt for five years after their move to Missouri so Gerges could hire directors for its six branches.<br /> <br /> Today, much of their financial support comes from Missouri. While they never imagined one day living in Pennsylvania, Gerges says PennDel leadership—Supt. Don Immel, Men’s Ministries Director Tom Rees, and presbyters and churches—have shown them overwhelming love and support. Gerges can see God’s process, which aligns with his ministry theme verse of Acts 20:24. <br /> <br /> “It was a very hard time for us,” he says of their 2021 transition. “But every day we discover we are here because the Lord sent us. It is sometimes the way the Lord guides us. It’s hard for us, but He redirects and guides our lives. Maybe through tears and broken hearts, but He directed us here for such a time.” <br />{C6FD0EDC-DDA8-42AC-AE36-7F918E89D96F}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/This-Week-in-AG-History-Oct-14-1973<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Crabtree_TW_2023_1400.jpg" alt="" />Charles T. Crabtree invested his life in ministry — teaming with his wife, Ramona, as a ministry partner and going on to being elected assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God.Thu, 12 Oct 2023 12:00:00 ZCharles Talmage Crabtree (1937-2020) wore many hats of ministry during his lifetime. He was a preacher’s kid, a pastor, evangelist, director of the Decade of Harvest, assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God, and president of Zion Bible College (now <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://northpoint.edu/" target="_blank">Northpoint Bible College</a>). He is also remembered for his powerfully anointed preaching, his sterling reputation, and his unforgettable sense of humor.<br /> <br /> Charles Crabtree possessed a solid Pentecostal pedigree. His father, Clifford Crabtree, was converted in an Aimee Semple McPherson meeting in the early 1920s. Clifford honed his preaching skills in Georgia and became an assistant pastor, earning a dollar a week. Later he went to Canada where he led a series of historic revivals. During his long career as a minister, he was associated with Rufus Moseley, Oral Roberts, Kathryn Kuhlman, and British evangelist Smith Wigglesworth.<br /> <br /> Charles Crabtree, one of four children, was born on Oct. 20, 1937, to Clifford and Helen Crabtree in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He was raised in Bangor, Maine, where his father served as a pastor. After graduating from high school, he attended Central Bible Institute in Springfield, Missouri, where he received theological training and met his wife, Ramona Hudgins, who was attending Evangel College (now <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.evangel.edu" target="_blank">Evangel University</a>) in Springfield.<br /> <br /> Charles and Ramona were married on Nov. 1, 1958, and they formed a capable ministry team. Charles excelled at preaching, and Ramona was a talented pianist. They first served as associate pastors and traveling evangelists. They later served as lead pastors of First Assembly of God, Des Moines, Iowa (1963-1974) and Bethel Church, San Jose, California (1974-1988). In addition, Charles was the national director for the Assemblies of God’s Decade of Harvest (1988-1993), assistant general superintendent of the Assemblies of God (1993-2007), and president of Zion Bible College (2007-2013) prior to his retirement in 2013.<br /> <br /> During his retirement years, Charles enjoyed preaching, writing, traveling, and spending time with his family. He and Ramona, traveled extensively around the globe speaking at various events. Crabtree authored eight books on subjects in theology, pastoral ministry, church development, and discipleship. Interspersed with his preaching and in his daily life, Crabtree often would share a few timely jokes. He also could do an amazing voice impersonation of <em>Revivaltime</em> speaker C.M. Ward.<br /> <br /> Fifty years ago, at the 35th General Council, held in Miami Beach, Florida, Crabtree preached a rousing message at the “Call to America” rally at the Friday night service. He exhorted the listeners to “Look across America tonight and you will observe brokenness — broken relationships, broken hearts, broken bodies — but the Spirit of the Lord is upon us and has anointed us to make men whole.” He continued by saying, “If we are to call America to Christ, they must see Christ in us.” He closed out the message by saying, “Let’s call America to Christ. It's the best news she’ll ever hear.”<br /> <br /> Read Charles Crabtree’s sermon, “Calling America to Christ,” on page 3 of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1972-1974/10-14-1973.pdf#Page3" target="_blank">Oct. 14, 1973, issue</a> of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>.<br /> <br /> Also featured in this issue:<br /> <br /> • “New Spiritual Vitality Encouraged” (Report of the Spiritual Life Committee)<br /> <br /> • “Increasing in the Knowledge of God,” by George Holmes<br /> <br /> • “A Call to America,” by Joe D. Wilmoth<br /> <br /> And many more!<br /> <br /> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1972-1974/10-14-1973.pdf#Page3" target="_blank">Click here to read this issue now</a>.<br /> <br /> <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em> archived editions courtesy of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ifphc.org" target="_blank">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center</a>.{761B1AB3-3D52-4BB9-8C0D-C6BB96244247}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Viva-Church-Creates-Community-for-Seniors<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Viva-Church-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />Fueled by personal experience, a Florida pastor and his sister are leading their church in launching a new ministry aimed at providing community to senior citizens. Wed, 11 Oct 2023 12:00:00 ZNestled in the heart of Orlando, Florida, Viva Church serves a diverse demographic and is expanding its outreach once again to resource a large population in their community. <br /> <br /> Viva Church is finalizing a permit with the county to launch an adult daycare for senior citizens, a need that they have seen grow in recent years. <br /> <br /> “Florida is the retirement capital, and we have a lot of boomers starting to retire,” says Abner Adorno, lead and founding pastor of <a href="https://vivachurch.org/">Viva Church</a> and district superintendent of the <a href="https://fmdag.org/">Florida Multicultural District </a>. <br /> <br /> “This group still wants their independence so they are either living alone, often very isolated, or they are living with adult children who are balancing careers, young families, and then adding the care of their parents,” he says. <br /> <br /> “It becomes a lot to balance, especially when you want to help keep them active so they stay mentally and physically fit,” says Bertis Negron, sister to Abner Adorno. <br /> <br /> A few years ago, Adorno’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He and his sister slowly became aware of the struggles facing adults that find themselves becoming caregivers to elderly parents. <br /> <br /> “We knew mom needed to spend time with people her own age and stay mentally stimulated throughout the day,” Negron says. <br /> <br /> Negron, who had retired from her 36-year career at the sheriff’s office where she had worked primarily with an older demographic, gained an understanding of the need for seniors to feel that they had a community to which they belonged. This is exactly what Viva Village hopes to accomplish. <br /> <br /> Viva Church purchased a five-acre property behind the church which came with a 3,500sq foot home and a pool. Although renovations had to be made to allow for ramps to be installed and enhanced privacy and safety features, the at-home atmosphere remains.<br /> <br /> “We wanted it to look like a home, not an institution,” Adorno states. “We also wanted to be able to accommodate many of the activities that seniors would want to engage in at home such as a tv room, a reading area, a garden for them to grow herbs and vegetables, and an outdoor area to relax and enjoy the scenery,” he says. <br /> <br /> Viva Church has teamed up with several community partners as well. These partnerships will allow for enhanced community accessibility. Medical professionals are providing a vehicle for transportation of clients to and from doctor appointments, a local gym has offered free memberships with transportation to and from the gym, and there are plans to have on-site medical care as needed. <br /> <br /> With less than six months from the grand opening, Adorno, Negron, and the congregation of Viva Church are finally seeing a dream that they have had for a long time come to fruition. <br /> <br /> “We have already had upwards of 60 people show an interest in the program and we are optimistic that we will be at that capacity within our first quarter of operation,” Adorno states. <br /> <br /> Other things that Viva Village plans to offer are health classes, movie day, trivia day, charades, water aerobics, and educational classes for caregivers. Additionally, clients will be invited to be part of a weekly service at Viva Church called “the Classics,” which is a traditional style of service specifically catering to seniors. <br /> <br /> Adorno also understands the value in multigenerational relationships. <a href="https://lwaorlando.com/">Living Word Academy</a> is a school, kindergarten through high school, that is run by Viva Church. Both he and Negron see an opportunity for unique relationships to build between the children in the school and the clients at Viva Village. <br /> <br /> “We would love to have the kids come over for holidays or special occasions to sing or do another activity with the seniors,” Negron says. “Building multigenerational relationships would be a benefit for everyone,” she states. <br /> <br /> Both Adorno and Negron feel that the entire project has been God-ordained. Through dreams birthed in their hearts to doors that were opened along the way, the brother and sister duo state that they hope this Viva Village home becomes a life-giving center for both seniors and their adult children alike. <br /> <br /> Adorno and Negron’s mother passed away in September 2023 but her legacy lives on in the ministry of her children. <br /> <br /> “Through her passing,” Negron states, “I feel that my drive for this project has been fueled and the special place in my heart for our elderly population has grown.” <br /><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Viva-Church-2023/Viva-Church_Car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Viva-Church-2023/Viva-Church_Car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Viva-Church-2023/Viva-Church_Car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{189DA11B-1CAA-4109-A5F5-806B7A02CCBA}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/A-Vision-for-Sending<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/Influence/2023-1400x490/Leadership-Profile-F23-Easter_1400.jpg" alt="" />Introducing John L. Easter, AGWM's new executive directorTue, 10 Oct 2023 11:00:00 Z<p>In his early 30s, John L. Easter had his life’s goals mapped out.<br /> <br /> Easter already had a bachelor’s degree from Central Bible College (CBC) and a master’s degree from Reformed Theological Seminary, and he had been accepted into a doctoral program. With nearly a decade of experience in pastoral ministry, Easter was preparing for a career in academia, perhaps as a seminary professor.<br /> <br /> However, a conversation with his mentor, Assemblies of God missionary John V. York, altered Easter’s vocational trajectory.<br /> <br /> At the Fellowship’s Celebration 2000 gathering of global leaders in Indianapolis, York introduced Easter to Lazarus Chakwera, then superintendent of the Malawi Assemblies of God (and since 2020, president of the African nation). Chakwera invited Easter to move to Malawi.<br /> <br /> York, who served for many years in Africa, asked Easter to pray about becoming an AG world missionary. A visionary leader who kept working even as he struggled with leukemia, York implored Easter to start a master of arts program that would equip African ministry leaders planting churches in difficult areas.<br /> <br /> Missionary service had never been on Easter’s radar, even though the Texas native felt a call to ministry at age 8 while attending a children’s camp. Yet Easter ended up moving to Africa and staying more than 20 years, contributing significantly to the theological advancement of African ministry leaders.<br /> <br /> On Oct. 1, Easter begins his duties as Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) executive director, succeeding the retiring <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/Committed-to-the-Mission" target="_blank">Gregory M. Mundis</a>. Delegates <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/General-Council-Business-Opens-with-Several-Elections" target="_blank">elected</a> Easter to the position this past August during <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/Events/Events-Archive/60th-GC" target="_blank">General Council</a> in Columbus, Ohio.</p> <p>Despite his 180-degree turn to become a missionary, Easter has been a theologian throughout his ministry career. The deep thinker started the intercultural studies master of arts program at All Nations Theological Seminary in Lilongwe, Malawi. For a decade, Easter also served as executive director of the Association for Pentecostal Theological Education in Africa.<br /> <br /> Easter worked as executive director of Africa’s Hope, an organization that supports educational initiatives within 46 countries on the continent through 380-plus schools equipping more than 23,000 students annually. In 2021, Easter became director of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://agwm.org/en/" target="_blank">AGWM’s</a> newly created Partnership Development.<br /> <br /> Easter and his wife, Cheryl, have known each other since fifth grade. The high school sweethearts wed soon after graduating.<br /> <br /> Obtaining his ministerial credentials through the North Texas District, Easter spent four years serving as youth pastor at First Assembly of God in Nacogdoches. On Friday and Saturday nights, he led evangelistic “Jesus Brigades” outreaches on city streets.<br /> <br /> Bivocational during those years, Easter worked shifts as a fiberglass products spooler at the local Johns Manville plant. On the factory floor, he prayed with many troubled employees, several of whom accepted Jesus as Savior.<br /> <br /> In 1992, Easter enrolled at CBC in Springfield, Missouri.<br /> <br /> “I started learning what was important before I went to Bible school,” Easter says. “So when I went to Bible school, I actually knew what questions to ask.”<br /> <br /> After graduating from CBC, Easter served as lead pastor of Jackson First Assembly in Mississippi for five years while working on his master’s degree. The pastoral experience helped prepare Easter for his educational work in Africa.<br /> <br /> During Easter’s time in Malawi, he worked with African pastors and church planters, as well as U.S. missionaries. God fulfilled his desire to influence young ministers.<br /> <br /> On York’s advice, Easter completed his Ph.D. at Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield.<br /> <br /> “Our U.S. missionaries learned side by side with these emerging African leaders,” Easter says. “The close relationships in strategic planning for the future changed the dynamics of ministry.”<br /> <br /> During Easter’s tenure, there was dramatic growth in congregation numbers and seminary enrollment, both in Malawi and across Africa. The partnership between African churches and AG world missionaries helped expand the number of theological institutions on the continent from 69 to 382.<br /> <br /> “It was critical to bring behind this growth a structure to create quality, Spirit-empowered, biblically trained leaders,” Easter says. “Schools took the training to where we did not have churches. People in existing churches moved to a new environment where there had been resistance.”<br /> <br /> Leadership development is now the focus of many African educators, with church planting a priority. Once a congregation begins to mature, some members can relocate to places where the gospel has never gained a foothold.<br /> <br /> At Africa’s Hope, Easter concentrated on resource development, including designing training curriculum, overseeing translation work in 17 languages, and helping national churches develop a strategic plan for training.<br /> <br /> Easter’s Partnership Development role for AGWM has involved staying engaged with the sending base — congregants in AG churches across the U.S. He expects that will remain a focus in his new role.<br /> <br /> “We need to increase the missionary sending capacity of the local church,” Easter says. “Missionaries don’t fall out of the sky. They are nurtured within the community of faith. Congregations participate by praying, giving, and releasing their sons and daughters to establish the Church among all peoples everywhere.”<br /> <br /> Easter is optimistic the number of AG world missionaries can exceed the current 2,640.<br /> <br /> “Local churches are the seedbed where new generations of young people respond to the call of God to be missionaries,” Easter says. “The local church is the lifeblood making it possible. Giving and praying are the backbone of what we do.”<br /> <br /> Advancing to new regions with the gospel is another priority for Easter. Even with the growth of Christianity in Africa, for example, there are still 867 unreached people groups in sub-Sahara nations.<br /> <br /> Mundis says Easter is well qualified to succeed him. He lauds Easter’s missiologist bent, noting his unifying missionaries and training Bible school leaders in Africa.<br /> <br /> “John is a gifted communicator who will bring an increased dimension of creativity to the office,” Mundis says. “He is humble, and a presence of integrity is evident in his personal and public life.”<br /> <br /> Supporting and encouraging missionaries on the field will be another significant cause for Easter. He and Cheryl raised three sons (Kevin, John-John, and Mitchell) in Africa and understand the challenges of missionary family life.<br /> <br /> “We learned how precious the missionary family is, and we want to ensure that they feel supported, valued and loved,” Easter says. “We want to strengthen their arms, remove hindrances, and release them to focus their time and energy to do the work of ministry.”</p>{E18AD0D0-A723-4E83-BD92-18A095DBC729}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Convoy-of-Hope-Dedicates-New-Global-Headquarters<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Convoy-Dedication-1400-x-490-copy.jpg" alt="" />Convoy of Hope recently dedicated its new 200,000-square-foot Global Headquarters and Training Center.Tue, 10 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://convoyofhope.org" target="_blank">Convoy of Hope</a> held an official dedication for its new Global Headquarters & Training Center on Thursday. Along with Convoy’s World Distribution Center, the new building sits on 240 acres just west of Springfield, Missouri, and consolidates Convoy’s three former Springfield-area locations into one.<br /> <br /> "Today, we look back over these 30 years with gratitude for all that God has done,” said Convoy of Hope President Hal Donaldson. “But we believe that the best is yet to come. It’s only the beginning.”<br /> <br /> The ceremony was attended by Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, among other local, state, and global dignitaries.<br /> <br /> "The outreach they have is second to none in what they are doing to change lives around the world,” Parson said of Convoy. “It is an honor as the 57th governor to support this venture and do everything I can to help.”<br /> <br /> The recently completed Global Headquarters & Training Center is 200,000 square feet consisting of three floors that houses Convoy’s U.S.-based team members. The building includes an atrium, office spaces, an auditorium, and 40,000 square feet of space for future expansion.<br /> <br /> Through fundraising efforts aimed specifically at the building campaign, no general fund dollars were spent on either the Global Headquarters & Training Center or World Distribution Center. <br /> <br /> Convoy of Hope employs more than 500 people, most of whom work out of the Springfield-based offices. In 2021, Convoy distributed more than 117 million pounds of food, water, and supplies to people in need.<div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/COH-2023/COH_car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/COH-2023/COH-car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div></div>{F360DAAB-1FFE-452D-AFE1-AE4631EFBEB2}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Church-s-Repurposing-of-Historic-School-Gains-Community-s-Attention-Appreciation<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Crosspoint-Waverly_1400.jpg" alt="" />When Crosspoint Church in Waverly, Iowa, decided to purchase the town's old school for its new home, the community was more than pleased.Mon, 09 Oct 2023 18:00:00 Z<p>It was a 100-year-old, three-story, 63,000-square-foot former junior high school that investors were considering turning into low-income housing. The proposition seemed questionable as the old school needed multiple major repairs and upgrades. Also, for many of the residents of Waverly, Iowa, it was down those very school halls they had once walked — along with their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents . . . <br /> <br /> The historic and sentimental value of the school was priceless. To many members of the community, housing didn’t seem like the right answer and there was a growing uneasiness concerning the school’s future. <br /> <br /> <strong>CROSSPOINT CHURCH</strong><br /> <br /> When Jonathan Barthalow and his wife, Erica, became the first pastors of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crosspointwaverly.com/" target="_blank">Crosspoint Church</a>, which began as a group of families meeting together, the church experienced steady and strong growth, quickly transitioning from a house church to a strip mall location. <br /> <br /> “We were a PAC (parent affiliated church) through Berean Assembly in Des Moines,” Jonathan says. “The goal was to be an autonomous church within a year (by April 2015), which we achieved.”<br /> <br /> In 2017, now averaging 350 in attendance, Crosspoint Church stunned the community when it stepped forward with an offer to buy the school building from the investors for its new home. It was as if the community let out a collective sigh of relief.<br /> <br /> “The good will and publicity we received were amazing,” Jonathan says. “People were talking about it everywhere, the local newspaper came out, the Waterloo newspaper did a story, and KWWL television came and did two or three stories.”<br /> <br /> In a community of 10,000, it doesn’t take long for big news to spread. Within a year of the announcement, the church was averaging 475, with appreciation for what was being done to repurpose the school striking a deep and favorable cord with city leaders and the community in general.<br /> <br /> And with that favor, even with the COVID-year hiccup, Crosspoint has continued to grow, now averaging nearly 600 each Sunday.<br /> <br /> “When we first purchased the building, it seemed enormous,” Jonathan says, “but now there are very few rooms not utilized — it’s a 100-year-old historic building turned into a beautiful place of worship.”<br /> <br /> <strong>MUSIC TO MY EARS</strong><br /> <br /> Although the school was and still is big news for Waverly, the church began a unique program originally designed to bring up more worship leaders in the church.<br /> <br /> “A year ago, we started <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.crosspointwaverly.com/soa" target="_blank">Crosspoint School of Arts</a>,” Jonathan says. “But as we were originally exploring its launch for the church, we found that there was a lot of community interest in music as well. So, today we have 150 students — 50% from the church, 50% from the community — taking vocal or musical instrument lessons, with students ranging in ages from preschoolers to those well into retirement years.”<br /> <br /> Headed by Crosspoint’s creative arts pastor, Fisher Woodley, the school has already begun providing a steady stream of worship team members for the kids, youth, and adult worship services, while also helping community members pursue their musical dreams.<br /> <br /> “There are a lot of amazing things about the school,” Woodley says. “It’s ignited a passion in some and reignited a passion for music in others. It’s also bringing the community into the church, opening the doors, and making it more accessible. I’ve definitely seen people come to the church who haven’t before because their kids are in lessons.”<br /> <br /> “The primary purpose of the school is providing vocal and musical lessons,” Jonathan says, “but it’s also another key point of contact with the community.”<br /> <br /> Woodley notes that along with teaching everything from the banjo and ukulele to the piano and more traditional band instruments, the school has led to the Crosspoint children’s church now having its first-ever worship team made up of other children.<br /> <br /> “Another really cool side product is that the school is bringing the community churches together,” Woodley says. “We have 20 instructors who span five different churches.”<br /> <strong><br /> CHILDREN’S VIEW</strong><br /> <br /> “After 18 ½ years of teaching at the University of Valley Forge, I finished teaching my last class in December 2019 and three days later we were unloading our furniture in Waverly.”<br /> <br /> In a nutshell, that’s how one of the most well-known and highly regarded children’s pastors in the Assemblies of God came to join the staff of Crosspoint Church. Dick Gruber says it was a friend who gave pastor Jonathan a copy of his resumé that got the conversation started during the 2019 General Council, which ultimately led to him joining the Crosspoint staff.<br /> <br /> Gruber, known for wearing red high-top Converse canvas tennis shoes on every occasion, says he’s seen the community respond strongly in a positive manner to church outreaches and initiatives.<br /> <br /> “I’ve personally given dozens of tours of the church to people over the last three years – many who’ve said they used to attend the school and want to see what we’ve done,” he says. “Even our chamber of commerce president brings visiting chamber of commerce people over here and asks us to give them a tour of the building – everyone has loved what we have done with it.”<br /> <br /> Currently Gruber says more than 100 kids are in the church’s children’s program on a weekly basis along with 40 volunteers. He then makes a key point, which reflects directly on the health and giving/servanthood mentality of the church.<br /> <br /> “We have a total of 130 people who volunteer on a rotating basis in the children’s areas,” he says. “In fact, last summer during our VBS, we had 150 kids attend and 128 volunteers — that’s just incredible! The Lord has just blessed us (with volunteers).” <br /> <br /> Gruber, who isn’t shy about teaching kids about the Holy Spirit, says he sees the same thing in the youth area, led by pastor Madison Metcalf.<br /> <br /> “She’s dynamite,” he says. “I’m excited about promoting kids into youth group – she’s full of the Holy Spirit and passes that passion on to the kids. She started in 2020 with 50 to 60 kids in youth and they’re now running a solid 150-160.<br /> <br /> “I tell you what,” adds Gruber, in what certainly echoes others’ thoughts concerning Crosspoint, “I’m glad I’m here.”<br /> <br /> <strong>SISTERHOOD</strong><br /> <br /> Erica Barthalow leads the women’s ministry at Crosspoint Church. Yet, what sets her apart and helps her connect with women in the church and community began decades ago when she and Jonathan were missionaries to India.<br /> <br /> In brief, her experiences have enabled her to empathize with women who feel isolated, lost, whose faith is being challenged to the breaking point, or who may even feel their life is at a breaking point.<br /> <br /> “I was in this place (a mountainside in India) trying to be obedient to God and I felt abandoned by Him,” she admits. “But (through counseling) I found that even in the times it seems like He’s the most absent, He’s really there working things for good . . ., before that, I had a pretty limited and immature view of Him.”<br /> <br /> However, now at Crosspoint, Erica says she’s seeing God working in lives regularly.<br /> <br /> “Every week we hear amazing stories from the next generation — kids that love coming to church and telling their friends at school about Jesus,” she says. “And I really see a deep hunger for more of the Lord in the women of the church. We have Sisterhood small groups that meet throughout the year, with around 80 women involved on a regular basis.”<br /> <br /> Erica believes that God placed people in her life who helped her make it through the difficult times in India. Today, through her life and the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ericabarthalow.com/book" target="_blank">books</a> she writes, she’s allowing God to use her as a person He can place in the lives of others facing difficult challenges. <br /> <strong><br /> VIEW FROM THE PEW</strong><br /> <br /> Pastors are permitted to be excited about their staff and church, but one of the original founding members of the Crosspoint Church, Clint Whitcome, brings his own view to the table.<br /> <br /> “Waverly was a community desperate for a healthy presentation and representation of the gospel,” he says. “People wanted something authentic, that didn’t shift with the culture, that stands firm in God’s Word . . . and that’s what Crosspoint provides.”<br /> <br /> Whitcome, who sees a powerful vitality in the congregation, with people loving people and a focus on bringing up the next generation of leaders, says that simply reflects leadership.<br /> <br /> “We have an incredible pastoral team here,” Whitcome says. “Pastor Jonathan is incredible at building teams; Lovensky Levasseur, our worship pastor, is amazing. Pastor Madison, who was highly coveted by Fortune 100 companies coming out of college, is a gifted communicator with wisdom far beyond her years — and she is our youth pastor. Our associate pastor (Dan Pattengill), PG (Gruber), and creative arts pastor (Woodley) . . . I can’t imagine a stronger staff. God has brought the right people onto the team at the right time. Every one of them is top of the line — they love God and produce fruits and I believe God has blessed us because of that.”<br /> <br /> Whitcome, however, reserves his highest praise for the Barthalows.<br /> <br /> “Erica is a woman after God’s heart. And Jonathan . . .,” Whitcome pauses. “I work for a Fortune 300 firm, and I’ve never had such a leader. My strongest year of leadership and spiritual development came under his leadership. Sometimes I ask myself, <em>How does he have knowledge on that topic?</em> Clearly he has a blessing of wisdom from God — he’s one of the wisest men I’ve ever met.”<br /> <br /> <strong>FUTURE</strong><br /> <br /> Today, the once abandoned, but beloved, historic school is nearly totally renovated and teems with new life and the presence of God.<br /> <br /> And with leaders who have a passion for God’s Word, who openly pursue the Holy Spirit, who welcome the working of the Spirit in their own lives and within the lives of the congregation, <em>and</em> a community that enjoys the church’s embrace, as Erica notes — “we just have to stay out of the Lord’s way.”</p> <p> </p> <div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Crosspoint-Waverly/Crosspoint-Waverly_slide1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Crosspoint-Waverly/Crosspoint-Waverly_slide2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Crosspoint-Waverly/Crosspoint-Waverly_slide3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{96A640A8-6DEE-4E15-98F6-CC073078DB4E}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/National-Black-Fellowship-Issues-Mandate-for-Life<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/National-Black-Felloweship-1400.jpg" alt="" />With almost half of all abortions in the United States ending the life of Black babies, the National Black Fellowship has declared a mandate to save its most vulnerable.Mon, 09 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>Mandate for Life, recently introduced by the <a href="nfb.ag.org">National Black Fellowship</a> (NBF), is aimed at slashing the high rate of abortions among Black American women.<br /> <br /> The new initiative, unveiled in April 2023 at the Choose Life Forum in Milwaukee at the <a href="embassycentermke.org">Embassy Center MKE</a> church, is gaining momentum, reports <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/Executive-Presbytery" target="_blank">Walter Harvey</a>, NBF president and ethnic fellowship executive presbyter.<br /> <br /> “Aborting the unborn is a serious pain point for urban Black communities, nationwide,” Harvey, 63, observes.<br /> <br /> Since the Roe v. Wade U.S. Supreme Court decision more than 50 years ago, almost 40% of all abortions in America have been in the Black community, resulting in erasing the lives and destinies of an estimated 23 million Black babies. Sadly, this same trend drags on.<br /> <br /> The NBF’s 260 congregations (over 50% Black) seek to transform their communities by developing and deploying African American leaders to plant and revitalize churches to advance biblical justice and restore families.<br /> <br /> The Fellowship has formed partnerships to assist pastors in organizing programs.</p> <p>Arnold M. Culbreath, an activist in the life movement for several decades, speaks at NBF conferences and meetings and led a Q&A session with his wife, Barbara, at the 2023 Choose Life Forum. The couple will speak next year at NBF’s REACH Conference in Atlanta on July 15-17.</p> <p>Culbreath serves as director of ministry engagement with the <a href="dlinstitute.org">Douglass Leadership Institute</a>, president/founder of Breath of Life, LLC, and Barnabas-in-Residence pastor at <a href="peopleschurch.co">Peoples Church</a> in Cincinnati, Ohio.<br /> <br /> Culbreath advocates a whole life and abundant life approach (womb to tomb) in confronting the abortion crisis. This means covering a range of issues - Godly abstinence for singles, pregnancy counseling and support, motherhood, and fatherhood responsibilities, keeping the family together, adoption assistance, and post abortion healing.<br /> <br /> He refuses to sugar-coat abortion politics. “A nation that legalizes the sin of killing preborn life in the womb has made a covenant with death,” he says.<br /> <br /> The NBF also supports urban black churches in establishing life centers to address the needs of women both before and after unplanned pregnancies.<br /> <br /> <a href="chicagocitylifecenter.org">Chicago City Life Center</a>, a church located in Englewood, one of the Windy City’s most dangerous neighborhoods, is preparing to launch the South Side Life House for women. Charles Moodie, lead pastor, says God is already opening doors for this bold but vital project.<br /> <br /> “We want to offer a resource to give pregnant women the many options they need to save their babies,” Moodie, 44, says. “Newborns die in our neighborhood at three times the national rate.”<br /> <br /> Plans call for renovating a vacant 14,000-square foot building on the church’s 2.5-acre property. The center will focus on women in their 20s who may already have children but cannot afford to care for a new child. Many are homeless and desperate for housing.<br /> <br /> Moodie recalls a heart-wrenching visit with an unmarried young woman who had previously attended City Life as a youngster. She admitted her conflict with aborting or saving her unborn child. With two children and no room for another one, she aborted her baby. Family members exerted undue pressure, calling her dumb and selfish to keep the child to term.<br /> <br /> After meeting the woman months later, Moodie learned that she would have kept the baby if housing had been available. This sad outcome prompted his faith journey to act.<br /> <br /> The new center will offer apartments for up to three years for resident women. Moodie is currently raising funds from private donors, churches, and foundations. The renovations will cost an estimated $7 million. “We are committed to changing our neighborhood one life at a time,” he says.<br /> <br /> <a href="trinitychapellifecenter.org">Trinity Chapel Life Center</a> in Compton, California, has offered pregnancy resource services since 1993.<br /> <br /> “Long ago, God instilled in my late father, Edward Robinson Sr., and former pastor, the vision to serve outside the four walls of our church,” says Edward T. Robinson Jr., 54, senior pastor.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.graceelliottcenter.org/">Grace Elliot Center</a>, an official outreach ministry of Trinity and named after its founder, is headed by Tiffany Marshall, executive director, and serves a diverse mix of multiethnic clients.<br /> <br /> Most unmarried younger single mothers who face unplanned pregnancies feel abortion is their only option because they cannot financially support a new child.<br /> <br /> For example, diapers are expensive at up to $100 a month. Cans of infant formula can cost $50 to $75 a month. And food stamps are off limits for diapers.<br /> <br /> Grace Elliott partners with the <a href="ObriaLA.org">Obria Medical Clinics</a> Los Angeles, which provides a nurse practitioner and technicians to service and operate the ultrasound equipment.<br /> <br /> Besides pregnancy counseling and support services, Grace Elliott ministers to women with love and mercy, prayer and sharing the gospel. “On average, our partnering with Obria saves about 80 babies annually,” Marshall estimates.<br /> <br /> The NBF intends to keep energizing all AG churches in preventing abortions in their communities. “It is not a political issue,” Harvey stresses. “It’s a biblical issue that goes back to God, the author of life, and we firmly believe in the sanctity of all human life.”</p> <div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/National-Black-Fellowship-2023/National-Black-Fellowship_car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/National-Black-Fellowship-2023/National-Black-Fellowship_Car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/National-Black-Fellowship-2023/National-Black-Fellowship_Car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{DCD88F35-1A98-483F-99F4-682829CD307C}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Pray-for-Israel<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2022-Article-Images/1400/Israel-flag_1400.jpg" alt="" />General Superintendent Doug Clay calls for prayer in light of the tragic events unfolding in Israel.Mon, 09 Oct 2023 20:00:00 Z<p>General Superintendent Doug Clay has issued the following statement regarding the tragic attack on the people of Israel:<br /> <br /> “The images of terror, kidnappings, hostage-taking, and war have shaken our hearts to pray even more for the peace of Jerusalem and the surrounding region. <br /> <br /> Terrorism must be condemned wherever it stands. <br /> <br /> The scope of the national tragedy Israel has faced over the past few days is incomprehensible. <br /> <br /> As David said in Psalm 122, 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.' <br /> <br /> Pray with me for hostages to be released, for protection and comfort for those facing terror, for peace to be established, and for the grace of God to be made known.”</p> <p>AG World Missions (AGWM) reports that all personnel are safe. Please visit the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.facebook.com/AGWorldMissions" target="_blank">AGWM Facebook</a> page for ongoing updates.</p>{C4BE5CEE-705E-4644-8B9D-201A438B145A}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/From-Italy-to-the-Ozarks<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/From-Italy-to-Ozarks-1400.jpg" alt="" />From across the Atlantic, one Chi Alpha group experienced missions on their own campus. Fri, 06 Oct 2023 14:00:00 Z<p>For Chi Alpha students at the University of Arkansas, traveling abroad on short-term mission is a commonplace one-way exchange. But this year for the first time, an international student missionary team came to them. <br /> <br /> When Arkansas Chi Alpha staff pastor <a href="https://giving.ag.org/donate/700001-295751">W. Justin Overton</a> led an outreach team last year to northeast Italy, he invited the Italians to visit their campus. Six students from the Italian university took him up on the offer. <br /> <br /> Led by AGWM missionary to Italy <a href="https://agwm.org/redirect_to_missionary_page/2928174/Denton/">Kurtis W. Denton</a>, five Italian students, along with Denton’s university-age daughter, Ariana, came mid-August to minister on the Fayetteville, Arkansas, campus. <br /> <br /> The 13-day mission of the University of Padova (Padua) student team in Fayetteville overlapped with Welcome Week, the University of Arkansas’ launch of the 2023-24 school year as students returning to campus were joined by more than 6,000 incoming freshmen. <br /> <br /> The big welcome coincided with sorority rush week. <br /> <br /> "Swarms of girls who looked the same and dressed the same were doing activities together,” says Denton, 47. Denton notes that European universities don’t have such social organizations. “For (the Italian students) it was like walking into a film. They’d only seen this in movies.” <br /> <br /> Indeed, Overton, 35, knew from his own team’s visit to Padova that the Italians would be in for a culture shock. Of Italy’s 58.9 million people, only around <a href="https://operationworld.org/locations/italy/">650,000 are evangelical</a> so they’re accustomed to being outnumbered.<br /> <br /> “Nearly always they’re the only one in their schools,” Denton says. In contrast, evangelicals abound at the University of Arkansas. Chi Alpha is but one of an array of evangelical church and parachurch organizations. <br /> <br /> “For our students to see such a large group of students who were believers was very encouraging for them,” Denton says of the Italians.<br /> <br /> Some outreach methods won’t transfer to that part of Europe partly because of infrastructure. While 32,000 students live in or near the University of Arkansas Fayetteville campus, composing a third of the city’s population, the University of Padova’s buildings and 77,000 students are spread throughout metro Padova, which has 700,000 people. <br /> <br /> Denton notes that Italy’s evangelicals are conservative. Evangelicals there don’t get tattoos; pastors never preach in jeans and T-shirts. Women cover their heads in church. Italian churches don’t have flashing lights or fog machines.<br /> <br /> When the Arkansas team ministered in Italy last summer, the U.S. students respected the differences. Before the group left for Italy, one guy with long hair told Overton that he would get a haircut to avoid offending the Italians.<br /> <br /> They work hard and take their faith seriously. Because schools and many jobs in Italy follow six-day work weeks, their faith costs them their one free day. Spending Sundays in church means they can’t play sports.<br /> <br /> Under the Italian dictator Mussolini in the 1920s and continuing until the early 1950s, Pentecostal churches were underground. Police carried out raids on churches, confiscating Bibles and hauling pastors and believers alike to prison. <br /> <br /> While government persecution ended midway through the 20th century, today’s persecution is social. Denton says his Assemblies of God church tried to buy a shopping center that had been abandoned for 20 years but the owner wouldn’t sell to them because of their faith.<br /> <br /> During the Italians’ mission to Arkansas, the Chi Alpha students from both sides of the ocean helped with student move-ins to their dorms. Outreach activities such as a luau, volleyball, cornhole, and midnight glow-in-the-dark capture the flag games included Italian students sharing their testimonies in English. Each Italian partnered with an Arkansas Chi Alpha student leader as they hosted the semester’s first small groups. <br /> <br /> The campus Chi Alpha house turned into a giant escape room themed as a New York City Italian restaurant. The Italians gave lessons on how to speak with hand gestures. <br /> <br /> Overton says the trip aimed to impart Italians with a heart and vision to reach a university campus for Christ. To that end, the students experienced what US university ministry looks like, all the while understanding that outreach may not look the same in Italy.<br /> <br /> “The goal is to establish disciple-making students who will go back and hopefully disciple students,” he says. <br /> <br /> The Italians brought many strengths to Arkansas. “We were amazed by their culture of community. The Italian church is just a close community of believers,” Overton says. “They truly live life together. We wanted them to come and bring that culture of community to our ministry. We want to see that at the University of Arkansas.” <br /> <br /> Young Italian evangelicals aren’t embarrassed about their faith, Denton says. “They’re willing to step out and talk to people about Jesus.”<br /> <br /> Overton notes that the Italian church knows how to pray. While Chi Alpha always goes on a prayer walk before Welcome Week, “We asked the Italian team to lead out on that,” he says. “We wanted to get as much of their incredible culture of prayer as possible.” <br /> <br /> Additionally, Chi Alpha’s leaders asked the Italians to lead them in corporate prayer. Several Italians also led devotionals and all shared their testimonies publicly.</p> <p>For the Italians and Arkansans alike, the trip helped develop a sense of global Christian community. <br /> <br /> “The team has already seen our reality in Italy,” Denton says. “I think they’ll have a lot more people applying to go to Italy next year.”</p>{53D626A6-A63B-473D-8AA9-0E72BA4F00E3}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/This-Week-in-AG-History--Oct-8-1927<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/1400x490/AGname_1400.jpg" alt="" />When the Assemblies of God didn't become the Pentecostal Evangelical Church.Thu, 05 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>At the 1927 General Council, the Assemblies of God considered a possible name change as one of two hot topics covered on the Council floor. Delegates also considered and adopted the formal constitution and bylaws of the Assemblies of God (which included several minor changes to the Statement of Fundamental Truths).</p> <p>The Oct. 8, 1927, issue of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em> includes lively discussion of the reasons for a name change and, whether the AG was a denomination. Two years earlier, the 1925 General Council had rejected a proposed constitution and bylaws. A Revision Committee was formed to craft changes that would be more acceptable. In the process of making revisions, this committee explored the possibility of a new name.</p> <p>J. Narver Gortner, the chairman of the committee, reported: "When the Revision Committee was looking for a name, we wanted to find one that would indicate what we are, one in harmony with our real character. And we all agreed that we are Pentecostal people. Then we are evangelical too, we believe in evangelization."</p> <p>The committee recommended changing the name "Assemblies of God" to "Pentecostal Evangelical Church."</p> <p>"For a long time there has been widespread dissatisfaction concerning the name by which we have been known," Gortner said. He found precedence for a name change in Scripture, since God changed the name of Abram to Abraham, Sarai to Sarah, Jacob to Israel, and several others.</p> <p>After continued discussion from a number of delegates, Harold Moss interjected.</p> <p>"We as a people are evangelical, that is, we have a worldwide evangelistic program to get men and women saved through the blood of Jesus Christ," Moss said. "But the name is not sufficient as there are other evangelical churches, so we need another name to draw a clear line of demarcation -- Pentecostal Evangelical church. We are Pentecostal, thank God; and I am not ashamed."</p> <p>T. K. Leonard, who had originally suggested the name Assemblies of God in 1914, reminded everyone that "after days of meditation and trying to get an undenominational, nonsectarian name" the founders saw this as the "God-given name" for the Fellowship.</p> <p>"When It was read to the audience, by one standing vote, unanimously, the whole body stood there and sang, 'Praise God from whom all blessings flow,' Leonard said. "And the whole house was filled with the power of God."</p> <p>The discussion of a possible name change went on for several days. At the close of the discussion, delegates decided to delay the suggested change until the next meeting of the General Council, to allow additional feedback and study on the matter. The constitution was adopted at the 1927 General Council, but not the name change. In the years since its founding, the name Assemblies of God had become familiar to the world at large. So with very little further discussion, when the General Council met two years later in 1929, the name Assemblies of God was retained and continues to be the name of the Fellowship, 109 years after its founding.</p> <p>More information is available in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ifphc.org/-/media/FPHC/Heritage-Magazine/1994_03.pdf" target="_blank">article</a>, "The Assemblies of God: A Good Name," in the fall 1994 issue of <em>Assemblies of God Heritage.</em></p> <p>The <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>, "A Suggested Change of Name," is on pages 5-7 and 9-10 of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1920-1929/1927/1927_10_08.pdf" target="_blank">Oct. 8, 1927, issue</a>. </p> <p>Also featured in this issue:</p> <p>• "Continuous Revival," by R.E. McAlister</p> <p>• "A Fine New Church," by Mae Eleanor Frey</p> <p>• "God's Call to Pentecostal Saints," by Sara Coxe<br /> <br /> And many more!<br /> <br /> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1920-1929/1927/1927_10_08.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to read this issue now</a>.</p> <p><em>Pentecostal Evangel</em> archived editions are courtesy of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ifphc.org" target="_blank">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center</a>.</p>{520CCC8A-648A-41E7-B743-84EE8F470837}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Committed-to-the-Mission<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/1400x490/Mundis_1400.jpg" alt="" />A conversation with Greg Mundis, who recently retired as executive director of Assemblies of God World Missions.Wed, 04 Oct 2023 15:00:00 ZThree years ago, it seemed unlikely Gregory M. Mundis would complete his third four-year term as Assemblies of God World Missions (AGWM) executive director.<br /> <br /> During March 2020, as the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/Features/Miracle-Man" target="_blank">first patient with COVID-19</a> in a Springfield, Missouri, hospital, Mundis nearly died three times. He spent 60 days in four hospitals and underwent an additional seven weeks in outpatient rehabilitation.<br /> <br /> Yet while immobilized in a hospital bed, Mundis recalled the words of Zephaniah 3:17: “The Lord … will rejoice over you with singing.”<br /> <br /> Mundis attributes his full recovery to the grace of God and prayers from thousands of people. Now 72, he retired at the end of September. <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/World-Missions-Director" target="_blank">John L. Easter</a> was <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/General-Council-Business-Opens-with-Several-Elections" target="_blank">elected</a> as new <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://agwm.org/en/" target="_blank">AGWM</a> leader during <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/Events/Events-Archive/60th-GC" target="_blank">General Council</a>.<br /> <br /> The pandemic was a pivotal event not only for Mundis, but also for AGWM overall. More than three years after the onset, the movement of some global workers remains constrained.<br /> <br /> “COVID-19 has impacted our global workers beyond the emotional, psychological, physical and spiritual issues,” Mundis says. “Government policies have restricted their leaving or arriving in several countries.”<br /> <br /> Nevertheless, he says global workers have been resilient, devising new methods of spreading the gospel. Mundis presides over a missionary force of 2,640 across 252 nations, territories and provinces.<br /> <br /> Throughout his tenure, Mundis placed a strong emphasis on unreached people groups, establishing indigenous churches, upgrading global worker training, and restructuring for a more effective and efficient organization.<br /> <br /> “In addition, the partnership with <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://usmissions.ag.org/" target="_blank">U.S. Missions</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://chialpha.com/" target="_blank">Chi Alpha</a> in the World Missions Summit has been a great feeder of workers into the world’s harvest fields,” Mundis says. “The MA (Missionary Associate) program has accelerated our efforts to identify men and women who have a call of God for overseas service.”<br /> <br /> Under Mundis, AGWM also has strengthened relationships with national Pentecostal fellowships around the world. Thus, when the Russia-Ukraine war broke out, pastors and laypeople in Poland drove vehicles to the Ukrainian border, collected displaced citizens, and housed them in churches. Likewise, AGWM’s partner in Germany established more than 30 congregations among Ukrainian refugees who fled into that country.<br /> <br /> While some denominations have abandoned church planting and evangelism, Mundis insists they remain crucial to AGWM’s purpose.<br /> <br /> “Our mission is to establish the Church among all peoples everywhere by reaching, planting, training and serving,” Mundis says. “This integrated pattern isn’t archaic; it’s biblical. Nothing can replace global workers sharing the good news.”<br /> <br /> After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Central Bible College and serving a four-year stint as youth pastor at Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri, Mundis and his wife, Sandie, became AG missionaries to Austria in 1980. They served there 18 years, co-founding Vienna Christian Center, which now has more than 2,000 weekly attendees.<br /> <br /> Following seven years as area director for Central Europe, Mundis in 1998 became the first AGWM regional director for Europe. In 2011, he succeeded the retiring L. John Bueno as AGWM executive director.<br /> <br /> Along the way, Mundis earned a master’s degree in theology from Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and a doctorate in ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.<br /> <br /> Compared to when Mundis began his missionary service, those spreading the gospel around the world face increasing opposition, including rising nationalism and tribalism, deepened geopolitical and historical divisions, sectarian extremism, difficulties obtaining visas, and growing numbers of people viewing Christians as a detrimental force in society. The latter also can be a problem in the U.S.<br /> <br /> “The rapid deconstruction of our American morals and traditions, as well as a growing class of people skeptical of Christianity and the Great Commission, has challenged evangelical believers to update their apologetic of Scripture,” Mundis says. “How do we communicate with a society that is in deconstruction mode without being perceived as bigots or racists?”<br /> <br /> Even so, Mundis is bullish on the future of AGWM, saying the agency is poised for increased efficacy among unreached, lost and underserved people groups.<br /> <br /> “I believe doors closed to the gospel will be cracked open,” Mundis says. “Although I see a lot of difficult storms in the future, I see a lot of sunshine, too. The fields are ripe unto harvest.”<br /> <br /> Mundis believes the best is yet to come for AGWM because of a growing workforce, generous donors, and faithful prayer partners.<br /> <br /> “I’m not retiring from life or ministry, just my position,” Mundis says. “I am willing to serve where I am wanted or needed in the United States or overseas.”<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Mundis plans to spend more time with Sandie, his wife of 52 years, and the couple’s eight grandchildren — all of them teenagers.<br /> <br /> When Mundis was hospitalized in 2020, his two children — Hollie McClaflin, then an overseas missionary, and Greg Jr., a surgeon — put their careers on hold and rushed to his side as he hovered between life and death for weeks.<br /> <br /> “COVID taught me a new appreciation for the grace of God,” Mundis says. “It sharpened my focus again about reaching the unreached, particularly Buddhists and Hindus.”<br /> <br /> That health scare wasn’t the first time Mundis realized his plans could be interrupted in a heartbeat. In addition to his brush with death during the pandemic, Mundis came close to dying from meningitis in 1963, a car crash in 1969, hepatitis in 1975, and a severe reaction to a shingles vaccine in 2017.<br /> <br /> Each time, Mundis met the giant on the battlefield and by the grace of God triumphed.<br /> <br /> “God is sovereign, and every time I’ve been spared, I’ve tried to find out the Lord’s next purpose for me,” Mundis says. “Until I die, God is in charge and has something left for me to finish.”<br /> <br /> In 2022, Mundis wrote a Proverbs-based book, <em>Wisdom to Lead: The Guided and Guarded Heart</em>, specifically for his grandchildren.<br /> <br /> In addidtion, Mundis wrote with Sandie, <em>Patient # 1: Embracing Hope in Times of Despair.</em> It details his traumatic COVID ordeal, which included double viral pneumonia, respiratory failure, kidney dialysis, a tracheostomy, sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, fungemia, blood clots, and an induced coma. All proceeds from the book will benefit AGWM.<br /> <br /> Assemblies of God General Superintendent Doug Clay says Mundis has been a great source of strength and encouragement to him.<br /> <br /> “Greg’s burden for the lost and passion to finish the Great Commission is contagious,” Clay says. “Greg shares a commitment to see a healthy church in every community that is known for Bible engagement, Spirit empowerment, and missions participation.”<br /> <br /> <em>This article appeared in the Summer 2023 issue of </em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://influencemagazine.com/" target="_blank">Influence</a><em> magazine. Used with Permission.</em>{9DB7644B-4341-42D9-B912-82F3394AFCF1}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Former-Ohio-State-Football-Player-Pursues-Call-to-Evangelism<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Former-Ohio-State-Football-1400.jpg" alt="" />After sustaining four ACL tears and returning to score a touchdown, an Ohio State Buckeye is giving all glory to God and pursuing a call to ministry. Wed, 04 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>For one Ohio State University football player, although victory on the field felt good, it was nothing compared to the victory he had in Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit. <br /> <br /> Born in Columbia, Missouri, Kamryn Babb recalls his grandparents taking him to church at First Assembly of God, now <a href="https://www.c2church.com/">C2 Church</a>, from early in his childhood. When he was 7 years old, Babb attended an Assemblies of God kids camp and it was there, during a worship service, that he first encountered the Holy Spirit. <br /> <br /> Although he moved to St. Louis when he was 8 years old, Babb carried with him the early impressions of the Holy Spirit that he had experienced at camp. <br /> <br /> It was at 8 years old that Babb also found his passion and talent for football. <br /> <br /> “Every year I played, I just kept seeing this elevation in my skill level and, although I’d like to take credit for it, I know now that it was because of God,” he says.<br /> <br /> His giftedness in the sport was noticed by teammates, coaches, and college recruiters. During his sophomore year, Babb started receiving offers from colleges to join their football programs and, in his junior year, he committed to playing at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> in Columbus, Ohio. <br /> <br /> In his final year of high school, Babb sustained his first injury; a tear of his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). <br /> <br /> While Babb recovered well from his high school injury, it wasn’t long before he suffered another ACL tear. <br /> <br /> “After my second injury, I wasn’t happy about the setback, but I was in a decent headspace,” Babb states. <br /> <br /> Then, tragedy struck again when Babb tore his ACL for a third time. After his third injury, Babb decided to return to St. Louis, Missouri, for a visit while he continued to heal. When he arrived at the airport, he was erroneously told that he was not scheduled to be on the flight he knew he had booked, due to a computer issue. The airline offered to book him on a flight leaving later in the day, so Babb returned to campus until it was nearer the time of his departure. <br /> <br /> On his way back to the airport, Babb struck up a conversation with his Uber driver. Babb states that as they drove, he noticed a Bible on the driver’s front stand. <br /> <br /> “I had shared a little about my knee injuries and then we started talking about Jesus,” Babb states. “As we neared the airport, the driver asked if he could pray over my knee.”<br /> <br /> As the driver, who would later become a mentor to Babb, laid hands on his knee, Babb states that he immediately felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a familiar way. <br /> <br /> “I know the Holy Spirit never left me, but I hadn’t experienced Him like that since I was a kid,” he states. “It was like He had wrapped a blanket around me and taken me back to the altar call where I had first encountered Him,” he says. <br /> <br /> Babb states that he began weeping and instantly knew in his spirit that he was supposed to be there in that moment, in the presence of God. Although he knew that the Holy Spirit had never left him, he had finally allowed himself to get to a place where he was surrendering. <br /> <br /> “It was like I was the lost sheep that had been found,” he says. <br /> <br /> Immediately after the encounter, Babb excitedly called his Gigi and told her what had happened. He also knew, as he boarded his flight, that he wanted more of what he had just experienced. <br /> <br /> Upon his return to Ohio State University, Babb started attending church again, invited by the gentlemen who had prayed for him on the way to the airport. As he walked into Hope City House of Prayer in Columbus, Babb noticed the people around him walking in a freedom that he had not before witnessed. <br /> <br /> As the pastor concluded his sermon on knowing Jesus as Lord and Savior, Babb walked to the altar and started repenting and crying out to God. <br /> <br /> Babb left the service and admittedly struggled between surrendering to a life-changing faith and continuing in some of his old habits. However, after attending the church for three months, he knew he couldn’t walk the fence any longer and decided, in that moment, that he would live his life completely committed to Christ. <br /> <br /> The struggles he had been facing, though, did not instantly disappear. Babb tore his ACL for a fourth time. <br /> <br /> “It was clear that the call to follow Jesus doesn’t mean things get easier, but if you stick with it, through the trials and tribulations, you know that your blessing will be an eternal one,” he says. <br /> <br /> As he continued in his Ohio State football career, he was given, what he calls, an incredible opportunity to share his testimony on a public stage. <br /> <br /> In a 2022 game against Indiana, Babb scored his first career touchdown. Immediately after receiving the scoring pass from teammate C.J. Stroud, Babb hit his knees in gratitude to the Lord. <br /> <br /> “There are a lot of people chasing all of these things in life,” Babb says, “but in that moment, I realized that even if you catch the things you are chasing, they could never fulfill you the way Jesus can.” <br /> <br /> Babb’s agent, Jordan Ohler, commented on how that touchdown gave Babb a platform, almost instantaneously, to share his faith. <br /> <br /> “As Kam was being interviewed after the catch, people kept asking him what brought him through all of his setbacks, leading up to this incredible moment,” Ohler says. “He just broke out in his testimony, and it wasn’t long before he had dozens and dozens of invitations to come speak at churches across the country.”<br /> <br /> Babb has had the opportunity to see salvations and baptisms after sharing his story and continues to point people to Christ however he can. Babb plans to attend seminary at Liberty University and states that, although he doesn’t yet know all of the details, he does know his life will be one of service and ministry.</p> <p><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Former-Ohio-State-Football-Player/Former-Ohio-State-Football_Car-2.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Former-Ohio-State-Football-Player/Former-Ohio-State_-Car-1.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Former-Ohio-State-Football-Player/Former-Ohio-State_-Car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div></p>{1598F6B2-8BA1-4BC3-A6A1-EFEC4CF99824}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Called-College-Living-Up-to-its-Design<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Called-College_1400.jpg" alt="" />College freshman Jolie Fitch is finding that the newly launched AG school is living up to its purpose — and then some. Tue, 03 Oct 2023 17:05:00 Z<em>Editor’s note: When the initial <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/Called-College-to-Train-Future-Ministers-Missionaries" target="_blank">article</a> about Called College launching ran in </em>AG News<em> in January, I mentioned to school leadership that to me it wasn’t so important how many people read the story, my prayer was that the <span style="text-decoration: underline;">right</span> people read the story. Jolie Fitch and her father, Sam, were an answer to that prayer.</em><br /> <br /> <br /> When Jolie Fitch graduated from high school as a homeschooler in May 2023, she was facing a difficult decision. She was already leaning towards attending “a really good college” in the region, but for some reason, she didn’t have a peace about going.<br /> <br /> “I knew God wanted me to go into missions and that I needed to attend a school dedicated to missions,” Jolie says, “but I couldn’t seem to find the right one. And then my dad sent me an email link to an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://news.ag.org/en/News/Called-College-to-Train-Future-Ministers-Missionaries" target="_blank"><em>AG News</em></a> post.”<br /> <br /> Jolie says that her father, Sam Fitch, had seen the article about <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calledcollege.org/" target="_blank">Called College</a>, a new Bible college being launched by the Illinois District Council. He had already sent the article to their pastor, William Blair (New Creation Assembly of God in Jamestown, New York), who responded by saying that the college looked like a good school for her to attend and train as a missionary and that there were plenty of reasons to explore the possibility. <br /> <br /> “After I read the article, I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to look up a little bit more about it,” Jolie says. “I looked at the degree fields, what the school was dedicated to, and it really looked interesting. I talked to my pastor and he encouraged me to put in my application and that if I got accepted, great, I had my spot; if the Lord ultimately led me elsewhere, that would be cool, too.”<br /> <br /> Unwilling to blindly attend, Jolie and her mother, Jessica Fitch, decided to make the 11-hour drive to attend the college's Spring Preview to see what Called College was all about. <br /> <br /> <strong>THE FIRST STEP</strong><br /> <br /> Illinois District Superintendent Phil Schneider and the Called College team have worked diligently over the past year developing the plan to launch Called College, which is located on the grounds of the Illinois district offices and Lake Williamson Christian [Retreat] Center, just south of Carlinville. Their expectations were that it would initially serve young adults from the district until word spread around the AG fellowship about the affordable quality experience and education the college provided.<br /> <br /> “I remember when Jolie first applied,” Rich Pruitt, director of Called College, says. “I started asking, ‘Does anybody know who this is? How did she find out about us?’ And then I learned she was coming to the Spring 2023 Preview.”<br /> <br /> Jolie admits that on the drive out, she was already having second thoughts. <em>It was so far from home. What would it be like? She wouldn’t know anyone there. Could this <span style="text-decoration: underline;">really</span> be the school God wanted her to attend?</em><br /> <br /> After arriving and settling into their room, Jolie and her mother were stunned by their reception.<br /> <br /> “We went over to attend the fellowship and game night,” Jolie recalls, “and as soon as I introduced myself to Dr. Pruitt, he knew exactly who I was, where I was from, and he was so excited that I was from New York. He introduced me to Dr. Linda Linzey, the academic director for the college, whom I’d already met on Zoom, and she was truly excited to meet me in person. They introduced me to some of the women already there who invited me to play a game with them. I felt welcomed and a really good sense of community.”<br /> <br /> “I asked Jolie’s mom to join in,” Pruitt says, “but she declined, saying she liked what she was seeing. So, she smiled and retired to their room for the evening.”<br /> <br /> <strong>TURNING POINT</strong><br /> <br /> There are many reasons to attend college, but choosing the right college and knowing the Lord’s will can be one of the most difficult decisions for students who desire to follow the call of God. <em>Is it God or is it the location? Is it God or is it my friends? Is it God or is it just me?</em><br /> <br /> Even though Jolie says that many things about Called College had impressed her, she still wasn’t sure if it was the school for her.<br /> <br /> “The last day of Spring Preview, the last chapel service, I was on the fence,” she admits. “I just prayed, ‘God, I don’t know what to do. Coming here, it’s so far from home. I don’t want to make a mistake in choosing the wrong school.’ All of a sudden, I had this overwhelming feeling that I <em>had</em> to go here, it was <em>not</em> optional. It was the same feeling and conviction I had when God called me into ministry. I knew this was where I <em>had</em> to go because it lined up directly with my calling into ministry!”<br /> <br /> When Jolie told her mother about her decision, she was immediately on board with it. Her father, however, wasn’t so sure about sending his daughter so far away to an unknown college campus.<br /> <br /> “Jolie’s mom <em>and</em> dad came to orientation on the second Saturday of June,” Pruitt recalls and adds with a friendly laugh, “He needed some convincing. But after being here and seeing what we were all about, he had peace about it. Being here, on campus, and seeing firsthand what God is doing at Called College was a critical factor for Jolie and her family.”<br /> <br /> <strong>ATTENDING</strong><br /> <br /> Even when a person knows and follows God’s will, as the Bible frequently showcases, there are still challenges. And for a freshman student who can’t just do a quick “day trip” home, Jolie’s challenges included the obvious.<br /> <br /> “I still have a peace that this was the right decision,” Jolie says, “but I’m definitely homesick — no denying that. But every day and every week the students get closer, and we all get closer to the faculty. I really like that because I wanted a school that had the tight community feel to it.” <br /> <br /> And when Jolie found herself struggling in a class, she turned to her professor.<br /> <br /> “I was having trouble in one of my classes, so I went to Dr. Linzey,” she says. “She sat down and basically tutored me, helping me to work through the challenges.”<br /> <br /> “It’s not just about classes; it’s about community,” Schneider says. “We are a cadre, we are a family, we are a community responding to the call of God to go out and do ministry.” <br /> <br /> Schneider notes that a unique aspect of Called College is that he was able to invite all 36 students to his home the previous weekend, with Pruitt hosting the students at his home the next week.<br /> <br /> “We are creating mentoring relationships and opportunities,” Schneider explains. “And we have already begun sending student teams out on ministry opportunities to churches in the district.”<br /> <br /> <strong>SURPRISES</strong><br /> <br /> <em>Unsurprisingly</em>, Jolie has found that the teachers really care about the quality of education students are receiving. However, she’s also learned that attending a college populated by students who are all serious about God’s calling on their lives has led to some unexpected benefits.<br /> <br /> “This is a place where everybody loves God and everybody wants to get closer to God,” she says. “It’s evident in the way teachers teach, the way students interact with each other, and the way we want to talk about God. No one is afraid to express their desire to get closer to God, and I love that!”<br /> <br /> She’s also found students are ready, even eager, to pray for each other. Not only that, but in the chapel services, students are welcomed to operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. She’s even found God using her to give a word of encouragement, which is a huge step of faith for her.<br /> <br /> “Being here, I’ve gained more courage and confidence in trying to step out,” Jolie says. “And so, in one of our student-led worship nights in one of our garages, I did! Even our [scheduled] chapel services are just great all around. I have enjoyed every chapel.”<br /> <br /> And now, with students beginning to go out on weekends to minister in churches, the opportunities for building key relationships, being mentored, and growing in spiritual maturity increase exponentially.<br /> <br /> Of course, on the more “materialistic” side, it would be the rare campus that could rival housing at Called College, which has much more in common with condominium living than the typical college dorm room.<br /> <br /> “Typical campus housing is cramped, crowded, but housing here is really spacious,” Jolie says. “Full kitchen, washer, dryer — it’s really nice — I count myself blessed to be living there.”<br /> <br /> And as Pruitt notes, since students have their own full kitchen, a semester at Called College costs under $7,000, which opens the door for students to graduate with little to no student loan debt.<br /> <br /> <strong>REFLECTION</strong><br /> <br /> Both Schneider and Pruitt say that the college has met and even exceeded expectations. They themselves are challenged and encouraged by the interactions with students who have a divine calling upon their lives. They believe they may even hit their target of 40 students for the first year as additional students have expressed interested in attending the spring semester.<br /> <br /> For Jolie, Called College was the right decision, but it’s not for everyone. As she notes, there’s a reason for the name.<br /> <br /> “It’s for those who feel called into full-time vocational ministry,” Jolie says. “And if someone is called [to ministry] they need to at least consider this school because it takes the education of ministers and missionaries seriously. Here at Called College you can be who God called you to be without being afraid of what others may think.”<br /> <br /> “We focus on students’ ministry calling,” Pruitt says. “They will learn, they will grow, and they will go out and put it into practice. Will students know <em>everything</em> about ministry when they leave here? I don’t believe any school can provide that, but they <em>will</em> be ready to say yes to the call of God, whatever that may be.”<br /> <br /> Called College is hosting its <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://calledcollege.org/fall-preview-2023/" target="_blank">Fall Preview 2023</a> on October 5 and 6.{035DEBDA-ED36-4D85-B129-3E3916BA13AE}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Rock-River-Church-Undergoes-Revitalization<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Bob--Annette-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />Revamp church with 'many huge changes' sees community recognition and growth. Tue, 03 Oct 2023 12:00:00 Z<p>A small Assemblies of God church in Minnesota that has long been stagnant is "seeing newness of life each week." The expansion is thanks to the new leadership from a couple who have led the congregation through a major revamp and revitalization using creativity and innovation. <br /> <br /> Started in 1954 as Assemblies of God Church and later renamed First Assembly of God, the church in Luverne had seen years of minimal growth with a weekly attendance of approximately 20 people. <br /> <br /> However, the church was renamed, again, as <a href="https://www.rockrivercommunity.church/?fbclid=IwAR3frnZ57rDb7kFdbEAw85z4GtBIjVaKH2mcgB5izubsQKfsJigEjYDpYCQ">Rock River Community Church</a> after pastors Bob and Annette Junak took over in 2021. The Junaks have been credited for leading the effort to turn things around and the church now draws nearly 100 weekly worshipers. <br /> <br /> The church in Luverne, which has a population of approximately 5,000, had been "stuck for a number of years," according to AG <a href="mnaog.org">Minnesota District</a> Superintendent Jim Filbeck. <br /> <br /> Former Minnesota District Superintendent Clarence St. John was appointed as the interim pastor after the elderly pastor of the church retired. <br /> <br /> After successfully dealing with issues that needed to be addressed at the church, St. John was contacted by the Junaks about leading the congregation. At the time, Annette was the credentialing coordinator working with Filbeck.<br /> <br /> "When Bob and Annette interviewed with the search committee, he told them if he was hired that he would make a ton of changes," Filbeck recalls. "The committee was open to this. For the last two years, they have made many changes, including the name of the church."<br /> <br /> The couple took down all wall coverings, pictures, and trinkets as well as repainted all the walls. The stage is black and now has new lights, a new sound board, and a smoke machine.<br /> <br /> "I will tell you that not every church would have allowed this to happen," Filbeck explains. "There have been a couple of families who left out of frustration with so much change. However, the church is seeing newness of life each week.<br /> <br /> "Why did the people not get mad or kick them out?" he asks. "Because people were getting saved every week. Baptisms started happening. They just baptized seven more people on a recent Sunday. New people walk in every week. More chairs were added weekly. Bob and Annette built an area for kids. They created a warm atmosphere as you walk in with greeters and coffee, and so much more."<br /> <br /> Bob Junak, 56, says their vision was "to identify with the local community."<br /> <br /> "What better way than to take advantage of the name Rock River, which flows through Luverne," he adds. "Another contributing factor was the church did not have a website, which we feel is very crucial these days as everyone goes to the web for information.”<br /> <br /> Annette, also 56, notes that she wouldn’t call what they've done "creative innovations." The Junaks came to the church in March 2021 from Minneapolis, located more than 200 miles from Luverne.<br /> <br /> "What we have done is taken urban-style ministry and brought it to rural living," she explains. "We do our best to create energy from the moment you get out of your car by having music outside the church in the entry lobby and auditorium. <br /> <br /> "The energy continues during the service by quick and calculated transitions between worship, welcome, prayer, offering, and any announcements," Annette adds. </p> <p>Rock River's branding has been recognized in the community and is a contributing factor to its growth.<br /> <br /> Our 'church merch' has almost been overwhelming," Junak explains. "It’s crazy, but people who don’t attend our church have purchased items. Our branding is super cool, very complex, but looks simple and clean. Our church campfire-style coffee mug looks great, which we give to first-time guests, and we supply the area chamber with one to place in each welcome bag when someone moves into town.”<br /> <br /> "Because of our branding and our heart for our community, I was asked to be on the Luverne Chamber board to assist in marketing our community for tourism," he adds. "They were impressed with how fast we became known in our area and thought I would be a good addition. We give glory to God for the favor He has given us in the church and the community."<br /> <br /> Stan and Karen Van Wettering were part of a 4,000-member church located about 30 miles from Luverne, but they found themselves "drifting" during the global pandemic when no in-person services were available. <br /> <br /> The couple's son and daughter-in-law then started offering to pick them up to attend Rock River. <br /> <br /> "Never in a million years did we think we could find a church that was so full of community near us," Stan Van Wettering, 64, says. "We feel that all of our church experiences have led us to this church family. There is a sense of closeness we've never felt at any other church.<br /> <br /> Karen, 59, adds, "We have been able to grow our faith and contribute in a way we have never been able to at any other church. God knew what he was doing when He led us here."<br /> <br /> Mira and Ross Steensma were attracted to Rock River for many reasons. <br /> <br /> "Pastor Bob and Annette were welcoming, and really put forth a vision for the church from the beginning," Ross Steensma, 28, says. "Their vision focused on bringing in the younger generation to keep the church alive, while still keeping the core roots and values in place for the older generations."<br /> <br /> Mira, 25, adds, "The name Rock River Community Church not only ties into our community by using our local Rock River, but using the word community shows we want to be a part of the community. We as a church are involved in various community events like parades, Hot Dog night, the Rock County Fair, and the Christian Motorcycle Association. This stuck out to Ross and I as we wanted to be involved in our community and church."</p>{92B55300-4843-4FCD-AE18-1F7357A1C4C2}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/10/Beauty-for-Ashes-in-Lahaina<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Beauty-for-Ashes-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />Pastors bring hope, healing, and the love of Jesus to Maui despite horrific personal loss. Mon, 02 Oct 2023 11:30:00 ZPastor Kawi, 49, and Shalia Keahi, 48, whose last name means “the fire,” had just celebrated three years as site pastors at the Lahaina campus of <a href="https://kingscathedral.com/">King’s Cathedral Assembly of God</a> in Maui when fires swept through the island, destroying their home and the church building — but not their hope.<br /> <br /> “Nothing is left of our home,” Shalia told <em>AG News</em>. “It’s total ash. Nothing identifiable at all but maybe our ATV and our truck.”<br /> <br /> But the couple already sees God using the hardship for good.<br /> <br /> “I see revival,” Shalia says. “God is going to give us beauty for ashes. That was the first word Kawi got. It’s going to come through a lot of love, patience, and caring for the people, helping them heal. As they heal, God is going to bring revival.”<br /> <br /> Born and raised in Wailuku, Kawi met the Lord while recovering from addiction to methamphetamines, which had robbed him of health, home, work, and family.<br /> <br /> “I was living on the streets, at the beach, and in abandoned homes,” he says.<br /> <br /> He met Shalia while she was serving in worship ministry at King’s Cathedral. Their first date was at the church’s Good Friday service. They married and both became active in ministry at King’s. One day, <a href="https://kingscathedral.com/who-we-are/">James Marocco</a>, the founder of the network of churches which span the Hawaiian islands, Alaska, the mainland, and beyond, asked Kawi what he thought about being a minister.<br /> <br /> “I never wanted to be a minister or pastor. I just wanted to set people free the way I had been set free,” Kawi says.<br /> <br /> But he felt the call and quit a well-paying job in construction to serve in ministry full-time, eventually becoming the Lahaina campus’s site pastor. The burgeoning congregation met in a historical building near the old sugar cane mill. In recent years, they outgrew the building.<br /> <br /> “People were getting saved, being delivered, marriages were being restored, people were being set free from addiction,” says Kawi. “Beautiful things were happening in those three years.”<br /> <br /> But on August 7, 2023, high winds picked up, which is not unusual in Lahaina, “but the winds on August 8 were crazy,” Kawi says. “We thought the house was going to cave in.”<br /> <br /> The electricity went out that night, and the family was sheltering in place the next afternoon when a neighbor came pounding on the front door to warn them that the fire was fast approaching.<br /> <br /> “I looked at the mountain and it was like a tornado coming down toward us, picking up branches and leaves, the fire expanding,” Kawi recalls. “I ran into the house and said, ‘We’ve got to go.’ We grabbed the kids and the dog and threw them in the car.”<br /> <br /> Hundreds of cars crawled toward safety, and when the Keahis reached Front Street, Kawi wanted to turn right, but Shalia demurred, “No, turn left!”<br /> <br /> “No, we’ve got to go right,” he replied.<br /> <br /> “God, please talk to my husband!” she prayed.<br /> <br /> Kawi turned the car left, then looked behind him to see that a truck which had turned right was already engulfed in black smoke, and buildings were catching fire and falling down. In the back of the car, the kids, Shalom, 9, and Shem, 7, prayed fervently.<br /> <br /> “Hon, I think we lost our house,” Shalia said.<br /> <br /> “But thank God we still have each other,” Kawi answered.<br /> <br /> They soon learned that the house and everything in it had been lost — as had the church building. Worse, three people who attended the church lost their lives, and at least two remained missing.<br /> <br /> King’s Cathedral, with a central campus in Kahului, immediately became a hub of help, offering shelter and cooking huge numbers of meals for locals.<br /> <br /> “We kept getting a whole bunch of donations, and still are,” says Shalia. “Four containers arrived yesterday. We’re still sorting through them and distributing them. It’s been amazing how God is providing for his people. I think of something we could use and it shows up at the church.”<br /> <br /> The donations include baby items, toys, clothes, food, water, toiletries, mattresses, generators, water filters, and more.<br /> <br /> “It has opened the door for the gospel as we are able to reach people in ways we’ve never reached them before,” says Shalia. “They are so open and receptive to hearing about Christ and receiving prayer.”<br /> <br /> Major media also came knocking, and Kawi did an interview with an ABC affiliate.<br /> <br /> “I didn’t want to do it because I was still processing, but Pastor <a href="https://kingscathedral.com/who-we-are/">Josh [Marocco]</a> counseled me that I could get the word out, and I was able to say that Jesus is the hope for Lahaina,” says Kawi.<br /> <br /> The family is staying in a condo in Kihei. Their Lahaina congregation missed just one service and has been meeting at a beautiful wedding venue near the beach.<br /> <br /> “We didn’t want people to start isolating, feeling hopeless, and giving up,” Shalia says. “We are doing a lot of connecting, making phone calls. We have a great database for our church. We print out sheets with names, numbers, and addresses, and contact them. It helps them to see us still declaring the Word, standing and believing. God comes in power and lifts us up.”<br /> <br /> “We wake up with joy and peace in the midst of all this,” Kawi testifies.<br />{2901DE97-6F6E-4EED-A212-30D824849269}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Small-Church-Sees-a-Big-Future<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/New-Life-Laramie_1400.jpg" alt="" />A Wyoming church moves from their permanent building to a portable model, leading to miraculous growth and favor in the community. Fri, 29 Sep 2023 14:00:00 Z<p>When Matt and Melanie Baumgartner felt led to move from youth ministry in the largest Assemblies of God district to a senior pastorate role nestled in the smallest district in the Assemblies of God, they stepped out in faith on a word God gave them about a big plan for a small church.<br /> <br /> Matt L. Baumgartner, 40, and his wife, Melanie, had spent 17 years in youth ministry <a href="https://northtexas.ag/">North Texas</a> when they began to feel a season of change stirring in their spirit. Although they didn’t feel that they had to stay in Texas, they never dreamed that God would take them to Wyoming. <br /> <br /> In 2017, after praying about their transition, a friend tagged them in a Facebook post, highlighting the open position for a senior pastor at a struggling church in Laramie, Wyoming. As they started praying and talking together as a couple, they felt like this possibility was one that they were supposed to explore. <br /> <br /> “Laramie is a college town and when we went to visit, we could see that the town had a ton of potential,” says Baumgartner. <br /> <br /> As the couple spent a weekend at <a href="https://www.newlifelaramie.org/">New Life Church</a> in Laramie, they felt God speak to them that what He wasn’t finished with what He had started in the congregation nearly 90 years ago. <br /> <br /> “When we arrived, the reality was that the church was dying and it had been declining for decades,” recalls Baumgartner . “There were about 15 regular attenders when we arrived, and the church had very little money in the bank.”<br /> <br /> Although they Baumgartner s knew the revitalization would likely be a long, hard process, they sensed that this was where God wanted them. So, when the church congregation voted them in, the Baumgartner s accepted the position.<br /> <br /> Marlynn Frailey was one of the few weekly attendees at the time, along with her husband, who was serving as the treasurer. <br /> <br /> She recalls, “the church definitely had some past hurt and there was some initial resistance to bringing in a new pastor. But there were also quite a few of us who could see that they were a really good fit.”<br /> <br /> Right away, the Baumgartner s wanted to re-connect the church with the community. While the town of Laramie has over 30,000 people, New Life had become disconnected. Within the first few years, the church started doing outreaches and getting involved with the local university. That’s when they started to see the early favor of God. <br /> <br /> “We immediately saw expansion and it wasn’t long before we experienced major growth,” Frailey states. </p> <p>In their little building, just a few miles outside of the city, the church started bursting at the seams. Soon, Baumgartner and his staff had to add a second and sometimes a third service. To avoid the risk of burnout with so many services, Baumgartner began praying that God would show him how to proceed in the midst of such growth.<br /> <br /> “We had met at the local fairgrounds to do some outreach events so, in 2019, we asked if we could meet there regularly for our church services,” says Baumgartner . <br /> <br /> However, the fairgrounds was reluctant to the idea at first. Yet with persistence and prayer, God opened the door for New Life Church to use the fairground facility on a weekly basis. There was also a generous offer made for New Life to begin meeting at the fairgrounds for an affordable rate. <br /> <br /> It was clear that God was moving miraculously, through the details with the fairgrounds, making it clear that this was his direction.<br /> <br /> The blessings didn’t stop there. When the church transitioned from permanent to portable in 2020, with its temporary location being at the fairgrounds, God provided renters for their building and, in 2021, the renters bought the church property for full asking price. <br /> <br /> This new, portable venture meant that the church had to set up and tear down each week. Members rallied to serve in great ways to help with set up and tear down, bringing a sense of purpose and camaraderie to the congregation.<br /> <br /> “On a Sunday at 7:30am we will often have more people helping with set up than we had total in the church just a few years ago,” says Baumgartner. <br /> <br /> As the church began to dream about a permanent home, the cost of labor and materials left the church in a challenging situation. The board and elders decided to sell a small piece of property that the church owned in an effort to begin fundraising for a permanent building. <br /> <br /> “We saw God, yet again, providing a way for New Life,” says Baumgartner . “We sold the property in a very short time for over three times its value. All of a sudden, we could seriously explore building.” <br /> <br /> Within 3 months, the New Life Church found a 32-acre piece of property which was offered to them at half the valued cost, allowing for continued growth and expansion well into the future. <br /> <br /> “Throughout all of this transition, New Life continues to grow. It’s part of that bigger plan God told us he had for the church” says Baumgartner . </p> <br />{3A38CB13-9C7D-4071-AC88-FE1DBEB8C58E}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Texas-Ministry-Home-Dedicated-in-Honor-of-Efraim-and-Elois-Espinoza<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Espinozas-home_1400.jpg" alt="" />A ministerial house for ministers was recently dedicated on the campus of Flames of Fire Bible School in Penitas, Texas.Fri, 29 Sep 2023 20:30:00 ZA ministerial facility was dedicated in honor of Efraim and Elois Espinoza in Penitas, Texas, on September 11, 2023. This facility is located on the premises of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://www.fofbibleschool.org/" target="_blank">Flames of Fire Bible School</a> of the Assemblies of God. Rafael and Maricela Hernández, who lead the school, said they honored the Espinozas as a distinguished couple who have served the Assemblies of God with an impeccable testimony.<br /> <br /> Efraim served as the first director of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://hispanicrelations.ag.org/" target="_blank">Office of Hispanic Relations</a> for the Assemblies of God (2006-2016). Prior to that he served in the national Sunday School department (1985-1993), coordinated the Decade of Harvest in the United States (1993-1999), and served as director of We Build People (2000-2005). His ministry career also includes serving as pastor of Temple Emanuel Assemblies of God in Crystal City, Texas, (1971-1985) and El Faro Assemblies of God Church in Springfield, Missouri (1996-2003). Efraim is the co-author of three books and numerous articles. Elois Espinoza also worked at the national office from 1985 to 2016.<br /> <br /> During the dedication of the ministerial house, Hernández highlighted a special virtue of the Esponizas: their hospitality. She cited Hebrews 13:2, <em>“Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!,”</em> and then awarded a plaque in honor of the Espinozas that read: <br /> <br /> <em>“We dedicate this ministerial house in honor of Rev. Efraim and Elois Espinoza for reflecting the love of God in their hospitality to others, for their distinguished excellence in everything they do, and for being examples worthy of imitation, today, September 11, 2023.”<br /> </em><br /> The new facility will serve as a place for ministers who need to rest or who are visiting the district on ministerial business. Rick Reyes, assistant superintendent of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.txgulfhispanic.org/" target="_blank">Texas Gulf Hispanic District</a>, led the dedication prayer and then proceeded to tour the house that has bedrooms, bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, and everything required for a complete and relaxing stay. <br /> <br /> After the dedication service, all guests had the opportunity to enjoy a pleasant time listening to anecdotes told by Efraim. In addition to the ministers already mentioned, two executive presbyters were also present: Rev. Dionicio Garza Jr and Rev. Raymundo Silva along his wife Julie. Other leaders present included: Rev. José and Delia Cavazos; Rev. Adán and Cristina Acevedo; Rev. Edgar and Priscilla Alfaro; Rev. René and Mariela Barrera, and Rev. Miguel Cortez.{0D9C1813-E7F1-4C7D-9A33-9DFE4C0348E9}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/This-Week-in-AG-History-Sept-30-1962<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/1400x490/this-week-oct-21400X490.jpg" alt="" />Meyer Tan-Ditter was a worldly young man, but after choosing to follow Christ, he was kicked out of his Jewish home only to be called by God to reach Jews for Christ!Thu, 28 Sep 2023 12:00:00 Z<p><span>Meyer Tan-Ditter (1896-1962) was an unlikely candidate to become an Assemblies of God evangelist and missionary. Born into an Orthodox Jewish home in London, England, Tan-Ditter abandoned his family’s strict religious standards when he reached adulthood. A gifted musician, he spent seven years playing in cabarets. He spent considerable time at race tracks, where he exercised horses. For nearly five years, he traveled the world in the British Naval Service and the American Merchant Marine. Tan-Ditter later described himself as living “the life of a sailor.” He spread his wings and imbibed deeply in the ways of the world.  </span></p> <p><span>A friendship with a Christian woman – known to history only as “Sister Wicks” – changed the trajectory of Tan-Ditter’s life. Wicks, knowing that the young man came from an observant Jewish background, began asking him about his childhood faith. At first, he resented her questions. He was not interested in discussing religion. Furthermore, his family had taught him to distrust Christians.</span></p> <p><span>Wicks continued to show esteem for both Tan-Ditter and for Jewish traditions. Over time, he opened up to her. She asked about his thoughts regarding the identity of the Messiah, but she carefully refrained from mentioning the name of Jesus. Her inquiries sparked questions in Tan-Ditter’s mind. He was already very familiar with the Talmud and the Torah, and he began to suspect that it could be possible that the Messiah had already come.</span></p> <p><span>One night while staying at his parents’ home, something jostled Tan-Ditter awake. He was startled to see a glow with a bright lighting shining in his eyes. The longer he stared at the light, the clearer it became. He soon realized that it was the face of Jesus Christ in the light! He jumped out of bed and ran into the kitchen, nervous and shocked. </span></p> <p><span>His mother came into the kitchen and asked what was wrong. He was not sure what to say. His vision seemed to confirm what he already suspected – that Jesus could be the Messiah. He knew that his family would disown him if he confessed this belief. Finally, he told her that he had just seen Jesus in a vision.</span></p> <p><span>Tan-Ditter’s mother began weeping, thinking that her son must be either crazy or apostate. Rumors circulated about his vision. A little while later his father asked, “What is this I hear? I hear you are becoming a Christian.” Tan-Ditter answered, “I am not becoming one, I have been one for three weeks.” His father immediately kicked his son out of the house and asked him to never return. The local Jewish community ostracized him, and people would come up to him on the streets and mockingly ask him to describe what Jesus looked like. Following Jesus would be costly.</span></p> <p><span>Sister Wicks provided a room for the 25-year-old homeless convert and encouraged him to seek God in prayer. For 10 days, Tan-Ditter spent extended times of prayer on his knees. He asked God to show him whether Isaiah chapter 53 does indeed refer to Jesus. His vision of Jesus as Messiah held fast. His father brought him to two rabbis, who cross-examined the young man. But he held his vision of Jesus close to his heart, and the rabbis could not shake his faith.</span></p> <p><span>Tan-Ditter received another vision. This time he saw an angel carrying a large book come into his room. The angel told him to eat the book, which he did. The next morning he awoke with a great hunger to share the message of Jesus Christ with the Jewish people. This vision propelled Tan-Ditter toward a life of ministry to the Jewish people.</span></p> <p><span>To prepare for this calling, Tan-Ditter attended two Assemblies of God schools. He initially enrolled at Beulah Heights Bible Institute in North Bergen, New Jersey (now University of Valley Forge). After one year, he transferred to Bethel Bible Training School in Newark, New Jersey (which joined other schools to become Central Bible Institute/Central Bible College and now Evangel University). He graduated in 1922, was ordained as an Assemblies of God evangelist in 1924, and married Alice Laura French in 1926. Together, they served in pastoral ministry and became well-known musical evangelists and missionaries. </span></p> <p><span>The Tan-Ditters served as missionaries to the Jewish people in the United States until Meyer’s death in 1962. Alice passed away in 1975. The couple did not have children.</span></p> <p><span>Meyer Tan-Ditter’s testimony illustrates several themes in Pentecostal history. Many early Pentecostal converts testified that signs and wonders drew them to faith. Likewise, Tan-Ditter’s vision confirmed, in his mind, that Jesus was the Messiah. Early Pentecostals also often found that serving Jesus was costly. And Tan-Ditter was not the only early Pentecostal whose Jewish background and knowledge of Hebrew Scripture proved to be a strong foundation for Pentecostal faith. Myer Pearlman, the noted Assemblies of God systematic theologian from the 1920s through the 1940s, had a similar testimony. The Assemblies of God, mirroring the Book of Acts, proved fertile ground for both Jews and Gentiles.</span></p> <p><span>Read Meyer Tan-Ditter’s obituary on page 23 of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1960-1969/1962/1962_09_30.pdf">Sept. 30, 1962, issue</a> of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>.</span></p> <p><span>Also featured in this issue:</span></p> <p><span>• “Open Doors in the Congo,” by Gail Winters</span></p> <p><span>• “Dedicated to Sacrifice,” by Anthony Sorbo</span></p> <p><span>• “Pioneering among the Deaf and among the Hearing,” by Maxine Strobridge</span></p> <p><span>And many more!</span></p> <p><span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1960-1969/1962/1962_09_30.pdf">Click here to read this issue now</a>.</span></p> <p><span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1920-1929/1927/1927_01_22.pdf#Page8">Click here</a> to read Meyer Tan-Ditter’s testimony, “How God Got Hold of a Jew,” published on page 8 of the Jan. 22, 1927, issue of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>. </span></p> <p><em><span>Pentecostal Evangel</span></em><span> archived editions courtesy of </span><span><a rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="https://ifphc.org">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center</a></span><span>.</span></p>{8450BC2B-90AA-4677-A9C2-272A18FC4D33}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Arkansas-Church-Sees-Lowered-Debt-with-Increased-Missions-Giving<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Arkansas-Church-1400.jpg" alt="" />Getting out of debt seemed nearly impossible for one Arkansas church until they began increasing their missions giving. Wed, 27 Sep 2023 14:00:00 Z<p>Powerful praises filled the sanctuary of <a href="butterfieldag.com">Butterfield Church</a> in Van Buren, Arkansas, on August 20, 2023. The joyful congregation laser-focused their attention on the platform. <br /> <br /> Surrounded by former and current board members, AG General Superintendent Doug Clay, Arkansas District Superintendent Ronnie Morris, and Patrick Kimberland, Butterfield AG’s pastor, fired up a metal urn and burned the church’s original $2.7 million mortgage. Grateful Hallelujahs reigned. <br /> <br /> Morris congratulated the church for continuing to keep the mission of the gospel foremost and cited Paul’s encouragement to the Macedonian churches in 2 Corinthians 8:2, stressing their rich generosity. <br /> <br /> “Our 380 Arkansas District churches have been encouraged and blessed by Butterfield’s testimony,” he says. <br /> <br /> What happened in Butterfield’s testimony unveiled a faith-building lesson birthed in December 2012 when Patrick Kimberland took over as the new pastor. Formerly an <a href="evangelists.ag.org">AG USA evangelist</a> for 11 years, he sensed God leading him to Butterfield Church.</p> <p>However, unanticipated issues surfaced following the church board’s favorable vote to install him as the new shepherd. A cohort of congregants had opposed the choice to have Kimberland succeed the previous pastor who had resigned. <br /> <br /> “Our first two years were rough for my wife, Kristi, and I,” Kimberland admits. “There was a slow leak of the 500-member congregation after I came on board, plus a crushing financial burden.” <br /> <br /> The church had invested in a major building project adding new family life, youth, and worship centers. But the project called for a huge debt requiring three separate monthly mortgage payments totaling $24,000. <br /> <br /> Van Buren, Arkansas is a small city of about 24,000 residents near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border line. The city is home to mostly middle-class families and is not a wealthy community. The <a href="census.gov">federal government reports</a> a 18.8 % poverty rate. <br /> <br /> Kimberland battled additional discouraging news when several staff members resigned and 150 congregants departed, including lifelong friends. <br /> <br /> Amid these hurdles, he knew God still wanted him to pastor Butterfield, as did a more vocal cohort of congregants who prayed for Kimberland to stand firm. Rather than fleeing, he petitioned the Lord for wisdom, bold faith, and a workable plan to get out of debt. The Holy Spirit intervened. <br /> <br /> Studying the church’s 2013 missions budget grabbed his attention. “I wanted to find a worthy project to inspire us,” he remembers. <br /> <br /> He presented the congregation with a new project to help build a <a href="calcuttamercy.org">medical clinic in Kolkata </a>(Calcutta), India, a ministry founded by the late <a href="agwm.org">AG world missionaries</a> Mark and Huldah Buntain. <br /> <br /> The congregation’s response was overwhelmingly positive. They sacrificially gave $25,000 for the first major project under Kimberland’s care. <br /> <br /> Next came a decision to schedule an annual missions convention weekend. <br /> <br /> Within two to three years, the church stabilized. Finances improved and new people joined. “Then the Lord gave me a plan to help us get out of debt,” Kimberland says. <br /> <br /> In January 2016, Kimberland launched a program that he named <em>Financial Freedom</em>, where families were challenged to give an extra $25 monthly over their normal tithes. Many congregants embraced the vision. Some even upped their monthly pledges to $50-$100. Giving to missions increased and spilled over to general offerings. <br /> <br /> By the end of 2016, the church had paid down $90,580 from the mortgage principal. In addition, it refinanced the outstanding debt with one bank, reducing the monthly bill to $17,100. <br /> <br /> In 2018, missions giving topped $100,000 for individual world missionaries and projects such as <a href="youth.ag.org">Speed the Light</a> and <a href="bgmc.ag.org">Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge</a> (BGMC). <br /> <br /> Every age group caught the vision for lost souls and helped raise funds. Students mowed lawns, cleaned cars, ran yard sales, worked part time jobs, and donated their earnings. One 17-year-old earned $2,500 for Speed the Light and Sunday school children raised $35,000 for BGMC. <br /> <br /> Inspired by missions, about ten of Butterfield’s youth have answered God’s call to enter the ministry.<br /> <br /> In 2019, missions giving increased to $140,912. In 2020, when COVID ravaged the nation and weekly church attendance collapsed to less than 200, missions giving shot up to $160,701. Offerings have continued to grow during the last two years, totaling $182,556 in 2021 and $321,760 in 2022. <br /> <br /> Greg and Kandatha Rose, Butterfield members since 2009, were personally blessed with recent salary raises. “We were led to double our missions support and God has wonderfully provided for us,” Rose says.<br /> <br /> Many other families have experienced similar blessings. <br /> <br /> The church currently supports 75 missionaries but expects to add another 25 by the end of 2024. <br /> <br /> Reflecting, Kimberland believes the emphasis on missions has been a catalyst to pay off the church’s heavy debt burden and reach more people for Jesus, both locally and globally. <br /> <br /> “It was a supernatural and divine accomplishment,” he explains. “There is no way man could have done this.”</p> <p><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Arkansas-Church/Arkansas-Church-Car-0.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Arkansas-Church/Arkansas-Church-Car-1.jpg" title="2"/></div></div></p>{A5143454-97FE-4CC2-8CAD-75EE87B08ACA}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Addiction-Meets-Transformation-through-Ministry-of-Adult-and-Teen-Challenge-Couple<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Lowans_1400.jpg" alt="" />Adult & Teen Challenge Director Jim Lowans and his wife, Kathie, have allowed God to use them to see lives trapped in addiction transformed by God.Tue, 26 Sep 2023 15:30:00 ZJustin, an A+ student from rural Pennsylvania, did not feel challenged academically in school and was growing bored of his classes. One day, during his search for something more exciting, he was offered drugs: more specifically, cocaine. It was not long until this one-time boredom reliever completely took over his life.<br /> <br /> Enslaved to his addiction, Justin eventually ended up in an <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://teenchallengeusa.org/" target="_blank">Adult & Teen Challenge</a> (ATC) facility directed by U.S. missionary Jim Lowans. He was freed from his addiction through the grace of God over the course of a year and excelled in the program’s curriculum, enrolling in college right after graduation. He went on to double major at Vanderbilt University, graduate Summa Cum Laude, start a family, and become a professor!<br /> <br /> “There are many miraculous stories, but Justin’s really stands out,” Jim says. <br /> <br /> <strong>HISTORY</strong><br /> <br /> Before becoming a U.S. missionary with ATC, Jim and his wife, Kathie, spent 15 years as children’s pastors in Chicago. In 1997, a pastoral friend of the Lowanses, who had recently moved to Rehrersburg, Pennsylvania, to become the director of their local Teen Challenge, called Jim and asked him to come work with him. <br /> <br /> Jim and Kathie, knowing this was from God, moved to Pennsylvania and began pursuing U.S. Missions’ appointment, with Jim becoming fully appointed in 2002. Wanting to do more, the Lowanses left the Rehrersburg center and bought a former nursing home. They used it to start an adolescent Teen Challenge center and ran it for seven years before moving to Neosho, Missouri, where Jim became the center’s new director.<br /> <br /> The theme of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://tc4s.org/" target="_blank">Adult & Teen Challenge center in Neosho</a> is simple: Putting hope within reach. Jim acknowledges that you cannot force people to change, even if you know someone is doing something self-destructive. <br /> <br /> “I used to spend hours trying to convince addicts that they needed help; but that doesn’t work,” he sighs. “All I can do is provide a place of hope for people. They must decide if they are going to grasp onto that hope.”<br /> <br /> <strong>WHAT?</strong><br /> <br /> “We are not in the rehabilitation business, we are in the transformation business,” Jim says. While Adult & Teen Challenge <em>is</em> focused on helping men, women, and children affected by addiction, the Lowanses believe there is something more important than that. “The goal is for our students to have such a transformational experience that they then go out and reach others,” explains Kathie. “We are trying to create disciples who create disciples.”<br /> <br /> To accomplish this, Adult & Teen Challenge of Central and Southwest Missouri requires each person who enters a center to turn their lives completely over to the program. While being in the Christian-based program is completely voluntary, they must immerse themselves in an intensely disciplined routine upon entering the program. Their weeks are filled with scholastic studies, learning life skills and Christian values, church service attendance several nights a week, work therapy, and more. <br /> <br /> Students are also given the opportunity to evangelize through music by joining a choir. The group travels around to churches, singing worship songs, and sharing their testimonies. “A lot of the guys have never sung before, and those who have certainly didn’t sing the songs that we sing here,” Jim laughs.<br /> <br /> <strong>PRIMROSE</strong><br /> <br /> Kathie also serves with Adult & Teen Challenge as the Corporate Women’s Director of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://primrosehilltc.com/" target="_blank">Primrose Hill</a>, an ATC center in Clark, Missouri, started by the Lowanses eight years ago. <br /> <br /> “There was nowhere for addicted women with children to go that allowed them to bring their little ones,” Kathie says. Now sitting on a plot of land just outside Columbia, Missouri, the 6,000-square-foot home serves as a place to rehabilitate and disciple women in need in the Midwest.<br /> <br /> “The facility is a more home-like atmosphere than that in Neosho,” Kathie says. <br /> <br /> Still, the majority of curriculum is the same as the men’s center. Part of the women’s work therapy program is a micro-enterprise called <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.primgoods.com/" target="_blank">Prim Goods</a>, a premium bath and body product manufacturer. After production, each product is signed by the woman who makes it. This provides purchasers the opportunity to pray for the woman while she is in the program. <br /> <br /> “The work ethics and business skills the women learn will help them provide for themselves and their children,” Kathie explains.<br /> <br /> <strong>WHY?</strong><br /> <br /> Many Christians who have not dealt with addiction personally may have a hard time understanding the “why” behind addiction, leading to a judgmental attitude surrounding substance abuse. <br /> <br /> “Too many people have the mindset of, ‘they made their choices and deserve to lie in the bed they made,’” Jim says. He explains that people experiencing addiction often did not start drugs just for fun. <br /> <br /> A local high school asked Jim to bring a few men in to share their stories with students and their parents. A young man, around 18 years old, stepped up during the assembly. <br /> <br /> “I could be your son” he said, looking across the room. He went on say that he used to be a star football player. During a game, he suffered a major injury that led to an oxycodone prescription to help with the pain. He had not accepted an offer of drugs at a party, nor did he do drugs recreationally, yet he was now addicted to pain killers.<br /> <br /> “Abusing drugs and alcohol is a personal choice, yes, but it is not that black and white,” Jim explains. “Helping, praying for, and supporting addicts is what Christians should be doing, not judging.”<br /> <br /> <strong>THE TOOLBOX</strong><br /> <br /> Jim likes to explain the process of leaving Adult & Teen Challenge of Central and Southwest Missouri through the analogy of a toolbox. He explains that every person who comes to the center is handed a shiny hypothetical toolbox. But it is empty. At graduation, the student is still holding the toolbox, but now it is full of tools — the skills they have learned. <br /> <br /> “When you go home, you’ll have to decide what you are going to do with your toolbox,” Jim tells the students. If graduates use their toolbox, the skills and resources given to them each day at ATC, they will succeed. Those who “hide their toolbox” will not. <br /> <br /> “The analogy of the toolbox is just as true for me as it is for students. While I may not struggle with addiction, I struggle with other sins,” he says. “If we do not rely on Jesus and solely rely on our own strength, we will all fail.”<br /> <br /> Jim knows the tragedy of watching someone fail and, in some especially difficult cases, overdose and die. Still, he says that using your tools — daily prayer, reading the Bible, communing with other believers, and fully relying on Christ — is the only true way to avoid failure.<br /> <br /> One of Jim’s graduates was serving in his community as a volunteer prison chaplain and preaching to the inmates. When he came into the jail one night, the inmates started cheering, excited to hear “the preacher preach.” <br /> <br /> However, this time, the preacher was led in wearing handcuffs. He had been caught selling drugs. “That experience helped me fully understand what it meant to utilize all the tools in my toolbox,” he told Jim. With the help of the Lord and his toolbox, the man was released and became a pastor.<br /> <br /> <strong>CAMBODIA</strong><br /> <br /> Jim was given another opportunity during his time in Pennsylvania. A donor to the adolescent center approached him and told of a missionary he supported who ran an orphanage in Cambodia. Local government had asked the missionary to take in the children who were living on the streets and addicted to glue as it was bad for tourism. Not knowing how to help addicted children and afraid they would introduce the addiction to other kids, the missionary had to decline.<br /> <br /> Knowing Jim worked with addicted children, the donor asked him to take a trip to the orphanage to help. “I wasn’t in contact with World Missions at the time, and I had only been as far as El Salvador, so this was a huge leap,” Jim says.<br /> <br /> The trip proved fruitful and eventually led to the creation of a Teen Challenge program in Cambodia. Even though he was not sure how, Jim wanted to help more in surrounding countries. “If you open doors, I will walk through them,” he prayed sitting in a Cambodian hotel one night.<br /> <br /> It did not take long before God answered Jim’s prayer. The Asia Pacific regional director of Global Teen Challenge retired and, in 2010, Jim was appointed <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.globaltc.org/" target="_blank">Global Teen Challenge</a> regional director of Asia Pacific. Now serving both overseas and in Missouri, Jim likes to say that he has been “working both sides of the pond” for over a decade. <br /> <br /> <strong>SETH</strong><br /> <br /> Seth came to the Neosho center in May 2011. He began pacing immediately upon arrival, clearly not sober. “I can’t do this. I need my bus ticket. I want to go home right now,” he told the office. <br /> <br /> Upsettingly for Seth, there were no buses running at that time as an EF5 multiple-vortex tornado had struck 20 miles away, and all public transportation had ceased. Seth decided to stay until the storm passed and ended up staying for the entirety of the program, graduating a year later, and staying on to work with Jim.<br /> <br /> After Seth had worked at the center for a time, Jim called him into his office. A pastor in Fiji was looking for someone to help open a Teen Challenge center. <br /> <br /> “Seth, do you want to go to Fiji?” Jim asked. <br /> <br /> “Hmm, I’ll have to pray about that … Yes, of course!” Seth proclaimed. For the next four years, he worked to help open a center in Fiji. Now, he helps at the women and children’s center in Columbia as “the man of the house,” on top of working extensively with Global Teen Challenge and traveling to Fiji.<br /> <br /> <strong>THE GROWING PROBLEM</strong><br /> <br /> With 46.3 million people over the age of 12 in the United States battling a substance use disorder in 2021, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA), the issue of addiction is only growing. The Lowanses believe this is due to the availability of drugs, especially with the legalization of marijuana across many states. <br /> <br /> “Eventually, people who smoke weed are going to turn to something harder” they explain. <br /> <br /> “I cannot imagine what would happen if we didn’t have programs like Adult & Teen Challenge,” Kathie says. “When I hear the success stories and see the impact our graduates are having on the world around them … it makes every difficulty worth it.”{5F1225BB-D6BC-4F32-BB61-DEDC8337D117}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Church-Thrift-Store-Becomes-Community-Hub<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Church-Thrift-Store-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />For a New Jersey church, meeting the spiritual and emotional needs of their community starts by meeting the physical needs. Tue, 26 Sep 2023 11:00:00 ZFor the community of Toms River, New Jersey, the <a href="https://tomsriverag.org/dressed-blessed-thrift-store">Dressed and Blessed</a> thrift store meets more than tangible needs, it meets emotional and spiritual needs as well. <br /> <br /> Deena M. Gifford was saved at the age of 26 and decided to attend Zion Bible College, now <a href="https://northpoint.edu/">Northpoint Bible College</a>, determined not to be a “Bible college bride.” However, when she met Paul Gifford, a teen challenge graduate who was also attending Zion Bible College, she heard wedding bells. <br /> <br /> In 2005, after graduating and getting married, the Giffords returned to minister in the same church where Deena had found Christ just a few years earlier, <a href="https://tomsriverag.org">First Assembly of God Church</a> in Toms River, New Jersey. There, the Giffords took on the role of both associate pastor and youth pastor, positions in which they would serve for the next four years. Then, in 2009, the Giffords were voted in as senior pastors after the church spent over a year looking for the right fit. <br /> <br /> With only a few years of experience as senior pastors, in 2012, the Giffords found themselves leading both their church and the community through hurricane Sandy. This superstorm, documented as the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, was the fourth most expensive storm in the country, causing more than $70 billion in damages according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/hurricane-sandy">National Geographic</a>. <br /> <br /> “Although we were right in the area of New Jersey that experienced damage and power outages, our church only lost power for about a minute,” Gifford says. <br /> <br /> Seeing the great need in the area, the church opened a food pantry and allowed people to come get supplies. They also used the church to serve meals to those who remained without power after the storm devastated the area. <br /> <br /> “As things returned to normal, people just kept donating so we decided to keep the food pantry going,” says Gifford. <br /> <br /> A few years later, the church was continuing to fund the food pantry but also began praying about what to do with a small building in the back of the church’s property. <br /> <br /> “I realized we had a lot of clothes being donated and suddenly God gave me this idea about opening a thrift store in the building behind the church. I felt like it could also be a way to help carry the cost of the food pantry,” states Gifford. <br /> <br /> Gifford asked her dad to help her renovate the small building and the labor of love began. <br /> <br /> “Her idea was great and I knew it was going to be wonderful for the community,” states John Casciano, 75, Gifford’s father. <br /> <br /> Casciano states that as soon as he heard what his daughter felt led to do, he grabbed his tools, packed his trunk, and went straight to work. Within a year, the front room of the thrift store, Dressed and Blessed, was up and running.<br /> <br /> “Although we had originally planned to cover the costs of the food pantry, it quickly evolved into so much more,” recalls Gifford. <br /> <br /> As Gifford continued to follow the vision God had given her, she watched the thrift store grow in size and in its community impact. <br /> <br /> The store, which started as one front room in 2016, has now grown into 5 of the rooms of the building and the funds reach into many different areas of the Toms River community. <br /> <br /> From the sales of donated items, Gifford and her volunteers fund the food pantry, stock it weekly with fresh bread and produce, and make 100 meals for another community organization to deliver each week to the homeless. <br /> <br /> Additionally, Gifford works with the local pregnancy center, domestic violence shelter, and the county’s Department of Child and Family Services. <br /> <br /> “We provide the community organizations with whom we partner with vouchers so that women in the shelters or kids and families in the foster care system can come in and shop for free for the things that they need,” says Gifford. <br /> <br /> Dressed and Blessed has also been able to financially minister to those who need temporary emergency housing, apartment deposits, and other costly needs thanks to the overwhelming blessing that God has bestowed on the store.<br /> <br /> She states that people from the community also come in simply to sit in a place where they feel the peace of God. <br /> <br /> “We see people come in who aren’t even there to shop for anything,” she says. “We have become a community safe haven and, through that, we have seen salvations and healings right there in the shop.” <br /> <br /> Gifford says that the most amazing part of the ministry is that she gets to see people, every day, encounter the love of God. <br /> <br /> “You can’t ignore the loving and warm atmosphere from the minute you walk through the front door,” Casciano states. <br /> <br /> The food pantry, which is still in operation, feeds around 70 families per week while the thrift store serves countless more. <br /><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Church-Thrift-Store/Church-Thrift-Store-Car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Church-Thrift-Store/Church-Thrift-Store-Car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Church-Thrift-Store/Church-Thrift-Store-Car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{53A728CA-6FF0-4274-92E9-0272CDCF25F1}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/CALLED-Conferences-Help-Fill-AG-Ministerial-Pipeline<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/1400-Called-Initiative-Conference.jpg" alt="" />CALLED conferences are taking off nationwide and showing promising growth in the pipeline for Assemblies of God ministers.Mon, 25 Sep 2023 12:00:00 ZTwo years ago, John Zick and the team of <a href="https://called.ag.org/">CALLED</a> launched an initiative to discover and equip those who had been called to vocational ministry. With the goal of creating a leadership pipeline to fill the once growing gap in credentialed and vocational ministers within the Assemblies of God, Zick knew that this initiative had to be multigenerational. <br /> <br /> “The Assemblies of God was seeing 1,000 credential holders not renewing their credentials each year and an annual net loss of around 200,” Zick, the national director of Ministerial Advancement, states. <br /> <br /> With its mission clear, CALLED set out to gain, train, and retain ministers for the leadership pipeline. Although the team had initially started with a focus on junior high and high school students, they quickly saw the need to also target elementary aged children between the ages of 7-11 years old. <br /> <br /> “We want kids to know that God has a plan and a purpose for their life,” Zick says. “From there, we want to excite them about the call of vocational ministry and build, equip, and support them through their entire ministry journey.”<br /> <br /> One of the ways that CALLED decided to create this culture was through CALLED conferences. The original design for these conferences was a four-day camp experience at <a href="https://www.evangel.edu/">Evangel University</a>, allowing each district or network to send five students to attend the event. The event introduced students to national leaders such as <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/General-Superintendent" target="_blank">Doug Clay</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/Leadership-Team/Assistant-General-Superintendent" target="_blank">Rick DuBose</a> and allowed them to journey to AG points of interest such as the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ag.org/About/National-Office" target="_blank">national headquarters</a> of the Assemblies of God, <a href="https://convoyofhope.org">Convoy of Hope</a>, and the <a href="https://prayercenter.ag.org/">World Prayer Center</a>. <br /> <br /> Following the event, 32 of the 66 Assemblies of God districts decided to host their own conference in order to start discovering and equipping more individuals called to ministry within their region. The following year, the number of districts hosting their own called conference jumped to 46, representing almost two-thirds of Assemblies of God districts. <br /> <br /> “It was very cool to see the response,” says Zick. The CALLED initiative has allowed leeway for each district to host the conference in a way that best suits their area. <br /> <br /> “Some districts are doing more of a retreat while others are doing a conference feel,” reports Zick. <br /> <br /> However, the common theme among all the CALLED events is the remarkable interest and numerical growth. While the <a href="https://socalnetwork.org/">Southern California Network</a> had 120 registered for their event, Zick reports that 400 showed up as the weekend kicked off at <a href="https://www.vanguard.edu/">Vanguard University</a>. <br /> <br /> Similarly, the <a href="https://www.tnaog.org/">Tennessee Ministry Network</a>, who had capped their registration at 100 students, welcomed more than 280 youth to their event after interest demanded a larger cap. <br /> <br /> Brandon M. Cederblom, the district youth director for the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://somoag.org/" target="_blank">Southern Missouri Ministry Network</a>, reports an increase in students and churches during their second CALLED event. <br /> <br /> “We went from 120 to 175 in our second year,” Cederblom states. “That number is even greater when you realize that churches usually only bring two or three students. We have dozens of churches championing this and it’s a great event to be part of,” he says. <br /> <br /> According to Cederblom, the nature of the events is distinct, making it an entirely different atmosphere than a typical youth event. While most youth events are missional in attracting students from all walks of life and in various points in the spiritual journey, CALLED events hosts students who Cederblom describes as note-takers, worshippers, and those passionate about pressing into the things of the Spirit. <br /> <br /> “Although we thought it would take five to ten years to see the impact of CALLED, in just two years we are already seeing numbers trend in the positive,” states Zick. <br /> <br /> In 2022, the Assemblies of God saw positive growth between the number of new credential holders and those whose credentials were not renewed. To continue momentum, Zick and the CALLED team have begun creating resources to help ministers in their first five to ten years of ministry. <br /> <br /> “If you can make it past year five in ministry, you’re more than likely going to make it,” says Zick. <br /> <br /> The team’s projects for supporting and retaining ministers includes a “first season” cohort, where ministers who are in their first years can come together to encourage one another and build relationships with others who are walking the same journey. Additionally, the team will be launching a new book full of tips for new ministers and will feature advice from leaders around the country as well as a place for personal reflection. <br />{7176B774-6514-40A9-88F3-725D3A7A8443}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Children-s-Church-Structures----How-a-Missionary-Family-is-Impacting-the-Next-Generation<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Berkeys-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />In order for children in Kenyan villages to hear the gospel, they need a place to gather as many churches don't permit children in the adult services — that's where the Berkey family enters the scene. Fri, 22 Sep 2023 12:00:00 Z<p> It is Sunday morning. As you stand in your church’s foyer, you observe families arriving at church. The adults enter the sanctuary for worship; their children are excited and eager as they join their friends and head to children’s church. There, trained workers welcome them. In this setting, these children are safe, will experience lively worship, and will learn from God’s Word. Your church believes that ministry to children is a priority.</p> <p>But things are different across the continent of Africa. According to Scott Berkey, an Assemblies of God missionary serving in Kenya, “The majority of churches in Africa (usually less than 10%) have no room or dedicated space for the next generation to hear and learn about the love of Jesus.”</p> <p>“Many times children are either chased away or forced to have class outside,” James Thuo, national children’s ministry director for Kenya Assemblies of God, remarks.</p> <p>When Scott and Sarah Berkey, along with their three teenage children, arrived in Kenya to work with the NextGen team of the Kenya Assemblies of God (KAG), they quickly discovered that even though the KAG had more than 4,000 churches, only about 400 churches understood the priority of ministry to children and had constructed places for children to meet on Sunday morning.</p> <p>At most of the churches the Berkeys visited, children were either meeting early in the morning before the adult service or they met during the adult service outside under a tree. Scott described one church they visited. “This church had more than 500 children meeting under a tree each week. If the sun was too hot or if the rain was too heavy, the church canceled children’s church and the children had to stay home so they would not interrupt the adult service.”</p> <p>Africa’s Children is working to change that. Its mission is to develop a healthy ministry to children and teens within walking distance of every one of the more than 650 million young people living in Africa.</p> <p>The Berkeys had heard about the children’s church structures that had been built in other places in Africa, so they reached out to Mike Ness, the director of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://africaschildrennow.org/" target="_blank">Africa’s Children</a>. Scott wanted to discuss how he could start this program in Kenya. After learning from Ness, the Malcoms, and other AGWM missionaries serving children across the continent, Scott developed a plan with Thuo to begin building children’s church structures in Kenya.</p> <p>Berkey and Thuo decided to build the first structure near Kimana, Kenya, at KAG Enkii — the church that had more than 500 children meeting under a tree. This structure was completed in November 2021. But God was not done.</p> <p>God was continuing to move on the Berkey family. They knew one structure was just the beginning. As Scott, Sarah, and their family began to pray, they felt strongly God was calling them to build at least one structure in every district across the country. The KAG has 57 districts and the cost of each structure is approximately $2,000 (USD). They were not sure how they could accomplish this goal, but they knew this was from God.</p> <p>Africa’s Children helped the Berkeys accomplish this goal by providing the cost of the first structure. Then, as churches throughout the United States heard about the Berkey’s goal, they started sending funds through Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge (<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bgmc.ag.org/" target="_blank">BGMC</a>) and to the Berkey’s AGWM account for these structures. “It was incredible to sit back and watch God work,” states Scott. </p> <p>But this was more than Scott and Sarah’s project. When couples accept the call of God to become missionaries, their children often work alongside their parents to fulfill God’s call on their lives. This is true for Myah, who is Scott and Sarah’s daughter.</p> <p>In January 2022, 14-year-old Myah had a project for school. This project was designed to challenge 8th graders not only to learn but to do something that would make a difference in the world around them.</p> <p>Myah decided she would use her project to raise funds and awareness for the need for children’s church structures in Kenya. Her goal was to raise $2,000 to build a children’s church structure. She chose the Mara district because her family loved to visit the Masai Mara and see the animals. Every time Myah visited there she saw boys and girls from the community walking around. She remarked, “I want them to learn about Jesus. I know Jesus loves them and they will love Him, too, if they can hear about Him.”</p> <p>As part of her project, Myah had to develop a marketing plan. She explained, “I created social media posts, made a video showing a miniature children’s church structure, and sent text messages and emails to friends and family.”</p> <p>A friend and mentor, David Boyd (former BGMC director), encouraged her to not put a lid on what God wanted to do in Kenya. He told her, “Do not say ‘I want to build one structure,’ but instead say, ‘I want to put up as many structures as possible.’” Because of Boyd’s challenge, her goal immediately went from building one children’s church to building multiple structures.</p> <p>After the first week, Myah had raised more than $3,500. By the time of her presentation at the end of the school year, she had raised almost $14,000 — enough to build seven structures.</p> <p>Later Myah visited the structure that was built in the Mara District. Myah exclaimed, “It was incredible to see the boys and girls enjoying church in their new structure.”</p> <p>At the end of the adult service, the pastor asked Myah to come to the front of the auditorium. He told the congregation that she had blessed their church with the children’s auditorium. He asked the church to show Myah their appreciation. Scott and Sarah stood back and watched as nearly every person in the church presented Myah with beaded jewelry and other gifts they had made. They were thankful how God had used this teenager to provide their children a place out of the sun and rain to worship.</p> <p>Myah has a heart for this project and is continuing to spread the word that Kenyan kids need structures at their churches. She says, “We want a healthy kid’s church within walking distance of every Kenyan child and teenager.”</p> <p>Thuo explains, “When we build a children’s structure and a children’s ministry begins to grow, suddenly the church, and even the district, sees the value of children. As children are discipled, they begin to bring their entire family to church.” One example is Yves.</p> <p>Yves’ mother gave birth to him before she was married and she was raising him as a single mom. When Yves was 5 years old, one Sunday he heard kids singing, “Who is a child of God? I am a child of God.” Yves told his mother they needed to go to that church. Every Sunday morning he pestered his mom to take him to church.</p> <p>One Sunday his mother got Yves dressed and ready for the 6:30 a.m. children’s church service. However, Yves did not go home at 8 a.m. like the other kids. Instead, he stayed with his mom and made sure she went to adult church. Soon Yves’ mom gave her heart to the Lord. Yves is now an adult who serves as a church usher and is on the security team.</p> <p>Pastor Yembe, Yves’ pastor, states, “The soul of a child is the same as that of an adult. God is just as concerned with children as He is with adults coming to Him.”</p> <p>Yembe continues, “Unfortunately, not every pastor has this same burden for ministry to children. In some African countries, church leaders don’t prioritize ministry to children. These churches miss the opportunity to start a child on the right path, a path that can lead them to years of faithful service to the Lord.” But this is changing.</p> <p>As the children’s structures were built, one district saw the impact these structures had on their churches. The district raised money to build a children’s church for one of the churches in its district.</p> <p>“They raised the money for the floor and the walls,” Thuo says. “When they came to us and asked for help finishing the roof, we were excited to help them finish. As a result of these structures, we are seeing entire villages changed for the kingdom of God.”</p> <p>Up to that point, the Berkeys had completed 45 children’s structures in Kenya. In May 2023, they learned that two churches in America had sent funds to build an additional 16 structures.</p> <p>“It is incredible to think about how much God has done in the last 18 months for the boys and girls of Kenya,” Scott says. “Those 60 structures represent thousands of children who now have a place to go, out of the sun and the rain, where they can learn about the incredible love of Jesus.”</p> <p>Even with the success of their ministry, they are not finished. As Myah stated, “We want a healthy kid’s church within walking distance of every Kenyan child and teenager.”</p> <p><em>*This article originally appeared in volume 9, issue 4 of </em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://warehouse.agwm.org/repository/flipbook/worldview/2023/v9n4/" target="_blank">Worldview</a><em> magazine. Used with permission. Edited for style. </em></p> <div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Berkeys/Berkeys-car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Berkeys/Berkeys-car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Berkeys/Berkeys-car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Berkeys/Berkeys-car-4.jpg" title="4"/></div></div>{12D0CD49-BAEC-433A-80CE-5BCF6288FF19}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Missions-Report-Update-on-Relief-in-Morocco-Libya<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Morocco-earthquake_1400.jpg" alt="" />In the aftermath of the earthquake in Morocco and the deadly flooding in Libya, national churches, AG World Missions, and Convoy of Hope are working together to provide tons of relief and recovery supplies.Thu, 21 Sep 2023 17:03:00 ZJane, an international church community member, woke up shaking. It wasn’t a bad dream; it wasn’t a dream at all. <br /> <br /> It was shortly after 11 p.m. on Sept. 8, 2023. Jane was just 44 miles from the epicenter of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in southern Morocco. The earthquake killed more than 2,900 people. It also displaced 300,000 people, including Jane, who spent sleepless hours on the street with her Muslim friends and neighbors, praying that there would be no significant aftershocks.<br /> <br /> Four days later, Chris, a ministry partner in Derna, Libya, looked out his windows in alarm. Water was rushing through the streets, carrying bodies with it. When Chris finally emerged from his home into the city he loves, one quarter of the town had been washed into the Mediterranean Sea, leaving 11,300 dead, over 10,000 missing, and at least 30,000 displaced.<br /> <br /> AGWM Executive Director Greg Mundis says, “Our hearts are grieved at the suffering endured by so many in Morocco after the horrible earthquake and the people of Libya after this devastating flood. In response, we are mobilizing the church to pray that our fellow believers there will receive God’s comfort and strength to endure — as well as receive the relief help they urgently need. We also need to pray that God's love and compassion will shine through Moroccan and Libyan believers’ lives as a testimony of hope to so many nonbelievers who are suffering and need to know Christ.”<br /> <br /> <strong>SORROW MIXES WITH JOY </strong><br /> <br /> “We are thankful that all our personnel and all our partners, as well as the local believers we are in partnership with on the ground, survived the earthquake in Morocco and the flood in Libya,” said Arab World Area Director Dick Brogden. <br /> <br /> Despite this joy, there is still immense grief over the 2,900 dead in Morocco and the 11,300 dead in Libya, who, according to all available information, were Muslim. <br /> <br /> “The greatest tragedy when disaster strikes in places and among peoples that are unreached is not the devastation left behind, nor the price of rebuilding when all physical assets have been lost or destroyed,” said Brogden. “It is that these precious men and women have no further chance to hear the gospel, be saved from sin, and receive eternal life in the presence of Jesus.”<br /> <br /> However, hope arose as AGWM personnel immediately responded with the compassion of Jesus. <br /> <br /> One of the beauties of the body of Christ is the unity experienced in times of trial and testing. Multiple Assemblies of God churches immediately sent aid to both Morocco and Libya. Other non-profit entities like Stone Table and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://convoyofhope.org" target="_blank">Convoy of Hope</a> also generously contributed funds, water solutions, and personnel — immediately providing resources so the intervention of AGWM teams on the ground could be timely and effective. <br /> <br /> These partners empowered the work on the ground not only through the funds, goods, and personnel they made immediately available, but also through their experience, connections, counsel, and logistical support that allowed expedient action.<br /> <br /> “We are so thankful for the body of Christ and how we can all work together to express the compassion of Christ through physical relief in a way that can lead to eternal deliverance,” said Brogden.<br /> <br /> <strong>AID IN MOROCCO </strong><br /> <br /> In Morocco, government helicopters brought the most severely injured to Marrakech’s hospitals where they received free medical care. However, after being discharged, patients found themselves without money to purchase vital medications needed for their recovery.<br /> <br /> “One believing doctor, a friend of one of our personnel, personally contracted with a pharmacy to provide medications to these people for free. She and her family were selflessly willing to ‘pick up the tab,’” said an international church staff member. “Because of donations, we have been able to help in this unique area of need. However, the real ‘win’ comes with the relationship that has developed between the doctor and the patient. Doors are wide open for future follow-up!”<br /> <br /> Convoy of Hope personnel were in immediate contact with AGWM workers on the ground and two Convoy representatives arrived in Morocco within days. They joined with AGWM personnel in accessing and transitioning to the next phase of what are the most immediate needs beyond food and water: sanitation stations, pre-fab shelters, cement to rebuild, donkeys, sheep, chickens to replace the livestock they lost?<br /> <br /> Moroccans quickly stepped up to donate blood for those in need. International church staff, combined with other global workers in the community, collaborated using the church as a staging ground to package food, water, blankets, and emergency generators. These items were then delivered to those who had lost homes and loved ones. <br /> <br /> Distribution was coordinated with those who lived in key areas of the Atlas Mountains, allowing direct access to the remote areas, as local village leaders knew and respected them. Approximately 750 boxes of food and 500 blankets were delivered in the first three days after the earthquake.<br /> <br /> Two church planting teams are in the earthquake zone. One, a <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.livedead.org/" target="_blank">Live Dead</a> team, and the other, an international church team on the edge of the earthquake zone.<br /> <br /> The Live Dead team immediately assembled water, food, blankets, and shelter and transported the items to devastated areas. Walking three hours from their base camp in the mountains, the team was able to deliver supplies and minister to grieving Muslim families in the hardest hit areas.<br /> <br /> “Some people come in to give out water, take a picture, and leave,” said a field worker in Morocco. “We are here, we stay, and we live with the people. We give out water, sit with them,<br /> pray, and give hope. What people really want after the disaster is to find hope again.”<br /> <br /> Other AGWM personnel and a Live Dead launch team packed up multiple vehicles of supplies and convoyed them to two staging grounds – joining in the emergency distribution and ministry to the grieving.<br /> <br /> “These actions were done in the name of Jesus,” Brogden said. “Their compassionate and rapid intervention response has opened the door for ongoing gospel access where we had previously been restricted, particularly in remote mountain villages.” <br /> <br /> Workers from the international church and Live Dead teams had divine opportunities to meet with hurting village people. <br /> <br /> “Some of our ladies did basic first aid as they sat, listened, wept, and prayed with women who had suffered great loss,” said an international church staff member. “Some of the men, after delivering food supplies, went back to the villages they had been with soccer balls for the young people.”<br /> <br /> These small gestures expanded opportunities to return to these areas for future visits, providing open doors for the gospel to be proclaimed.<br /> <br /> <strong>AID IN LIBYA </strong><br /> <br /> In Egypt, Live Dead personnel and partners worked with local Egyptian partners to send truckloads of supplies across the Egyptian/Libyan border and into Derna. Islamic relief agencies were surprised that the majority of life-saving goods and supplies were donated by Egyptian churches and international Christian agencies. The trucks reached a local international church member who then distributed the goods to the suffering in the name and spirit of Jesus.<br /> <br /> “The non-governmental organization we are working with here has been amazing,” said a field worker “We finished the project and sent 50 large trucks of medical supplies and food.” <br /> <br /> <strong>THE ETERNAL IMPACT </strong> <br /> <br /> To live among those who lost loved ones to the earthquake and flood is devastating, especially when AGWM personnel live with unreached people groups with limited access to the gospel. The sobriety of those who have perished never having another chance to hear about the forgiveness of sins and eternal life is weighty.<br /> <br /> “In the immediacy of the crisis, we don’t have time to think deeply, we just plunge into the work and do what needs to be done,” said Brogden. “As the earth beneath us stops shaking and the floods recede, the emotion rises. Joy is mixed with sorrow.”<br /> <br /> There is joy when AGWM’s ministry partners tangibly expressed the love of Jesus and His church to those who are hurting. There is sorrow for those who have perished without Christ, and agony that of the thousands dead, there is no existing knowledge of any who received Christ as Savior.<br /> <br /> This sorrow and agony, to those in the field, is not crippling, but motivating. These workers live daily with the reality that time on earth is limited. Disaster on earth is a reminder that the Day of the Lord is almost upon us, and the will of the Lord is that none should perish. Death serves as a reminder of the beauty of life and the gift of eternal life available to all people in Christ Jesus. <br /> <br /> “We want to see one more soul saved unto eternal life, one more family, one more people group, one more, Lord Jesus, one more!” said Brogden.<br /> <strong><br /> OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUTURE CRISIS AID</strong><br /> <br /> In 2022, the Arab World global workers initiated the Rapid Intervention Network (RIN) adopted from their sister agency, Frontiers. The network was designed for scenarios like what occurred in Morocco and Libya. <br /> <br /> RIN allows personnel to respond immediately, coordinating aid from all available partners both abroad, and in the field. This response network functions in a Jesus-centered and church-based way – even in the most unreached of areas. <br /> <br /> “We honor the dignity of the suffering while making it clear that our compassion for their physical disaster is rooted in God’s heart for them and in His desire to save them from eternal disaster, sin, pain, tears, and loss, forever,” said Brogden.<br /> <br /> <strong>PRAYER POINTS FOR MOROCCO AND LIBYA</strong> <br /> <br /> As the impact of these disasters continues to unfold, local believers and ground workers are working night and day to help the traumatized. Pray for their spiritual strength and emotional composure. Encountering such a vast amount of suffering can be overwhelming as adrenaline fades. <br /> <br /> Pray that as the crisis proceeds to chronic challenges, the international church members and local believers would find ways to continue to minister to those affected by the disaster, taking advantage of opportunities in new areas that are now accessible. <br /> <br /> “We genuinely want to meet physical needs, yet we realize that the greatest need, even in tragedy, is for men and women to receive Jesus as Savior,” said Brogden.<br /> <br /> Pray that the tragic reality of the brevity of life would lead many Moroccans and Libyans to turn to Jesus as the Savior of their bodies and souls.<br /> <br /> “Let us never forget that no suffering compares to eternal suffering, and that the most loving thing we can do is to make disciples and plant the church,” said Brogden. “All our compassion is rooted in God’s eternal love for those in pain, and His eternal plan to bring them to His healing and fulfilling presence – forever.”<br /> <br /> Although a financial donation aids the physical needs of those experiencing these disasters, those on the ground also depend on prayers so they lead the suffering to Jesus, the only One who can keep them eternally safe.<br /> <br /> To help respond to the disaster with eternity in mind, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://giving.ag.org/donate/600001-515049?comments=Earthquake%20Relief" target="_blank">contribute here</a>.{C5562B1B-82C5-4560-8E42-F1E0C920A8C3}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/This-Week-in-AG-History-Sept-16-1973<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/TW-Sept-16-1400.jpg" alt="" />This week marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the long-awaited Assemblies of God Graduate School now known as the AG Theological Seminary.Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:49:00 ZFifty years ago marked the opening of the Assemblies of God Graduate School (AGGS, now Assemblies of God Theological Seminary). The Sept. 16, 1973, issue of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em> included a cover story about the launch of the school.<br /> <br /> There was excitement in the air when the AGGS opened its doors for the first time. Approximately 450 guests attended an open house hosted by the school’s administration in July. Seventy-seven students enrolled in a special missions session over the summer and made initial use of the chapel, classrooms, library, and other facilities.<br /> <br /> Over the next couple of months, a number of groups touring the national offices of the Assemblies of God (AG) were able to visit the school, which was located on the sixth floor of the Distribution Center on the back side of the complex. The school later expanded to include the fifth floor. The fall semester of classes started on Sept. 4, 1973.<br /> <br /> Education has always been an important core value of the AG. However, AGGS was not launched overnight. Over several decades, AG leaders grew to realize that providing graduate school education in an AG context would aid the mission of the church. The growing trend for Bible college graduates to pursue graduate theological training was perhaps the greatest factor that led to the founding of AGGS. Increasing numbers of pastors, missionaries, and educators felt the need for advanced education in order to better fulfill their callings. In addition, after World War II, there was great need for military chaplains. The government required that chaplains hold a graduate degree from a seminary or divinity school in order to be endorsed. The endorsement of military and institutional chaplains became a strong motivator to establish a graduate education program within the AG.<br /> <br /> The Educational Department of the AG, created in 1945, addressed the need for graduate level training. The first attempt at AG graduate training took place at Central Bible Institute. From 1951 to 1957, the school was called Central Bible Institute and Seminary. It featured a fifth-year degree (Th.B.). Beginning in 1958, that program was phased out, and the school then offered an M.A. in Religion. Due to inadequate funding and accreditation issues, the graduate level training ended in 1963. About this same time, Northwest Bible College (now Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington) began offering an M.A. which reverted to a Th.B. within one year.<br /> <br /> Building on these initial degree programs, the concept of a graduate school on the national level was approved at the 1961 General Council. Part of its stated responsibilities included training for ministry in the United States and specialized training for foreign missionary service. It took a few years for plans to fall into place.<br /> <br /> A preliminary constitution and bylaws was approved in May 1972. The school was incorporated in December 1972. It was first known as the Assemblies of God Graduate School. Since the school was established by the General Council, the general superintendent served as the school’s chief executive for the early years, and the president of the school went by the title of executive vice president.<br /> <br /> Cordas C. Burnett was named the first executive vice president of the school, serving under General Superintendent Thomas F. Zimmerman. Burnett laid the groundwork for the infrastructure of the school, helping to get it established on the sixth floor of the Distribution Center of the AG national office. He also drafted academic policies, course descriptions, and other necessary documents.<br /> <br /> In August 1984, the school changed its name to the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS). In March 1996, the school broke ground for a new building on the northeast corner of the Evangel University campus. The new AGTS building was dedicated in September 1997. In 2013, as part of a consolidation of residential schools in Springfield, AGTS became the embedded seminary of Evangel University. <br /> <br /> In the past 50 years, additional Pentecostal graduate school programs have been established, helping to meet the growing need for education within the Pentecostal tradition. However, AGTS is the only national Assemblies of God seminary and, with over 200 students pursuing doctoral degrees in theology, ministry, and missiology, it has one of the largest doctoral programs among peer seminaries. Thousands of AGTS graduates have served as pastors, educators, missionaries, chaplains, and in numerous other fields around the world. AGTS has become both a training ground and a proving ground for servant leaders in the Assemblies of God.<br /> <br /> To learn about the opening of the Assemblies of God Graduate School, read “A/G Graduate School Officially Opened on September 4” on page 29 of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1972-1974/09-16-1973.pdf#Page29" target="_blank">Sept.16, 1973, issue</a> of the <em>Pentecostal Evangel</em>.<br /> <br /> Also featured in this issue:<br /> <br /> • “The Bible Evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit,” by Smith Wigglesworth<br /> <br /> • “One is Taken; One is Left,” by Stanley M. Horton<br /> <br /> • “South Texas WMCs Honor Founder,” by Ann Ahlf<br /> <br /> And many more!<br /> <br /> <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://archives.ifphc.org/pdf/PentecostalEvangel/1972-1974/09-16-1973.pdf#Page29" target="_blank">Click here to read this issue now</a>.<br /> <br /> <em>Pentecostal Evangel </em>archived editions courtesy of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://ifphc.org" target="_blank">Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center</a>.<br /><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/TW-Sept-16-2023/TW-Sept-16-Car-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/TW-Sept-16-2023/TW-Sept-16-car-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/TW-Sept-16-2023/TW-Sept-16-car-3.jpg" title="3"/></div></div>{9C90F004-C097-46B9-B3AB-E9B46378B336}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Church-Hosts-Community-Fun-Day-Benefits-BGMC-and-F-R-E-E-International<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/CenterPointe-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />CenterPointe AG put on a community event that offered free activities for kids, while also raising funds to help end human trafficking. Wed, 20 Sep 2023 12:00:00 Z“Missions is embedded in our kids,” states Sara Rushing, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://centerpointeassembly.com/" target="_blank">CenterPointe Assembly of God</a> children’s pastor. So, when Rushing proposed the church host a Community Fun Day to benefit <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://bgmc.ag.org/" target="_blank">BGMC</a> (Boys and Girls Missionary Challenge) with the funds being allocated to F.R.E.E. International and its Say Something School Assemblies, kids, parents, and leaders excitedly approved. <br /> <br /> Hundreds of Mobile, Alabama, community members attended the inaugural Community Fun Day as it offered numerous free events for community members to enjoy, including a kids area with five inflatables, obstacle courses, face painting, an axe-throwing venue, a car show with 30 classic cars, 30 vendors — including kids selling items to help raise funds for BGMC — and even the SWAT team came and interacted with guests along with a fire truck for kids to explore. <br /> <br /> “The event was a great success,” Rushing says. “Our church is located near a poverty-stricken area, so we wanted to make sure that all the activities were free for the kids to enjoy. The food trucks did charge for food items, but they were <em>very</em> generous in giving out free samples to kids.”<br /> <br /> During the Community Fun Day, Rushing says that she saw vendors and church staff praying with community members. Then, on Sunday, Rushing says she noticed many new faces in the service — people who had attended the Community Fun Day.<br /> <br /> The event raised more than $2,500 for BGMC and <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.freeinternational.org" target="_blank">F.R.E.E. International</a>, which is a U.S. Missions ministry working to end human trafficking in the United States. The <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://saysomethingassembly.com" target="_blank">Say Something School Assemblies</a>, led by U.S. missionary with <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://intercultural.ag.org/" target="_blank">Intercultural Ministries</a> Jody Dyess and his wife, Wendy, not only help students to “recognize and respond to issues that threaten their futures,” but provide them with hope and guidance toward a brighter tomorrow.<br /> <br /> However, what brought the effort full circle was when Jody Dyess spoke in the Sunday service.<br /> <br /> “The kids love doing things for BGMC,” Rushing says. “But Sunday, they were excited to get to see and hear firsthand where the funds they worked so hard to raise will go and who it helps. It’s a real time of learning and growing for them.”<br /> <br /> Rushing says there are about 20 kids in the children’s program, while the church itself sees between 120 and 150 attending on Sunday mornings.<br /> <br /> “I challenge the kids to be the hands and feet of Jesus, not just asking for money, but to work for their BGMC money,” Rushing says. “Among other things, kids dug flower beds, made hand-stamped metal and string bracelets, raised support through archery scores, ran a lemonade stand, and we even had a kindergartner make and sell paper airplanes for BGMC.”<br /> <br /> Grant, who is 5, says he likes raising money for BGMC to help other people. “It makes Jesus happy,” he says.<br /> <br /> “I like raising a bunch of money for other kids and to help missionaries around the world purchase things they need,” says Karter, age 10. “It makes me feel good because I’m helping missionaries and others all over the world.”<br /> <br /> Anistyn, age 8, also enjoys participating in the fundraisers for BGMC and helping missionaries purchase the things they need. “It makes me feel good because I know it’s (the money) going to a good place,” she says.<br /> <br /> Rushing says that in addition to impacting the kids in the church and families in the community, the event enabled the church to connect with community members — many who they met for the first time.<br /> <br /> “We got to interact more with our community than any event we’ve done before,” she says. “I can hardly wait to do this again!”{74515DB4-FB04-4AA0-8540-06607631F58B}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Church-Youth-Write-Sing-and-Release-Their-Own-Album<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Uncommon-album_1400.jpg" alt="" />The Fearless Student Ministries youth group of Christian Life Church created their own album, "Uncommon," for youth service worship, including writing their own lyrics and melodies.Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:00:00 ZFourteen songs recorded for an album isn’t totally uncommon, but what is uncommon is those songs being written, sung, and released by artists who are nearly all in the neighborhood of 14 years old!<br /> <br /> This summer, teens from Fearless Student Ministries at <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://clconline.org/" target="_blank">Christian Life Church</a> in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, spent their time recording their first album, “Uncommon.” According to Michael Williams, student ministries pastor, and Marc McFadden, a long-time music teacher who assists the youth worship team, the album is not only unique, but it fills a need. <br /> <br /> “I’ve helped create albums where adults write the songs and kids sing them, such as for VBS and children’s ministries,” McFadden says, “but this is the first time we’ve had kids write songs from scratch, including the lyrics and melody, and make it into a song we could use in our actual worship services.”<br /> <br /> Williams says that the songs vary in style, from worship choruses to more of a reggae feel, but all are written with the purpose of glorifying God and using them in the youth services.<br /> <br /> “When Marc first presented this idea to me, I instantly thought, W<em>hat’s this going to sound like? Will it be cheesy? This would be the first time these kids have ever written a song!</em>” Williams admits. “But as those thoughts hit my mind, immediately the Holy Spirit stopped me with the thought, <em>None of that matters because these kids are writing these songs from their hearts to Me.</em>”<br /> <br /> But where does a song come from? <br /> <br /> Williams and McFadden both had initial concerns that the lyrics could be problematic as they opened the opportunity to write and sing the songs to the entire youth group. However, aside from changing a few words here and there to help meet the musical composition of a song, poor theology and/or caustic vocabulary never came into question.<br /> <br /> “There is a renewed dedication to taking worship seriously and their approach to God seriously,” McFadden says. “We encourage them to dig in and really hear from God by starting with the Word of God and prayer . . . when the Word of God is the focus, they’re going to write things that will reflect Scripture and what it means in their lives.”<br /> <br /> Abigail, who is 13, shared that the song she wrote with her friend Joanna, who is 14, came from a sermon at youth service on a Wednesday night.<br /> <br /> “I wanted to write a song with the message that Jesus makes you a new person,” she says. The song is titled, “<a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1G1DkDdd4l3th3ZoEJkLUZ" target="_blank">Never Be the Same</a>.” <br /> <br /> “I played a little riff on the piano at my friend’s (Abigail’s) house and we started singing with it,” Joanna says. “'Never Be the Same’ is the first song we’ve ever written.”<br /> <br /> “I was going through a rough time in my life, feeling lost and overwhelmed,” says 13-year-old Valentina. “I wrote the song ‘You Broke Through’ because God pulled me out of that situation.” <br /> <br /> “Looking at the kids taking ownership of something has been really cool to be a part of and to witness,” Williams says. “The kids are eating this up — they love it and are ready to write more. And the ownership is pushing them, inspiring them to be even more involved.”<br /> <br /> McFadden says he has witnessed a higher level of commitment to the youth group and in kids’ relationship with God since the project was first mentioned last fall, especially among the kids who decided to create a song for the album.<br /> <br /> “We’ve got a pretty good spread of demographics — five songs composed by kids 13 to 14 and the majority of the rest of the songs by kids 15 to 17,” McFadden says. “These songs are coming from the heart of teens and kids are still coming up with new songs, wanting to get involved.”<br /> <br /> Williams says he feels the seed for the album started when McFadden volunteered to basically give free music lessons to kids who wanted to be part of the youth worship team on Sunday mornings. The program, Level Up, helps kids develop their abilities and gifts to help them achieve their goal of being a part of the youth worship team, with some now even being on the adult worship service team. <br /> <br /> And as Williams and McFadden have noted, the lyrics aren’t just a “catchy beat” or meaningless repetition, they have a purpose to them.<br /> <br /> “I wrote the song, ‘God’s Masterpiece,’ to help teenagers who may believe there is no reason to live,” states Macy, age 14. “I wanted to tell them that God had a great plan for their lives.”<br /> <br /> Elizabeth, 17, says her song, “To My Father” had newcomers in mind. “I tried to write simple lyrics so even a new believer could understand and sing along in worship,” she says.<br /> <br /> In addition to creating music to worship God through and growing their commitment to God in the process, McFadden says that he’s also noticed that the kids involved are bonding and building strong relationships with each other. <br /> <br /> Although Christian Life Church is larger than most (about 1,100) with a youth group that averages about 85, the point that hits home is it seems writing music that glorifies God has less to do with a person’s age and more to do with his or her relationship with God. <br /> <br /> McFadden says that a number of songs are already posted online, with a few still in post-production, but should be available within the next few weeks. To listen to some of the songs on the “Uncommon” album on Spotify, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/1G1DkDdd4l3th3ZoEJkLUZ" target="_blank">click here</a> (an account registration is required, but free).{BE26A08A-349A-4558-A040-0D10A75D92CC}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Missionaries-Launch-Camp-for-Foster-Children-in-Great-Britain<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Family-photo-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" />Bryan and Misty Elliott, missionaries to Great Britain, are training churches to bring hope and healing to foster children in their own communities. Tue, 19 Sep 2023 12:00:00 ZBryan W. Elliott met his wife, Misty, at Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas. Following graduation, the Elliotts moved to Manhattan, Kansas and started helping to fill various ministry roles at their local church,<a href="https://manhattanfirst.org"> First Assembly of God</a>. Soon, the couple was asked to be the <a href="https://chialpha.com/">Chi Alpha</a> (https://chialpha.com/ ) directors for <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a>. <br /> <br /> In their seventh year at Kansas State, the Elliotts attended the <a href="https://twms5.com/">World Missions Summit</a> in Kentucky. While there, the couple each had individual experiences during which they felt the Holy Spirit burdening them for Europe. Not knowing what they were supposed to do, they committed themselves to praying for the continent. <br /> <br /> The next semester, the Elliotts met a freshman from England who had come to study for a year in the United States. While at Kansas State, the girl accepted Christ and asked the Elliotts to help her find a church in England so she could continue her spiritual journey. As the couple tried to assist the student, they felt their burden narrow specifically to the United Kingdom. <br /> <br /> “We thought maybe God was asking us to pray for churches in the UK so that’s what we did for a year and a half,” says Elliott. <br /> <br /> As they prayed, the Elliotts continued to hear about the UK. Knowing that the <a href="https://agwm.org/en/">Assemblies of God World Missions</a> had not been asked by the Assemblies of God Great Britain to send missionaries, the couple felt that all they could do was continue steadfast in prayer. <br /> <br /> However, one day while at home, Elliott felt like she had to call the Assemblies of God World Missions headquarters. <br /> <br /> “I needed to hear from someone that going to the UK as missionaries wasn’t an option,” she says. “I mean, I knew it wasn’t but I had to hear it so I could stop wondering and refocus on our ministry at KSU.”<br /> <br /> When she called, she asked to speak to the then area director of Northern Europe and was miraculously able to reach him right then. To her surprise, the director, Tim Southerland, informed Elliott that the Assemblies of God USA had been invited to send missionaries to the UK the week prior but no announcement had been made. <br /> <br /> “He told me that they chose to pray that the right people would call them instead of announcing and asking for missionaries to volunteer,” Elliott says. <br /> <br /> The conversation revealed that there was a need for church planters due to the rise in numbers of churches that were closing. <br /> <br /> In 2011, the Elliotts resigned their Chi Alpha position after 10 years of service and moved to Wales where they started<a href="www.capcitycardiff.org.uk"> Capital City Church</a>. Within a year, the couple moved the church from their living room to an official building. <br /> <br /> “We were encouraged by a British pastor to cast our net deep as a church so we started praying about what that meant,” Elliott says. <br /> <br /> As they began to look around at what other churches were doing in the community, the Elliotts felt a burden for foster children and their families in the country. They reflected on their time in Kansas and remembered the incredible testimonies from both church volunteers and children that came out of First Assembly of God’s <a href="https://www.forthechildren.org/about-us/camps">Royal Family KIDS Camp</a>. <br /> <br /> Royal Family KIDS Camp, a 5-day trauma informed camp for foster children, is a program put on by <a href="https://www.forthechildren.org/">For The Children</a>, formerly Royal Family KIDS, Inc. The camp, which is available across the United States as well as in nine countries in a manner similar to a franchise, offers children a week of life-giving activities that build resiliency and promote healing, according to their website. <br /> <br /> The model of these camps empowers local churches to come alongside foster children in their community and offer restoration to the relational trauma they have experienced. The Elliotts knew they would be building the program from the ground up and had neither the funds nor the volunteers to pull off such a camp. <br /> <br /> Yet with persistence and prayer, the Elliotts pushed forward and in 2015 they finally broke through the barriers that had made their dream of starting a camp seem impossible. However, the night before the deposit was due on the selected venue for their first camp, the Elliotts found themselves lacking the financial means to finalize the site. <br /> <br /> “We just sat down, said a quick prayer, and committed the situation to the Lord,” Elliott says. <br /> <br /> “Then,” she continues, “not five minutes later, we got a call from the international director of Royal Family KIDS who said they had received a donation for the purpose of starting a new international camp and asked us if we could use it.” <br /> <br /> The donation turned out to cover the entire deposit deficit. <br /> <br /> After several years, that first camp reached capacity and the Elliotts knew that they needed to recruit more churches to reach more children. In 2018, they launched <a href="http://www.starfish.org.uk/">The Starfish Alliance</a> (a name chosen because the term “Royal Family” cannot be used in Great Britain), a national charity through which they could recruit, train, and equip churches to launch and run their own camps for children in foster care. <br /> <br /> A second church is soon launching a new Starfish KIDS Camp in Wales.<br /> <br /> Their daughter, Audrey Elliott, who has volunteered at three camps so far, states that volunteering is a great experience. <br /> <br /> “It’s such a cool thing to be able to give the kids words of affirmation and encouragement that they may not get at home,” she states. “The camps don’t just change the kids, they change the volunteers, too. <br /> <br /> Audrey recalls sitting by a young boy at one camp in Wales who told her that he had been sleeping well. While she thought none too much about the comment, the boy went on to explain that he usually does not sleep much at all because he is so scared but he felt safe at camp and had slept every night. <br /> <br /> “This is the atmosphere volunteers and churches get to be part of creating,” says Audrey. <br /> <br /> As interest has continued to grow, the husband-and-wife church planters and now senior pastors of <a href="http://www.bedwaschurch.org">Hope Church</a> in Bedwas, Wales, have opportunities to help churches in other areas of Europe, including Belgium and Italy, serve those who Jesus referred to as “the least of these” in their own communities. <br /> <br /> Opening more camps can’t come soon enough as there is normally a wait list for kids to come. <br /> <br /> “We want to give children in foster care the gift of hope, the unconditional love of Christ, and a taste of healthy relationships,” says Elliott. <br /><div class="owl-demo owl-theme owl-carousel"><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Elliot-Family/Elliot-photo-1.jpg" title="1"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Elliot-Family/Elliot-photo-2.jpg" title="2"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Elliot-Family/Elliot-photo-3.jpg" title="3"/></div><div class="item"><img src="/-/media/PENews/Photo-Galleries/Elliot-Family/Elliot-photo-4.jpg" title="4"/></div></div>{4C7B18E1-AAB7-46D7-BDF7-2B2131B7D9D5}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/AG-Indian-Fellowship-of-North-America-Sets-Expansion-Goal<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Willson-1400.jpg" alt="" />The Assemblies of God Indian Fellowship of North America sets goals of growth and expansion in the next five years across two countries. Mon, 18 Sep 2023 12:00:00 ZThirty years ago, as Wilson Jose, K. P. Titus, and Kunjumon Daniel met together in New York, they felt the Lord calling them to establish the <a href="https://www.agifnaus.com/">Assemblies of God India Fellowship of North America</a> (AGIFNA). Obedient to the call, the men took the initiative and began the official organization of the AGIFNA on November 6, 1993.<br /> <br /> Within two years, in 1995, the AGIFNA held its first conference at the Martin Van Buren High School in New York City. The conference hosted former Assemblies of God General Superintendent Guy Raymond Carlson and<a href="https://mgmministries.org/dr-muralidar/"> Dr. K. Muralidar</a> as its key speakers. <br /> <br /> The Fellowship continued to meet bi-annually for four more years before voting to move to an annual conference in 2000. <br /> <br /> As the AGIFNA continued to grow through the first part of the new millennium, there began to grow an even wider network with other Assemblies of God churches and organizations and the AGIFNA became a recognized ethnic fellowship by the General Council of the Assemblies of God. Today, it remains one of 24 recognized ethnic fellowships within the denomination. <br /> <br /> Over the past 23 years, the network has branched into three regions, the Eastern region, the Southcentral region, and the Great Lakes region which includes parts of Canada. <br /> <br /> “We have about 65 congregations within our fellowship which include the six that are located in Canada,” says Wilson Jose, President of AGIFNA. <br /> <br /> He goes on to explain that the AGIFNA is primarily made up of people from Kerala, specifically Malayalam speakers. <br /> <br /> Dennis Rivera, the director of Ethnic Relations within the Assemblies of God, states that despite the majority of the fellowship being Malayalam speaking, the AGIFNA is very diverse in their outreach. <br /> <br /> Jose says that the leadership have set their sights on exponential growth over the next five years. <br /> <br /> “By 2028,” he says, “our goal is to have 100 churches in our fellowship and expand our people group.” <br /> <br /> The commitment by the AGIFNA to this initiative stems from their mission statement which states that they, as a Fellowship, will evangelize Indian communities and seek to assist Indian newcomers in adjusting to the American way of life. <br /> <br /> Although the goal seems big, Jose reports that there are over 3 million Indians who are not Christian living within the regions of the AGIFNA. <br /> <br /> “We desire to reach out to them through this large missional initiative,” says Jose.<br /> <br /> “Wilson Jose is a strong, visionary leader,” says Rivera. “He is a solid Pentecostal and is committed to the word of God. He not only continues to diversify the AGIFNA, but he also is also seeking to unify goals and visions with the other ethnic fellowships as well.” <br /> <br /> One of the ways Jose hopes to extend and diversify their reach is by using modern technologies such as YouTube and digital articles posted on their website. Additionally, the AGIFNA national conference continues to grow and minister to its members with its annual conference. <br /> <br /> Today, the national conference, operated under separately elected leadership from the AGIFNA, is an epicenter of edification, fellowship, and motivation for the next generation to pick up the torch and continue on within the organization as champions for Christ. <br /> <br /> According to the <a href="(https://agifna2023.org/about/#:~:text=AGIFNA%20has%20become%20one%20of,various%20cities%20in%20North%20America">conference website</a>, this conference is now one of the largest conferences for those of Malayalee ethnolinguistic group. For those that cannot attend, the conference is streamed online, further expanding the ministry of the AGIFNA. <br /> <br /> The AGIFNA continues to forge pathways for ongoing expansion, especially with data from the Pew Research Center which states that India is the third highest ranking birthplace for immigrants who come to the United States. <br />{60042228-112F-4EF5-A039-94DE2A764624}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Conversations-on-Pentecostal-Spirituality-Interview-with-Gary-Tyra<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Conversations-1400.jpg" alt="" />Gary Tyra, author of a new book on spiritual development, shares what makes Pentecostal spirituality unique.Mon, 18 Sep 2023 14:30:00 Z<p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em>Editor's note: Gary Tyra, a Professor of Biblical and Practical Theology at <a href="https://www.vanguard.edu/ ">Vanguard University</a>, was recently asked to author a book as part of a series on Pentecostal faith formation titled <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Introduction to Spirituality: Cultivating a Lifestyle of Faithfulness</span>. With the purpose of the series being academic in nature, Tyra says that he wrote the book with both lay people and pastors in mind. Tyra spoke with AG News and offered a birds-eye view of what he hopes will be a tool for further spiritual development and discipleship for those in the Pentecost movement.</em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em> </em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong>AG News: Would you please briefly describe your spiritual journey? </strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><strong>Gary Tyra:</strong> Sure. To start, I wasn’t raised in the church. My parents were essentially professing but not church-going Pentecostals whose lifestyles taught me to fear God, but not really be at peace with him. This produced some confusion and anxiety in me. Though as a child I asked Jesus into my heart one night with my mom’s assistance, I didn’t know how to cultivate a relationship with him. As I grew into my adolescence, I continued to have a lot of anxiety surrounding God and religion so I just stayed away from it all. </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;">I started college at Fresno State University as a pre-med chemistry major when a cute girl, whom I would later marry, asked me to go to church with her. That night, the Lord really got ahold of me. I continued attending church, praying, reading my Bible, and engaging in various ministries. Eventually, a lot of people began to tell me they thought I had a call to ministry on my life. I started to realize that I wanted to preach and minister the gospel. So, I transferred to a Christian university and earned a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) degree in pastoral ministry. When I graduated, I moved to Southern California and started pastoring my first church at the age of 25 while working towards my M.Div. (Master of Divinity) degree at <a href="https://www.fuller.edu/ ">Fuller Theological Seminary</a>. Over the next 28 years, I would pastor 3 churches. I also earned a D.Min. (Doctor of Ministry) degree (from Fuller). I began teaching at Vanguard University as an adjunct professor in the late 1980s.  Eventually, in 2002, the opportunity presented itself for me to come on as a full-time professor and I felt like it was what I was supposed to do.  </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong>AG News: You have authored several books. How did you become involved in this project series?</strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><strong>Gary Tyra:</strong> I have had nine books published, all of which focus on the spiritual, moral, and ministry formation of university students and church members. Recently, the AG co-editors of a new book series in the works at <a href="https://bakeracademic.com/">Baker Academic</a>,</span><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> approached me about writing an introduction to spirituality for it. The aim of the series, which is titled “<a href="https://bakeracademic.com/series/Foundations-for-Spirit-Filled-Christianity/11545">Foundations for Spirit-Filled Christianity</a>,” is to create a collection of introductory textbooks from a Pentecostal perspective on various theological and ministry topics that can be distributed globally to train ministers. Since the topic of spirituality falls within my wheelhouse, I was honored to be asked to contribute this particular volume.</span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong>AG News: There are a number of books on spirituality available for Christians to consume. Why did you feel that it was important to write about spirituality specifically related to Pentecostalism?</strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><strong>Gary Tyra:</strong> The kind of spirituality the Apostle Paul practiced and promoted requires a pneumatological (Holy Spirit) focus. Ephesians 5:18 reminds us to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit, and in Galatians 5:25 Paul calls for us to “keep in step with the Spirit.” The Bible and Christian experience reveal that the Holy Spirit routinely provides Christ’s followers with both lifestyle and ministry promptings. A Pauline spirituality calls for us to take the promptings of the Spirit seriously. In the global south, Pentecostal Christianity is extremely popular because church members become filled with the Holy Spirit and then begin obeying the Spirit’s prompting to go and talk to their neighbors, family members, or anyone who will listen, and the faith spreads like wildfire. As they are experiencing the love and forgiveness of Jesus, it prompts them to live a lifestyle continually fueled by the fire of the Holy Spirit and it is creating a movement of modern-day, missionally active disciples.</span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;">When you think of it, being filled with the Spirit, and then surrendering to His leading are the most primary spiritual practices prescribed by Paul in his letters. Paul understood that the Holy Spirit is how we experience not only new life in Christ but an ongoing mentoring relationship with him, becoming empowered thereby to become truly missional in our Pentecostalism. The Spirit’s empowerment is how we speak and act on behalf of Christ, taking His presence into our homes, neighborhoods, places of work, and communities.</span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;">You see, for Paul, spirituality wasn’t simply an occasional engagement in certain spiritual practices; it was a lifestyle, a way of being in the world that helps others experience Christ in and through his disciples. We can do this; we can cultivate a lifestyle of spirituality. Indeed, doing so is crucial if we want to be truly missional in our faith.</span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong>AG News: You emphasize the importance of relationship with a triune God. Why is the triunity of the Godhead vital to spirituality?</strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><strong>Gary Tyra:</strong> The Bible portrays our eternal God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In other words, God is a communion of divine personages eternally engaged in a loving, other-preferring relationship. Therefore, it is apparent that God is inherently relational in his being; it is part of who He is, not just what He does. If we understand that He is inherently relational, it gives us a better picture of why He is so intentional on having personal intimacy with His image bearers. God is not satisfied with his people merely obeying rules and observing rituals. His aim is a relationship with us: an intimate, interactive, life-transforming relationship. The Father sends the Son and the Spirit into the world to make this possible. His triunity works together to bring us into that personal relationship with Him through the redemption effected by Christ the Son, and the spiritual, moral, and missional empowerment provided by the Holy Spirit. All of this is what pleases God the Father, our Abba. </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong>AG News: Why would you encourage readers to dive deeper into the topics we have discussed today?</strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><em><strong> </strong></em></span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"><strong>Gary Tyra:</strong> These things are fundamentally important for Christians. The things we have talked about, the Holy Spirit, spirituality as a lifestyle, and the triunity of God, are game changing realities. Once we become aware of them, begin to understand them, and embrace them, we are opened up to a whole new way of being Christian.</span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;"> </span></p> <p style="background: white; margin: 0in;"><span class="xcontentpasted0" style="padding: 0in; border: 1pt windowtext; color: black;">When we move past mere techniques into truly becoming more like Christ, we will be able to communicate Christ in a way that is intriguing to non-believers. We are called to be vibrant witnesses for the Lord and I hope our conversation today serves as a strong motivation for others to explore the possibility that true Pentecostal spirituality can be as impactful as my <em>Introduction to Spirituality </em>contends.</span></p>{CBA1ED86-AD7E-45C6-8C44-5416D60886AE}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Africa-s-Children-Transforming-Lives-One-Child-at-a-Time<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Africas-Children-1400.jpg" alt="" />A look at life through the eyes of an African girl and woman who lived with constant fear, but have found safety and family through God.Fri, 15 Sep 2023 12:00:00 Z<em>Editor’s note: The following story of Hassana and Saratou are based on actual events, though names have been changed. Stories like theirs are occurring daily across the African nations of Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, and Senegal. Specific places have not been mentioned to protect both individuals and schools from threats of further violence. Author Robin Malcolm is AGWM missionary to the Children of Africa.</em><br /> <br /> <br /> Hassana has a book. It is small — no bigger than the palm of Papa’s hand, which she knows because his hand has left marks on her often enough. Its crumbling cover used to be the green of well-watered manioc leaves; but like the manioc leaves, the book has been stained by sub-Saharan dust. Its pages are as thin as dragonfly wings.<br /> <br /> During the day, she tucks the book into her clothing. At night, Hassana wraps it in a scrap of fabric and hides it in a hole in the ground under her sleeping mat. She knows this is an unholy treatment of a holy book. She knows that keeping it in the ground may anger the God to whom it belongs, but she fears her Papa almost as much as she fears the spirits he conjures with his fetishes. <br /> <br /> She can’t read it. Not yet. But she wants to.<br /> <br /> A Christian pastor she encountered in the market one day gave her this book. He told her of a loving God in whom there is no fear; a loving God with power over all the other spirits. He had offered her this book — and she had accepted it — too ashamed to admit that at 11 years old, she could not read. Though school is compulsory through grade eight, it is her brothers who are freed from household tasks long enough to attend. Hassana and her sister are needed at home and in the fields. <br /> <br /> It is dawn, and Hassana is at the well with her older sister when they first hear the buzz, although they don’t discuss it. Hassana and her sister consider themselves blessed that their well is within view of the mud-brick village so they don’t have to carry the heavy buckets of water very far. Still, it takes multiple trips each day to supply the needs of their household. They start early before the shimmering heat becomes unbearable. <br /> <br /> The buzzing sound grows, and the girls raise their hands to shield their eyes. “That’s odd,” they say to one another, looking puzzled. The sound isn’t coming from the road, snaking off to the east. Government soldiers had come from that direction a few weeks ago, a rumbling parade of vehicles hunting terrorists. This is a lighter sound coming from across the fields. <br /> <br /> Hassana freezes, the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickling. It is the sound of motorbikes. Motorbikes are forbidden in the region to restrict the movements of terrorist groups. The sound can only mean one thing. <br /> <br /> Hassana and her sister drop their buckets, letting the precious water spill to the ground. The staccato sound of bullets punctures the morning air. <br /> <br /> They run.<br /> <br /> Saratou looks at the girl before her. Her name is Hassana, although Saratou only knows this because it is written on the intake form. Hassana’s headscarf frames her expressionless face, and she sits quietly on the bench, hardly moving. Her wrists and ankles are painfully thin, and when she does move, there is sluggishness, like a fish swimming in oil. <br /> <br /> The girl’s story is like thousands of others in the community where Saratou and her husband pastor an Assemblies of God church. Families are coming in daily, fleeing ruthless attacks on villages across the entire sub-Sahara region. <br /> <br /> They come, having walked for days in the tormenting heat. They have left possessions and homes behind in search of safety. They have lost parents or children to the brutality, or they themselves are survivors of personal violence. They are Christians, Muslims, or practitioners of animistic religions. They come from different places and speak different languages. But all of them carry scars — some seen, some unseen. <br /> <br /> Saratou’s congregation numbers a few hundred. The church building is modest, with a corrugated tin roof that clatters when it rains, and cement brick walls with cutouts that let half circles of dusty sunlight fall across the floor. They have little. <br /> <br /> Yet a few years ago, this congregation asked the Lord how they should respond to the influx of people in their community. The level of collective trauma was overwhelming, and the needs so complex that nobody could possibly meet all of them. The congregation felt the Lord nudge them to do something with the resources available to them — to give their five loaves and two fish to Jesus. They obeyed.<br /> <br /> Church leadership decided that education for displaced children was one way they could respond. The incoming children in their community needed a place to go to school. But traumatized children cannot concentrate on education when their hearts are so wounded. <br /> <br /> The children also needed a safe place to heal. So, the church took special offerings and purchased cement, one and two bags at a time. A carpenter from the congregation built desks and benches. Other church members provided chalkboard slates. <br /> <br /> Soon, word of their undertaking spread and churches in neighboring communities contributed money for teacher salaries. Assemblies of God missionaries in the region contributed money for supplies. Africa’s Children donated money for building materials. The church built a row of cement-block classrooms and started a school. <br /> <br /> Now, Saratou holds the intake form for a new student — Hassana. Though they have just met, she knows this girl is a beloved child of Jesus. She sees some of her own story in the girl’s broken heart. <br /> <br /> Saratou was born into Islam. Her parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors, and friends were all Muslim. Her childhood had been saturated in the rituals of her family’s faith: daily prayers, Friday visits to the mosque for the Jummah prayer, the annual cycle of Ramadan — the month of fasting commemorating the revelation of the Qu ‘ran — and Eid Al-Adha, honoring Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. <br /> <br /> Islam had not just been her religion; it had been her identity. But something was always missing. Saratou couldn’t even identify what it was until much later. What had been missing was love. <br /> <br /> Saratou was the youngest of five children — three older brothers and one older sister. Her father was a local businessman, importing textiles from China and distributing them for resale in the local markets. He had been a dutiful father who had believed in the value of education, even for girls, but there were no Koranic schools available at the time. The local government-run schools provided only a rudimentary education. So Saratou’s father had chosen to send her and her siblings to a private Christian school. <br /> <br /> The national Assemblies of God ran the school. Donations from the United States through the ministry of <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://africaschildrennow.org/" target="_blank">Africa’s Children</a> had paid for the building. The school unashamedly taught the Bible alongside math and literacy. <br /> <br /> Saratou’s father had to sign a document acknowledging that he knew the school was Christian, giving his permission for his children to attend. While he would never allow his children to dishonor the family by setting foot inside a church building, the school was in a separate building from the church. A Christian school was an acceptable concession to make in order for his children to receive a quality education. <br /> <br /> Teachers, who were dedicated both to educating children and making disciples, first introduced Saratou to Jesus. They modeled for her and her classmates what the love of God looked like. They asked questions about her life and let her speak. They missed her when she was absent due to illness. They listened. They cared. <br /> <br /> Later, Saratou would recount the sense of wonder that came over her the first time a teacher prayed for her. Far from a memorized prayer in a language she did not understand, the teacher had spoken to God as if He were a person in the room. She had invited God to become intimately involved in Saratou’s life, and Saratou’s heart had quickened at the sheer awe of being seen and known by the creator God. <br /> <br /> Jesus came to her next in the form of Bible stories and songs of worship integrated into the daily activities in the school. Despite her father’s repeated warnings to not listen to the religious teachings at school, Saratou was drawn bit by bit to this anointed one of God who loved her so much that He was willing to die in her place.<br /> <br /> One night, when Saratou was 14 years old, Jesus appeared to her in a dream. He was dressed in robes of white and surrounded by light. Even more astonishing, He called her by name. He told her He would give her a new family and a new identity. She would be His. From that day on, enveloped in the love of God, Saratou put her faith and trust completely in His chosen one, Jesus. <br /> <br /> Saratou’s family, however, was not willing to let the shame brought on them by her conversion go unanswered. <br /> <br /> One day, while she was returning home after school, strong arms grabbed her off the path and pulled her into the bushes. The first blow of a club broke two of her ribs before she even realized what was happening. She gasped, both from the shock and the realization that her attackers were her own father and brothers. They continued to beat her. As she shielded her head and face from the blows, she called out, “Jesus!” <br /> <br /> At that moment, a stranger walking along the path stepped into the bushes. He said nothing, but his physical presence was imposing. He inserted himself between Saratou and the blows, and raising an arm, wrenched one of the clubs from her oldest brother’s hands. Her father and brothers stopped. No words were exchanged, but, breathing heavily, they stared at the stranger for a long time. At last, her father threw down the stone in his hands and walked away. “You are no longer my daughter,” he said. One of her brothers spat on her before they, too, walked away.<br /> <br /> Saratou watched them go, her heart still racing. Wiping the blood from her nose and mouth with the back of her hand, she turned to thank her rescuer, but he was gone. She looked up and down the path, back through the bush, and across the field. Her angel — the teachers to whom she ran had told her it must have been an angel — had vanished. <br /> <br /> Today, Saratou’s school is one of the top schools in the nation. While the government-run schools are underfunded, understaffed, and leave elementary school children without even basic literacy or math skills, nearly all the students at Saratou’s school pass their final exams. <br /> <br /> The school’s enrollment is 50 percent female, which is significant in a culture where girls are denied basic education at a rate far exceeding boys. But most important, the school integrates the love of Jesus and a message of hope to students from Christian, Muslim, and animistic homes, and offers a place of safety and healing. <br /> <br /> This is why Hassana sits in the school office today. <br /> <br /> “I have nightmares,” is all Hassana says. <br /> <br /> The pastor’s wife is gentle. She has asked questions because Hassana has been brought into her office. Saratou does not insist on an answer, nor raise her voice or move too quickly. Though she appreciates the gentleness, Hassana does not have the energy to answer the questions — where she has come from, or how much school she has already had, or what happened to her mother right before her eyes, or where her sister has gone. Hassana doesn’t even know if she wants to go to the school, or if her father, having lost everything, can even pay for it. <br /> <br /> So instead, Hassana talks about her nightmares.<br /> <br /> “The spirits come with big teeth to eat me,” she says flatly. “I say Papa’s secret word, but it doesn’t make me invisible.”<br /> <br /> “Secret word?” <br /> <br /> “I am not allowed to tell anyone. It is old magic.”<br /> <br /> The pastor’s wife shakes her head knowingly. <br /> <br /> “Papa said we did not need to be afraid of the terrorists. Just say the secret word and we would become invisible. He mixed plants and put them into a hole in the ground,” she explains. <br /> <br /> The story spills out now, faster and faster, as if she has at last found a safe place. <br /> <br /> “We all ate them from the hole because the medicine would protect us. It would give us the power to be invisible with just one magic word. When the terrorists came, we ran to Papa. We all said the word, but we were not invisible.” She pauses, her eyes dropping to the cement floor beneath her feet. “In the nightmare, I am not invisible either.”<br /> <br /> The pastor’s wife speaks quietly. “Hassana,” she says, “you are safe here. We are more than a school. We can be your family when your family is gone. We can be your community. Your people. I know because the church was my community. When my earthly father rejected me, my heavenly Father adopted me. And the people in this church became my brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles. I have a new family and a new identity. People took me into their homes. They made sure I had enough to eat and that I finished my education. I met my husband, and we became pastors.” <br /> <br /> The pastor’s wife has kind eyes, and Hassana desperately wants to believe her. But the fear is a pain in her belly that will not go away.<br /> <br /> “You are safe here,” the pastor’s wife reassures Hasanna.<br /> <br /> “Safe?” Hassana asks, testing the word as if it comes from an unknown language. What does it mean to be safe? Even before her village was attacked, before her mother was brutalized and her sister kidnapped, before her father snatched her and ran out of the village, she had not been safe. A spirit or two had always been waiting to devour her. <br /> <br /> But still . . . she thinks of the little green book. Of the pastor who told her of a loving God who has power over the spirits. Of a loving God in whom there is no fear. <br /> <br /> “We can’t pay for tuition,” she says.<br /> <br /> “We know.” The pastor’s wife rises and moves around the desk to sit in the chair beside Hassana. “We have spoken to your father. We will give you a scholarship. We will help you.” <br /> <br /> After another long silence, Hassana surrenders to the woman’s touch. She buries herself in the woman’s embrace and weeps. Saratou says nothing but begins to sing softly. It is song of hope in someone named Jesus. Hassana doesn’t know the song, but her heart has been waiting to hear it. <br /> <br /> When the tears are poured out and the moment has passed, Hassana rights herself. The pastor’s wife wipes Hassana’s face with her thumb, exactly the way her own mother used to. Hassana reaches into her dress and withdraws the little green book. “Can you teach me to read this?” She can hear the tremor in her own voice, full of uncertainty, a seed of hope. <br /> <br /> Saratou smiles. “That is a Bible,” she says. “We will teach you to read it, and we will read it together.” <br /> <br /> <em><br /> This article originally appeared in </em><a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://warehouse.agwm.org/repository/flipbook/worldview/2023/v9n4/" target="_blank">Worldview</a> <em>magazine, volume 9, issue 4. Used with permission.</em><br /> <br />{7CD01B60-A744-4055-B7BF-1172C1301FF7}https://news.ag.org/Article-Repository/News/2023/09/Ministry-in-Everyday-Encounters<img src="https://news.ag.org/-/media/PENews/Images/2023-Article-Images/1400/Ministry-in-Everyday-Encounters-1400-x-490.jpg" alt="" /> Jacob Ruchotzke is using everyday encounters to minister to strangers in his community, all while in his car. Thu, 14 Sep 2023 14:00:00 Z<p class="MsoNormal">For Jacob Ruchotzke, it is his everyday encounters that have become his ministry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Raised in a Christian home with parents who were always involved in ministry, Ruchotzke accepted Christ while in the first grade. A few years later, his father moved the family from Cedar Hill, Texas to Kansas City and took a job as the associate pastor of what is now <a href="https://www.citycenterchurch.com/">City Center Church</a>.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Remaining in Kansas City after his graduation, Ruchotzke attended a local trade school and took a job as a production reporter for 10 years. During this time, he met his wife, Sarah, and the couple moved to Crane, Missouri so he could work for a local Christian TV station. While there, Ruchotzke’s life took a turn as he worked through a diagnosis for massive depression. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“The depression almost institutionalized me,” he shares. “If it hadn’t been for people lifting me up in prayer, I don’t know that I would have come out of it.” Jacob caught a passion for the power of prayer.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ruchotzke joined the staff of <a href="ashgroveag.org">Ash Grove Assembly of God</a> as the Director of Media Ministry, under the leadership of Tim Pipkin. Pipkin states, “due to some things that were happening, Jacob began to spend a lot of time in prayer, and this really changed his personal life.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As he began to see victory over his depression, Ruchotzke returned to work, but knew that God was going to use him for even more. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“One day my sister-in-law called me and said that she felt like God was saying I was going to get a new car and, in a few months, I would be used in ministry,” he says. So, Ruchotzke and his wife took the matter before the Lord in prayer and, although they had not previously been thinking about buying a new car, began to start browsing the market to see what was available.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“We went to a Honda dealership and the first car they pulled out was really nice, you know with all the bells and whistles,” he states. Although this was never the kind of car that Ruchotzke wanted, as he prefers to drive older vehicles, he began to feel a tug in his spirit to purchase the car. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“I knew I was going to have to bring in a little extra income to cover the payments,” he says, “but it just felt like what I was supposed to do.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ruchotzke decided to use the car to help bring in the necessary additional income and began to drive with a well-known transportation service.  He started praying over the car before every shift and every time he saw the name of the individual he would be transporting, he prayed for him or her as well. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“That is when the coolest encounters started happening,” says Ruchotzke.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">While downtown one evening, Ruchotzke recalls picking up a young kid who had been drinking and had just had a run in with law enforcement. The boy asked to be driven home but disclosed that he was afraid to tell his parents what had happened. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“I could tell he was shaken up so I just started talking to him about the grace and forgiveness of God,” he says. “He let me pray destiny over his life for 15 minutes and at the end he looked so calm and told me that he felt a sense of peace and relief.” As he pulled into his destination, Ruchotzke reminded his passenger that God had a special plan for his life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Another encounter happened in the early morning hours as Ruchotzke drove a gentleman home from a bar. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“As we drove, I started to ask the man how he was doing and he told me that he was having all kinds of domestic issues with his girlfriend,” he recalls. As they pulled into the driveway, Ruchotzke asked if he could pray with the man and the man immediately reached up, grabbed his hand, and said yes. As they began praying, the man’s girlfriend came out and tried to initiate a loud domestic quarrel. Ruchotzke looked at the woman and said, “God has you tonight, can I pray with you?” The woman instantly started sobbing, agreed, and as the three ended their prayer, whispered that she needed to change.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ruchotzke states that there are dozens more stories of such encounters. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">“If we open our eyes and see the value in people, God can use us,” he says. “It’s not our job to make them receive it,” he goes on, “but it is our job to present the opportunity to them, invite them in, and then leave it to God.” </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Ruchotzke states that he feels honored and humbled that God has chosen to use him to help people, just like He used people and their prayers to help him when he was facing his debilitating depression.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“With everything that Jacob has gone through,” says Pipkin, “I have noticed his desire to lift others up in prayer and share Christ with them. His new ministry has opened a door through which the Holy Spirit is using him for great things.”</p>