Community Leader Survey 2

Please enter your zip code: 19702

Nominate One Organization in each of the following categories:

(Those that represent the BEST of our community during the past year)

Education Provider

(School, College, Day Care, After School, Educational Service or Business)

WILMINGTON UNIVERSITY

Health Care Provider

(Hospital, Clinic, Doctor’s Office, Medical Service or Business)

WILMINGTON MEDICAL ASSOCIATES

Recreation

(Parks, Fields, Facility, Organization, League)

DELCASTLE RECREATION PARK

Business the Gives Back

(Contributes to the community with funds or other support)

WSFS

Restaurant or Coffee Shop

JASMINE'S

NonProfit & Charitable

(Local Foundations, Non Profits, Charities, and Benefit Drives)

A DOOR OF HOPE

Public Service

(Any local service operated by government- library, police, fire...)

Culture, Arts, and Historic Enrichment

(Museums...)

LONGWOOD GARDENS

The Greatest thing about our community is:

ITS LOCATION WITH SO MUCH TO DO

If there is one area in which our community needs to improve it is:

CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY REACHING OUT TO "ADVERTISE" THE GOSPEL

In our community, I think the following areas pose the greatest challenge:

(Pick up to 5)

Financial Pressure

Substance Abuse

Affordable Housing

Crime/Violence

Sense of Permanence

Stress

Education

Cultural Tolerance

Jobs

Traffic

Discrimination

Professional Development

Teen Resources

Immigration

Lack of Public Services

Marriage and Relationships

Job Security

Time Pressure

Single Parent Resources

Childcare

Loneliness

Public Transportation

Gangs

Resources for Low Income Families

Cost of Living

Negative Media

Health Care

Sense of Community

Support for Charity

Other: Loss of focus on values/morality

The One thing that would make family life better in our community is:

LIVING BY CHRISTIAN MORALS/VALUES AND BIBLICAL TEACHINGS

I am concerned about what is going to happen in the future with:

OUR FAMILIES

A new affordable service that would really help us is:

PARENT TRAINING- although not sure how "affordable"

A service that really needs to be improved it:

HOUSING FOR WOMEN IN NEED

Comments on any of the above questions:

If we do not reach out to our community with the Gospel and Biblical teaching on all the above issues, no services, no matter how perfectly set up and administered, will have any permanent effect or bring about any permanent change

Community Leader Survey 1

Please enter your zip code: 19707

Nominate One Organization in each of the following categories:

(Those that represent the BEST of our community during the past year)

Education Provider

(School, College, Day Care, After School, Educational Service or Business)

INDEPENDENCE SCHOOL

Health Care Provider

(Hospital, Clinic, Doctor’s Office, Medical Service or Business)

CHRISTIANA HOSPITAL

Recreation

(Parks, Fields, Facility, Organization, League)

DELCASTLE RECREATION PARK

Business the Gives Back

(Contributes to the community with funds or other support)

MBNA

Restaurant or Coffee Shop

KIM'S CAFE

NonProfit & Charitable

(Local Foundations, Non Profits, Charities, and Benefit Drives)

AUTISM SOCIETY OF DE (AUTISM DE)

Public Service

(Any local service operated by government- library, police, fire...)

HOCKESSIN FIRE DEPARTMENT

Culture, Arts, and Historic Enrichment

(Museums...)

DE MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The Greatest thing about our community is:

THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE.

If there is one area in which our community needs to improve it is:

LACK OF CONNECTION AMONG THE NEIGHBORHOODS

In our community, I think the following areas pose the greatest challenge:

(Pick up to 5)

Financial Pressure

Substance Abuse

Affordable Housing

Crime/Violence

Sense of Permanence

Stress

Education

Cultural Tolerance

Jobs

Traffic

Discrimination

Professional Development

Teen Resources

Immigration

Lack of Public Services

Marriage and Relationships

Job Security

Time Pressure

Single Parent Resources

Childcare

Loneliness

Public Transportation

Gangs

Resources for Low Income Families

Cost of Living

Negative Media

Health Care

Sense of Community

Support for Charity

Other:

The One thing that would make family life better in our community is:

I am concerned about what is going to happen in the future with:

THE ECONOMY

A new affordable service that would really help us is:

A service that really needs to be improved it:

HEALTHCARE NEEDS TO BE AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE

Comments on any of the above questions:

Bill Ellis

I'm encouraged by the heart and realism presented by Bill in the class. My heart resonates with the philiosphy of ministry that he presents... we, as the church, are to be Christ incarnate to this world. We need to have a mindset that the words given to us to preach, teach or convey are for the purpose of life change, not just for sharing thoughts. God needs to do a work inside of me before He can use me to accomplish His work in this world. "Change me, oh God."

When the church plant began, there were only a couple dozen people involved. It's difficult to reach a community before a "critical mass" is formed within the church. Not impossible, but difficult. It is amazing at what a group, growing in numbers and momentum, can do for the kingdom of God. One of the ways they set out to grow was to be welcoming to those people that were on the perimeter of their faith.

Not all people who follow Christ are Christians. They are interested in what Christ was offering, but may not have made a commitment to place Him as Lord over their lives. Many people are in this position along their journey. Which is probably why, when Jesus told his followers that they must eat of his flesh and drink of his blood, there were many that were quick to walk away. Or when the crowds had gathered to celebrate their new king (palm Sunday) the scriptures say that there were many that had gathered because of the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead. Followers are not necessarily partakers. It is not our responsibility to save people, it is our responsibility to go and make followers, students of Christ who would desire to journey with Him.

Everything was going well with the discussion in the class, and then, all of a sudden, the questions changed to be politically focused. Totally lost my connection to the discussion.

Until the end, when things got brought back around. (thank you)

Being the church is NOT about drawing a crowd... We are the incarnation of Jesus to this world. There are less than 20 percent attend church regularly, it's in steady decline. Ultimately, we need to stay FOCUSED ON THE MISSION. Which is more important- Getting people to come to church OR engage in community?

Part of a shift in the culture where people are looking for genuine people that Get it.

Let's Get it!

Dan Miller

Back after the wonderful Windows XP computer crash... didn't even get the benefit of the proverbial "blue screen of death". Anyway, this post is not about the perils of Microsoft usage but my experience with the guest speaker, Dan Miller.

Pastor Miller is full of the transforming life of Christ. His commitment to evangelism has allowed him to transform the mission of the church to actually reach the community. His interest in making a difference in his town has put his church in the center of activity in the Back Mountian area of Pennsylvania.

"If your church was to close, would anyone, other than those that attend, even notice?" A tough question that we as the body of Christ needs to ask. Pastor Miller has stepped up to do more than just answer the question... he has placed their church in a position to make a difference. They built a multi-purpose community center that is staffed by Christians that are interested in living Jesus to those around. Actions speak louder! Get out there and live the life... BE Christians, so when the opportunity arises to share of His love, you are there.

The only thing that concerned me through the time together was the prayer line in the class. I understand the concept behind why, I just struggle with a person bringing a gift to impart anything on anyone. I can't discount this "gifting" because I personally have not experienced it, however, it's my understanding that the gifts and blessings from God are imparted on us through the Holy Spirit... perhaps he was simply being some form of conduit... regardless, it is something that I have not completely come to peace with... I am encouraged by his boldness to impress upon the next generation the very spirit of God.

Gerry Stoltzfoos

From the very start of the interview I was captivated by his real passion for helping people experience Jesus. Essentially being let go from his Amish family because of his honest persuit of the work of God in his life shapes the personality of Gerry Stoltzfoos in the ministry. It's about God and the people He loves. Throughout the interview I continued to go back to the thoughts surrounding his conversion from the Amish society he grew up in. Being "different" for God kept them from reaching out to others with the love of God. People couldn't get past the peculiarity of the Amish to ever hear the message that was burning in his heart.

WHY?

Fast forward to today... Pastor Gerry and the leadership at Freedom Valley Worship Center in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is reaching beyond the traditions to connect with those that might not be able to get past the peculiarity often found in churches. Personally, I had held to a poor opinion of some of the people that I had noticed were drawn to a couple of the ministries they have at Freedom Valley... until I heard him speak... When I heard about his life experiences in being alienated I began to recognize the people that he was specifically designed to minister to.

Funny, sad actually, how we can form opinions far before we know anything about what God is doing. We are blessed in the Penn-Del District to have such a spirit-led and motivated man of God in leadership.

New Believer Two

Ever just have a good friend looking out for you? That's the experience that Mark had. It all started after being invited and attending church with his friend Dan, the third time. There had to be more than just words in that book that made the difference, and it wasn't exactly what was said in church that day, but how it was said that made sense- "it just clicked".

He said he remembers the thing that helped him make that first step "over the line" to start his journey was how happy everyone was for him to be a part of the family. Knowing that there is so much more to life than just the here and now has been the best part of the decision to follow Christ. We are a part of something much bigger than what we know. By the way, it's encouraging to hear him talk like this about the church.

The most difficult part of the journey is continuing to focus on the big picture when things get down and out. Holding on to faith and remembering what love feels like when things are tough is really hard for Mark. He said that is the case for his friends and family too. But helping others make it through situations that have broken them down or hurt them and then seeing them become stronger with the wisdom God is showing them is something that has enabled him to grow the most in his faith. Some of his core life values are service and mercy. It's been great to see these gifts God has given him become further used in helping him along the way.

His advice for pastors? Don't be pushy, let them know you are there for them and let them come to you. They'll be more likely to listen to what needs to be heard and see that God has always been with them that way.

All in all, it's good to be a godly friend... after all, that's the way it started for him.

Jimmy Rivera

Meet the pastor of Allentown... Pastor Jim Rivera!

For 16 years at City Limits Church in Allentown, Pennsylvania Pastor Jim has energetically pursued the work of God. A former addict, 26 years clean!!!, he is now reclaiming territory stolen by the enemy and bringing victory to the people of this city through the power of the Holy Spirit. His plan has been pretty simple: Get out there! "Always present, always visible, always out there". He said "I'm not leaving there (Allentown)... It'll be in a box or in the rapture!" Obviously Pastor Jim is passionate about the task God has given him.

All of this passion has lead him to develop an outreach called the U-Turn Project. It's four part mission is to help people in the city to Dream about their future, Challenge them to grow beyond their circumstances, impress God given Vision for their life, and instill Hope when things seem hopeless. A major focus is enabling people to become free from the pain and false security of gang involvement. By living the love of God, Christ centered mentoring, and Holy Spirit driven outreach, Pastor Jimmy and City Limits Church is successfully bringing people from the crowd into the circle where life to it's fullest!

What shouts the loudest from this interview and from knowing Pastor Jim over the years? Calling... Calling... Calling...

When God Calls, and we are certain and obedient, He builds His Church and we find life...

Nick Poole & Rich Jones

As the pastor of church planting and development at Allison Park Church Nick is part of a Kingdom minded team of individuals called to bring hope, life, and salvation through Jesus Christ.

Birthed in the heart of Senior Pastor Jeff Leake, God has been directing Allison Park Church to plant churches in the surrounding communities. Knowing what the economy has done to their region over the years, with people losing jobs, and lifestyles changing, they have focused ministry efforts to some of the more economically depressed areas. While some churches may move to growing neighborhoods, this team of ministers has committed to the call to reach the people God has placed in their back yards...

Of the many responsibilities Nick has, working with the MCM Ministry School is one. MCM is a one year school designed to train people to pursue their God given dreams to minister. There are currently 18 students involved in the school and they are active in study and ministry among the church plants of the Allison Park Network.

Being a part of this network brings life to the work at hand. They are currently accepting applications for internships. This is an intensive, hands on, twelve week program to invest in young people who are serious about leading in the future of the church.

on a side note... I'm envious (I know, it's probably sinful) of the network they have... so great to be on a team of people reaching a city for the glory of God!

On the list of places Allison Park has committed to reach, Millville is next. They have brought Pastor Rich Jones onto their team to lead the work of Element Church, an outwardly focused church that will begin meeting in August of this year at Mr. Small's Funhouse. Pastor Rich has worked in various ministry positions over the years since graduating from Valley Forge Christian College; his primary attention has been given to leading teens to find their God ordained place in the Kingdom. It's been said, "Past performance is the best future predictor," and Pastor Rich has contributed greatly to the cause of Christ. He'll be the first to tell you, he just wants to be in the middle of the will of God; that's where everything "just feels right".

That is exactly what is happening in the development of Element Church in Millville, PA... God has orchestrated a great new relationship with the owner of Mr. Small's Funhouse and the vision of reaching this community is coming into focus and is building momentum. The nightclub is is not your typical church venue, but Craig Groeschel has said "if you want to reach the people that nobody else is reaching you are going to have to do what nobody else is doing".

It's great to see a friend, like Pastor Rich, step into a network of ministry that fits. Ministry is truly better together!

New Believer One

Everyone has their own story, their own experiences in their journey to God, Sam is no different. Her journey actually began in a household where the family was practicing paganism, rituals and all... She had seen many people growing up that had left the Christian faith to follow the ways of paganism, so the thought of becoming a believer in Christ was not ever entertained. As she was in middle school and into high school she began having more and more thoughts of who God and Jesus really was. And literally, one day, she woke up and felt like she had to go to a church. "Like woke up, couldn't sleep anymore, and just had to go to church. Every fiber in my being was screaming to go, and I did. That day I accepted Jesus into my life."
Sounds pretty simple, and yet so dramatic! Sam said that day didn't make everything easy, so many of her friends, let alone family, were still involved in paganism. She's been learning that there are a lot of habits needed to be broken.
What was the one thing that pushed her to make the step of faith? Sam believes it was just the Holy Spirit in her saying 'Hey, pay attention now, you've put this off too long and it's just time now'. She feels like she didn't have a choice in the matter. In fact, she said she doesn't think she ever had been that compelled to do what she did that first time she went to church.
The best part of becoming a follower of Jesus is her faith. "Faith in God and Jesus gives me hope, and without that, I would be dead," she said. "I rely on my faith everyday for something". Sometimes it's about how she's going to make payments, and sometimes it's "Lord please take this hurt away from my soul, its hurting so bad that I wanna die." Her faith is real. Her faith is her strength.
But still, the most challenging part of becoming a follower of Jesus is keeping life in balance. Needing to feel God near all the time for His peace. As a pagan, she used to rely on the energy of the people around her to keep going. Now that she has decided to follow God, His presence is what keeps her going... she added that "it's the same, but better". When she can't feel Him she has a hard time focusing on her faith, and without faith she says she can't function.
So what has helped Sam to grow in her faith? "Inspiration. Inspiration helps me grow in my faith more than anything." She says that she is an artist, a creator at heart. Sam feels that her inspiration comes from God and what He has created. Lately it's been trees. As she studies the things that inspire her she finds herself drawing closer to God.
We learn from each other and our experiences, so I asked her what advice she had for me that would allow me to help people like herself grow further in their faith. "Prayer! Specifically for pagans that have converted, prayer is very important." She said that prayer gives them the same connection and feelings that they would have gotten from a ritual, and makes them feel more at home. She also mentioned encouraging people to use their gifts that God has given them. "A lot of people ignore these things, but to a pagan, that's what their life has been about".
Sam's story is awesome... I love the fact that she is making strides towards knowing the God we serve more. My encouragement to her through the time together was through His Word. Reminding her that He will never leave us or forsake us, that Faith is not something we can see or feel, it's something we trust, believe and hope for, regardless of our situations. He is always there, just like He was when He initially was compelling her to come. As with any new believer (or any believer for that fact) the bible must be central to personal growth on our journey toward God. As we talked, I am quite aware that there are still pieces from her pagan roots that will need to be torn down along the way; I pray for opportunity to guide in that process and ask the Holy Spirit to be as compelling as in the beginning to enable her to make the bold steps ahead.

New Believer Survey

This assignment was to interview 2 New Believers in Jesus Christ. 2 people we know who have decided to follow Jesus within the past year. The next couple posts titled New Believer Survey are my interactions with these friends over the following questions...

• Tell me a little about your journey to faith in Jesus.
• What helped you the most to step over the line to make the commitment to Christ?
• What has been the best part of becoming a follower of Jesus?
• What has been the most challenging part?
• What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?
• What advice do you have for me in helping others like yourself grow in their faith?

Terry Drost

Continuing in the rich heritage of faithfulness, Terry Drost is furthering the work of the kingdom at Peckville Assembly of God in Pennsylvania.

There are appointed moments in our lives when obedient men and women of faith encourage us to listen to the voice of God for direction. Perhaps God allows them to see something in us that we don't see in ourselves at the moment. Pastor Terry had one of these moments in the early 90's when his father, who was senior pastor at the Peckville church, approached him to seek the heart of God concerning the future of the youth ministry. It was a pivotal moment in the life calling he would begin to pursue. Pastor Terry obediently sacrificed a full-time career in commercial printing to pour into ministry to youth at the church. Looking back on those days, God was shaping him to be the leader in the church he is today.

Always driven toward growth, an aspect of his ministry work ethic he is proud of, he currently is involved with a Pastor's Coaching network in New York City, directed by Nelson Searcy. This is a non-denominational network focused on strengthening the systems a healthy church needs to grow and sustain growth into the future. How is that done? Pastor Terry quotes Nelson when he says, "Look at what most other churches are doing, and do the opposite". That isn't entirely accurate, the heart of the thought is that most churches are not concerned about people outside the church walls and are focused too much on maintaining their traditions than reaching a new generation with new methods. Sure, connect cards, hand written letters, and giving gas cards are good ideas, but the notable thing about them is not that they are new methods, different than what some other churches are doing, but that they actually express interest in others. Peckville Assembly is currently in a wonderful season of growth and it has a lot to do with the adage "They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care."

All that being said, there may currently be a multi-million dollar building, big name "Christian" concerts, fireworks, and even a staff with strong work ethics, but the increase and blessing being experienced is more likely fruit being harvested from the years of faithful planting that the Holy Spirit guided through faithful men and women.

I pray God continues to bless Pastor Terry, his staff, and the Peckville Church as He guides them by the Holy Spirit to plant good seed for the harvests to come...

Jason Lamer

So many thoughts and ideas are brought to the class, everyone has a personal element to their interview, but the item that stands out to me about Jason is a genuine heart for allowing God to work in the places He sees fit to work.

"I owned my faith as a junior in high school, during a difficult time in the church."

I owned my faith. A personal walk with Jesus Christ, finding your identity in Christ is the essential element to the ministry. You must know, beyond any doubt, who you are in God's eyes. Without that there are so many ideas, so many voices, so many seemingly "better" things out there.

This aspect of Jason's call has lead him to look for the crowd in the community and listen for the voice of God to direct. Admittedly, they don't always know what they are doing... but God is always faithful to guide. "Sell yourself as professionals, even when you don't feel like you are". Never underestimate the power of the Spirit of God.

He knew the biggest area of ministry to teens would be the place where teens spent most of their time, the schools, and set out to build bridges and relationships to make it happen. I'm inspired by his ambition and dedication to building a network of ministries to accomplish big things for the kingdom. The Seven Project, the ministry that he currently directs within the Penn-Del district is just that. A high school assembly program designed to network youth ministries in a community to reach teens for the Kingdom of God.

The ministries that we have seen come through the class are all inspiring, but the take away for me from Jason's ministry is the importance of identity and networking. Knowing who you are and what you are called to be in Christ, and working together with other believers to reach out to our communities with the love of God.

David Kennard

Doing Life Together, Deeply.
Church ministry is not a place to be a loner. An individual's calling is meant to be shared with others. As disciples, we grow best when we are in relationship with one another, learning from each other, and strengthening each other. At Riverside Community Church, in Pittsburgh, their primary source of care is in the small group experience. They believe that discipleship, the training of Christ Followers, is a process best conveyed through intentional relationships. Modeling Jesus' ministry, they look for opportunity in everyday life to convey the truth of the gospel. We never read of Jesus standing in front of the church saying "Hey, get out your papyrus and write these thoughts down, you're going to need them". Instead, he moved people toward the Father through daily experiences. At Riverside, leaders are intentional about helping people move forward in their journey toward a fully devoted life in Christ and their church wide systems reflect this. At the core of their ministry are values of revering God through worship, connecting to others through relationships, and contributing to the Kingdom of God through service. A great amount of time and heart has gone into the development of the discipleship process at Riverside, and they have been blessed by the quality and longevity of the leadership team that has been brought together.

Tim Halbfoerster

Lead Pastor of River of God Church in Enola, Pennsylvania.
It is obvious that the Holy Spirit of God has pursued Pastor Tim Halbfoerster throughout his life. The one that Jesus promised God would send, the Comforter, had come into his world, at just the right time, and commissioned him to be a peacemaker within the kingdom.
I am interested by the many ways that God is at work in this world. His Word says that the Spirit is the giver of gifts, and that each believer has a special role to play in the body of Christ; pastor Tim's story is a great example of this. His journey has lead him through some places in ministry that might have buried others, but the unique gifts and calling that he has been given have allowed Holy Spirit revival to be brought to the church he pastors. They have birthed in him a passion for seeing resolution and peace brought to conflicts within the church. Bridge Builders is a ministry that he has helped to create as a resource to supplement local church efforts to resolve conflicts through training, coaching, and mediation between parties involved in relational challenges. The goal is to tear down the walls of conflict and create bridges to peace.
Jesus proclaimed blessing over the peacemakers in his famous Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:9. Listen to how The Message version puts it, "You're blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That's when you discover who you really are, and your place in God's family."
Pastor Tim said, "I couldn't pastor without being filled with the Holy Spirit". There are so many things we've been inspired to do. I think the challenge for us in ministry comes when we strive to make that place on our own. We need the Holy Spirit to help us develop a culture of peace in our lives and ministries. We need the Holy Spirit to help us submit ourselves to one another, to learn from each other, and be intentional about living for God. We need the Holy Spirit to help us stay in the shadow of the cross...

"Fill us with your Spirit, oh God, and help us to be refreshed and renewed in the River."

Unchurched Survey Two

My second interview was actually conducted with a friend of a friend... Chris is not actively attending any church. Although, when he was young, his parents thought it was important for him and his brother to have some exposure to organized religion, so they all attended the Catholic church. At some point his parents left it up to him to decide whether or not he wanted to go to church. He was never really impacted by what he had experienced, either positively or negatively, and hasn't attended church since.
His interest include domestic politics, specifically reducing the size and scope of government, a national drug enforcement policy, science policy, funding, education, as well as entrepreneurship.
He believes most people don't attend church for the same reason that he doesn't, "they have never felt a connection to religion or been moved to truly believe a particular church's teachings and thus see no point in attending". He even went further to say that, at this place in his life, he wouldn't even look to attend a church. His spirituality is not something he feels the need to share with others in his life. This poses a couple questions- What are we doing, or teaching, to allow people to connect with the God we follow in faith? Is there a clear and practical purpose, or point, for what we are about?
Wrapping up the interview, I asked Chris what encouragement he would give to pastors in their work. He said pastors should always emphasize the positive societal aspects of religion like respecting other people, trying to help where they can, being selfless and generous, and being honest in their dealings with people. Pastors should not emphasize the negatives such as highlighting differences between people. "Don't encourage proselytizing. Don't tell people that your religion is 'right' and others are 'wrong'". Don't focus on the "reward aspects of religion," positive or negative. He said that he very much doubts that many people, in the moment they are considering their actions, are truly considering whether or not a particular course of action will cause them to be sent to heaven or hell. Fear or guilt should never be used to motivate people. (Agreed!)
However, all these suggestions force us back to evaluating how we are presenting the church... Are we living our lives reflecting the grace we have been offered? We should be worshipping the one who made it possible, growing in our relationship through community, prayer, and devotion, and reaching out in the same forgiveness and grace that was extended to us.

Joel Hunter

Joel is the Pastor of Northwood Assembly in Houston, Texas and the new Director of Discovery and Development for the Assemblies of God (A position created to search out and spur on church planting interest among AG college students).
Growing up as a pastor's kid in Chicago laid a foundation of truth in Joel's life that stayed with him and eventually brought him to a place where he heard God's prompting to serve in a greater way in the Kingdom. Getting to where he is today wasn't a direct route, but often as Christians, we make our plans and God directs our steps. Joel had set out to play NCAA basketball on scholarship at Purdue until a serious back injury redirected his path. He continued to pursue this love to play ball at Evangel University until one day God began redirecting his calling to pursue a life of full-time ministry. Along the way, someone influential in ministry planted a seed in his life that today has grown to produce fruit far beyond his imagination.
"It's all about the One" he said in class. Joel had big dreams. Hopes that he would be used to make a big impact on this world for the kingdom. With just a small group of people they set out to do this, and the "success" they are experiencing today didn't happen overnight, at first. It started with One family that came and gave their lives to Christ. "New converts are ready to do God's work". Northwood Assembly is made up of a vast majority of people that have experienced God for the first time and are readily serving in their communities. But it all started with one.
Today, their vision is still big! Northwood Assembly wants to plant 125 churches in the largest cities around the country. Northwood New Orleans is the one...
As God directs our steps, who or what is the "one" that He has placed in our path?

Brian Bolt

Pittsburgh City Outreach.
Armed with new life, vision, and a hope to lead others in the city experience the same, Pastor Brian is pursuing his passion for the Kingdom of God in Pittsburgh. Not so long ago he was the one on the streets looking for the next fix to get him through the day, now he and his wife are walking the streets rescuing men and women from the hands of the enemy through the love of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.Pastor Brian is driven. He was set free from his chains and this freedom compelled him to search for a practical method of raising up others captive by their vices. His search brought him to the Victory Outreach Church Model. His vision? Reach the men, reach the family. By starting a men's home in the heart of his community he was able to give food, shelter, and opportunity for new life to these men. He began living life with them and discipling them to be who God created them to be. These men became the foundation of the church which he was called by God to plant in the city. Eventually this vision spread out to start a home that would give the same opportunity to women.
Listening to him speak of his call to reach the broken and hurting people in the city causes you believe that God can and will do the impossible to accomplish it. Whether that be through overcoming the common obstacles of planting churches in the city or by transforming forgotten lives into world changers.There are some principles that need to be drawn out from the current context and reflected on before making application. Starting a home for men in white, middle-class suburbia is probably not going to fly. However, God's Calling, Vision, and a Passion for Christ and His people... those are transferable into any context.

Unchurched Survey One

My first survey was conducted with a friend that I recently reconnected with from grade school. She was raised in a Catholic family and later married in an Episcopal church. This is the church that is currently attended once or twice a month. "Admittedly, I don't attend church as often as I should". In the second grade during her CCD class a teaching on child baptism & hell started bringing a disconnect between the God she believed in. "My God doesn't punish those who don't deserve it".

Maybe because it is a survey about the church, since she has kids, she focused most of her life's interests there. Anything that keeps the interest of her children and helps nourish their faith- choirs, plays, play groups, and even the opportunity for them to participate in outreach programs, like learning to help the needy. It's obvious from the interview that caring for her kids is a number one priority in life. Deep inside the core of a parent is a desire to care for the little ones entrusted to us. As a church, we need to develop a family friendly community in which all generations can experience fullness in life.

The next question focused on why most people don't go to church. She feels that the views of most churches are antiquated. People don't value religion like they used to. For her personally, fundamental differences in her beliefs and those of the Catholic church made it difficult to continue there. "Attending can be a chore with kids that have a hard time sitting still for a few minutes, let alone 60".

So what would she look for in a church to attend and what advice would she give pastors? "A sense of community and acceptance." The pastor should be one that is welcoming and fun to be around. Sermons should motivate people to be involved in their church and community, and it helps if they are entertaining. Pastors should stay excited by religion and what it can do for people. "It definitely shows when they lose steam". Perhaps conducting periodic surveys can help them stay connected with the needs and wants of their parishioners. (What a great idea!)

There are a few items that we could learn from here. People long for community and acceptance from the church. They trust the church to stay true to the God it represents, and stay practical and relevant to their families. Listening to the people we journey with can help in efforts to accomplish this. However, we should never discount staying close to voice of God. His Spirit prompts us to understand His heart in ministering to the people in our lives.

Unchurched Survey

This assignment was to interview 2 friends that are unchurched. For the sake of understanding, unchurched describes a person who either does not go to church or is not a follower of Jesus Christ. The next two blog posts are my reactions to the experiences I had with the following survey questions.

• Are you actively attending any church?
• If not, have you ever been invovled with a church? Describe your experience.
• What are a few issues or topics that impact or interest you?
• Why do you think most people don't attend church?
• If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?
• What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?

Given my current position as a church planter I have had numerous conversations with folks that are not currently attending a church. They either never have or have not attended in a while. If we would just take the time to listen to their experiences and heart cries we would open up many more opportunities to join them in their faith journey.

Blog Plans...

In the weeks ahead I will be posting a few interviews with "unchurched" friends, a few new believers in Christ, and remarking on in class interviews with a handful of church leaders.
Brian Bolt www.pittsburghcityoutreach.com
Tim Halbfoerster www.riverofgodchurch.org
David Kennard www.riversideconnect.org
Jason Lamer www.penndelyouth.com
Terry Drost www.peckvilleag.org
Nick Poole www.nickpoolenow.com
Gerry Stoltzfoos www.freedomvalley.org
Dan Miller www.bmha.org
Sam Masteller www.sammasteller.com
Bill Ellis www.riversideconnect.org
Bob Kapp www.christian-life.com
Todd Bube www.gtaog.org
Mike Hammer www.mycelebrationchurch.com
Courtney Lien www.gtaog.org
That's the plan, updated from my BB Curve.