from Luke on my birthday last week

My Dad.

My father has poured amazing amounts of effort into my life.

Truthfully. He's done so much for me. He does the big and little things that I need. With driving, specifically, ever since I have needed rides for things he wasn't going to, he's made it a top priority. Every time I wanted a ride, but didn't need it, he would try his hardest to find a way out of his insanely busy schedule and work towards getting my transportation settled over his own.

Even now, when learning and getting better at driving, I learn how much he planned for my life. When I was probably not much younger than 9-10, he started having me drive mowers, dirt-bikes, and every once in a while, pull up his truck for him. He's always planned for me, and worked hard on figuring out what I need, and what he can do to provide.

He also did everything I needed to become who I am. He made me strong, teaching me how to be a man. He made me wise(wiserrr,) teaching me how to think deeply and with God's mind and word as a guide. He worked to make me intelligent, always pushing the importance of school and grades, while remaining firm about resting.

Balance in my life was huge. I wouldn't be the balanced, (sometimes =) disciplined kid I am now if I didn't have a guide rail of a father to know that I would be safe if I messed up, but nonetheless hurting. I knew my mistakes would have consequences, and I knew that my successes would be rewarded.

To be short with what I have to say: You did an amazing and loving Job, dad, Thank you.

Love,
Luke.



Posted by Luke Stoltzfoos at 2:26 PM 1 comments

my children make me cry...a lot. Read below...

From my way-to-wonderful daughter Shawna on my birthday! (she actually calls it 'birfday').

What is mean is, my children conspired together to write me a ton of nice things about me on my birthday today! So all day I walk around crying my eyes out.... They deliberately make me cry!

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Dear Jesus,

Thank you for giving me such a great father. Seeing too many of my friends suffer through rough relationships with their dads, I know how rare and special it is to have a dad that shows his love for me, and likes to see me run toward exciting things.

Thank you for his eagerness to help me. So many times I've curled up on the couch near him, just hoping he would say kind things about me- lift me up, encourage me, prophecy a little- and he does. Or when I lock my keys in the car, need a chocolate, or have a question.. he is quick to drop everything and help me.

I've made a lot of mistakes. Some that must've hurt my dad, or maybe disappointed him. He acts like they never happened. He reminds me of You in so many ways.

Please help my dad get even closer to You. There are so many things out there that could improve his mind or body, but help him to focus on the importance of Your relationship with him before all else. There are so many things out there that could grant him more riches or popularity, but help him to keep his eyes on You.

He has had to stick up for You so many times... help him to not lose that. Help him to remember that his boldness is a good thing, and a blessing to the people around him. Keep reminding him that You are all he needs, and all he should want. Remind him that I'm behind him, rooting for him, eager to see him succeed in all he does, and gain more responsibility and leadership.

Help me to show him my love and encouragement, as he runs toward exciting things.

Amen.

from my daughter's wall post on FaceBook

"I buy ya books, and I buy ya books."

Happy Birthday, Dad!


Dad, Happy Birthday! This year for your birthday, we've all decided to write some encouraging blogs, notes, or comments to you, so that you are FLOODED with happy thoughts on your birthday.

So here goes: I can't begin to thank you for everything you've done for me-- lately, especially. So, I won't overwhelm you with a crazy list of all the amazing chances you've given me, kindness you've shown me, and belief you have in both Aaron and I.

What I will do is write out a list of Dad-ism's that we have collected over the years, in a dictionary of sorts. You are such a great leader and a wise man of God, but as a daughter, one of the things that I've always appreciated most about you is your willingness to be SILLY! Still to this day (just the other day this happened, in fact), I will say something Aaron has never heard before, and after asking me multiple times what I said, the conversation always goes to, "It's something my dad always said, you've never heard me say that before?!" WE'VE BEEN TOGETHER 6 YEARS! That said, I'm quite sure I won't get them all, but here is the best list that Shawna and I could think of:

"mean things" - n. anything negative said about a joke Dad told.
"pud-en-tain" - n. a small, cute child.
"velshkin" - Pennsylvania Dutch word for corn. Actually said in response to "thank you".
"not so much" - phrase. in another to questions that don't really make sense.
"funky lips" - phrase. lack of knowing a person's name
"pre-haps" - phrase. perhaps.
"nickels" - n. tickles
"I buy ya books, and I buy ya books" - phrase. and still you do not learn.
"come sit me" - phrase. come sit by me on the couach and...
"tell me things" - phrase. talk for a while about whatever.
"varmits" - cute and cuddly pets
"feeling lumpy today" - usually means feeling like bothering someone playfully.
"I have a river where my throat should be" - self-explanatory, but no less gross.
"more bags" - a childhood game we'd play like Hop on Pop!
"I'd be like BAM!" - Christine Perez quote from childhood.
"take a dim view of you" - the squinting look you
"Quadda's" - Kiddie cats.
"Confuzzle" - Confused.
"Praise the Lord!" - raise your hands up to be tickled!!
"think, think, think, no." - sarcastic response to a question.
"imme-get-ly" - adv. immediately
"and then some" - phrase. tacked onto the end of various questions.
"various and sundry things" - phrase. lots of different things, I guess?
"Brother Briefy" - phrase. his nickname for his briefcase, who is a very special person in his life, and takes little things, like being left behind, very seriously.
"bother-ations" - n. the act of bothering someone (I was extremely surprised to find that this one is actually IN THE DICTIONARY!).
"know what I mean, Jelly Bean?" - phrase.
"The Mudder Duck" - Mom.
"Sorry I blew up" - phrase. said when he didn't really blow up.
"Nedermind." - Never mind...this is the aforementioned phrase that Aaron had never heard before. Probably derived from something one of us said as kids, when we couldn't get the right word out.


Okay, so I know there are probably dozens more, but we'll have to add them later! The point is, through all your silly phrases and words, you've taught us that life isn't so serious, the importance of having fun, and that God definitely has a sense of humor!

The Evening Sun article

Church asks Straban for zoning relief
Freedom Valley Worship Center wants to expand and build an indoor therapy facility.
By ERIN JAMES

The Evening Sun

Caleb Beam, 7, of New Oxford, pets his horse Pedro with the help of his dad, Patrick, in 2007 before going out for his lesson at Shining Star Therapeutic Riding Ministry. The ministry which works with the mentally and physically disabled of all ages operates at Freedom Valley Worship Center on Route 30 between New Oxford and Gettysburg. The program s coordinators want to build an indoor facility so they can operate year-round, but a Straban Township zoning proposal could prevent them from doing so. (Evening Sun File Photo)

Tracey Thomas doesn't know anything about ordinances. She "just realized what a solicitor is."

But the Gettysburg mother did not stammer when she addressed Straban Township officials Tuesday night. Thomas asked the township's supervisors to think twice before enacting a law that would essentially prevent the expansion of a horseback-riding therapy program she said has changed the lives of her two disabled children.

Shining Stars Therapeutic Riding Ministry - which operates on the property of Freedom Valley Worship Center between New Oxford and Gettysburg - is the reason why her young son now sings in the school chorus and plays in the school band, Thomas said.

"The boy who could not be touched can be helped onto a horse," she said, adding that her daughter - who has the same genetic disorder as her brother - has also benefited from Shining Stars.

Thomas was just one of more than 20 people who spoke Tuesday at a public hearing on behalf of Shining Stars and Freedom Valley Worship Center, a local church with plans to double the size of its Route 30 facility. The project would include an indoor arena, where Shining Stars students could ride horses year-round.

But in its current form, the township's zoning-ordinance proposal would prevent Freedom Valley Worship Center from expanding its facility by more than 20 percent - a change from a 50-percent limit in the current law. The change would apply to all non-conforming uses, which includes the church.

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If it is adopted as written, the law "essentially kills our project," said the Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos.
But before they can consider the public's input, the township's three supervisors and its solicitor need to figure out how the change appeared in the zoning proposal to begin with.

One thing's for sure - it didn't come from them.

Either the change is a typographical error, or it was inserted by a consultant the township paid to review its proposal. If that's the case, it was not noticed by township officials until now, said township Solicitor Walton Davis.

"We're a little bit embarrassed," Davis said after Stoltzfoos addressed the board.

Tuesday's public hearing is the latest development in a process the supervisors launched 15 months ago to amend parts of Straban Township's zoning ordinance. Since adopting a new zoning ordinance in December 2006, officials identified a list of problems with the ordinance, particularly language issues and a lack of requirements for special-exception uses. In June 2008, supervisors voted to hire West Chester-based consultant Tom Comitta and pay him a maximum of $25,000 to take a comprehensive look at the zoning ordinance. The review was supposed to take six months.

But in November, supervisors said Comitta made "significant" changes and that they would need an explanation before proceeding. That might be where the change affecting Freedom Valley Worship Center originated.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Troy Martin said the supervisors will meet with Davis before making any decisions. He said the zoning ordinance is an item on the supervisors' Monday agenda, but "it doesn't necessarily mean that it will be approved."

Davis said the township also needs to speak with church officials to clarify exactly what it is they want. Of those who spoke Tuesday night, some asked that the expansion limit be changed and others asked that Freedom Valley Worship Center be considered a permitted use - thus excepting it from the rule.

"There's a lot that has to be discussed," Davis said.

Consistent among all those who spoke, however, was the request that the township not do anything to stand in the way of Freedom Valley Worship Center's expansion - particularly the plans for a Shining Stars indoor facility.

Since its inception in 2000, the program's enrollment has grown from 18 to 100 students, said the program's founder, Brandy Crago.

Because of the limited facilities, the ministry is having to turn potential students away, Crago said. Shining Stars also closes down during the colder months, which means some students actually regress until the program starts up again.

The program also means a lot to the volunteers who staff it. Several of them spoke at Tuesday's meeting.

Through tears, Kathy Pappas said Shining Stars has been a "blessing" in her own life.

"I've been in turmoil over this all day long," she said.

IF YOU GO

What: Meeting of the Straban Township Board of Supervisors, which will consider adopting amendments to the township's zoning ordinance

When: 7 p.m. on Monday

Where: Municipal building, 1745 Granite Station Road

moving night

Tonight, Straban Township held a meeting for public comment on their proposed zoning amendment.

I wept through it, but not for the reasons you might think!

We opened and I expressed my concern about how we are now a "non-conforming use" due to their last zoning change. This new proposed zoning ordinance suggests that they not allow non conforming uses to expand past 20%! Our proposed building addition had us adding 50% to our facility, which the current zoning allows.

So I asked them to reconsider. They told me that they missed this detail and it was a mistake. They did not mean for it to read 20%.

So the meeting could have been over. But the problem is, more than 100 people had gathered from all over the county to express themselves. And they were going to have their say.

So we heard them. Stories about how God used Freedom Valley to get them off drugs, help them discover purpose, helped them get work, saved their marriage, and cared for their handicapped children. Even people who had never attended our church spoke and defended us like we were their own children. It was unbelievable.

I was so moved by their stories, I sat there and wiped tears for 90 minutes. I felt like God showed me again why church matters, what difference it makes, and how God has allowed us to help Him in His work!

I think the township might be inclined to help us after all that they heard tonight. But no matter what they do, they cannot stop the power of God from working among us, and lives changing for His glory. It simply cannot be stopped.

It could, however, be helped if they chose to allow us to build and move forward.

The START event at Valley Forge

Copied from an email by Tom Rees...

This looks so good, I just wanted to pass this on to you...

VFCC is partnering with the Church Multiplication Network to host the START Event in two weeks on October 28-30.

It will feature this amazing line up:

Dr. Tim Elmore - Growing Leaders
Tom Elmore - Thrive Church
Dakri Brown - Hillsong London
Brian Henley - Journey Life Church
Liz Lynn - Women in Ministry
Jeff Leake - Allison Park Church
Bryan Koch - Glad Tidings Assembly of God
Gerry Stoltzfoos- Freedom Valley Worship Center
Tracey Carpenter - PhD in Legal Psychology
Herbert Cooper - People's Church
Joel Hunter - Northwood Church
Trinity Jordan - Elevation Church
Adalberto Betancourt - Marcos Witt Music

The cost is just $25.00 and it includes the Church Planters' Lunch on Thursday. This will be a great time for you, your staff, Connect Group or Catalyst Group. Come for the entire three days or just for one day.

For the schedule and to register go to: http://www.churchplanterexchange.com/cmn_student.html

Have a great week!

what about Philly?

I had a wonderful little conversation with Dr. Daniel McNaughton today. We chatted briefly about our boot camp, (he suggested some guys that should come) and about an upcoming "START" event at Valley Forge Christian College, where he and I are participating in an event to stir up church planting among students and Pastors.

The we started talking about Philly. About how the answer to the ills of that city, is Jesus. About how a group of Pastors ought to get together and create some strategy to plant like a thousand churches in that city.

Maybe we can do that discussion at the VFCC START event.

unmovable objects, the unstoppable message and stubborness

We are currently in a series of exploration to allow God to REDEFINE CHURCH in us. Specifically, we are devouring the Book of Acts to discover how concepts that Jesus taught, were lived out in real life.

This week, we are discovering what happens when an unstoppable force (God) moves on an immovable object (prison walls)and sets people free. The ultimate lesson? That the real issue is stubborn hearts, not prison walls, or people who disagree with us.

Stubborn hearts? Really?

These stubborn hearts masqueraded as having good intentions. Whether good intended or not, they were headed for a collision course with God, even while insisting that they were performing His wishes!

Which begs introspection: is there any area where I have myself believing that my intentions are good, when I am actually being stubborn? Are there things I would fight for, that I am convinced are right, but are actually fighting against God?

Biblical history suggests that it is not uncommon for people 'of faith' to find themselves on the wrong side of God because they are unwilling to go to the next level with Him. They use their 'faith' as an excuse to be stubborn preventing God from working, and calling it "faithful".

Father, I must have done this -perhaps even more than I know. Please help me not do it anymore. I repent of stubbornness when I refused to move with you and what you wanted to do.

WE ARE A HAPPY TEAM!

Tonight, after countless issues, interruptions, cancellations, sickness, and so many more issues, we had a breakthrough!

17 salvations tonight!

We feel like God broke us through demonic presences, drunken salvations, and so many interruptions. Huge, huge breakthrough happened, much larger than the 17 salvations, and another dozen or two re-dedications to Christ.

This team of guys (Don Danner, Scott Kemper, and Dennis Wilson) became relentless, pressing in, witnessing on the streets everyday, rescuing the drunken and the hurting, and praying like their lives depended on it.

Tonight the service was packed, and people eager to receive! It was incredible! Also today, Mike Fleming (our missionary) assisted his wife in giving birth to their firstborn- daughter Carolyn. Even that felt prophetic and so... extra powerful.

Thanks so much for praying with us! I can't wait to hug some of you, especially those of you who give sacrificially to make missions happen at Freedom Valley.

And the rest of you, just because I love you.

A huge little announcement

Jim Marocco and I finally got it hooked up Thursday.

He is planning to be here Monday December 7 for a one day event for Pastors.

Dr. Marocco leads a church called King's Cathedral, which meets in more than 50! locations in Hawaii, Alaska, California, Arkansas, Washington state and more.

The details for the Dec 7 day are not yet worked out. I hope to have several hours of time for Senior Pastors who are planting churches to ask him questions and go deep together. I also want to have some time for a larger group to learn more general leadership skills.

But in case you are a planner, I wanted to get up here the details that we do have. I want to spend the entire day learning from him and growing in my own leadership skills. I have never before had opportunity to spend time with a leader who planted more than 50 churches out of his home church, and I am very much looking forward to it!

I hope you can be there.

another day of destiny

I had SUCH a great day today.

This morning I rode my miracle motorcycle (yes, the one God gave me for free) to meet with a couple who wants to help make the Three Springs church explode with salvations, disciples, and growth. Denny and Patty Hunsinger are amazing, risk taking, crazy advetnurters for God who are willing to risk everything just in case it might work!

They are willing to walk away from a job with good benefits, and take a risk on getting the Three Springs church on track.They have lived in the area for the past 23 years, coached high school football down the street from the church for decades, earned the license to preach, practiced their spiritual gifts until God opened doors for them, and are now willing to risk it all to get this church re-started into something great. I get a chill thinking about people like them.

I believe that one day I will meet hundreds perhaps even thousands of people in Heaven who will benefit from the use of their gifts.

Then I hung out with my kids for hours while we goofed off, joked around, poked a fire with sticks, roasted marshmellows, and told jokes. Shawna sang some Ray Stevens songs. My wife and kids are my very best friends in the world. They are so much fun, so Godly, kind hearted, and full of vision. I feel so lucky to be their dad, and her husband.

Late this afternoon I got back on the that wonderful-miracle-bike and rode 30 minutes west of that mountain cabin, where Debbie and Bobby Landis are 6 months into The River church plant in Juniata County, where they averaged 133 people weekly over their first summer! They were doing a "go-cart races" outreach, where Bobby uses his Sprint Car racing background to reach people for Christ.

It was awesome!

And then there was a two hour ride home on the bike (did I mention the miracle bike yet?). But while I love that bike, I am seriously considering selling it to finance yet another church planting effort. I feel like Schindler, wishing I had more stuff to sell, to buy more eternity.

Boot camp at Freedom Valley

This Fall we are planning to host our first ever church planter's boot camp at Freedom Valley. This event will happen November 2-6 at Freedom Valley, 3185 York Road, Gettysburg.

Anyone who is considering or planning a church plant is welcome to come. Registration is not yet open, but hopefully will be soon.

Boot camp is held and taught by Church Multiplication Network, from Springfield, Missouri. It is an intensive week of prayer, Bible study, planning, and vision development for those who wish to plant a church at some point in the future.

Jason Fitch plans to help with event production details. I am working on recruiting and orchestrating the event with CMN. hopefully YOU plan to be there or in prayer as God brings many new, life-giving churches into existence, and de-populates Hell because of our work!

The ache in a good idea

I love the rush of a good idea. Hope rushes in where frustration once drained off energy and failed attempts brought a dull plodding gait.

But the rush of a good idea often gets tempered with the ache of what you have to give up to get to that new place you dream of.

Our new 1pm Sunday service experiment is already looking like it could be that way. We are pumped about the prospects of breaking our growth barrier. But there is also an ache about what we give up. Like that feeling you get when you met the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, and then realize that being a couple, while cool, also requires you to give up some freedoms you enjoyed. I am very proud of my staff for choosing to do this even though it costs them a lot. For example:

1. Room for Sunday afternoon events. The church building will be a little fuller, and some ministries will struggle to find time for their big events.

2. Sunday afternoon lunches with our families. Sunday afternoon events, period. Holidays with family things that happen on Sundays will be challenging.

3. Energy. It's just two more hours, but we will leave weekend services, bone tired. And it will take hours to replenish that supply.

4. Desire to linger. When you have multiple services coming, you sometimes tend to reserve some relational energy, and not work as hard at connecting with people when you can because you might need some energy later for the next service.

5. Office time. Each of us have crushing loads of needed study, prep time, record keeping, follow up calls, and time to organize ourselves. But with two ore hours of service times, some of that office time will re-adjust a bit, leaving us with the possible temptation to stress out more.

Are there others? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

wow this week

What a week.

3 more possible church planters contacted me. Could we possible still get the 10 new churches by Harvest Cry next year? That blows me away. Today, it looks possible. There are still 2 more possible planters that I have not even had time to get back to yet. What a crazy, wonderful problem.

Also this week, my team took on a gutsy possible idea to add more work to their schedule- a lot more. You would think that my over worked, underpaid team would shrink away from ideas that make much more work for them. But when they got hold of the possibility that it could mean more people in Heaven for eternity, they lept ahead to the YES!

These are some seriously wild adventurers for God, and I am so happy to be teamed up with them. I pray huge God-blessings on them.

Today, I experienced the first of 12 coaching experiences with Nelson Searcy's network. I am very excited about this stuff!

Also today, Rich and Ashley Fogal and I were given an idea that we think could affect many thousands of people for eternity!

It's late- way late. But I am pretty pumped about all that God allows me to do. This may be hard work, but it feeds my soul somewhere so deep inside.

another great coaching session

I feel like God dropped a very cool idea on me, right out of Heaven.

Today I had my fourth coaching session with the largest group yet. I am very excited about meeting with each of my team members (some paid, and some volunteers) to do our simple yet very powerful coaching strategy.

This is beginning to feel like one of the best little ideas God ever gave me. I hope to build world class leaders and send them out to conquer! These guys are very exciting!

The plan works like this; all of my staff and key volunteers (about 38 people) have put themselves in teams of about 6. We meet to discuss goals and help each other turns aims into do-able goals for the following 6 weeks. 6 weeks later we meet again to discuss progress and explore where to go next.

I still have a couple of openeings left in case anyone reading this is a leader and wants to be coached!

the right question

Last evening Cori Herbert asked me such a wonderful question. It challenged and blessed me, and made me ask myself if I ask God the right questions.

She said; "how can my ministry (Center of the Arts) do more to minister to Freedom Valley"? What a great question!

Recently I have been asking God to help me pray. It is one thing to ramble on to Him- he is such a patient listener. But, access to Him is so incredibly exciting, and has potential that I believe I can use much greater than I have so far.

And so, the new prayer that God put on my heart excites me deep in my soul beyond my ability to explain. The prayer is something like this: God help me develop world class leaders to the point that everyone else wants to hire them! (I will happily bless them in actually taking those job offers too!)

Our newest coaching tool; (Six-by-six, from Bill Hybel's Axiom book) has the potential to finally give me one more nugget toward getting this done. We have just started this simple coaching system, where I am meeting with current and future staff in teams of 6. We meet once every 6 weeks to pray, set goals for the following six weeks, and stir each other up with personal excellence.

I love it! I cannot waith to see this leadership team soar to radical, world class heights!

My great disappointment

So for the third or fourth time, I went to general Council because I was hoping for a piece of agenda that I cared about. I was hoping for change in that area.

It didn't happen. I am disapointed.

But that is not my real disapointment, exactly.

I am not even sure if our little idea would have made a big difference. It was just an 4 year experiment for 40 churches nationwide to create a new kind of district- a relational one. Currently all of our districts are geographical, which means that if your church is within the boundaries of Penn-Del for example, that yours is a PennDel church because of where it is geographically located.

The new district, because it would represent essentially a new wine skin, could have become a laboratory to experiment with and try some new ways to get some things done.

Because, here is my disapointment; in my ministry life time, church attendance in America has zoomed to about half of what it was in the early 80's when I started out.

My heart aches about that. I am weeping as I write this. My colleagues and I have failed. Our land is not reached, our once Christian nation is in apostasy, and I don't know of anyone who has an idea to fix it.

THAT IS MY BIGGEST DISAPOINTMENT; not with the AG for rejecting our idea. Not with my friends who have no idea how to fix it.

My biggest disapointment is with me.

I don't have an idea either.

80% of my culture does not attend church. I have small ideas, like about how to grow a church. I have a few larger ideas to plant more churches. But all of that together is so far from an idea, plan, strategy or way to reach my nation with the gospel.

Oh God, give me souls, or I die.

http://www.eveningsun.com/ci_12940359

Pastor prays 'in Jesus' name'

Controversy marked the Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos' service as the state Senate's guest chaplain.

By ERIN JAMES

The Evening Sun

Posted: 07/30/2009 01:00:00 AM EDT

The Senate floor, bustling seconds before, came to a halt as the Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos stepped to the podium.

"I am painfully aware that there are many here today who have embraced belief systems other than mine. I am not here to say that everyone ought to believe as I do," Stoltzfoos read slowly from a prepared statement. "But I can only pray to my God. If you believe in some other power, I invite you to address yours as I address mine."

Then, as senators on both sides of the aisle bowed their heads, Stoltzfoos went on to ask God for guidance, grace and forgiveness in a prayer tailored specifically for the work of a Legislature.

But there was another message in the local pastor's prayer, which he delivered Wednesday morning when he served as the state Senate's guest chaplain.

Stoltzfoos - the lead pastor at Freedom Valley Worship Center near Gettysburg - concluded by saying, "For those of us who are Christians, we pray in Jesus' name."

It's a sentence Stoltzfoos could not have uttered on the floor of the state House of Representatives without violating a longstanding policy of the Speaker of the House.

That policy - to ask that guest chaplains deliver "non-denominational, inter-faith" prayers and refrain from referring to specific deities, such as Jesus or Allah - has come under intense scrutiny since Stoltzfoos declined an invitation last month to pray before the House.

Stoltzfoos had been invited by state Rep. Will Tallman, R-Reading

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Township, to open the June 23 session of the House with a prayer. The pastor complied with a request from Speaker of the House Keith McCall's office that he submit the prayer in advance.

But he declined the invitation after being asked to remove the word "Jesus" from the prayer's closing.

Upset by what he saw as a discriminatory policy, Stoltzfoos contacted The Evening Sun suggesting that the issue might be newsworthy. The story set off a firestorm of controversy that spilled onto the pages of major newspapers and the airwaves of conservative talk radio.

On Wednesday, Stoltzfoos said he has been interviewed by reporters 25 times and is about "800 e-mails behind" in answering correspondence from people everywhere interested in the issue.

"This whole thing just gets deeper and more confusing," he said. "I always have the feeling there are issues on the edge of it that I know nothing about."

The pastor also said he has offers from five law firms to represent him in a free-speech lawsuit against the state House of Representatives.

"I don't like the legal fights, and I don't want to do that," he said. "But neither do I want to let an opportunity pass to defend the Constitution - which I really believe in - or to defend my faith."

Stoltzfoos said he is struggling to make a final decision, and he asked state Sen. Rich Alloway, R-Chambersburg, for his advice Wednesday. Alloway - who invited Stoltzfoos to pray before the Senate after reading about the controversy - said he didn't have an opinion one way or the other.

But, he did urge the pastor to contact the Bill O'Reilly Show.

"This is the kind of stuff that he eats up. I love Bill O'Reilly. He's a straight shooter," the senator said.

Alloway also told Stoltzfoos he thought the House policy is a "little ridiculous" and that he believes "government should not be antagonistic toward any religion."

The pastor agreed that it is a free-speech issue and questioned the logic behind the policy.

"Isn't it OK to be in a room with somebody you disagree with?" he asked rhetorically.

Stoltzfoos was also accompanied Wednesday by Tallman and state Rep. Dan Moul, R-Conewago Township. Both representatives have expressed support for the pastor's stance and gave him a tour of the Capitol building following the prayer.

On the House floor, Moul pointed upward to the words "And ye shall know the truth. And the truth shall make you free" printed on the chamber's ceiling.

"It's hard to believe we've got to be non-denominational and we've got Bible verses right on our ceiling," Moul said.

While Stoltzfoos said he has received mostly supportive feedback, McCall has been the target of harsh criticism and even several death threats since the story broke.

In June, a McCall spokesman said the pre-screening policy had been implemented to protect taxpayers from a potential lawsuit - something that has in fact happened in other states.

But on Wednesday, McCall's chief of staff, Paul Parsells, said there was more to the story. Several months ago, another pastor had delivered a prayer with "political" overtones, Parsells said.

"We had somebody give a pretty offensive prayer on the floor. Members were walking off the floor it was that offensive," Parsells said. "It just caught us off guard and offended many members."

That incident prompted the Speaker's office to require prayers in advance from guest chaplains, he said.

But specific deity references have been discouraged by the office for decades, he added.

The pre-screening policy had been in practice for only a few weeks before Stoltzfoos objected and the issue became public. Parsells said McCall's office admits the policy change was a "mistake," given the feedback.

That hasn't stopped the hate mail, however. Parsells said the office has been inundated with correspondence from people calling McCall a "Jesus hater" and suggesting that staff members "burn in hell."

Blogs and radio shows have perpetuated the controversy by not checking the facts, he said.

"It just boggles my mind," Parsells said, adding that the issue has taken a personal toll on many staff members.

Stoltzfoos, who met with McCall on Wednesday, asked that anyone hassling the Speaker's office cease doing so on his behalf. McCall, a Christian, is a "brother in the Lord," he said.

"There's no need to be nasty," Stoltzfoos said. "I don't want to be cruel to anybody."

But, Stoltzfoos added, that he is disappointed McCall has not chosen to rescind the House's longstanding policy against specific deity references.

If he ever is invited again to serve as the House's guest chaplain, that's not something the pastor said he is willing to compromise on.

"If I accept (an) invitation, I will pray in the name of Jesus," Stoltzfoos said. "I'm not trying to make anybody mad. I'm not on a crusade. I'm just trying to quietly stand up for what I believe in."

from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09210/987124-100.stm?cmpid=newspanel4

Pastor prays at state Senate after controversy in House

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

By Tom Barnes, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

HARRISBURG -- A Gettysburg clergyman said a prayer before a state legislative chamber today and things went a lot smoother than his first try a month ago.

The Rev. Gerry Stoltzfoos opened today's Senate session with a prayer, and, as most Christian pastors do, ended it with "We pray in Jesus' name, amen."

Last month, state House officials asked him to use a "non-denominational" prayer that didn't include the name of Jesus, and under that restriction, Mr. Stoltzfoos chose not to say the prayer at all. When word got out, it created a religious fire storm in cyberspace.

The pastor of the Freedom Valley Worship Center had been invited to do the opening prayer in the House by Rep. Will Tallman, R-Adams, a member of his congregation. After he decided not to give a Jesus-less prayer, Mr. Stoltzfoos was invited to pray before the Senate by Sen. Richard Alloway, R-Adams.

"You've become a celebrity," Mr. Alloway told him today. Mr. Alloway said he thought that it was "a little ridiculous" to tell a Christian pastor not to mention the name of Jesus.

He said he asked Senate officials, "Do we have a policy like that?" and was told the Senate has a more diverse approach to opening prayers. The chamber has recently invited leaders from a variety of religious faiths, including Muslim, Unitarian, Buddhist and Sikh, along with the more traditional Christian and Jewish clergy.

"We want diversity, but we don't want to regulate speech," said Drew Crompton, legal counsel to Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati of Jefferson.

Mr. Stoltzfoos said the same prayer in the Senate that he'd planned to give in the House, but with two tweaks. He added a "preamble," which read:

"I am painfully aware that there are many here today who have embraced belief systems other than mine. I am not here to say that everyone ought to believe as I do. But I can only pray to my God. If you believe in some other power, I invite you to address yours as I address mine."

In the body of the prayer he used the words God and Lord, but not Jesus. In the last sentence, instead of just saying "In Jesus' name we pray," he used the words, "For those of us who are Christians, we pray in Jesus' name."

In an interview before giving the prayer, Mr. Stoltzfoos said, "I'm trying to be as flexible as I can be. I don't need everyone to agree with me."

He said he's been astonished at the national and even worldwide reaction he's gotten by his insistence on using Jesus' name in public prayers.

Since stories appeared in two small newspapers in York County and then in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on July 19, he said, "I have gotten hundreds of e-mails and at least 100 phone calls. It's amazing. I've gotten messages on Facebook and Myspace. People at my church are high-fiving me and slapping me on the back. They are happy that we've had a tiny role in affecting our culture."

Mr. Stoltzfoos said five law firms have contacted him about whether he wants to sue the House to overturn its opposition to pastors naming specific religious figures such as Jesus, Muhammed, Allah or Buddha.

He isn't sure what he'll do. "I don't like legal fights but I don't want to let an opportunity pass to defend the Constitution and my faith," he said.

Harrisburg Bureau Chief Tom Barnes can be reached attbarnes@post-gazette.comor 717-787-4254.

Read more:http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09210/987124-100.stm?cmpid=newspanel4#ixzz0MgBFTgKI

vacation lessons

My vacation this year was... well.. a wild ride.

I did interviews about my choice not to pray in the PA House of representatives after I was asked to remove the offensive word Jesus from the closing of my prayer.

TV interviews, radio interviews, print interviews. I might have done more than 20. They are still going on. And emails- hundreds, all but maybe 10 of them very positive.

I also came under a withering spiritual attack of some kind, where spirits of doubt, fear, lust, and depression hurled crap at me at a rate I had never experienced before. Three or four days of having to carefully control every thought was incredibly exhausting and painful. I asked a lot of people to pray, and feel amazed at how pitiful my own strength actually is when actually tested. If God had not intervened... but His grace is amazing. Amazing.

And then I visited the Wave church, -and spent some time with Ron Johnson. In one 15 minute conversation, Ron helped me more than the last 15 books I read. He talked about how leaders must be trained, and while he talked, lights came in in my little brain.

And Jesus met me. Those services were cool, life giving, smart, and so wonderful. But they were nothing compared to Jesus. He walked in and like touched my shoulder, sort of. I melted, and then starting downloading spiritual strength from him by the bucket load. He makes me see myself different, less stupid, less hopeless, more... useful.

More later...

The Wave Church

Sam Masteller has been telling me for years I should come.

This weekend I finally had opportunity to do it. I am right now sitting in the lobby of the Wave Church. Somebody told me that this original location may have about 4500 attendees on a weekend.

I can understand why. Tight services, carefully packed with all the good stuff, and non of the "uh-oh" moments that a lot of churches seem to have a lot of.

Lots of media. The from screen is actually like 5 screens, amazingly arrayed, constantly moving, and full of life.

Three 90 minute services. The worship(music) was 22 minutes. I didn't know a song, but neither did I mind so much, because it was well done, it looked cool, and had lots of lights, smoke, and video. The preaching was 30 minutes. Not 31, by the way. Announcements are video, and live, and what is important to all. 9am was one third full, 11am 2/3 full with 2500-ish seats I was told.

But all that stuff is... well... whatever. What mattered is, I felt the presence of Jesus. Strong, powerful, emotionally rich. I felt like one of our guests who often tell me they want to cry a lot during services.

The altar call at the end took a good 7-8 minutes. Raise your hands if you want Jesus, want to repent of your sin, want to get close to God. 20-30 responses per service I would guess.

All in all, I think a lot of my leadership team should find a way to visit The Wave.

Interviews a-plenty

I must have done 7 radio, newspaper, or TV interviews over the past week. Maybe more. And I have like 3 more scheduled I think. The USA Radio Network, Lancaster Sunday News, A TV show in Pittsburgh, The Associated Press, the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and many others.

I never got hooked up (yet) with my favorite news outlet- FoxNews, but there is still time. Come on Fox!

Most interviewers are surprised when I say that yes, I do believe that I should be allowed Constitutionally, to pray using the name of Jesus, but I also think other faiths should be allowed to open in prayer. I have no problem with a Muslim, or Buddhist, or Jew, to open the State House in prayer using the name of their god.

I would guess that many Christians disagree with this, and somehow believe that we should disallow all other faith from being expressed. But as I understand it, the Founders believed that the gospel of Jesus Christ as so strong, that Christians have nothing to fear from other faith being expressed. Our faith and out God, are not cowed by what other people believe, or the utterance of the names of their god. But while they pray to Allah, or some other god, we will fervently pray to our Father in the name of Jesus, as we were instructed to do.

Already the policy has been changed in the State House. From now on, Pastors will not be asked to submit the text of their prayers before they pray them, ostensibly opening it up to any and all prayer. So progress has been made!

pray for me?

Friends,

I have a ton of thing s going on this week, even while I am on vacation this week. Would you-all pray for me, please?

Here is a taste of what I am talking about: Today at 12 noon I am receiving a call from KDKA Talk Radio in Pittsburgh.

They want to interview me in connection with the Pittsburgh Post Gazette Article in the paper yesterday. That article (read it here) was another take on the prayer of mine that was rejected to open the State House of Representatives because it had the name of Jesus in it. And I am getting dozens of emails, calls, and demands from it.

Today at noon I will be doing an on-air interview. You can listen live here. I need God's wisdom and His heart to speak to the reporter as Jesus would have done. Your prayers would be much appreciated.

There is so much more going on- maybe for another email later. Gerry Stoltzfoos, Lead Pastor Freedom Valley Worship Center 3185 York Road Gettysburg, PA. 17325 717-624-3411 www.freedomvalley.org 717-398-9033

a collection of odd people

I had a priceless conversation with one of our up-and-coming church planters today. He was tired after an outreach, and sort of dowloading with me.

"It seems like our small group is made up of odd people, those with crazy fears, and everybody who was kicked out (for good reason!) from everywhere else." He went to to say that none of his small group of people seemed smart, or talented, or even good looking!

In Luke 5, church people complained about that with Jesus. "Why do you hang out with such scummy people, Jesus?" they asked him. He was hanging out wioth the social outcasts and the ones nobody else wanted. He earliest small group seemed to be made up of at least some people who were unwanted everywhere else.

Maybe that is why church planting is so powerful. It tends to connect with the people that have not yet connected anywhere else. It gives us another chance to connect, to be loved, to be coached to another level, and to have close friends.

I love God's church. She believes in people, helps people find forgiveness, healing, grace, and hope. She provides another chance, a fresh start, people who love you, and lots of people around you when you are in crisis.

Nice.

July 4'th celebration

Reprinted from Dennis Petersen...

Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence ?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence

knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General

George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months. John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

I want to be a person made of this kind of stuff, engaged in a battle of that kind of value, creating for my children, that kind of future...

a note from a guest today

I did not ask to share this message, so I will change the names at least until I get permission. I'll change a coupleof other details too, just to protect anonimoty of a couple of people. This is such a cool note and so precious to my heart, because it represents the reason I live... to help people get aquainted with an incredible God.

Subject: message from **anonymous** girlfriend (who was brought by a girl who was brought to Harvest Cry through a MySpace message, and got saved. This represents 3 people who were brought to faith by Aaron and Robbie's brand new I am History band)

Okay I don't mean to be all creepy messaging you all the time now haha, but I just HAVE to tell you, that in one morning, that church changed my life. I had denied God for the last 5 years and I cried so long out of relief today. I honestly believe that God has sent you and Aaron to Zach to help him regain his faith, so that then he could encourage me to regain mine and I could not stop thanking God enough for that. You guys are so good and you will help so many kids, starting with Meg and I. Today a lady named Gretta gave me a note, and it said that Jesus loves me more than I will ever know, and that anytime I need somebody, she will pray with me. That was such a good feeling! I can't wait to go back

27 years with Julie Phipps Stoltzfoos

I am often amazed at her insightful ways of helping people. few people know God's ways better, or how to apply them with more skill to people who are in pain. She's good.

And I have never seen a mother that I admire more. She knows how to bring out the best in her kids, and let them shine. She guides when they ask her to, and stays out of the way the rest of the time. And she loves each one of them like they are her only child.

And over the 27 years we celebrate today, she has become amazing at knowing how to love me. That could not be an easy task. But I am at least 10 times the man I would be if she had not said yes to me 27 years ago today.

Thanks for an amazing 27 years Babe. You are the best.

27

27 years ago today, she said yes. I have often wondered why.

I love her way more today.

final numbers for Harvest Cry

Okay, here are the final numbers as I received them this morning at Staff meeting. For Harvest Cry 2009, we recorded 65 Healings 18 Deliverances 43 Holy Spirit Baptisms , 163 Salvations. Our week culminated in 78 Water Baptisms Sunday night.

So far this year, God has graciously allowed us 64 baptisms before Harvest Cry, bringing us to 142 as of today!

How could I not be a happy man today?

Our follow up system seems to be a bit deficient so far, so we'll need to fix those shortcomings. Hiopefully we will forge a system that causes the Holy Spirit to trust us with even more new babies in Christ next year! Follow up and discipleship may sound simple enough, but the complexities of individual human issues create issues we hadn't thought of.

Harvest Cry

The after glow of this awesome job of mine, is heavy today. I am deeply tired after 5 days of 16 or more hours a day. But more than tired, I have this incredible feeling.

What a time we had in Harvest Cry! The numbers as I have them so far, are something like this: 78 baptisms, more than 140 responses for salvation, 35 baptisms in the Holy Spirit, many healings, and more than a dozen people delivered of an evil spirit. Tired does not cover the incredible joy of watching people get free. My feet barely hit the ground today.

Johannes Amritzer is a wonderful man of God. He ministered the Word with such clarity and relevance. My team worked with a precision and passion like I never saw before! We prayed, fasted, and planned for months!

And it paid off for eternity.

Harvest Cry, night 2

Wow, Johannes' teaching challenged me this morning. When he speaks of the raw courage that it takes to believe in the miraculous, it stirs something deep inside me. I want to live that life, to be that guy. He talks about becoming a man of such faith that he can actually walk on water, and be 'caught up' like Philip was when he witnessed to the Ethiopian Eunuch.

He also talked about how important it is not to be a mocker, and how our jokes cover our unbelief. I believe that has been me a whole lot over the years.

Tonight, our building was once again full. Johannes preached a powerful word, and when he gave the altar call, there must have been more than 50 people surged to the front. I don't think I will ever get tired of watching what happens when somebody encounters Jesus and His forgiveness. The most wonderful tears in the world have to be tears of repentance, and the joy of becoming a new person inside. Then people got healed, Leah got baptized in The Holy Spirit, and so many stayed for an extra hour or more just to worship.

I have the best job in the world.

Harvest Cry begins!

Harvest Cry started tonight (fonally after planning for months!). Our building was packed with over 500 people. The altar services was mobbed with dozens of glorious salvations. It just feel so good to watch God completely change lives, give hope, forgive sins, and help people get the life change they wished for but could not get. I don't think I'll ever get tired of seeing it happen.

There was a young lady for example, that must have been about the age I was when I met Jesus for the first time- 11 years old. I watched her begin to pray. And then the water works started. She wept before God for awhile. A little while later the sun really came out and she worshipped for an hour, just reveling in her new salvation.

I watched my staff hug each other, as the months and months of hard work that they put in, paid off. Many of them have practically been living at the church for days, watching over every little detail, praying that it would all count for some people to find Jesus. Many of them gave their last dimes, their last energy, and everything else they had, hoping that precious people would find Jesus through our work.

I LOVE this life!

just a little unbelief in my mirror

Sitting in a meeting just now, David read a scripture from Saint Paul: " he who began a good work in you, will bring it to completion".

I hardly ever spent time thinking about what it would mean for me to have completed the work God called me to do in Adam's County, in the United States, in the World. What would that look like?

Would it look like 50% church attendance again? Or 75%? Certainly the same Paul, when he said at the end of his life "I have finished the work", didn't see those numbers. So what did he mean? That he had established some churches in each province? What?

So far my little brain has not found an answer to that question that I can be okay with. In fact, I can't even find one that I don't experience unbelief about. I guess so far in my life I saw myself plodding on, doing my best, hoping for a generally good result when I finish (in about 50 years, is what I had in mind by the way- to leave a few years for retirement before Heaven, in case Heaven is not as fun as I am having here... ha ha)

when prophecy hits a brick wall

Sometimes when I preach, I can feel the spiritual resistance in a big way.

Tonight was like that, especially at first. I was feeling led to start the service with a prophecy that I felt the Holy Spirit give me as I prepared the sermon "Something Big", our first installment of the Harvest Cry series. As I prophesied, I felt such resistance in the spirit world. 

I believe that the resistance I felt,  only made each word more important and powerful. It's an honor to be resisted by certain enemies, sort as if they felt my preaching was worth resisting.

I went ahead and preached the service. At the end, two sweet young ladies came up to ma and asked if I would help them know Jesus. We prayed to receive Christ, and while they repeated that powerful prayer and received forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and Jesus as their Lord, big tears rolled down one of their faces.

So here is the prophecy God gave me:  

This summer will literally and completely change our community by helping specific people in it. Because of the work we do in the month of June, suicides will be averted, diseases reversed, and eternal life secured for many friends and neighbors. Haters will be turned into lovers. Useless, helpless drug users will be turned into productive citizens, and their drug dealers will search for jobs. Divorce bound marriages will be healed. Fathers will be restored to their children. Jobs will be created as users become contributors, and addicted personalities are set free. Angry, out-of-control men will find the ability to love as they allow love into their own hearts. This will change everything!

my heart is full

In an hour I leave for our son Evan's graduation!!!! How good is that? Evan is our third child, in case any of you don't know.

This afternoon I participated in Jim "Pappy" Strauss's funeral procession, led by 60 Harley's. Even Julie rode with me in the driving rain! Can't say either of us liked the rain much, though. Pappy was a motorcycle chaplain. I think I met at least 15 people he personally led to Christ through his motorcycle chaplaincy. I hear there are many, many more.

This week I was at Church Planter's Boot camp in Pittsburgh with about 10 of my people (2 teams). We have about 10 or more new churches to be planted in the next year, and boot camp helps so much! They spent a week in prayer, planning, and organizing with the help of a bunch of us Pastors who have already done it. Good stuff. I hope to hold another one here in Ol' Gburg in November. I feel so hopeful for America when I am with these new up-and-coming churches.

This week God gave me so many great connections, ideas, and details for our call in building the Kingdom. My heart is so full.

I am an action oriented person. If it's not moving, I have a hard time sitting still for it. I am hard wired to be about action. But I am slowly learnning something. A`leader must do whatever it takes to keep his heart full of faith and in his main role. My main role are vision and believing the future into existence. I need to invest in a lot of this week's kind of stuff to keep that hot and stay on the track God called me to be on.

Gerry

pure oxygen

Something happens to me in a room full of church planters. I get so pumped up about the future of our nation, that I can hardly keep myself under control.

It is the opposite of what happens when I watch the news, even though I am a news junkie, and watch it a lot!

I am currently spending two days at Church Planter's Boot Camp in Pittsburgh. When I am around church planters, I get a deep and powerful hope for America. There is hope for our future, and hope for our children because of these people. 

This morning we read a lot of the Nehemiah story in our boot camp devotions. This guy had the courage to believe God for a future for his nation, even though they had destroyed themselves through sin, and God himself had seeemed to give up on them. God then used Nehemiah to raise that nation back up.

These church planers are like that. They believe that God will use them to create great cities, restore people into their God-given dreams, and build a furutre for America again.

Lord help us get it done!

It takes courage to ask for help

Steven Sebyala mentioned this scripture last week

⁹ Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”

Jesus disciples asked him a direct question. They wanted to know why they had failed, and what they should learn. I like their direct attempt to get their issues fixed, and to learn. They asked a humble, straightforward question. They didn't dodge the issues, make excuses, or pretent they knew. They wanted to be critiqued and to learn how they could improve themselves.

Paul said that he looks for leaders who are "wise as serpents, and innocent as doves", whcih seems like something these disciples may have been modeling. They were wise enough to ask for help when they needed it, and ask the simplest questions possible.

I want to be like that

coming this weekend

This weekend we have the privilege of hosting Steven Sebyala of Africa Harvest Mission. 

I met Steven a number of years ago at Ron Johnson's church in Hampton Virginia. I was amazed to hear about the 300 churches he planted in Africa, and about his vision as an evangelist to reach a billion African's for Christ by the year 2045! I am such an amateur leader compared to a modern day apostle like this one.

Pastor Steven will be here for all services this weekend. He will also be teaching at my Catalyst meeting Tuesday at noon will also feature Steven teaching on leadership. I'd love to have you with us if you are interested. Email Lorrie or call the office of you plan to be part of it.

Jason Fitch is ordained!

Last night at Ministries Summit, I got to lay hands on Jason Fitch as he was ordained to the ministry.

So many things raced through my brain.

Like when we fasted and prayed for his salvation. And how serious he was when he gave his heart to Jesus.  He never seemed to look back, or give God less than his whole self. For example, when  I talked to him about getting trained for the ministry, he wanted a great education, not a get-by solution.

I love that I never have to wonder if he is sugar-coating the truth. Or wonder if he will keep his word. Or persuade him to grow by reading, learning, or getting counsel. I am never discouraged about what he is now, because I know he is on his way to becomin so much more.

I love that I never had to wonder if his marriage would make it, or if he would quit when the going got tough. I never wondered if he would take care of his health, physical or spiritual.

As I prayed over him last night, I got a vision of him standing in Tulsa. (He was bigger than life, as if he was standing on a giant map of the United States). He arms were stretched wide, and the nation was pressing in to come to him and receive from the Spirit of God upon Him. People who could not get close enough, were straining to hear whatever he said, and were doing what he suggested they do. His outstretched arms were like a funnel, drawing people into eternal life. Millions were pressing in. I felt such God-power coming from him and from Sara.

I feel deeply privileged to have been part of this "making-of-a-man-of-God". 

God showed me a lot more, which I hope to write in future blogs

Learning how to monitor change

This week at Freedom Valley we take an important step on our jouney to See Change As Opportunity.

The step? We are learning what Jesus taught about how to Monitor Change!

Jesus taught his disciples about how to watch change as it happens and set themselves to ride the wave instead of being crushed by it. Here are some of his insights:

Get Shock Absorbers.

Jesus made it very clear that even good change (like believing in Him) should not cause us to expect like to be smooth. In fact, he said he did NOT come to bring peace but a sword. We get confused when we think "life should be less hard", or that "if we do the right things, people should agree with us." 

Life is just not like that, and it is more effective to prepare for tough times than to believe times should not be tough.

Grow a discerner

Learning to discern where you are at in life is not much harder than discerning the weather, yet most of us trudge through season after season without discerning what really matters, where we are heading, or what to do to prepare for the future. Jesus said: "you know how to discern the weather. Know how to discern the times"

Know the law of the trail.

If you are on a path in life, you WILL end up where the path leads you, right? Paths lead to certain conclusions, everytime, becasue that is what paths are for. Yet some of us are marching along witout thinking about the outcome of the particular path we are on. Jesus said, for example, that when we are on the way to court, we should think clearly about what the outcomes could be and work hard to make peace before we get to an outcome we don't like.

How to anticipate change

Jesus worked at preparing His disciples to be ready for the massive changes that were coming to His Kingdom. As a man that is experiencing huge changes in my own life, my interest in piqued at a huge new level.

He taught them several specifics (from Luke 9:37-50 that really help me:

1. Beware of memory creep.  It's amazing how memory embellishes, reduces, or changes over time. Jesus told us to carefully hear what he said, and remember it well lest we believe things that are simply not what He taught. Our memory needs to be refreshed with regular doses of the actual word of God, not what we heard about it or think we remember. Our memory is simply not trustworthy enough.

2. Don't worry about the pecking order. Jesus' disciples kept getting into arguments about wh0 would be the greatest. In times of change, it is amazing how much energy I am tempted to use up on worrying if other people like me enough, respect me properly, or think well enough of me. I need to let God worry about those things. 

3. Rethink "us" and "them".  One of the insiders came and told Jesus: "there is a guy over there who is casting out demons in your name. We told him to stop because he wasn't in our group." Jesus rebuked them and told them to believe people were for them until they knew otherwise. Don' be so quick to exclude others from your group, or chase them away.

I am getting ready to stay focused on Jesus no matter how much things change around me...

The Tulsa Team...and The River church

All this week, I have been eagerly tuning into to Twitter, blogs, and emails to learn how Jason Fitch and his team are doing in Tulsa. They are out there exploring and praying through their plan to plant a church there.

God constantly stretches me with this kind of stuff. I love that He does, and look forward to the next stretch. It seems like every day some new tension matures into some kind of brilliant insight into His heart and His plan. Love it.

Also today, I got an exciting email from our newest church opening -The River Church of Juniata County! The first sunday they expected maybe a 100, and got more than 250. This week 184 attendees,  and 6 new salvations! God's grace is bursting through some painful past challenges and pain, abd resulting an population growth for Heaven.

This country needs 1000,000 new churches just to get this thing started- to get The Water Level rising. My little ideas are a drop in the bucket, but every bucket starts to fill with some drop somewhere. It is an honor to be part of it, however small

change happens

Lots of things are changing right now. 

Politics, economy, maybe even your health. We all have to adjust to and adapt to change.

This weekend we kicked off a new teaching series to share what we are learning as we search the Word of God for clues on how to handle change. Cause change happens to us all, but not everyone handles it well.

I am very excited about this, because I think it will help a lot of people. Like me- I hope it helps me. I often mourn change and resist it, where I think I should celebrate it, grow through it, ad adapt more quickly.

Today we look at two guys who were coached through change by Jesus himself. They struggled to adapt to all that was going on, and how much of their thinking had to change for them to survive it.

Jesus had them re-tell their story. Then he helped them simplify it. It was not as complex as they thought when they heard themselves re-tell it to someone they thought didn't know the details they lived through.

Simplifying helps.

Then he helped them see the upside of the changes they were facing. As they began to see it, enormous energy surged into their tired bodies. Where they were dragging, they suddenly had plenty of energy to get a lot of things done that seemed impossible before!

Adapting to change is like that. Get God's heart on it, find the upside, and energy flows again.

The cold spiritual place where I live

check it here) called The End of Christian America. Interesting and sad stuff.

On my watch (I've been in ministry for about 25 years), Christianity in America has dropped precipitously, dropping an additional 10 points since 1990. Newsweek is declaring the triumph of post-christian culture, and how wonderful it is that we are more open politicallybecause of it.

One of the pieces of information that grabbed my attention quickly, was that the Northeast now leads the country in religiouslyunaffiliated people. This of course, is our area and our challenge.

As I pray about this, however, I tend to see one possible light at the end of this dismal tunnel. This could be what Seth Godin calls "the dip", that spot where developmental progress hits an all-time low just before it explodes into the greatest growth season of all time.

God help us turn this slide into a growth curve. God helps us somehow see Christianity grow in 'market share' in our lifetime. God help me not need to face retirement having spent my whole ministry working hard, but not seeing the turn-a-round that rescues my nation from hopeless and helpless decline.

It's interesting and sad that I don't know of anyone who has a definitive plan or idea that is likely to turn this nation around. We need leaders with such a passion, such a plan, and such a likely outcome!

"Give me souls or I die"