trying to think it through

What would Adam's County and the surrounding counties be like, if the spiritual water level was raised here by three degrees?

The plan we are discussing is ambitious, huge, and far reaching if we think of it in terms of what has been done n other places around the country. If I recall correctly, it was Barna or some such researcher who said that they have not yet found one county in America that is gaining in market share, defined as more people attending church now than there were 10 years ago.

Maybe ours could be one such county, if we succeed at planting 10 churches, and discipling 3000 new believers.

But could three degrees really make a difference? Could the general public, or even the churches really feel it if 3000 more people, or 3% more of our county attend church? This may be a huge number as measured by other communities and whether it's been done before. But is seems small if measured against what someone said was the national average of 17% church attendance. It only brings it to 20% at best! I want to celebrate possible growth without losing a passion for the other 80%!

For now, I need to build some ideas of what it could look like if our county grew in church attendance by 3%! Here are some of my little ideas. I'd love to hear some of yours.

1. These 3000 new believers would be passionate, not sleepy attendees! New life could come into everything because of their passion!

2. Person responsive to the gospel are often responsive because of personal crisis going on inside of them. Could that mean that we could disproportionately reach those who might be in desperate places, like those who might be headed for legal troubles, crisis, divorce court, and even prison? Could we even reduce the financial burden of our legal system by reaching these 3000? 

3. New people in each church would mean a disrupted norm for every church that participates. Could we hope for each church to reorganize into something more focused on the mission Jesus gave us? I am certainly hoping for that in Freedom Valley! Disturb us Lord, right Jess? (Your tag line at the bottom of every email)

How else could it make a difference? Let's build a compelling list of how God might use us if we step out of our comfy little boats... Help me everybody, will you?

Johannes might be avaliable to be here in February!

I got some good news today. Johannes might be available to be in the area Feb 8, as well as several days in March (dates to be announced). 

So we might be able to get a few more people into meetings with him and help them see why we think he is the right person to help us reach Adam's County and plant 10 new churches!

I am very excited about what this could mean for churches that have not connected with him yet. I will also want to take some extra time with him to talk strategy and learn every tip that we can to make it all that it can be!

New developments... every day?

Today in another call with Leo Crosby of Church Multiplication Network, I was given gifts from Heaven- ideas for how to raise the $50,000 we dream of for Harvest cry next year (you don't even want to know what we might be asking God for for the 2010 event).

Leo outlined for me how we might raise the needed funds by offering local corporate sponsors something they want- access to faith-based customers. He helped me see a path forward that could get us what we want by helping other people get what they want. It could also help us connect with some potential new believers in those businesses!

What could be better than that?

Everyday, God seems to give the gift of another nugget-of-an-idea. Or two.

On a less happy note, this evening my good friend Bud Sheridan went to be with Jesus. I am so glad that he is there, but I will miss him deeply. He was a veteran, a friend, a prayer warrior, and someone I could always depend on to tell me the truth, good, bad, or ugly. I feel honored to have been his Pastor.

again with the inspiration

In my prayer time this morning, I just listened to and prayed over the material from Tuesday's Pastor's meeting. It is now available on our website here. Good stuff! Again I feel very inspired by Jim's message, and each Pastor's comments on the project.

And then, I got this email from a prophetess friend in England, Beryl. She heard about our efforts, and prayed over us (bless her Lord). She said God spoke powerfully over the Pastor's meeting that we held Tuesday past, and... well.. here it is in her words...

"God impressed me on just how significant it was that there were 12 churches represented who to come to that meeting. He said 12 is a foundational number. (12 patriarchs, tribes, stones, disciples). God is going to build something mighty in Gettysburg, and He is laying the foundation stones!"

That bears witness in my spirit in a big way. I believe these twelve churches and their leaders, are very foundational to this county, and us working together on anything is so significant. But to work together on what God cares about -His Bride, the church- and reaching precious people who feel lost, that is powerful!

So, in case you are praying with me for these powerful people, here are these 12 foundation stones as I had listed them...

1. Jeff Wilson, Heritage Assembly of God

2. Allan Joines, Cross Keys Fellowship

3. Bob Costello, Liberty Worship Center

4. Jim Ruddy, Bethel Assembly of God

5. Bob Murr, Bethel Mennonite

6. Don Wolabaugh, Harvest Chapel

7. Carl Harris, First Baptist

8. Mark Knight, Calvary Assembly of God

9. Tony Joyner/Jeff Deitrich Freedom Valley Site churches

10. John Talcott, New Church fellowship

11. Mark Chester, Foursquare

12. Gerry Stoltzfoos, Freedom Valley

the mountain that needs removed

I think it was Vaughn who challenged something in my email to staff, where I mentioned something about climbing the mountain. He suggested that this is a mountain that needs to be spoken to and told to be removed, not one that needs to be climbed.

Okay, Vaughn was more gentle than that as he always is, but when I read his brief sentences, that is what I heard from the Holy Spirit. I felt more than a little nudged by the Holy Spirit on a couple of things.

The first mountain we faced was the mountain of unity among churches. Only a powerful Holy Spirit could bring us 12 Pastors together, and brought us to a place of possibly wanting to work together. I am still amazed. This mountain is in retreat, but may try to reappear at some awkward moment. I hope to be ready, and have the grace to play any role I am asked to play for it to remain gone.

The second mountain might be finances. My logistics team dreams of a $50,000 budget for outreach in June 2009. This mountain still likes to try to wake me up at night and shout at me about how this cannot be done.

Another huge mountain that leers at me right now, is the mountain of raising up 15 church planters by June 1, 2009. I would like those planters to mostly come out of the other 11 foundational churches, but I have no workable plan to recruit in those churches as of now. (I do have one little idea)

And to make things even more awkward, God has given me a number of possible planters out of our church already. I'm not sure what to do with all of that, or how to handle it. For now, I am just sort of telling the mountain to mind it's own business. it will get to swim with the fishes later perhaps if the Holy Spirit reveals where to send it.

what a great day!

Today we met with 12 Pastors in our community who are as serious about making a difference as we are. They got excited about our plan to plant 10 churches- helping them plant their first church. They also got excited about about thousands of new beleivers, and about this never having been done in America before. That God could do something cool and unique to help America get back on track again.

Jim Ruddy did an amazing job. I was realy inspired and helped as he talked about Abraham's journey into an uncomfortable place, a place that God would give him.

And the guest Pastors responded enthusiastically to the idea that we could be part opf making history here- all together! This could be Book of Acts kind of stuff, and I am very excited about getting to live a bit of it out. 

One of my favorite quotes from Johannes as we hit the streets to do witnessing in downtown Kathmandu; " we are gonna go do some crazy stuff, with God". I'm dreaming of crazy stuff like the Book of Acts, here.

tomorrow

Team,

Tomorrow is shaping up as an incredibly important day. At noon we will have a gathering of Adam's County Pastors in a way that I do not believe has ever happened before. These leaders are the true leaders of the county in my mind, and truly shape the Kingdom as I know it. They are my heroes and co-laborers.

Just the fact that they agreed to come (hoping that I really do have an idea that could make a huge difference), means that they care about what we care about- lost people finding Christ! Again, I think that is is possible that there has never been a gathering such as this one for our county.

There are about 12 area Pastors who committed to come. Please pray for them, and that God would create something powerful out of our relationships and passion for lost people to find Jesus. We think that about 3000 eternal souls may be at stake here, and 10 new churches. This is huge and could launch the Kingdom toward some major new developments, if our crucial jobs tomorrow is successful.

What I am asking God for, is an amazing spirit of unity and productivity that will rally around this bold idea to reach 300 new believers and plant 10 new churches. There are so many possible roadblocks that could seemingly derail us. Please do not take this lightly, as it is unheard of for churches to do what God has inspired us to do! It will require great prayer and favor with God to get it done!


Let's ask for it together.

Gerry

PS: The Catalyst meeting will have an hour of leadership training by Jim Ruddy, and then a few minutes to share and discuss our idea of Harvest Cry and Signs and Wonders Festival. I'll need you to be in prayer as we work through it.


Gerry Stoltzfoos
Senior Pastor
Freedom Valley Worship Center
3185 York Road Gettysburg, PA. 17325
717-624-3411 www.freedomvalley.org

Worship changes how you treat people

This weekend at Freedom Valley, we are exploring how worship makes you better to live with.

Because who wants to live with a grouch?

It is fun to live with someone who chooses to look at the positive, is thankful,  has such a good attitude that other people's bad attitude doesn't even affect them.

Paul was one of those people. He chose to forget his painful episodes of his past, and focus on what had and was going right. He didn't waste time talking about all that went wrong, or choosing to remember those places where great pain happened. He kept focusing on the things that went right, the people who changed for the better, and the greatness that he was reaching for. He became noble instead of average, healthy instead of bitter, positive instead of negative.

I want to be like that. That's why I worship.

funny fundraiseing ideas by Brenda

Brenda Bartels sent me some funny fundraiser ideas that she came up with. I LOVED these!

1.  You know how bikers like to ride for charity, well, how about you get together a gigantic group to tour Amish country.  Then contact the Amish guys and see if they'll pay even more for you all to stay home!

2. More common:  you hear a lot about coaches, principals, etc who honor a fundraising milestone by shaving their head.........never mind, that would be kinda pointless.

(Sorry, I know, that was just mean) Maybe if Marv or Jeremiah did it.  NO, actually head shavings freak me out.

3.  My favorite idea:   Sitting in the 11:15 service, I notice a lot of tattoos creeping over collars and snaking out of sleeves. Sooo.....how about a TATTOO-A-THON!! Yes, now everyone in the congregation can be decorated for a good cause!  I hear there are now temporary inks to be used for those not willing to make a total commitment.  The artist could use Christian symbols or Bible verses (a favorite of the more timid: "Jesus wept").  It would be like face painting for adults.  We could even do face painting for the kids.  The YWCA actually did something similar last week, a night about India, featuring Indian cooking and the art of henna drawing on hands (this looks cool, I had a few students in the past that came in from some Indian holiday or wedding with these designs all over their hands.) How you would go about doing all this I have no idea, I am just providing the inspiration.

Hope that doesn't make the system crash again!

4. NO I wasn't going to suggest mud wrestling, but , hey, what about melted chocolate wrestling?

Chocolate.........chocolate........sorry, lost my train of thought.

 

new levels and new realities

I am feeling so stretched right now...again. My comfort zone is very destroyed and very, well... uncomfortable.

Not that it's a bad thing. I need to be stretched and I need to grow up again, and take on new levels of challenges. I have so much to learn, and am eager to learn it.

This week had been full of organizational meetings. In fact, some of the meetings were so organizational that it made my head hurt and my stomach churn. I sometimes imagine myself getting better at being an organized thinker until I get in one of those. One four hour session left me feeling like I would throw up. I honestly did not think I was capable of getting nauseous over anything, but especially over something I thought I was growing in.

Nevertheless, the stuff we are organizing, is amazing! I am thrilled the potential to raise the water level of faith in our community, and equip church to plant new churches. I am thrilled with the ability to reach out beyond our borders, and connect with new believers in Jesus, as well as reconnecting previous members of the body of Christ.

I think what the Holy Spirit is teaching me right now, is how to deploy and bless my team in their gifts.  It's hard for me to imagine that there are people who thrive on this stuff, but then it is also very exciting that some do... Because if I use my gifts, and they use their gifts, we can rock the world together.

It's not a new concept, I know. But learning to live it out is new to me on this level.