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...