Johannes is coming Feb 8

So Johannes is available to come Sunday Feb 8. I hope the area Pastors and Leadership teams can meet him and get to know him a bit, as we do. I am hoping and praying that God will use him in a big way in those churches, so that we can continue to move forward into Harvest Cry with a lot of buy-in and a lot of momentum.

The bottom line is, if we are to see 1000 baptisms in water in June 2008, we need for God to put together a movement that will launch us into even greater momentum. We need a soul winning passion to be ignited in every Pastor and church leader, and then also in every person who attends our churches.

And then we need the Holy Spirit to blow on it. Because a spark is just a spark until the right combination of events makes it THE spark that ignites a movement.

We need to openly ask God for drug dealers to get saved. And criminals of all kinds. And frustrated youth, and about-to-divorce couples, and suicidally depressed individuals, and some healthy families, and some good people who did not know that they too are bound for Hell if they don't know how to escape it in Christ!

Much as I love Johannes, this isn't about him at all. He would be the first to say that. It is about us, the church, becoming the people that the Holy Spirit will use to create a movement. But I hope that our people will trust Johannes enough that they will pray harder, work smarter, and lay it all out there to see our county come to Jesus.

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.

I feel the love

I guess I have never felt such an outpouring of kindness and love as I have today- on my 47'th birthday. I don't usually do a lot about other people's birthday's and I don't really expect a lot for mine.

But today, I feel loved. Calls, cards, emails, notes, gifts, and kindnesses of every kind. Truly, God has put me in good places and allowed me to be around some of the nicest people in the world. I feel very privileged, very happy, and very blessed.

Today, 47 doesn't feel so bad.

Father, please bless these really kind and considerate people. Thanks for letting me be their Pastor, and doing the job I love so much. Help me serve them well, and honor you.

Perspective is a crazy thing

I was a little discouraged Saturday night. I just didn't feel like I communicated well. It's such a miserable feeling when you did your best but it feels flat. I left feeling like I was unclear, scattered, and messy.

But I watched in again just to try to identify where I missed it. To my surprise, it didn't seem as bad the second time.

I don't know if God covers up my messes, or if my perspective was off. But God is so kind to me, that I suspect that somewhere between delivery and watching it again, He made it better.

I know- it sounds crazy to you. But I like to think of it that way. He is so good to me, and He could easily do it, right?

Sunday morning, the 9:15 service seemed amazingly better! And at the 11:15, God did a special thing, where he turned that message into a salvation altar call, with more than a dozen responses. It was a very holy moment as I prayed with people who were confessing sin, turning from the past, and getting a fresh revelation of God. It was unbelievable and powerful.

South Hanover site

I am sitting in an exciting leadership meeting at our South Hanover location. This morning's attendance was 105. Weekly youth attendance is growing. We are praying about a new location, with more space. Kid's Ministries are badly out of space.

Most impressively, this leadership team was presented with the idea to add to their tithe so that Jeff could reduce his hours at the camp ground, and serve this body more. They got so excited about it, that some said they would start giving extra immediately! Very cool!

This is awesome.

Traction on Saturday ight

This week in the Power of Worship 5, we are talking about how being a worshipper makes you attractive. There are several examples in scripture where God Himself is attracted to worshippers- even puts Himself in the middle of it when it happens!

Crowds gather when people worship. People come to watch, they come to experience, and they come to participate.  Worship makes you incredibly attractive to the people around you. It's an often overlooked element of usefulness that God gave His people!

On Saturday nights...

Something very cool is happening to our Saturday services! Our numbers are growing, and real passion is coming. The lines for the meal are long, and lots of kids are happily playing in the bounce house. Kid's Ministries seem superb, and the preaching- well it's usually better than it was tonight.

I didn't feel like I did that well tonight. Hoefully tomrrow I can do better.

The best services for me so far this weekend, were the 24 hours prayer vigil that started Friday adn ended this morning. Those hours were the most awesome time I have had in the presence of God for some time. I was there at various times, and enjoyed every minute of it. Jeremiah and Charity really create an atmostphere where God shows Himself. What a pleasure it is to enjoy the presence of God like that!

an army of missionaries

God is just flooding me with vision lately. I have rarely -if ever- had a season like this.

Like today as I was combing through a raft of great ideas of shaping and maturing an army of leaders. Peter helped me see a better picture of what they do in their missions school, and how it affects their work in unreached people around the world.

Each missions student is ask for at least a six month commitment at one of their several missions bases around the world. Many of them come back then, work several jobs to save money- and go again for longer. Some are blessed with the ability to stay without even a season of coming back. Still others do their 6 months, and come back for good.

If I understood correctly, the missions bases are set up after a Signs and Wonders festival where 10 or more churches get planted. A seasoned missions leader is left behind to start a mother church that nurtures the other new churches, and trains leaders from it. A trusted leader is found out of the newly reached peoples. This leader will likely move into the house with the missions team leader, where he and his wife will be personally trained, nurtured and coached into the leader who will lead the works after the SOS leader is gone. The SOS leader stays on the ground at the missions base for about 5 years, establishing a strong, indigenous church that will perpetuate itself long after they are gone.

Every person who responded to a salvation call will get a visit from this team of young missionaries, be prayed with, given literature if possible, encouraged to get into a church, and coached toward jesus! One recent crusade involved 600 decisions for Christ and it took many months to visit them all! Meanwhile this y9oung missions team also holds additional outreaches, both to train new believers in outreach, and to reach more people for eternity!

I don't know if I explained it well, but it is an exciting idea in world missions. And also in developing and sending young people out for at least a 6 month period of exciting, world changing adventures in God!

I think we might have something here...

Could freedom Valley join them in targeting an unreached peoples group, planting 10 strong churches at a time, sending armies of young people out for adventures in God, and changing the world?

with some of my heroes

Johannes Amritzer, Ron Johnson, Peter Almquist, Jeff Leake, Steven Sybyala, David homas, Terry Broadwater, Brad Leache, Steve DeFrain, Joel Hunter, so many others...

These guys sharing their best ideas, along with my mighty men- Jason, Marvin, & Jeremiah. How can life get a whole lot better than that? I feel like I am walking with angels or something. These people cause me to dream bigger, breathe more deeply, and want to "do some crazy stuff for Jesus", as Johannes says. I love them and grow so much being around them.

We are at Jeff Leake's Leaders Roundtable. Just the ride out here with my guys was worth the price of admission for all the Kingdom talk we got in. It strengthens me so much.

Jocelyn's legacy

So last summer, when we lost our precious Jocelyn, her family (and all of us) ask for the consolation prize of 100 salvations. As of October, we are something over 150 I think. Rick (her dad) said recently that he decided to go ahead and ask for 1000 now. I'm with him.

I was sharing the Holy Spirit plan for those 1000 today with Tom Rees at Bootcamp. And I was selling the plan to plant 10 new churches out of the Signs and Wonders festival (and another 2000 salvations) with Johannes in 2010. I was deeply engrossed in trying to help Tom understand my little ideas, when I noticed something moving beside me. I looked up and suddenly realized that a large crowd of guys had gathered around and eyes were glistening with excitement and even a little emotion.

The ideas started flowing. "You really think this can work?" one guy sort of whispered behind me. I thought he was talking to me and started to answer when like 3 other people chimed in with comments like "you must not have been listening. Certainly this can work!"

One guys said, "I think we should get General Council to pay for this thing, giving all 10 churches away to other organizations, and showing that we are real Kingdom players." Pastor Brian Bolt chimed in at that point and said "Forget General Council- I want to help invest in something like this. I'm gonna go home and write you a check as fast as I can. I want in!"

It's a set of crazy ideas that seem to be catching on like wildfire. The ramifications are amazing! What could one county be like if the water level of spirituality came up 1% in a year, then 2 more percent in a subsequent year, with 10 new churches in place! 

Could we see God do crazy stuff like this in our day? I think He could and he MIGHT use these amazing churches in Adam's County to do it.

Tonight I was telling my two sons about this and they got SO excited they said they might not be able to sleep. They went to their bedrooms more to pray than sleep I bet.

best years ahead

This morning in my prayer time, the Holy Spirit told me very simple, but very powerful things:

1. This will nevertheless be the church's finest hour. We flourish when times are tough, and stand strong in the face of... well,... mockery, sin, and even our own death. Persecution only seems to make us stronger, and ill winds are still "worked together for good to those who love the Lord".

2. This will be our time to shine. Character, godliness, forgiveness, and joy will still be our strength. Our society may be going down, but the church is on the rise, and going to win.

Never has there been a better time for good people to rise up and be counted. Scarcity only makes us shine more!

last night's meeting

My heart is beyond full after last night's meeting. We gathered our leaders together and presented our plan to double our sanctuary space, along with the other space needs that this presents: storage, concourse, kid's playground, kid's theatre, Shining Stars arena.

It's a masisve plan that will require real and uncomfortable sacrifices from our people, starting with me. 

But our people so far, seem to eagerly reach for it. I am overwhelmed with their kind, sacrificial, and giving hearts. I am also overwhelmed with God's plan, and I feel it unfolding as fast as I can handle it. 

Power of Worship

We are journeying through the Power of Worship. I was hoping that in this series we would be able to help people get fresh appreciation for the body of Christ and what happens when we worship God together.

You can worship God by yourself, of course.

But something different happens when we worship together. I am stimulated, encouraged, and strengthened by the faith of others when I feel them put themselves into worship. It motivates me through my own weaknesses when someone who has had a tougher time than me, nevertheless gives God more. I benefit from their joy, and feed off of their energy, and it opens me up to relationship with them because we are connected by a common interest.

And then something else happens that gets my attention. In the early church of Acts 2, God adds to them. It's not their outreach, not their witnessing, and not their programs, that causes them to grow. It simply seems to be that God wants them to because of who they are!

Who they are, is a bunch of serious worshipers who put God first, and into, everything they do. They live for him, spend time with him, and give him (and each other) everything. God seems to not only enjoy hanging out with them, but also sending other people to hang out with them.

I want to be a church like that- where God enjoys being with us, and compels others to be with us.

Of course, in the next chapter, persecution begins BECAUSE they are growing so well and enjoying so much popularity. I guess I'd prefer that persecution doesn't follow effectiveness. But if it does, God help me get myself ready and stay true to Him, no matter what is ahead.