March 29, 2010
By Leah Long, missionary appointee to Mali
Appointed to be church planters, Leah and Mark Long are headed to Albertville, France, in August 2010, where they will attend French language study for a year before traveling to Ségou, Mali, in summer 2011. Their daughter, Anastasia (Ana), will accompany them.
Children: their smiles, their ability to make instant friends, their curiosity tempered by shyness, and the way the world is open before them. Adults have a big calling on their lives to influence these small ones.
On March 7 we met our daughter Ana’s adoptive church, Campbellsport Alliance, in Wisconsin. Church congregants have generously, lovingly committed to support our family in ministry by giving Ana a very special place in their hearts.
She will be blessed by the people of Campbellsport with specific prayers, pen-pals, and thoughtful ways to show her that her place on the field with her parents is an important and extraordinary one. They will reinforce to her that God also has a calling-a particular story-for her life as a third culture kid.
Our great hope is that through this unique relationship, the children of Campbellsport Alliance Church will grow up understanding what life is like on the mission field and, perhaps, one day become international workers themselves!
Ana arrived at Campbellsport Alliance Church ready to roll. She’s the youngest baby the church has seen in awhile, and all the kids surrounded her with smiles and giggles, which she devoured. Throughout the service, one little boy flirted with her from two pews back while her daddy preached about faithfulness to God. He taught from the story of Elijah about that powerful “contest” on Mount Carmel between God and Baal in 1Kings 18.
After-service Sunday school time was casual enough that Ana was allowed to drive the nursery’s dollhouse camper van all over the front of the sanctuary. Meanwhile, mom shared with the group about community health evangelism-a creative method to reach those of the predominant religion in Mali.
Since this visit put Ana-and all children-in the forefront of everyone’s minds, our conversations that day tended to gravitate toward the spiritual formation of children. Appleton Alliance Church (AAC), where we currently serve, has a children’s program that can be described as enormous.
Seven hundred (that’s 700!) children are involved in the various activities at AAC. Some Campbellsport folks had recently visited the church to attend a regional Bible quiz competition, and others talked about the Awana (children’s Bible memory and learning) program, which sees hundreds of children each week.
But I found it impossible to contrast AAC’s children’s programs with those of Campbellsport or other churches in rural communities. That’s because the common theme in each-and this is crucial-is the spiritual formation of children through the Word of God, godly example, and the commitment of their parents, and other godly adults.
I grew up in a tiny church in Idaho, and Christians were a small minority in my town. But I have vivid childhood memories of vacation Bible school, missionary visits, Sunday school, children’s messages during the “grown up” service, and sitting beside my family week after week listening to teaching from the Bible. None of these things would have meant anything to me were it not for the consistent, loving, disciplined, and wise application of these tools to my life by my parents, grandparents, and other important adults.
So whether you know a child in a tiny rural church, one of several hundred kids at a huge church’s Awana night, or the lone white, flip-flop sporting missionary kid in an African country, YOU may be the most important tool God will use in that child’s life.
You-above any program, curriculum, video series, or workbook-are the key, and this is no small calling! We are so grateful to our family, close friends, and our new adoptive family at Campbellsport for your involvement in Ana’s life and spiritual formation!
What You Can Do
“Pray for wisdom for leadership in vision-casting for our ministry in Ségou, Mali,” Leah asks. “Please also pray for the formation and preparation of our intercultural team.”
Your financial partnership through Alliance Great Commission Ministries is an extension of God’s love to lost people in Mali and around the world.
March 26, 2010
By Stephen and Robin Boda
Stephen and Robin Boda planted Bridge of Hope Community (Alliance) Church in the heart of St. Louis, Missouri. Robin works full time as an education director for a local learning center. Stephen-who is full-time pastor, teacher, mentor, and outreach director- also works part-time as a janitor.
Growing up in poverty in America can be compared to growing up in a third world country in some cases. Actually, some third world countries are safer.
We have been doing inner city ministry for nearly 18 years. Breaking the cycles of addiction, poverty, and violence takes time. Bridge of Hope was planted with a desire to develop an urban ministry plan to reach our neighbors, beginning as a small group in our living room in 2002, which we quickly outgrew.
We planted Bridge of Hope in 2003, along with Robin’s aunt and uncle, Linda and Gil Carlson, who attended an Alliance church in North Carolina. Knowing that the complicated issues of inner-city life necessitate a multifaceted ministry approach in order to nurture change, we wasted no time in reaching out to our community.
Love Your Neighbor
Serving in any way possible, we simply loved our neighbors-through kids clubs in our backyard, helping with the annual block party, as well as an open invitation to the neighborhood on Friday nights for Gil’s famous barbecue.
Gradually, people started coming to us for answers, and many joined our church. We grew out of our living room and moved into the apartment downstairs. Gil and Linda moved out of their apartment to make room for us. Finally, God provided for us to purchase a building. We began Sunday morning services in 2003.
Our goal is to connect newcomers to Jesus and His people, so we tend not to measure our success by the number of people attending on Sunday mornings. Stephen often says that church can happen anywhere-on a park bench, while riding the bus, eating breakfast with friends, or at the building. We reach out to more than 100 people in the course of a month. Sunday morning attendance ranges from 25 to 50.
Searching for Connection
Stephen hosts a weekly men’s breakfast at Bridge of Hope. This is one of our most well-attended outreaches. It draws 30-50 men each week; some are from other churches, but many are homeless and are searching for connection with other guys and answers for life.
Recently, a homeless man with a crack addiction accepted Jesus. He said, “Everything was fighting against me, and then I realized it was Jesus I didn’t have. I need Jesus.”
When these guys come to the Lord, they have nothing but Christ. Like the demoniac whom Jesus healed and told to go and tell others, we affirm their priesthood the moment someone receives Christ as Savior and encourage them to tell others about their newfound faith.
Bridge of Hope also partners with Job Alliance of St. Louis, which provides jobs for unemployed, including lawn care, construction, and home repairs for people cited for code violations because of broken windows or damaged roofs. The church partners with Habitat for Humanity as well and its sister organization, Rebuilding Together, to train men and women and provide them with job skills.
The homeless men who come to the breakfast and express the need for employment can borrow tools each day from the church, which provides tools to some homeless men who have handyman skills but have no tools of their own. They can borrow a nail gun, head over to a job, begin to earn some money, and return the borrowed tool before going to their shelter for the evening.
Youth on Mission
Besides the homeless outreach, Bridge of Hope offers an after school ministry to kids. Our First Robotics team-poor, inner-city kids-took first place in research at the national competition.
Ridiculously Changed-Heather and Darnell
Heather was living in a boarding house across the street from us when she began attending the living-room meetings. She was struggling with multiple addictions and wanted help. She attended Bridge of Hope, spent a few days with our family, and watched us in action. Heather heard our dreams for the community, and God convicted her to return to Idaho to care for her son, Brenton, who was born when she was just 13. Her mother was caring for him at the time.
Darnell followed Heather to Idaho. He has his own story of selling drugs, making a lot of money, getting shot, and playing “minister” in church. Heather told Darnell that the only way they could be together was to do it God’s way. They ended up getting married and having a couple of kids up there, and then moved back to St. Louis three years ago.
The couple, now with four children, are some of our closest friends. God has used them in more ways than we can count, but the change is “ridiculous.” During our first cell group meeting at their house a couple of years ago, they were threatening to leave each other. Heather was ready to move back to Idaho, and Darnell was ready to walk away from the marriage.
We heard the couple’s arguments and prayed. Heather and Darnell chose to work at their marriage in submission to God and are really in love. We are so proud of them. Life is hard with four kids and no job right now, but God is their Provider, and they are listening to His voice. They are living more frugally, attending classes, and using spare minutes to serve the church. Heather was the one to make sure that toy donations that came in just days before Christmas were distributed to more than 20 families!
C&MA DNA
I am an Alliance guy. My heart beats for missions. I clearly identify with what our overseas missionaries are doing. Our church members have a passion for missions, too, and they love to give. The goal we set to raise funds for the GCF (Great Commission Fund) last year was surpassed half way through the year.
We’ve also established the Urban Ministry Institute to provide leadership training for poor people who feel called to ministry but cannot afford traditional schooling. Currently, 20 men are enrolled, with their focus on inner city ministry.
Our desire is for the institute, a preparation ground for ordination training, to be a model for the MidAmerica District and to reproduce this model in other big cities within the district. I’m spending every moment possible mentoring and training future church leaders.
It’s a challenge. As ministry grows, the financial support dwindles. When you do the math, it doesn’t work. It causes us to stay on our knees and trust the Lord, because we know He has the answer.
Simple Ministry
But sometimes the answer to ministry is simpler than budgets, meetings, and projects. Recently at our weekly breakfast, a man who was listening to some of us talk about ministry said, “Can I interrupt? I would like to pray.” Not wanting to interrupt the Holy Spirit’s work, we asked the man to continue, and he began to pray.
“I’ve been listening, God, and these men have what I need. I have been running. I give up. I give my life to you, Jesus.”
It was a simple, heartfelt prayer. As the man asked Jesus into his heart, I thought, We’re all so busy seeking opportunities to reach out, but when we live as we are supposed to, people will recognize the difference, and they will come.
Learn More
If you would like more information about Bridge of Hope ministry, contact the Bodas at robinboda@gmail.com. Read about other Alliance churches implementing innovative strategies to reach their communities for Christ
What You Can Do
Pray that God will provide for the needs of U.S. Alliance workers. Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries
March 15, 2010
by Ben & Sarah Carey, serving in Germany
“Going through each day without God can be vicious and harsh,” our German friend, Rosa,* told us. “Being here in Berlin without God just doesn’t work.” After being invited to Freischwimmer (our church-plant project) last summer, Rosa had been coming regularly to our brunches. Within a year, she decided to put her faith in Christ as her salvation and hope.
Rosa’s statement captures the incredible change that we have seen in her since her decision to follow Jesus. Even though her life and circumstances are still difficult and uncertain, Rosa’s perspective and outlook on life have changed so dramatically for the better, it is as if we have been spending time with a whole new Rosa-and I suppose we have.
Connecting through Culture
While living in one of the most culturally influential and “cutting-edge” cities in Western Europe may not be physically taxing, it can definitely be one of the most spiritually challenging. More than 3 million people who live in Berlin compose a colorful mixture of cultures, ideas, personalities and beliefs. Freischwimmer (Swim Free) is our attempt to creatively connect with these individuals-the free-thinkers, independents, professional. Our desire is to connect on a deeper level, to be a church for those who have distanced themselves from church and God-a “church for others.”
Our team has partnered with a couple of our German friends who share our vision to see individuals experience God in a practical, life-changing way. God is empowering us through two avenues: culturally (an art gallery) and spiritually (brunches and home group).
The Galerie Kunstschwimmer has been an extremely tremendous blessing. Showing local artists’ work, opening up possibilities to get to know new people, and strengthening current friendships with a comfortable and appealing invitation to the gallery-these are just a few of the ways in which God has used the gallery to bless us and those around us. We’ve also been able to develop significant relationships with some of the artists themselves, Germans and Internationals.
Relational Brunch
During the Advent season of 2008, our family opened up our apartment to meet on Sundays for a brunch “with input” to make the most of the opportunity to invite friends and acquaintances during an important time of year. Our Freischwimmer team felt that this was a timely and necessary step to take, beyond having the gallery and a biweekly Hauskreis (home group). It was a non-threatening, meaningful, reflective time with many visitors. We enjoyed taking this bold step in faith.
Once January hit, we decided to continue our weekly Sunday meetings or Freischwimmer Brunch. God provided a way for us to offer monthly brunches in a well-known local church this past summer and fall, creating and developing even more relationships. At our weekly brunches, we have seen some growth as we encourage individuals to “swim” along with us through our lives and with our God, including a baptism. And now, with all glory to God, our average brunch (or “relaxed church services”) attendance of 20 is causing us to outgrow our apartment!
No Light without Him
We see that God has been working in three waves of growth since we have been onboard with Freischwimmer: the home group and gallery, our weekly Sunday brunches, and our monthly public brunches in the local church. These three waves have increased opportunities for us, both in deepening our relationships within our group and with God, and in broadening our relational connections and networks with those around us. But what is the next step, the next wave? We’re asking God and trusting Him to provide the wind and the swell, the push in the right direction, and looking forward to swim with Him in what He has for this project.
Berlin is a city that looks towards the future while learning from the past. In this spiritually dark place, we want to see the light and hope of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ push the darkness out of the way of those who live here. Our prayer is to see the Holy Spirit work in the lives of those with whom we are connected; to see God forever change the physical perspective and eternal destiny of those He loves and we love, such as Rosa. We, who know Christ and follow Him, are fully aware that daily life and looking towards the future “without God just doesn’t work.”
*not real name
Learn More
Read more stories about God’s work through Alliance ministries.
How You Can Help
Partner with The Alliance and share in the miracle. Be an extension of God’s love through Alliance international workers. Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
February 2, 2010
Editor’s Note: Team Isaan is an Alliance church-planting initiative among the largely unreached Isaan people of northeast Thailand. The Alliance has a long history of ministry to this group dating back to 1929. Because of that investment, today there are approximately 30,000 Isaan believers in 650 local churches from various denominations. Team Isaan was mobilized to help bring Christ’s message of salvation to the 2.5 million people among this group who have not yet heard.
A prison ministry has been introducing many incarcerated people to the gospel, and they are evangelizing their home villages upon their release. EQ, a former inmate who now serves with Team Isaan, has led at least 12 people in his home village to the Lord. In the following excerpt from the team’s recent prayer updates, read about how God continues to use EQ and other former prisoners to spread the good news near and far.
It has been more than a year since Don was released from Sawang Daen Din (SDD) prison to return to his home country, which is closed to traditional missionary work. He received Christ while participating in the second men’s group at SDD and had a hungry heart to learn more about God throughout his remaining time in prison. He has been in touch with us ever since.
About a month ago, Don called to tell us about the spiritual harvest field he found upon arriving in his country of origin. He said there are 12 families eager to learn about the Creator God. He asked Montri, another former prisoner who ministers with our team, to send a CD of his music so that Don can use the songs to teach these seekers about who God is. We hope to send Montri and EQ to visit Don in the New Year in order to encourage him and also to implement a plan to train him for what the Lord is calling him to do.
A Life Prolonged
Meanwhile, God continues to work through EQ to point his family to the hope that Jesus offers. In late November, EQ went with some of his relatives to visit his uncle, who was on the brink of death. The doctors had told his family to take him home to die in peace because there was nothing they could do for him. He was not eating and couldn’t even talk, so it was clear that the end of his life was imminent. In addition, many family members had dreamed about a black dog eating his spirit; according to folklore, this meant he was about to die.
When EQ heard about this dream, he prayed a spiritual warfare prayer over his uncle. In just a short time, he began to talk a little. Once EQ and his family had returned home, they heard from his uncle’s household that his condition was improving to the point that he had started to eat. He continued to grow stronger and eventually said that he believes in God. This caused a big stir among the other family members, who welcomed EQ back to their village. EQ brought his mother and several other believers to the village, and she shared how God has been changing her life.
Although EQ’s uncle eventually died of cancer, God’s power has still been recognized as legitimate. The local witchdoctors had predicted that his uncle would die three weeks ago, and the hospital doctors had said he would last only about two weeks. The Lord God sustained him for about one month against all odds. We still have hope that his family members will receive Jesus into their hearts after they have had time to grieve. Please continue to pray that God will open the door in this place that is a dark stronghold of the enemy.
Learn More
Check out our Alliance work in Thailand.
Read an alife article about Team Isaan’s ministry.
What You Can Do
Pray:
- that the family of EQ’s uncle will be drawn to Jesus and receive His gift of eternal life
- that Team Isaan’s ministry will continue to lead lost people to new life in Christ
- that new believers such as Don will be trained for leadership and have a lasting impact for God’s Kingdom
Help keep our international workers in Thailand on the field—support Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
January 25, 2010
Christmas 2009 may have come and gone quickly, but compassionate acts of kindness and generosity by Alliance people through Christmas outreaches will not soon be forgotten. Alliance congregations across the country went beyond the four walls of their churches to take the message of the Christ Child into their communities.
In Columbia, South Carolina, Columbia Crossroads Downtown took part in a number of outreaches within the community, one being with a clinic across the street from the church. The clinic helps to meet the medical needs of children with debilitating diseases and disorders who also live in poverty. “We helped host a Christmas party for the kids and their families,” says Chris Gerlach, who pastors Crossroads. “Our hope is to build on the relationship and minister to them on a regular basis.”
Just up the road in Charlotte, North Carolina, the First Alliance Church of Charlotte is poised for their inaugural service on February 14. But the young congregation made its mark on the community before its opening when it partnered with a local school and Charlotte Firefighters Association to host a Christmas event that benefitted more than 50 families. “We served dinner, shared gifts and the love of Jesus with [these families],” says Carlos Velez, who pastors the Alliance church. “Volunteers from the community helped, as well as our sister church, theGathering, from Ft. Mill (South Carolina). Pastor Scott led attendees and volunteers in singing Christmas songs.”
Pastor Scott Morrison, who co-leads theGathering with Derrick Bucy, also led his church into the Ft. Mill community to shine the light of Jesus into some of the poorest areas of the city. “We have several opportunities to serve our community,” says Scott, “by continuing our monthly commitment to serve a meal to the hungry.” Home groups or ”houseGatherings” continue to grow. “We are excited about partnering with Sandhills (Alliance) Church in Columbia and rejoice in what God is doing!”
Thirty-three people prayed to receive Jesus during a three-day Christmas outreach hosted by Iglesia Cristiana Encuentro con Dios in Cornelia, Georgia. “We were able to distribute 116 children’s gifts and 37 food baskets,” says Pastor Tim Hixson, who credits the prayers and support of two local churches, Central Alliance in Mt. Airy and Iglesia de Cristo (non-Alliance) from Norcross. Food baskets, which came from the Toccoa Falls College faculty as well as the churches, were distributed on the evening of December 24. “After the worship service, we rejoiced to see many praying and crying out to the Lord for forgiveness and salvation.”
“These stories from the South Atlantic District are representative of what outwardly focused Alliance churches are doing all over this land as they concentrate on meeting needs in their local communities and opening doors for the message of the Gospel,” says Rev. John Soper, director for Church Ministries. As Alliance congregations continue to go into their communities with practical demonstrations of Jesus love, those walking in darkness will turn to the Light.
December 18, 2009
By Brad and Tina Reynolds, serving in France
Alliance international workers Brad and Tina Reynolds help to lead Eglise Protestante Internationale. Inaugurated in May 2009, it is the first new church in Léguevin, France, since the 12th century. God is moving in this international body of French-speaking believers, evidenced in the following article that is adapted from Brad’s December 2009 newsletter.
Jesus is come! This morning (December 13), we had our Christmas celebration. Each of the Sunday school classes did a presentation about the season being more than the gifts that we receive. Two presentations were particularly moving.
One of our teenaged girls who performed the part of Mary described how she felt, how bewildering it was for her to be chosen to bear the Son of God. A young man in his late 20s shared Joseph’s perspective, describing his efforts to understand what God was doing before that first Christmas.
Gifts Honor the Christ Child
Once the dramatic readings were finished, a young family performed a live nativity. The wife played the part of Mary, her husband portrayed Joseph, and their little baby boy represented Jesus. Their two little girls portrayed an angel and a lamb, respectively. While two of our members sang a Congolese Christmas song to the beat of an African drum, church members brought forward items for babies and young children to be given to a local organization that helps people in need.
After the morning celebration we enjoyed a lunch together, the room filled with the people God has sent to us during the past months. It was powerful to ponder how the Lord has blessed us, that just a few months ago our group was smaller. How grateful we are to Him.
What You Can Do
Brad and Tina ask for prayer that Eglise Protestante Internationale will be faithful to communicate the joy of Jesus’ birth to all who come in contact with the church.
Help keep Alliance workers on the field, like Brad and Tina, who are doing cutting-edge ministry so those living in darkness will see the light of Christ. Consider a year-end Christmas gift to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
Learn More
Read about Eglise Protestante Internationale’s exciting May 2009 inauguration.
Check out our work in France.
December 15, 2009
By Don and Hazel Schaeffer, serving in Japan
Editor’s Note: The Tokyo Journal reports that “thousands of Japanese [are] flocking to gospel singing workshops to clap their hands and sing praise to Jesus. According to industry insiders, gospel singing workshops are springing up across the U.S. and Japan in record numbers.” The phenomenon has inspired a new outreach by Kawaguchi Church, an Alliance congregation in Japan.
The congregation we pastor, Kawaguchi Church, is conducting a gospel workshop led by Alliance missionary David Kindervater. African-American gospel music has become very popular in Japan, and we hope to draw new people into the church through this evangelistic effort. In addition, we are praying for contacts to start a new church plant. This outreach will continue again next spring with a new series of workshops.
Our first session got off to a great start. About 20 people have joined this group, several of them non-Christians. This outreach ran through mid-December, culminating in a concert at our church, a workshop at a new church plant, and a joint concert with other choirs.
We placed an advertisement for the workshop in 10,000 newspapers. On one side, the flyer gave details about the workshop, and the other side provided information about the church. We have had visitors as a result!
Thirsty for God
Last Wednesday, a woman called and came to Bible study. Her parents had taken her to studies on Buddhism when she was younger, but she felt like something was wrong. She then went to a Bible study with a friend for two years.
Now, years later, she feels like God has been pulling at her heart. She listened as we prayed during our study, and she had tears in her eyes when we were finished. She wants to come again. Pray that God will continue to draw this woman to Himself.
Learn More
Check out our Alliance work in Japan.
What You Can Do
Pray that the gospel workshop will have a life-changing impact and that many people will come to faith in Jesus through this outreach.
Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries to ensure that our worldwide team of workers can continue to faithfully serve the Lord.
November 24, 2009
Brad and Tina Reynolds are living out the C&MA DNA through their ministry in France. The couple planted a French-speaking church, Eglise Protestante Internationale, with the inaugural service in May 2009. It was the first new church in the Toulouse suburb of Léguevin since the 12th century. After several baptisms and family dedications to the Lord, nearly 80 adults and children now attend the church. In the following, Brad reflects on the essential role of Alliance core values in his ministry.
Without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, we can accomplish nothing. This phrase is one of the core values of The Alliance. Our movement began with an emphasis on the deeper life, the importance of being filled with the Holy Spirit, and living daily this infilling. Not only is it one of our core values but also it’s biblical. So at the very beginning of this new church, we are focusing on the importance of living a holy life in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Last Sunday, we considered Ephesians 5:18 and talked about the steps to take in order to be filled with the Spirit. It was a holy moment. The worship had led us to the message. The message led us to prayer. Just prior to the Lord’s Table, we asked God to fill us with His Holy Spirit, to help us to live repentance and lives of submission to Him. As the worship team sang Tim Hughes’ song, “Consuming Fire,” members came forward to remember the Lord’s death and His coming again. Please pray for our church, that we will be a Spirit-filled, Spirit-empowered congregation.
Lost people matter to God. He wants them found. This Alliance core value is our motivation for inviting our friends to come to the Alpha course, a seeker-friendly Bible study. At our last meeting, the meal was from the French island of Martinique, and the topic was prayer. In our two small groups, guests talked about prayer, what it means, how it affects our lives. At the conclusion of the evening, team members led in prayer, unassuming, basic prayers in an effort to demonstrate that prayer is simply part of a relationship with God. Pray for our six guests, that they will find this relationship with God the most natural thing in the world.
Prayer is the primary work of God’s people. On Saturday, 16 people who attend our church spent at least one hour in our church prayer room doing their primary work. Tina and our prayer leader, Philippa, had decorated the room with vines and verses, expressing God’s promises about abiding in Him. Members prayed for the future of our congregation, trusting God that He will continue to be the One we seek to please, the One for whom we live. Pray that we will truly be a “house of prayer” and that God will teach us how to pray in a way that honors and glorifies Him.
Living His Call Together With You,
Brad & Tina
Learn More
Check out our Alliance work in France.
What You Can Do
Praise the Lord for this pioneer ministry in Léguevin. Pray that all those who hear the life-changing message of the gospel in this house of prayer will receive Him as Savior.
Help keep Alliance workers such as Brad and Tina on the field. Donate now to Alliance Great Commission Ministries.
November 13, 2009
Alliance churches are breaking the mold of the traditional church plant. Frustration with budget crunches, dwindling congregations, and decreased giving with little left for outreach has caused many Alliance pastors to rethink the way they do church.
“Trying to get people to come to church just doesn’t work like it used to,” said one Alliance pastor recently. “There’s a general consensus, especially among younger people, that churches are filled with hypocrites who demand money and perfection but don’t practice what they preach; the Bible is an ancient document and there is no evidence of God’s power among so-called Christians.”
In order to build bridges of trust that will bear the weight of truth, some Alliance churches are moving beyond the four walls of traditional church buildings into their communities, demonstrating the love of their Servant King through projects that benefit their neighbors. The fact that nothing is asked in return has captured the attention of city officials as well as local media in some cases.
Freely Give
Pastor Rick Gates has led his Crossroads Church congregation in Perry, Iowa, out of the sanctuary to shine the light of Christ during a Week of Service in their community. Church members have completed 40 projects in four years. Local TV news shows have reported the “free help” that Crossroads provided for the community in June.
“Our culture today knows nothing of the church except that it expects people to give money and attend services for no meaningful or relevant purpose,” says Rick. “The church is not connected to their daily lives and does not make sense to them. Jesus talks a lot about being servants . . . as we serve, people slowly begin to see Jesus.”
Benefitting Neighbors
“Most church plants take 30 or more people and move them,” say Pastor Scott Klaudt of Downtown Alliance Church, who established a coffeehouse in downtown Missoula, Montana, in order to meet plenty of people. “We didn’t want to just shift a bunch of Christians around, which may work for some, but it’s not what I wanted to do.”
The coffeehouse venue provides lunches, catering mostly to professionals in search of quality noontime respite, and hosts open-mike night, jazz concerts highlighting local musicians, and benefit fund-raisers for neighbors. “We recently hosted a benefit concert for a youngster who suffers from a seizure disorder,” says Scott.
God’s Property!
In Ft. Wayne, Indiana, Bob and Sue Havenor and a handful of people, none of whom are in professional ministry, have reclaimed for God an area where an Alliance church once stood. They have taken jobs within their community in order to build relationships and prayer walk. Bob is getting to know a lot of men through his work at an auto parts store.
“We didn’t plant an organization where people with needs must go to a church,” says Bob. “We are the Church that has a mandate to go to the people with needs. This is the essence of incarnational ministry; as John 1:14 says in The Message, ‘God became a man and moved into the neighborhood.’”
Bob’s team began systematically prayer walking every street in a 1.5 square-mile target area. “We started at a strategic location that is, first, an easy place to find on a busy central street,” he says. “Second, and far more important, is what this property once was. This was the site of the Fort Wayne Gospel Temple, a leading Alliance church in the middle half of the last century.”
Outside the Box
ServantChurch in Mission, Kansas, is “committed to doing church simply so that we can simply serve,” says Pastor Doug Burford, who grew weary of buildings, bulletins, budgets, and board meetings, as well as struggling to get busy professionals to meet for prayer, Bible study, and service.
Since its inception, ServantChurch has participated in several projects, including the construction of nanny quarters for a family in which the mother has terminal cancer and the installation of windows to winterize the residence of “urban missionaries” in Kansas City. “ServantChurch is intentionally without a building so that its members are free to worship where they serve,” says Doug.
As the history of the Church bears witness, there are times, like the Reformation, when the Church has to “reset” the course after straying off course. “It has been said that Martin Luther reset the theology of the Church,” Doug says. “This ‘new reformation’ is one that [just may] reset the form of the Church.”
What You Can Do
Praise God for His guidance and provision for Alliance workers who are willing to take faith-filled risks to share the gospel.
Pray that God will bless these four churches with a bountiful harvest.
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“We wanted to meet people first,” says Scott Klaudt, who pastors Downtown Alliance Church in Missoula, Montana. Through a coffeehouse/community center near the University of Montana, the state’s largest university, Klaudt and his team are accomplishing just that.
With an entrepreneurial approach to ministry, Scott has sidestepped the traditional Alliance church plant model to reach the Missoula community with this innovative outreach. “We started the business first to gain momentum,” he says. “Once we built relationships, we began host Bible studies instead of having a set program.”
The Alliance establishment provides lunch, catering mostly to professionals in search of quality noontime respite. The venue also hosts open-mike night, a favorite past time among University of Montana students. Also, jazz concerts highlighting local musicians, and benefit fund-raisers for neighbors are popular events at the Alliance outreach. “It makes The Alliance look good because we show them love.”
“Most church plants take about 30 people and move them,” says Scott. “We didn’t want to just shift a bunch of Christians around, which may work for some but it’s not what I wanted to do.” Without a tithe base, God has met the needs of the unorthodox church plant. “Our [Rocky Mountain] District has backed us, too.”
Worship services quickly moved from once-a-month to weekly meetings when an increasing number of people began attending. “Attendance now fluctuates between 50 and 80,” Scott says, “including some of the professionals who visit during the day and university students who pack the house at night.”
When Donnie Spotted Elk entered the center he said, “I hear you guys pray for people here. I need job by Tuesday or I will go back to jail.” Donnie recently had been released from prison, where he placed his trust in Christ. When Scott prayed, the Native American ex-convict obtained employment. Now he hosts a Sunday night Bible study for local Native Americans, many of whom are homeless.
The mission of this Alliance outreach is “not necessarily to ‘do church’ but to help the community,” says Scott. “It’s a full-time business. If the business goes down after we’ve spent $250,000 and only one person came to Christ-it was worth it.”
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