Compassion By Design Survey  

Valley Forge Christian College celebrates the leadership and services that make our community  

great and also identifies the areas where we need to work together to continue to build a strong  

and vibrant place to live, work and play. This survey is being conducted in the Phoenixville area,  

and is a Valley Forge Christian College class project.  

1. Please enter your zip code: ___19460_____  

2. Nominate one organization in each of  the f ollowing categories:  

(Nominate those that represent the BEST of our community during the last year)  

Education Provider  

(School, college, day care, af ter school, educational service or business):  

Charlestown Elementary School 

Health Care Provider  

(Hospital, clinic, doctor’s off ice, medical service or business):

The Clinic - offers free services, w/ donation preferred   

Recreation  

(Park, f ields, f acility, organization, league):  

Reeves Park

Business That Gives Back  

(Contributes to the community with funds or other support):  

Chic-Fil-a 

Restaurant or Coffee Shop:  

Artisan's 

Nonprofit & Charitable  

(Local foundations, nonprof its, charities and benefit drives):  

VFCC Blood Drive 

Public Service  

(Any local service operated by government—library, police, fire department):  

The Phoenix - Local newspaper 

Culture,  Arts and Historic Enrichment  

(Museums, etc):

Colonial Theatre

3. The greatest thing about our community is:  

Family friendly 

4. If  there is one area in which our community needs to improve it is:  

More middle school/high school activities 

5. In our community, I think the f ollowing areas pose the greatest challenge:  

(Pick up to 5 of the following):  

__X_ Financial Pressure  ___ Marriage & Relationships  

___ Substance Abuse  ___ Job Security  

___ Affordable Housing  ___ Time Pressure  

___ Crime/Violence  ___ Single Parent Resources  

___ Sense of  Permanence  ___ Childcare  

___ Stress  ___ Loneliness  

___ Education  _X__ Public Transportation  

_X__ Cultural Tolerance  ___ Gangs  

___ Jobs  ___ Resources for low­income families  

___ Traff ic  _X__ Cost of Living  

___ Discrimination  ___ Negative Media  

___ Professional Development  ___ Health Care  

__X_ Teen Resources  ___ Sense of  Community  

___ Immigration  ___ Support f or Charity  

___ Lack of  Public Services  ___ Other:__________________  

6. The one thing that would make f amily life better in our community is:  

More activities for families - picnic areas, etc. 

7. I am concerned about what is going to happen in the future with:

  The land around the college

8. A new affordable service that would really help us is:  

Neighborhood Recycling 

9. A service that really needs to be improved is:  

Public transportation services

10. Comments on any of the above:  

Developed by David Mills, Compassion by Design, dmills@compassionbydesign.org

Courtney Lien 

Courtney is on staff as the senior high pastor at Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Reading, Pa. She attended school at VFCC and graduated in 2006. When she was hired full time, she was hired as the youth secretary. She could have been angry about it, but instead was glad for the chance to have her foot in the door. She did worry, however, that taking the position of secretary would somehow lock her in to that position. She originally wanted to have the "program director" position, but there was no opening for that position. The lead youth pastor allowed her to take on more pastoral roles and then she finally spoke to the senior pastor about her passion for ministry. After some months of waiting, the leadership informed her that they had decided to make her a youth pastor. 

Currently, she is involved in changing the typical Wednesday night services into making that service happen on Sunday morning. This in turn frees up Wednesday night for more discipleship opportunities. Wednesday night service typically has worship, a message, and small groups. The small groups are groups of about 15-20 students that stay together from sixth grade until twelfth grade. The students have one small group leader from sixth to eighth grade, and then a new leader from 9th - 12th grades. 

It was great hearing Courtney speak to us. It was exciting to see a passionate young woman who is in ministry. I think she is a good example for other women who are looking forward to being in the ministry. 

Pastor Todd Bube

Pastor Todd actually grew up at Glad Tidings, where he currently serves as children's pastor. For a period of about four years, he worked in the building and grounds, children's ministry, and youth pastored. When the time came for him to switch from youth to children's ministry, others assumed he did something wrong! Interestingly, a huge percentage of churches grow because of a great kid's program. There are even adults who come into the services without particularly enjoying the services, but will continue to come for their children. 

Children's ministry and youth ministry obviously are very different. Every weekend, he needs around 100 people to make sure everything goes according to plan. One big thing he is trying to do within the kid's ministry is to bring parents alongside their kids to grow spiritually. Pastor Todd wants to partner with the parents to help the children to grow spiritually. 

Every week, the children get a "God-time" card. With every God time card, the kids have to come spend time with their parents and go over a verse in the Bible. This ensures that children are learning from God's word at home, and at the same time spend time with their parents. 

One of the big things we talked about was VBS. VBS is huge at Glad Tidings, so a lot of work goes into it. There were creative themes, such as PS3, Video games, DDR, etc. I really enjoyed this part of the class because we got to discuss how a large church like Glad Tidings does VBS. It was really neat to hear how they do it and then try to learn from that and incorporate that into our own churches. Also, it reminded me that my church VBS is coming up in THREE months and I'm SOOO excited=D=D=D

Bob Kapp 

After Bible college, Pr. Bob went back to his home church and worked for 3.5 years as the youth leader. Though he had opportunities to be involved in other ministries, but he felt a calling to work in central PA. When he first started working with that youth group, there was a group of about 10 students. 3.5 years later, when he left, the youth group was running around 170 students! 

When asked, "how do you know what the will of God is?" Pastor Bob responded that he seeks the peace of God. He also said, pay attention to those red flags that come up! That is the Holy Spirit directing us to go in another direction. 

When it was time for him to leave that youth group, and he was thinking about direction about where to go. He knew that his time at that youth group was over, and felt such a peace about going from Lebanon to Christian Life Assembly. At the time he went over to the new church, that church was dealing with a split and the youth group had shrunk down a LOT. 

He was at Christian Life for about five years as a youth pastor. After that, he was asked to be an executive pastor. As the executive pastor, he is the right-hand man for the senior pastor. The senior pastor and the executive pastor must work together very well! The two must be knit together in heart, and do ministry as a team. 

They were at Christian Life for quite a while, then went out to California to work with a church out there. After being there in California for a while, he realized God wanted them back in PA. 

One of his main callings is to be a spiritual coach. In the last 20 years, he has mentored many many people. He described it like this: 

I look at where people are, then think about 

where they COULD be, then figure out how to

 get them there.  

There are so many facets that go into mentorship. It was really cool hearing from him about HOW to mentor someone - it is clear that his method is all about exponential growth. I think this would be a really cool thing to do for any future leader to prepare for positions of leadership or to mentor someone. 

New Believer #2

Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ?

I was a person that had everything together – good education, good job, financially secure, everything. As I got older though, I realized that my life seemed pointless. I talked to various friends and family about it, and got all sorts of answers, ranging from “You need a hobby” to meditation. A co-worker always talked to me about God and how He could change my life. we talked and talked, and the more I talked to him, the more it made sense. After several months of discussing different options, back and forth, I dedicated my life to Him. Life has not been easy since then, by far. I have many questions and doubts, but God always comes through for me. I believe He is taking my skeptical heart and changing it into something else!

What helped you the most to step over the line and make    the commitment?

I was always searching for answers – I had a few Christian friends over the years, but no one very close. I had this idea that Christians were boring and sucked the fun out of everything. As I got older, I realized I was running out of options. Giving Jesus a try seemed like a good idea – and now I can’t imagine life without Him.

What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you?

Honestly, the best part is knowing that there IS a God who cares and loves ME personally. He speaks to me and wants the best for me. He offers me everything I could ever want and more. What more could I ask for?!

What has been the most challenging part of following God?

In the very beginning, there were things I did not understand that most Christians do understand. “Christianese” and church culture were foreign to me, so I fumbled quite a bit before I learned what these things meant. Phrases like, ‘did you do your devotions?’ confused me quite a bit, because I had no idea what that person was talking about! It is fine now, but at first, it was as if I was learning a foreign language or something.

What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?

For me, reading my Bible helps me grow so much. I have a study Bible and it was so amazing to think about how deep the Bible went – I realized the truth in it, and it made me realize that if I could live my life based on this, I would be satisfied. I also learned about the life and character of Jesus, the man I was now modeling my life after. This was a guideline for me as to how to live my life. 

What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to  grow in their faith?

The biggest thing would be to not be so critical. Wanting to change your life is a challenging enough task without someone criticizing you and saying what you should and should not be doing. At the same time, don’t leave a new Christian alone in their walk with God! There should be balance between helping them grow in their relationship with God, but also not knocking them down every time they make a mistake.

My friend that I asked these questions to is a very different type of person. He is very smart and analytical, so his search for God was a decision he made through logic and thinking. He did say that it was so difficult for him to simply believe that God was there. After he decided to take the plunge, God became so much more real to him than before. It was amazing for him to see and realize that God does care for him. He says that even now, almost a year after he has been saved, he still is sometimes overwhelmed with the knowledge that there is a God who cares and is in charge.

It was really cool talking to someone who had to figure out his own salvation, and really search for it. I grew up in a Christian home so I cannot relate to this, but it must be amazing to find God on your own. His story reminds me of the lost coin – when she found it, she was so thrilled! In the same way, he found the answer he was looking for and is overwhelmed now! It is amazing how God works=)

For me, I grew up in a Christian home, so all this “church stuff” is totally normal to me. I do not bat an eye when I hear that someone is “laying down their life to Him” or “slain in the Spirit” or that someone was “washed in the Blood.” All these statements are fine, but it is all “Christianese.” If I was a non-believer and I heard people talking like this, I’d be like…uhm, you’re all crazy. I think this is something that we could keep in mind for the non-believers or new believers among us and watch what we say and make sure we’re not just blabbing! 

Bill Ellis

Way back in 1988, Bill Ellis started with a church plant. The church started running 20-25 people a week. The way they got the church to grow was to knock on people’s doors and invited them to church. According to him, that did not work really well, and he does not recommend that method. The first year that they were there, they averaged 30 people a week. The second year, they averaged 31 people per week, and that was discouraging to him. The church started growing a bit more when they moved from a Masonic lodge to an actual church building that they shared with another congregation.  During his talk, Pr. Bill asked some interesting questions that made me think quite a bit. Some of those questions are: 

-        - To take a Christian from another church is not the worst thing out there – but it is not really growing the kingdom, is it?

-       Can a person be a Christ follower and not be a Christian?

-       Is building the kingdom really all about attracting people to our churches?

Pastor Bill continued to talk about views that people have of the church. He discussed the functionalist view and the incarnational view. The functional view of church says that the church is God’s place in the world where you go to do God things. The incarnational views says that the church is not only a place that performs functions, but it is a place where God dwells. It is a people in whom God lives. He then linked these two views by saying that “our challenge is to help people who merely “go to church” to see themselves “as the church” and help them find the part they are to play putting God on display to the world”

This statement is so powerful because if people had the idea to take God with them wherever they go, instead of just expecting people to come to church. If we bring God to people instead of the other way around, I think that many more people would come to know Him as a friend, rather than a intimidating divine being.

Compassion By Design Survey  

Valley Forge Christian College celebrates the leadership and services that make our community  

great and also identifies the areas where we need to work together to continue to build a strong  

and vibrant place to live, work and play. This survey is being conducted in the Phoenixville area,  

and is a Valley Forge Christian College class project.  

1. Please enter your zip code: 

19460 

2. Nominate one organization in each of  the f ollowing categories:  

(Nominate those that represent the BEST of our community during the last year)  

Education Provider  

(School, college, day care, after school, educational service or business): 

Renaissance Charter School 

 

Health Care Provider  

(Hospital, clinic, doctor’s office, medical service or business): 

Paoli Hospital 

 

Recreation  

(Park, fields, facility, organization, league):  

Valley Forge National Park 

Business That Gives Back  

(Contributes to the community with funds or other support): 

Petrucci's Water Ice 

Restaurant or Coffee Shop:  

Artisan's Cafe 

Nonprofit & Charitable  

(Local foundations, nonprof its, charities and benefit drives):  

5K Run for Dana Marie

Public Service  

(Any local service operated by government—library, police, fire department):  

Police Department 

Culture,  Arts and Historic Enrichment  

(Museums, etc):

Steel City Cafe 

3. The greatest thing about our community is:  

It is clean, and in most cases family friendly. It does not have a country feel, but it is not quite city either, so there is good balance. 

4. If  there is one area in which our community needs to improve it is:  

There are too many bars in this area. 

5. In our community, I think the following areas pose the greatest challenge:  

(Pick up to 5 of the following):  

___ Financial Pressure  ___ Marriage & Relationships  

___ Substance Abuse  ___ Job Security  

___ Affordable Housing  ___ Time Pressure  

___ Crime/Violence  ___ Single Parent Resources  

___ Sense of  Permanence  ___ Childcare  

  X   Stress  ___ Loneliness  

___ Education    X   Public Transportation  

___ Cultural Tolerance  ___ Gangs  

  X  Jobs  ___ Resources for low­income families  

___ Traffic    X   Cost of Living  

  X   Discrimination  ___ Negative Media  

___ Professional Development  ___ Health Care  

___ Teen Resources  ___ Sense of  Community  

___ Immigration  ___ Support for Charity  

___ Lack of  Public Services  ___ Other:__________________  

6. The one thing that would make family life better in our community is:  

To have more activities for families. Better play areas, picnic areas, etc. 

7. I am concerned about what is going to happen in the future with: 

Racism in the area. It is becoming increasingly diverse, and not everyone is accepting of that. 

8. A new affordable service that would really help us is:  

n/a 

9. A service that really needs to be improved is:  

Public Transportation - it is available, but very limited. 

10. Comments on any of the above:  

Developed by David Mills, Compassion by Design, dmills@compassionbydesign.org

New Believer #1 

Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ? 

            I had a hard time growing up. I always felt alone, my family was all messed up, and I just really wished things would be better. I never really let people see how depressed I really was though – I used to pretend to be this really perfect person, but on the inside, I felt so empty and angry and desperate for happiness. I started thinking about suicide and how much better the world would be without me. I spent six months like this. I met a girl who invited me to this concert at a church. i decided to go and that was my first introduction to what God could give me.

ß  What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment? 

            When I went to the concert, it was a little weird – but the people there seemed really kind. The main thing I remember feeling was peace… and I wanted that peace because I didn’t have any peace at all in my life.

ß  What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you? 

            Being accepted into this family – my church members have surrounded me, loved me, and encourage me. I feel as though I am a part of this huge family that I never knew I had.

ß  What has been the most challenging part of  following Christ? 

            Giving up my old way of thinking, feeling, talking, relating to people. Every day, I catch myself going down that road, and I have to stop myself and ask God for help. He has been so present – like in Psalm 46 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. How true that is in my life!

ß  What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith? 

            Knowing that people care. I feel like a baby in “the faith” but people at my church and in my friends from church constantly let me know they care about me and think about me. It has also helped talking to God on my own and for myself…learning to pray and learning when God is speaking to me. I really do feel like a baby learning to crawl or walk.

ß  What advice do you have f or me in helping others like you to grow in their f aith? 

            Give God a chance, just one chance to prove Himself to you! Also, find good friends – ones that care about you growing. Find a supportive church that will teach you the Bible and what you need to know to be strong in God.  

I loved reading her answers! This person is a friend of a friend, so it was really cool to see what she went through and where she is now. For her, one of the biggest things that affect her new relationship with God are the relationships that she has formed with her Christian friends, her church members, and her pastor. She is involved in a new believers class and a small group. The church that she attends really shows love to her.

I think that the relationship side of things was huge to her because all her life, she never had that love that she wanted. Now, for her, learning about Christ and the unconditional love He has for her is so alluring! This makes me so happy – it is as if someone who was starved now has a feast before him or her.

I am amazed at the way God takes someone who had no hope and restores life back into her. She now wants to work with teenagers that don’t know Jesus and tell her story back to the younger generation, especially girls. She has been a Christian now for about 20 months, and she continues to learn and grow and keep going after Him! 

Unchurched Friend #2

- Are you actively attending any church?

Once in a while

- What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?

The environment and the state of the economy 

- Why do you think most people don't attend church?

It's not really that fun...I have more fun hanging out with my friends. I pray when I need to but I don't need to go to church regularly because I'm not really THAT bad anyways. 

- If you were looking for a church to attend, what kinds of things would you look for?

Something that is not weird where I have to do weird things to join. Somewhere I can actually relate to, instead of just all these rituals and stuff.  

- What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?

Try to be more relatable to people. I have this idea of church where it is all crazy people who hate everyone else. I know that's not always true but that is what I think of when I think about church stuff. Try to be "normal" and not so out there. 

I asked these questions to a friend from high school. Her answers were a little surprising, because I don't think I'm that "out there" for her to say that. Then again, maybe the "idea" she has of church is different. If I were a non-Christian, I would probably feel the same way - we see Christians on street shouting that God hates homosexuals and things like that. This particular girl is a nice girl - like she said, she's not "THAT BAD." I think it's a shame that those that are not "that bad" don't see the need for Jesus Christ in their lives. From her answers, I feel like her experience w. Christians has been kind of rough. There are "crazy" people out there, and I feel like that has been her exposure to Christians. I hope that we can build up our friendship so she'll know that not every Christian is so out there, that we actually CAN and DO relate to people. 

Sam Masteller

-Sam Masteller was first hired as youth pastor. At the time, he labeled himself "hyper-charismatic." For him, this meant that the church he was involved in was all about the emotional side of things - there was all these people falling out and waving flags, etc. The people wanted this, because this was all around the same time as the Brownsville Revival, so people were all about the "revival" stuff. Soon enough, Sam realized that this particular church was not a place that the lost can come and experience God! Something very striking that he said was that he loves the power of the Spirit and he loves experiencing God, but if people are not coming to Christ, then what's the point?! I totally agree w/ this. If people are not coming to Christ, then what is happening in churches? I believe that church people want the emotional side of everything – they want the shivers and goose bumps, but when it comes to actually reaching the lost and discipling people, but like he said, people become fixated on the form of the power of the Spirit, but not actually the power of the Spirit!

Towards the end of class, we watched a video recorded by an atheist. Something he said caught my attention and held it – he said something along the lines of, "how much do you have to hate someone so that you don't tell him or her that everlasting life is possible?"

This quote is hugely profound and I am still thinking about it. I wonder what effect Christians would have on this world if we took this mindset on – we KNOW that people can have a chance at life w. Jesus but we don’t tell them. I am constantly guilty of this myself, so I was convicted when I heard an atheist say this! 

Pastor Dan Miller 

On Tuesday evening, Pastor Dan Miller from Back Mountain Harvest in Trucksville, Pa came into our class to speak with us. He is not your typical pastor - instead of pastoring a church, he pastors a COMMUNITY. In their community, because of the ministry of the church and Pr. Dan, there are more people being ministered to outside of the church than in the church. Pr. Dan said some really interesting things that spoke volumes about his passion for the Lord. 

Their ministry tries to "engage the culture." He makes sure that he is engaging the culture everywhere that he goes. 

Something very unique in his ministry is that he does not try to grow the church - he does not aim to get the church more members, he cares about bringing people to Christ. As he said, "Jesus never asked me to build a church, he asked me to expand the kingdom." I think this reflects his heart - he is not concerned about getting people inside a church, he wants them to know their Savior. On the same note, he said, "Church is not about us, it's about those who are not 'us' yet."

Through the church, they have plans to establish a school, as well as purchasing a gym to use as a community center. Pr. Dan and his team have already opened a NIGHT CLUB! It's technically not Christian, but there are different genres of music, which is mostly Christian. No alcohol is served so it is safe for parents to bring their children. They also have a center called the Hope Center. At the Hope Center, there is free medical and legal advice offered to everyone who wants it or needs it. They also offer pastoral counseling. 

There have been huge amounts donated to the church. When asked about how and where this money came from, Pr. Dan responded, God provided. When asked in detail, Pr. Dan encouraged us to be sure that we are called to what we are doing. He explained to us the difference between God's love and God's favor. We all have God's love, but His favor is a different story. When we have God's favor, He opens door for us. 

Jerry Stoltzfus 

Jerry has the amazing opportunity to plant churches for people who gave up on church. His ministry came up in an interesting way. He grew up Amish and went to the church. He would invite his friends to come to church with him. One day, someone asked him, Why do you keep inviting your friends here? He responded, so they could experience the love of Christ. The man told him to take his friends where they were loved! Because of this, he took his friends to the Pentecostal church across town. 

When Jerry left the church, 15 young people people came with him. When they came to the church, he didn't particularly love the church, but he loved the idea of being loved!! The music was loud, people spoke in tongues, the service was long...but the people there loved him! They talked to him in ways that no one else ever had.

There was a hefty price he had to pay for his salvation - his family and the Amish community had unofficially kicked him out.  His family never came outright and told him he was not welcome, but he was excluded from invitations to family events, etc. When he was 16, he got his call into ministry. He came to VFCC as a commuter while working at the church. He and his wife Julie have been married since the time he started college here. Before that, his introduction to ministry included helping the pastor at the church by mowing lawns, etc. 

Jerry had a long winding road ahead of him after Bible college. By the time he was 29, he was prepared to lead a church, but that was taken from him quickly - instead of being offered the position of senior pastor, he was actually fired from the church. About 5 years after this, he began seriously exploring the idea of planting a church. His first church plant was in the Gettysburg Area, where God spoke to him about where they would live and that they should plant the church in this area. 

A really important concept that we discussed was the way churches have become - churches put up walls to keep people out. Churches have these rules and regulations to keep people out, instead of being "user friendly." I totally agree with what he said. I think it is true that churches have come so far from the way Christ was when he came. It is cool to know that there are people out there who have a desire and passion to show people the love of Christ, regardless of who, where, and what they are! 

Jimmy Rivera

A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to listen to three different speakers. The one I am focusing on for this blog is Pastor Jimmy Rivera. My first experience with Pastor Jim Rivera was in December, at the Christmas Tree Giveaway. At this outreach, the men from their church (City Limits) went up to New York to chop down trees and brought them back to their inner-city neighborhood. VFCC teamed up with their church and brought our black truck and provided some food as well. When we got there, there was so many people milling around - kids, adults, young people. Upon watching this, one of my first thoughts (that I remember very clearly now, four months later) was "This is such a missions field."

That night, there was music, dancing, rapping, puppet shows, etc. The kids really enjoyed being silly and dancing around to the music and so did I! That night was the first time I met Pr. Jim. He immediately struck me as a man on a mission! He was very focused on completing the task at hand, etc. When he came to speak to the class, I got the same feeling. He was very passionate in describing the church, his mission, and his neighborhood. Their church is very active in the community - they do outreaches, provide food, after school programs, community service, etc. Though they are located in a more dangerous area, they continue to be a strong presence in the Allentown area. 

From attending an outreach at his church and listening to him speak in class, he has a passion to reach people that seem so far away from God. It is awesome to see someone who does not pay attention to all the things that are going against him or the ministry, but press on to make a difference and accomplish all that God has called him to do. 

Unchurched friend #1

- Are you actively attending any church?

No

- What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?

The environment and human trafficking interest me. Seeing unfortunate people impacts me because it makes me grateful for what I have, and ignorant people impact me because they make me want to learn more. 

- Why do you think most people don't attend church?

I think people don't go because they were not exposed to it when they were younger. Now that they are older, they are afraid of what they will find. Mainly I think it is the fear of the unknown. 

- If you were looking for a church to attend, what kinds of things would you look for?

If I were looking for a church, I'd look for one that looks welcoming and makes me feel at ease. 

- What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?

They should not pressure people to believe what they believe in. Instead, they can suggest things that should allow the person to decide what to believe. Basically don't put pressure on people or be aggressive because that can scare a person off. Also being trustworthy and acting like a friend helps make a person feel comfortable to share personal tidbits so that the pastor can help. 

I am surprised by what my friend told me. It seems like what she is looking for in a church is exactly what our churches are trying to achieve. Most churches are trying to be user-friendly and welcoming to all people. Some succeed and others do not in being user-friendly. What my friend is looking for in a church is very reasonable I think. For someone who does not have experience in a church, it makes sense to want a church that will welcome them and help them to grow. 

Pastor Jason Lamer

"It wasn't enough for me to say 'come and see,' I had to 'go and tell'" 

Pastor Jason Lamer, director of Youth Alive, was our class speaker on February 10. He was brought up in the church and from a young age, he knew he was called to ministry. After Bible college, he became a youth pastor at Faith Assembly of God in Uniontown. He and his wife Jodi were there for seven years. During this time, he led the youth of this church, got into the high schools in the area, and worked to build a relationship between the church and the community. At the end of seven years, a door opened for Pastor Jason & Jodi to become the Youth Alive missionaries. 

As a Youth Alive missionary, Pastor Jason travels to different churches and schools, speaking to youth about the Lord. The Seven Project goes into schools and does assemblies. During the day time, the Seven Project comes in and talks about hope and purpose, without directly mentioning the name of Jesus. They also have videos, show skateboarders, etc. The morning assembly is very interactive and active. The topics discussed during the assembly deal with issues that most high school students can relate to. The same day at night, there is a Gospel presentation. Students are given the option to respond to the call of salvation, as well as meet with other pastors and youth leaders in the area. 

Some things I really enjoyed hearing about was that there were different denominations involved, not just AG. At times, the team that puts together the Seven Project is comprised of all different denominations and the pastors and churches work together to watch God work. Pastor Jason described it like this: "Churches come together in unity, anointed by God."

Hearing about ministry in America is really cool for me. At a Christian school or even at church, we always hear so much about overseas missions. I am realizing more and more that there is such a need for evangelism and reaching out IN AMERICA. It was great to hear about such a great ministry happening right here in America. Youth Alive sounds like an awesome ministry I would love to be involved in. 

Plus, Pastor Jason & Jodi are really cool people=)

David Kennard

David Kennard is a pastor from Riverside Community Church. One of the main ways he serves in the church is running the small groups. Since it is a fairly large church, small groups are important because it keeps people accountable, and also creates fellowship among believers. I did not realize the different kinds of small groups there are and the importance of each kind. 

The traditional small groups meet and have a discussion about what the pastor preached upon. The free market small groups gather and allow people from the community and congregation to choose the group that best describes their interests. 

In this particular church, there are 20 adult groups, 3 ministry groups, a students group, and four children's groups. There are a total of 545 people involved in these groups, and out of the entire congregation, 80% are involved in small groups. 

One of the things he said that caught my attention was that they "do life together." This is a cool concept because it captures the idea of not simply going to church together, but really living together - dealing with all of life's ups and downs with people who really care about you. In a large church, it is easy to feel that you are just one in a crowd, but small groups really help to foster the environment that people truly care about you.  

Tim Halbfoerster

On Tuesday evening, our class welcomed Tim Halbfoerster. Growing up, Tim dabbled in drugs and alcohol. He spent much of his young life high on drugs. a friend invited him to church and he took her up on the invitation. The first time he went to church, he was high. Despite what was going on in his life, he continued to attend church. One night, he knew he had to give his life to God. When he came to church that night, the minister came to him and said, "Are you done playing games with God?" That night, he gave his heart to the Lord. 

Since then, he has pastored different churches and has gained much experience in dealing with people and church issues. One of the churches he pastored was a church that was just coming out of a split. Though this was a hard time for him, he learned much. The church he is pastoring now, River of God, is a thriving church. They are a huge part of what happens in their community. The church does many outreaches and events to reach the people in their area. 

Some things I noted:

- Relationships are huge. From Tim's experience, he explained that we must work to build bridges between people of different generations. In some of his churches, he had to deal with "old people" who's views and approaches were different from his own. Something very interesting that he said was if we can win the older folks over, they will be our greatest supporters. This makes complete sense! If they feel that they matter, then they will get active. I think it is very important to involve all the different parts of the body in what is taking place in the church. He went on to say that we must give people time to get to know us and trust us. Once people can trust us, they can then trust our ideas. 

- I really appreciated the way their church does outreaches. Instead of a one day event, they will make it into a weekend long thing. This gives the church the chance to make the community aware of the presence of the church. On Friday, the church does a concert. On Saturday, they'll have an outreach with all kinds of attractions and events. Lastly, Sunday is "bring a friend to church" day, and the church serves lunch to all those in attendance. I really appreciate this method because three days is a good amount of time to establish a relationship. As we know, a relationship with someone is a great way for them to see Christ through us. 

- Another big focus of discussion was the power of the Holy Spirit. I firmly believe that the Spirit changes the face of any ministry. Once we give Him the freedom to move, awesome things start happening! I have witnessed it previously and I love watching God work. Though I am certain about the power of the Holy Spirit, I am not certain about speaking in tongues. All my life, I have been aware of it and I speak in tongues regularly. My uncertainty about the matter comes when we say that speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of being baptized in the Spirit. I know this is an issue of debate among many people, and I too am uncertain about it. I know many people who love God and serve Him, but do not speak in tongues. I do not think it is fair to say that no, this person is NOT baptized in the Spirit. When I speak it tongues, it encourages ME because I am praying straight to God from my Spirit. Me praying in tongues is not really ministering to anyone else. Therefore, I think we need to be careful in how we talk about Him. From Tuesday's discussion, I felt as though we have made "speaking in tongues" synonymous with being "baptized in the Spirit." I do not agree with this because the power of the Spirit is soooo much more than me speaking to God through my Spirit. 

All in all, it was a good discussion that took place and much learning was achieved. I think it is important for all of us to work out our own salvation, as the Bible says. We should learn and seek knowledge about what the Bible says and means about these issues in our lives. 

Brian Bolt

"...I wasn't used to doing things right..." - Brian Bolt

Brian Bolt is a pastor from the Pittsburgh City Outreach. This is a ministry that stems from Alison Park, an A/G church. His ministry is thriving, souls are being saved, and God is doing a great work in the inner city of Pittsburgh.

It all sounds good, but Brian's life was not always this great. From a young age, he experimented with drugs and alcohol. By the time he was twenty, he was addicted to heroin. His addiction brought him to a point of desperation - he was out of money, out of work, and out of a home. These circumstances led him into a life of drug trafficking. Soon enough, he was living a hopeless existence. He was living only to get his next fix.

One night, at the age of 23, he got into a scuffle at a bar. One man put a gun to Brian's head and shot him in the head. At that moment, Brian was actually happy to die. That night, the EMT told him he would not make it to the hospital, and encouraged Brian to pray a short prayer. 71 days later, Brian was ready to leave the hospital.

His life did not change immediately after that. Through a series of events, he ended up at a discipleship home. From there, he went to Master's Commission, and from there, he became involved in Alison Park Church.

Today, he pastors a church and works to plant churches in the area. The churches are meeting the needs in the area, as well as encouraging people to be the best they can be. His testimony is incredible! I think he is a great asset to the inner city because he can relate with so many of the needs present there.

Personally, I appreciate this ministry because of the great need of inner cities. There is so much need in the inner cities. It is somewhat easier to go to a foreign country on a missions trip than it is to bring the gospel to the inner cities. At least in a foreign country, you can leave after two weeks. I think inner city ministry is especially difficult, because it forces us Americans to realize that there are so many unreached people right here in our own backyard.

The harvest really is plentiful, right here in America.