C O N V E R G E M A G A Z I N E // W I N T E R 2 017
START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT
Church Planting churchplanting@converge.org Church Strengthening strengthening@converge.org International Ministries missions@converge.org converge.org ConvergeWorldwide @convergeww converge_ww
VOLUME 9 // NUMBER 1 EDITOR Bob Putman DESIGNER/PRODUCTION MANAGER Pam Nelsen CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Fran Anderson, Allison Hurtado To add or remove your name from our mailing list, call 800.323.4215, M-F, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. est point@converge.org Point (ISSN/1546-3257) is published quarterly (with a special edition in December) by the Baptist General Conference, 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005. Printed in the U.S.A. Nonprofit Standard postage paid at Arlington Heights, Ill., and at additional mailing offices. © 2017 Baptist General Conference. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Point, 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd., Arlington Heights, IL 60005-4193. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. REPRINT PERMISSION Permission is granted to photocopy articles in small quantities for personal, church or school use. Please protect our copyright by writing or typing before copying: “Reproduced from Point by permission.” This permission does not extend to articles reprinted from other publications, reports for another publication or large quantity reproductions. For such purposes, written permission must be obtained from Point or from the original source.
2 POINT // WINTER 2017
Building God’s house I see a common pattern in the successful advance of ministry in the early church: one team, one dream, one moment in time. Although “one team” may refer to an individual with the help of the Holy Spirit, in most cases it involved a small group working together. John 17 tells us that Jesus prayed we would be one. Earlier, he declared that the world would know we are Christ-followers because of our love for one another. We are truly better together. The early church team had “one dream,” working toward the same goal and for the same cause. Paul tells the church in Philippi he desires them not only to be “united in spirit” but also “intent on one purpose” (Phil. 2:2, nasb). Jesus said his prayer for them (and us) to “be one” was “so that the world will know that you [the Father] have sent me” (John 17:21). Unity was never simply for unity’s sake — it was always for his followers to be on mission. Converge has a clear and compelling mission: to help people meet, know and follow Jesus by starting and strengthening churches together worldwide. Every team in the Bible had a “moment in time,” a point when they encountered difficulty, faced a barrier or hit a wall. In that moment they had to trust God and rely on his leading and intervention to accomplish the goal. When their faith was tested, they realized God could be trusted. Converge is entering a new season when the “one team, one dream, one moment in time” pattern is very apparent. Church partnerships in mission and church planting are on the rise. Communication and collaboration between our churches, districts and national leadership are stronger than ever. I pray the articles in this issue will inspire us as we join together with God to “build the house,” Christ’s worldwide family of disciples. Better together,
Scott Ridout President, Converge
ERIC JOHNSON
Converge is a movement of almost 1300 churches working to help people meet, know and follow Jesus. We do this by starting and strengthening churches together worldwide.
One team, one dream By Bob Putman
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A first-time parents’ nightmare By Allison Hurtado
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Sharing the win By Nate Hettinga
Extras 10 // Measure what matters 14 // Global champions! 18 // Growing the kingdom one heart at a time 21 // Make a shrewd investment 22 // Happenings n n n
New churches since last issue International Leaders announced New Beginnings opens clc
Cover Ephesians 2 describes believers in terms of a building whose foundation is Jesus Christ. Through its districts, national ministries and missions, Converge is working to expand and to strengthen its growing family of Christ-followers. DESIGN: RYAN EMENECKER START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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team dream ONE
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BY BOB PUTMAN
Throughout its 11 districts, Converge is unified by one mission and vision: starting and strengthening churches together worldwide. Achieving this takes on multiple forms in the varied settings and demographics across our nation. We asked our district executive ministers to describe one or two things happening in their region that excite them and exemplifies the value of district collaboration.
In Heartland, 60 percent of our churches are in decline or are stagnated. So through 61 CHURCHES our latest church health efforts, we’ve enEXECUTIVE MINISTER: couraged churches to critically review their Jim Capaldo local and global outreach strategies and OFFICE: Sioux Falls, South Dakota their resource allocations. I’m excited about the coaching culture developing among our convergeheartland.org churches that will provide instruction, accountability and reciprocal giving and receiving among pastors. Many churches are reorienting their evangelistic focus and local partnerships. Their goal is to equip and mobilize people for relational outreach to young families, whether traditional, blended, broken, single-parent or ethnically diverse. And Heartland is revamping its lead team1 structure to holistically and measurably address such church health areas as evangelism, preaching, membership and discipleship. We are establishing church planting residency2 programs through three networks: Northern Plains, Central Plains and Southern Plains. Our lead teams are pursuing effective multiplication, both by affiliating existing churches and starting new ones on their radar. As a result, in 2016 we saw five churches added to our mission: one church plant, one church adding a campus and three churches affiliating with Heartland district. We have two church planters gearing up for residency, one each in North and South Dakota. These residencies are to be church-based and informed by Converge Assessment and will include ordination, plant-site research, launch team preparation and support team development.
HEARTLAND
Heartland 4 POINT // WINTER 2017
A lead team is a group of pastors and church planters regularly meeting to learn, equip one another, achieve missional goals and dream.
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2 A residency program of an established church planting church provides training for church planters on staff preparing to launch a daughter church.
North Central I’m excited about North Central’s new coaching cohorts. We take pastors of es252 CHURCHES tablished churches and connect them with EXECUTIVE MINISTER: each other once a month via Zoom calls. Dan Carlson Bruce Hopler, national director of Converge OFFICE: Arden Hills, Minnesota Church Strengthening, and I coach them and ask that they commit to training one to convergenorthcentral.org three other Converge pastors or staff. Thirtytwo of our pastors are involved in this teleconference training and participate in fall and spring retreats. In a day and age when camps are closing or renting their facilities to businesses, we’re building a new camp for primary-age kids. Wild Woods is located at Trout Lake Camps in Pine River, Minnesota. In two years we’ve built four tree-house cabins and a phenomenal stone castle and are in the middle of construction on the Spork, a kids’ dining center. It’s fun to see how our creative team, led by Jon Wicklund and James Rock, are transforming the camp. When you walk through Wild Woods, you want to be a kid again. The camp provides jobs and, more important, leadership training. Students from our churches return to serve as camp staff. We anticipate opening Wild Woods in summer 2018.
NORTH CENTRAL
MidAtlantic has really gotten behind 100 CHURCHES supporting lead EXECUTIVE MINISTER: teams. That’s what Dan Peterson I’m proud of right OFFICE: Poland, Ohio now. We have seven convergemidatlantic.com teams across the district. A group of 15 to 20 pastors, most black, attend our D.C. lead team meetings. We’re seeing one church after another join Converge or move in that direction because of their connection with this team. The churches sense this is what they need and want. The meetings are places guys invited by our pastors come and kick the tires on Converge. We have two affiliation councils3 on the docket for January. The affiliating pastors are finding Converge to be something they’ve never experienced before: our healthy environment with genuine interest in one another’s personal lives, emphasis on church planting and theological balance. Our D.C. lead team is really embracing them. About two years ago we launched the Delaware Valley Team in Philadelphia and New Jersey. Grace Church of Philly, an urban ministry, affiliated with us about a year ago. The pastor of an unaffiliated church on the Jersey Shore has plugged into the Delaware team, and his church is planting a church
MIDATLANTIC
Affiliation councils assess the fit of churches seeking to join Converge.
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START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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Just six years ago Rocky Mountain district churches celebrated breaking the 10,000 63 CHURCHES mark in total Easter worship attendance. EXECUTIVE MINISTER: This year 23,000 gathered to worship our Paul Mitton risen Savior. Hundreds have found Christ OFFICE: Littleton, Colorado and hundreds have been baptized. In 2015 Rocky Mountain launched an convergerockymountain.org initiative to add 100 congregations in 10 years. Already ahead of their growth goals, in 2016 the district’s seven regional lead teams worked together to add several churches, including two healthy Filipino churches in Denver and Catalyst Church in Canon City, Colorado. Seven-month-old Catalyst averages 200 in weekly attendance. We also launched another church plant in urban Denver, and two established churches have joined us, with two more close to affiliation. Beyond that, we are looking to start a Hispanic and a Filipino church in Salt Lake City, another Hispanic church in Littleton, Colorado, and a second new church in Wyoming. We are in the early stages with church planters in New Mexico and Colorado Springs. The 100 in 10 Initiative is also requiring that we learn to pray as churches and as a district. Quarterly regional prayer gatherings are planned this year. To better equip pastors and leaders, we are increasing coaching opportunities. No leader should feel he or she is ministering alone. Our Rocky Mountain movement is strengthened as we collaborate and learn from each other. In response to a pastors’ survey on where they need help, we offered two all-day Leadership Deep Dives on leadership and systems development and a Christian response to homosexuality. Converge Rocky Mountain also offered equip 2016, a volunteer training day in Salt Lake City for all evangelical churches in Utah. To bolster our church planter training we are developing residency programs in district churches and, in partnership with Bethel Seminary, offering an online church planting certificate. We are a small district, but God is doing great things.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN
MidAtlantic that will affiliate with Converge. Those who visit the team see its momentum and church planting energy. Our Central Ohio lead team has a bunch of pastors in the pipeline for potential affiliation. Every meeting somebody brings a friend. Our Western New York/Northwest Pennsylvania lead team has attracted several churches in the Buffalo area formerly affiliated with the American Baptists. One of these, Christ Community Church of Lockport, New York, joined us three years ago. Pastor David McBeath is a magnet for attracting others. Our Northeast Ohio lead team includes 8 to 10 guys from Cleveland and Youngstown, Ohio, and New Castle and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most of their churches committed $100 per month to support Vietnamese Grace Church in Cleveland, which held its grand opening November 12, 2016. And we just called a pastor to restart Bethel Church in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. Our lead team pastors are getting behind this project. Finally, pastor Michael Henderson and his elder, James Worthy, are connecting with several pastors in the Charlotte, North Carolina area. Pastor Dan Nold (State College, Pennsylvania) leads a Centre Region team that includes Converge and other evangelical churches.
Rocky Mountain
6 POINT // WINTER 2017
PacWest One thing that excites me in PacWest 79 CHURCHES is the life and vitality EXECUTIVE MINISTER: of Genesis Church in David Yetter Antioch, California. OFFICE: Tracy, California They dynamically love and lift their comconvergepacwest.com munity, which is riddled with broken families, poverty, crime and despair. They do this through standard food and clothing distribution. But they also are developing focused pathways that are hand-up instead of handout, helping people break cycles of poverty and oppression. These include housing assistance and job preparedness training that make a real difference. Genesis pastor Damon Owens and his wife Shantell own two Dickey’s Barbecue Pit restaurants. They hire people who might otherwise be unemployable and give them life and job training. The church also puts needy people in touch with resources. Some members have walked these paths, so Genesis knows who to call to get help. Others personally advocate for people needing secure housing or competing for a job. A character reference from a respected business person opens closed doors. The church is helping people take their next needed steps in faith, life transformation and rebuilding their community. Genesis Church celebrated its one-year anniversary October 9, 2016. They meet in a newly rented facility, and attendance, which averages about 70, is largely the result of conversions. In their first year they baptized 49 people. Through loving and living out the gospel, Genesis Church exemplifies what PacWest district is all about.
PACWEST
Last year Northwest launched The Joyful Effectiveness Path, an evaluation process 95 CHURCHES for churches. As a result, I’ve worked in eight EXECUTIVE MINISTER: of our churches, providing assessment and Steve Welling guidance to define a preferred future (viOFFICE: Gig Harbor, Washington sion) and an implementation strategy. Haller Lake Baptist Church, a small neighborhood convergenw.org church in north Seattle that has struggled for several years, invited me to initiate this process with them. Last February I led a ministry audit, interviewing everyone in the church. Through the interviews we identified a problem, which had been ignored through pain or risk aversion. During my visit, I was able to help them resolve the issue and, in a nondestructive way, nudge people toward a healthy solution. God did this great work of helping the congregation get unstuck. Together we then identified the church’s vision: “to multiply joyous worshipers.” The church responded dramatically, calling a very effective person in the community to lead its ministry: an African-American woman in Haller Lake’s multicultural neighborhood. The church rebounded quickly, in a matter of weeks growing about 20 percent. New people are showing up, and the spirit and attitude of the church is enthusiastic. A few weeks ago the new leader invited a friend, Miss Lillie Knauls, a nationally known gospel singer, to minister to the church. Attendances normally run about 40, but 120 were present on this day. It was so much fun — one of those moments when you realize we can bring life back to a declining church.
NORTHWEST
START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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Northeast
Converge exists to help fulfill the Great 223 CHURCHES Commission (Matt. EXECUTIVE MINISTER: 28:16-20) by startGary Rohrmayer ing and strengthenOFFICE: Park Ridge, Illinois ing churches. Converge MidAmerica convergemidamerica.org reaches people from every segment of society. We’re a missional network of likeminded churches who have worked together to mobilize over 151 church planting couples in the past 16 years. We celebrate that six of our new churches held their first public worship service in the past four months: n Connection Church, Libertyville, Illinois, September 11 n Impact Life Church, Chicago, Illinois, September 11 n CityGate Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan, September 18 n New Abbey Church, Gurnee, Illinois, September 25 n Christ City Church, St. Louis, Missouri, October 16 n Hope Church (Arabic, second campus), Sterling Heights, Michigan, November 19 We also celebrate that 63 pastoral couples joined us for the Pastors/Wives Retreat in New Buffalo, Michigan, last October 24-26. The response to Dr. Gary Chapman — author of The 5 Love Languages — was overwhelming. We received great feedback from all who attended. Converge MidAmerica is large and diverse, with numerous ministries and opportunities throughout the year. We eagerly anticipate gathering at Converge MidAmerica’s connect 2017, two days of community learning and vision-casting that incorporate our biennial meeting. First Baptist Church, Geneva, Illinois, will host Connect 2017 on October 26-27.
MIDAMERICA
8 POINT // WINTER 2017
ortheast has 11 pastors committed to N leading Hub Churches in their respec93 CHURCHES tive states: Connecticut, Massachusetts, EXECUTIVE MINISTER: Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Brent Allen New York and Vermont. A Hub Church OFFICE: Cheshire, Connecticut is a larger regional church that provides resources, coaching and revitalization convergenortheast.org tools for other churches near them. The district’s goal is to establish a network of churches that collaborate to reach their communities for Christ. We’re also working with Overseed, an organization that places evangelical pastors in declining historic New England churches. We are working to resource the leader, Jim Harrell, who is bringing us a few churches that may be interested in Converge. Bobby Warrenburg, a new pastor at North Shore Community Baptist Church, Beverly, Massachusetts, has launched the North Shore Gospel Partnership. (Interestingly, Beverly is such a wealthy area that Beverly Hills, California, was named after it.) The North Shore Gospel Partnership is bringing together nscbc and six non-Converge churches. Warrenburg and nscbc will resource these pastors to continue to plant and strengthen gospel-centered churches on Boston’s North Shore. We’re providing a structure for this, including our district coaching and Converge church strengthening training. The hub church strategy and North Shore Partnership catalyzed last summer as we all were praying for ways to connect our churches, start new churches, strengthen existing ones and send more missionaries.
NORTHEAST
MidAmerica
As the newly elected regional president 120 CHURCHES of Converge Great EXECUTIVE MINISTER: Lakes, I’m developKen Nabi ing plans to focus OFFICE: Madison, Wisconsin our resources to help pastors in the convergegreatlakes.org expanding digital age. I want to leverage technologies to improve networking between churches of similar size so that they can more rapidly share best practices. With some churches excelling and others struggling, real-time collaboration within the district and between churches will prove extremely beneficial. Converge Great Lakes staff are excited about the growing opportunities for outreach through church planting. With the strategic hire of Glenn Herschberger as our next director of Church Planting, the district lead teams will be newly energized and equipped to plant healthy churches more rapidly. We have a long and rich history of pioneering church planting best practices through leaders such as Tom Nebel, Paul and Steve Johnson and Gary Rohrmayer. Additionally, we have a renewed focus on starting non-Anglo churches to reach our increasingly diverse population. At our annual meeting in October 2016, for the first time the majority of the church planting couples we commissioned were non-Anglo. Now that Great Lakes has crossed the 120-church barrier, the district is excited to be exploring ways to streamline its many excellent resources and systems.
GREAT LAKES
Southwest In Southwest, leaders continue to take rightful ownership of our mutual mission 115 CHURCHES and step forward to apply their leadership. EXECUTIVE MINISTER: After faithfully serving our district for Bruce Sumner years, Bill Ankerberg, former Whittier OFFICE: San Diego, California Area Community Church senior pastor, recently joined our staff as the director of convergesouthwest.org Operations. Bill is embracing a number of supportive roles, with a focus on church strengthening. Pastor Todd Tolson has done an outstanding job spearheading the San Diego lead team over the past year, inspiring our team pastors’ involvement and encouraging other leaders in the area to partner with Converge. Also in California, pastor Tony Amatangelo has provided leadership to the Los Angeles North lead team for a number of years, with assistance from pastors Paul Weir and Rick Mandl. Our Vietnamese lead team meets regularly, developing our local churches under the guidance of Phuoc Le, Andrew Le and Tu Truong. These Southwest district Vietnamese leaders are locally, nationally and globally involved in kingdom purposes, providing support and encouragement to many. Strong leadership is also present in Vision Arizona through such leaders as pastors Josh Barrett, Bill Bush, Linn Winters and former pastor Randy Deal. At Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert, Arizona, pastors Chad Moore and Matt Swartz are beginning to coalesce some of our global mission efforts. Moore also provided assistance to Southwest churches embarking on multi-campus transitions. Pastors Brad Wilkerson, Troy Wolfe, Randy Moore and others are taking the lead in our Vision Texas church planting movement. Vision Texas continues to initiate new church planting endeavors. We began north of Dallas in the Prosper/Aubrey area and then moved outward to Rhome and McKinney. Denton, San Antonio and now Odessa have followed. Currently we have several church plants in process in the Houston area. God continues to expand the Converge movement in the great state of Texas. My wife Kym continues to minister to our lead pastors’ wives through GraceNet, an invaluable resource for our ministry couples. The women meet regularly to support one another, and they reach back to Kym to share their prayer requests and ministry concerns. It’s a wonderful, confidential ministry. We’re a movement of talented leaders who serve our great God as committed team players. I’m excited about that, believing the best is yet to come.
SOUTHWEST
Ernie Carbrera is Converge South96 CHURCHES east’s executive minEXECUTIVE MINISTER ister candidate. He CANDIDATE: Ernie will be presented for Cabrera election at a district OFFICE: Orlando, Florida meeting March 11. Coming into the convergesoutheast.org district, I see healthy churches, churches giving money and sending people out into missions and church planters already at work. In 2016 we added three new church planting couples and 11 churches affiliated with our district. But I also see our people looking forward to starting more churches — having a hunger and eagerness for leaders to participate in the Great Commission in the Southeast district. I hope we can double the Southeast in five years and start a church planting movement that would gather steam, using all the church planting models available. Converge also has a lot of momentum in getting churches to affiliate, and I can see Southeast affiliating a substantial number. This will help us achieve our mission in the southeast states and the Caribbean. I will meet with International Ministries executive director Ivan Veldhuizen and Caribbean Initiative director Raoul Armbrister to learn their vision and goals. I see us growing in all areas in the Southeast — in church planting, affiliations and church strengthening.
SOUTHEAST
Converge districts and national staff together pursue one mission and one dream. Although we operate from offices scattered across the U.S., we are one team serving our churches and expanding Christ’s kingdom to the glory of God. n Bob Putman is Point editor.
START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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MEASURE WHAT MATTERS BY DALE PETERSON
Seventeen years ago Bob Merritt, senior pastor of our Eagle Brook Church, Lino Lakes, Minnesota, shared a vision with us. He said, “There are 50,000 people within a golf shot of our church who don’t know Jesus. Eagle Brook is a church that is going to do everything possible to reach those people for Christ.” His next statement really got me excited: “Our goal is to be a church of 10,000 people by 2005.” I soon quit my job, and Eagle Brook hired me to help accomplish this goal. About 2000 people were attending on weekends then, so ours was a big goal. Our Christmas attendance in 2005 was just over 10,000, and God created a 20-year run of our church averaging 20 percent growth each year. Today, Eagle Brook is a church of six campuses, with weekend attendance totaling 22,000. After 16 years on staff, I’ve seen the power of remaining focused on the mission and of measuring what matters. More than anything else, at Eagle Brook we are compelled to reach people for Christ. So we turn down all kinds of opportunities, knowing they will distract us from our mission. Too many churches get pulled into church activities and programs that have little to do with reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we measure salvations, it makes clear how well we’re doing our mission. And it motivates us to make adjustments if we’re not seeing the results we want.
‘All you care about is numbers’
There will always be people who accuse you of turning the church into a business, or who’ll say something like, “All you care about are numbers.” Well, we do care about numbers, because each number represents a real person who matters to God. Some of those numbers are friends I’ve personally invited to our church. One of my best friends started attending our church a few years back, and God got hold of his life in a big way. He told me, “Dale, I’ve always believed in God, but now I’m a follower
of Jesus Christ.” Because every number is a real person, we are unapologetic about measuring what matters. For us, that’s salvations and growth in attendance. We’ve seen how growth in attendance directly impacts reaching more people for Christ. So we plan for growth, we anticipate it and we boldly go after it. Nothing is more important to us than reaching people for Christ and inviting more people to our church. After that, our goal is to help people spend time with God, connect in community, serve others and live generously. Each of these is a critical value that needs to be measured. Every year we set goals around our values and track our progress on a regular basis. But we boldly lift the values of invitation and salvation higher than the other values because we know these require the most energy. Bob is famous for saying, “If you focus on the mission of reaching people for Christ, you’ll always have ministry. But if you focus on ministry, you’ll never get around to the mission of reaching people.”
Set a goal and create a scorecard
I encourage every church to determine what the main thing is and then set a goal. Once the goal is set, create a scorecard. Everything changes when people realize there is a goal and a scorecard. It’s as if someone yells, “Game on!” We recently put up a whiteboard in our church office that boldly states our goal for the number of salvations we’re believing God will give us. Every time we learn about a new decision to follow Christ, we increase the number on the whiteboard. Instantly, we see we’re making progress. The challenge for every leader is to keep asking two questions: “Is our church working? How do we know?” If you measure what matters, it will help you reach your friends, family and neighbors for Christ. n Dale Peterson is executive director of the Eagle Brook Association, a ministry of Eagle Brook Church, Lino Lakes, Minnesota, and its five other Twin Cities campuses.
‘If you focus on the mission of reaching people for Christ, you’ll always have ministry. But if you focus on ministry, you’ll never get around to the mission of reaching people.’
10 POINT // WINTER 2017
Demand Investments Minimum Rate Demand $100 .750% Church Savings $5000 .875% Individual Retirement Accounts Minimum Rate Under $100,000 2.125% Over $100,000 2.250% Term Investments Term
Rate
Minimum Investment
6-Month 0.875%
1.000% $100,000
1 .1 2 5 %
$250,000
1.000%
$100
1 .1 2 5 %
$100,000
1-Year 2-Year*
Be part of helping churches grow
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2.500%
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$250,000
You can join in supporting these churches.
4 -Year*
Converge Cornerstone Fund’s commitment is to partner with Converge as they con-
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Churches across America are growing as people choose to put their hope in Jesus.
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$100,000
1.625%
$250,000
3.125%
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tinue to start and strengthen churches across the nation. We understand that lives
5-Year
1.750%
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and communities are transformed through the local church.
Recently Converge Cornerstone Fund made a loan to Rock Point Church, Queen
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Creek, Arizona. Rock Point has created a place where people are genuinely welcomed and accepted, regardless of the struggles they face. The church’s commitment has led
* Rates for term investments are subject to change without notice.
to faster growth than their building can accommodate. If you want to be a part of starting and strengthening churches like Rock Point, while earning interest, choose to invest in one or both of our current bonus rates:
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TERM INVESTMENT ($100 minimum)
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TERM INVESTMENT ($100 minimum) Rates subject to change.
csfund@converge.org 877 228 8810 cornerstonetoday.org 2002 S Arlington Heights Rd Arlington Heights IL 60005 This shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such an offer, solicitation or sale is not authorized. The offering is made solely by the OFFERING CIRCULAR. The offering involves certain risks, which are more fully disclosed in the Offering Circular under the heading “Risk Factors.” These investments are not FDIC or SIPC insured. In the event the Fund exercises its right to redeem a Certificate prior to maturity and upon 60 days notice to the holder thereof, payment of the outstanding principal and interest will be made to the holder to the date of redemption, rather than to the Certificate’s maturity date. START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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A first-time parents’ nightmare A prayer for an Arabic-speaking evangelist led to an incredible partnership that proves we are better together. BY ALLISON HURTADO
Avdal Boktor and Hiba Murad were expecting their first child in Egypt. It should have been an exciting time, but instead it turned into a first-timeparents’ nightmare. Hiba had converted to Christianity as a teenager in Iraq but never changed her papers — they still listed her as “Muslim.” Avdal’s identified him as “Christian.” If she were to deliver their son, Avdal would be jailed and the baby taken away and issued Muslim papers. The couple knew they had to leave the country. Eventually accepted for asylum in the United States, they made their way to Michigan, which has a large Middle Eastern population. Here they would be free of unjust government laws. Meanwhile, Heritage Church, Sterling Heights, Michigan, had opened a food pantry to serve the area’s growing refugee population. Senior pastor Jeff Forester realized many people they served spoke only Arabic. Sharing the love of Christ was next to impossible with this substantial language barrier. Forester began to pray God would send Heritage an Arabic-speaking evangelist. One Saturday morning a new couple with a small child came to Heritage. This isn’t unusual in a church of over 2000, but they were different — it was Avdal and Hiba, who spoke Arabic. Their English wasn’t perfect at the time, but they spoke it well enough. Jeff soon learned of their former ministry.
12 POINT // WINTER 2017
“It turns out Avdal had served over 120 different churches in Upper Egypt, was well-known on TV and is a world-class evangelist,” Jeff said. “I loved him. They went through a lot of paperwork in order to become permanent U.S. residents. Once this was done, I said, ‘Let’s plant a church.’” Avdal and Hiba started a ministry called Hope for Arabs in 2013 by doing Saturday afternoon outreach — knocking on doors, handing out flyers, prayerfully reaching people with the love and hope of Jesus Christ. They began a small Bible study with two families in their 900-square-foot apartment every Saturday evening and soon had 62 people meeting in their living room. Avdal was on the fence about planting his own church. Although Jeff and his team coached and encouraged him, he resisted and instead asked to become an Arabic-speaking campus of Heritage Church. “I’m an evangelist,” he told Jeff, “and I know we would be better together because I don’t understand all the American church things.’” Jeff agreed, then arranged for Avdal and Hiba to participate in a Converge Church Planting Assessment Center. Afterward, the couple hit the ground running. Their Arabic-speaking congregation, named Hope Church (Heritage doesn’t translate easily into Arabic), was launched two years ago, on November 9, 2014.
JIMMY SAVAGE
Jeff expected some pushback from the congregation. He intentionally created diversity within Heritage and was prepared to defend it, if necessary. The first few months of the two congregations meeting together were awkward. Seeing Middle Eastern women bringing their children to child care and hearing men in the lobby speak Arabic while drinking their morning coffee had some Heritage people nervous. “The Arabic language sounds angry to English ears,” Jeff said. “Some people couldn’t separate Arabic from Islam and left our church. A lot of the misunderstanding was because of ignorance, and we educated our congregation as best as we could.” Heritage’s investment in the Arabic-speaking campus has grown exponentially. Hope’s attendance is about 150 on Sundays, and dozens have been baptized. Avdal has brought several Muslim families to Christ. A few families were baptized together. Jeff notes that many of the refugees aren’t Muslim. In the Middle East people are considered Muslim or Christian, though many classified as “Christian” don’t know Jesus. The Arabic-speaking campus at Heritage would not have been possible without Converge MidAmerica. When Jeff came to Heritage 10 years ago, the church was independent. He had a vision to reach Michigan’s thumb, which now includes the growing refugee population. He began to look at starting a few church plants and learned about Converge. Through relationships, he met Norm Byers, Michigan director of Church Planting for Converge MidAmerica, and Gary Rohrmayer, Converge MidAmerica executive minister. After their first meeting Jeff knew Converge was for Heritage. “Joining a movement for us was about acknowledging we would be better together than apart,” he said. “Being part of a healthy movement would maximize our investment in church planters and would partner us with others doing the same. It’s also a safety net. You don’t win every single time.” The partnership has been fruitful — Heritage has planted seven churches in the past decade, and Converge MidAmerica helped Hope Church get off the ground financially. Reaching a refugee population is difficult because they don’t have the finances to help support a church. Together MidAmerica and Heritage were able to raise enough money to sustain Hope until it can sustain itself. Its people give, but the sacrificial giving per person is $6 a week. It’s not enough right now, but Jeff knows they will get where they need to be. He estimates it will take five to 10 years before Hope Church is totally free of the need for outside support.
If you want to learn more, call Heritage Church at 568.997.9490 or visit experienceheritage.org.
Jeff is praying for the resources to move forward with his vision to acquire a school building for Hope near the refugee neighborhood. Refugees rarely drive very far, so having a church within walking distance is ideal. Many are nervous about venturing outside their neighborhoods and are afraid white people don’t like them. To bridge the gap, Jeff has preached about Jesus in a few mosques and meets with imams for multifaith gatherings. Both Jeff and Avdal have developed friendships with many of the Chaldean and Coptic church leaders in the area. “I keep pushing Jesus. You can’t lead your enemies to him, only your friends,” Jeff said. “Jesus loved everybody. So we have to love everybody.” Hope church launched a second campus October 22 with 109 in attendance, meeting in a local church close to the refugee community. Now a multisite, when Hope Church regularly reaches 200 in attendance, it may well be the largest all Arabic-speaking evangelical church in North America. What started as a prayer for an Arabic-speaking evangelist has led to a partnership that has multiplied and proves we are better together. White, black, Middle Eastern, Muslim or Christian — people are coming to Jesus in Michigan’s thumb. n Allison Hurtado is a Point contributing editor.
Pray for Hope Church’s second campus to continue to grow, that they can purchase a building near the refugee community and that partners come alongside Hope Church financially and prayerfully.
E N G A G E M E N T. M OV E M E N T- M I N D E D. B E T T E R TO G E T H E R . These are a few common buzzwords in the church and throughout Converge. But what does it truly mean to be movement-minded? Converge MidAmerica executive minister Gary Rohrmayer gives us his perspective. Movements are birthed out of missional engagement. Many churches are missions-minded, but movements are sparked out of missional engagement. Christianity is a relationally intense mission. Life on life. Heart to heart. It is easy to serve the poor overseas but harder to bring them into your home. It is easy to start churches in foreign lands but scarier to start a church down the street. Jesus set the example and calls us to the same. “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21). Movements arise when our partnerships are embraced. Partnering in the gospel is what makes Converge a movement, whether it’s two congregations
joining together to launch a church plant, partnering in local outreach projects or joining together to send missionaries around the globe. Movements grow when we realize our fundamental need for each other (John 17:23) and embrace the foundational principle that we can do more together than by ourselves. When we are part of a movement, it does not matter what type of church we are: large, small, ethnic, rural, urban or suburban. When we give our best, we are part of a bigger impact. Movements occur when multiplication takes place. The momentum of disciples making disciples and leaders reproducing leaders is what creates a movement. The energy of churches multiplying churches will eventually lead to movements replicating movements. I am proud to have seen in my lifetime Converge multiply itself on all these levels to fulfill its mission of starting and strengthening churches together worldwide. START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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Global champions! Getting ‘better together’ to really work. BY IVAN VELDHUIZEN
“Our goal is that if one of our churches supports a missionary, all our cohorts will support that missionary.” — Brian Spitzer
14 POINT // WINTER 2017
Brian Spitzer, lead pastor of Grandview Baptist Church, Davenport, Iowa, heads a team of seven Converge churches in the Quad Cities committed to doing missions together. They have taken the Converge motto “Better together” and put feet to it. They realize that though it’s easier to do things solo, it’s rarely better. The Quad Cities pastors strive to make a significant impact in global missions. In the minutia of ministry, the priority of missions sometimes gets lost. Converge, however, is committed to being a vital player in seeing the Great Commission accomplished in our lifetime. For this to become a reality, we need to work together. We must reclaim a commitment to reach the lost peoples of the world. To help this happen, we are forging pathways of collaboration to reach those peoples with no access to the gospel. Two thousand years after Jesus told us to “disciple the ethne” (people groups), we can help his kingdom come and his will be done among the world’s least-reached peoples as they become children of the Living God.
Become a Global Champion Church
Across Converge, missionally minded churches are committing to being Global Champion Churches. This means they will: • Spearhead a cohort of 8 to 12 Converge churches in their region that will spur on one another and collaborate for effective global influence. • Think Converge-first when doing missions. • Become hubs from which quality global workers can be sent to the least-reached peoples of the world. • Influence the culture of Converge, making wise global engagement a core value of what it means to be a Converge church. A few initial goals for our Champion Church Network: •E stablish 25 Champion Churches across the U.S. — at least two in each of our 11 districts. • Identify an enthusiastic point person to lead this emphasis in each Champion Church. • Encourage each Champion Church to develop a cohort of 8 to 12 Converge churches in some proximity to them. • Meet for cohort round-table discussions at least three times a year, maybe over a lunch together or whatever works for the group. • Collaborate in mission engagements and identify global workers who can be sent to the least-reached peoples of the world. Jeff MacLurg, lead pastor of Our Savior’s Baptist Church, Federal Way, Washington, has taken on the challenge. He states, “My hope is that we church missions leaders can meet three times a year to learn what each is doing, who we are reaching and what our plans, successes and frustra-
tions are, so that we might all do missions better. Perhaps we will discover a joint venture or new possibilities or learn how to do what previously we’ve not known to do. Maybe we will find ways to develop a deeper church-wide interest in missions, which has faded over the years.” Upon receiving an invitation to become a Champion Church, Kathleen Sherman, outreach director of The Rock Southwest, Littleton, Colorado, responded, “We are excited about the direction Converge is taking. The Rock would be honored to be a Global Champion Church.” “I love what Converge is doing for missions in our movement,” stated Nate Hettinga, lead pastor of Cascade Church, Monroe, Washington, our newest Champion Church. “Knowing your courage and faith is carving a new path for us is hugely encouraging to me.”
Why we are doing this
Converge is called to be a significant player in seeing the Great Commission accomplished in the next couple of decades. With 6600 unreached people groups (2 percent or less evangelical) and 1300 unengaged unreached people groups (no known believers and no one currently working among them), there is more collaboration among mission organizations today than ever in history. I am privileged to work with mission leaders around the world to strategize about how we can reach every people group in the near future. In the past 30 months Converge has engaged 179 unreached people groups we’ve never ministered to before. In the past six months, with our close ministry partner The Timothy Initiative, we have engaged 16 unengaged people groups, erasing them from the global uupg list, Some notable results that could come about through our Champion Church Network: • Around 250 Converge churches encouraged, resourced and networked to increase their global impact. • One least-reached people group adopted by each cohort, who works with Converge International Ministries to get the job done. • Ninety percent of our Converge global workers deployed to leastreached groups, far surpassing the current worldwide church’s 10 percent of workers targeting least-reached groups. We have an incredibly timely and historic privilege these days. It will take all of us working together to make the significant global impact God has entrusted to our Converge movement.
What’s the return on investment?
Someday there will be “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’” (Rev. 7:9-10). We will know we had a vital part in seeing this happen because we have been faithful today. We are better together. I’m so grateful for our Global Champion Churches already on board. We need more, so contact me at ivanv@converge.org if you want to increase your global influence in the years ahead. n Ivan Veldhuizen is executive director of Converge International Ministries.
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Sharing the Win A district church planting director describes what can happen when churches work together to expand the kingdom of God. BY NATE HETTINGA
I stood behind my son in early September as he stalked a beautiful buck. From over his shoulder, I provided guidance, whispered encouragement, estimated yards to target and told when to draw his bow — all stuff a young hunter has swirling through his adrenaline-fueled brain in this moment. Fast forward a few minutes. I could not have been more excited by his success. The celebration of his accomplishment and provision for our family was actually greater than if I had been the hunter. The same is true in any field of endeavor. A successful athlete has a choice to make at some point. He or she can choose to keep winning all the medals or begin to train the next generation. Maturity means learning to share the win and celebrate the success of those around you — those in whom you’re investing and are elevating. Anything I have accomplished in life has been because I’ve had someone whispering in my ear, guiding and encouraging me. The men who have gone before me and on whose shoulders I now stand have taught, discipled, coached, cajoled and hollered — pressing me to learn from them and lean forward into the race. Whether it has been learning to bow hunt, chase a degree, plant and pastor churches or love my wife and children well, I have benefited from the wisdom of men and women who believed in me and gave me a chance to make a difference.
Pass it on to the next generation
The apostle Paul said it this way, “You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others” (2 Tim. 2:2, nlt). This pattern stretches back through generations and links us to the future. What Paul passed on to Timothy was intended not just to benefit Timothy, but to be paid forward to the next disciple and then the next. Paul wasn’t interested in soaking up all the ministry wins, disciples and church plants. He wanted those coming after him to think theologically and act courageously to propel the kingdom from one generation and location to the next. We’re trying to do this in the Northwest these days. Converge in this district began with one church planted in Seattle 126 years ago. It’s taken a long time for us to grow to 95 churches spread across five large western states. We’ve recently embraced a vision to more than double the Converge movement in the Northwest over the next 10 years. It’s a ridiculously Godsized goal. But it’s possible.
16 POINT // WINTER 2017
One way we seek to work together is by forming networks of church planting churches based in geographic regions. What one church can often not accomplish alone can be a shared endeavor. All can pray, all can give something, all can highlight a multiplication vision and most can provide leaders and core team members. Our goal is to add two new networks each year for the next 10 years. And we’re seeing traction. In this first year we have started three networks and adopted one more. These were planting eight churches in the 2016 calendar year, and several unaffiliated churches are joining our Converge Northwest movement.
Two daughter churches in one year
Here’s a recent story that highlights Paul’s message to Timothy to “pass it on.” By God’s grace, Cascade Church in Monroe, Washington, where I serve as pastor, has multiplied a number of daughter and granddaughter congregations. We currently have three Washington state church plants in the pipeline: Casa de Paz in Monroe, Emmaus Road in Stanwood and Rise Church in north Seattle.
Scott and Corrin Molvar planted Sola Church, Bothell, Washington, in October 2015.
Trevor and Hilary Horn are planting Rise Church in north Seattle, holding their public launch in fall 2017.
Trevor and Hilary Horn, who have been serving as church planting residents at Cascade — learning in an established church while preparing to plant a daughter church — are planning to launch Rise Church this fall. Massive cultural differences are represented in the 30 miles between rural Monroe, where I pastor, and north Seattle. Because we’re a rural congregation, serving at Cascade has been a slight culture shock for Trevor. Besides the demographic differences, it’s also a long drive to Seattle for Cascade folks to consider joining the Rise launch team. As it happens, Sola, a sister church of Cascade, is located in Bothell, halfway between Monroe and Seattle. Led by Scott and Corrin Molvar, the church just celebrated their one-year birthday. The plant meets on the campus of Cascadia College in Bothell, Washington. The group is young, vibrant and fits the demographic the Horns are hoping to reach in Seattle. Because they’re closer to Seattle than is Monroe, it made sense for Sola to guide the Horns in planting Rise. So, Cascade began sharing the Horns’ leadership with Sola, having them join the Molvars one day a week and one Sunday a month. Over
Nate and Amy Hettinga planted Cascade Church, Monroe, Washington, in February 1997.
the next six months, the Horns will transition almost fully from Monroe and Bothell to north Seattle. Sola Church will have the opportunity to get into the multiplication game and send, pray, give and go to the new mission in north Seattle. As far as they are aware, Rise Church will be their first daughter church. In a sense, Cascade is still the mother by sharing the Horns, but taking a quiet role of support. And we will be even more excited by Sola’s involvement in their first daughter than if this were just another plant from Cascade.
A mutual win for the kingdom
When we guide and encourage the leaders around us towards their own success, they see the pattern and pass it on to the next leader. That feels like a win for the kingdom. Why not raise up and empower those around you to greater effectiveness? “Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” (2 Tim. 2:2). n Nate Hettinga is pastor of Cascade Church, Monroe, Washington, and church planting director of Converge Northwest district.
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Growing the kingdom one heart at a time BY STEVE SCHULTZ
“In 2007 we needed a construction loan, and when other financial institutions were not interested in loaning to a nonprofit, the Converge Cornerstone Fund was there for us. We are grateful to God for how he has blessed and expanded our ministry. The Converge Cornerstone Fund was an example of God’s leading, which helped facilitate our growth!” — Steve Hedberg, chairman, Edinbrook Church
CLAY ERICKSON/COOLPICSVIDEO.COM
The Converge Cornerstone Fund’s connection with Edinbrook represents the story of over 1100 churches we have partnered with during our more than 60 years. Our mission is to assist Converge churches and affiliated ministries by providing financial resources and services that enable them to expand their ministries, and to offer our Converge constituency a competitive investment. We take our mission seriously. The Cornerstone Fund has been committed to serving churches since 1954. Often commercial lenders are cautious or unwilling to provide loans to churches. When our Fund makes a loan to a prospective church, we consider ours a lifetime partnership. We strongly desire to see the impact of our overall ministry grow among our church movement.
Edinbrook Church, Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
18 POINT // WINTER 2017
The Fund by the numbers
We started as a small loan fund, never imagining we would ever make a $1 million loan. Now we are experiencing an exceptional record of growth. In September we exceeded $250 million in assets. When I began managing the Fund, it was called the Home Missions Revolving Building Trust, with assets of about $16 million. The sister fund, the Home Missions Church Extension Fund, was about $4.5 million. Both had experienced tremendous growth under the leadership of Dr. Cliff Anderson, increasing from a combined $5 million in 1979 to over $20 million in 1989. That surge of growth positioned us to take the next steps, expanding the reach of The Fund to a larger Converge audience. God’s hand of blessing provided wisdom, open doors, a receptive Converge constituency and steady consistent growth in both the reach and impact of the Fund’s ministry. We learned from others and applied those lessons to our daily work. As Converge grew, the Fund grew with it, exceeding $30 million in 1994, $50M in ’02, $100M in ’06, $200M in ’14 and now $250M. This growth pattern is accelerating as our Converge movement of churches accelerates in size and reach. We believe our growth has occurred because of the grace and goodness of God. It is a fulfillment of God’s plan for his kingdom’s growth. And we pray we’ll continue to grow in order to provide churches with the resources they need to expand their ministries. To prepare our Fund’s ministry for the future, we have established a 10-year plan dependent on our core values.
We are trusting God that in 10 years we will be managing over $500 million in assets. To do this, we need an increase in committed Converge investors who know the importance of seeing churches started and strengthened to help grow the kingdom of God.
Built on heartfelt commitment
Throughout our history, Converge Cornerstone Fund has embodied qualities exemplified by our heartfelt commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Among them: Humility. We recognize that the source of our ministry impact comes from the Lord’s blessing. Our staff is dedicated to serving our Converge churches and investors with humility and in Christ’s name. Collaboration. Our ministry’s effectiveness is based on how well we serve alongside our larger Converge family. Each family member is uniquely gifted and on mission to better our Converge ministry. We often find ourselves blessed when we come alongside a ministry partner to help. Service. Our service is best characterized by selflessness and esteem for others. When we put others first, it creates a welcoming atmosphere. Great customer service naturally arises when staff have fun at work and love the organization. Persistence/tenacity. We are looking towards the future, anticipating and preparing for God to do a great work in our Converge movement. We are committed to being the first and best resource for Converge churches.
Quality and excellence. Our willingness to serve Converge churches is unwavering.
Thriving together
Converge is the reason Cornerstone Fund exists and is thriving. We do not hesitate to testify to the wonderful synergy represented throughout the ministry. Converge Cornerstone Fund wants to see more churches planted and more communities reached with the good news of Jesus. In order to help accomplish this goal, Cornerstone Fund has made significant financial contributions each year. In 2016 we made a $1.6 million gift to the Converge mission. Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” We choose to give because we know God will bless our efforts. Our ministry has enjoyed being obedient to God’s calling and, as a result, has seen him multiply the fruit of our labor. Converge president Scott Ridout is fond of saying, “We are better together.” Through the years, Converge and Cornerstone Fund have seen the fruit of working hand-in-hand. My challenge is to see as many Converge people as possible involved in our Cornerstone ministry. Consider speaking to someone about joining us or, if you haven’t already done so, become an investor today. The joy is ours as we partner together for the glory of God and the good of his people. May our joy continue. n Steve Schultz is Converge Cornerstone Fund president and Converge chief financial officer.
This graphic illustrates the rapid growth (587 percent) of Cornerstone Fund assets between 1996 and 2016 and the tenfold multiplication of loan dollars (in millions) to churches in that same period.
Total Assets
Dollars Funded for Church Projects 60M
300M
50M
200M
40M
45M
35M 30M
150M
25M 20M
100M
15M 50M
Dollars Funded for Church Projects in Millions
Fund Size (Total Assets) in Millions
55M 250M
10M 5M 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Est. 2016
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YOU WERE MADE TO ACCOMPLISH INCREDIBLE THINGS. WE’LL HELP YOU GET THERE.
www.bethel.edu 20 POINT // WINTER 2017
UNDERGRAD | GRADUATE | SEMINARY | ONLINE
Make a shrewd investment People outside the church can teach us a lot about investing. BY SCOTT RIDOUT
The pressure of the moment was so intense, he felt paralyzed. Only a few minutes earlier, the business owner had confronted him on his deceitful practices. In his haste to accumulate wealth for himself, this manager had cut corners, made deals and engaged in business practices that would, at best, be deemed suspicious. Now what seemed to be a dream had turned into a nightmare. The owner was livid and called him to give account for his deeds. “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg —” (Luke 16:3). This manager had spent his entire life pursuing one goal — to become a money manager. But now his lack of character and insatiable hunger for more had sabotaged the dream. His career was ruined. And no one — no one — would ever hire him again to manage their money. Then it hit him. “I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.” “So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ “‘Nine hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred and fifty’” (Luke 16:4-6). We can guess that as the debtor left, he turned to the manager and said, “Wow! You have been so gracious. If there’s anything I can do for you in the future, please let me know.” One by one the manager met with the owner’s debtors, making selfish deal after selfish deal with them in order to secure his future once his job was gone. Jesus continued the story: “The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly” (Luke 16:8a).
Timeless story with a purpose
Every story Jesus told had a purpose. In this one Jesus contrasted the ways of the world with the ways of the kingdom. “For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light” (Luke 16:8b). Jesus says that when it comes to how believers interact with people of the world, we miss the mark. Those outside the church (secularists) are much more effective than those inside the church in making the most of their time and opportunity with nonbelievers. What an indictment. In this story, the manager believes all he has is here and now. So he invests his energy, thinking and resources to secure a better future for himself here and now. Unfortunately, so do many Christians. But Jesus says Christians should think differently. “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). Jesus asks us to live differently in this world. Instead of using
all we have on ourselves in the here and now, he challenges us to invest in things that will impact people in the “then and there.” Invest wealth in things that reap eternal dividends so that one day these people will thank us in heaven. This story reminds us we are managers who work for an owner, God. And we manage the time, talent and treasure he has so graciously bestowed on us. It reminds us that God has given us a little bit of time and opportunity to advance his agenda in this world, and our work should result in an eternal impact. Finally, it reminds us that one day each of us must give an account of our management of God’s resources.
Living the $10 million dream
One of the greatest opportunities we have to fulfill Jesus’ command to reach the people of our world is through investing in church planting. Starting new churches is still the most effective way to see people come to Christ. In our 10-year vision we’ve committed to a dream of raising $10 million for church planting. It is part of achieving the four very aggressive goals we set: • Each one reach one — each person will lead another person to Christ. • Each one raise one — each person will disciple another person to their level. • Each one start one — each church will plant, parent or partner a church plant. • Each one send one — each church will send a missionary to a foreign field. To accomplish the “Each one start one” goal, we ask every church and individual to consider doing two things: G ive generously to your district church planting fund. Every district has set aside funding to start new churches in your region. Converge has one of the best church planting success rates in the nation. Your investment will result in community transformation and many coming to Christ. G ive an “above and beyond” gift to the Converge Church Planting Fund. Converge has established a funding plan to give church planters much-needed initial support. As a part of this plan, with the approval of the district, church planters will receive $25,000 in start-up funds. Then, within four years, the church planters will pay that funding forward to start another church plant, perpetuating the funding for future starts. Join us in investing in these efforts so that one day, then and there, people will welcome us into heaven’s eternal dwellings. n Scott Ridout is Converge president.
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HAPPENINGS
IMPACT
257
baptisms
JOSH NICHOLSON
Number of recent baptisms at two Converge churches: 61 at The Vertical Church, Yuma, Arizona, November 5-6, and 196 across the five Phoenix/Tempe, Arizona, campuses of Sun Valley Community Church, October 22-23.
8
new churches
Churches launched since last issue:
13 missionary candidates
Christ City Church St. Louis, Missouri Converge International Ministries assessed 13 candidates for missionary readiness last November 8-11 at the Orlando office. The candidates came from Iowa, Florida, Minnesota, Mississippi, Vermont and Washington. Six of the eight units (couples or individuals) were recommended to pursue missions with Converge. One unit received a deferred recommendation, meaning they have some work to do before full approval. One unit was not approved. Our experienced team of assessors spent hours in prayer and deliberation, seeking God’s plan for those who may be called to serve on the mission field. The next Missionary Assessment Center will be held May 1-4 in Orlando, Florida. Contact jessicap@converge.org for more information.
PEOPLE
City Church — Hartford Connecticut CityGate Church Portage, Michigan Connection Church Libertyville, Illinois
Grand City Station Grand Forks, North Dakota Hope Community Church Wildwood, Florida Impact Life Church Chicago, Illinois New Abbey Church Gurnee, Illinois
EVENTS
International Ministries announces regional leaders Converge International Ministries executive director Ivan Veldhuizen announced recruitment of International Leaders for all five major regions of the world. They are:
n John Baxter, U.S./Diaspora n Jim Black, Africa n David J., Asia
n Dennis M., Europe/Middle East n Dan Nelson, Latin America/ Caribbean
Under the supervision of Gary Hunter, international director of Global Ministry, they will direct the missionary teams within their regions. Black and Nelson are newly appointed to their roles.
MORE ONLINE New books from Converge authors Check out these new books from Converge writers. Read summaries: cvrg.us/winter2017.
New Beginnings opens Community Life Center
Dating Backyard Dogs, by Linn Winters
22 POINT // WINTER 2017
He Wakens Me, by Wes Johnson
Walking to… and With Jesus, by Joel Rissinger
New Beginnings Church, Matthews, North Carolina, celebrated its 17th anniversary and opened its Community Life Center with a ribbon-cutting ceremony October 22. clc offers divorce recovery and private or group self-esteem and peer-to-peer counseling to individuals, couples and families. Also available is leadership training for lay leaders. CLC is part of senior pastor Michael Henderson’s vision for the church to demonstrate God’s love and be a beacon in the community.
We make it easy to send short-term ministry teams to the places that need it most.
Let’s Talk
800.366.3542 WeAreELIC www.elic.org // info@elic.org
ELIC is an official partner of Converge.
Top Short-term Missions Resources for Converge Churches
You’re not just doing missions trips–you’re transforming lives of people you send and people you minister to overseas. STEMpress has the training resources you need. Get great resources at discount prices from STEMpress.org. START. STRENGTHEN. SEND.
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Baptist General Conference 2002 S. Arlington Heights Rd. Arlington Heights, IL 60005
++
Stop dreaming dreaming big. big. Stop
Dream exponentially. Jesus challenged us with a big dream — the dream of helping him build a rapidly Jesus challenged us with a big dream — the dream of helping him build a rapidly growing global church movement. growing global church movement. “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). (Acts 1:8). Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth is an exponentially huge Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth is an exponentially huge dream. And it’s why we are here. Jesus asks us as Christ-followers and leaders of dream. And it’s why we are here. Jesus asks us as Christ-followers and leaders of his church to dream big – and we’ll go after this dream together at Exponential 2017. his church to dream big – and we’ll go after this dream together at Exponential 2017. As part of Exponential you’ll have the opportunity to attend two Converge preAs part of Exponential you’ll have the opportunity to attend two Converge preconference sessions specifically designed for leaders seeking vision, strategy and conference sessions specifically designed for leaders seeking vision, strategy and networking. We are fueling our movement of churches that multiply churches. networking. We are fueling our movement of churches that multiply churches.
CONVERGE PRE-CON PRE-CON ++ CONVERGE EXPONENTIAL EAST EAST EXPONENTIAL
April 24-27, 2017 | Orlando, FL April 24-27, 2017 | Orlando, FL
CONVERGE PRE-CON PRE-CON ++ CONVERGE EXPONENTIAL WEST WEST EXPONENTIAL
October 2-5, 2017 | Irvine, CA October 2-5, 2017 | Irvine, CA
Registerat atconverge.org/exponential converge.org/exponential Register
LIMITED $199 $199 TICKETS TICKETS AVAILABLE AVAILABLE LIMITED
Your registration through Converge includes: Converge Pre-Con Workshop, Your registration through Converge includes: Converge Pre-Con Workshop, Converge Pre-Con Lab, All Exponential Main Sessions, Converge Kick-off Dinner and T-shirt. Converge Pre-Con Lab, All Exponential Main Sessions, Converge Kick-off Dinner and T-shirt. 24 POINT // WINTER 2017