IA Connection - Spring 2018

Independent Assemblies

Spring 2018

uniting ministries worldwide

IA

NATIONAL MINISTER’S CONFERENCE

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www.independentassemblies.org

SPRING 2018

MARCH

Interstate Fellowship Meeting March 12, 2018 Life Community Church Ada, OK Rev. Mickey Keith ROAR Conference March 22-23, 2018 Evangelistic Center Church Shawnee, OK

APRIL

CONTENTS

Interstate Fellowship Meeting April 9, 2018 Lifechanger Church Claremore, OK Rev. Ted Estes

3 Calendar 4 Heart for Israel 6 The Sound of Abundance of Rain 10 Why Small Groups Don’t Work in Your Church 11 Board Members

MAY Interstate Fellowship Meeting May 14, 2018 Oakhill Church Terlton, OK Rev. Jason Krum JUNE

Interstate Fellowship Meeting June 11, 2018 Vasser Full Gospel Mulhal, OK Rev. Herb Hawthorne

JULY Independent Assemblies PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 279-0278 www.independentassemblies.org

National Minister’s Conference July 16-17, 2018 Hilton Garden Inn Edmond, OK

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H E A R T F O R I S R A E L by: Sherri Williams

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Christopher Mann, along with his wife Shawna, have served together in ministry throughout their marriage - across the country and now around the world. From the moment they met on staff at a church in Paola, Kansas, to serving as youth pastors and senior pastors in South Dakota, Kentucky and Iowa, God was preparing them for an international ministry. It wasn’t until early 2007 that God began to speak to them specifically about the nation of Israel.

Late one evening during a season of prayer & fasting, Christopher & Shawna began to worship the Lord. Suddenly, the most powerful and tangible presence of the Holy Spirit showed up in their living room. The Lord spoke to them very clearly saying, “I have opened the door, do not delay.” From that moment they began to evaluate their ministry through the lens of what God had said and it became clear He was leading them to work with Jewish people. Shawna had been a missions major in college and Christopher enjoyed studying Hebrew and Jewish history. They had given their children Hebrew names ( Josiah, Hadassah, Arielle & Hosanah) and had both studied under the same Rabbi in Kansas City before meeting.

The Lord was clearly growing their passion for missions and love for the Jewish people.

In 2008 Chris & Shawna left their pastorate to begin itinerating. The recession hit and it took 22 months and 11 states to raise their budget. Selling all of their belongings, they bought airline tickets to Israel only to be refused entry. It was a very challenging time for them, but they knew God had spoken. During this time they moved to the Jewish Quarter in Overland Park, Kansas, just minutes from the Rabbi they had studied under previously, so they became part of his congregation. Having to be ready to go at all times they slept on air mattresses and lived out of suitcases. Also during this time, Shawna had a miscarriage.

The enemy was trying to discourage them.

One day they went into a thrift store and, while Christopher was minding his own business, a Hispanic woman pushed her cart up to him and began speaking adamantly in Spanish. Seeing Christopher did not understand, her husband asked her to slow down so that he could interpret. She was prophesying over him! “You’re not only going to Israel, but also Russia, the Ukraine, Turkey, India...” God was confirming their hearts for the Jewish people but expanding their vision beyond Israel.

A few months later God opened the door for them to work internationally with a ministry to Jewish people and they were finally on their way. From that time until now the Mann family has ministered not only in Israel, but also around the world – Turkey, Hungary, Czech Republic, France, Ethiopia, Argentina and Japan. They have worked to develop relationships with ministers and ministries in many countries.

Their passion to reach Jewish people takes time and great patience. The gospel works when trust can be developed in a cultural and contextual way. They have seen and helped lead hundreds of Jewish people to Messiah.

A little more than two years ago Christopher and Shawna began their own ministry to Jewish people called Mann International Ministries (MIM).

The focus of MIM is ministering to the numerous Holocaust survivors in Ukraine, strengthening the body and sharing Messiah with the Jewish people, demonstrating love and cultivating relationships, and raising awareness about how to reach out to Jewish people. The Mann family is excited about sharing their ministry with you, helping your congregation catch the vision and participate in precipitating the gospel to every nation. miministries.net connection • 5

THE SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN by: Mickey Keith

The ground was dry. Sand ran between the prophet’s fingers as he stooped to touch the earth. How long had the drought been going on? He knew exactly how long.

The bones of dead livestock scattered the barren hillsides, testimony to the parched ground on which Elijah stood.

He had confronted Ahab, the king of Israel with the word of the Lord, “There will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word.” And God had been faithful to his word. There fell no rain from the sky, and no clouds formed for a 6 • connection

space of over 3 years.

Rain is a Biblical sign of God’s blessing, but drought was the result of disobedience.

God was calling for repentance from His people.

Elijah’s challenge went to the heart of the idol worship of the day, for Baal was considered the God of storms with the power to cause the rain, which produced fruitful harvests and fertility.

King Ahab “did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, even more than any king before him.” >

He married a foreign princess Jezebel, and began the practice of Baal worship, building altars and temples, and erecting Ahserah poles . No previous ruler had the penchant for sin and debauchery of Ahab.

He was literally addicted to evil.

Only a little more than fifty years had elapsed in Israel’s history since the nation’s powerful times of David and Solomon’s rule. God’ special people had fallen from righteous rulership to debauchery and rampant evil.

Now three years after his challenge, with only dryness in the creek beds and cisterns, Elijah hears from Jehovah that He will send rain. Only God can move the oceans, change the weather, or bring rain.

Not Baal or any other god who claims to have such power.

So Elijah meets with Ahab again, after 42 months of failed crops. Adults, children and animals have been dying of thirst. A showdown between truth and lies, good and evil, life and death is arranged at Mt. Carmel.

Israel was a nation mired in the mud of humanism, idol worship, and immorality.

They were, in fact, much like the Western world today. The time had come for God to declare and show Himself strong again.

In America, we have turned our backs on our heritage, and broken God’s commands. Without repentance, we will be crushed into dust , having once been a great nation.

Elijah called Ahab to account for his sinful leadership, and made him summon all the followers of Baal and Ashteroth to the summit of Mt. Carmel. 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Ashteroth were also called to meet with Elijah.

Not only was the nation in a physical

drought, but the Word of God hadn’t been heard in the land. The soul of Israel’s people was as impoverished as the parched fields of her land.

So Elijah cried to the people gathered around the mountain, “How long are you going to stagger between two loyalties?

If Jehovah the Lord be God then follow Him. If Baal is God then give him your allegiance.”

So the ground rules were laid out; the 850 demonic false priests would attempt to call down fire on their sacrifice. They chanted, screamed, cut themselves, and tried everything to produce fire, but nothing happened.

Then it was Elijah’s turn. He repaired the altar, and placed a prepared bullock on top, then poured water over the sacrifice.

He prayed a short prayer to God, who answered by fire! The fire fell from Heaven, consuming the sacrifice, the water, and the stone altar. The Israelites found themselves on their faces in repentance.

Elijah said to Ahab, “There is a sound of abundance of rain”… He went back up Carmel from the valley and persevered in prayer until the rain came!

Oh, how it came, rivulets of rainwater turned into mighty streams and rivers, as ponds and cisterns were filled with rain from above. Families danced, and children laughed because of God’s abundant provision for His people. The drought was ended, and the false gods were shown as a sham!

Today, we are a nation in need of the rains of revival. God is looking for Elijahs, who will stand in the face of Ahab and the modern culture. Will you believe God for an abundance of rain?

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THE SOUND OF ABUNDANCE OF RAIN

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Hilton Garden Inn | Edmond, OK 9 • connection

Why Small Groups Don’t Work in Your Church by: Chris Surratt

I talk to leaders all of the time who are struggling because their church just will not buy into the concept of community outside of Sunday morning. Most of the time as I start drilling down with a few questions, some of the same reasons start popping up.

Here are a few those reasons why small groups may not be working in your church: 1. The senior pastor does not believe in small groups.

This will kill a small groups system before it can even start. Pastors know that their church should offer intentional paths to discipleship, but they struggle with knowing how to implement a healthy groups system. The lead pastor has to be the head cheerleader for developing disciples within the framework of community.

2. Small groups are “just another program.”

When competing for resources, groups are going to lose every time. If a church is offering 100 different programs during the week and groups are just one of them, people will choose the easiest, quickest item on the menu. Investing time into other people’s lives is not quick and easy. Intentional discipleship requires focus.

3. Small groups aren’t the entry point to the church.

How hard is it to get in a group? How many levels down on the website are they? If groups are not offered as an entry point to the church, they will have less of an impact to the community. If your small groups system is going to reach beyond the core to the crowd, there has to be easy on-ramps for everyone.

4. No one takes the lead.

Building and maintaining a healthy small group system is not easy and in many cases, small groups are just a small subset of one church staff member’s job. Someone who is passionate about seeing people grow spiritually should be thinking about this every day.

5. There is no vision.

Small group leaders need to know that what they are doing every week is making an eternal difference. Cleaning your house for group every week gets old. Hearing about other people’s issues can drag you down.

We all need to be consistently reminded of the reason we do this is because we are called to carry out the Gospel by discipling other believers.

Article from www.lifeway.com 10 • connection

EXECUTIVE BOARD Mickey Keith

President PO Box 1546 Ada, OK 74821 (580) 279-0278 mickey.keith@gmail.com www.life623.com

Dr. Ted Estes

Vice President PO Box 2248 Claremore, OK 74018 (918) 341-8344 pastorted@lifechangerchurch.com www.lifechangerchurch.com

Ken Anderson

Secretary/Treasurer PO Box 1120 Lexington, OK 73051 (405) 527-6030 kda@valornet.com www.libertygospelok.org

Robert Johnson

Director of World Missions PO Box 978 Blackwell, OK 74631 (580) 363-2734 roj@clarionmissions.org www.clarionmissions.org

Dr. Jerry Edmon

Board Member PO Box 862 Elgin, TX 78621 (512) 281-5316 Jedmon1234@aol.com www.fwcelgin.com 11 • connection

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVES Northeast Oklahoma District Rev. Kelvin Limbocker Collinsville, OK (918) 371-0234 Southeast Oklahoma District Rev. Billy Hunter Antlers, OK (580) 298-2740 Southwest Oklahoma District Rev. Donnie Miller Cyril, OK (580) 464-2224 (580) 512-3657 North Texas District Rev. Marc Jones Denton, TX 75751 (903) 675-6011 Southeast Texas District Rev. Walter Brumley La Porte, TX (713) 806-0350 South Central Texas District Rev. Jerry Edmon Elgin, TX (512) 281-5316 Midwest Regional District Rev. Mark Maynard Granite City, IL (618) 931-4106 Arkansas Regional District Rev. Charles Kendrick Alexander, AR (501) 303-0831 Ozark Regional District Rev. Terry Fletcher Aurora, MO (417) 678-2310

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