New Believer #3

For this interview I chose someone from the freedom house. I love the ministry and I love the people that it builds, so this was a great way for me to get in it and see what's brewing in one of those guys. This man's journey to faith in Christ started with a near death experience. He was going through some extremely tough times and needed to fix himself up, so that's what he chose to do. Hope, he said, in the one and only thing he hadn't tried yet, led him to where he is now: getting clean and staying peaceful. His family was the thing that most helped his ability to make that final step into commitment-land. His sister and her husband in particular, he said, was the biggest part. Those two go to FVWC, now. Peace, which is one of my favorite things to hear about in accordance with God, is what he says the best thing about being with God is. It's what he fought for through all his crap and continues to fight for. The most challenging part, which makes sense for him, is self-doubt. Self-doubt and the what if's that we all ask. These really binded him. His family has been his biggest help it seems, because that's not only what got him into Christ more, it's what got him to stay with and grow in it the most. Advice that he would give isn't too surprising, he says people need to listen, and gain that new perspective on situations that comes with it. That might have a bit to do with self-pity, but it still brings a valid point. He's a very good guy, from what I can tell. He's also doing a lot with the freedom house ministry that is helping what I do on Wednesday nights easier, like putting a light in the back of the stage in with a few other guys, and just cleaning and the basics. He does a lot and I think it helps to distract from what he got out of, and gets him focused on the amazing things that he got into.

Unchurched interview #4

Once again, as I feel it should be, I used one of my friends from school for this interview. She's a very opinionated person who enjoys sharing it, so here goes. She, like many others, believes that needs to be more places for people to go, because of the stuff people get into when they're bored. This could be a view on her life as well as her friends, which are also mine (the friends) and going through some scares now. Although this may be true, I feel like people should take responsibility and make something for themselves to do that isn't deconstructive. When she was asked about whether or not she was actively attending a church, she said that she used to, but her pastor died of cancer, and from talks I've had with her, I think it discouraged her to see that happen to a pastor very much. This was a Methodist church. She stated that things that interest her, which I've known and seen to play out extremely truthfully, were music, theater, and being able to communicate with friends. These are HUGE parts of her life, and I've seen her work on all of them to no end. Reasons that she thinks people go to church aren't as typical as most. She knows that people, including her, are afraid of being judged there, and that she might be seen as an outsider, but the one that surprised me is that she wrote they might not know enough about faith to go to church, and therefore wouldn't be interested. I know her to have a lot of faith in what her beliefs are, but that's simply because she doesn't think that people are sincere in churches and doesn't think that people have tried to test God with God coming out as the right way to go. Churches, according to her, should be fun, modern, but still get their ideas across. People who listen and are open are a big part of how church SHOULD be for her to go to them. She feels pastors could accept everyone, and don't let how people have acted affect your current opinion, no matter what you believe differently.

New Believer #4

This new believer is a recent addition to the faith thanks first of all to God, obviously, and second to God working through Jordan Britton. His name is Keith Jackson, and he's going to be a seriously strong man. I sent him this interview via e-mail, and I thought the best way to give you what he thought would be to simply copy and paste, so that's what I did. I, personally, feel that he is an amazing teen and will do some amazing things due to God's want for his talents and gifts. He's got some serious future ahead of him, I only hope I can be involved.


Tell me about your journey to faith in Christ?
1. I have been in and out of faith. When I had him in my life things were great I felt at peace, but when behind closed doors I went back to my old ways. Now that I realize what I have done and there are people who will help me I have been living for Him for the longest I ever have.




What helped you the most to step over the line and make the commitment?
2. My friends definitely helped the most. Just seeing the ones who were without God it didn’t make sense any more to me to live like that and I wanted to change. There were people who helped me do that.


What has been the best part of becoming a Christ follower for you?
3. The best part is, knowing that I have someone to confide in; always no matter what happens. It feels like a safe haven that will get me through anything and it feels like I am actually free.
(from Luke - I love this, this is really what God gives and it shows so brightly)

What has been the most challenging part of following Christ?
4. The hardest part is being around those friends who don’t believe as much as I do. I wanted to change and I did, but sometimes they don’t think it’s the same person. And it just splits you, but it helps to confide in God.


What do you think is helping you grow the most in your faith?
5. My friends that believe and my family have helped the most. I can always count and fall back on them when I need to and they’re always there for me and I would do the same for them.




What advice do you have for me in helping others like you to grow in their faith?
6. You got to just get God in their life and show them that He is going to help and will save them if they follow Him. It’s easier said than done but that is all it took for me.

Dave Ramsey - Town hall for hope.

This, well known to anyone in Freedom Valley Worship Center's area or the Fox News Business Network, was a large event put out for the public as free and helpful to anyone going through a tough time financially, especially if the hard time had to do with the economic crisis which the country seems to be slowly growing out of. Dave Ramsey, financial guru, was the speaker who would answer people's questions on money and everything involved in this simple thing that has become so complicated over the years. He had many fantastic quotes that could make up an entire paper like this one I'm writing. These quotes ranged from funny and useful to painfully true and anecdotal. Some quotes were often used, like "I don't play with snakes, they bite.", and some quotes were only used once but had equal impact, like "When the tide comes in you can tell who's been skinny dippin'." I agreed with so many points that this man had to say, like his points about government getting involved in the economic depression. He says that it would be made worse by government mismanagement. I loved his point of view on companies that do poor business should close, like the big companies that were bailed out by the government. Suffice it to say that I agree with him on nearly everything. A for more quotes, however, for the good of the world.



"Failure brings clarity." - Dave Ramsey

"A little desperation is good for the soul." - Dave Ramsey

"You can pray while you're workin'." - Dave Ramsey

"Work like it depends on us, pray like it depends on God." - Dave Ramsey

I don't do business with big banks because they have no soul." - Dave Ramsey

"Thanks for reading." - Luke Stoltzfoos

unchurched friend interview #3

My interviewee for this round was a girl named Shelby. She is a girl who doesn't really have any ideas about church because he parents have never gone, and therefore she has never gone. I tried hard (especially today) to get her to think about church and to get her thinking about going. Here are the questions and answers.

What do you think is the greatest need in your area?
She couldn't answer this question for a few minutes, but then came back with "the only thing I can think of is like a park". This was just because in this area there isn't anything she knows of where you can just walk without traffic near you.

Are you actively attending any church?
No, she says this is because he parents never have, so she hasn't seen a was or a reason to.

What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you?
She decided not the answer this one, she couldn't figure out what it meant. At the beginning she said she liked math, and I assume that's because she thought it was asking about what subjects in school she likes.

Why do you think most people don't attend church?
Just as my other interviewees, she gave the "because it's boring" answer. I think many people have a view of church that is very warped. She thought this simply because other people told her that they were bored in church, but not from personal experience.

If you were to look for a church to attend, what kind of things would you look for?
She would want a fun service. Something that was short, entertaining, and to the point without guilt trips and being preached at, whereas we want her to be preached for.

What advice can you give to pastors who really want to be helpful to people?
With help from others present, (regretfully, because I already interviewed one of the people there, who was the one who chose to give the most information towards this subject.)she said they should listen and have some true perspective for the other person's side.



Added note: one girl at the table contributed that she couldn't talk to a pastor because she felt like a 40 year old man (emphasis on man) couldn't be compatible with a girl her age. I think there may be some underlying things that needs to be spoken about with a pastor or counselor, but how can we get her to talk to them, when she's so ardent about keeping her problems away from the people who could help the most?

church rater #3 March 29th, 2009

The Church
What Church did you visit?
VFCC chapel

What city or town is this Church located?
Outside of Philidelphia.

What date and service did you attend?









Evaluating
How would you rate this church?


Please provide ratings based on your own experience. Yes, I realize this is subjective and your '1′ might be someone else's '5′. That's ok. It's your rating and I really want your opinion.
Rate the following from 1 to 5. 1 is not effective, 5 is very effective!
Overall: _____4______ Friendliness _____4________ Singing ______5______ Preaching ____3_____

First Impressions
Outside:
Was the building easy to find? Yes, it was part of the Valley Forge campus.
Was it difficult to find parking?No, we walked.
How about the interior or exterior signage- what would you do differently? No.
What did the appearance, style, or construction of the building communicate to you?
That it was a nice place that focused on music and learning about God.
Before the service:
Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? No, but I was there as part of breakaway.
If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that?

Can you share their names?

Did you know them before the visit?


General observations:

As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind?
The worship team was very into God and into the spirit, but a lot of teenagers there were not.
Were you able to understand why they do what they do? Yes, I could.

Do they seem sincere? Very much so.

What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service) It went through smoothly, not much trouble with that, which is could, because it went unnoticed.


Bulletin and communications:

Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive?
I did not receive one, I don't believe they use bulletins.
If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially? Maybe simply to have some communication, but since it was a retreat there was information everywhere.

Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)? I didn't think there were announcements.


Children's Ministry

Does this church appear kid-friendly? No, it was a college chapel.

Did you bring any children with you to the service? No.

If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you?


Music and Prayer

How would you describe the music? Modern, but with a hint of toning back the modern because of the retreat, I think.

Did you enjoy any of it?Yes, very much.

Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it? Yes, but since there were so many teenagers and rowdy folk, it was tough.

How was it different from what you are used to? More people, and a few things like focus were missing for the audience.

Would you enjoy worshiping like that often? Not as much as other places, but I can see myself there.

What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service? They were well spoken, intriguing.

As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God? They are very AG there, but I didn't hear any praying in tongues, which for me, would've been nice.


The Speaker's Presentation

Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable? Likable, yes.

Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why? Probably not, I see a lot of smoke and not a lot of plan, which I like to see the smoke, but I need to the plans too.
Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?
Yes, to all but condescending.
Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?
Not really.
What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?
I just don't enjoy his (Reggie Dabbs) Style of preaching.
Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Boring(probably only my point of view, he does a great job at getting the kids involved with his sermon), Relevant, Gloomy, Energetic, Credible, Slow, Sad, Upbeat, Humorous, Life-changing, funny,


The Message

What was the main idea of the message? God's view of us.

What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking? Salvation with God

Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention? No, but it was because I've heard that type of sermon before.

Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way? A negative way may be that he embelished a few of his stories for more relevance.

What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?
No offense, but I feel like someone who is preaching to others about Godly living should have a healthier body, and he did not. I also understand that no one is perfect, but it bothers me.
Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?
In the end, probably not.
Do you understand God or people better because of it?
no, I wouldn't say so.
Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself?
Yes, it made me want to preach.

David Kennard

David is an amazing man of God and is doing an insane amount of work for God's kingdom. His work in the ministry battle field. What he does is described with many words, because it seems to e never ending. A list he came up with was: groups/discipleship, funerals/weddings/counseling, administration, teaching, and site pastor. With this amazing list becomes and even longer and more amazing list, which consists of his many underlying jobs within those titles. His official title, however, is "Adult Ministries Director". He is a pastor, however it is for a video site of the Riverside Community Church. The site is actually located in a mall, which is perhaps the most interesting this about this interview. He has amazing ability in his small groups as well. This is maybe the area where I feel like I can learn the most, because of my personal moving into a small group style ministry. He is very, very odd at it, although I would say it works best for a church with a working congregation, not for a church plant to begin with. This is only because of the relying that the small groups have on the people's imagination and creativity. The people have to make up a small group that's relevant to the church and congregations people. I like it very much, but you may need a few more people to be that specialized.

All in all, I like him extremely and I would love to learn even more about his ministry and what he does daily.

Church Rater 2 ------- 3/24/09

The Church

What Church did you visit?

The Pulse Youth Group (Christ American Baptist)

What city or town is this Church located?

Spring Grove

What date and service did you attend?

3/18/09

Evaluating

How would you rate this church?

Please provide ratings based on your own experience. Yes, I realize this is subjective and your '1′ might be someone else's '5′. That's ok. It's your rating and I really want your opinion.
Rate the following from 1 to 5. 1 is not effective, 5 is very effective!Overall: ___4.5________ Friendliness _____5________ Singing ______3______ Preaching ____5_____
First ImpressionsOutside: Was the building easy to find?

No, but we came with people who go there often, so we found it easily.
Was it difficult to find parking? No, we were there early, however.

How about the interior or exterior signage- what would you do differently?I would try to make the church a little more visible, it was outlined by trees and was a wooden structure, so it blended right in. I didn't see any signs, but I'm sure there were some.

What did the appearance, style, or construction of the building communicate to you? Very laid back, young feeling, it was the trade-off of the blending in look.

Before the service:Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway?

Yes, a few people came up to us

If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that?
I liked it, it was a very friendly atmosphere.

Can you share their names?
one of them was either Bri or Bria. I came with Zach Knight.

Did you know them before the visit?
some yes, but many no.

General observations:
As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind?
I thought that some of the worship felt a little forced, teens were just jumping to jump, or not jumping to be cool, while a few were still doing a serious worship, but not as many as one would hope.
Were you able to understand why they do what they do?
It was actually explained quite clearly by their pastor beforehand

Do they seem sincere? For the worship team and clearly "leadership teens" - yes. for many of the students - no.

What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service) I thought the flow and ability to change went very well, although the worship transitions could've been smoother.

Bulletin and communications:
Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive?
I didn't get a bulletin, I don't think there are any that go with the youth group.

If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially?
I actually very much liked the communication, - verbally, there was no non-verbal - it worked very well.


Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)?

I saw a barbecue announcement that I thought looked pretty fun, I would've gone if I was a part of the youth group.

Children's Ministry
Does this church appear kid-friendly? Yes, but again, I was there for youth, not main services.
Did you bring any children with you to the service? No.
If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you?

Music and Prayer
How would you describe the music? Well done, but I feel like it was a little unpracticed.

Did you enjoy any of it? Yes, I enjoyed trying to get the kids other than me into it.

Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it? Yes, but I had to force a little bit because there seemed to be a lack of enthusiasm by the crowd, the worship team was great, though.

How was it different from what you are used to?It had a little more of a hymn feel to it than I'm used to.

Would you enjoy worshiping like that often? Probably some of it, but not that much of it.


What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service?Very, VERY nice. The youth group split into small groups and had some very effective talking and prayer where you could really see the lead man's (in our group)work that he does with the kids outside of weekly service. a great followup seemed to be in the background of that service.

As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God? They seemed to be there to save kids, as I believe they should be.

The Speaker's Presentation

Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable?(small group leader)

Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why?YES, he was very insightful and seemed to be a hard-working, god-fearing, guy.

Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?Definitely engaged and sincere, but I wouldn't say condescending, he was actually very kind and very equal with the students.

Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?
Yes, I felt very motivated, but that was more for the church plant than anything.

What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?
I don't really know, maybe work on worship transitions, which is very small.

Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Enjoyable, Thought-provoking, Boring, Relevant, Energetic, Credible, SLIGHTLY Slow, MOSTLY Upbeat, Useful, Life-changing(not to me, but very possible to change another life),

The Message
What was the main idea of the message?How is your life, how do I help (it was a small group) , and very much based on you tell me, we pray about it.

What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking? Prayer and being a bit of an open book. Honesty is useful.

Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention? Yes, very much so.

Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way? Yes, just the parts of true trust kids had in this leader (Shannon Lewis). He made me want to have a relationship with the great mentor he is.

What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?I honestly can't think of a thing.

Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?He didn't exactly teach, but I will definitely remember how he ran his group for future reference.

Do you understand God or people better because of it? It made me understand how to reach my peers in a more complete way. I really need to focus on them and spend time on them. More so than I have.

Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself ?very much so, in that way, at least.

Jason Lamer class response 3/24/09

Jason Lamer is a pioneer in youth ministry. He helps create huge opportunities for youth who want to reach their friends. He uses prayer support, campus missionaries, networking, and the group "The Seven Project" to reach teens in the penn-del areas. One of the best things, in my opinion, is that whenever he (and the Youth Alive ministry team) has a youth student commit to being a campus missionary and a force of God in their school, he gives that student a bible that can train them in the word (called a Fire Bible). These fire bibles have text under the verses explaining what Moses, John, or any character in the bible states. While annoying to most believers who have gone to church and recieved insight already, this can be very helpful in any new believer's cause to understand what the word of God says and what God wants you to recieve from it. This is just one fraction of the ministry he does. God also sends him with the Seven Project, which has a huge skating expedition and then shares God's word to the audience of youth, often in the highest of numbers. These rallies are held in schools, churches, and many other locations across the board. He does many other amazing ministries with God's power behind him, and has become a force of faith and a fantastic example for youth like my friends and myself to follow.

New believer Interview.

I interviewed a man (whom we will name Tom) who has had a hard time committing to church throughout his life. He is now, finally, following Christ and with what I believe is a fervent passion. When I asked him about his journey to faith in christ, he said that he was actually raised in the church for the beginning of his life. Drugs and Alcohol definitely took their role in his life as a hindrance towards anything good or God. However, through getting "locked up", he was put into rehab. This is where he met another man that told him about Jesus and how he had radically changed his ways from whatever he was into, and was then a new man. That is also what helped him make the big step of commitment towards God. He says the best part of becoming a Christian and a follower of Christ is the security he feels in his identity, and yet also the freedom he knows he has. The biggest challenge, however, is definitely his battles with demons, there is always some demon trying to get you, and it has to stop. Tom told me that foundation was the thing that helps him grow the most in his faith. Foundation and security are extremely important when your dealing with demons, you need that support group and those people that will keep you in line from anything that might make you relapse, and re-destroy yourself. Tom had great advice for reaching others like him to grow in their faith: keep it simple. simplicity is a huge deal, keeping to square one and making sure you don't go to square two unlesss they are sincerely ready. I really like Tom and I'm glad that I got to interview such a strong man of God.

Nick Poole

Nick Poole is a very young man to be so skilled at what he does. He directs church planting for Allison Park Church, in what is called the multi-church movement. This job includes deciding whether or not a church should be planted with them, and then coaching whoever is going to plant with them into a healthy church. The plants he has already coached into existence are very close in the Pittsburgh area. He said that within a fifteen minute drive you could reach 4 of their plants. Something very interesting to me was mistakes that he saw new church plants make, such as thinking they've never started anything, fear of start, and thinking that the church will grow to a hundred or more in a week, which will discourage them if it doesn't happen. Once these churches are established, the teamwork really begins through these churches. The plants are generally kept from each others business, but are also all involved in the Allison Park church network of plants, so they all help each other in their outreach. It's an amazing process to see all of the churches grow and then continue to work together. I hope that the teamwork they show can effect how I do ministry in the future.

unchurched friend 2 ---------3.12.09

For my second unchurched friend interview, I chose another person from school. The unchurched at my school are very numerous, as well as they have many assumptions that I can kill or try to kill during the interview. This interviewee's name was kristen. She's very nice, a little needy with speaking at times, and I believe she likes to give her opinion because it's not heard much at home, or somewhere else significant to her. However, she felt a bit tense during the interview because it was about church, clearly something she doesn't know well, and kept her answers brief. What did she think was the greatest need in our area? She said that she was bored here and that our area didn't have enough attractions, since the battlefield gets boring after the first or second time, what else is there? She's definitely not actively attending a church, she hasn't gone in two years, and before that is was another two years. The third question very much bothered her: What are a few issues or topics that impact/interest you? - She thought this question was outrageously broad and therefore would answer broadly. Immigration was one issue that she spouted off as well as foreign languages, and I had to move on to get a different sound that "that question is ridiculous". Why does she think most people don't attend church? It's most likely, according to her, because of boredom or laziness. She believes people are simply too lazy to go and bored to stay, and this probably stems off of going to a more traditional church, even though she told me she prefers to dress up for church because she feels like it's supposed to be that way. If she was looking for a church to attend, she said she would look for a short service, and something that explains why she's supposed to listen to them. She's bored and feels like she's being taught things that don't connect with anything else she's heard. Lastly, what could a pastor do better, or to be best? She wants a pastor who listens, doesn't judge, and says things relevant to the questions she asks, instead of simply shooting off verses that she can't figure out how they go with her inquiry. She says she doesn't hate church, but often doesn't understand it. This seems to be a common theme in my schoolmates, and needs to be addressed in an efficient and working way.

Brian and Angie Bolt

3/5/09--------due 3/13/09


Brian and Angie Bolt have been married for almost six years and planted a church in the inner city of pittsburgh and are working very hard, not to mention very well, to bring the unreached and unpreached to christ. Much of their outreach in the community is the homes they offer, which are similar to Freedom House, and these homes help people recover from addictions, prostitution, as well as other problems people face that few people really try to reach. One thing that really interests me about Brian is that he keeps to his calling. He keeps himself away from doing what he knows is not his calling for the era that he's in at the moment. Their model of church is made after their ability to take people off the streets, and hopefully reproduce themselves in others, so that they can continue to effec others, even when they aren't there. The average attendance seen in the weekend is 150, and that is in two times of the weekend, Friday and Sunday. Friday, which is a day I esecially like to have service, since it gets people from clubs and things that will particularly go against God, is the most spiritual service they have, Sunday is a more outreach-ish day to grab people. The whole church is very, very interesting to me, speifically because it's not the "norm" for churches, but they don't even seem to know, or at least they don't acknowledge, this fact. I like this church.

Mike Hammer

Mike is a man that I want to be like, and in more ways than just wanting his last name. He started his ministry in a pack of RV's traveling through the country and using dramas with hard-hitting sermons to reach people in churches to make hard decisions. He went from traveling evangelist to set-in-a-place pastor by realizing that God was preparing him for deeper relationships and long lasting ties to the people he ministers to. In doing this, he soon found that to be a successful church plant you have to be soul-winning and hard-working in it. He went on without being a "traditional church". He uses seminars for all ages and arcades for teens, which is not too surprising when you find that he started at a golf course after his RV ministry. His seminars are marketed to non-church goers who are "spiritual" but not neccessarily christian. It teaches life principles to all ages for three days (the weekend). One thing I may disagree with, even though I agree with him on most aspets of ministry, from what I can tell, is that he said "You can only take people where you've been", and I believe that the "only" should not be in there, thanks to heavenly wisdom. I did very much enjoy his talk, and I hope that I see his church in the future.

Sam Masteller

From one night of listening to Sam, I already can say that I love this guy. He's very nice, seems to be energetic and to have the ability to change with the needs of the time, which is a very useful life-style that I see in him. His church (Freedom Life) is very steered towards evangelism for new believers. He says evangelism is not an event, it's a style that they keep in the church at all times. Events are used, however, such as a harvest party (alternative to Halloween), Luaus, and comedy nights. His huge thing is relevance. Relevance is what controls whether or not he is listened to. If he can create a message that's relevant to the audience, that's something they can connect to, he can finally get them to listen to the true message of God. If something that seems "weird" to a new believer or to a brand new person, he'll explain it, but won't apologize. He will do an alter call each week, one part for salvation, one part for existing members and growth in them. Non-christian people are involved in the church in the ways of greeters and ushers. Recently saved people are pushed towards children's services teaching so that they can learn the bible stories that they are teaching the kids. The general way he might reach those who are objecting to christians is with authenticity. He realizes so much how people need the message to be relevant to their understanding. The way he focuses in on it just impresses me. His services have been cut down and made more connecting. He keeps track of numbers with a sheet he gets every week and his win is when all those numbers are going up and he's truly seeing something change because he's onveying God's word in a real way.

Bethel AG Church Rating

The Church What Church did you visit? Bethel AG What city or town is this Church located? Littlestown, Pa What date and service did you attend? February 8, 2009 - sunday night service

Evaluating How would you rate this church? highly. Please provide ratings based on your own experience. Yes, I realize this is subjective and your '1′ might be someone else's '5′. That's ok. It's your rating and I really want your opinion. Rate the following from 1 to 5. 1 is not effective, 5 is very effective! Overall: _____4______ Friendliness _______4______ Singing ______2______ Preaching ____5_____ First Impressions Outside: Was the building easy to find? It seemed to be, although I didn't drive. Was it difficult to find parking? no, there were spaces open, although the slant of the spaces made it a bit strange. How about the interior or exterior signage- what would you do differently? Maybe I would make the sign a little more surrounded by welcoming things. The sign seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. What did the appearance, style, or construction of the building communicate to you? Very churchy, but large. There was a lot of pink, so I assumed it was a women-driven church. Before the service: Did anyone approach you and speak to you before the service got underway? Yes, in the meeting time we had. If someone did speak to you, how did you feel about that? I liked it, I thought it was very nice to have someone want me to be welcomed. Can you share their names? No. Did you know them before the visit? No. General observations: As you observed the people "doing their church thing", what went through your mind? I felt like it was a little fake, but in the same way it may have just been a different style. I really didn't feel much more passion there besides the pastor and the main worship leader, though. Were you able to understand why they do what they do? There was little need for explanation, but mostly, I could, yes. Do they seem sincere? Some did, I felt like many of the congregation (which I understand was mixed that night) didn't, however. What do you think about the overall presentation of the service? (the liturgy, program or flow of the service) The presentation was great. The service seemed to be perfectly mapped out, but it still had the ability to move if the spirit chose to do so. Bulletin and communications: Is there anything in the church bulletin that you find confusing or offensive? I didn't receive a bulletin. If this were your "business", how would you improve the communication part of it- the bulletin especially? If I had a bulletin for something, I would want it to be extremely short, eye catching, and obviously not dull. Were announcements clear, and interesting (did you want to sign up for anything)? I'm not sure that there were announcements. Children's Ministry Does this church appear kid-friendly? yes, very. Did you bring any children with you to the service?no. If so, ask them about their experience. What did they tell you? Music and Prayer How would you describe the music? too quiet. I love the control they have, but it seems to be abused with the drums, I couldn't feel much passion at all in the worship. Did you enjoy any of it? I believe one song was high in energy and I enjoyed that one. Did you feel like you connected with God during any part of it? If I blocked the rest of the church out, I felt like I could connect. How was it different from what you are used to? Quiet, not very energetic. Would you enjoy worshiping like that often? no. What did you think of the prayers that were offered in the service? great, very well done by Mr.Johannes. As you listened to the prayers, what did you learn about how that church might think of people, or of God? Since the prayers were from Johannes' mouth, there was little to interpret about the church alone, but I felt that Johannes was very in tune with God, and what God would want. The Speaker's Presentation

Did the Pastor or speaker seem likable?
Yes, Johannes is very likable. Jim Ruddy seemed very nice as well.

Is he/she a person you might enjoy having coffee with? Why?

Jim Ruddy seems like he would be great to hang out with because of his energy.

Did he/she seem engaged/sincere/condescending?
Jim seemed very engaged and sincere. not condescending at all. He just wanted to praise God.

Were you motivated to do or think anything differently because of the talk?
Yes, I started to think much differently about healing thanks to Johannes' talk.

What could they have done to make it more enjoyable or useful?

Not to much, maybe add a loud noise to wake up some people =]

Please erase any of the following descriptors that did not apply to the talk: Enjoyable, Thought-provoking, Boring (only in some cases), Relevant, Energetic(the sermon was), Credible, Upbeat, Humorous, Useful, can be Life-changing, funny

The Message

What was the main idea of the message?

Forgiveness.

What action did the speaker want you to take or consider taking?
He asked if we wanted to break out of our shell and start forgiving and to receive healing.

Did the talk itself (the subject matter) hold your attention?
Yes.

Did any part of the talk stand out to you in a positive or negative way?

I enjoyed it as a whole, I believe.
Besides when someone said that Jesus is the only one who died on a cross.....not true.

What is the one thing the speaker could do that would improve his/her presentation?
I'm not sure, Johannes does a very good job. He should ride a Harley into the sanctuary.

Do you think that you particularly will remember anything that was taught?

Yes, forgiveness is a direct cause for healing.

Do you understand God or people better because of it?

yes.

Did it make you feel like you wanted to preach someday yourself ?
I've felt that way for a while without any prodding.

Wess Shortridge

Wess runs a church of about 250-300 people in Virginia. He planted this church with only himself, wife, and his kids. His major objective is to create relationships with his new comers. The church is, from what I can tell, about 90% catered to new comers. He does almost nothing but cater to them. He says that people can only be saved if they're saved into a community. He is a king of organization and everything I've seen has been planned and executed to the smallest point. Attributes of this church include things like small groups - which is the community he's referred to in his only saved by community statement - , bridging events - things to get people connected- , they also do friends day. A big outreach is the internet. The web, according to him, is where he puts most of his energy. That energy goes into facebook, Wess' personal blog, MySpace, google adwords, facebook ads, etc. The demographic is more of completely new people than churched people. The service is hard, 25 minute worship, 35 minute sermon, and out the door. The orginization of all of it is more amazing than I think I could have even thought of. The anouncements are either weaved into the sermons or not anounced. The building is old and the atmosphere is friendly. The whole thing makes my life seem like it has the organization of a garbage dump. He has had much experience and it has served him so, so well. The experience is clearly complimented by God. His casual dress, often and harley shirt and jeans, his adressing of the needs of the community such as money, relationships and addictions, his small groups, or the offering bucket right inside the door instead of passing a plate, he has done amazing things that God has clearly had his hands in and I got more and more impressed as I listen to him talk.

Response to Jon and Anna Kvist (Luke Stoltzfoos)

Jon and Anna Kvist have been many places throughout their missions, from Bulgaria to South Africa. Anna, specifically, has been to 7 countries that she listed in our class(Bulgaria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Lesotho, South Africa, and Thailand). Throught their travels they have learned that one main thing to reaching people is that you have to meet them where their at, try to find where their treasures are (because their hearts are also there), and you will connect on a personal level with mass groups of people. This is coupled with not starting to be about yourself, use relationships with your culture and the target audience's. For example, Jon said he used that he was so white and he's been sun burnt so much, perhaps it would be a better thing to be dark-skinned, and he used this in a culture where most would be dark-skinned. Examples of the couple's connectability would be that they can list how certain cultures can be reached with certain details about God. Specifically, God is a loving god, but even though muslims have ninty-nine names for god, all characteristics of god, not one of the ninty-nine is for love, so you can use God's love for reaching them. Jon had gone to S.O.S. ministry school and gave examples of what they do or what they have at least tried to do to reach people in that community (Sweden). Some of the things included: baking a cake for neighbors and trying to get invited into their home to become connected, sports tournaments with five minutes of gospel, cultural exchange parties, etc. They feel called to missions and work two average jobs to fund their trips. The jobs also fund Anna's school in which she's studying to become a nurse. They say to remember that without compassion you will fail, and I find that to be a great and amazing statement, not to mention true.

Interview with Jan Workman Response (Luke Stoltzfoos)

Jan Workman is a great, fantastic woman of God, very close to my heart because she's one of the people who raised me to be who I am now. She works with children on a level that I have never even seen before, and I personally know it to be effective. The greatest thing that I heard her say, I think, is that you need to treat kids like they aren't kids. We should be taking their individual talents and plugging them right in to ministry, and that's how she runs her bigger events for kids ministry. She took the kids who were extremely outgoing and had a kid's meet and greet team, there was also a drama team of children all under the age of ten. She took the kids who don't have specific talents to speak of, and makes them clowns or stage crew. All the raw talent she has for this was unexpected to her though, seeing as she didn't want to be a children's pastor, and didn't feel called to the field at all. She filled the need that our church had, though, and now she's thriving in this field of ministry, and I believe she enjoys it. The belief Jan has is that we dictate to much to kids, when we should be letting them decide, and pulling it out of them, we want them to learn how be thinkers, not mind-rotting TV starers. First thing's first, you need kids to have the ministry, so how can you outreach? Jan knows that outreach can be cheap, such as getting balloons and face paints. She's powered through everything to do what she's done. Not marital issues, sexism, nor spiritual battle have stopped this power from god surging through her. Jan workman is an amazing woman who, if possible, I would love to have back at our church working with kids like she does.

Recently Saved Friend Interview (Luke Stoltzfoos)

Kate said she came to know christ through a combination of things.She's had a life of her Grandmother taking her to Easter, christmas, etc., services. Vacation Bible School has played a big role in her journey, too, since she attended every summer for over 5 years. She attended a bible study every Tuesday for a long time as well, which seemed to be the single thing that strengthened her the most in Christ. She still remembers at least one specific topic that the study had included, even though it was 4 years ago. This was what helped her finally get over that line and get interested in being on fire for God (I believe she still has some work on that, but she's making progress from what I can tell). The greatest advantage she sees from becoming a follower of Christ is that she now had guidlines and structure, to which I mentioned and she agreed that we all need structure to live healthy lifestyles. She had another great answer for the next question: "maybe studying...I have a hard time doing that". This was, of course, answering what was hardest for her in following Christ. She very nicely said that my family and I have been the thing that's helping her grow the most. Relationships with healthy and stable Christians (not necessarily describing me) are, to me, clearly what is best for growth, besides a relationship with God. The last question was the most exiting for me. She said that someone like me should start advertising youth group in our school, as well as possibly start a group that meets in between school and sports practices, which would be 2:30-300pm. I was really impressed by this and I thought with her organizational skills she could definetly be plugged in well with almost any ministry. I can't wait to see the response of what she does in the future.

Unchurched Friend Interview #1

This friend, Tracy(not really, but we're calling her that), said that she feels dirty here. She feels we need to clean up, and realize that cleanliness is important. Also, trying to come up with stuff to say, I believe, she said that we need stricter driving enforcement, because she's seen to many careless drivers. Although that isn't too specific, she tried. I don't think Tracy knew what to say on that one. She did start to get a little more talkative when I asked her about attending church. She said she hasn't since maybe 6th grade, although her mom still goes. Tracy is a very decidedly spoken person, and one thing she's decided is that church is boring. She says animal rights and such things are her most interested fields. She acts as a bit of a tree hugger, with her music and interests, but she's not yelling at anyone trying to change a food chain, yet (that was a joke). Tracy thinks that people don't usually go to church because they don't like it when they go, don't enjoy it, that and the thought of church being a hassle. Most people think that church is a waste of their time, to her. She says she might go to church if she found a laid back, soft-drink allowing church. She says she's gotten in trouble for having drinks in the sanctuary before, and that seemed really pretentious to her, that you couldn't have anything like a soda in service. If she was to give advice to pastors who really want to be helpful to people, she would say to stay "chill" and be a little more calm about church. Tracy wants her pastor to know that she won't always be there, and that shouldn't be reprimanded, but it should be praised when she is there, I believe she feels like churches is one big put-down machine that makes you feel bad about your life, just like many others. The pastor she would want can't attack you if you're late, or anything of that sort, either. Tracy wants a calm, collect, and pleasant church to attend, but I'm not sure that she believes that's even possible. Tracy is a fantastic person that I love to be around, but I think he ideas of church are a bit stereotypical, just like everyone's who hasn't been a part of what their talking about.

Chaplain Will Olsen

http://lukesmcb.blogspot.com/

(Luke's ministry class blog)

Chaplain Will Olsen was in our class on Thursday telling us about his ministry. He has worked 5 years in the Adams County Adult Correctional Complex, but he is paid by Good News Jail and Prison Ministry. I think that he is a prime example of what is possible if you want it. He decided he would minister in prisons, and that's what he did. He went and got the sponsorships and got to work. He had some amazing stories about what his work has done. One person, who he called Adam, had long hair, tattoos, piercings, and he used to worship Satan. This man would've committed that day if he hadn't met with Chaplain Will. Another prisoner, a woman, had Demons in her cell, he prayed and anointed her cell, prayed some more, and then God gave him an answer, ask her for repentance and renouncement of her sins. She did this, he said it took a while for her to go through them all, but she did it. He later got a report that said she was talking to her inmates about Jesus.

Will also passes out literature for the inmates to read, such as bibles, religious books, writings, etc. Sadly, he also has to pass out Korans if an inmate asks for it. Will says it's better than them not asking for anything, because he now has a relationship with that person he had to give the book to. I think that shows great maturity and strength to be able to look at that positively, and it's something I really would want to have in my future ministries. That and his courage to talk to these men who have done terrible things, and then his ability to let God turn the prisoners lives around.

I think his main challenge is budget working, just like many of today's leaders. I believe he works pretty well at it, though. He does banquets and things, and the rest comes from churches willing to fund the great things he's doing. Another challenge, not surprisingly, is that some inmates try to "do the christian show" to act like their doing well, and possibly get out early. He, like me especially, and all of us, needs to pray and get clarity from God, which is my biggest concern. To know who is real around us is a big deal, and I think Chaplain Will does a pretty good job, and I hope he keeps doing it.

First class response.

This class, we had a very exited, interesting, and very "Honest Abe" seeming and looking man come in for our discussion/interview time. His name is John Wega, and he is the re-founder of the United States Christian Commission (USCC). John is hosting a variety of amazing outreaches in the Gettysburg area, and doing this with his own money, family, and time.

He rents a small outdoors place in Gettysburg, which has a wooden frame with a realistic feel for the civil war. They built the frame with accounts of civil war soldiers describing the chapels that they helped build. The chapel is used for services every week, often with 50 - 80 people; however, they only have a dozen or less regulars. People will often come and sit down off the sidewalk, attracted to the history, and get a service while sitting there!

John (his family, and a few backers) also has use of the house in which the famous Jennie Wade grew up. This attracts those who are interested in the civil war to become interested in what God did in that time. John shows what the USCC did when the civil war was in Gettysburg, as well as other parts of the country. The USCC was a huge force of God, being used to witness to dying soldiers on the battlefield and in hospitals. Men would be saved the week, night, and even minutes before they died.

The group also does living histories. They recently made an entire village that would be very accurate to civil war times. The park service now asks John to do services in the park, because he has proven to them that the USCC was so forcefully present in this time. This gives him the freedom to pass out whatever he wants, such as bibles, texts, etc., and for people to take them and accept them as history.

He pays for his outreaches with money from his own job selling supplies to pharmaceutical companies. While there are churches backing him, it is with the greatest limit - usually 25-100 dollars a month, and the bulk of the cost (thousands of dollars), comes from his own pocket.

As you can tell, this ministry has tons of outreaches, and many were not listed here that were given. The "win" for him, it seems, would be to get people thinking about Christ, and how much Christians, with God's help, have done and how much God loves his kids.