Resets and Adjustments

Never let it be said that times of intense prayer aren't productive. The last several weeks have given a lot of answers on questions that need to be answered.

I have to admit, I was starting to get very discouraged. We're making progress, but at an excruciatingly slow rate almost to the point of appearing to be stationary. It's very frustrating for me, especially since I'm very much a results oriented person. If I'm working toward something, I have a hard time with delays, stalls, and setbacks. Nowhere is this more true for me than when it comes to Kingdom work. I came very close to giving up more than once in the last couple of months. Discouragement and despair are always at the elbow of anyone called to leadership in the Body and I am no exception.

Before I could give up, I hit my knees in prayer and for the last several weeks have engaged in a period of intensely seeking the face of God and sessions of fasting. I sought answers for a lot of questions that have been plaguing my thoughts. There are a few left I need answers and a couple I need further understanding but the primary queries have been answered.

I have been asking the Lord why Freedom Church is going so slow. Instead of one answer, I got three. One of them, I've already addressed in my personal blog and dealt with a sin issue that had been tolerated far too long. Yes, pastors can have sin issues in their lives just like everyone else. We can even have a modicum of effectiveness while allowing sin to have a hold on areas of our lives. However, the time is coming when the Lord isn't going to allow us to remain in bondage to the flesh and still serve effectively in His Kingdom. He was pretty clear that he wouldn't allow these seeds of destruction to remain and proceed with Freedom Church's launch. Now that this has been dealt with, placed under the Blood, and vigilance against it is in place (including accountability), the other answers have been given to us.

The next is that we are no longer going to be limited to a specific geographic location. When we decided to focus on Sunnyland, it was in the aftermath of the Washington Tornado. I was privileged to be used of God to minister to a number of people who were dealing with the loss of their homes, shock, and grief. In retrospect, I believe we were caught up in the emotion of the grief and pain of a community we belonged to and loved. The call to the Washington area (of which Sunnyland is a part) was for a specific time and season and that has passed. For many people, not being specific about a location is gong to sound a little nuts because it goes against the grain for many church plants. However, the fullness of the Lord's vision for FC makes more sense when we are no longer tied to a location.

The real truth is that we are called to a people rather than to a location and even that has been reshuffled a little. Our calling to the outcast, the people who don't feel like they belong anywhere else. That may not seem to be of a change since that's always been a part of the vision but the truth is we had a lot of the right people on the list but not in the right order. There are a lot of people who feel like they can't be themselves in a church because they feel condemned or judged because of who they are or what they enjoy. They need a place to belong.

There are a lot of people out there who need the Gospel. No one church can reach them all. The truth is, there are a lot of people out there who don't fit the mold of the "typical churchgoer." Many of them also feel rejected by larger society and need a place to belong. There are a lot of names people use for these people including freaks, geeks, nerds, losers, and flakes. However, these are among the most intelligent, creative and sensitive people out there. Lots of them are into metal, hard rock, punk and dress that way. They could be Goth, Cosplayers, or a whole host of so-called subcultures that feel out of place in traditional and contemporary churches. That is our calling. These are our people.

Does that mean that bikers and others are off the list? Absolutely not. Freedom Church is open to anyone who feels disenfranchised or cast off and needs to find the real freedom offered in Christ Jesus. This particular change appears to be minor but the focus shift is very real. We were close to the mark but not quite on the bullseye. It's the same list we've had from the beginning but the order has been shuffled a little bit. It's going to be a more difficult road to travel, but we must go down it.

When we were aiming at the wrong part of the target, the Lord slowed our progress to keep us from going too far down the road. It's so much easier to correct a course when you're starting out than it is when you're well underway. There are a few more things we need to clear up but they're relatively minor. With His help, things should start to accelerate very soon.

Pastor Mike

What Religion?

We get a lot of questions. This video answers one of the most asked, "What religion is Freedom Church?" For the exasperated answer and a special celebrity guest, give it a watch. Bonus points for the anyone who gets the special joke hidden in plain sight (or hearing).

Stalling and Restarts

If you're wondering, yes we've stalled out at Freedom Church. Any momentum we've had has been lost over the last several weeks. Unfortunately, all of my personal time has been spent trying to make enough money to pay the bills and purchase groceries. In addition to FC, I'm working three jobs, two for other people plus Deep Mystery Studio. As you can imagine, that leaves nothing for FC. There are videos to produce, people to meet with, and a huge list of other tasks that aren't happening right now. If you're reading this and I owe you a coffee meeting, I truly apologize. I am trying to stabilize things so I can make those happen.

Some things are going to hold off until some decisions are made and actions taken. Until I have more control of my time, the small group/Bible study will have to wait. It needs to happen, but as long as I work most weekends at one job or another and can't predict what time I get home at night, we can't schedule it. At the moment, I don't feel like I have the room to breathe much less get anything important done.

However, if we are to meet a goal, something has to happen. We are planning to hold a seminar as both a fundraiser and introduction to the larger church. There are areas of knowledge that many people in the church are lacking that are putting our kids and ourselves are risk. Essentially, it's about what the world is throwing at us in the realm of sexuality and how to remain pure in the midst of it. We'll be teaching about social media, especially apps that parents aren't familiar with that are used for all sorts of activities that we don't want anyone to engage in. The changing face of porn is also an essential topic. We need to know where it's coming from and how it's getting into our homes. It will be more than just a presentation of facts, we'll talk about how lives are destroyed on multiple levels, including the lifestyle romanticized by Fifty Shades of Grey by someone who lived it.

The plan is to hold the event the first Saturday in February, just before the Fifty Shades movie hits theaters. All we need is a host church, preferably in Washington or East Peoria. We will provide snacks and all materials, handle ticket sales, and everything else involved. Whoever hosts is encouraged to participate and to have a table of their own. The purpose of the seminar is to help people in the Body of Christ understand what we are up against and how to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to bear to bring freedom to those who need that bound in the world's chains. Yes, funds above the costs of the event go to starting FC, but our aim is to equip the Body to protect itself and serve the hurting.

We would also like other related ministries and organizations to be represented. Any ministry is welcome, but we would especially like to have Christian counselling services on hand. Youth ministries are encouraged to set up as well. We want as many resources as possible for the attendees to be able to make use of the information and stories they'll hear. We're praying about whether or not to charge for tables or ask for a voluntary donation.

Until then, we need to raise $1000 for some expenses we have yet to cover including finishing the incorporation and other needs we have to get started. There's a PayPal link on this page and our homepage. If you prefer, we have a GoFundMe campaign that you can use to make a contribution.

Freedom Church has slowed, but we are not out. The Lord is still in this work and we need your support and prayers to accomplish His mission.