We are excited to announce that Hosanna Church in Lakeville, MN has joined the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). Led by pastors Bill Bohline (pictured), Ryan Alexander Mike Swecker, Tim Hatt, and Patricia Moe, Hosanna’s mission is to advance God’s Kingdom everywhere, one person at a time. Hosanna values include intimacy with God, loving relationships, generosity, serving and evangelism.

I (Mike Bradley, ARC Director) recently had lunch with Bill Bohline, Ryan Alexander and Mike Swecker. As we ate together, Bill told me that Hosanna joined the ARC because of so many shared values between Hosanna and the ARC, particularly the non-negotiable value of embracing the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

We are looking forward to discovering how God would have the ARC serve and support Hosanna, and how He gives them revelation regarding their participation in the ARC. Hosanna is one of the latest of a number of churches who have been in process of joining and partnering with the leaders and congregations of the ARC. We look forward to announcing other churches and leaders who have joined the ARC in the coming months as they complete their application processes.

Please be praying for Hosanna and her leaders. Welcome, Hosanna, to the Alliance of Renewal Churches.

As Director for the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC), I highly commend to you Heart of the Father Ministries, led by ARC pastor, Dr. Joe Johnson (pictured on the right). Joe is a longtime friend of so many of us in the ARC, and literally incarnates the heart of the Father. Joe’s teaching is biblically based, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and transformational in impact.

Heart of the Father’s kingdom purpose is: To connect you to the Father's heart of love for you, the healing power of Jesus and the empowering presence and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Heart of the Father ministries sponsors a variety of teaching and ministry opportunities throughout the year to equip God’s people to do kingdom ministry and be apprentices of Jesus such as:

• Teaching seminars led by Joe Johnson on topics such as praying for physical and inner healing, and ministering the Father’s love
• Sponsoring men’s retreats – the next one is on April 8-10 at Palomar Mountain Camp near San Diego, CA
• Sponsoring schools of prayer. The next one, “How to Pray for One another in Small Groups and Leadership Teams” will be held March 19 at Grace Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, CA with guest teacher, Dr. Georgiana Rodiger
• Sponsoring inner healing seminars – the next one features Dr. Chuck Kraft and will be held at Grace Lutheran Church on April 29-30

During the past year, Joe:

• Has traveled overseas to minister in Germany and Norway
• Has held training conferences for Our Saviors Lutheran Church (ARC) in Midland, TX and Community of Hope Lutheran Church (ARC/LCMC) in Tucson, AZ
• Traveled to Sacramento, CA for Courage Be To You ministries, providing prayer appointments, and healing prayer training for their staff and volunteers
• Been a workshop presenter for The Holy Spirit Conference in St. Paul, MN and for both ARC Gatherings in 2010.

I personally, and we as a network, highly trust and commend Joe Johnson to you, and encourage you to consider scheduling him to come teach and minister in your congregation.

In addition to serving as the Director, Heart of the Father Ministries, Joe serves as Community Life Pastor for Grace Lutheran Church in Huntington Beach, CA and as interim Pastor for City on a Hill in Torrance, CA.

To arrange for speaking or ministry with Joe, email jjohnson@gracehb.org

"Do not conform (be shaped) any longer to the pattern of this world, but be TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- His good and pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

In my 15-years serving as a pulpit minister, I've experienced two major moments of personal "mind transformation." Both have shaped and moved me to test and approve God's will for my life and labor as a servant of the Lord Jesus!

The first breakthrough came several years ago when I was on the verge of leaving congregational ministry. In the midst of deep discouragement, I was introduced to the movement of Lutheran Renewal, the start of The Master's Institute Seminary and the beginning of the ARC, (Alliance of Renewal Churches). It was at that time the Lord "renewed" my energy and transformed my mind to a new vision of leading and teaching by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My second great moment of transformation came just over a year ago. I wasn't contemplating leaving ministry, but I was feeling flat and fatigued. After working extremely hard for six-years, focused solely at planting a church in Northfield, MN, while seeing the fruit of a healthy and vibrant congregation, I was not witnessing transformation in the over-all area of Northfield. The city and the region seemed quite un-changed.

There was good news and bad news. Good News: pre-believers were coming to faith at Rejoice! Bad News: Northfield was still experiencing terrible corruption at city hall. Good News: Offerings were up at Rejoice! as we prepped for building a facility. Bad News: Northfield was cranking up debt while main street businesses were fighting to stay relevant. Good News: High school youth were choosing to be a part of our growing Rejoice! community ministry. Bad News: the over-all youth culture of Northfield was still making state news with drug and alcohol abuse. Good News: the city's two private colleges, St. Olaf and Carleton were financially stable with plenty of great faculty and students. Bad News: more and more of the college faculty and students were seeing Jesus as just a good guy along with Buddha and Mohammad; rather than as their personal Lord and Savior.

The Lord put two scenarios in my path. I could be happy for Rejoice! and settle for less by adopting a "too bad for the rest of the city" mindset, or, I could start seeing Rejoice! as the igniter-church for a marketplace transformational movement in blessing the whole city.

I have chosen the latter. In doing so, the Lord has transformed my sense of pulpit purpose. Rejoice! is no longer just focusing on congregational growth, but kingdom growth. Obviously it's still hard work, but I am no longer feeling flat and fatigued, but energized with faith! How did this come to be? I'll try to make a long story, short. My purpose is to encourage you as ARC pastors and congregations to seek the Lord's biblical transformation of your own life and ministry--- to better know God's good, pleasing and perfect will for His entire creation.

About four-years ago, I caught word on what the Holy Spirit was doing in Elk River, MN. Pastors were meeting with business owners, government officials and school employees to really dig-in and pray for the city. Unity in Christ for the sake of the city was out-weighing denominational preferences and traditions. The impact of this faithfulness triggered miracles throughout the city! For example, Elk River's teen suicide rate, once the highest per-capita in the nation, fell to nothing. Business, government and the schools began to flourish with greater favor. Christians went from Sunday morning pew sitters to Monday morning marketplace action ministers! Business leaders began opening doors for employees to pray and participate in Bible studies. Now-a-days, the mayor is constantly being asked to speak at various engagements around the world--- more about her faith than about her politics!

The inspiration for this transformational movement came from the world-wide ministry of Ed Silvoso and International Harvest Evangelism. Marketplace miracles, like those in Elk River, are occurring every day all around the world. Focused on Jesus' calling to "make disciples of all nations..." the heart of Harvest Evangelism is birthed from Jesus' instructions in Luke 10. He is instructing his followers how to effectively evangelize a city and a nation with the biblical purposes and principles of God. It doesn't begin with a soap-box and a declaration to "turn or burn." It doesn't start with handing out tracks and inviting people to come to a church program. Instead, Jesus lays-out God's strategy for permanently winning people to His salvation and kingdom purposes for their lives. Luke 10 is a process of patient persistence, making evangelism about God's grace and our daily obedience to serve Him. Here are the four action steps from Luke 10:

ACTion-1: "Bless" others. Speak "God's peace" to people and systems in your spheres of influence, Luke 10:5-6. After I began taking Jesus seriously at his word, it's no more drive-by cursings for me, where I complain to God about a government agency, a school system or even a church mission. Instead, I'm seeking more to bless people, places and things into God's care. The prayer of peace pushes back the kingdom of darkness and breaks forth God's kingdom of light! The ARC knows that!

ACTion-2: "Fellowship" with others. Build relationships with those outside the kingdom of God, Luke 10:7-8. People will trust you as a Christian as you show them you are trust worthy! I'm now intentionally taking the time to speak to more and more people outside my congregation. I'm not trying so much to get them to come to Rejoice!, but seeking to get them to first trust a Christian!

ACTion-3: "Minister" to others. Respond to people's felt needs in the name of Jesus, Luke 10:9a. Once trust is established, people will begin asking you for Godly advice, or healing prayer, or an invitation to your church worship service! After being patiently bold enough to pray and fellowship with others in my community, I am finding growing favor to minister to them as well!

ACTion-4: "Proclaim" to others. Announce the kingdom of God has come near and is available to them through Jesus Christ, Luke 10:9b. People are far more open to hearing how God wants to transform their lives and labor when prayer has taken over the city, leading to fellowship and ministry. I'm learning, even bit-by-bit, that when I trust God's idea for evangelism (Luke 10), rather than my own cleverness, I'm experiencing greater freedom and success as a pastor. Yes, I mean supernatural success!

So, with a new paradigm and a network of like-minded believers around me, I am greatly inspired to believe that God has the same heart for Northfield that He does for Elk River and the whole world. This Romans 12 and Luke 10 paradigm shift has led me to faith ACTion, as I have joined others in establishing a prayer room in downtown Northfield. We are inviting anyone and everyone to use it during all hours of the day...and people have been doing so! I am now networking with Ed Silvoso and Harvest Evangelism, attending both the international and North American conferences. I didn't go by myself, though, instead I have taken dozens from Northfield with me so we can all catch and grow into the vision!

From this core group who share a heart for Northfield, we have invited various other marketplace folks from around town to join us in a Bible study created by Greg Pagh, the lead pastor of Christ Church in Otsego, MN. The study is called "Faith Beyond Belief." I have used it as a small group teaching tool for both my congregation and for local business people, government servants and school officials outside my congregation! Again, I am no longer feeling flat and fatigued, but energized on faith!

Over the last year, the practicing core of Northfield transformation marketplace ministers has grown to over 60 people. We are now gathering weekly for prayer, and meeting monthly for breakfast and testimony sharing. Members are seeing themselves as ministers and their labor as their worship of God!

You'll take great delight in hearing that my whole perspective of ministry has been transformed--- shaped and moved by the Holy Spirit's calling to pastor the public with plenty of marketplace minister assistance! I am no longer just serving a wonderful congregation of 270 worshipping souls, but participating with others to disciple a whole city of 20,000 souls--- believers and pre-believers!

Is it working? Indeed, we are already seeing the fruit of marketplace ministers serving in their various spheres of daily influence. People are getting excited about living their faith like never before. They are establishing and taking responsibility to lead all sorts of new kingdom ministries; everything from prayer walking the neighborhood streets, to building playground equipment on the school grounds, to running for various local government and school leadership offices, to one business owner dedicating his business as a "kingdom company" for the Lord's work. We are believing on God's word like never before!

As a whole, Northfield-Dundas are certainly not "there yet", but with city-wide prayer evangelism, I know the two communities are improving. They have to, because as we are obedient to Jesus' directions in Luke 10, our faith always triggers God's Holy Spirit power of mind transformation-- to know His good, pleasing and perfect will!

Pastor Dan Clites
Rejoice! Lutheran Renewal Church
Northfield-Dundas, MN
www.rejoicenorthfield.org

The Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC) is excited to announce Kristi Graner as another of our keynote speakers for the 2011 ARC Southwest Gathering: Prayer – Ushering in a Kingdom Uprising. She will be speaking on the topics, “I Give You Authority” and “Praying in Power.”

Kristi and her husband Gary currently direct Dare To Believe Ministries, a ministry that focuses on Bible based teaching and mentoring of people to “pay attention to” God’s voice in their lives. Kristi was on the pastoral staff of Hosanna! in Lakeville, MN until 2009. She oversaw Hosanna’s leadership development, prayer ministry, and revelatory and freedom ministries.

Krisit has a passion for equipping and coaching people to discover their spiritual gifts, passions, leadership skills, and life purpose She regularly teaches at Hosanna! and other Christian venues throughout the United States and abroad. Kristi holds a Master’s Degree in Theology and Spiritual Formation. She is a trainer for Streams Ministries International, is a trained speaker and prayer leader for Alpha North America and has been trained at the Bethel School of the Prophets in Redding California. Kristi has been married to Gary Graner since 1983. They have two sons. The Graner’s live in Minnesota.

We are excited to announce that Pete Greig will be one of the keynote speakers at our ARC 2011 Southwest Gathering: Prayer-Ushering in a Kingdom Uprising. Pete Greig is one of the founding champions of the 24-7 Prayer and Missions movement which has spread into more than half the nations on earth. He teaches at St Paul’s Theological College in London and serves as Director of Prayer for Alpha International, a course which has introduced fifteen million people to the gospel.

Pete and his wife Sammy are currently planting their third church, this one in Guildford near London where they live with their two sons and Noodle the Labradoodle. Pete’s books include Red Moon Rising, The Vision and God On Mute – Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer. He aspires to sail and despairs regularly over the woes of Portsmouth Football Club.

The gathering will be held in San Diego, CA on July 13-15, 2011 at Penasquitos Lutheran Church (PLC). Worship leaders will include Vineyard worship leader/pastor and ARC member, Danny Mullins; and the Young Adult worship band from PLC who rocked the house at last year's gathering.

We'll be sending you more details on a regular basis in the months to come, but for now,put the gathering on your calendar now and be sure to add some extra days to enjoy the beauty that is San Diego.

ARC member, Per Nilsen, has been installed as the new senior pastor for North Heights Lutheran Church in St. Paul, MN. Per (pictured along with North Heights pastor and ARC National Leadership Team member, Eric Bluhm, left; and ARC Director, Mike Bradley, right) served as lead pastor for Community of Hope Lutheran Church in Rosemount, MN, and as a member of the Board of Directors for The Master’s Institute (MI) Seminary prior to accepting this call to North Heights. He and his wife, Mary, have two sons.

Per shares: “The vision the Lord has placed on my heart is a vision for the Church that the ARC has been working toward since its inception; congregations integrated through vision and values, united in carrying out the work of Jesus Christ. I’m excited about the expanded role that North Heights can bring to the growth and development of the ARC. ”

Please keep Per in prayer for revelation and wisdom, and for the entire staff of North Heights, as they launch into this next season of ministry and adventure with the Lord.

Multiple God encounters were experienced at this year’s ARC Southwest Gathering, “The Empowering Presence,” held in late June at Robinwood Church in Huntington Beach, CA. The theme was designed to help us continue sowing an ARC core value in our lives - a radical dependence upon the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit - to the point it is a part of our spiritual DNA and something we live incarnationally, not merely acknowledge theologically.

Leading up to the gathering we were praying for God encounters and that is what we got. Testimonies of God encounters included people who prayed for an assurance of salvation, baptism in the Holy Spirit, fresh fillings of the Holy Spirit, and inner and physical healing. Others have shared how God met them in the midst of personal challenges in life, speaking prophetic words and words of knowledge to them. ARC Pastor Dave Drum shared that he was blessed with a God encounter before we even officially started the gathering. He writes:

“I came to the ARC very much in need of His empowering presence on a personal level. Before the conference even started, I was invited into a prayer group for the evening's leaders. Truthfully, I didn't feel like I had a whole lot to offer, but I went, and much to my surprise, God had something for me in that time. Within seconds after praying a prayer for myself, I heard someone else with a word of knowledge, praying for and prophesying over me the exact prayers I'd just prayed for myself. That ended up being the theme of the whole conference, songs sung just for me, prophetic words given just for me. I feel bad for everyone else, but sure am grateful for the ways God chose to bless and refresh me!”



The gathering featured wonderful times of worship together. Worship leaders Bob Mabry and Chris Hankins led two of the worship teams and we were blessed again this year to have the young adult worship team from Penasquitos Lutheran Church lead us. There were many wonderful workshops and an early morning chapel time led by Pastor Nathan Hoff that was a highlight for many who attended.

Pastor Brendon Fairley and other youth leaders planned and led a youth track for the gathering, with the teens joining young and older adults for many of the main sessions. Many teens were also subject of God encounters, some giving testimony to being baptized in the Spirit, filled afresh with the Spirit, and experiencing God’s healing touch emotionally and relationally. One testimony of what God was doing in and amongst the teens who joined us comes from Tyler Clark, a member of the Wonderful Mercy (Gilbert, AZ) youth group. Tyler writes:

"I know God was at The ARC Gathering in Southern California this June, but I had a hard time feeling His presence. I know that “where two or more are gathered He is there,” but it felt as if He was a million miles away, like a far-off stranger that no matter how fast I ran towards I couldn’t close the gap between us. In the end, though, He did show up because He is good and faithful. My encounter with God came during the Friday night session. I’ll describe it for you in present tense so you can get a feel for the moment.

I am standing, trying to make it through worship like I had the rest of the week. Then, unexpectedly, I feel an overwhelming pressure on my knee (which I had so badly injured it required surgery a few weeks earlier). I sit down, grit my teeth, and try to bear it, but it’s getting more and more intense. Almost as if someone or something is squeezing it.

Seeing I am in agony, Dirk (WMC youth pastor, Dirk Duhlstine) has Charlie Hayes get me a painkiller while I hobble the kitchen for some cold water. Thinking I’m going to be okay I return back to my seat, but I immediately break out into a sweat and start having a hard time breathing. Finally, Dirk tells me to go upstairs and I take off quicker than I’ve moved since my surgery. He even has to tell me to slow down!

Well, I’m almost in tears by the time I make it to my bed. I lie down, Dirk gets me ice and pillows, and then he leaves. I manage to keep my composure until I hear the door shut at the bottom of the stairs. Then I just let it all out: I cry and scream in pain. I clear my head enough to start praying. But then I just go numb. Fire engulfs me but it doesn’t hurt me, and I can hear other things crying out, being consumed by the fire. This fire is freeing, energizing, and even empowering.

After all this takes place I lie on my bed and all these happy thoughts and memories start going through my head. One sticks out like in bold letters in my head: baptism by fire! After that I could not be the same; I had God with me and I knew it now. I’d have to say this encounter was the most significant appearance He’s ever made to me.

Now, God is too good to let it stop there. Friday and Saturday mornings they had special youth sessions, and it wasn’t the teaching that touched me but what took place at the end. Brendon, the Youth Pastor of the other group that was there, encouraged us to be vulnerable with the people in your group. Of course, God just had to take me out of my comfort zone; He told me to go with people I had never met.

I managed to be obedient for once and went to a group with two guys and three girls: Lindsay, Morgan, McKenzie, Mike, Jonny, and me. Turns out Jonny and I were the only ones who felt safe enough to share deeply the first morning. My heart sensed safety among fellow believers my own age and I told them things I couldn’t even tell my mom. In turn that gave a sense of freedom to the others to share the next day. It gave me this joy that, well, blew my mind in these circumstances!

God is awesome. He knew exactly what I needed and at exactly the right time gave it to me. As I take time to look back on it, I see that God did some amazing things for me. I’m keeping in contact with the people that were in my group because we all have one thing in common: we love God and felt safe enough to share intimate things with one another and not be afraid of being judged.

God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!"

Keynote speakers Lee Grady and Dave Householder blessed us, and the times of just hanging out and enjoying our relationships with one another was again a highlight for many in attendance. Not only was the time built in for those relationships a highlight but the tenor of the relationships had an impact on many. One person who attended wrote:

The most striking feature of the conference was the humility of all the leadership including Grady. I have been to a zillion conferences and while there is great teaching, you feel that the leadership/speakers are unapproachable. In the case of the ARC conference it was just the opposite. While the teaching was fine, what really blessed me was the people. I felt we were all in something together. It didn't matter that you were a pastor or lay person; it felt like we were all one. This makes the ARC special. This is something I hope and pray we never lose. I believe the ARC is a movement that God has raised up to show true humility and passion for kingdom things while being very relational.

Thanks again to Robinwood Church for doing such a wonderful job of hosting the gathering; particular thanks to Chris Hankins and Julie Ramsey who not only gave leadership to so many of the administrative details in putting this gathering together, but who truly modeled the life and attitude of Jesus for us while doing it.

Be watching your emails and the ARC website for an announcement on next year’s Southwest ARC Gathering to be held on June 22-24: Prayer – Ushering in a Kingdom Uprising.