By Eric Bluhm, ARC National Leadership Team Member

I had the distinct honor and privilege to represent the ARC as Calvary Church in Omaha, Nebraska installed their new Senior Pastor, TW Norman, September 7th, 2014. “TW”, as he is called, has been on staff with long time Pastor Noel Peterson for about 3 ½ years and is now stepping into the lead pastor role for a new season in the life of Calvary as a congregation.

Calvary is a warm, inviting, multi-generational spirit-filled congregation. Before the service began numerous people in the congregation recognized I was a visitor and warmly greeted me. The worship, led by TW's wife Tina, was a great mix of traditional hymns and very spirited contemporary worship. During the greeting time I was given a prophetic scripture for myself, and not for the first time found someone had been praying for me before I came. What a sweet atmosphere!

After leading TW and the congregation to formalize their commitment to one another before the Lord, a very large number of congregants joined me in the front to lay hands on and pray over TW with heartfelt prayers and prophetic words. Then TW preached (and I mean preached) a sermon as part of a series, “Who are you?”, and the particular message for the day was on “You are Forgiven.” It was one of the finest words regarding our identity in Jesus, and on dealing with condemnation in our lives I have yet heard. Two people came forward to give their life to the Lord in response, and many others were prayed for where they were by the congregation for ministry to break free of condemnation in their lives. It was a wonderful, powerful service!

Afterward there was a spaghetti dinner with many staying to fellowship well into the early afternoon. Calvary is off to a good start in this new season with TW as their new Senior Pastor. Congratulations TW and Calvary!

Don’t forget to join us for the ARC Midwest Gathering and our Fall Life Together Days. The Gathering will be hosted by Redeemer Lutheran Church in Fridley (St. Paul), MN on November 6-8. You can register by going to the home page of the ARC at www.arcusa.org and find details under the “Events” link on that same home page.

Don’t forget our upcoming Life Together Days which will be hosted in three regions of the country this Fall. Our purpose for gathering is to provide a safe place where you as ARC leaders and friends of the ARC can meet as peers in an intentional manner to share life together in an atmosphere that is safe. In these times we are able to grow in authentic relationship with one another, worship together in freedom and in an unhurried and relaxed manner, and receive teaching and personal prayer-prophetic ministry that encourage and equip us.

Because we want these gatherings to be a safe place for you as leaders, please remember that these meetings are for staff level leaders only, and for your spouses. The times for this fall’s Life Together Days are 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The dates and locations are:

• Minnesota – Thursday, September 25th at Bridgewood Community Church in Blaine.
• Arizona – Elevate Coffee Shop in Glendale on Thursday, October 9th 
• California – Radiant Church in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, October 14th

I am very excited to announce the launching of a new website by ARC leader Robert Walter. Robert is a member of our National Leadership Team and a dear friend. A few years ago he and I were talking about a writing project on shame and grace he submitted while studying at Fuller Theological Seminary. As he shared about it his passion for the topic was obvious. Something reignited that day for Robert and he began to give renewed attention to this important area of ministry. Now, based on his research on this life-transforming topic, Robert has launched a new website and written an eBook entitled Why Do I Still Feel Bad? I asked Robert to tell us about this new website, eBook, and ministry. He writes the following:

“Too many people are hacking their way through the jungle of life. Too many people are
living half the lives they were meant to live. Some get lost along the way; many get discouraged. Others are burdened by troubles; some are hobbled by the past. Many just give up. It doesn’t need to be that way. Like many Christians, I’ve been trying to explore what it means to live the abundant life Jesus promised. This search began over thirty years ago. Along the way I’ve discovered an often-overlooked issue that seems to be one of the major obstacles to a fulfilled life.

For years I put off writing about this obstacle because I wasn’t sure I really understood it or could provide a solution. But whenever I taught about it, people were intrigued and asked for more. So I started research to learn what the Bible, neuroscience, spirituality and discipleship had to say. It was about that time that Mike Bradley invited me to teach a class on the subject at The Master’s Institute Seminary. This gave me the impetus to dig in to it and wrestle with my questions. The result was the class called ‘Shame and Grace’ that I taught for the first time in September 2011.

After taking the seminar one pastor wrote: ‘It's rare to participate in a class that can do an equally good job of feeding your own soul and equipping you for soul care to others at the same time. This seminar is nourishing, refreshing, equipping, and empowering all at the same time.’ Because of this kind of response, and a little nudge from the Holy Spirit and dear friends, I sensed that God wanted me to write a book and blog 1) to help others who were stuck in their walk get moving again and 2) to equip pastors and counselors to help others step into their destiny.

So I recently launched a new website where folks can explore issues of discipleship, spirituality, brain science and emotional wholeness. The goal is to help ordinary people (and pastors - they’re not ordinary are they?) experience the riches of God’s grace and run the race marked out for them. You can access the website and get my new eBook Why Do I Still Feel Bad at www.ongodstrail.com. For the time being the eBook is available for free.”

As Director for the ARC I cannot commend Robert and his work highly enough. I encourage you all to go to his website, sign up to follow his blog, and download his eBook. I did and am being blessed, encouraged, and equipped as a result. Thanks Robert for all your hours of research and writing that is going to bless us all!

We are happy to announce that Derek Luptak was ordained on July 27th at Grace Church in Show Low, AZ. Derek serves as the youth pastor for Grace and graduated in May from The Master’s Institute Seminary. ARC Director, Mike Bradley, represented the ARC at the ordination and gave the message. Grace Church lead pastor, Gary Wingate, led the service.

Looking back on this special day Derek writes: “My ordination day was both a culmination and a new beginning in this journey that began 17 years ago when I first experienced the transforming love of Jesus. I am thankful to be ordained into this particular network of believers. Whenever I get to interact with other ARC members, be it a Life Together Day or an Annual Gathering, I know that I will be with people who are not trying to tame God. I am honored to be a member of a network of people so passionate to extend God's Kingdom in this day and age. I am honored to be a representative of this body in the mountains of Northeastern Arizona. I am deeply grateful to Mike Bradley and the faculty at The Master's Institute for coming alongside me when I needed encouragement and training in righteousness. God has used the people of the ARC to speak into my life in deep and powerful ways. I am excited to see what God has planned for us all!”

We are very excited to welcome Derek to the ranks of ordained pastors in the ARC. He is a wonderful example of the many young leaders we have been blessed with who are emotionally, relationally, and spiritually whole and extremely gifted by the Lord. Derek’s wife, Amanda, is a gifted leader in her own right, particularly in the area of children’s ministry. God’s continued favor be upon you Amanda and Derek.

Together we are a force to be reckoned with! I have always believed this is one of the strengths we have in the ARC. Our influence is not based on any one person or personality, but rather on our being a band of authentic brothers and sisters on mission together. Toward that end, one of the strategies we use in the ARC to develop and nurture our relationships are our Life Together Days.

Because we believe that together we are a force to be reckoned with these are times of coming together are important and worth making the effort to attend. I am not unaware that for some of you attending these days requires an additional investment of time to drive to get to wherever we are meeting. However, when those times of life come up that you need others to be standing with you and having your back, it will have been well worth it.

The purpose for the ARC’s Life Together Days is to provide a safe place where ARC leaders and friends of the ARC can meet as peers in an intentional manner to share life together. In these times we are able to grow in authentic relationship with one another, worship together in freedom and in an unhurried and relaxed manner, and receive teaching and personal prayer-prophetic ministry that encourage and equip us.

Because we want these gatherings to be a safe place for you as leaders, please remember that these meetings are for staff level leaders only, and for your spouses. We have found in the past that having members of your congregations attend can place you as leaders, or other leaders in attendance, in uncomfortable positions due to the sensitive, leadership discussions we may be engaging in. Therefore, for your own sake and the sake of others please honor this request.

The times for this fall’s Life Together Days are 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. The dates and locations are:

• Minnesota – Thursday, September 25th at Bridgewood Community Church in Blaine.
• Arizona – Elevate Coffee Shop in Glendale on Thursday, October 9th 
• California – Radiant Church in Huntington Beach on Tuesday, October 14th

We are saddened to let you know of the passing of ARC Pastor, Walter Enquist. Walt was the pastor for Christ the Messiah Church in Jacksonville, FL and was much beloved by his family, friends, and congregation. His son, Teddy, told me that Walt suffered a sudden heart attack on August 17th, only a few days after having had what appeared to be successful gall bladder surgery.

A going home celebration was held on Saturday, August 23rd. Knowing Walt and his great faith in Jesus and his love for God, that is exactly what it would be—a celebration of his life, his ministry, and his going to what he understood to be his true home with the Lord. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that all memorial contributions be made to Christ the Messiah Church. The address is 7576 San Jose Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32217.

Please keep Nadira and her family in prayer. If you would, announce Walt’s homegoing in your congregations and pray prayers of thanks for him and his leadership, and for Nadira and the family. Thank you for doing this!

Mike Bradley, ARC Director

There was a celebration on June 28th as Sharon Franta was added to the ranks of ordained pastors in the Alliance of Renewal Churches (ARC). This was an especially sweet day for me personally, having worked with Sharon at The Master’s Institute (MI) since 2004, watching her graduate from the seminary along the way, and having mentored and worked with her husband, Scott, in MI’s School of Ministry program. It has been a privilege to be witness to the journey of faith the two of them have been taking with the Lord these past ten years, seeing an increasing Christ-like transformation in their lives, all brought to fullness on this special day.

Sharon’s ordination was celebrated at Bridgewood Community Church where she has joined the pastoral team as an associate pastor. Sharon is a great addition to an already all-star line up of a team that includes lead pastor, Brendon Fairley, associates Mark Spencer and Diane Stores, worship leader, Matt Schurr, and youth pastors, Morgan Sanders and Mark Zamora.

I asked Sharon to reflect back on her ordination day and the journey along the way. She writes: “The journey to not settle for less and to go after all that God has for you can be a road paved with difficult and challenging moments. Doubt, fear, pride, anxiety—you name yours— hover over the stronger, underlying core belief that you are on the right path. When you dig deep, this core is what keeps you going; that you know you are doing your best to stay the course."

Mike Bradley, Eric Bluhm, Joy Frenette, and Brendon Fairley played key roles along with my husband Scott and 3 of our adult children, my friends and the Bridgewood Church Community. God has landed me in a sweet place with sweet people. In response, I pondered how I could express my gratefulness to God and everyone who has walked with me and is for me. How do you say thank you to someone who saved, changed, and/or influenced your life? For me, I resolved that the best way I know how is to go out and do the same for others. To live a life that honors those who have poured into mine; to pass it on. I am honored to be serving at Bridgewood Community Church and every other place God provides a divine moment to extend his grace, his light and his love.”

We in the ARC are blessed to add a gifted sister in Christ such as Sharon to the ranks of ordained pastors in this little band of brothers and sisters who are on mission together. Welcome, Sharon! We’re glad you’re with us!

The Ordination Celebration on June 28th was a sweet place to be with God. The time was right. The place was right. I was surrounded by people who called out in me what I sometimes couldn't see. It was a celebration of God's work in my journey and his call on my life to keep going.