It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Gal. 5:1
Happy New Year!
Thank you for your investment in ChristLife in 2022- it has been one of the most impactful seasons of ministry we've experienced! This past year has propelled us into a deeper level of need, trust, and careful ministry consideration, for there have been far more opportunities than we have capacity.
In our lifetime, there has never been a greater need for renewal among Christian leaders. Barna research in March 2022 surveyed senior pastors across America and found that 42% are strongly considering leaving the ministry. A survey by the Thome Rainer organization reveals that nearly 70% of evangelical churches are in plateau or decline. The church as we know it seriously needs God's intervention.
ChristLife is committed to renewing Christian leaders and equipping them to bring renewal to the church. As a team, we're also committed to being a ministry that's a by-product of John 15, abiding relationship with Christ. We're daily learning that we can do nothing apart from God, and in our weakness, we're experiencing God use ChristLife to advance His kingdom and bring Him glory.
Alaska
Josh O'Donnel is leading an organization called "Renew Alaska." He has built his ministry around the ChristLife renewal process and is seeing many lives changed in and around the Mat-Su valley. This past year he's added a ministry partner focused on renewing men and providing tools to help men's ministries across Alaska.
Aaron Wiser has a Ph.D. and is a senior pastor in Homer, Alaska. Aaron was recently introduced to a man on a CLM healing journey who is three generations removed from the leaders he invested in several years ago. This type of ministry is exactly what God has created ChristLife to do- to renew and equip leaders committed to renewing and equipping others.
Grand Rapids
I work with anywhere from 22 to 28 Christian leaders weekly in our Grand Rapids office. Whether mega-church pastors, licensed counselors, denominational leaders, or small local church ministers, helping these leaders often opens the door to opportunities to support the organizations they lead.
We are currently searching for a partner to work with me in our Grand Rapids office. This person will further develop the equipping and multiplication aspects of the CLM's renewal process and will also resource past and present CLM-equipped leaders so that we might provide better coaching, follow-up, and access to our written and video resources. With the growth we're experiencing, the ChristLife board and I believe that we've developed this aspect of the ministry as far as we can until this role is filled.
New Opportunities
Our goal at ChristLife is to be used by God to renew and equip 4000 Christian leaders over the next six years. But even as God helps us accomplish this goal, we would be helping less than 1% of the leadership of the American church (Approximately 420,000 US churches in 2022) and leaving out the millions of people attending these churches.
In response to this need, ChristLife is excited to introduce a new team member- Ben Jordan. Ben lives in Dallas and is a highly gifted designer/app developer. We are in the early stages of creating a "relational, device-based experience of renewal and restoration." We’re designing the Journey app to help uncover the many reasons behind our disruptive emotions and dysfunctional lifestyle choices. It will also move people towards an ever-deepening relationship with God, the healer. We will share much more about the Journey app in the coming weeks.
2023
This next year we will be investing in four key areas:
The ongoing renewal, restoration, and equipping of Christian leaders.
New outreach and support of the urban church in Grand Rapids and beyond.
Continued support of denominations, regionally influential churches, and nonprofits.
The development and release of a device-based tool to help people experience ongoing renewal and restoration.
God is in the process of renewing our generation. Thank you so much for your prayers and financial investment in ChristLife! The fruit that this ministry produces is also your fruit!
All the best!
Greg and the ChristLife board