Archive for the ‘Grace Rivers Development’ Category
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
Each week I will post a new session so that you, our readers, can experience The Journey of Thomas for yourselves. Please read on;
John 14:5-6
Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
- Do you want to have better relationships?
- Do you want to make a deeper impact for the gospel?
- There is real hope. Jesus gave us a way through the fog.
The Way
The Truth
The Life!
Starting with a life changing session on learning how to be more honest with our feelings, The Journey begins. Our feelings are the sensors for our soul, the heart of our being, the place where God’s Word is to be hidden. Without them we can be blind and unaware of our own lives and the value of others.
The Journey continues with a session on building healthy and safe relationships. Seeing people as God does can bring us to value others more appropriately. When we value others we will hopefully see each person we meet as a divine appointment in our life with Christ. God’s word is full of helpful advice on how to have more healthy relationships. This is imperative if we are going to spread His word to others. We must learn to build healthy connections with the people God has put us on this earth to live with.
Now we will enter in to the nine core values that build a ladder of development which will show us how to relate more effectively with and a godlier outcome of our connections. They are:
Honesty
Authenticity
Transparency
Active Participation
Non Judgmental
Confidentiality
Sensitivity
Respect
Honor
It is my hope you will see how it’s possible for us to move from honesty to honor in all of our relationships. It is when we become more honest with ourselves that we will begin the Journey of seeing others as worthy of honor and respect.
There is a process of moving through these sessions that will bring us to see the Fruit of the Spirit flow more freely into and out of our lives. It is also possible to begin to see the application of love in First Corinthians chapter 13 to become a reality!
God calls us to love Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. Sometimes this is a daunting task with such diversity in the world around us. However, I believe the more we apply the principles and tools in The Journey of Thomas to our own lives, this will lead us to a more passionate response to the Great Commission!
Let the Journey Begin!
Tags: Beginning, John 14, The Journey of Thomas, The Light, The Truth, The Way
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Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
How Did The Journey of Thomas Come About?
Todd Posey and I were meeting to reviewing some material I had put together from one of my February meetings in California. That outline was introduced in three basic parts, covering honesty in relationships, choices in building relationships, and the goal of building fruit bearing relationships for the Kingdom of God. Todd was reminded of the familiar passage John 14:6 which says “I am the way, the truth, and the life” and we saw some correlations between my relationship outline and this passage.
We also began to discuss the Grace Rivers’ Core Values and wondered if they might lend themselves to being taught in a particular order. Up to this time, whenever we listed the Core Values, no particular conscious order was given to them. We came to the amazing conclusion that if we reordered the nine Core Values, they had both a linear flow to them and were easily divided into three categories lining up logically with The Truth, The Way, and The Life. Examined this way, they became incredibly clear and even more easily applied in our daily lives.
As we continued further into the parallels, it seemed that all heaven came down and we saw a dramatic revelation of a foundational concept for Grace Rivers. Most intriguing was that as we looked up the passage, we saw that Jesus was answering a question posed to him by Thomas. His question is very similar to what Grace Rivers as a ministry is trying to help people answer.
So, we are very excited to announce “The Journey of Thomas”, which begins with the question “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Or as we paraphrase it, “We don’t know where you are going, and we don’t know how to get there.”
We believe whole heartedly that God has given us a practical solution to that question that will help many hurting people find a way to freedom. The basic mission of Grace Rivers is to provide hope and to do this through practical tools to help men and women build healthy relationships with each other.
Our nine Core Values are just that; foundational principles for us to apply to each and every relationship we have. By putting these to work, they help us to build healthier relationships from the get go and to provide structure and safety in complicated and challenging relationships which leads to healing and restoration. The Core Values represent the unique and foundational teachings that God has been developing in my life for over 20 years leading up to the formation of Grace Rivers.
So we want to invite you to walk alongside us as we enter into the “Journey of Thomas”-an exciting new chapter in the life of Grace Rivers.
Tags: Core Values, The Journey of Thomas
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Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
Dear Friends,
Many of us have heard in a new song by Faith Hill that “A Baby Changes Everything”. I’d like
to follow the example that Jesus laid out for us – to be world changers. Through our personal
stories of His salvation and grace, we can be that kind of example to others.
My wife and I had the opportunity to see Louse Mandrel at Opryland Hotel recently. At the
beginning of her show she stopped and said, “before I do anything, I want to acknowledge before you all
that this is all about Jesus Christ. I am proud to work for Gaylord Opryland because I am free to say this
here!”
Louise Mandrel that day publicly announced who her Lord is! She spoke to 1000’s over her
many shows with the Country Christmas at Opryland this year and was an example to me of a
world changer. She was not afraid of what anyone would think. She just put it out there boldly.
It is my greatest desire for this coming year to be a world changer.
I welcome you to walk alongside Grace Rivers Ministry as we all pursue His grace for our lives so that we can share it with others. The world around us needs His grace more than ever.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus be with you during this Celebration of Christ’s Birth!
Rev. John J. Smid and the Grace Rivers Team
Tags: Celebration, Christmas, Jesus
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Thursday, December 4th, 2008
Credit/Debit Card transactions from the website? Paypal requests? Bank Accounts? Corporation applications? Forms to be filled out? Fax Machine instructions? Telephone Lines? Accounting details? All of these are on my mind right now.
As my wife and I were sitting at Arby’s today I was going over with her the things that need attention “today” and then there is tomorrow and another list.
I am thankful for speaker phones, e-mail, laser printers, cell phones, adn other modern technology because they all make this process easier. However, right now I am listening to, “all agents are currently busy and the next available agent will be with you to assist you” as I am typing this blog.
Serving God is an interesting call in our lives. No matter where we are, He is Lord, He loves us, and wants us to be the best we can be. He never puts us on hold for the next available agent.
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Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008
Last evening we had a wonderful dessert event to officially announce the beginning of Grace Rivers.
There were about 36 people in attendance. I was able to find a background video loop of river scenes to play on the huge “video wall” in the Magnolia room in the Woodland Hills Event center. It was great to have that back drop for our program.
I gave the foundational Grace Rivers teaching encouraging honesty and authenticity within the Body of Christ. After that I went through the history of the development of Grace Rivers and introduced our Steering Committee. The Board of Directors was introduced and three men gave their stories of being involved with the development of the ministry.
Through the message there was encouragement to get involved through networking with churches and organizations for opportunities for Grace Rivers to serve and minister. I also asked for people to pray about being a part of our Board of Directors if they felt an organizational burden for the ministry.
I also mentioned at the end that we will be looking for financial partners to underwrite the ministry so we can continue our development.
Many wonderful comments and encouraging words were spoken afterwards. We are thankful for all of the prayers and all of the hard work that has brought us to this place.
Tags: Grace Rivers Development, Woodland Hills Event Center
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Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008
I am very excited about today. We are having a dessert event this evening that will officially announce the beginning of Grace Rivers Ministry. Six months ago, this ministry wasn’t even thought of. I remember praying that God would surprise me with whatever plans He had for me. I didn’t want to contrive my future, rather I wanted God to lead me where He wanted me to go.
So, we are now set to go forward into a future that has yet to be seen by us but clearly written by God.
We praise Him for His faithfulness and His covering on our lives. There is nothing more exciting and challenging than walking the life God has for us. It is exciting because you never know what is around the next corner. It is challenging because God desire for us to grow and growing comes from the challenges of life and seeking God in them.
Tags: Grace Rivers Development
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Saturday, November 29th, 2008
We are thrilled to see our website is ready for the public eye. The construction was done by Scotty Bollinger from Word Creative. He has done an exemplary job in design and implementation.
There will be further additions and enhancement over time but the frame and current information is indicative of the ministry of Grace Rivers and what we are offering today.
Tags: Scotty Bollinger, website, Word Creative
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Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008
Grace Rivers Development
History Made – October 22, 2008!
On Tuesday evening, our Steering Committee met to make some very important progress in the development of Grace Rivers. The most effecient way for me to include you in on this event is to present to you the first formal minutes of Grace Rivers Ministry.
Steering Committee Members Present
- Phil Mischke
- Randall Johnson
- Scott Bailey
- Mark McKee
- Phil Bollinger
- John Smid
Members Not Present
Purpose of the Meeting
This meeting was held to discuss and establish the corporation of Grace Rivers Ministry. This is the first official meeting of Grace Rivers. The meeting was held at the Grace Rivers Office, 8020 Poplar Pike, in Germantown, TN 38138 at 7:00 PM.
Mark McKee opened in prayer.
Decisions Made
Phil Mischke made the motion to establish Grace Rivers as a 501(c)3 corporation. This motion was second by Randall Johnson and the motion was passed unanimously. The decision was made to use The Foundation Group to assist in the application process for the state corporation and the 501(c)3 non-profit application.
Phil Mischke made the motion to establish three men as the first official Board of Directors for Grace Rivers. This included Mark McKee, Randall Johnson and John J. Smid. Phil Bollinger second the motion and the motion was passed unanimously.
Phil Mischke made the motion to elect John J. Smid as the Chairman, Mark McKee as the Vice Chair, and Randall Johnson as the Secretary. Scott Bailey second the motion and the motion was passed unanimously.
Randall Johnson made the motion to hire John J. Smid as the first Executive Director for Grace Rivers Ministry. Phil Mischke second the motion and the motion was passed unanimously. The compensation package will be established at a later date.
Randall Johnson made the motion to accept the first preliminary budget for 2008, 2009, and 2010 to be presented to The Foundation Group for the application for the 501(c)3 status. Phil Mischke second that motion and the motion was passed unanimously.
The meeting was closed in prayer by John Smid.
I couldn’t be more thrilled to have these men commit their valuable time in assisting in the development of Grace Rivers. This team will continue to meet with the official board until the foundation is complete.
Please pray for:
- God’s continued work through the Grace Rivers Steering Committee.
- For successful completion of the applications for non-profit status.
- God’s further development of the GR Team
- Financial preparation and provision for our next few months of operation
Tags: 501(C)3, board, board members, Corporation, john smid, mark mckee, Non-profit, phil bollinger, phil mischke, randall johnson, scott bailey
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Monday, October 13th, 2008
Grace Rivers Development
An awesome 12 days in California!
Thanks to your prayers, I met with five pastors to discuss Grace Rivers. All of these meetings were incredibly productive from many angles. I began to get a better look at how Grace Rivers can serve our local churches. I received wisdom from each pastor that has helped me very much in the development of the practical application of our Grace Rivers ministry model. We walked away from each meeting pondering the prospect of Grace Rivers returning for ministry opportunities.
Our Family Retreat through Living Stones Ministries was really successful. Carol Wagstaff, LSM Director, was an excellent host for this conference. We had 28 participants which was more than we had expected. One of the personal highlights of the conference was that a good friend of mine and his wife, Josh and Jess Wenig, lead the worship time for us. A ministry highlight was the work we experienced with a family that was working hard to restore their relationships.
I stayed with the Wenig family before and after the conference and found some deepening friendships formed that were a real blessing to me both personally and in their support of Grace Rivers. Their encouragement was invaluable and I look forward to a future return to follow through with what God is doing there.
On Saturday evening during a free night of the conference, I met with a group of 12 men in a Same Sex Attraction support group in Glendora California. At first I felt a little uncomfortable but through the vulnerability of the men present I began to quickly feel connected. At the end of the evening we all went out to eat together and we discussed the possibility of Grace Rivers coming back and facilitating a weekend conference for the group.
I flew up to Northern California feeling little physically tired from all of the activity during the previous six days. I rode for about two hours to the St. Columba’s Retreat Center in Inverness, California, where we were meeting for the New Hope Men’s Retreat. When I walked into the building I became overwhelmed with warm and significant memories of the 8 years I had been involved in ministry in Northern California through Love In Action.
The men were on an outing when I arrived so I took the opportunity to walk around and experience the incredible ambiance of this awesome redwood “mansion” that was built in 1932. I was shown my room with a three sided view from the fourth floor. It had some of the same character of my favorite place to sleep in the world, the Faith Cabin at the Lord’s Land retreat center. I could see Tomalas Bay in Point Reyes, CA, the redwood forests, and I could smell the beautiful moist cedar-like fragrance that was so familiar to me. I was surely in for an awesome personal retreat alongside this ministry event.
I didn’t fully understand the scope of what God was doing in leading Frank Worthen, (director of New Hope Ministries and former director and founder of Love In Action) to invite me to participate with him in leading this retreat. But I began to see even more clearly, God’s blessing. I was pleasantly surprised when a man walked in that 22 years ago had worked with me at the beginning of my involvement with Love In Action. His presence was a tremendous gift to me and it just added to the wonderful memories from years gone by that I was experiencing there. He was there for a refreshing of his walk with the Lord and continued personal growth.
Frank expressed to me that he may not be leading this twice annual retreat next year due to the loss of his sight from Macular Degeneration. He asked me if I might be willing to help facilitate the future retreats and we discussed how this could grow into other areas of the country. From the beginning of the retreat I felt a sense that this deeply needed ministry must continue. At the end I could see first hand the valuable impact it had on those who were there. I told him that I believed this might fit within the vision of Grace Rivers and I would definitely consider his invitation.
I felt deeply privileged to be part of this retreat. With the upcoming new director for New Hope there, there were three generations of the ministry of Frank Worthen’s ministry present which made it even more special. There was a diverse variety of men from east coast to the west and all the way from Florida. How awesome that God allows us to participate in His redemptive process!
When I left the retreat I had a great meeting with Mike and Mona Riley from Church of the Open Door in San Rafael and the next day I went further north to the Sacramento area to meet with others regarding Grace Rivers. Those meetings were refreshing and rewarding.
In the end, I traveled from Southern California all the way up to Sacramento in 12 days and can only praise God for His wonderful provision and faithfulness to go before me in each and every way. Thank you all so much for your encouragement and prayers for this trip.
Please pray for:
- God’s continued work through the Grace Rivers Steering Committee.
- Continued development of the Leadership structures for Grace Rivers
- For divine wisdom for legal advisors as we work through the incorporation of Grace Rivers
- God’s development of the GR Team
- Financial preparation and provision for our next few months of operation
Tags: church of the open door, frank worthen, mike riley, New Hope, New Hope Ministries, northern california, retreat
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Wednesday, September 24th, 2008
Grace Rivers Development
Our plans are working out well. After just three meetings, our Steering Committee has made a tremendous amount of progress. I think the most important progress we have made is in effectively embracing the spirit of Grace Rivers. I truly believe that when the development team understands the concept of Grace Rivers, the rest will fall into place. I am thrilled to see this begin to take shape.
Our Steering Committee representation, myself and Todd Posey will be meeting with an attorney to begin the process of corporate applications and non-profit status applications. Thank you for praying for this very important part of our development process.
Todd Posey and I will be meeting for two whole days to develop a specific plan of implementation for Grace Rivers on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 29th and 30th. Please pray for God’s anointing on our time together.
Our Steering Committee has agreed to a final draft for our vision statement, mission statement, and our core values. See below:
Vision Statement:
Seeking God’s grace in our lives so that we can share it with others.
Mission Statement:
Grace Rivers is a worldwide ministry actively stirring the body of Christ towards healthier relationships and spiritual growth by helping people become more honest and real with themselves, others and God using biblical principles, resulting in a more passionate response to fulfilling the great commission.
Grace Rivers – Core Values
This is a draft of the Core Values that we will adhere to as a ministry. We honor them in order to keep communications and relationships within the leadership safe, honest and open, and to show respect and love to each person present.
pursue personal evaluation of one’s own motives and attitudes. (Luke 6:45;) Authenticity
practice honest, open, yet loving communication with each other that comes out of an internal honesty. Honesty (John 8:32)
refrain from talking at and preaching or teaching to one another, but rather will keep the focus on one’s own issues and feelings. (Matthew 7:1-5) Non-Judgmental
actively participate with respectful listening, personal input, and attentiveness. (James 1:19) Active Participation
refrain from attacking or demeaning another’s character. (Romans 12:10) Honor
put off responding defensively if confronted by another until enough time has passed to pray and reflect over what has been said. (James 1:19,20) Transparency
maintain strict confidentiality with regard to personal matters that come up within their time together, whether at conferences, with participants, or generally about personal and church matters. (Proverbs 11:13) Confidentiality
show sensitivity and give affirmation when someone has chosen to speak out in an honest and vulnerable way. (John 13:34) Sensitivity
stop any distracting behaviors (eating, gum chewing, drinking, fidgeting, doodling) when someone else is requiring focused attention – and electronic devices during all meetings. Respect
Tags: Core Values, mission, mission statement, vision, vision statement
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