John Ratz

John Ratz has served at several churches for the purpose of setting a small group system. Originally he worked young married cupules and Audio visual aspects of the church services. Since than he has found a gifting for aiding churches that are struggling to run small group programs or trying to start them.

When he first started a small group program he spent a year preparing for it. When

He launched the program he invited anyone who was interested in small groups to attend a meeting. Initially they had 120 people (60% of the church) show up (without even knowing much about what the small groups were going to be all about). They held another meeting the next morning and most of the people came back.

John started off by doing modal small groups that lasted for 6 weeks. One of the biggest hurdles was going to get people to make a weekly commitment so they started of small. After they started no one New was allowed to join in those first groups so that the people in them could grow relationships. Everyone in each small group had a turn to lead their group. Even though many of the participants were nervous, everyone said that they had a good experience.

John found that having just one or two nights a week set aside by the church with no other ministries going on really helped with small groups. It also made it easier for each group to come to gather a few times a year to go over anything that they wanted too.

He Also he found that even with the same training, group leaders would take away different things from their training sessions and he had to continually help them grow and learn.

After 20 plus small groups, John said that he needed help “couches”, to train the small group leaders. He found his couches by putting the leaders into small groups and seeing which ones naturally lead their groups. By using them, a lot of pressure was taken of off John.

John said that one of the most important things is to understand the culture of the church that we are coming into. Also he said that everyone needs a small group, even the guy running the small groups. 

Christ Follower (Silas)

Living in Jerusalem I was present for the Lord’s crucifixion. What great sorrow it causes me to remember that day. The city was in chaos. Those who followed Christ had scattered and all seemed lost. He was to be hung on a cross so that he would be cursed by God. How could we not wonder if he was truly doing the work of God when he cried out “my God, my God, why have you forsaken me” but so it was written and had to be that we may all be forgiven. However all the more joy it brings to my heart to remember his resurrection. We did not know what to think about the news of his empty tomb but the word spread was quickly spreading that many had seen him after his death, the holes form his crucifixion still marked his as well as the cut form the spear. After this his teachings were more clear than ever. How could we deny the burning truth inside of us?

Out of the founders of the Christian church in Jerusalem I was among the first to accept Jesus as the coming Christ, so proclaimed and promised by the LORD in the ancient writings of our forefathers. I embraced his teachings and aided my brothers in spreading Jesus’ teachings so that all the world may hear of the good news even though many still opposed the teachings of Jesus in Jerusalem and sought to prosecute us, chief among them Soul who would eventually be unable to deny the truth. I was well respected among my brothers in the church at Jerusalem because they considered me a prophet. As the church grew and enemies rose up to cause our brothers to stumble I was elected to spread the decrees of the Jerusalem conical to our brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia because in me was found an ability to mediate between the our brothers form Jewish and gentile decent.

For a time I traveled with Paul spreading the word until we reached Macedonia where I stayed as Paul went on. Later I rejoined Paul at Corinth and we preached the good news together for some time. I even aided Paul in the composition of several of his letters. Paul and I were cast into prison together in Philippi for our service to our LORD. Such were the times that we were in constant danger. As Jesus told us, those who hated him would hate us. However we did not fear men or any mortal danger because we knew that God was the ultimate authority and we would not be harmed unless it was our time to join him. We rejoiced because we say the spirit of the LORD take root in thousands of people. No mortal danger could discourage us as we continued our work.

Even in prison Paul and I praised God for his work in our lives. No bars, nor walls, or any other earthly thing can come between the LORD and us. During one such time of praise God began to shake the land and the door to our prison cell was opened. So impressed was our Jailer by God’s might that he wished to submit himself to Christ Jesus so that he and his family could receive salvation. From there we would continue to spread the word of God. Opposition followed us wherever we went. False teaching continually had to be put down. Many of brothers had a hard time letting go of the old laws and traditions. They felt that salvation came largely impart form following the mosaic law. Still others denied the divinity of Jesus saying that God come to be with him at his baptism and left before his death. If that were so than how could the word have truly been made flesh.

We had much encouragement form our bothers in many of the gentile churches that resisted these teachings and generously gave to cause of the LORD. Truly blessed are to live in such an age. 

Bob NovaK

            Pastor Bob Novak is the head Pastor of the church God lead him to plant, Life Christian fellowship in Springfield PA.

God gave Pastor Bob the Idea of planting a church in Philadelphia area first through dreams that he was having during a time of fasting. Before he and his wife ever spoke about the possibility of moving God let his two children know that they were moving. Pastor Bob knew that God was preparing his children. He and his wife felt that they would move on to a new church plant after they got the church up and running but are still their 18 years later.

            Catholic Church heavily influences the area where they are located. The Catholic high school graduates twice as many students as the public school. They had to adapt to the community and tried very hard to show the community that they were there to minister to families and serve the community. The other churches have had a hard time reaching the younger people in the community so Pastor Bob has focused on reaching that demographic. Life Christian Church has the youngest congregation in the area.

            On of the most beneficial things finically the church plant has had is the preschool that was taught in  the building they eventually bought. The couple who was running the school were about to sell the building when The wife had a vision of it being turned into a church and Pastor Bob Running it. She told Pastor Bob who than started the process of buying the building.

            When I asked Pastor Bob what the most exiting thing was about planting a church, he responded by telling us about some stories of people’s lives that were touched. He said that nothing else could compare to the stories of the peoples lives that were touched through the church plant. Starting out with such a small core group really gives you a chance to get to know each other and grow into a family.