Mid-May Updates

Greetings. 5-16-25

Today, I just wanted to share some updates on progress in the launch phase.

After starting to go public and start raising funds to open the ministry, I've taken the leap of faith to spend $ I don't have on the IRS 501c3 Tax Exemption application, upgrade the website with an SSL certificate to prevent visitors from getting a warning that this site is not safe (for entering credit cards or other info), open a ministry bank account, hire a freelance grant writer, and I've started talking with pastors and others in the community about this launch.

The fellow ministers in the area have been 100% of this same mind and 2 of them have the same mission and heart for the Walton Co area. One of the questions that I've been asking other ministers is what they believe the main methods of reaching this area are. One minister indicated some specific programs that are already on the Isayah61 mission plan. The most impactful understanding that I have in this is that The Lord is putting the same general passion for reaching this area on many people's hearts and there is a base of Kingdom minded workers who are looking for opportunities to expand the reach of The Church and their churches/ministries in this area! 

Next week, I'll be making some phone calls to other ministries and continuing to look for grant and fundraising opportunities for the ministry. I should hear back soon from the grant writer as to what prospects she has found and what the game plan will be on which places to apply to. The fee includes 2 applications and if successful will likely take 1-3 months to fund. We aren't going after large grants at this point, just enough to cover another round of grant applications (hopefully the 10 application level), rent a temporary office space, and hopefully hire the Director. In the meantime, I am also hoping that I can find other types of resources which would allow Is61 to begin doing outreach and developing as many ministry arms as possible for phase 1. 

I have spoken with a few ministers who are on-board with having a prayer meeting in the area. I hope to find a good evening where many of us can get together and seek God for His Move and Provision for the general Walton County and connecting areas. I've also generally set some target boundaries for the initial operational area. The Southern line of I-20 (Conyers/Covington) reaching North to I-85 and the Western line of Scenic Highway in Snellville reaching over to about Rt 441 West of Athens. This covers about 5 counties. We'll start with Loganville, Monroe, Winder, Grayson, and Dacula and connect all the cities or towns or villages in between. What will we do there? Endeavor to know each faith based ministry and church in the area and work to find common ground where we can all do Kingdom work together. I'll be looking through my software portfolio for databases I can install on this domain which will enable the beginnings of that Church Network Database I've mentioned elsewhere. 

       I will address two concerns which were brought up by another minister who let me know that many years ago, a similar network of fellow workers joined hands to reach the area and met with some obstacles. I already spoke of this in another area but here is the Red Elephant Flag in the room: Not all churches are doctrinally friendly with all other churches... Well, that is kind of a shock since we are all supposedly reading from the same Bible. Then there is the issue of losing families to the larger churches. 
      How does Isayah 61 Ministries handle those objections to working together? For some, they just won't join hands. They are living on man-made doctrines which are hills they are ready to die on. Okay, no problem. They violate John 17. That's their choice. to deny The Word and literally Jesus' instructions. The rest of us will do the work of God and still love and pray for the ones who don't join hands for Jesus. But, for those who have hills they're willing to die on but still want to join hands, we'll strategically create or include them in works of God that align with their denominational weaknesses. Yes, I said that! I'm literally poking the bear. Are you offended? I am not offended by anyone's weaker doctrines. I stand only for Truth. In Truth, my theological understanding is strong enough to accept nearly everyone else's denominational preferences which align with Hermeneutical interpretations. In fact, most of what Is61 is planning to do will be aimed at un-churched people or children or families in need. We're going to GO MEET NEEDS in the community. We are going to LOVE PEOPLE in JESUS' NAME. We are going to rescue and nurture orphans and widows. We are going to create Christian environments in as many areas as possible where the un-churched can encounter true Christianity as we try to introduce them to Jesus. We are going to interfere with the culture of addiction and poverty and homelessness and abuse and violence and sexual immorality. We are going to FEED THE HUNGRY, CLOTHE THE POOR, COMFORT THE HURTING, and as IsaYah 61:1-4 says set those who are bound FREE! Jesus told His disciples who were wary of the others who started doing the works of Jesus but did not follow with the disciples that those others were still part of the team. John 17 lets us know that Jesus truly wants us to act as ONE BODY. So, let's go do what Jesus wants! 
To that end, I know that there are a few denominations who are just a thing unto themselves. For those who fall in to that camp, if you want to donate funds, I and my future staff will utilize such funds for programs or event or purposes which align with your theological standpoints. And if those more rigid churches want to take on a work, we'll partner you with others who share or will abide by those ideals while helping you achieve your goals. We'll become all things to all people so by some means we can reach the entire state of GA for Jesus! 
The other concern was that most churches have lost members to two reportedly large churches in the area which may make some of the smaller churches a bit timid to join hands with any other churches in the area. I've covered this elsewhere also but essentially, we'll all agree by some formal understanding that luring sheep away from their church home is BAD! But, the reality every pastor must understand is that the sheep belong to JESUS and Him alone and at that same point, if a sheep is unhappy where they are being churched, it will only take an internet search, co-worker, or friend to move them to another fellowship. At the same time, if the needs of that family or person are being well met, nothing can lure them away. I learned just yesterday that one of the pastors at my church drives around an hour to the church every day. One of the pastors I met with this week lives in this Walton Co. and pastors an hour or more away. The first couple I met when moving to GA lived 2 miles from my house and still drove back to Atlanta to their church a few times a week. They were loved and cared for and found "Family" there. So, part of what Isayah 61 Ministries will be doing as we interview new churches for the ministry network database is to ask what things each church is doing well and also what ministries need help. The first church I interviewed let me know that their ministry is attracting new families and that they need some help in other areas. Since I have that in mind, (and this will apply more as we launch street ministries) when I have a successful interaction with an unchurched person near that church, I can determine if recommending that church placement candidate to this specific church would be healthy or detrimental to that church's ability to minister or to that person's need for ministry. If we spoke to that ministry once a month and they're maxed out on childcare facilities and my new church placement candidate has 3 toddlers, I might want to recommend one of the others in the area in addition to them IF asked. I intend to create a quickly sharable church profile part of the database which will recommend 3 choices to those we minister to in the streets who are in need of a church home. We'll also have a policy that ensures that we aren't recommending church hopping for others who already are planted in a church. Our goal is to fill EVERY Christian church in the area. 
The database will gather criteria such as each churches outreach programs. Does this church minister to homeless people? Addicts? Elderly care? College aged? Divorce care? Counseling? Skateboarders? Satanists? <--- I did that when I was new in the faith and had great success helping them see Jesus... Does this church have free coffee and donuts? Financial classes? Require specific attire in church? Can a homeless person attend service comfortably? If the candidate on the sex offender list, are they welcome and is there accountability for everyone's safety? (yes, deacons will want to know and if the candidate feels the need to hide it, then the environment is not safe) 
Now, some of those should help the wary understand that we are not going about this without proper forethought. We all know that many nefarious individuals creep into houses of worship with an agenda. Another consideration is, what if there is a small church which is 80% full of "baby christians'? I hate that term but it send the message. That church cannot effectively handle additional new believers unless there are programs in place for discipling the current batch of believers who are sometimes on the verge of backsliding or falling back into an old vice. For such a church, I'd recommend our street teams to only recommend that church for candidates who are seasoned Christians who maybe just moved to the area or are not attending somewhere already. Maybe in our networking we meet a minister who loves to disciple like my friend who pastors in Roswell but lives in Loganville and he meets up with the pastor of this church and agrees to teach a discipleship class at the church for 6mo and mentor someone to then continue the work. I share these illustrations to underscore that Is61 will take great care to impact our areas for Christ to the extent that we will have to know where dozens of new believers could likely be comfortably placed into a local body of believers. 

So, these are all issues that my amazing new future Director will get to hash out with me and the Board of Elders down the road. That board of elders could possibly include you on it! If you are feeling this move of God is something you want to be a part in, and you want to help shape it and guard it for the sake of The Gospel, we should talk. I'm hoping many faith leaders in our community will step up and help get this movement going and growing!

Ah, I must add one more repeated piece of info here. I ALREADY DID THIS!!! Regarding combining churches and getting churches to work together... Been there, Done that! My home church nearly 30 years ago was a very large Calvary Chapel. I learned by their example... There were 2 local First Baptist Churches, the Calvary Chapel, a Spanish speaking Pentecostalish church, 2 Presbyterian churches, some smaller Calvary Chapels, and a few other random churches who hosted many combined outreaches or sometimes the larger churches footed the cost of renting a stadium for the smaller churches and met each other's needs year to year. They were as one church and simply made sure the Gospel went forth. I took that to my first pastoral assignment at the Christian & Missionary Alliance church one county away and started intermingling with several other churches. My youth ministry hosted multiple events where several other churches took part in and my church was also able to open its doors to other churches too. After that placement, I opened my own similar ministry to Isayah61 for a short time and another denomination opened their doors for FREE and let me use their building, for which I literally handed them that whole ministry and its assets as I was unable to continue do to being moved to a new location. My main point is, that this has worked in the past, is still working now, and will work here in Georgia also. While I do not expect 100% initial participation, I do expect that it will prove itself as a community church model and nearly every church will partner with the move of God as we push for a statewide proclamation of The Gospel and the care of those in need around us.