Zach Thompson was installed as the new lead pastor at Rejoice! Lutheran Church in August, and I was privileged to be there for the installation along with ARC leader, Dan Clites (who is the founding pastor of Rejoice!). Zach recently joined the ARC and as the Director for the ARC, I am very excited about the future God has in store for Zach and Rejoice. I asked Zach to tell us a bit about himself. He writes:

“My name is Zach Thompson. I am a fourth generation pastor who felt God's call to ministry while working at Bible Camp summers during college. I have a passion for preaching and teaching the good news of Jesus in a relevant and practical way, and helping people identify their gifts and a place to use them to God's glory. My wife Lexi is a special education and reading teacher, and we have a 9 year old son named Soren, and a 6 year old daughter named Elise.

After serving as Associate Pastor at Shepherd of the Valley Church in Afton, MN for the past 10 years, I have accepted a call to be Lead Pastor at Rejoice! Church in Dundas/Northfield, MN. I am excited for the opportunity to serve at a church that is passionate about reaching people for Jesus and sending people out to be marketplace ministers. My hope for Rejoice is that it continues to be a effective kingdom building and kingdom training center that makes a difference for Jesus in the Northfield area and beyond.

I have chosen to join the ARC because of its spirit-led leadership and mission. I am drawn to ARC's celebration of the power of the Holy Spirit. I look forward to networking with other ARC leaders. And I look forward to working together to make Jesus famous and to invite people into a saving relationship with him!”

Welcome aboard the ARC, Zach. We look forward to ministering alongside you and Rejoice!

The Alliance of Renewal Churches is happy to welcome Radiant Church of Garden Grove, CA to membership in the ARC! Welcome to Pastor Jeremey King and all the leaders and members of Radiant. We’re excited to add you to the band of brothers and sisters on mission together in the ARC. It is evident Radiant Church is already living out the core values of the ARC, particularly are value for ministry to and with Forgotten Ones. Following is a bit of Radiant’s story.

Radiant held its very first service in the home of a mission partner on January 31, 2010. Three short years later lives continue to be changed and God is being glorified through the work of this vibrant church. Radiant is a church that is built on the premise of serving rather than being served, hence the name “Mission Partners” rather than “members.” Our mission statement is that we exist to authentically be the church and to reach out through the love of Christ. We are a community of believers committed to:

• LISTENING to God through scripture and prayer
• TALKING of God in our circles of influence
• LOVING like God as we love the “unlovable”
• SERVING like God as we meet the needs of those in need

The men and women of the church are doing life together in a wide variety of areas including home groups, orphanage support, women’s shelter help, low income family shelter workdays, Compassion International, Samaritan’s Purse, hospital visitation, and many more. In addition Radiant continues to support and edify our local “sister” churches. Once a year around Christmas, members of the church trek down to Ensenada Mexico to deliver presents to the children at Reino De Los Ninos orphanage. Mission partners donate the gifts and they are delivered to the children in time for Christmas. For many of the kids, this is the only gift they will receive, so the smiles on their faces, as pictured, are priceless.

About once a month the men of Radiant put on their aprons, and make a trip down to Precious Life Shelter in Los Alamitos to BBQ for the women and children there. Not only is this a way to serve some great food and fellowship, it also models “Godly men” for these single mothers. Last Thanksgiving about 20 volunteers from the church served Thanksgiving dinner to the residents of Thomas House Temporary Shelter in Garden Grove. Radiant also plans to adopt an apartment at the shelter and be responsible for painting, maintenance and general upkeep.

The above examples are just the “tip of the iceberg” of the current ministries at Radiant. This year we have joined the Alliance of Renewal Churches and are excited to be a part of this connected network of men and woman building an atmosphere of Kingdom, renewal, mission, and transformation. The ARC has already been very influential in the lives of many Radiant mission partners, and we look forward to the years to come.

Welcome aboard the ARC, Pastor Jeremey, and Radiant Mission Partners!

The ARC is happy to announce Northgate Church as our newest congregational member. Welcome to Pastor Steve Perkins and his team. I asked Steve to tell us a bit about Northgate. He writes:

“The beginning of Northgate Church is truly a God-story. From the beginning of a prayer meeting on June 20, 2010 which inspired a church plant, to the launch of Northgate Church in August of 2010 with an average of 475 people in attendance that first month, we’ve truly witnessed a miracle. Northgate Church began with nothing, but with the passion and the gracious support of our people, Northgate has been able to grow and meet the needs of thousands of people in our area. Today, two and half years later, we’re averaging 750 people in attendance on Sundays, plus 80 youth, grades 6-12 on Wednesday evenings. It is exhilarating to work alongside God as he touches hearts and brings people closer to him. At this past Christmas, we opened our doors to nearly 1400 people, and we’re expecting even more for Easter.

Northgate Church presently rents space from PACT Charter School in Ramsey, though we are breaking ground on our facility at the end of March, 2013. We plan to occupy our building by Thanksgiving of this year.

In the meantime, we are faithfully serving this community with everything we’ve got. Every week we meet multiple visiting families—both churched and unchurched. Many persons are making first-time commitments to Christ (180 in the last year!) Last Sunday there were four. And, we have a hard-working, team-driven staff of about a dozen people, including four pastors.

Northgate functions as a somewhat independent “Lutheran” church with three different affiliations, including the ARC. Our interest in the ARC is primarily about relationship and DNA. We appreciate the culture of the ARC, especially in regard to the things of the Spirit, and the relationship formed with different, like-minded churches, leaders, and institutions.”

Thanks for the introduction, Steve, and welcome aboard the ARC, Northgate!