As we have been sharing, 2024 marks the 20th year of ministry for Mission Alive! As with any new business or ministry, starting is a challenge. As I think back on the past 20 years, I am struck by a number of challenges:
· Early in Mission Alive’s ministry, our founders, Gailyn & Becky Van Rheenen’s son, Jonathan, died in a semi-truck accident leaving them in deep grief.
· Several of our new churches closed due to various leadership issues, leading Mission Alive to significantly evaluate our assessment process.
· In 2014 and 2016, just before and just after I (Tod) became the executive director, I underwent brain surgeries to resect a tumor leaving me away from Mission Alive for some time while I was in recovery.
· COVID created both financial challenges and significantly slowed down starting new churches.
As I review this list of challenges, I am reminded of other, less dramatic challenges we have faced: additional financial challenges, staff challenges, and church plants closing. If Mission Alive did not have such a clear and compelling calling from God, perhaps we would have given up. But clear and compelling it is! Church closings and mergers have become increasingly frequent. Starting new, innovative churches is an absolute necessity! We invite you to join us in this critical ministry of starting new churches that engage their community. Please reach out to me and let’s talk about how you can help. tod@missionalive.org |
