It's been three weeks, and the Accelerant testimonies keep coming!  Here is what teens & youth leaders are saying about Accelerant 2009:

MySpace Testimonies:

• This past weekend was so awesome. The skiing was fun and seeing the sights was great but the services with Eddie James and Ultimate Call were the absolute best things about the trip, hands down. I learned so much and grew in the spirit greatly through those services. That tunnel with the youth leaders was so powerful I felt it right when I was first touched. I had never fallen out in the spirit before but it was so amazing when I did, feeling God is a powerful thing.
  
• My favorite thing...there was so many memories. But I would have to say watching the youth we brought be impacted so greatly was my favorite. We got back in time for them to testify and it was so awesome hearing them tell and describe what God did for them. Both Saturday night and Sunday morning we had youth so drunk in the spirit that they could hardly walk. I woke up around 4:30AM on Sunday to hear one of our young ladies speaking in tongues in her sleep. One of the other young ladies was walking down the streets of Gatlinburg speaking in tongues. People would look like she was crazy, but she testified at home that she wasn't ashamed! Thank you for all the prayers, sacrifices and hard work you put into Accelerant!
  
• I am still amazed and in awe of what God has done at Accelerant. My heart is full as I write this. I watched as several of our youth received the Holy Spirit. I watched as the kids began to pray for each other. I listened as several prayed for a complete and permanent change in their lives...not just a 3 week change but to be completely different when they returned home. I had one young person hand me a suicide note that he had written a few weeks ago. I had one that returned to the hotel and handed me 2 boxes of tobacco and one that threw away a magazine that she did not think was appropriate to read anymore. Praise God! No more shackles...no more chains. ........I can honestly say that God blessed me and restored my passion for His word and I want to do even more than i ever have for Him.

Email Testimonies:

• I personally believe that this was the BEST conference that has ever been put on by you guys. It was awesome. My kids completely agreed, as did many of my leaders. Great selection of speakers, artists, and worship teams. Saturday night was probably the spiritual highlight of our trip. I had 26 people on the trip with me and all of them said, “I can’t deny the presence of God that was there.” Many were set free from different things, many were fired up, and 2 of the Baptists we brought with us (not that denomination matters), had their eyes opened to some new things and realized, “Hey, this stuff IS real!” (their words) As we were getting off the bus at the church after we arrived back home, I had several say to me “I can’t wait to come back to church Wednesday night.” One of the girls actually told their “boyfriend” that she was free now and some things were going to change or they couldn’t be together anymore. That Wednesday night we had one of our largest crowds, with 45 teenagers coming to our youth service. And freedom rang free yet again. The kids were jumping for the Lord, they were singing, praising, and just honoring God with all they had. The message was on “running the race”, and the awesome thing was that at the end of the service the altars flooded with teens hungry for God! - Youth Pastor Brandon Goff
  
• I am excited to know that we have such a passion within our church; passion for the Lord and for our people.  I think we will all agree each of us received some kind of blessing this weekend. 
  We had so many positives that I look forward to building on...
  We took seven kids
  There was evidence that at least five were fed what they needed
  Three were saved
  Two were filled with the Holy Spirit
  
  I fully expect our church to grow the youth group and send more than two and a half times the number of kids next year. 
  
  - Reggie Gilmore
  

WASHINGTON,D.C. – Bishop James D. Leggett, president of the Evangelical/Pentecostal family and presiding bishop of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, met with Joshua DuBois and other members of the Obama transition team before the inauguration.  He, along with the other presidents of the CCT (Christian Churches Together), representing the five major Christian families — Evangelical/Pentecostal, Historic Protestant, Historic Racial/Ethnic, Orthodox and Catholic —met to express concerns on behalf of the poor in America.

"In past years, Pentecostals and evangelicals might not have seen the needs of the poor as a systemic issue, requiring broad social action," said Bishop Leggett. But “the issue is becoming more and more a part of our dialog and discussions," he noted, adding “there is a growing sense among evangelical Protestants to give more attention to the needs of the poor.”

President Obama reportedly has revamped the faith-based office to broaden its mandate beyond overseeing the distribution of grants to religious and community groups. This includes looking for other ways to involve those groups in addressing social problems

Obama announced Joshua DuBois, his top religion adviser during the 2008 campaign, would lead the new White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister, “clearly has the background and interest in bringing diverse groups together for a common purpose,” said K. Hollyn Hollman, general counsel for the BJC, who met with him during the Obama transition team efforts.

In keeping with a campaign promise to establish a real partnership between the White House and faith-based social service providers, “not a photo-op,” President Barack Obama signed an executive order revamping a White House office and naming an advisory council to help the administration develop and implement policy related to the provision of social services by faith-based and neighborhood organizations.

The panel, which is not to exceed 25 members, is composed of a diverse group of religious and secular leaders with experience in social services, including former Baptist Joint Committee General Counsel Melissa Rogers, BJC Board Member William Shaw, SBC pastor Rev. Joel Hunter, SBC pastor Rev. Frank Page and Rabbi David Saperstein, a fellow co-chair of religious liberty coalitions.

Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast, Obama reiterated that the “goal of this office will not be to favor one religious group over another – or even religious groups over secular groups.” "It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state,” he said.

In his conversation with DuBois, Bishop Leggett learned that while his father was with the AME, Joshua DuBois pastored a small pentecostal (Assemblies of God) church outside Cambridge, MA.During the meeting, Bishop Leggett also had the opportunity to pray for Melody Barnes, who was heading up the domestic affairs transition team.

One IPHC church is proving that nothing can keep them down.

Two weeks ago, an F-4 tornado ripped through Lone Grove, OK, killing ten people and demolishing the town.  Radiate Church, an IPHC church in the town, was in the direct path of the tornado.  Rev. Donnie Collins pastors the eight year-old church.

The church was meeting in a store front that is now reduced to splinters. They had already bought land and were looking forward to building when the tornado hit. 

Although this is a devestating loss for the young congregation, they are determined to rebuild.  The church had more than enough insurance to cover what they lost on February 10.  Fortunately, none of the the church family was killed or injured in the tornado. 

"I was in Lone Grove Sunday and found a wonderful attitude in the congregation, considering the trauma through which they have walked," said Dr. Frank Tunstall, bishop of the Heartland Conference.  "They are a forward looking young congregation that was more than prepared to meet the demands of the tragedy." 

The church is now in the process of finding a new location and rebuilding.  A local Free Will Baptist congregation has given them a local home, and they are meeting in that church at 2 pm on Sundays. 

Dr. Tunstall is applauding the congregation for their foresight in preparing for this type of situation.

"They can also be held up as a congregation that sets a good example for all of us across the country in planning ahead so this tragedy will be a stepping stone instead of a storm that wipes them out financially," said Dr. Tunstall.

Please pray for Rev. Collins and Radiate Church as they adjust and rebuild.  If you would like to help them by donating items or contributing financially, contact Dr. Frank Tunstall at (405) 737-0113 or info@heartlandnetwork.net.

What in the world are “PerCaKits?”

I’m glad you asked! “PerCaKits” is what IPHC WM calls the personal care kits assembled by IPHC women for distribution by the DRUSA teams at disaster sites. They include items recommended by the Red Cross for one person’s hygienic needs and are given out, free, on site.

Included in a one-gallon zip lock bag are the following personal size items:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Shampoo
• Soap and washcloth
• Deodorant
• OTC pain reliever
• Sun block
• Insect repellant
• Card with a scripture and the name of the local church and WM group assembling the kits

When the Mobile Feeding Kitchen teams were dispatched recently, a call went out to several conference WM directors who immediately responded. Because their groups had prepared kits on stand-by, hundreds of PerCaKits were taken by the team and distributed during the days they ministered in Kentucky. The ladies who prepared the kits were a tremendous blessing to people they may never meet.

Anyone can assemble a PerCaKit – from children to senior citizens! When they are assembled get them to your local WM leader who will, in turn, get them to a designated collection site in your conference.

The general WM department recommends that all conference WM stockpile at least 500 PerCaKits, updating them regularly, so they will be instantly available for shipment when disaster teams are deployed.

The DRUSA Mobile Feeding Kitchen closed Friday, Feb. 13 following the evening meal. The city of Mayfield is close to full power and citizens are returning to their normal routines.  The kitchen served nearly 10,000 meals during its time in Mayfield! DRUSA and IPHC Ministries have made a tremendous impact on this city.  Special thanks to all who stepped in to serve during this time of need.  What a great way to express Christ's love to our neighbors! 

Day nine ushered in a beautiful day with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. Most of the electrical power has been restored from the outages caused by the storms earlier in the week. Bryan Kilgore reports 742 meals served on Thursday. Frankilin Morris arrived on Thursday night and will spend Friday assessing the need and the decision will be made relative to closing the kitchen at lunch on Saturday. It has been an exhausting nine days and many of the volunteers are ready for things to return to normal for the citizens in Mayfield.

8,970 Meals served in Nine Days!!

The success of another DRUSA effort is once again contributed to our faithful and committed teams from across the church and the volunteers from the Tennessee Valley conference. I applaud and commend everyone for a job well done.

Life Springs Press and Dr. Terry Tramel announce the release of a new book, The Beauty of the Balance: Toward an Evangelical - Pentecostal Theology.

Southwestern Christian University will host a book signing from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 17 in the Patrick Formal Dining Room. SCU is located at the corner of Rockwell and 39th Expressway in Bethany. All SCU students, faculty & staff, along with RDC personnel and local friends of the organization, are invited to attend.

The book, which regularly sells for $20, will be offered at a 50% discount this day only.  The book seeks to find the common ground behind two powerful contemporary religious theologies. It seeks to also offer a better articulation of some of the controversial claims of Pentecostalism. It addresses issues related to scripture, Christ, salvation, sanctification, Spirit Baptism, suffering and the Second Coming.

Detailed essays accompany these and address topic such as:

• The Primacy of Scripture in Pentecostal Theology
• The Reconciling Community of God
• The Initial Evidence of the Baptism of the Spirit
• Spiritual Gifts
• and others.

In his foreword, IPHC Presiding Bishop James Leggett writes: "Dr. Tramel's books comes at an opportune time. I believe it will serve to deepen the Pentecostals' appreciation of their Evangelical brethren, and I believe it will help Evangelicals better understand the distinctives of Pentecostal theology."

To order copies of Dr. Tramel's book, contact LifeSprings Resources or email Dr. Tramel. Please include your address & the number of copies you wish to purchase.

Day eight in Mayfield welcomed no wind and rain, plenty of sunshine and temperatures in the thirties. Bryan Kilgore, team leader reports that the supper meal was more than double (601 meals) than the lunch meals (297) served. This is most likely contributed to the high percentage of power loss due the storms on Monday night and Tuesday. The kitchen served 15 meals for breakfast, so the total for Wednesday was 913 meals served.

8,228 meals served in 8 days!!

The chain saw team from the Harvest conference left on Wednesday afternoon. Between the two teams, North Carolina conference and Harvest, 26 six homes were serviced with chain saw work and debris removal. I commend these two teams for a job well done.

The decision concerning the MFK remaining in Mayfield past the weekend will be determined when Franklin Morris arrives late this evening or in the morning. The cooking team from the Kinston PH Church remains on stand-by and ready to deploy.

The following message came from Bill Terry at 3 p.m. CST on Wednesday, Feb. 11.

I have just been updated from the Mobile Feeding Kitchen in Mayfield, Kentucky. The high winds and rains have hit Mayfield hard and the city is at 90% without power. The kitchen staff have tied down the equipment and moved two outside cookers into garages. Over 300 meals were served for lunch and the supper numbers are looking to be much higher. It may be tomorrow or the next day before power is fully restored. The Georgia conference cooking team and volunteers are working hard keeping the kitchen protected from the winds and prerparing meals for the citizens.

Please pray for the MFK staff, our volunteers, and the citizens of Mayfield.

Accelerant 2009 (formerly known as Fire & Ice) was a powerful time of worship and restoration for the youth of the IPHC.  Over 2500 teens and sponsors attended this year's event, which took place Jan. 29- Feb. 1 in Gatlinburg, TN. 

The Accelerant team chose to rename the event after they learned the name "Fire and Ice" had already been trademarked by another group.  "The team has always decided to do the right thing," said SC CEM Director Greg Amos, who oversees the event. "We've learned that anytime we've encountered an obstacle, God has used it as a launching pad to take this event to yet another level."  The new name reflects the team's desire to develop and intensify God's holy fire in those who attend, much like an Accelerant helps to ignite and spread a fire.

That desire was seen on the faces of teens and leaders who were radically changed at Accelerant 2009.  The very first service saw three salvations from a youth group in South Carolina.  On Friday evening, recording artists Chris Sligh and Jeremy Camp led worship in a concert setting. 

A resounding theme throughout the weekend was the love of God.  The Emmanuel College worship team sang a song entitled "He Loves Us." At one point during worship, the group changed the words to "He Loves Me."  As teens began to sing those words, the realization of the depth of God's love sank in. 

Eddie James was the guest minister during the Saturday evening and Sunday morning services. Traveling with him are approximately 40 young people whose lives have been turned around by the love of God.  As they led in worship and shared their testimonies, the Spirit of God began to stir the hearts of all who were listening.  Both services saw a powerful time of ministry around the altar.  Teens were saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit. 

One young woman testified that God healed her broken elbow.  She was in an accident on the ski slopes two days earlier and was taken to the hospital.  Medical technicians put a soft cast on her arm and told her to see an orthopedic doctor once she returned home.  She walked on the stage on Sunday, removed her cast, and began to wave her arm.  The congregation erupted in praise as they realized the miracle that had taken place. 

But the change didn't stop when the event ended!  Greg Amos is now receiving testimonies of youth groups that are taking the fire of God back to their churches and communities.  We will post these testimonies in the coming weeks. 

If you have a testimony of salvation, a healing, or a Holy Ghost encounter at Accelerant 2009, contact Greg Amos at gamos91380@aol.com.  To see photos of Accelerant 2009, click here.

Day seven brought high winds and heavy rains to the Mayfield, Kentucky area.  Despite bad weather, the mobile feeding kitchen served just over 700 meals on Tuesday.  They are prepared for a possible increase in meal requests, as the winds and rain may have created more power outages.

The new chain saw team drove through the night from Richmond, MO and arrived Tuesday morning.  The weather did not stop their efforts!  They serviced three homes with chainsaw and debris removal. 

Please remember the volunteers from the 10th Street PH Church and the Tennessee Valley Conference.  After putting in eight-hour days for the past week, fatigue and exhaustion are setting in.  These individuals are crucial to the work of the mobile feeding kitchen. 

A team from Kinston, NC is on stand-by and will relieve the mobile feeding kitchen on Monday, Feb. 16 if needed. 

We will continue to keep you posted! 

If you want to help with DRUSA relief efforst, contact Bill Terry at bterry@iphc.org. 

The IPHC continues to serve victims of the ice storm in Mayfield, Kentucky.

Jewelle Stewart and Women's Ministries have provided care kits for citizens of Mayfield and the surrounding counties. 

Gordon Knox and the North Carolina recovery team assisted 25 homes with chain saw & debris removal over the last 5 days.  The NC team is now on their way home, and a team from the Harvest Conference is on its way.  This team is led by Jody Umphfrey from House of Joy.

The Georgia Conference has relieved the SC Conference on the mobile feeding kitchen.  Yesterday, the team served 810 meals.  A decrease in meals is a good sign - it means that more homes have had power restored! 

Please pray for the area today as the weather forecast calls for high winds and thunder storms.  Pray that there will be no additional damage to homes hit by the ice storm.  Also, pray for safety for our volunteers serving victims in the Mayfield area. 

We'll continue to keep you updated!  For more information or to find out how you can help, contact Bill Terry at bterry@iphc.org.

5800 Meals Served in 5 Days!

The DRUSA teams are doing a tremendous job in Mayfield, Kentucky!

The mobile feeding kitchen continues to serve approximately 1,000 meals daily.  Angel Food Ministries delivered a tractor-trailer of food to the kitchen.  The Ephesians 4 Network also arrived this weekend with a trailer of non-perishable food.   A team from Georgia will arrive today to relieve the South Carolina team. 

Gordon Knox and the chainsaw team have helped nearly 15 homes in the area.  Additional volunteers arrived from the Kinston and Robertsonville churches (NC Conference) this wekeend. The Harvest Conference is also sending volunteers to assist Gordon and the chainsaw team.  More and more volunteers are coming from churches in the Tennessee Valley Conference to assist with the chainsaw teams and and the mobile feeding kitchen.

Citizens of Mayfield and the surrounding counties are beginning to see improvement.  Power has been restored to some homes, and temperatures are on the rise.  However, there is still much work to be done!  DRUSA will continue to minister until the needs are met. 

We would like to say a special thank-you to the volunteers of the IPHC who are helping DRUSA.  These folks are sacrificing time away from their families and jobs to serve people they've never met.  They are truly demonstrating the Bible's command to "love your neighbor as yourself!" 

If you would like to help by sending volunteers or a monetary donation, contact Bill Terry at bterry@iphc.org.

For more photos of this weekend's work, click here.

The following is an update from DRUSA Director Bill Terry, who is in Mayfield, KY with our Mobile Feeding Kitchen. Please continue to pray for our teams as they minister to those affected by the ice storm.

Day two of disaster relief and recovery saw an increase in meals served and requests from citizens for help with debris removal. The kitchen served from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday and report 550 meals for lunch and 650 meals for supper. That was an increase of 450 meals over the previous day. We expect the meal count to going even higher with the Red Cross ending distribution of MRE's on Thursday night. The kitchen is prepared and food is on the way. Two shipments are due in today from Angel Food Ministries and our own Ephesians Four Network. Bishop Brad Reynolds is sending a truck load of non-perishables out of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The chain saw team from North Carolina serviced seven homes on Thursday, cutting tree limbs, piling debris on the road for city pick-up, and raking yards. Gordon Knox and his team are doing an excellent job working with the Mayfield citizens.

Help is on the way. Bishop Bill Jones and the Georgia Conference have mobilized a cooking team to relieve Warren Matthews and the present team on Monday. The Georgia team will work the kitchen through February 15.

I met with the mayor's office twice on Thursday at the Mayfield City Hall. They are so appreciative for DRUSA having a presence in their city and pledge their full support. They will work closely with us to determine how long the kitchen will be needed for Mass Feeding in Mayfield.

I commend Pastor Jimmy Hayes (10th Street PH Church) and Bishop Ron Lawson for help in mobilizing volunteers from the Tennessee Valley Conference. They are a tremendous help serving meals and helping with the chain saw and debris removal team.

Bill Terry, DRUSA

The SC Mobile Feeding Kitchen was featured on Channel 6 in Paduach, KY.  The kitchen, along with the Appalachian water truck and a chainsaw team from NC, are in Kentucky to help victims of the ice storm.  Currently, over 150,000 are without power.  Officials are saying power outages could continue for as long as four weeks.

"The Tennessee Valley conference finds itself in a state of emergency due to the devastating ice storm that impacted thirteen conference churches, leaving them without electricity for weeks and the need for food, water, and heat for their homes," said DRUSA Director Bill Terry.  "I appreciate how DRUSA and IPHC Ministries has pulled together quickly to have a presence in the disaster area with the feeding kitchen and recovery teams."

The kitchen staff arrived in time to feed lunch on Wednesday.  According to the news report, they served approximately 1,000 meals on their first day. 

To view the news report on the DRUSA Mobile Feeding Kitchen, click here.

To view the video, click here. (A commercial will run before the video.)

Link: http://picasaweb.google.com/IPHC.Comm.Services/Accelerant2009?feat=directlink

Accelerant 2009 saw a tremendous move of God among IPHC teenagers! Soon, we will post stories and videos from the event.  For now, you can check out more photos from Accelerant 2009 by clicking here. Who knows - you may see yourself in one of the photos! 

If you have a story of salvation, healing, or other special experience at Accelerant 2009, we want to hear from you!  Email Megan Miles at mmiles@iphc.org to share your story! 

On January 30, Tennessee Valley Conference Bishop Ron Lawson contacted IPHC's Disaster Relief ministry (DRUSA).  The winter ice storm has left thousands without power, water, and heat.  Approximately one-third of the churches in the Tennessee Valley Conference have been affected by this storm.  According to local response teams, these churches and individuals could be without power for weeks. 

DRUSA is deploying several teams to assist during this time of need.  The SC Mobile Feeding Kitchen and Appalachian Conference Water Truck are on their way to Mayfield, Kentucky.  A chainsaw team is also deploying from North Carolina.  Gordon Knox will lead the team and bring the NC Conference disaster relief trailer. The Georgia Conference team is on standby to deploy if needed. 

DRUSA Director Bill Terry will arrive on the scene Wednesday, February 4 and will send an update from the disaster site on Thursday. "I applaud the Tennessee Valley conference leadership for their work in mobilizing volunteers to help once the kitchen, water trailer, and NC team arrive."

To get up-to-the-minute news on our churches in this area, subscribe to the DRUSA Action Alert.  We will continue to post photos and reports on the IPHC blog. 

To find out how you can help our churches and members in this time of need, contact Bill Terry at bterry@iphc.org.