As the Church Planting ministry of the IPHC, Evangelism USA sees first hand the impact that the Global Outreach Offering has in reaching the lost.  New churches are statistically accounting for a large percentage of the new growth our church is experiencing.  Your giving to GO makes planting churches like Fellowship Church of Moore/Oklahoma City possible.  The story below is written by John Youell, pastor of Fellowship Church in Moore. When you give to GO, you have a part in the Kingdom expansion that is taking place through these church plants.  
-- Rev. Rick Fountain, Director, Church Planting/Development, EVUSA

The sun had barely risen in the eastern sky when the trailer truck containing our church rolled into the parking lot of Warren Theaters on Sunday, March 8, 2009.  A team of 30 volunteers began the process of turning three theaters into places of worship.  With each cart that left the trailer our anticipation grew.  Would anyone show up?  Would we be able to get all the theaters set up and ready to go on time?  Would the doors to the theater be open?

When the band took their places and the first chord was struck we looked up to find 180 people crammed into Theater 2.  With tears filling our eyes, Fellowship Church was launched.  That day 13 people gave their hearts to Christ.  When we dismissed we knew the dream had become reality.  We will never forget that day or the people who helped make it possible.

This was not your normal church start up.  The word launch means to catapult.  We hoped to start a new church that would skip several baby steps in the hopes of being healthy and sustained within the first year.  To do this, it was important in our strategy to look like we had been a church for many years instead of just a few weeks.  This meant raising and investing a large amount of money for equipment and marketing, neither of which is a cheap endeavor. 

While building our launch budget, we began to explore with our sponsoring church to forge a new type of mothering church concept.  As our discussions continued they agreed to continue my salary and keep me on staff until their daughter congregation could take over the burden.  In return we agreed to give half of the tithes of the launch team members who left our sponsoring church in order to help us start Fellowship.  17 people came with us.  Now 3 months later, TCC has grown by more than they released and the monthly income has nearly doubled!  

The Heartland Conference has also played a huge role in funding us.  We are doing things together that I never thought I would see.  We are on the forefront of out-of-the-box church planting and I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Through the years I don’t think I really understood the importance of the Global Outreach offering until my family and I accepted the challenge of planting Fellowship Church.  It is safe to say that EVUSA and the GO offering were instrumental in helping us establish Fellowship Church.  In fact, we could not have done it without them.  I have become convinced of the need to plant and fund church planting like never before.  No one organization can do it alone.  Others helped us get started - including everyone who has given in the GO offering.  Together we are making a difference for the Kingdom and Fellowship Church is proud to be a part of the church planting revolution in IPHC Ministries.

Editor's Note: The following is a testimony from Mike Carlisle in the SC Conference.

I wanted to share a story about what I have so perfectly named "The Miracle." I have been serving with M25 and Hard CORE M/M [a biker ministry through Mission:M25] for several years and for monetary reasons have ridden a sportster. It has served me well, but after returning from a long trip I was down with back trouble (from a past injury). I realized that in order to continue the ministry that God had called me to, I would have to have a larger bike.

I began doing what most of us would do - trying to figure out how I would intervene and take care of getting a bike myself. After speaking with a close friend he made me realize that the bike would come in God's timing and when He felt I was ready not when I felt I was ready.

I had placed an ad on Craigslist hoping to get rid of a Jeep CJ7 to get what I needed. God had other plans. A guy by the name of Steve - who happened to have a motorcycle- saw the Craigslist post and read what I had written about needing a new bike for ministry. Steve replied, "I will pray about what I can do and let you know." 

Three days later, Steve called me and said, "My wife said, we have to sow into that ministry. That is what scripture teaches, is that we sometimes have to sowwhere we may never reap the harvest." He then told me if I wanted to test ride his bike come on down. No, I said, If he had prayed and he knew he were doing the right thing and I had prayed then we both need to have the faith that it was from God, and a test ride would not be necessary. I would ride it home.

He went back to his shop and replaced both tires, wheel bearings and the drive belt. Two days before he had done the 50k service on the bike, but he said "knowing you are in ministry on this bike, I wanted it to be in top condition and if you are spending time and money for ministry, you don't have time and money for repairs." He also gave me about 600 dollars in parts that go out on Harleys that he said I might need from time to time.

Steve and I have developed an awesome relationship realizing that I do what he had always wanted to do. This bike was owned by his father, who had bought it new and had accounted for every, mile and every service in a log that I now own. He also gave me a factory Harley Manual for it. What I have witnessed God do in South Carolina the last couple of months is incredible, and to him we give all the glory.

By the way....What God gave me was my dream bike, a factory all original (except minor repairs) Dyna Low Rider, which I had prayed for almost 3 years.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (NIV)
- Romans 8:28

Run For The Wall Daily Report
May 12, 2009

Warriors assembled, bikes prepared and fueled, trucks loaded and trailers full of water, vitamin drinks and snacks awaiting the alarm at 4:30 a.m. to head across the country to share the light of our Lord and Savior. Once again we sit on the threshold of an adventure many cannot conceive. We know when the sun comes up in the morning we will be assembled with some 700 – 800 bikes preparing to roar across this great nation to remind leaders that our POW (Prisoners Of War) and our MIA (Missing In Action) need to be brought home. It is a trip that will bring healing to many veterans, camaraderie that has been missed and for us, an opportunity to say “Thank You For Serving” on behalf of the church.

From the introduction the first night, we knew we had made an impact. We received two standing ovations as the leadership acknowledged that we paid our own expenses and were quick to serve in any way we were asked. We were honored by the leaders as the Hydration Team and as Chaplains. Our desire to be known as servants, not preachers -  lights not mouths - is being understood more each year. In the USA it appears few know what it is to serve without an agenda. We have no church growth, no ‘confession of faith’ reports (while we trust God will use us in the great Harvest, it is not our goal), and no offerings to be counted (no donations are accepted from the riders), just pure and simple serving from our hearts full of His love for the next 12 days.

We are warriors from Florida; North Carolina; South Carolina; Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Tennessee; and Texas. We have left our homes, our families, our jobs and our ministries to fulfill a call of “doing unto the overlooked and neglected” that our Lord spoke of in Matthew 25:40 (Message). The trucks and motorcycles made it from Amarillo, TX to Los Angeles without much difficulty, arriving at 9:00 a.m.

We were honored by the Golden West Conference and Carpenter’s House (Fontana, CA) as they paid for our motel rooms and fixed us a wonderful dinner with Patriotic decorations. Rev. Bill Terry (National Men’s Ministry Director) and Rev. Garry Bryant (Acts2Day Bishop) honored us by flying in, participating in a prayer over us,fueling all of our vehicles, and purchasing 20 bags of ice to cool the drinks down.

Our day ended with a reading of the Word, washing of the leader’s feet (as commanded in John 13), prayer and singing “We Are One In The Spirit”. A moving service giving glory to our Lord for allowing us to be one and for entrusting us with His great Grace concluded a powerful and busy day of preparation.

You Can Help!

Not everyone can make a 3,000 journey across the country. But you can still help with Run For The Wall!

• Pray for Gary, the Hydration Team, and the Chaplains as they travel.
• Support the Run as it comes through your town. Hold up signs and banners thanking veterans for their services as they ride by.
• Share Gary's updates with your friends, family, and church members.
• Remember to honor the veterans in your church in the weeks leading up to Memorial Day (May 25).

To receive Gary's updates via email, please subscribe to the For Your Information Specialty Newsletter. Click here to go to the subscription page.

109,281.

That's how many miles Rev. Gary Burd put on his motorcycle while ministering to others. Burd is the director of EVUSA's Mission:M25 ministries. He also pastors Christian Heritage Church in Amarillo, TX. And he happens to drive a motorcycle and wear leather most of the time.

Gary is known for reaching out to those who have traditionally been overlooked by the church: bikers; the homeless; society's marginalized peoples. "I do my best to take people to the 'Hell Holes' of society - places where normal Christians never venture," he said. Gary is probably best known nationally for his participation in Run For The Wall (RFTW)a cross-country motorcycle ride to raise awareness for veterans and Prisoners of War.

Three weeks before RFTW 2009, Gary got one of the biggest surprises of his life. Bishop Tommy McGhee (Cornerstone Conference) and 35 ministries, churches, and individuals came together to buy Gary a brand new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

"I just could not believe it," said Gary. "When I tell the story - I continue to choke up."

For Gary, this motorcycle is not a toy or a "cool ride." It's a tool that will help him carry out his mandate from God - to reach out to the hurting and the helpless across this nation with the love and truth of freedom in Christ. "I promise you this - I will use [this motorcycle] to take Jesus to the dark places and do my best to lead others to go with me," he said.

Gary's commitment to carry out the Great Commission has challenged and inspired other across the country. He recently received an email from a young man that said stay strong, lead us in faith, ride hard, and leave a trail of God's fire behind ya! With the help of the Holy Spirit, Gary plans to do just that.