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A Consistent Dream
A Consistent Dream
Ever since the time I learned of the Lord and began experiencing the leading of His Holy Spirit, I have had a Dream of being somehow involved in a very special Fellowship and Refuge Ministry. We are told in the Word that we are to live in the world, but not of it, and that we're to care for the widow, the orphan, the afflicted, and the stranger, and especially for one another in the True Body of Jesus Christ.
I wrote the "agenda" below quite awhile back, at least several months. I refrained from "advertising," and wondered if the Lord would "just bring someone along" to provide the necessities. Recently, some friends encouraged me to post it on this site, and the idea seemed good to me, though for some reason I had been holding off.
I am not a man of means, so if the Lord wants this Dream to be reality, it will be up to Him to provide the people and the property. I have many of the necessary skills, and none of the resources. I know several like-minded people, but we have no place to carry this dream out. So for now, it is a dream only, and we must live one day at a time as unto the Lord, learning His Way and His Will and applying His Word in our lives.
Below is the Agenda. Perhaps the Lord has spoken to you in dreams or visions as well.
Philadelphia Fellowship Property Development Agenda
I) Fellowship Mission Statement
The Word of God clearly states to “Be in the world but not of the world”. Many of today’s professing believers have a difficult time understanding this, let alone living it. As a result, many of them suffer from a variety of spiritual and emotional afflictions. It seems that in many cases, today’s hospitals, clinics, and even churches don’t have helpful answers for those among us who are suffering from catastrophes in their lives. Cancer, divorce, alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide, loss of loved ones, and unwanted pregnancy exist, even in the proclaiming Body of believers. Many churches are ill-equipped to minister to those in need in these situations, and believers are forced to turn to the world’s methods for relief, instead of having their needs met by the Lord and by His Body. And sadly, many churches teach unbiblical methods of resolving these conflicts in their lives.
Most, if not all, of the above problems can often have their roots in spiritual issues in a seeker’s life. But there seems to be a void in today’s church of truly meeting each others’ needs. Often we’re simply not aware of the need. At times, we “don’t feel led”. At other times, we simply don’t know or don’t obey what God’s Word says to do concerning the needs of our brothers and sisters, the widows, the orphans, the strangers, and the afflicted. Yet, in His Word, much importance concerning righteousness is given to taking care of the needs of all of these.
In my involvement with ministry over the last twenty years, I have steadfastly had a vision of seeing a ministry developed where the afflicted and less fortunate could go to recover from devastating events in their lives. While there are many missions for the homeless, there does not seem to be a tangible healing ministry available for those who are going through a “rough time” in their lives. Many times, sadly, I have seen those who enter into such rough times and for various reasons don’t come out standing on the other side. I have seen people withdraw from fellowship, and have seen the fellowship withdraw from the people. But the Word of God clearly says to “bear one another’s burdens” and “two is better than one, for where two lie down together there is warmth, and if one falls down the other is there to pick him up. And a three-fold cord is not quickly broken.” The “third fold”, of course, is the Word of the Lord.
There exists today many “christian camps.” I served as the Operations Manager at one such camp, part of an inner city homeless and youth ministry. Many times I would see the joy on the children’s faces when, after a few days at the camp, they would open up and be kids again, their rough exteriors diminished by the absence of inner-city strife. The same observations made me aware of other needs also. As I would visit various congregations, I would see people in active church bodies who were breaking over issues in their lives. Sometimes these people were innocent, and other times their sin had caught up with them and God was breaking them. But I noticed that many of them never really healed of their afflictions. They would fade away or be forgotten, or even be blamed and treated as if they were only getting what they deserved. For whatever reasons, the support systems of their body would fail, and they would go through possibly unnecessary pain and loss, and feel terribly alone throughout the crisis. And afterwards, many would never completely heal.
Many afflictions today go much deeper than a couple of counseling appointments or a pat on the back and a, “How ya’ doin”, brother?” will take care of. Some people need serious time away with God, to be carried for awhile until they are healed. They may need a week, or two months, or a year to regroup, to make their peace with God, or with their neighbors, or just simply to recover physically and mentally from some ordeal without worrying about a roof over their heads, or food to eat, or stacks of recovery clinic bills, or not having someone to stand with them.
There are many “stress centers” that make their profits from the fields of psychology and psychiatry. They cost thousands of dollars, and if the “stressed” person does not have insurance, the cost comes out of their pockets, bringing more stress. Many times, criminal drug abusers register at these stress centers to make themselves look good in court. Other times, it’s a “last benefit” for an employee about to be terminated. Much of the business is repeat business. Their clients often end up returning, or being institutionalized in jail or psychiatric wards, or sadly, dead. All for a fee. I have had my eyes open for some time, and I have yet to see a ministry in the Central Indiana area that is a God-oriented, Word-oriented, fellowship-oriented, not-for-profit healing refuge ministry. I believe today’s church is well past due in establishing such a ministry.
The idea is basically as follows: If a committed group of believers were to acquire a parcel of land, sufficiently sized and ideally located, and set it up to be self-supportive (none of that nasty, compromising fund-raising), with the staffing consisting of an actual fellowship of believers living according to Acts guidelines, and retreat cabins for visitors were to be made available to any professing believer (or seeker), where the visitor would be able to seek God in solitude, but at the same time have fellowship, therapeutic arts, crafts, and “labors” available to them (but not imposed on them), where they could be carried for awhile and heal from their conflicts, is that a place where you would want to go, or at least to be available, if you had a traumatic event occur in your life?
Yes, such a ministry raises many valid questions. After years of study, observation, and experience, I believe there is a valid, practical, biblical need, as well as a valid, biblical, practical solution. Many of the following ideas may seem “quirky”, but there is a scriptural practicality involved, and the solutions meet the needs in an edifying manner. As you’ll see on the following pages, the Word of God, brotherly love, simple living, and working with our hands can develop a serene and healing environment.
II) Property Selection
1) The right property
In order to meet all of the requirements for staffing, visitors, and self-sufficiency, the right property would be at a remote, but accessible, location. (Also, please keep in mind that a “key” to this ministry would be self sufficiency, both for monetary and therapeutic reasons.) Ideally, it would be 100 to 300 acres in size, with some standing timber (perhaps 40-100 acres) for the ministry’s use. It would also have 40-100 acres of tillable land for growing food. It would have an accessible clean water table, as well as a stream or pond or both. There are other geologic and natural factors to consider, but these are the basics.
2) God’s chosen benefactor
Unfortunately, we have seen ministries seek and receive donations from, let’s say, less than Godly institutions. They have, unfortunately, clearly violated God’s principles for the advancement of their ministry. It is our wish to avoid such a situation.
It is not our desire to glorify any man (or woman), but to glorify our Lord through adhering to His principles. For us, the benefactor of such a property would be responding to a calling placed on his or her heart by the Lord. They, too, would be seeking to glorify God. They also would have a compassion for the afflicted. They would see the purpose and the vision of the ministry, and though we would be glad of their participation, we would be less than comfortable with any desire for their “ownership” in the ministry.
The direction of the ministry will be accomplished through much prayer and likemindedness in the body of the fellowship of believers as dictated by the Word of God. Ownership of the ministry will be God’s, and for a variety of legal reasons it will be placed in a trust, and not a 501c3 corporation. We don’t intend arrogance; God’s Word requires that we look every gift horse in the mouth.
If God determines that He wants this ministry accomplished, He will provide His chosen benefactor and His chosen property. That is how we will know the calling is from Him.
3) Legalities
Unfortunately, we live in a world of legalities and lawsuits, sharks and wolves, taxes and property rights. When the Lord Jesus comes to reign, it won’t be so any longer, but for now we have to follow certain legal precedents.
A 501c3 corporation is not a legal necessity, it’s a choice, and in our opinion not the right choice for this type of ministry. Rather, a charitable property trust would be more beneficial for the ministry as well as for the benefactor. We would rather pay any applicable taxes than to have to bow down to IRS regulations that enslave any organization that incorporates through 501c3.
The trustees would be selected once the benefactor and the property were determined. However, allow us to say that we have in mind a total of 11 trustees, who would be part of the fellowship and who have been determined to have the spiritual attributes recommendable for the responsibility, namely love, kindness, compassion, generosity, longsuffering, and humility.
Once the benefactor, the property, and the trustees have been determined, an attorney would be hired to draft the trust with guidelines pre-established and acceptable to the benefactor and the trustees.
4) Staff Fellowship – where the rubber meets the road.
Ours will be a truly biblical approach to the ministry staff. It will be, in and of itself, a practicing body of believers. They will pray together, eat together, live together, live for the Lord and live for each other. They will be home while they are about the Lord’s work.
The fellowship will follow the Word of God quite literally. In this way they will be able to provide the maximum ministry to the visitors. The “staff” body will live year-round on the property, dress modestly, behave with love, and work with their hands. They will raise and prepare food, build and maintain outbuildings, and be constantly available for the ministry to the visitors. Those who require training will begin the moment the ink is dry on the above mentioned trust. Each will have specialized knowledge in farming, carpentry, veterinary arts, food preparation, sewing, timber, herbology, and bee-keeping, “old ways” engineering, construction, etc. It is our sincerest hope to have an on-site physician year round who is also part of the fellowship.
Imagine a “Conner Prairie Farm” of believers ministering to the needs of the visitors and to each other, and you’ll get somewhat of a picture of the atmosphere we’re striving for. It will be a labor of Love.
Imagine, if you will, the usual “clinical” recovery environment. I’m sorry to say that many times that environment is one of sickness, and not healing. Cold, functional hospital rooms, appointments with psychiatrists and psychologists (many of whom give more heed to the Jungian sciences than to the Word of God), enclosed wards, impersonal (though perhaps well-meaning) nursing staff, prescription anti-depressants and mood enhancers; such is the stuff of today’s treatment facilities.
Ours will be the approach of a family working environment, where even everyday menial tasks will provide the opportunity for fellowship and ministry to each other. The visitor will not be constrained by schedules and appointments when they wish to talk. They will not be forced “on man’s time” to confront their issues. Instead, they’ll be provided an environment for healing by God’s Hand and in His Time. “Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like an eagle. They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
There will be workshops for each “craft” that will be functional in providing for the needs of the staff and the visitors, as well as serving in a therapeutic manner. The staff will have as their first priority the spiritual needs of the visitor and of each other. Everyday work will provide the opportunity to minister. The visitors will be able to participate in any craftsmanship they’d like to, and have a believer, a true brother or sister in the Lord, to fellowship with at the same time. If they require solitude, then they can do that too, as long as they show up for meals. More about that next.
5) Approaches to fellowship therapy-
When a visitor makes it known to us through a pastor or a physician or a fellow believer that they need healing for a traumatic occurrence in their life, first we need to determine if they are clinically beyond our ability to help. We will not be a clinic or a hospital or a stress center; we will be a refuge ministry. We will make determinations by calling references, or by observation, or by a physician’s examination. Each case will be independently determined, as we are ministering to people with real pain and needs and spiritual matters. It may require a “progressive” evaluation, or the situation may clearly dictate an extended stay. Even if a person is beyond our ability due to medical or psychiatric restrictions, we will immediately begin petitioning the Lord to remove such obstacles.
In most cases, a notarized release will be required, stating that the visitor is a visitor, not a patient, that the site is a refuge ministry and a voluntary retreat, and not a stress clinic, and that they are visiting “at their own risk”, just as if they were at a neighbor’s house or a relative’s house. The release will clearly absolve the ministry of any liability for any occurrence.
Any fellowship type counseling will be male to male, female to female, married couple to married couple, etc. We WILL NOT ALLOW sexual harm to come to either our staff or our visitors. The visitors, under most circumstances, will not be allowed, by their own agreement, to go on “off property trysts”. This is a time of seriously seeking the Lord and His healing.
Medications, for the most part, will be discouraged, and will be up to the discretion of the fellowship Physician. Anti-depressants and sleeping aids in particular will be discouraged, except in the case of "weaning" a visitor off of their prescription drugs. All medications will be dispensed as needed by the Physician or assistant. No visitor may leave the site for the purpose of picking up medications. They will be delivered if necessary.
Recognizing that many, if not most or all, problems are spiritual in nature, the preferred “treatments” will include prayer, rest, fellowship, fasting, good works, music, reading, and lots of compassion with a dose of wisdom. A visitor can choose to walk in the woods or work in the fields or paint a painting or help in the kitchen to bake bread on any given day. The only “enforced” treatments will probably be food and rest and hugs.
Types of therapeutic pastimes may include calligraphy, pottery, carpentry, painting, music, gardening, canning, beekeeping, leatherwork, sewing, jerky making, meat smoking, timber stand improvement,…
Simplicity and quiet will be the key. No cars, televisions, radios, cd players, or mechanical devices of the like will be allowed on site. We’ll make our own “joyful noise unto the Lord”.
No one will ever want for someone to talk to. The Holy Spirit does not work by appointment.
There will never be a fee charged. A visitor may make a donation upon entering or leaving the facility, but no such donation will ever be requested of the visitor. Remember, the purpose is refuge and healing, not creating more stress.
6) Ministry self-support
Many ministries are self-supportive. With the right research, setup, staff, and location, more than enough food, shelter, and money can be provided by the on-site resources.
Surplus food can be sold. Wood products. Home-made Bread and pies. Pottery. Artwork. Cattle products. It can all be done very feasibly, while providing plenty of sustenance for the staff and visitors. If our food, water, and shelter are provided for, all we need is money for extraneous items and taxes.
Many times, there are natural resources on site that can be gleaned for extra income. It’s amazing how much can be found on 200 or 300 acres. With a Timber Stand Improvement program, much lumber, firewood, and other natural resources can become abundantly available.
With a properly maintained and stocked pond, fishing for recreation as well as for feeding the fellowship can be readily available. Farm-raising catfish and other fresh-water foods has become a viable resource today.
A simple “road side market” would be set up for selling produce, crafts, eggs, cheese, bread, pies, etc. Local laws would need to be interpreted and adhered to.
7) The “Failure Factor”
In the Gospel, Jesus talks about a man who set out to build a tower, and halfway through the man found that he had not planned properly and was unable to finish. The man was simply not prepared to finish what he had started. Christ used this parable as a basis to teach “count the cost” of following Him. There are two critical factors involved in establishing a ministry such as this.
1) Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor, labor in vain. The Lord will provide the way, the means, and the people necessary to accomplish His ministry if He is the foundation and the ministry is His will.
2) Be prepared. This is not a romance novel, and it is not Disneyland. It is spiritual warfare, the saints contending for the souls of their injured neighbors, brothers, and sisters. Many attempts at Christ-centered communities have failed for several reasons. Some were “cults”, with an
unsound doctrinal basis or an evangelical but misguided “leader”. Others jumped in with both feet without first checking the depth or looking for rocks. Some were conceived not of the Lord but of vain imaginations.
But some have thrived. These were built on a foundation of obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word and prepared with a great deal of prayer. They combined the faith of obedience with the wisdom of homework. They crossed their t’s and dotted their i’s. Yes, they still had to contend with the world and with the Enemy, but proper preparation sustained them. As a result, many thrived in the Lord, and in the case of some 16th and 17th century establishments, many were persecuted and martyred for their faith, as was the early Church. The modern Baptist Church is the offspring of one such ministry.
We have attempted to address most of the basic issues of the ministry, without getting overly complicated. The purpose is really this : If you were in a separate community, living by “The Way”, or the Apostles’ Doctrine, what would be your expectations? We are simply aiming as close to the mark as possible in today’s world. Thank You.
If you would like to be involved in this Dream, especially if the Lord has guided you to be involved in some capacity, please email me at: dyer_tim@yahoo.com .
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