Church Builders International GRAND RAPIDS is a part of a unique network of seasoned ministers and leaders whose goal is to train, send, and empower the generations for the work of God's Kingdom.

THE HISTORY OF OUR VISION

In 1989 Kris and I received this same word through 4 different ministers of God; an apostle, two prophets, and a pastor. Those words all came privately and without knowledge that someone else had already given us the same word. The supernatural part was not that we received four prophetic words in less than twenty-four hours, but that all four words used the same wording. Our vision is these words. It has driven us for the last eighteen years, and has become the impetus of God's direction for our lives. 

OUR VISION

"You are not to travel full time, but you are to go to the place that I have called you to be, and raise up the home base ministry that I have called you to raise up, and get back to your call of establishing churches, and developing leadership"


DIRECTION: "You are not to travel full-time."

For most of us, we do travel as prophets/apostles/teachers, but that is not the full thrust of our ministry. Unlike others, whose purpose is to go from place to place, we work with churches and ministries in ongoing relationships. We labor among those that God has called us to build with, utilizing each of our unique ministry mantles to benefit the individual church. We endeavor to come alongside the local ministers, and help carry the load of building up the people and ministry that God has called them to. That list of churches is continually growing with new works that we are assisting.

The bulk of our traveling ministry is returning to and flowing with churches to help establish those local communities of God. Although many churches desire to have our full company involved in praying for and listening to the words of the Lord for that local house, not every church needs, or wants, all of our members to be part of their team. They may desire to have one, or a few, of us ministering three or four times a year. We are aiming ourselves toward laboring shoulder to shoulder with each of these ministries.

PLACE: "Go to the place..."

For years, we thought this was indicating a city or community. That idea came from our past doctrine and ministry experiences pastoring local churches. After years of prayer and "...looking for a city whose builder and maker was God...", we have come to discover that "the place", for us, is a region. Every call has a location or foundation that it builds upon and is sent out from. We have been strategically settled in Grand Rapids, Michigan near the borders of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. This Great Lakes region is the place where we are called to build our home base ministry: a network of ministers, ministries, and churches. It is not the only region, but the beginning, and the foundation, of all that will follow.

CALL: "...Get back to your call..."

We have been used in planting churches and helping new ministers find their way into the purposes of God for their lives. Our call is not necessarily to pastor locally, but to assist others in building the works of God. 2007 marks the complete return to our God-given call. We will be working with churches and ministries, helping them build the works God has called them to build; establishing the foundation for a network of churches employing a team-work style of ministry; raising up young or new ministers, preparing them to fulfill the purposes of God to which they have been called.

ACTION: "...Establishing churches..."

It takes a special anointing, or grace, to start a church. Many are good at functioning in the grace of pastoring, but not good at starting churches and ministries. We are good at starting.

God is again on the move. In the next decade or two, many new churches will be raised up, both in this nation and the world. We are now in a season to fulfill the purpose that God put upon us in 1981, by first building around our present geographical location (but not limiting ourselves to only the Great Lakes area), then working with others in raising up churches and networks of churches around the globe. It is a big vision but He is a Big God!

The next part in this element of our vision is girding up churches that are already started. Not all churches are where they need, or desire, to be. Paul left Titus in Crete because things were "...wanting..." in the churches there. Wanting does not mean that they did something wrong, but that some things had not yet been done. One of the pressures put upon pastors is to be all things to all people, but that is an impossibility. There are other giftings needed to bring some things to pass. Multiple ministry giftings, who are working in a single local church, mean growth and safety. We desire to assist present churches in adding what is wanting. Team ministry is the order of the day, and helping churches develop teams is part of our call.

PEOPLE: "...Developing leadership..."

Every new move of God includes a new group of those called to work in the Kingdom. This hour is no different. At the present time, there is an awakening that is stirring in those who are seeking their life's purposes. There is also a new burden arising in the hearts of many who have been faithfully serving in the church for years. As with previous times of refreshing from God, many are no longer satisfied with the status quo of ministry, and church, as usual; they want and need more. Our call is to this hungry, present-day generation. They have the appetite, but lack the spiritual equipment and direction needed to accomplish this task. We are called to train, mentor, and assist this ever-growing group of believers. Through weekend Bible schools, leadership seminars, various online training resources, and ministry discipleship programs, we are preparing them to fulfill their purposes in God.

 

Our mission is a call to all, men and women, young and old, who aspire to do more in the kingdom of God, and to help them become qualified in that pursuit.