Is it Time for a New Testament Church in America?

As we attempt to begin a multiplication revolution in St. Louis and Kansas City our goal is not to just plant churches. What? You heard me right! Our goal is to make disciples who make disciples who make other disciples. From what I see in Scripture if that happens those disciples will allow God to give birth to many more new churches. So when you hear me state that we are now trusting God for 15-20 churches in St. Louis and 15-20 churches in Kansas City in the next 6 years, what I mean is, I am praying for a harvest of people to come to Christ and lead others to Christ so God can give birth to many churches.

Please understand me here, Church Planting is not the main goal. Making disciples who make oher disciples is the main goal. If we make disciples who make disciples God will birth new churches. My job and your job as as believers is to make discipes who understand and take responsibility for making other disciples. It's God's job to build the Church, His Church, His way.


What would happen in America if going to Church wasn't the main goal and making disciples was? What would happen if every believer in America today began investing in someone who needed Jesus? What would happen if every week the goal was to spend time with someone in a one on one discipleship relationship so as to lead them to Jesus and teach them to lead others to Jesus? What would happen if everyday we prayed for God to give us a discipling opportunity? What if instead of just living for Sunday, we would redeem the time and seize the opportunity to be the church and make disciples who make disciples?

The work in Kansas City and St. Louis is going to be different. It will look very much like the New Testament Church because we are going to focus more on people than buildings and by-laws and structures. We will keep it simple and we will make disciples as the main priority. So I don't need a building right now, I just need for God to lead me to people who need Him. And, we need God to send us leaders who feel the same way. We need leaders who are more concerned about making disciples who make disciples than all the other stuff.

Our Sunday Afternoon Adventure in Keystone!

Snow mobile Jump - That's me!

Keystone - You Will Not Believe This Training

I'm in Keystone until April 2nd, and the training has begun with great intensity. I have heard many speakers but none compare to the annointing upon Richard Greene. Because of this annointing I have never been in training that has impacted my life as much as this. And this is only Friday with only two days of training. I sit and listen with tears in my eyes as Richard Greene speaks of making disciples who make disciples who give birth to churches. The goal must not be to build churches who make disciples, it must be to make disciples who make disciples who give birth to churches. We are to make disciples and God is to build His church.

We realized the Top Priority of the Great Commission -to make disciples who make disciples, something that is almost missing in the western church. We tend to be a "Come and See" church and everything is geared for Sunday. Well, it's not Sunday we should be living for! Why not live Monday through Sunday with intentional disciple making? We should be living for everyday to enjoy God's presense and follow His leading and share Jesus with people so as to impart our Savior to others who also share Jesus with others. The goal is making disciples! We are learning that disciple-making is one on one and never a group or class activity. We need to teach believers the priority of the Great Commission and the mandate to make disciples who make disciples. We have even seen in Scripture that to be a disciple you have to make other disciples. If I am a disciple why wouldn't I share the Jesus I have and make other disciples who share the Jesus they have?

In all sadness, the church in the west needs an infusion of Great Commission priority, of disciples making disciples who make disciples. The church in America is not the Church of the New Testament. The New Testament disciple was known by his or her fruit of making other disciples. Where did we go wrong. Who taught me that all I needed to do was go to church amd make a few disciples? Where did I go wrong and not demand that we follow the New Testament model of making disciples who understood they were also to make disciples. When did we learn to come and see and sit in a pew and make coming to church the priority instead of coming to Jesus the priority? When did we learn that everything needed to be geared for Sunday at the expense of Monday through Saturday. The Church in America is in serious trouble. We need to get back to making disciples who know they are supposed to make disciples who know they are to make disciples.

Tomorrow we learn what it means to live in the Spirit and let the Spirit of God teach and lead us. I cannot wait. I am seeing things in Scripture I have never seen before. The scales are falling off my eyes, I will never see the world the same again. Disciples making disciples is my charge. I'm praying for God to give me five people to disciple who will each disciple another who will each disciple another who will each disciple another until in ten years -you will not believe how many disciples will be reached. Never again will I settle for just going to church and hoping for souls to be saved. I'm going to try doing it the Jesus way. Afterall, I have tried it my way and while I made disciples -how many of them have made disciples themselves? This is the saddest reality of all. I repent for not making disciples to the fourth generation. This means I make a disciple, who makes a disciple, who makes a disciple, who makes a disciple. Four generations of disiciples who continue making disciples. Can you see a glimpse of this vision?

After the five, I'm asking for ten, twenty and thirty who make ten, twenty and thirty. You do the math and then compare soul work to the soul work of the traditional church in America.

If you are like me, let's never again settle for the American model for church that is not working.

Keystone, South Dakota -Snowmobile Thrill

As you know I am in Keystone, South Dakota just a short distance from Mt. Rushmore, a sight we can see fromt he restaurant we eat in everyday. I arrived on Tuesday night late for extensive training in Mutiplication of Disciples and Churches from Richard Greene.

Since our speaker was stuck in Minesota due to weather and inability to get a flight for his family of 11, we had most of Wednesday off. So the midwest district guys went snow-mobiling. Wow -what fun. This was my second time on a snow mobile. We topped speeds at 64 miles an hour, jumped hills and did what we could to get those babies airborn. There were five of us and five snow mobiles so you can imagine the fun. A couple of guys went airborn without the snowmobile, which means there was a parting of directions. A couple of guys rolled the sled -I was one of them. I have never enjoyed rolling a sled and speeding down a trail any more than I did that day. I did a few famous jumps but decided to hold back a little so I didn't hurt the ski or myself. Everyone finished the day safely and no snow mobile was hurt by our tricks in the snow. I was extremely tired the next day, everyone else is complaining of aches I don't have. So I am thrilled to have been in the hills -playing in the snow - enjoying God's beauty.

I'll try and get the pic of one of my big jumps.

Prayer Letter for Weeks of 3.19.06 & 3.26,06

Dear Faith Partners,

I'm finally home for a few days before I leave out on Tuesday for Keystone, South Dakota for training with Richard Green. Richard Green is one of our Missionaries from Africa and he believes that disciples should make disciples who make disciples who give birth to churches. He believes in America we have it wrong when it comes to multiplying churches. In America the focus is on planting churches and in the end few are planted. In Africa the focus is on making disciples who make disciples and in the end thousands of churches are birthed. So I am investing 12 days of my life for concentrated training because I happen to believe if making disciples who give birth to thousands of churches can happen in Africa or Asia it must be able to happen here in America.

Our District Conference held last week was the most inspirational district conference of my life. We heard from Dwight Smith, a leading church multiplication trainer and writer who challenged us to get rid of the things that are hindering the harvest. We also heard from Richard Green who said publicly that our revised goal of starting two new districts in Kansas City and St. Louis with 15-20 churches in each over the next 6 years is great, BUT THEN HE SAID, "The goal is still way to low." Our 40 churches is compared to 300 a year in other places where God is moving.

I had by the grace of God 4 church planting prospects with me. Two of them already signed on with us for Kansas City. Two of the three areas I want to get started in are looking like a go. Now the issue of funding becomes more and more needed. Again, I don't know where we will get the people or the resources aside from God and the people He chooses to work through. God is my only hope and I'm willing to be a fool for Jesus and trust Him to provide.

Finally, we heard from and saw the Haiti missionary who was shot a few weeks ago while trying to keep Americans from being abducted on his compound. He was shot three times, twice in his arms and once in his face. The bullet, a 45 caliber at close range did not penetrate his brain because his jaw bone stopped the bullet and the bullet didn't even break the jaw bone. The hand of God stopped the bullet. The bullet shattered when it hit his arm. This doesn't happen to a 45 caliber at close range. The Missionary stated that the gunmen ran for their lives as if to see God or an angel as the missionary approached them. They were fear stricken as God showed up. One of the other guys was shot point blank and the bullets never hit him. What a great God.

Please pray for me as I continue to raise my funding which is stuck at just over half way. This is a burden I keep praying for God to lift. Please pray for wisdom and protection from the evil one. Please pray that God will increase giving for the guys who are going to Kansas City, at least two of them so far.

Thanks for holding my hands up in prayer as we tackle impossible odds.

I love you all,

BOB

Bob Carder
Mission District Leader
Missionary Church, Inc.
636.698.4708
www.theplanter.blogspot.com (if you want to give)

A Big Wow!

Just got back from District Conference in St. Joseph, Missouri located just north of Kansas City metro. Not only is it a beautiful place to visit this time of the year, but it was truly an annointed place.

We started Monday night with a district exectutive board meeting that was followed by district conference. I had no idea what to expect. Since I had been to many district conferences in many places I thought much of the same. I was wrong. God showed up.

It was different. This was different because God showed up. From the get go I could feel and sense God's presence. He was up to something tremendous. What would it be? God was present. It was not human trumpting. There was evidence of prayer and fasting.

We heard reports, yes, but they were reports about God and God sightings. Jesus received the glory. We met the missionary who could have died while protecting those in an attempted abduction from the missionary compound in Haiti, a week or so ago. He was shot at and shot in both arms and face. Yes, I saw the bulltet entrance wound in the missionaries face and neck, I saw the fresh wounds, stopped short from penetrating the missionary brain by the hand of God. This is a story I will never forget. As the Haitians shot, the missionary even as they pointed the gun they were fear stricken as God or an angel showed up. Fear gripped the haitian attacker. He fled for his life- he will never forget what he saw as he pointed his gun. Who did He see?

God presented four church planting candicates to the district. All men of God, 3 of them for Kansas City, 1 of them for St. Louis. These men found me, these men are godly and love lost people as much as they love Jesus. As they checked us out, I was convinced they are the gift of God to reach the lost in our region. When I prayed for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth workers to the harvest field I had no idea of the quality God would send. It was and is beyond human ability to understand.

As we prayed over these guys, God revealed to me that He was sending $200,000 to help fund these guys to get the boots on the ground. An illusion or is was God speaking?

I cannot wait for God to work. Because of my faith, I open my email every day and my snail mail looking for the mysterious people or person God will use to fund this endeaver. I'm believing God for $200,000 in immediate funds to get these guys relocated to Kansas City.

I'm just crazy enough to believe God to do what He impressioned me to believe Him for. Why would God give me a picture of $200,000 if He was not going to give it. I am waiting patiently. Are you part of this miracle? Will you use your faith to trust with me for this reality. I'm praying for the Lord fo the Harvest to send forth workers and resources for the harvest.


I love Jesus so you can call me crazy for Jesus,

Bob

Bob

This was the most inspirational district conference I have ever attended. Lives were changed. I'll share more much more later. I'd rather be crazy for Jesus than sane any day.

Prayer Letter for March 13, 2006

Dear Faith Partners, District Leaders and Friends,

What a week! Last week my hard drive crashed and after installing a new hard drive I'm back in business. All my Outlook files were recovered so I'm very blessed. This last week I also made a trip to northern Indiana to meet with a prospective church planter who I'm praying will join our team in the future. Michelle and I also had the privilege to meet with our friends and their son who just got back from Iraq. We also met with some of our ministry partners over lunch. So it was a fulfilling week in spite of the computer down time.

Yesterday, I left early for a meeting in South Dakota and over halfway there I got a call that the HCI event was cancelled due to bad weather. So I turned around and Michelle talked me into staying over in St. Joseph, Missouri where our District Board Meeting is held tonight followed by our district conference Tuesday and Wednesday. I'm glad I stayed over because a tornado went through Missouri on I-70 just about the time I would have passed through. God really protected me and my truck since they had baseball size hail in places.

Please pray for the four guys I have coming to district conference who are checking out the Midwest District and our work in St. Louis and Kansas City. Please pray for us to have wisdom and also protection from the evil one. Please pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth workers and resources to the harvest fields of Kansas City and St. Louis.

I love you all,

BOB

Bob Carder
Mission District Leader
Missionary Church, Inc.
636.698.4708

I'm the weakest link...

Overwhelmed, impossible, little resources, impossible odds, Big job, daily uneasy, impossible job etc. are some of the words that go through my mind on a daily basis.

I took this job because I wanted to be involved in something that I couldn't do without God. I was attracted to this job because I knew I couldn't and believed God could. I wanted to be a part of something bigger than life itself. Well here I am -hanging out by faith on the smallest limb on the tree. Uncomfortable? More uncomfortable than all my uncomfortables until now. Mega uncomfortable and hugely challenged and stretched. God....

All I can do is wait and pray and do what I can along the way. Ultimately we need God to work in bringing people and resources to this strongly unreached part of America. And yet the reality is clear, I succeed or fail at the hands of God.

What do you think will be the end result? How much faith do you have? God is our strongest link!

Time Well Spent For Sure...

This week brought lots of travel as we visited friends, ministry partners and family along the way. In the last three days we spent time with a potential St. Louis church planter we hope to keep on the line until he graduates. (We need this guy and his vision and his team for St. Louis.) We also spent special time with a partnering family who have a son, Matthew who just got back from Iraq, so it was party time. Then we met with some of our ministry partners in Elkhart, Indiana for lunch today (Wednesday). Rich time -well spent.

I'm in for a few days then out to Freeman, South Dakota to coach a church and then on to district conference.

What blesses me most these days is the sacrificial support of our ministry partners. Nothing matters to them but to pray for us daily and to be faithful in giving to our ministry. Once again I am blown away by the dedication and sacrificial participation of our partners. They love us and they give because they believe in what we are doing. I'm just humbled and blessed and blown away by it. Who would do this for us? People who love Jesus, that's it.

At times like this I am humbled to tears and overwhelmed by the God-sized vision of it all. We will never humanly do this on our own. But Alone Jesus can do it all. And yet He still wants to use you and me and everyone else do acomplish His plans. My job is to simply trust Him for the People and Provision to get the job done.

I am happy tonight after seeing our friends, people who love us in spite of our falts. When with them we are free to be ourselves and when we are ourselves they still love us bunches. They look beyond our buldges, balding and boy do I love them every one.

I'm praying and ask you to pray also, For the Lord of the Harvest to send forth workers into Kansas City and St. Louis. And while you are praying with faith -please ask for the resources that are needed too.

We love you...

My Computer

Thanks for your prayers. All data and outlook files are saved. Thnaks for praying. I will have my laptop back as good as new on Friday. Who says prayer does not work.

Love you all,

Haiti Update

The Haiti Team has been escorted by police to a safe house in Port-au-Prince where they will stay until Tuesday before departure back home. It was an attempt for several hostages for ransom. Since we do not do ransoms at any time for any reason, if these guys would have been successful we would have had casualties. My Supt. said that 30 minutes before the attempt there were children playing outside and children could have easily been abducted.

The latest report on our Missionary David Shoenhals is that the bullet was lodged in the jaw and never exited through the brain. Get this, I know of no gun at close range that would not penetrate the jaw bone. But in this case God stopped the bullet with the jaw bone that was not even broken. There were three shots with both arms being hit. One arm is broken. The other arm was not hurt when another bullet passed through. There were lots and lots of shots with three men shooting so God did truly protect the team.

How in the world can we give God praise for these many miracles. It is an amazing story that will live with this team for many years to come.

Special Prayer for Haiti Team

Michelle and I have been to Haiti and we know how crazy it really is. Anyway, a team from our Cornerstone Missionary Church went to Haiti last week and had a terrible experience. Bandits broke into the Missionary compound and tried to kidnap several Americans from Cornerstone. Their was a shuffle as the bandits tried to capture several men. In the shuffle missionary David Shoenhals was shot three times, once in the face where the bullet entered the cheek and exited behind the ear. At last report he was in surgery.

Two weeks ago I spoke with the pastor who is a brother to our District Supt., telling him that I want to be invited next time he goes to Haiti. Had I known they were going I would have gone with them. Haiti has a special place in my heart since we sponsored a girl for years from their.

Please pray for the team and especially for the missionary who was shot. No one knows why the attack happened. We do know that Haiti is very unstable at this time. Anyone going to Haiti truly is putting their lives at risk.

I have a vivid picture in my mind of Haiti and how this kind of thing could easily happen. We spent 10 days their years ago and I will never forget those experiences.

Thanks for praying...

Prayer Letter week of March 1, 2006

Dear Faith Partners and Friends,

I'm only able to post my prayer letter here this week due to a mechanical malfunction on my laptop. So I'm trusting that my faithful friends and partners will read on here. Please pray I do not lose all my outlook data, please?

This week (Monday through Wednesday) I was in Oregan where God really met with us. I began our first pastor cluster in southern Oregan with four others pastors. We will meet monthly for encouragement, leadership developement and coaching in healthy church principles. I also began coaching our Dever Conner Church near Albany and that went really well. I tell people that I lead pastor clusters and coach in HCI as a hobby. It is fun!

I'm back home working on recruiting and fund raising. This is harder than the above. As a praise note I do have (4) prospective church planters coming to district conference in March, 06. Since I put a ministry add on a ministry search website I have received some really good leads. Most of my leads so far are interested in Kansas City. Another one of my leads is a church of about 90+ people who are praying about joining the Missionary Church here in southern St. Louis metro. This pastor and I have become goood friends.

Another thing happened. A guy from South Carolina inquired about our church planting opportunities. He has church planting experience and success in faithfully planting. While he was praying about our conversation his friend wrote him and asked him out of the blue if Kansas means anything to Him. He replied, I was just offered an opportunity to explore Kansas City. Could this be God speaking through other people? I think it is! We are praying for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth workers and He is. Now we need to pray for the resources for these families who are willing to become missionaries to this region.

Now the truth is, I have more guys who want to move to either St. Louis and or Kansas City. I'm still trying to process them, raise my own support which is just over halfway. While doing that I am also trying to raise funds to get these guys here. I am not overwhelmed, just reminded that this will only work as we pray, as God does His part, and as people like you and me do our part. We are about to see a miracle and I'm praying you are part of it.

Keep praying for us - God knows we are counting on you,

Your missionaries to St. Louis and Kansas City -- Bob & Michelle.

Computer Problems

In case you are wondering where I am, my hard drive is intermittantly acting up. Which means it is on the verge of crashing. It appears to be solely mechanical. It has had intermittant problems for the past 6 monthes, so when I returned from Oregon this week everything froze and went into safe zone which locked me out. So I called for service and it appears that I must act now to get it repaired. So I am sort of out of business with my outlook files. It looks like my main data is fine but I'm concerned about my Outlook files. We are praying they will be saved. Otherwise I have alot of rebuilding to do. So please pray.

Michelle is kind enough to give me time on her PC so here I am.

I'm unbelievably calm about this which is God's grace for sure.