5 Stone's Ethos: Servanthood

There are many definitions of Leadership. The word that encapsulates our ethos is Servanthood

The day of elevating mega structure leaders to the place of visionary can be treacherous. Jesus taught and demonstrated that apostolic leaders should see themselves as servants, not as lone ranger visionaries. The Apostle Paul had a description of this kind of leadership: “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). 

Jesus is Our Lord. This is incarnational through the preaching of the word and the practicing of it in our lives, but it is also by birthing and planting the structures we endorse and the leadership roles we assume. 5 Stone is in alignment with what Robert Greenleaf stated fifty years ago. He said that we need servants who learn to lead, not leaders who are learning to serve. Greenleaf predicted that the next generation of followers would “not casually accept the authority of existing institutions. Rather, they would respond only to individuals who are chosen as leaders because they are proven and trusted as servants.”

This statement echoes what Jesus told his followers to become as servant leaders: 

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:42-45). 

Jesus makes leadership accessible to every maturing disciple, not just the super-talented few. Especially today we often see anemic engagement in church and in mission because we have not offered Christians an accessible view of engagement. If it means that a follower of Jesus would need to be a preacher or a leader that stands on a stage with a microphone, then have we reduced the pool of people who can lead in and through a church to the number of stages or platforms we have? This is anathema to the gospel Jesus preached and taught, it is also strategically foolish for a movement that wants to multiply and grow. Reviving and reenergizing the concept of servanthood as the primary quality of Christian leadership, we at 5 Stone knew, would be necessary for the kind of movement we were imagining. Empowerment for us is helping people hear their calling to be servants to a group of people who are lost or poor and in great need of the Kingdom. Calling is as unique as fingerprints or soul prints. None are the same. It can be a messy process but when we help people hear the voice of God, trust what He is saying and to obey His calling, it’s extraordinary. This calling may not often fit all of the forms of church service, as we know them. This can even be seem risky with a loss of control but as we make disciples and plant churches that understand and embrace this we can empower people by helping them hear and obey God and release them in their God given calling in and through His Church. 5 Stone is passionate to help every follower know and walk in their Kingdom calling to make disciples that transforms society to multiply servant leaders and churches. I am thankful for every person reading this knowing that you have a God given calling and that together we can see His Kingdom come and His will be done in new and greater ways for His Glory!

by Mike Roberts of 5 Stone Ministries

 

5 Stone 2017 Update

Over the past 2 years God has radically changed my life.  See, in January 2016 I went from being on staff at a church to being a missionary to the church.  I went from serving mostly within the church walls to not having any walls.  God has called all of us to be missionaries and “share the good news” wherever we are. For me that has always been within a church building where I worked.  I would wait for people to come to a worship service, bible study or counseling session to look for opportunities to share. 

Now my reality is different.  I am as called to vocational ministry now as I have ever been.  But, instead of being a “pastor”, I am a “missionary” with a ministry called 5Stone Ministries.  Probably like many of you, I always considered a missionary as being someone called to another country.  Someone who sells everything and takes their family to a foreign land and share the gospel to an unreached people group.  My call to be a missionary is somewhat different.  I am called to help build the Bride of Christ (The Church), one church plant at a time.  This calling to plant churches is not just in foreign countries, but right here in the United States as well. 

This journey of planting healthy, sustainable, reproducible churches has taken me from Willow Park, TX, all the way to India.  This beautiful country of over 1.3 billion people accounts for more than 17% of the world’s population but only 2.3% call themselves Christian.  There is a tremendous need for churches to be planted there and change people’s lives

Please let me share just a few things regarding 5Stone Ministries.  2017 was an amazing year of ministry!  God used 5Stone Ministries in some significant Kingdom ways.

  • We partnered with 19 brand new church plants worldwide.  15 in India and 4 right here in the DFW area.
  • We helped 1 church relaunch, 2 churches open additional campuses, and 1 church move into a permanent facility.
  • We launched the DFW Church Planting Network which brings churches with a passion to plant new churches together for collaboration.  This network has already grown to over 30 churches who want to make an impact for the Kingdom.
  • We participated in 3 international trips to India and Canada to further the church planting movements in those countries.

These were just a few ministry highlights that people like you helped make possible.  We are so humbled to be used by the Lord in this capacity.  Please pray as we trust God with our 2018 Vision that God has given.  Here are some of the specifics that we are seeking for God to fulfill:

  • Plant 25 new churches worldwide.  15 internationally, 5 nationally, and 5 locally to extend and advance the Kingdom of God.
  • Grow the DFW Church Planting Network to over 50 local churches who meet monthly to win the DFW area to Christ.
  • Participate in 5 international trips - 3 to India and 2 to Canada.  If you would be interested in going with us, please let us know.
  • Partner with 12 new established churches in this missional movement of church planting.

As you can see, there are great things happening around the world and YOU are invited to be a part of this Kingdom-changing ministry.  How you might ask?  GO!  Come be a part of one of the international trips we have planned or join us for one of the local church planting network meetings.  Consider yourself invited.  PRAY!  Please continue to be in prayer for the 5Stone Ministry Team, my family and myself.  Pray for the pastors on the front lines of establishing new churches.  And most of all, pray for lives to be changed.  GIVE!  Every vision needs provision.  The vision to extend the Kingdom of God through the Bride of Christ has always been God’s plan.  Please join us financially to see dozens of churches planted and see thousands of people reached with the Good News.

 

written by Judd Vier, 5Stone Ministries Director

Recommendation from Rob Hans, Campus Pastor at Victory City Church

Rob Hans, Victory City Church in Post Falls, ID

Rob Hans, Victory City Church in Post Falls, ID

Over the past seven years I have had the honor to work with Mike Roberts of 5 Stone consulting. During the past several years he has worked side by side with me to broaden my leadership abilities and begin to see ahead of the curve so my departments were able to be proactive instead of reactive. In todays market, whether personal, ministry or business, vision and alignment are essential.

I have witnessed Mike work tirelessly to knit an organization’s vision to its down-stream leaders.The last thing a business or ministry needs is to run a-ground by the loss of vision alignment. When functioning in alignment, organizations are released to big impact and effectiveness. When out of alignment, too much energy is focused internally for correction instead of externally for impact

As a Pastor, I spend a lot of time reading and looking into leadership development because I believe one of the biggest challenges to maintaining a healthy church is maintaining healthy leadership or “discipleship”. Helping people take next steps in their faith journey is important. I recently attended a leadership conference where they were discussion an organizational DNA shift. This shift would include individual influence outside the organizations building. I was given an opportunity to speak specifically about strategies and ideas concerning the how’s and why’s a DNA shift should occur within an organization primarily due to the conversations Mike and I have had over the years.

I believe that Mike, as well as 5 Stone, has a heart to see individuals, ministries, churches and organizations reach the pinnacle of the purpose. Making 5 Stone a part of your strategy to achieve your goal can be hugely influential in solidifying the foundation of your organization or team.

I believe Mike’s personal influence has been directly tied to mine as well as many peoples advancement. His heart and drive to see people succeed is incredible. I have seen it personally as well in other individuals. I could write story after story about how his direct individual skill sharpening has impacted peoples leadership. He works with individuals to see past their current capacity and develop strategies to increase abilities and habits so their capacity grows. This growth both benefits the individual and the company.

As you shape your company’s team for tomorrow, I would consider making 5 Stone or Mike Roberts a part of your team today. 

Sincerely,

Rob Hans | Campus Pastor Victory City Church | Post Falls ID robvccpf@gmail.com 208.773.0236 

Church Planting and Church Revitalization Fundraiser

Judd Vier and Kevin Chessher invite you to join them on Monday, October 23rd, from 6:30 to 8:00pm, as they seek to raise money to see God's kingdom built up through the planting and revitalization of churches locally, nationally, and internationally. The dinner is being hosted in the secondary cafeteria at Trinity Christian Academy in Willow Park, TX.

Complimentary meal will be graciously provided by Fresco's Cocina Mexicana.

Please RSVP by visiting https://www.eventbrite.com/e/church-planting-church-revitalization-fundraiser-tickets-38588430033

RSVP by Friday, October 20 is required in order to give an accurate number to Fresco's.

If you are unable to attend but would like to make a contribution to 5 Stone Ministries, please click the "Give" tab up above.

A Word About 5 Stone & Church Planting

By Judd Vier

Jesus in His infinite wisdom has ordained a few strong, obedient men to be entrusted to tend to His bride, The Church.  Most of these men of God fulfill their calling by taking hold of the mantle that was established by someone previous to them.  However, there are those special few whom God says to, “Behold, I am doing a new work”.  These men are the instruments that God uses to make something from nothing.  These are CHURCH PLANTERS.  These men are a rare find – a jewel.  5Stone Ministries is passionate about coming alongside such men.  

These men need to be visionaries, shepherds, strategists, operators and fundraisers.  5Stone Ministries extracts and compliments these qualities to fulfill this God-given mission.  Since vision articulation is a must, we begin here.  Without the appropriate vision there are no tracks to run on.  The Spirit of God is generous to give men vision of His desired plans and 5Stone thrives on such vision.  

Once the vision is laid like the foundation of a house, then the walls can be constructed.  Most often, this is where church planters get overwhelmed.  The key ministries and instruments for shepherding that a lot of churches take for granted like children’s, students, small groups, etc. must be built from scratch.  Often the question we hear is “Where do I begin?”  Prioritizing ministries into major and minor is the first step.  There are certain ministries that must be in place from the beginning to fulfill the overall vision of the church.  Then there are ministries that may come later that are complementarian.  The 5Stone Team have many years of experience in asking the right questions on the front end of church planting and then building a plan for such ministries to be established.

Even though the Church is an organism, there are many aspects that look like an organization.  Such things as budgets, facilities, policies and procedures.  Through many years of experience the 5Stone Team has learned the importance of such things.  One of the many areas that we serve church planters is creating such infrastructure.  This part of the church is not glamourous but necessary for long-term health.

Another key ingredient to successful church planting is leadership development.  Identifying and empowering key leaders such as elders, boards, staff and volunteers is no easy task.  Determining a church’s leadership pipeline from the beginning will generate many years of health and reproduction.  Unfortunately, much too often leadership development and discipleship is an after-thought.  The 5Stone Team assist church planters in creating leadership development as part of the DNA of the church from the beginning.

As you can see, there are many important aspects to planting a church and most of the time pastors are left to figure it out for themselves.  5Stone Ministries is here and equipped to address each of these areas competently.  This is the passion and heartbeat of the 5Stone Ministry because we feel the Church is the hope of the world and the most research shows the most effective way to reach the lost and unchurched is to plant new churches.  We are here to plant healthy, sustainable, reproducible churches locally, nationally and internationally.

Software for Church Planters

Church Software

R Kevin Chessher, CPA

 

I’m a church planter.  Do I need church management and accounting software?  If so, which one should I use?

After spending over 25 years serving churches financial needs, this one is easy to answer.  No matter how small your church, you need a way to manage members, contributions and financial information.  For a church planter, the best church membership and church accounting application I’ve found is FlockBase. 

FlockBase Church Membership Software tracks membership, family information, contributions, funds, pledges, groups, and attendance. In also provides year-end contribution letters, funds reports, family reports in text or photo format, and mailing labels. It is easy to organize your membership with FlockBase.

FlockBase is also designed to serve churches that depend on volunteers. While FlockBase membership and contribution software is designed with the small church in mind, the functions available provide capabilities that large churches need as well.

Church Accounting Software by FlockBase was developed by a CPA with more than 20 years of experience providing accounting and consulting services to churches.  He realizes that churches need a simple way to track their funds, revenues and expenses.  FlockBase meets your fund accounting needs!

Although some popular software packages meet the needs of most for-profit businesses, they do not meet the fund accounting needs of churches. FlockBase Accounting was specifically designed to meet the needs of churches like yours.

Both of these applications are continually being upgraded and offer subscriptions for support if you desire.  We have found them to be easy to use and very helpful in managing the needs church plants.  More information can be found at Flockbase.com.

5 Stone Board Member Makes Mission to Uganda

Reagan Redus, a successful restauranteur who currently operates Fresco's in Burleson, Highland Village, and Watauga, is a 5 Stone Ministries board member and is passionate about seeing God's work done around the world. Recently, he took a mission trip to Children of the Nations, a ministry in Lira, Uganda, which is led by Brandon Beard from Compass Church and 6 other men.

Children of the Nations is a ministry that takes a holistic approach to caring for children by providing them with education, housing, and everything that they need. The ages of the kids range from 3 to the age they graduate high school. Beyond that, the kids are provided assistance in attending college. Three hundred kids actually live on campus and receive education, while another four hundred live nearby and attend school during the day. Currently, Children of the Nations is in need of 150 additional sponsors who are willing to contribute $33 per month toward their ministry. If you would like to learn more about how you can get involved, please click the link down below.

Here's what Reagan had to say about his experience there:
The people absolutely had nothing, yet they were joyful and peaceful. They seemed happy to have a little something to eat, a place to call home, and fellowship with each other, but the thing that struck me the most was their love for Jesus. I’ve seen poverty, and I saw it in Africa, but never like this. These people sang and danced, they prayed, they knew God, they knew about eternity, they had hope and a faith I’m not used to seeing in the states. These children read their bibles daily, they knew scripture, they smiled a lot, they appreciated the little they had, and they were thankful, sincerely thankful.
 

DFW Church Planting Network

My failures are my gift to others.
My successes are the gift of others to me.

The DFW Church Planting Network is a growing band of passionate servant leaders that met again this past Thursday. This inclusive tribe is bringing pastors and Kingdom leaders together for encouragement, collaboration, and prayer.
 
The Lord is giving us invaluable gifts through life-giving relationships that allow us to learn together and learn from each other.
 
Pastor Ryan Fontenot from The Mount Keller hosted and shared about the challenges of church planting and how replanting a church with a remnant is not only possible, but it's also rewarding.

Trey Grant, the planter and lead pastor of The Well Church Keller, stepped in with a compelling word on how churches can become diverse communities that worship Jesus together with the power to bring healing and reconciliation to our communities, cities, and our country.
 
The first century church didn’t spend a lot of energy keeping up with the times. The first century church changed time and rewrote history. There is a fresh wind blowing, and the DFW Network believes the church is the forerunner and not the runner up. Come catch this wind with us!
 
Our next meeting is Thursday October the 19th with details to follow. Save the date and come prepared to receive your gift, as well as to be one. If you would like to receive more info and an invitation to our next meeting, please contact Kevin, Mike, or Judd.

Ryan Fontenot shared about his own experiences in planting a church and how God has blessed him through the process.

Ryan Fontenot shared about his own experiences in planting a church and how God has blessed him through the process.

Network of Networks

Did you know that there are enough people moving into Texas EVERY DAY to fill a "mega-church"? 

Each new arrival represents a person Jesus has called us to reach and disciple. With that commission in mind, 5Stone Ministries is partnering with servant leaders, networks, denominations, and churches who are passionate to multiply and advance the Kingdom of God through church planting and church revitalization. This is already happening in the Greater Houston Area through HCPN (Houston Church Planting Network). HCPN is a “network of networks” where leaders and planters from different networks, denominations, and churches come together to share best practices and cooperate to reach the city.

5 Stone Ministries is championing a similar “network of networks” right here in the Greater DFW Area. On May 18, we met for the first time with other strategic leaders who are equally passionate to seek God and determine how He wants to use us in a collective effort to reach those whom God is entrusting to us. We have held a few more meetings since then and have more planned for the future, so please be in prayer for the progress of this network. We see a God-sized movement emerging. This gathering of collaborative leaders will be a catalyst for networks, churches and ministries to work together to expand the Kingdom of God.

Please be a part of this amazing movement by committing to pray for 5 Stone Ministries and those that God is calling us to engage and partner with to extend the Kingdom. If you would like to partner with us financially, please click on the "Give" tab up above.

- Mike, Judd, and Kevin

Pursuit Bible Church Launches in Cleburne, TX

5 Stone Ministries seeks to plant and revitalize churches, in order to see God's people grow. One church plant we have been partnering with is Pursuit Bible Church in Cleburne, Texas. This church was recently launched by Trinity Bounds, along with his family. Before being led to launch a church themselves, Trinity and Cindy Bounds belonged to Marine Creek Church, where Trinity had served as the youth pastor, and later as the family pastor.

Pursuit Bible Church in Cleburne TX had it’s first service on March 19th, 2017, meeting in the home of Trinity and Cindy Bounds. The church officially launched in Adams Elementary on August 20th. The heart of Pursuit Church has been to mobilize believers to understand the heart of the gospel, how to share that message of reconciliation, and to be intentional to live as lights in the world around them as they impact the different domains of society they live and work in. For more information on Pursuit Bible Church, please click the link below.

 

So Why Cleburne?

The population of Cleburne Texas, the second most populous city in Johnson County, has steadily grown since 2000. Since the opening of Chisholm Trail Parkway in 2014, directly connecting Cleburne to Fort Worth, population growth throughout Johnson County has increased. Such growth fuels a need for church planting and development in Cleburne.

 

Visit PBC's Website