Gerry Stoltzfoos

Freedom Valley Worhsip Center: www.gettysburg.com cooperating with Gettysburg Masters Commission.

A community of people who felt like outcasts coming together and finding Christ...IN A TATTOO PARLOR!

You can't please anybody...most people who come to Feedom Valley that have a church background usually do not like it. Many people who enjoy this church are those who have been burned by church in some way.

He was a youth pastor for 10 years and an assistant pastor for a few year...over this time he felt the call to plant a church in the Philadelphia section. Nothing happened for some time and then he got a call from a section in the complete opposite direction! Initial response was no way, no how...on top of all that the Assemblies of God had rubbed him the wrong way and the furthest thing from his mind was starting a church with the support of an AG church!

Tagged as an outcast as disregarding authority, and living in rebellion he continued to pursue he call God put on his life. His vision given to him by God was to reach people that would not ever step foot in another church..."it does not work and does not fit what we need"

It is encouraging to see an individual that will stand up against opposition and pursue what he believes God called him to do. His stories of individuals who eventually repented of their thinking and initial opposition shows that when the Holy Spirit moves it convicts individuals and hen they listen to that they can jump on board as well.

In 1992 we started the church and started with 42 people which after a few weeks dwindled to only about 7. The church was the ball room at the hotel, then to YWCA, and then another place and finally a place that was purchased after the FBI raided and confiscated all of the stuff in it.

People need to be loved and cared for...there are many ways to care for individuals.

• skateboard park
• therapeutic horse back riding
  
• indoor riding arena (providing ministry to to handicapped individuals)
• Cowboy church (horse riding events interspersed with preaching: barrel racing and then a 5 min sermon on one point while they set up for the key hole race..etc)
• Bomb Shelter- a concert series held at a renovated steak house. Usually a group of garage bands, usually three Christian band and one heathen band. The goal is to have people there that are not so much into the music but into loving kids and networking.
  
• Coffee house- it began with a lot of criticism within the church but that has died down quite a bit. Trying to create a place to open the doors for hurting people to go instead of a bar. Three Q's i ask the lady who runs it: 1) How many people do you pray with? 2)
  

All I can say is that this guys methods are bizarre and crazy...sounds like just what a hurting generation needs! Who else is going to reach our future columbine killer?

How can we do church different than we are currently doing it? A question we must ask is: is what we are doing currently working? One of the most important things is that 8 out of 10 ideas that have been tired have not worked.
Example:

• Ruby Tuesdays outreach; brought in a few lost families: it was a ton of work for little gain.
• Missions raffle: tried to raffle off a harley! The gaming commission called; some lady called Tom rees at the district to complain of a church gambling.
  
• Coffee shop- 120,000 dollars went down the drain. There was oppostion form educated democratic...but a woman in a church opened up another coffee shop 3 years later and it is booming!
  
• Site churches with video- failed miserably!

you cannot be afraid to fail...if you are not failing you are not learning or reaching people...

"I don't listen to people just because they have been in the church for a while; I listen to peopel who bring people to church!"

speaking in tongues: alternative voices in faith. abc news "science in faith"

WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW...

The most effective thing that they do to reach people is called "friend day". Before the in initial service there is prayer for the individuals. Then the service is composed of food just long enough to meet people.

Listening to Gerry, I am blown away! I have very rarely seen practical information and stories that apply to the essence of humanity and the need and hurt that can be healed.

I just pray that God can use me in creative ways. I pray that i can get to the essence of community, salvation, and healing. I pray that I recognize the power of prayer...

"out reach is not about creativity or creative ideas; it is about caring about individuals going to hell! Creativity springs from a desire to love people!"


some general observations:
positives:

• he is not afraid to take risks
• he is not afraid to fail
• he is courageous but at the same time humble
• He can provide vision
• he is real and truthful.
• he believes in prayer and the power and the amazing conviction that God hears and answers.
  

Negatives:

• his truthfulness can become a vulnerability
• the constant opposition of the church and others could weigh heavy on him and lead to burn-out.
• his constant transitions and creativity could have negative impact on not only him but the church as well.
  
• i wonder if he does or does not try to build bridges or tear them down with other churches that seem to be more traditional and "stuck in the mud".