DistadMinistry

    One of the frustrations that most people have once they have completed an education is "Now What?" After Linda and my self graduated from GRSBM and after we were married my main thought was "Now what do I do?" Do I go after more education, do I try to find a church I can pastor or do I simply find a job in a factory somewhere. God had a plan, but what was it? I decided to get some advice from one of the professors at GRSBM. His advice was to start applying to churches that needed pastors. I really dd not feel ready for this, but I put my resume out there and waited to see what would happen. It wasn't long until I heard from a church in Morley, Michigan called Luther Chapel. Ernie Thomas, one of the men on the pastoral search committee contacted me and wanted to know if I would be willing to come up on a Sunday night and preach a sermon, so they could evaluate me. Just remember I had never preached even one sermon before or really prepared for one. I had abso...

    Starting in my junior year of High School I started to explore different colleges and non-accredited Bible Schools. There was even a couple of Bible Schools that I had considered and requested information packets on in Canada. Both of them were very legalistic and conservative. BUT my biggest concern was going to school in Canada in 1968, which was the time of Vietnam. There were many young men heading for Canada to get out of the draft and avoid Vietnam and I did not want people to think that is why I choose to go to school in Canada.     When I talked to my mom about Bible Colleges, she suggested that I attend the same school that our pastor's daughter was going to attend - The Grand Rapids School of Bible and Music in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It just so happened that the school was having a weekend event to help us get to know the school and decide if this is the school for us. So Pastor Logan, his wife and daughter Darlene and my self headed out to G...

    I am always amazed at how God directs our life and prepares us for His purpose. Everything that happened in my life (or anyone's life) when I was a kid and teenager was God preparing me and setting the stage.     When I was 13 my family left the farm life and settled in the outskirts of Rochester, MN. in Pinewood Township. I started to attend Central Junior High School and rode the bus to school every day. On that school bus was Darlene Logan, a pastor's daughter. She invited me to a youth event that the church was putting on one Saturday night. They did not have a formal speaker but we listened to a recording by Don Lonie, who ministered to teens at school assemblies. It wasn't long before I started to attend this church (Faith Church) as much as I could. Almost every weekend there were teen events and, of course, Sunday morning Church and evening church. Our neighbors, Johnny and Christine Whitcomb always gave a ride to church in their VW bug. The Whitcomb...