Revive Recap October 24'

A message from Pastor Derik

Dear Valued Partner

The weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing and pumpkin spice is seemingly in everything known to man! From lattes, to creamers, to cakes and beyond, we know Fall is upon us!! Meaning, we are heading into the end of the year. This is a great time to revisit your 2024 goals and vision plans you set in 2023, and make sure you have made progress! Now you don’t have to crunch for time and try to get these goals done by the end of the year, but I do encourage you to take the rest of this year and focus. Focus on taking a step. This might not seem like much, but over time if you just focus on taking steps eventually you can complete a marathon! People cheer you on in a marathon when you start, and they are surely there when you finish, but it doesn’t seem there are any cheerleaders for the steps that get you from the start to the finish! So here I am, congratulating you for the steps you have already taken and encouraging you to take another one!! Keep it up!!

 

Within the leadership of the church our main goal this year of Reset was to make sure our leaders discipled new up-and-coming leaders and train them how to do their jobs. This was followed up with a mandatory 2 weeks off for all leaders to rest, reset, connect with God and their families as well as pass along leadership to someone else to use their gifts in a meaningful way!! This included me, but the staff gave my family 3 weeks to rest, which I can only tell you was absolutely amazing!! One of the most impactful things I did during this time was read a book entitled, “Redefining Leadership,” by Joseph Powell. This book helped prepare my heart in a way I didn’t even think I needed! Its focus was to change our definition of leadership from leading from the top, to leading more as a shepherd.

 

This is only done when we understand the actions and intentions of our true example of a shepherd, Jesus Christ! To say it was life changing is completely an understatement! I am truly thankful for this time and ready for an end-of-year harvest of salvations in Jesus’ name!! For instance, at our last baptism worship experiences, we saw 6 people get baptized, and they invited many new family members. During these services, 10 people gave their life to Jesus and received salvation!! This is truly why the church is here! We are on a mission to Change Lives, Reach the Next Generation, and Impact the Culture with the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ, and I thank you for partnering with us to do that!!

 

One amazing partner I want to boast about are Pastors Tom and Diane Feola of CFFC in New Jersey. On September 29th, Pastors Tom and Diane came and ministered at Revive and brought a powerful message about the Rapture and our Blessed Hope! You definitely need to get on YouTube or Facebook and check it out!! Along with an amazing message, they brought a donation towards our Building Beautification Remodeling for $10,000! This is truly a couple and church that attaches action to their faith!! Thank you so very much CFFC and Pastors Tom and Diane Feola!! We are praying blessings over you in Jesus name!!!

God Bless,

Derik Kerber

Lead Pastor

Revive Church

Where it is our mission to

"Change Lives, Reach the Next Generation, & Impact the Culture for Jesus"

Wearerevive.church/Events

MONTHLY LOOK BACK

Hallelujah and Praise God!

Here at Revive Church we are happy to report that we keep raising the bar. We had a total of 23 new guests and 4 new givers! It’s so exciting to see how we continue to grow and thrive here at Revive.

Look and See How God is Moving

Church has been a part of my life from a very young age. I always went to a Christian school and received a Christ-centered education from K-12th grade. For most of my early years through high school I had gone to a Methodist church where I was the only one in children's church that went to a Christian school and was looked to as a leader for my Bible knowledge. Yet through this all I struggled with my salvation and the idea of being saved. My first real experience with God’s power was when I was 11 years old. I was hit by a car while riding my bike and was taken to Dartmouth for 6 days in the ICU, where after 3 days my parents were told because of how badly I was hurt I would have to attend therapy. There I would have to learn how to walk and talk and learn my life all over. Well with the prayers of many, after 3 more days, I was told I could go home and I would be fine, and the doctors calling it as close to a miracle as any of them had ever seen. My father remarked that it was all the prayers that I had been receiving from Maine to Texas — God’s healing power. It wasn’t until I was 17 when I was invited by a family member to go to a youth weekend retreat called Chrysalis, where for 3 days we were “locked” in a church for an intimate weekend with fellow believers and with God. It was during this weekend that I felt overwhelmed with the power and grace of the Lord, filled with the love of Jesus, and I gave my life to Christ one of the nights there. I could feel a change in my life and felt new after that night.

Once I graduated high school, I went to college and started to let that get in the way of my worship and relationship with God. I felt like I wasn’t receiving spiritually at the church I was attending and decided that I would use Sundays for sleep instead. I still prayed from time to time and read the Bible here and there, but I put God to the back during this time. It was also during this period of my life that I developed anxiety and depression. I found it ruining relationships I had and causing me to falter at times with my school work and even my jobs. So I started looking at churches and attended a few different churches with some great services, but none of them felt like where I needed to be.

That was until my mother who was working with Miranda at the Wells Village school said Revive was looking for help with camera and tech work. Since I had just graduated from college in 2018 with a degree in communication, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get back to church, to be able to serve and to help me get closer to the Lord. I met with the church, learned what the tech team was doing at the time and even attended a service. It was then I thought this is it —this is where I need to be. However, I let my own fear and anxiety get in the way. I had to miss the next service for a family event but planned to be back the following week. Well one week turned to 2, then 3, then 4 and my fear and anxiety was telling me why would they want you back after coming in fully ready to join and then just vanishing? This would go on for a few years until I hit my breaking point.

It was the summer of 2021, my anxiety and depression was at its worst. I prayed at that time and God reminded me of Revive, but my thoughts told me that after what happened in 2018 why would they even want you to come back? I was letting the enemy bring me from where God wanted me. I remember laying in bed ) feeling empty and feeling nothing. I called a friend, and after chatting with them they told me it sounded like I needed to talk to Derik and go back to Revive and find my way back to God. I found Derik at an event and explained to him I wanted to return to help the church and to get closer in my walk with God. It was a couple of months later that I attended my second service at Revive in August of 2021, and God opened my heart. He showed me that this was where I needed to be, and I had found my way back to Him. After many years in the world, God let me get to my breaking point to see that the world couldn’t fill my life, but that I needed Him and Him alone in my life.

I remember saying a prayer to myself, “Lord I need you. I see this world can offer me nothing, but it is you Lord, I need you in my life.” I thought I could fill my life with the world, that the world could help me with my anxiety and depression, but it was only God’s love and His grace that could get me through my struggles. Although it is still something I struggle with today, I am no longer struggling alone, and I have an amazing church family, and I have my Lord and Savior Jesus by my side. I had my coming to Jesus moment, that I don’t need this world. I need Jesus!

 

William Chmielewski