Revive Recap October 23'

This newsletter is different from what you're expecting, but I promise it will be gooder!

I truly can’t believe it’s this time of year already! Leaves are falling, pumpkin spice is thriving and kids and families are well established in their new routines of school! To be honest, looking back and seeing all that God has done is truly amazing! We have been seeing a great harvest in all areas , and I believe God is just getting started! One of the greatest increases this year has been a huge shift in the life of my brother Shawn and his family! Shawn and his wife Bridget have been serving Revive for approximately 5 years now since college, and they have never said no to their calling here no matter how hard life has been! They have fought through medical issues with their first born being a preemie, juggling remodeling a house, balancing a business with employees while continuing to faithfully serve every Sunday at Revive and during the week. In the next letters from Shawn and another leader in the church — we are going to be sharing with you a huge step for the ministry and this step includes you. Please continue reading the next two letters and pray about how God may use you to partner with these efforts!

PS. We are continuing the rest of this year in a series called, “Relate: A Relationship Series.” In this series we will be covering everything regarding relationships from marriage, to raising children, to relating to co-workers, your boss, the government, parents, friends and more!! See you on Sunday as we continue this amazing series!!

God has and will always come before and above everything and everyone else in my life, and He has called me into full-time ministry. I hope you will consider joining me in fulfilling His will for my life. As stated in Luke 14:33, “Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples”. I trusted, and obeyed because I am “ALL IN”. My love for God and Jesus literally burns and pulsates through my veins to every fiber of my being.

Immediately after Bible College, my spouse, Bridget and I packed up the last of our little belongings in our car and made the journey back from Colorado to Vermont, and we left everything—our home, friends, and life as we had known it. It was a bold and humongous leap of faith, but we were certain God would provide for us. After arriving in Vermont, I had to seek employment and thought owning my own business would provide the flexibility I would need to fully serve God, but this was not the case. Since I was also serving in several various roles here at Revive Church, I quickly saw the business was consuming entirely too much of my time, and I was still serving Jesus, but not with my full capacity.

I knew with absolute certainty that my heart’s burning and intense desire is to completely serve Him and not just when I can squeeze him into my crazy hectic schedule. He deserves better than that, and I want to give Him better than that! Then I clearly heard Him say, “ It’s time to give up your company”. Once again, I trusted, and obeyed and took yet another massive leap of faith, I am closing down the business. Here I remain on extreme fire for God with passion, direction, vision and wanting enthusiastically to preach the good news, bring light to the darkness and advance His kingdom, but there is an obstacle in my way. Currently Revive Church is thriving but not yet at the point where they are able to employ another full-time staff member.

Asking for financial support is never easy, but we feel so strongly and powerfully about this goal and are trying to reach it in the spirit of service, not self. Bridget and I have a goal of being in full-time ministry by January 1, 2024, and we are hoping you will consider supporting this endeavor. In order to sustain our family, which now also consists of three small children, an amount of $50,000 would need to be raised to do this and to meet our current financial obligations, and this would maintain us for one year while Revive church continues to grow—at which time they would hope to be able to take over and employ a new full-time staff member. I would be ecstatic to fulfill God’s plan, and I’m certain God will make a way, and perhaps it may be through your generosity.

On the day, the Lord calls me home, and I arrive at the pearly gates of heaven, I desperately long to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant”. I am 100% certain I will be glad that I made the decision to be “ALL IN”. As mentioned earlier, asking for financial help is never easy, but we are seeking partners who are willing and able to help us and hope you will consider supporting us either prayerfully and/or financially to help us achieve God’s calling on our lives. If you decide to make a monetary contribution, it could be a one-time monetary contribution, or recurring as we will be using the funds on a month-to-month basis. Please know that in making a donation you will be helping to advance the gospel of Jesus and His glorious kingdom.

Sincerely,

Pastor Shawn Kerber

P.S. If you have a few moments, I hope you will read the attached letter from a member of our congregation who has had a personal experience with me and absolutely supports me in this decision.

To Whom it May Concern,

Thank you for taking the time to consider sowing into Shawn Kerber’s ministry at Revive Church. I have known Shawn for over four years and am awestruck by both him and his older brother Derik’s tenacious desire to promote the Good News of Jesus Christ, make an immediate impact on our local and global culture, and their persistent dedication to raising up the next generation to be excited about God.

I don’t want to get too detailed about my walk with Christ, but I will provide you with what is relevant in considering the expansion of this ministry. I am a father of three and have always been a believer for as long as I can remember. We moved out to New York in 2000 and have been disappointed and discouraged with the declining state of our local churches. Aside from the churches experiencing closures, or near closures due to a lack of members, the demographic disparity between the elderly and the children is quite profound. In contrast, though Revive Church is within a small community, the current and growing number of members and children is staggering.

Shawn’s contributions to this ministry cannot be understated. He currently holds the position of Weekend Experience Director, and he typically preaches once a month and has also contributed by leading ReGroups (small groups). The Weekend Experience Director ensures that all other ministries (Worship, Tech, Children’s, and Hospitality) have everything they need to operate as close to perfection as possible. Additionally, prior to the service, Shawn inspires all of the servants in a message leading everyone serving to recognize that they are serving and representing Christ, and then he leads us into a time of prayer. The importance of this pre-service message and prayer time cannot be understated. My wife and I come in early almost every Sunday, regardless of whether or not we are serving. I cannot speak for others, but this time together in prayer and focus on Christ is an incredible way for us to connect with God and go into the service expectant for God to move in our lives and in our Church.

From the pulpit, Shawn truly has the gift to preach and teach the Word. At such a young age, he is truly wise in the ways of the Lord. He preaches with God’s word with humility, from his heart and with clarity and honesty. He is not afraid to openly express his own shortcomings and life experiences, then he rightly gives God the glory by showing how God has and is transforming his life. Shawn also utilizes props to help visual learners remember the message. Many of his messages are still fresh in my mind because of his creative methods of teaching. Additionally, my youngest son gave his life to Christ during one of Shawn’s messages and for that I am eternally grateful.

Shawn’s wife is also a great asset to the Kingdom.They are a packaged deal, and I had to mention her in this letter. Bridget has three years of education in ministry, and as a leader of our Children’s Ministry, she works tirelessly to ensure that the children are surrounded by loving servants that are dedicated to passing Christ’s message down to our children. I will not go into too much detail here, but I personally serve in our children’s ministry, and it is amazing to see the transformation in our kids. She comes up with some very creative ideas to keep things fresh and fun for the kids each week and has coordinated our first vacation Bible school this year. She is truly an asset in ensuring that the next generation is being raised up in Christ.

On a personal level, my family has been doing life with Shawn and Bridget’s family for over three years. Somewhere around four years ago, my wife and I attended a Bible study at their home. Shawn, Bridget, another church leader and his wife, led the study every week. It was unlike anything we had ever experienced. Besides the obvious that we were diving deeply into the Word, people were being delivered from past hurts. We were praying for one another, and we were connecting in a way that I have never experienced in a Church setting.

When his co-leader stepped away from the Church, the Spirit pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I asked him if he would be interested in joining up with my wife and I to keep the study going. I had always detested public speaking, but there was something about this amazing group that pushed me to start. Shawn brought us on as co-leads and our small group experienced God’s amazing power through deliverances, healings and members receiving new truths that replaced old lies. I fondly remember after everyone left the group for the evening, the four of us would stand almost speechless in awe of what God was doing in the group.

Finally, I will answer the question, “How has Shawn helped me in my walk with Christ?” If I could express it using a prop (as Shawn does), I would have him reaching out with a lit torch and setting mine on fire. The time I have spent with him has led me to a place where I cannot get enough of God. I am so madly in love with God that I desire to be with Him in prayer, in the Word, podcasts, books, songs or whatever other way I can experience and get closer to Him. I have boldly shared my faith with coworkers, led many small groups, preached four sermons and am always seeking to live according to the example of Christ. If I were to have it my way, I would go with Shawn to the gates of hell proclaiming the good news of Christ and filling His Kingdom. I truly believe that God’s blessing is upon Shawn and his family, and I am so excited to see where God leads and uses him!

God bless,

Derek Taylor

Revive Recap October 23'

Revive Recap July 23'

Revive Recap September 23'

Revive Recap October 23'

Revive Recap December 23'

Revive Recap November 24'