Renewing Vision and Relationships
Tom and Pastor Virgil Amundson of Shell Lake, Wisconsin.
By Tom Shanklin
Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. (Habakkuk 2:2, NKJV)
October was a month of renewing vision and relationships. I attended three conferences and spent much time in prayer seeking the Lord for the next steps for this ministry.
At a meeting of the River Valley Fellowship of Ministries in Lake Elmo, Minnesota, Susan and I were stirred up to grip tightly to God’s vision for our lives and ministry, and to not let go.
Pastor Jon Neitzell shared from his personal experience of being called to establish churches. The Lord has given him a vision to establish 24 churches in the St. Croix River Valley by 2027. He has shared this with the local church he pastors in Lake Elmo and with a group of ministers who are working with him to achieve that goal. Others are getting on board to make that vision a reality.
He talked about how we must hold on to the vision that God is giving us for our lives and walk it out in obedience. The Holy Spirit used his message to put a resolve in our hearts to follow the plan of God for our lives and not be moved by circumstances or the opinions of others.
We all must fight the temptation to think that we are not good enough, or too old or too young, or that we don’t have enough resources, or that no one will accept what we are doing or help us. When we hear from God and are obedient to His call, He will make a way where there is no way. And He will cause others to run with the vision alongside us.
I also attended the 54th Annual Kingsway Ministries International Fellowship in Des Moines, Iowa, of which I am a part. Kingsway has a focus on missions and evangelism. The founder of Kingsway Fellowship, D.L. Browning, used to say, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” The main thing is, of course, evangelism, and that’s one reason I connect with Kingsway Fellowship.
My visit to the Kingsway convention was a good object lesson in keeping the vision and managing a generational transition for an organization. Kingway has many older ministers who are nearing the completion of their race. At the convention this year, I could see that the fellowship is making an effort to transition the leadership to the younger generation without leaving the older generation behind. Younger ministers were included as featured speakers, and the meetings at a more contemporary feel.
I also heard a great message from William Jenkins, the former bishop of Kingsway, called “Blest be the Tie that Binds.” He talked about the value of covenant relationships, particularly in missions, but also in local churches and families. We need to be faithful to the people who God has called us to walk with in life.
Another highlight of October was my visit to the 36th Annual World Missions Conference at Shell Lake Full Gospel Church in Shell Lake, Wisconsin. This is a conference I have attended many times in past years, but have not attended since 2019. It was great to see old friends and to be refreshed in God’s vision for reaching the world.
I can also see a transition occurring at Shell Lake, where Pastor Virgil Amundson, the founding pastor, has turned over the leadership of the church to Pastor Reg Myers and a team of younger leaders who work with him. The church continues to grow with young families, while the older generation continues to be a vital and active part of the church. And among the many missionaries that this amazing church supports, a younger generation is rising up to carry forth the work around the world.
In spite of all the challenges in the world today, I was encouraged to see that God’s people are continuing to run with the vision to fill the earth with the glory of God through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Thanks so much for running with us as well as we continue to pursue the mission that God has given us to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.”