Correctionville Assembly of God

A News article appearing in the Soiux Valley Newspaper.

"Byers' Steps Into Ministry"

(Story by Judee Schumann)

Keith Byers, Correctionville, went from pew to pulpit in Assembly of God church.

Keith Byers followed his heart and conscience when he put his name before the Correctionville Assembly of God congregation to become their pastor. The church had been without a permanent pastor for a year. Byers has been active in the church for 20 years, teaching adult Bible classes and doing lay preaching. He felt called to serve after much prayer and thought. The congregation gave their approval, so the next step was contacting the local Presbyter in Sioux City who serves the 20 churches in northwest Iowa... This led to members of the Iowa District Council visiting Byers to give their blessing and lay out the requirements.

The Presbyters fulfill the duties of helping the churches, not governing. Each church can become independent and sovereign. Independence is gained by being a stable congregation, having at least 20 members, and able to support a pastor.

"I was interviewed in Des Moines, given written tests on my knowledge of the Bible and the Assembly of God church, and supplied personal information about my life," said Byers, "It all came together in July and I became the pastor in September, 2005."

This is not the end, but the beginning for Byers, "It is the goal of our church to regain its sovereign status in the coming year. Presently, a district and state Presbyter, plus myself are the governing body of our church. The congregation cannot vote, but we use the congregation to gain support and their views on any decisions that need to be made."

Byers will be filling the requirements to become a certified pastor. A three-year course of Bible study and doctrine is taken over the internet needs to be completed, with a second series needed to become an ordained minister. It could take up to eight years, but Byers will be able to speed up the process a bit, "Sometime in the future, I will be retiring from my full-time teaching position." He is on the staff in the Kingsley-Pierson school district, and has been there for the past 28 years. He teaches nine agriculture classes, a biology course, and manages and advises the FFA Chapter.

With Byers' experiences working with others, the church is another area where he can help make things grow, "Our congregation is filled with very good, mature Christian people. My main duty is to advise and counsel."

He also has full authority to marry (has done one, with two more scheduled), and perform the funeral rites and dedications. "It does seem different when the full responsibility is mine, but it is also very fulfilling. My wife, Lila is very supportive and encouraging and does many behind-the-scenes activities."

One of the goals of the congregation is "Getting outside our walls."

The FirEscape beside the church is one example of fulfilling this goal. Pastor Nick Wilen of Correctionville oversees the Wednesday night Bible studies for 11-18 year olds. Friday nights are open recreation time. Pool, ping-pong, air hockey, eight recently installed computers, and snack bar are all available.

An intern, Aaron Orndorff, Keith and Lila's son-in-law, from Springfield, Missouri, who is serving at the church this summer works with youth, preaches, teaches Adult Bible Class, performs maintenance, etc to give him a well-rounded opportunity to serve. His wife, Stacy, the Byers' daughter, started the Kid's Club during the Sunday School hour. It is an interactive time for the children of all ages to worship and learn together. She incorportated the FirEscape Youth into the Kid's Club by forming the Christians in Action (CIA). These young people help in Kid's Club by coordinating games, props, skits, singing, handing out materials, etc.

The concerts in the park (Copeland) have been well received. They sponsored their third one during the Fourth of July celebration.

One of their biggest projects so far has been "The Light Giving Thrift Store which opened two months ago. All donated clothing is sold for $1.00 a piece; there is furniture and household goods also. Any family who can benefit from free clothing, household items, and food are invited to join "The Light Club" membership. Benefits include gift certificates for clothing, household/bedding and a monthly visit to "The Correctionville Cupboard". Enough food is given for seven meals with recipes included. The cupboard is also stocked with diapers and children's underwear. 70 families in Correctionville and surrounding communities have joined "The Light" club where other benefits include a monthly newsletter and automatic entry into monthly door prize drawings. "This is proving to be a very effective outreach for our church," Keith believes. We find out peoples' needs, build relationships with them, and have a better feel for our community."

Going outside, brings others inside, where they find a seven person Praise Band leading the singing on Sunday morning and power point and video presentations. "We need to utilize the gifts and talents of our members and let others see and hear our message of grace through Jesus and give our love to others as He did."

Keith Byers is not just waiting for growth.. The Assembly of God bus can be seen picking up children and adults on Sunday mornings now. Byers is at the wheel ready to stop for anyone who wants or needs a ride.

Whatever the successes, Byers and the congregation give Jesus all the credit, "It is all about Him, not about us."

Also see the article appearing in the in the Sioux City Journal (follow the link below)

http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2008/03/29/news/faith/269469cef2d7923e8625741b000c6ebe.txt

Mission Scripture:

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

Mission Statement:

To have people come to Jesus and develop a relationship with Him that causes them to do ministry for others.

The folowing information is completely agreed with and adopted from the General Council of the Assemblies of God Mission Page 9/5/06.

Our Mission

The Assemblies of God is committed to fulfilling a threefold mission. Its primary reason for being is:

To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world
To be a corporate body in which man may worship God
To be a channel of God's purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His son

WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM…IN WORSHIP.

We commit ourselves to anointed worship–to glorify God in Spirit and in truth, unashamed of our extravagant love for Jesus Christ. We commit ourselves to be a people who live in, and for, the glory of God. In our endeavor to enable every believer to become a true worshipper, we will ask the Lord to provide anointed, gifted worship leaders, and we will equip them in every way possible as they lead our congregations in authentically expressed, spiritually alive worship to the Lord.

WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM…IN DISCIPLESHIP.

We commit ourselves to personal spiritual growth and discipleship. It is God's will for every believer to mature in Christ-like character. Spiritual formation brings glory to our Creator and Savior and validates our witness to the world. We will use every effective means to spiritually develop believers in our churches and to prepare continuing generations for service.
We commit ourselves to training and equipping. We will diligently train new leaders called by the Lord. We will encourage and enable pastors, teachers, evangelists, missionaries and lay leaders to reach their full potential in ministry. We pledge that our national and district offices, as well as our training institutions, will be vital, indispensable ministry resource centers. Excellent training and meaningful resource materials will be provided for our church leaders to enable them to effectively equip God’s people for service.

WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO HIM…IN EVANGELISM

We commit ourselves to a renewed passion for evangelism. We are asking God to birth in us new compassion for those who are perishing without Christ. Every member and every ministry of this Fellowship must be compelled by the lostness of humanity. We will reach out to the oppressed and wounded–to all who are marching blindly to everlasting death, numbed by the immorality, materialism and rampant decay of our society. With God's help, we will reach every home and every culture in our communities with an adequate witness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will use every effective, biblical, outreach method the Holy Spirit gives us to bring people to salvation and transformation through the love and lordship of Jesus Christ.

We commit ourselves to establishing new, Spirit-birthed Assemblies of God churches throughout this country. We will ask the Lord to provide God-called pastors for these churches. We will help these new churches as they grow into effective, powerful, light-bearing communities of faith, which pierce through the darkness of evil to reach their cultures.
We commit ourselves to compassion ministries. We will touch the poor and the suffering with the compassion of Christ and will demonstrate His love in practical ways, providing food, clothing and medical care. Through our churches and missions programs, we will minister to total human need, both spiritual and physical. We will proclaim God's unconditional love, His provision of forgiveness, and His pathway of acceptance to all who are broken by sin—poor and rich alike—and urge them to receive and follow Christ.
We commit ourselves with unrelenting passion to the great cause of worldwide missions. In this cause, we pledge ourselves anew to extend the bonds of partnership with fraternal fellowships around the world. The Lord of the harvest clearly spoke to the hearts of our founding fathers that our church shall, without reservation, be of one mind in the task of world missions. We believe God that, in the grip of the Spirit’s conviction, every Assemblies of God church and every member will support in prayer and sacrificially give to this cause. Most importantly, we pledge the greatest of all investments–men and women who will take their places in the vast, unreached fields of end-time harvest.

In all we do…

We will remain faithful to sound biblical doctrine. We must "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3, NASV) and be ever mindful of "destructive heresies" (II Peter 2:1, NASV). Our Statement of Fundamental Truths begins, "The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21)." This is not only the first of our fundamental truths, but foundational to all we believe and live. Salvation through Jesus Christ, divine healing, the second coming of Christ, and the baptism in the Spirit Holy (The special anointing/empowering for the work of the ministry occuring after Salvation through Jesus Christ) will be kept at the forefront of our commitment only as we adhere to the eternal Word of God.
We will actively seek, depend on and yield to the working of the Holy Spirit. The world desperately needs to see Jesus in us through the fruit of the Spirit. We will embrace and grow in His gifts and graces. We will press in to manifest more of His power. We will be a church of the Spirit in the 21^st Century, living in first century fullness. We reaffirm the baptism in the Holy Spirit to be a God-appointed blessing and are fully persuaded that it is God’s promise for every believer to receive this wonderful gift so that the church may be advanced with signs and wonders following. We call each generation to a fresh baptism of divine power for service and ministry. We will not allow the way we live to be characterized by apathy, dryness or mere mental assent to doctrines–void of power. We will be people of the Spirit, dynamic and relevant in a post-Christian culture.
We will saturate all we do in prayer. With humble hearts, we acknowledge that we may serve God only in the energy of the Holy Spirit. Public and private prayer, a consistent devotional life and the personal study of God's Word are the very foundation for our future. With one heart we commit ourselves to prayer, to fasting and to the development of networks of prayer throughout our communities and around the world.
We will serve our Lord in a cooperative spirit. We will do everything possible to work together in harmony and not in competition. We will be a people united by God in the recognition that there is "one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all" (Eph 4:5-6a). We will work for cooperation between the General Council, the districts, and the local churches to foster unity and to advance the kingdom of God. Depending upon the Holy Spirit, we will discover new ways of networking with other churches in our communities to expand our witness and effectiveness. We will lay aside self-serving promotion and stand ready to encourage and support the ministry of others knowing that we are laborers together with the Lord.

SUMMARY. We humbly ask the Lord of the harvest for a new boldness, a new vision, a new passion and a renewed power that comes only from the Holy Spirit. Along with the Early Church, we ask our Sovereign Lord to stretch out His hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Jesus (Acts 4:30). With our whole hearts, we ask God to fill us anew with the Holy Spirit and enable us to speak the Word of God boldly (Acts 4:31b).

We are committed to making "disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything" that Jesus Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19, 20a). If we humbly seek God's direction and follow His leading, He will be with us in all our endeavors to fulfill the task of worldwide evangelism until He returns.

Together we pray, "Jesus Christ, you are Lord! We are your people! Bless us with your favor, and increase the boundaries of your Kingdom through us. We humbly acknowledge that we desperately need Your power to reach this lost world for Your kingdom. Use us to bring in Your harvest. Give us Your heavenly wisdom and creativity to accomplish all that You have commanded us. We long to be a people that will glorify You in all that we think, say and do. Keep our hearts from evil, and our vision in sharp focus. Deliver us from the futility of frivolous pursuits, and forgive us for any lack of commitment, any compromise or unholy lifestyle. Cleanse us through Your precious blood and empower us through Your Holy Spirit. Enable us to work together for the advancement of Your gospel, in Your Kingdom, for Your glory. Amen."

AG History