THE HEIM TIMES CHURCH MULTIPLICATION NEWSLETTER

AUGUST 2015 VOL. #2 ISSUE #4

Leah  and  I  have  often  wondered  over  the  last  two  years  about  what  God  was  doing  with  the  sale  of  our  home.  As  of  June  2015,  our  home  was  on  the  market  for  two  whole  years.  We  prayed  often  that  God  would  give  us  direction  and  clarity,  but  remembering  that  Paul  said,  “we  live  by  faith,  not  by  sight”  (2  Cor.  5:7),  our  prayers  shifted  from  “clarity”  to  “increased  faith.”  It  wasn’t  until  our  hearts  were  willing  to  follow  Jesus  anywhere  that  He  gave  us  the  clarity  for  which  we  were  hoping  to  receive.    

In  our  December  newsletter  we  mentioned  that  we  completed  a  weeklong  church  planting  assessment  program  sponsored  by  Converge  Worldwide  (formerly  the  Baptist  General  Conference).  Grace  Point  Church  in  Newtown  is  part  of  the  Converge  network  and  hosted  the  assessment.    Concerning  the  assessment  I  wrote:  “We  had  the  opportunity  to  preach,  cast  vision,  work  in  team  settings,  and  meet  with  counselors  and  assessors  to  prepare  for  life  as  church  planters…  The  Converge  staff’s  recommendation  was  that  Leah  and  I  are  prepared  and  gifted  for  church  planting  with  no  reservations.  Additionally,  the  assessors  believe  that  we  have  the  most  well  prepared  plan  for  discipleship  out  of  all  of  the  church-­‐planting  candidates  assessed  during  the  week.”  Our  purpose  for  the  assessment  was  for  personal  growth  because  we  did  not  intend  to  plant  with  the  Converge  Network.  We  said  our  goodbyes  at  the  end  of  the  week  and  continued  on  with  our  original  plan  of  moving  to  Harrisburg  to  develop  discipling  communities  in  that  region.    

In  February  of  2015  our  dissatisfaction  with  the  sale  of  our  home,  or  lack  thereof,  reached  a  climax.  With  five  kids  and  a  sixth  on  the  way,  it  was  very  difficult  to  have  our  home  ready  for  showings  at  a  moment’s  notice.  We  endured  this  instability  for  two  years,  but  Leah  and  I  decided  that  it  was  necessary  for  us  as  a  family  to  set  a  deadline,  knowing  that  we  could  not  keep  our  house  on  the  market  indefinitely.  Our  plan  was  to  keep  the  house  on  the  market  until  August  2015  and  if  it  did  not  sell  we  would  continue  to  commute  to  Harrisburg,  but  stay  in  Levittown  to  lead  the  ministry  that  God  was  growing  in  our  home.  We  shared  these  plans  with  Mike  Jarrell,  the  lead  pastor  of  The  Narrow  Road  Church,  and  he  agreed  but  asked  if  we  would  be  willing  to  lower  the  price  of  our  house  by  another  $10,000.  We  granted  his  request  and  had  numerous  showings  with  great  feedback,  but  no  offers.    

Around  this  same  time,  the  Missions  Pastor  from  Grace  Point  approached  me.  He  mentioned  that  there  are  only  three  Converge  churches  in  our  immediate  area.  Those  churches  are    

 

As of August 2015, we are still at 85% of our two-year financial goal. Please read page two for details concerning our financial support.

If you would like to join our support team, please visit www.jasonandleahheim.com

Grace  Point,  Restoration  Church  (planted  by  Grace  Point),  and  Calvary  Community  Church  in  Penndel.  He  told  me  that  Calvary  was  closing  down,  that  Converge  was  looking  for  a  church  planter,  and  that  I  was  “the  guy  for  the  job!”  I  thanked  him  for  considering  me  worthy  of  such  an  honor  but  quickly  explained  why  we  would  not  pursue  this  opportunity.  We  were  still  planning  to  move  to  Harrisburg  and  we  did  not  want  to  own  a  church  property.  The  next  few  times  I  saw  him,  he  shared  additional  information  that  he  thought  might  change  my  mind,  but  I  held  firm  in  my  resolve  to  continue  on  with  our  original  plans.  When  the  Missions  Pastor  was  quite  convinced  that  I  would  not  relent,  he  asked  if  I  would  help  him  write  a  proposal  to  submit  to  the  district  superintendent.  He  wanted  to  submit  a  plan  that  would  advance  a  missional  agenda.  He  explained  that  traditional  church  planting  is  very  costly,  not  easily  reproducible,  and  he  had  come  to  believe  that  our  model  had  a  great  deal  of  potential  to  reproduce  quickly.  I  agreed  to  help  him  write  the  proposal,  which  he  immediately  submitted  to  the  district  board  of  directors.  The  next  time  we  spoke  he  said,  “the  district  leaders  loved  our  proposal  and  they  want  to  know  when  you  can  start.”  Anticipating  my  objections,  he  asked  if  I  had  considered  the  fortuitous  nature  of  the  events  leading  up  to  this  moment.  #1  –  We  had  no  reason  to  participate  in  the  church  planting  assessment,  but  in  so  doing,  we  were  eligible  to  plant  within  the  Converge  Association.  #2  –  There  are  only  three  Converge  churches  in  the  area  and  one  of  them,  10  minutes  from  our  home,  was  dissolving.  #3  –  We  had  not  been  able  to  sell  our  home  in  two  years.  #4  –  Our  Levittown  Missional  Action  Group  had  grown  to  the  size  of  a  small  church.      (continued  on  page  2)          

   

Heim Family at Closing Service for Calvary Community Church

DIRECTION SHIFT CONTINUED… He  asked,  “With  all  that  in  mind,  don’t  you  think  it’s  possible  that  God  may  be  moving  in  this  direction?”  He  asked  me  to  pray  about  the  possibility  of  continuing  our  plans  for  missional  ministry  here  in  Levittown.  Later  that  week  when  I  was  in  Harrisburg  for  meetings,  I  shared  the  details  with  Mike  Jarrell.  Mike  wanted  me  to  join  him  in  Harrisburg  more  than  anyone  else,  but  he  said,  “it  really  seems  like  God  may  be  doing  something  down  there  in  Levittown.”  Leah  and  I  continued  to  pray  about  the  possibility  of  planting  a  church  in  Penndel  and  through  the  wise  counsel  of  family  members,  friends,  and  some  of  our  supporters  we  decided  that  we  would  pursue  this  opportunity  until  God  closed  the  door.  We  began  to  meet  with  the  regional  Converge  leadership  and  on  Thursday,  July  2,  2015  the  executive  board  approved  our  Penndel  church  plant.  They  also  approved  a  dual  association  so  we  can  continue  to  be  an  active  part  of  the  Narrow  Road  Church  movement.  Therefore  we  will  continue  what  we  originally  set  out  to  do,  but  in  Penndel  instead  of  Harrisburg.  Services  will  commence  in  the  Fall  of  2015.      

HOW YOU CAN HELP First  -­‐  We  are  still  in  need  of  financial  support.  When  we  announced  the  news  to  some  of  our  supporters  in  person,  they  supposed  that  the  Converge  denomination  would  begin  to  assume  responsibility  for  our  salary,  but  as  in  most  church  denominations  the  resources  are  not  available  for  such  an  arrangement.  We  still  need  to  raise  our  own  support  until  the  church  plant  is  self-­‐sufficient.  Second  –  there  are  a  few  projects  that  need  to  be  done  with  the  property  before  we  begin  services  in  the  Fall.  Our  goal  is  to  raise  $50,000  to  make  a  few  renovations  such  as  carpeting,  purchasing  chairs,  and  updating  the  church  sign  as  well  as  providing  part  of  the  first  year’s  operating  expenses.  I  will  send  details  on  these  expenses  later  this  month  as  we  receive  estimates.  However,  if  you  would  like  to  contribute  to  this  project  immediately,  you  can  go  to  www.thenarrowroadchurch.com  to  make  a  donation  or  send  a  check  to  P.O.  Box  431  Enola,  PA  17025.    Third  –  we  are  gathering  a  launch  team  for  the  new  church.  If  you  live  in  the  Penndel  area  and  are  not  attending  a  Bible  practicing  evangelical  church  and  want  to  join  with  Christians  who  desire  to  live  on  the  mission  of  Jesus,  making  disciples  who  make  disciples,  then  please  contact  us  for  more  information.  Thank  you  so  much  for  making  this  possible  through  your  prayer  and  financial  support!    

PRAISES & PRAYER REQUESTS PRAISE  God  with  us:    

• He  has  made  our  direction  clear  &  opened  an  incredible  door!  • God  has  already  prepared  the  hearts  of  numerous  believers  

that  want  to  join  the  new  work  God  is  doing  in  Penndel.  • We’re  thankful  for  the  2nd  Missional  Group  launched  in  July  in  

Feasterville  &  for  a  3rd  group  preparing  to  launch  in  Sept.  Pray  with  us:    

• There  is  significant  work  to  be  done  in  preparation  for  a  launch  in  the  Fall  including  additional  support  raising.  

• Salvation  of  many  unchurched  friends  who’ve  joined  our  MAG.    

AUGUST 2015 VOL. #2 ISSUE #4

DONATIONS ARE ACCEPTED AT www.theNarrowRoadChurch.com

or at THE NARROW ROAD PO Box 431

Enola, PA 17025 Add “FBO Heim Family” on memo line

PHONE: 267.574.6573 E-MAIL: jheim1973@gmail.com

85%

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Commissioning Service at NRC for new church plant

New Narrow Road Church Building

Auditorium of new Narrow Road Church Plant