Events

Grimwoods Begin Church Planting by “Taking the next step”

In 2015, Greg Grimwood left his job as a pastor, tired and burned out. He and his wife, Cara, moved their family to Wooster, Ohio, Greg’s hometown. There, he began seeking God, and he discovered the abiding life that Jesus described in John 15. He describes his new understanding as “learning to minister out of [...]

Helping Pastors Achieve Financial Health

“90% of pastors in America today don’t bring home a paycheck big enough to meet their family’s financial needs,” according to Lilly Endowment research. The organization’s research also found that pastors across America face financial challenges like retirement savings, student loans, and medical bills with no apparent solution. That kind of problem has been at [...]

A Seminary Study Just Became Affordable and Reachable Through FEC’s New Certificate Program

When Tom Bennardo worked toward his master’s degree (Master of Divinity) decades ago, few options were available. He, like many men and women who were called to the ministry, left their current ministry positions or uprooted their families to study at a seminary, taking on debt and delaying their future plans. The challenges associated with [...]

Still ON MISSION after 153 Years

Even though FEC history stretches back 153 years, five years ago its leaders redefined their purpose and rebranded their image. That process began almost seven years ago, when Rocky Rocholl took the president’s seat. He began by asking, “Do we need to exist?” Once pastors and leaders answered that question, the challenge was to define [...]

Beyond Calling: Assessing Potential Church Planters In-House

“The most privileged and challenging role on earth.” That’s how Tom Bennardo describes a church planter’s role. Tom is a part of FEC’s church planting staff and serves as the director for the western United States. He, along with Scott Wagoner and Jay Nickless have seen interest in planting new churches grow over the last [...]

Love in Action at Pine Hills Church

Reaching out to local communities looks different from church to church. Pine Hills Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, reaches out to their community through an initiative called Love in Action. They desire to be a healthy church that transforms the community around them, putting Jesus’ words into action, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That desire [...]

You can’t steal a church!

On Sunday morning, December 10, 2017, pastor Nirup Alphonse received a surprising early-morning phone call. The truck and trailer that store all of LifeGate Denver’s worship service supplies were gone. Stolen. “We lost everything…sound equipment, tables, T-shirts, nametags…everything,” he says. And how did LifeGate respond to what could have been a tragedy? “We decided to [...]

Steady Growth Ramps Up Planned Renovations at Flanagan Community Church

Flanagan Community Church is wrapping up a months-long renovation project to its storefront property in Flanagan, Illinois. The project came just five months after a successful launch on January 29 of this year. After reinforcing ceiling joists, tearing out rotted wood flooring, and installing lots and lots of drywall, the congregation has just put the [...]

First-ever Young Adult Fort Wayne conference to focus on unity in Christ

Young Adults Fort Wayne, in conjunction with Highland Gospel Community, is gearing up for its first-ever young adult conference this fall. Slated for November 3–4, the United as One conference will equip young people ages 18 – 35 to walk in unity with others in Christ. “If you look at our cultural climate right now,” [...]