By Renee Little with Marshall Mead and Daryl Reed   

I sit through long meetings to review and approve loans twice each month. We review financials, discuss property location plus value, and debate ratios of risk in order to decide whether to approve funding. As a lending institution, due diligence is required, but as lovers of Jesus, we have an even larger responsibility to examine and discuss doctrine, leadership, and church direction. We are more than a lender; we are, in fact , a ministry partner. Our mission is to honor God, plus the best way to recognize him is not just to help his chapel grow yet to ensure the particular church is aligned with God’s design for it. We prioritize being a good ally in order to Restoration Movement Christian churches first while, of course , following all financial rules and regulations.  

Independent Alfredia churches often are Restoration Movement church buildings but do not even know it. Other chapels might be very similar to Restoration churches, and we covet the conversations we are privileged to have along with them about small changes they can make in order to become more like the cathedral described in the New Testament. One change, for example, is to offer weekly Communion instead of monthly. The veteran ministers who serve on our field team are not salesmen; rather, they are usually Restoration experts who assist restore the church to how God designed this. They support the church by connecting church leaders with other chapel leaders; they become friends and accountability partners via covenant groups. These men show up in order to celebrate wins, naturally , but even more so they ally with cathedral leaders to help fight battles in the particular trenches. Church leaders may count on them.    

Most people love restoration. It could involve restoring antique furniture or a classic car, restoring a church to its original design, or restoring the human heart to its creator. Whatever the case, restoration is the story line we all innately seek. I am continuing to learn regarding the Repair Movement’s depth and breadth, and how it “never ceases” and “always reaches. ” Whether they are Christian Churches, Churches of Christ, African American Churches associated with Christ, or even churches along with other names, we can be reasonably sure they are Restoration Motion churches if their leaders attended schools like Ozark Christian College or Boise Bible College. Then there are usually other church leaders we meet, such as people serving with the International Church buildings of Christ. And most importantly, there are church buildings we have been restoring—churches that thought they were alone or chapels that can be led to make small yet powerful modifications to restore their chapel to God’s design—and churches that are just being planted.  

Christian Standard has compiled a booklet titled “What Kind of Chapel Is This” which describes distinctive features of our churches. (It can be purchased by going to www.ChristianStandardMedia.com plus clicking upon the “View” button under “Digital Resources. ”)

Defining any movement is difficult if not impossible. The Holy bible, thankfully, defines the nonnegotiables for us. We are then left with a choice. Gray areas can sometimes be interpreted differently, which can lead to discussions among frontrunners. I encourage you to read “What Kind of Cathedral Is This? ”; perhaps use it in your membership classes or even leadership training sessions. Determine whether your chapel is part of a larger movement; look for allies with whom your church will be aligned.  

In the particular nondenominational realm, true allies are hard to find… which is actually more reason you should find them.  

Marshall Mead and Daryl Reed are two allies of the Recovery Movement. I’ve asked every of all of them to share their story, and I motivate you to consider becoming their friend.    

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Marshall Mead

Lead Evangelist, Orlando Church of Christ

I grew up within the Disciples of Christ denomination, yet it was not until my sophomore year within college that I experienced a biblical conversion. Members from the International Chapels of Christ campus ministry studied the Bible with me, and I was baptized into Christ as a repentant disciple at age 20. They were the first Christians who dared to examine my conversion, question my convictions, and challenge my faith. I’m eternally grateful for their boldness! As the result, it has become ingrained in the spiritual DNA to be a skeptic, of sorts, in that We question the particular faith associated with others. We are not by yourself. Consider this Gospel passage:  

“Teacher, ” said John, “we saw someone driving out demons in your name and all of us told him to stop, because he was not one of us” (Mark 9: 38).  

I have felt this. I actually still feel it. Is a certain individual really “one associated with us”? Yet Jesus sees the bigger picture. He knows of the grander spiritual battle. Jesus taught us that the building associated with alliances is usually both crucial and is definitely, actually a better witness of your pet. Jesus built an alliance even along with those who (at that time) knew nothing of truth, the Spirit, or salvation.  

“You Samaritans worship what you do not know, ” Jesus stated in John 4: 22, “we praise what we perform know, with regard to salvation can be from the Jews. ” 

As fewer people—including people of faith—subscribe to a biblical worldview, it is becoming more apparent that “ whoever is not against us is regarding us” (Mark 9: 39) . This is certainly true within the bigger umbrella of Restoration Movement churches. Many of us are embracing the comradery with others who are in-line under the particular name associated with Jesus Christ and the authority of Scripture. Perhaps that is due to the fact the times have become increasingly evil. The spiritual battle feels more pronounced. True allies are harder to find. And while I do not subscribe to most Catholic doctrines, I have been inspired by the boldness of their pro-life stance. They appear to be willing in order to withstand the particular social plus political firestorm which is coming against them because of their convictions on abortion. Boldness. Maybe we should give them a cup associated with water too.  

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Daryl Reed

Lead Pastor, DC Regional Christian Church   

In November 2017 I had the great honor and privilege to serve as president of the Eastern Christian Conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It was the 50th anniversary of the particular ECC, the regional conference put on by members of the independent Christian church buildings and chapels of Christ stream from the Restoration Motion.    

Our planning committee chose the theme “More to Restore”; the big idea was that God is still in the restoration business. Plus, as Christian believers, we all have unfinished kingdom business that will needs our own attention.    

It was an inspiring conference.    

Meeting keynote speakers came from several streams of the Restoration Movement: Drew Sherman, Bo Chancey, Brian Jones, plus Ben Cachiaras from the impartial Christian churches, Jeff Walling from Alfredia churches and the noninstrumental churches associated with Christ, plus Kevin and Tracena Holland of the International Churches of Christ.    

I identify with all the above. I was raised within the a cappella church buildings of Christ. During our years within college, We were actively involved in the campus ministry movement of the particular churches of Christ. In the 1990s I has been trained plus appointed as an evangelist within the International Church buildings of Christ. And, since the mid-2000s, when I “discovered” the particular independent Christian church stream from the Repair Movement, We have been closely connected with all of them.    

Students of history are well aware of the natural tendency associated with church channels to branch off and form separate streams. Within geological terminology, streams diverge to form separate avenues. Divergent systems result in complex and multiple waterway techniques downstream. Unfortunately, divergence explains the landscape of Christendom today.    

Convergence of streams occurs when individual flows associated with water come together to form a larger flow. I share the dream of past reformers and restorers for God’s church in our generation in order to converge into the united circulation of his spirit—the Christ stream.    

After all there is certainly more to restore.