New CRA Associate Director of Church Ministry Development

About six months ago, John Mitchell, our Executive Director, met with me following our fall Trustees meeting and discussed a new department he was considering starting—Associate Director of Church Ministry Development. Following a meeting with the Executive Committee and then the Trustees at large, I was asked to come on board and begin working and coaching churches and church leaders in developing ministries and programs that would assist them in their vision to become a highly effective “Acts Model” church. 

One of the reasons John and the Board reached out to me had a lot to do with the spiritual success God had afforded me and my elders in the previous ministries. For seventeen years, I was the lead minister at the First Christian Church of Winter Park, Florida. The Lord blessed that work in ways I could not have imagined thanks largely to the blessings brought on by the Holy Spirit. From the launching of two college campus ministries to the starting of a dynamic Christian School to going from an attendance on Sunday from 90 to over 400, it was truly awesome to watch the Lord work in the development of that church body. 

In 2011, I was asked to come to Kissimmee Christian Church, Kissimmee, Florida, and become their lead evangelist. God blessed that congregation immensely by expanding our role with the homeless and disadvantaged, developing five language groups all under the local eldership, starting a thriving Christian School, developing our Celebrate Recovery Program, Grief Share, beginning a weekly Jail Ministry along with a Foster Ministry—each one providing an opportunity to connect with lost souls and direct them to the baptismal waters. 

My last Sunday at Kissimmee Christian Church was December 3, 2024. As my ministry at Kissimmee was drawing to a close, I was excited about transitioning into this new environment and moving to the fine state of Alabama so my wife, oldest daughter, and I could be closer to our middle daughter, her husband, and our two grandsons. I was thrilled to have participated in seeing 95 precious souls baptized into Christ during 2024. Without strong, highly intentional, externally focused ministries in place, we would not have seen these kinds of victories. 

By developing these externally focused ministries, we as a church were able to connect with people who otherwise would have never darkened the doors of the church. We also were able to strengthen the “internally focused ministries” by equipping our people to develop a highly effective Men’s and Women’s Ministry along with a dynamic Children and Student Ministries.  

As I begin my new role at the CRA as the Associate Director of Church Ministry Development, my intention is to assist congregations throughout the nation in dreaming and developing and imagining. That’s right. In fact, Paul wrote to the congregation in Ephesus and used that same word, “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us” (Ephesians 3:20 NIV). 

Did you catch that? It’s our job to dream and imagine and pray. It's up to God to take those dreams and desires make them happen. The problem I see in most churches is that leaders quit dreaming. We stopped imagining. Our prayers are anemic and so are our victories. I want to assist church and ministry team leaders in combining the good news of the gospel with good deeds. I want to assist churches in becoming the single most important establishment within their communities. I would ask our congregation at Kissimmee from time to time, “If we were to go out of business today, how long would it take our community to know we were closed? Would they miss us, and do they even know we are here?”  

We knew over 70 folks would go hungry and unchallenged every Sunday morning if not for our Outreach Service to the homeless and downtrodden. We knew that Monday morning when over 200 children pulled up to our property to receive a great education, they were expecting to see a thriving Christian School open and ready for business. We knew that Monday night 40-50 people were going to be on the campus working through their hurts and hangups through the power of the Holy Spirit. We knew that Tuesday and Thursday we need to be open so instructors and students could receive education and training through the Advance Center for Ministry Training. Yes, we had effective ministry occurring on Sunday morning and throughout the week with our Adult Educational Programs and Life Groups, but we needed feeder programs — ways and means to connect those outside of Christ to these internal ministries. 

Simply put, I knew in my heart the Scriptures are relevant. I knew the power of the cross and the resurrection of Jesus was the crux of our spiritual identity. I knew Jesus is coming back for His Bride the Church, but I was deeply concerned our neighbors didn’t know this. Chuck Colson stated it this way: “Christians need a transcendent view of reality. We should deal with today’s problems with ever-present realization that the things of this world will pass away and with the picture in our minds of Christ on the throne judging all.” 

I am humbled the CRA would extend this opportunity to me. If I can assist your congregation in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jim@thecra.org. I would love nothing more than to meet with your leaders and begin casting a spiritual vision for the future. The CRA is fundamentally set on equipping and strengthening and empowering the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ around the world. Please continue to support this great organization. Now, let's get to work!