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Revivalist and Leadership Network Team member keynote at the Southern Ohio Synod.

Evaluation of Pr. Ernie Hinojosa regarding his presentation to the Southern
Ohio Synod Assembly, June 1, 2007.

Pastor Ernie Hinojosa's spirit-led presentation to the 2007 Southern Ohio Synod Assembly was the high point of the gathering. The attendees were
mesmerized by Pastor Ernie's stories of his walk with God and the amazing work his church is doing in San Antonio.

The presence of the Lord was strongly felt by all as Pastor Ernie opened hearts and minds to our role as Christians and ambassadors of Christ. I have been asked by numerous attendees for copies of Pastor Ernie's presentation as they want to share it with their pastors and/or congregations. Pastor Ernie's testimony has sparked a flood of ideas regarding outreach to the unchurched, unloved and forgotten.

Ernie was so patient when we had to push back his presentation until later in the day due to floor discussions on issues before the assembly. He was cheerful, kind and appreciative, even of the little we were able to do for him on our tight budget. Pastor Ernie is an excellent representative of the
ELCA and the Christian Church.

 

New York Revival
St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Valatie, NY
Click to view Power Point Presentation
St. Luke's Lutheran Church
Valatie, New York


"Could we hold a revival this summer?" was the question asked of the Rev. James Slater by Tom Pavelek of St. Luke's in Valatie and Duane Keeler of Emanuel in Stuyvesant Falls, the two congregations served by Pastor Slater. They had met at a rest stop on the New York State Thruway driving home from the annual June assembly of the Upstate New York Synod held in Rochester. The focus of the synod assembly had been on evangelism and inspiration of faith with Rev. Tony Campolo as the keynote speaker and Rev. Kathryn Love as the ELCA representative. "We could ask Rev. Love to be our evangelist for the event!"
     Thus the seed was planted for what would become "Seasons of Renewal 2006," a tent revival held at St. Luke's in Valatie and sponsored by the two congregations of the parish on August 11 and 12. A planning committee went quickly to work at renting a tent and brainstorming a list of participants for the event. The workbook, "Renewing the Passion: a guide to spiritual renewal," provided an outline for our planning. The reply of Rev. Kathryn Love to our request was a sincere, "If there will be a revival, I will be there." Immediately there was a desire to make the revival an ecumenical event, but surrounding congregations were slow in responding. Still the intended audience for the revival was to be the members of our own congregations, members and pastors of neighboring congregations and those of our conference, and the unchurched from the highways and byways.
The planning committee consisted of Cathy and Tim McGlauflin and Duane and Phyllis Keeler from the Stuyvesant Falls congregation; Tom and Emily Pavelek, Sharon Smith, Christi Wright, Jackie Bachman, and Christa Slater from the Valatie congregation. So many ideas were shared that it became a two day event, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6pm. to 10pm.
Friday night began with a traditional hymn sing of favorites from the Lutheran Book of Worship and With One Voice, led by the choir from St. Luke's conducted by Edward J. Fiebke, Jr. Then a full worship experience was presented by The King's Clown Troupe from Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Clifton Park, NY, a collection of Senior High youth under the direction of Mrs. Georgianna Frasier. A local singer and songwriter, Laura Hawthorne, impressed those in attendance with her beautiful voice and profound testimony. The evening concluded with a program of scripture, prayer and song around a blazing campfire.
     The events on Saturday began with a song, dance and testimonials from "Grandma's Angels," a dozen girls ranging in age from 17 to 3 from a Baptist church in nearby Hudson, NY. A five member bluegrass music band called "Rhubarb" shared some Gospel songs. The bass player in the band, Lynda Garafalo, is a member of the Stuyvesant Falls congregation. A blues singer and acoustical guitar wizard named Rhett Tyler, from Hudson, NY, shared his music and testimony. Then we welcomed back Laura Hawthorne to lead us into the concluding revival worship service. Rev. Kathryn Love was the welcomed evangelist for the service led by Pastor Slater. During the candlelighting recommitment service an anthem was shared by the St. Luke's choir and another song by Laura Hawthorne. Individuals were encouraged to step forward and share their own stories of faith.
     Throughout the weekend designated leaders wore blue stoles to indicate their availability as Prayer Partners. After the testimonies of the revival worship service, many took advantage of their gifts, seeking prayer for situations they were facing.
The congregations of Emanuel and St. Luke's met jointly for Sunday morning worship under the tent and were once again inspired by the preaching of the Rev. Kathryn Love. Pastor Slater was visibly moved when he announced to the gathered worshipers that all the expenses of the revival, none of which had been budgeted by the congregations, had been completely covered by individual contributions so that the entire offerings of the two revival evenings could be donated to the local Hospice agency conducting an AIDS in Africa relief program in the amount of over $800.
    The revival filled the members of our congregations with renewed energy and a deeper commitment to their Lord. Rev. Love's description of a revival as a means of refueling one's faith was appreciated and understood by many. It is our hope and prayer that a neighboring congregation in the Hudson/Mohawk Conference of the Upstate New York Synod will take up the planning and responsibility for a revival next year, for which we will serve as advisors, encouragement and eager participants that the Good News of Jesus may continue to be shared with all the world.

 
       


Monday October 16, 2006

Lutheran — yes, Lutheran — revival set to fire up flock
by Charlotte Ferrell Smith
Daily Mail staff

The Rev. Richard Mahan has been spreading word of Fire on the Mountain, a revival to be held
at St. Timothy Lutheran Church with nationally known speakers, praise band music, and food.


Fire on the Mountain is just what the name implies, says the Rev. Richard Mahan.
"This is for Christians to get fired up and claim that first ever love you had for God," he said of the upcoming revival scheduled by his church, St. Timothy Lutheran.
A revival in a Lutheran church? Mahan acknowledges it may not be a common occurrence. But it is just what people need to boost spirituality and find a sense of renewal.
A great deal of planning has gone into the event that Mahan hopes will attract hundreds from various Christian denominations.

During the last decade, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America has lost 200,000 members. While many mainline churches have experienced a decline, non-denominational congregations have grown. In 2001, Mahan became part of a 30-member national task force to study evangelism.
"We put together a strategy and presented it to the national convention in 2003," he said of a plan that included prayer, discipleship and revivals. "I worked on revivals on that part of the task force," he said. "Old-fashioned revival gatherings are to be implemented in 2007. I'm one of 11 revivalists in the ELCA."
To launch the plan, revivals began in 2004 with a total of eight being held to date. The one at St. Timothy will be the first in the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod, an area that includes 65 ELCA churches.
Fire on the Mountain will draw religious leaders and revivalist pastors from throughout the country along with nationally-recognized speakers.

Fire on the Mountain at St. Timothy Lutheran Church is set for Thursday through Sunday with food, music, speakers, and prayer stations where people may ask for confidential prayer to meet their personal needs.
Dinner will be served 5:30 p.m. Thursday and the service begins 7 p.m. with the Rev. Mary C. Frances, pastor of Joyful Spirit Lutheran Church in Bolingbrook, Ill. She specializes in hospital ministry, evangelism and discipleship. Dinner is served 5:30 p.m. Friday and the revival service begins 7 p.m. with the Rev. Lamont Wells, pastor of the Lutheran Church of Atonement in Atlanta, Ga. He is a pastoral leader, team builder and community organizer.

A prayer breakfast will be served 8 a.m. Saturday. Dinner will be served 5:30 p.m. and the revival begins 7 p.m. with the Rev. Ernie Hinojosa, pastor of Camino Real Lutheran Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is a church planter, trainer, and speaker on evangelism.
Worship service on Sunday is 10:30 a.m. when speakers will be Wells and Mahan.
Mahan said organizers hesitated to call the event a revival but did so because that is exactly what it is and what is needed to boost the spirit and soothe the soul.
"A revival is to internally equip us for evangelism which is external," Mahan said. "It's for spiritual renewal. People have had a negative connotation of revival but it is to refresh, renew and equip and get fired up about faith in Jesus Christ.

"Generally, we are liturgical," he said. "This won't be real formal. It will be more attendance friendly. Anybody can feel at home. They will really preach the gospel. People are hungry for renewal. People have to have something solid that won't change. That's what is neat about the gospel. It never changes."