Leadership Connexion: Issue 4

PennDel Ministry Network | Winter 2020 

LEADERSHIP 

multiplication 

Exponential results in a most unusual season 

Multiply by John Bevere . . . page 8-9

Pennsylvania-Delaware Ministry Network 

4651 Westport Drive 

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 

Read online: penndel.org/connexion 

Editor: 

Managing Editor: 

Donald J. Immel 

Carole Bongiorno 

Volume 66 Number 4 - (USPS 165-700) is the official periodical 

published quarterly by the Pennsylvania-Delaware District 

Council of the Assemblies of God. Periodical postage paid at 

Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Circulation Stands at Approximately 

7,500. POSTMASTER, Send address changes to: Pennsylvania- 

Delaware District Council, 4651 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg, 

PA 17055-4887 

Executive Presbytery 

Superintendent 


Assistant Superintendent Steven DeFrain 

Secretary/Treasurer Jeff Marshall 

Timothy Bunney Southwest Suburban - SWS 

Mark Caston East Central - EC 

Roland Coon Delaware - DEL 

Stephen DeSantis North Central West - NCW 

Wayne Jackson Southwest Metro - SWM 

Dwan Newsome South Central - SC 

Robert Novak Greater Philadelphia Area - GPA 

James Pentz North Central - NC 

Randall Rhoads South Central East - SCE 

Walter Smith South Central West - SCW 

Allan Thorpe Northwest - NW 

David Twiss Northeast - NE 

General Presbyters 


Jeff Marshall 

Bryan Koch 

Honorary General Presbyter 

Philip Bongiorno 

PennDel Superintendent Emeritus 

AROUND THE NETWORK 

Pastor Installations 

Dustin & Bridgett Boden 

Living Waters Christian Outreach 

Three Springs, PA 

Jared & Lindsey Parks 

Christian Life Church 

Trafford, PA 

Nabil & Sarah Hirji-Walji 

Shrewsbury AG 

Shrewsbury, PA 

Michael & Jessica Santistevan 

CrossWay Community Church 

Valencia, PA 

Jessica Jones 

Faith AG 

New Cumberland, PA 

2

od has hard-wired all of His living 

Gcreation to reproduce. The directive to 

“be fruitful and multiply” was and is 

God’s expressed plan for filling the earth. 

Plant life, fowl, fish, animals, insects and 

humans are inherently and instinctively 

created to reproduce and multiply. 

From a spiritual point of view, believers are also mandated 

to reproduce. We call this evangelism and discipleship. 

God calls all believers to participate in the mission of 

reproducing spiritual “children” through our living and 

spoken witness. 

From a leadership point of view, the divine call to ministry 

can be discovered in others through an inspirational sort 

of leadership reproduction. By exercising the Five-fold 

ministry gifts and reproducing these gifts throughout the 

body of Christ, we discover some who not only have a 

capacity for these ministry expressions, but we invariably 

encounter those whom the Holy Spirit has selected 

to embrace a vocational call to the “office” of apostle, 

prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher. In this edition of 

our Leadership Connexion, we are reminding leaders that 

part of our service as leaders is to [re]produce leaders. 

The biblical model of Genesis 1 indicates that reproduction 

after one’s own “kind” is a model which makes for healthy 

churches, healthy ministries and healthy believers. So with 

all due humility, I’d like to ask a challenging question: Are 

we reproducing minister-leaders, or are we barren, sterile 

or impotent? 

Reproduction 

& Multiplication 

While pastoring my last church (New Stanton AG), I 

noticed that the Lord was sending us an unusual number 

of leadership-caliber members. They were transferring to 

our church for a wide variety of reasons. I began to pray 

about how the Lord would have me steward this unusual 

resource. I believe that the Lord gave me a mentorship idea 

which we called “DTC: Discover the Call.” I assumed that 

some from this group would leave our church and become 

pastors and evangelists. Some would become part-time or 

bi-vocational, while others would stay and add structural 

leadership support to what God was doing in our growing 

church. DTC morphed to “Develop the Call” and eventually 

“Deploy the Call.” From just a few years of DTC, we saw 

four individuals called to full-time ministry. Others continued 

to grow and expand their service for the Lord in highly 

functional, supportive leadership roles in the church. 

The mandate that Jesus gave is apropos to the ongoing 

need for ministers in the church: “Then He said to His 

disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers 

are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send 

out laborers into His harvest.’ ” (Matthew 9:37 (NKJV) 

The mandate begins with intercession, but continues with 

reproduction! Jesus reproduced His leadership through 

teaching and modeling ministry in the disciples (see John 

13:1-17). Paul reproduced his leadership, admonishing the 

Philippians, “The things which you learned and received 

and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace 

will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9; NKJV) 

Presenting the gospel to the world is a task that requires 

a concerted effort from the entire church community. 

Inherent in fulfilling this mission is not only “equipping 

the saints for the work of the ministry” (Ephesians 4:12), 

but also discovering and developing the equippers! This 

is leadership-reproduction, which will, I believe, lead to 

multiplication in the Kingdom of God. May God give us, as 

leaders, a passion for reproduction in the five leadership 

gifts of ministry. 

SUPERINTENDENT | DONALD J. IMMEL | 717.795.5921 | don@penndel.org 

LEADERSHIPconnexion | Winter 2020 

3

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT | STEVE DEFRAIN | 484.686.4843 | sdefrain@penndel.org 

Meet our new 

Assistant 

Superintendent... 

STEVE DEFRAIN 

Steve DeFrain pastored Morning Star 

Fellowship for thirty-eight years in 

Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania. Over 

the years the church experienced 

steady and consistent growth, which 

enabled them to plant six churches. 

He is married to Liz, who serves as 

the Women’s Director for the PennDel 

Ministry Network. They have two 

sons, who are also in full time ministry. 

Steven, who is married to Leah, planted 

Journey Church in Phoenixville, PA 

along with four additional campuses. 

Ryan, who is married to Tiffany, are 

campus pastors at Morning Star 

Fellowship in Pennsburg, PA. 

In October 2019, Steve joined the 

University of Valley Forge where he 

serves as the VP of Development and 

Church Relations. In his spare time, he 

and Liz enjoy spending time with their 

seven grandchildren. 

Experiencing 

miracle-surprises 

in COVID 

In Job’s third response to his 

friends in chapter nine, he says, 

“Without warning, he moves the 

mountains…” (9:5) Here’s how I read 

it – “Without warning, he moves 

the markers.” Many of the familiar, 

predictable and steady things about 

church life have drastically changed 

without warning! Nothing about 2020 

was in my wildest imagination. Just 

like you, I’m plowing through it. Some 

days I admit I’m just grinding it out with 

nothing more than sheer determination. 

I am longing, just like you, for better 

things in 2021. Can we please start a 

New Year? 

In Job’s COVID-19 season, he goes 

on to say: “He performs wonders that 

cannot be fathomed, miracles that 

cannot be counted. When he passes 

me, I cannot see him; when he goes 

by, I cannot perceive him.” (9:10-11) 

If I’m honest, I have many days I cannot 

see him, and I cannot perceive what 

He is trying to accomplish in this mess. 

Most days, a line from a song (it’s all I 

remember of this song) keeps bringing 

me back to the truth: “When you can’t 

trace His hand, trust His heart.” 

I remind myself that God is for me, 

that he has a purpose and a plan, 

and eventually, I will perceive it and 

see what His hand has accomplished. 

Isn’t that what Job was saying? “He 

performs wonders that cannot be 

fathomed, miracles that cannot 

be counted.” The Message reads: 

“We’ll never comprehend all the 

great things he does; his miraclesurprises 

can’t be counted.” In many 

of my emails to Pastors recently, I’ve 

included the line: “I’m praying that 

you are experiencing some ‘miraclesurprises’ 

in this season.” 

Deep down inside, we know that 

God is at work; He is always working 

in this world and in our lives. He is 

performing uncountable miracles and 

unfathomable wonders every day. Job 

said, “His miracle-surprises can’t 

be counted.” God has some miraclesurprises 

for you, your family and your 

ministry. When was the last time you 

said, “I didn’t see that coming!” That’s 

the element of surprise. 

Now in my everyday life, I don’t really 

like surprises. I’m the kind of guy 

who picks out his gifts ahead of time 

and has them wrapped. Recently, Liz 

bought a leather computer backpack 

for my birthday. She went on Amazon, 

scrolled through the pictures until 

she found one that she thought I 

would like. “What about this one,” she 

asked? With my approval, Liz ordered 

it with the slide of her finger. Today 

it is sitting in her closet, awaiting the 

big day. She said, “Steve, take it now 

and enjoy it.” No, I’m waiting for my 

birthday. I love this plan! After almost 

forty-three years of marriage, the 

strategy still works beautifully. 

I may have succeeded in controlling 

gift receiving moments in my life, but 

I have no control over this COVID-19 

season. So, I yield my present 

and future to the God who is still 

working miracle-surprises out for me. 

Right now, I’m praying that you will 

experience some miracle-surprises in 

the last month of 2020 and that you’ll 

find yourself saying: “Wow, I didn’t see 

that coming!” 

4

4 

Secrets of a 

Multiplying Church 

The one constant in life is CHANGE. The recent epidemic has proven that nothing remains the same. 

The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that all closed systems tend to maximize entropy. Yeah, I 

know… who wants to revisit this science lesson, but hang with me a moment. Entropy is the gradual 

progressing into disorder. This is true of our house, child’s room, physical health and even our finances. Simply 

put, everything in life tends to move from order to disorder; and in order to reverse this move, an inordinate 

amount of focused energy has to be inserted to reverse this process. 

In the last ten months we have put an inordinate amount of “energy” attempting to minister effectively in a 

society that has been changing at war-speed. From online services, to Zoom classes/groups, and even adapting our in-person 

gatherings, we have crammed ten years of change into ten months. All this effort has left us fatigued and drained. It has also 

reminded us of what is most important. The astute pastor has determined that which is “mission critical” and placed energies there. 

Follow this QR code for the article “The 4 Secrets of a Multiplying Church.” 

The Acts 2 Journey is our premier tool for Church Recalibration. It is a one 

year process with a pastor, spouse and their leadership team to pray, dream 

and strategize about the future of their church. Over four weekend retreats, 

they will develop a clearly articulated Biblical-plan and cultivate Spirit-led 

unity with their team. If you are a Lead pastor, and are interested, contact 

Danielle@penndel.org and join us at the Discover Dinner. 

Central 

Discovery Dinner: 

January 08 

Location: 

Glad Tidings in 

Middletown 

West 


January 15 

Location: 

Riverside in 

Oakmont 

REGISTRATION: www.PennDel.org/Church-Recalibration 

COST: $1,200 per church 

(One-time payment or $50 per month for 24 months) 

East 


January 22 

Location: 

University of Valley 

Forge in Phoenixville 

Mastermind Group 2021 

Alumni Group 

Acts 2 Journey Alumni Group is exclusively for 

PennDel pastors and their churches who have 

successfully completed the Acts 2 Journey. The 

purpose of Acts 2.0 is to provide the ongoing 

support and training necessary to implement the 

changes discussed during your year-long journey 

in the cohort. The cost of $50 covers registration 

& books (mailed to you). You can expect: 

• 12-Monthly Mastermind Group Call (virtual) 

• Focus on changing the culture of your church 

& implementing a Strategic Plan 

• Peer-2-Peer Mentoring 

• Team Development 

Register or inquire by emailing Jason@penndel.org 

MINISTER CARE & CHURCH RECALIBRATION | JASON TOURVILLE | 717.795.5921 | jason@penndel.org 

Peter Scazzero shows leaders how to 

develop a deep, inner life with Christ, 

examining its profound implications for 

surviving stress, planning and decision 

making, building teams, creating healthy 

culture, influencing others and much more. 

HEALTHY PASTOR’S GROUP: 

BOOK: The Emotional Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero 

SCHEDULE: Nine sessions: beginning January 05, Virtual 

COST: $99 (If cost prohibitive, please contact Jason Tourville) 

FACILITATOR: Dr. Peter Joudry, EMAIL: pajoudry@aol.com 

LEADERSHIPconnexion | Winter 2020 5

SECRETARY/TREASURER | JEFF MARSHALL | 717.795.5921 | jeff@penndel.org 

MONTHLY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: 

We are thankful to provide the option of paperless/electronic 

statements each month. 

Listed below is the simple transition to this option: 

1. All MyPenndel/online clergy contributions will receive 

an E-Statement unless you notify our office. 

2. All clergy, non-clergy and churches that mail a check 

will continue to receive a hardcopy statement with the 

return envelope unless you notify our office. 

We are happy to assist you with whichever option is best 

for you. Please contact Rhonda in the Finance Department 

if you choose to make any changes to this process: 

(717) 795-5921 Ext 219 or Rhonda@penndel.org. 

We are now in the middle of CREDENTIAL RENEWAL 

SEASON. Early one morning I was inspired to compose 

a poem especially for you to encourage you to go to 

https://ministerrenewal.ag.org and renew today. 

It’s the most wonderful time of the year 

Renewal season is here. 

If you renew today, 

you will be ok. 

You have till January One, 

then it will be all done. 

After that date, it will be too late. 

You will have to pay for your delay. 

So fill out the form and send it on its way, 

that way you will have a special holiday! 

WITH THE LORD 

WILFRIED G. CANFIJN, age 66, passed away on August 8. 

Wilfried transferred to the PennDel Ministry Network in 2008 as a 

new church planter. He and his wife, Mary, started New Life City 

Church, Lancaster and continued to be the campus pastor’s of 

this church until his passing. 

GRACE YAKE, age 90, passed away in September. Grace 

served alongside her husband, Reginald, who was the 

President/Executive Director of Teen Challenge Training Center, 

Rehrersburg from 1973 until 1987. 

FAREWELL & RETIREMENT: I would like to give 

special appreciation to Lynette Provard for serving our 

PennDel ministers as my Administrative Assistant and the 

Credentialing Specialist in the Secretary/Treasurers office 

since October 2013. During these seven years, Lynette has 

been instrumental in assisting numerous individuals fulfill the 

‘Call of God’ on their lives. Only time and eternity can reveal 

the significant impact she has made in the lives of so many 

ministers. Lynette’s faithful dedication and humor will be missed, 

but her impact on others will remain. 

2021 DIGITAL DIRECTORY: As discussed at each 

Sectional Council in the Spring of 2020, we have transitioned 

to a Digital Directory for 2021. Each minister can access his/her 

own Directory by using these simple steps: 

1. www.penndel.org 

2. My PennDel Account 

3. PennDel Clergy 

4. District Directory: view/print the category that you desire 

Digital advantages: up-to-date information throughout the year, 

cost-effective and view/print only the information needed. 

P D S O M 

PENNDEL SCHOOL OF MINISTRY 

IF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT’S THE “NEXT STEP” FOR YOU, 

PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER PENNDEL SCHOOL OF MINISTRY. 

One time registration fee $75.00 • Cost per class is $75.00 plus textbooks 

6 

PennDel School of Ministry is in 

its fifth year. We are a school who’s 

students come from a wide and diverse 

background. The average age of our 

students is forty-five. PDSOM is an 

approved member of the Association of 

District Schools of Ministry (ADSOM). We 

are the receipent of an “Excellent” rating 

from ADSOM. 

During the 2019-2020 school year we 

served 187 different students on our 

four campuses; Bethlehem, Monroeville, 

Camp Hill and Wyncote. We have a total 

of 284 different students since inception. 

The 2020-2021 class offerings include 

ninety-nine classes taught by a diverse 

faculty of some eighty-one faculty 

members. 

Students who are presently enrolled 

come from a background of associate 

pastors, pastor’s spouses, college age 

and many people who love the Lord and 

want to study the Scriptures more. 

FOR MORE INFO: 

Bob Lecocq • 724-212-7975 

www.penndelSOM.com

2021 AGWM Theme FOUR ways to order your AGWM resources: 

Toll Free: 800-988-6598 • Online ordering: AGWM.org • Fax: 417-832-8723 

Send your order form to: Assemblies of God World Missions • 1445 N Boonville Avenue • Springfield, MO 65802-1894 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION TO 

Steve & Linda Lilly: 

We are excited to share with you that our 

General Presbytery recently appointed Steve 

Lilly as the new Regional Director of Northern 

Asia, effective January 1, 2021. Steve, Linda 

and Dakota will transition from field-based 

ministry to one based in Springfield with 

frequent trips to Northern Asia to fulfill their 

responsibilities. After more then three decades 

of living within Northern Asia’s borders, this is a 

significant step that God has prepared them for. 

Added Note…. 

Within the seven AGWM Regions, our PennDel Missionaries hold three of 

these Regional Positions: 

Eurasia 

Omar Beiler 

International Ministries JoAnn Butrin 

Northern Asia 

Steve Lilly 

HONDURAS: 

THE TRANSFORMATION 

PROJECT 

Thank you to each church and 

individual who partnered with us 

for our 2019-2020 World Missions 

Project! 

As of Oct 31, we have given 

$153,782.56 

Due to Covid-19, we are extending 

this project until further notice. 

Please continue to send your 

support to: 

PennDel Ministry Network 

ATTN: World Missions Project 

Offering 


Mechanicsburg PA 17055 

WORLD MISSIONS | JEFF MARSHALL | 717.795.5921 | jeff@penndel.org 

• • 

Commissioning Celebration August 23, 2020 Christian Life Assembly, Camp Hill, PA 


GUEST CONTRIBUTOR | JOHN BEVERE 

In all my years of traveling, I’ve often asked my audiences what 

their definition of faithfulness is. The common responses I’ve 

received have been loyal, committed, consistent, reliable and 

steadfast. All these are accurate definitions . . . but there’s a 

word Jesus associates with faithfulness that I rarely hear. 

» Multiplication 

Before you stop reading, recall the parable of the talents. The master entrusts three different 

servants with unique gifts, each according to their ability. Two of them went out and multiplied 

what was given to them and, as a result, they’re called faithful. 

This is a very important point we must not miss: The master says, “You have been faithful.” You 

can look at it whichever way you’d like, but the word that is attributed to their multiplication is 

faithful. Jesus directly credits faithfulness to multiplication. 

Now, the third servant buried his talents and is called lazy. Yikes! For the sake of time, I won’t 

dive into his punishment; you can read it for yourself! No true follower of Jesus wants to be 

seen as lazy. I certainly don’t, and I’m sure you don’t either! When my time is up, I want to hear 

the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” 

» God’s View of Our Labor 

» Those who Multiply... Faithful 

» Those who Maintain... Lazy 

Think about it! We have one shot at this life to give it everything we have. God has given each of 

His children unique gifts to build His kingdom—but it’s up to us what we do with them. We can 

neglect them (like the lazy servant), use them for selfish gain, or use them to build the kingdom. 

» Our Three Options 

» Use our gifts to benefit ourselves 

» Use our gifts to build the Kingdom of God 

» Neglect our gifts altogether 

8 

MU 

What is God calling you to

The Next Wave in 

Church Multiplication 

Adapted from Steve Pike in Next Wave 

The missional strategy of the 21st 

century must be multiplication. 

Key Question: 

“How do we take the Gospel to them?” 

» Discipleship: 

Multiplying churches cultivate a habit of 

being continually in the process of making 

disciples. “Serial” disciple-makers is the 

most important ingredient of a multiplication 

movement. 

Over the years, I’ve witnessed numerous individuals who’ve 

reached a level of success they deemed sufficient or better than 

their peers—only to settle for maintaining. Numerous times, I too 

have been tempted to take this path! But if you desire to finish 

well, you’ll have to resist choosing comfort over calling. This is the 

reason I continue to travel, to write and to provide resources to 

leaders all over the world—regardless of their language, location 

or financial position. 

Here’s what I’ve discovered: You’ll never be truly satisfied in life 

until you take your unique God-given gifts and multiply them for 

the benefit of others. 

» A “Great” Church: 

A church that expands her missional 

footprint by always asking and answering 

these two crucial questions: 

“Who’s missing?” 

“How do the missing become found?” 

» Church Planting: 

The complexity of the 21st century will 

require multiple guiding frameworks skillfully 

applied to the cultural context being 

reached. House church networks, missional 

communities, coffee house churches, 

dinner churches, conversation circle 

churches, online churches, etc. 

X: Multiply 

Your God-Given 

Potential 

by John Bevere 

Please join us in praying that God will 

help us identify 100 people by 2025 

who will start a missional church/faith 

community. If you want to explore this 

option, please reach out to Tom Rees 

at 717.580.8188. 

LTIPLY 

MULTIPLY? 


Congratulations to the Ord 

• • 

Ordination Celebration August 23, 2020 C 

ROBERT W. ARCHEY 

STEPHEN H. BARNETT 

JOHN MARK BONGIORNO 

COREY A. BUCK 

SAJAN GEORGE 

JAMES J. GOODMAN 

FAITH A. GRAVITT 

JEREMIAH L. GRUBER 

RONALD L. INGELIDO 

CRAIG A. JOHNSON 

MICHAEL J. KEMLER 

JOSHUA M. KOSS 

JOSHUA D. LITTLE 

DARRIN L. MITCHLEY 

J. DEWAYNE PIERCE 

JASON G. PILGRIM 

KELLY J. POLLICK 

TIMOTHY M. POLLICK 

DAVID A. SIMONETTI 

KAREN R. SMITH 

KENT M. SMITH 

TYRA R. TEBERIAN 

TRINIDAD TRANCOSO 

BENJAMIN R. WENRICH 

10

iantion Class of 2020! 

hristian Life Assembly, Camp Hill, PA 

LEADERSHIPconnexion | Winter 2020 

11 

Jublarians 

(50 Years Ordained) 

MOSES AND 

DONNA BAKER 

DAVID AND NANCY 

CAWSTON 

THOMAS AND 

MARILYN CLINE 

JOHN AND FAITH 

HIGGINS 

FRED AND BETTY 

HOWSARE 

KEN AND JESSIE 

MEYER 

RON AND BETTY 

STAFFORD

CHURCH PLANTING | TOM REES | 717.795.5921 | tom@penndel.org 

12 

A-Z 

Praying for 

Church Planting 

in these 

communities! 

Ardmore, PA 

13,193 

Baldwin, PA 

19,743 

Cobbs Creek (Philly), PA 

79,231 

Drexel Hill, PA 

28,246 

Elizabethtown, PA 

11,579 

Fullerton, PA 

15,304 

Germantown (Philly), PA 

66,915 

Hazleton, PA 

24,882 

Indian Mountain Lake, PA 

4,853 

Jefferson Hill, PA 

11,244 

King of Prussia, PA 

20,044 

Levittown, PA 

51,945 

Murrysville, PA 

19,972 

North Star, DE 

7,390 

Oil City, PA 

10,101 

Plum, PA 

27,390 

Queens Gate, PA 

1,219 

Ridley Park, PA 

7,035 

Smyrna, DE 

11,276 

Taylor Borough, PA 

6,061 

Upper Chichester, PA 

16,738 

Village Green (Aston), PA 

Washington, PA 

13,624 

X marks the spot to plant! 

Yeadon, PA 

11,523 

Zerbe, PA 

1,872 

CALLED OUTSIDE 

YOUR 

Once we learn to thrive, we will be called to break through barriers and blaze new 

trails. That’s because God’s vision is always bigger than our own. His plan for our 

lives is always bigger than we can imagine for ourselves. When you’re living a holy, 

healed, healthy, happy, humble, hungry, honoring life, you will be called to thrive outside 

your comfort zone. Based on what we see in the Bible, most of the people God chose to 

advance His kingdom didn’t aspire to greatness but simply remained willing and able to 

serve in whatever capacity the Lord called them to serve. 

Many of them protested or made excuses—Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Gideon, Naomi and 

Rahab, for example. Others, including Noah, Joseph, Joshua, Jeremiah and Ruth faced 

obstacles that appeared impossible to overcome based on human perception and earthly 

resources. One of my favorite examples, however, never questioned, wavered or doubted 

God’s ability to use him according to His infinite wisdom, limitless power and divine will. 

David was always willing to trust God for the next step, 

which is essential for thriving in the power of God’s Spirit. 

People who thrive have usually faced a giant or two. If you walk by faith for very long, there 

comes a time in your life when an intimidating, overbearing, behemoth, mammoth, mucho 

grande giant shows up, often unexpectedly. We’re told that Goliath was “six cubits and a 

span” (1 Sam. 17:4), and that’s no trivial detail. Size and height matters when you’re fighting 

battles of faith. 

Your future is based on what

Earlier this fall, a young couple 

handed me a check for $500. 

Goliath was 

big. 

Goliath was 

overbearing. 

Goliath was 

intimidating. 

The newlywed wife said that when 

they saw a prayer poster on the 

wall at THRIVE for Pottsville, 

the community she grew up in, 

they wanted to sow a seed into 

the future church plant. 

Wow - amazing hearts! 

Yet Goliath made 

David famous. 

Defeating him 

made David a 

“thriver”! 

So no matter what you’re facing or how 

uncertain, unprepared or unequipped 

you may feel about the battlefield to 

which God is calling you to advance, 

don’t forget that big problems mean 

big promises. Big battles lead to big 

conquests. Big adversity means big 

accomplishment. As you transition from 

surviving to thriving, remember that no 

matter how big, how loud, how intrusive, 

how overbearing or how tall a giant may 

be, by the power of the Spirit and in 

Jesus’ name, that giant is about to fall! 

When a giant looms and sends you 

wondering why God allowed such an 

obstacle to fall in your path, trust that He 

will catapult you over that giant and into 

greatness. He will give you everything 

you need to thrive and fulfill your Godordained 

purpose and bring glory to Him. 

From the 

YouVersion 

devotional 

based on From 

Survive to Thrive 

by Samuel 

Rodriguez 

Please join us in praying for 

someone who will step outside 

their comfort zone and answer 

that call for Pottsville. In fact, 

please pray that God will 

help us to identify 100 future 

church planters who will 

plant Spirit-empowered 

AG churches in one of 

100 communities in PennDel. 

you’re willing to face today. 


PENNDEL WOMEN | LIZ DEFRAIN | 484.686.4554 | liz@penndelwomen.com | penndelwomen.com 

LIVING and GIVING for 

EXPONENTIAL RESULTS 

When I think about the year 2020, I take a deep breath 

and internally say, “stay calm.” Our nation, along with 

the entire world, not only faced a pandemic, but we 

in the USA plowed our way through a national election that was 

anything but calm. How will history record this year? 

How will you remember 2020? 

Personally, at times I felt broken as nothing seemed familiar to me. 

Questioning what I had to give and how to give it to those I serve 

became a focal point of my life. As I look back this year, I realize 

that the miracle of exponential growth is in the giving of what you 

have. Let me explain what I mean. 

In our lives, there is a principle of presenting what we have to 

Jesus and allowing Him to handle the multiplication. We all 

know the story of the little boy with his lunch, who gave it to the 

disciples to feed the multitudes. Was the miracle in the multiplying 

OR the giving? Indeed, one could not have happened without the 

other. We can read it in John, chapter six. People kept following 

Jesus as he taught and healed the sick, and now the crowd was 

vast and hungry. Jesus, knowing this, wanted to feed them, but 

there was no food available. Jesus asked Philip where they could 

buy bread, even though the Bible says, “Jesus knew what He was 

going to do.” 

Philip answered, “Well, I suppose if we were to give everyone only 

a snack, it would cost thousands of dollars to buy enough food!” 

But just then, Andrew, Peter’s brother, spoke up and said, “Look! 

Here’s a young person with five barley loaves and two small 

fish . . . but how far would that go with this huge crowd?” 

“Have everyone sit down,” Jesus said to his disciples. So on the 

vast grassy slope, more than five thousand hungry people sat 

down. Jesus then took the barley loaves and the fish and gave 

thanks to God. He then gave it to the disciples to distribute to the 

people. Miraculously, the food multiplied, with everyone eating as 

much as they wanted! John 6:5-11 TPT 

Below are a few photos from our 

RECLAIM LIVE and VIRTUAL Event, 

a result of 2020. 

14 

The disciples fed more than 5000, people that day, using a little 

boy’s lunch, and there were leftovers for them! 

When everyone was satisfied, Jesus told his disciples, “Now 

go back and gather up the pieces left over so that nothing 

will be wasted.” The disciples filled up twelve baskets of 

fragments, a basket of leftovers for each disciple. 

John 6:12-12 TPT 

We have learned this year that though we have little, if we give 

what we have to God, He will multiply what we offer. Fear will 

keep us from sharing what we have, but faith will launch us into 

new possibilities. 2020 has proven to be the year of possibilities.

FAV5 

Five resources I’m currently enjoying! 

All In by Mark Batterson 

Multitracks Playback 

Premium - $5.99/mo 

Intuitive and feature packed 

click/loop software. Super 

simple to edit arrangements 

and send multi-outs. 30 day 

free trial 

Shure Beta87 Condenser 

Microphone ($249) 

One of my favorite mics for 

Lead vocals. Smooth and 

crisp response. Just sounds 

good. 

Blackmagic ATEM Mini Pro 

($595) 

4 channel HDMI video mixer 

with Livestream capabilities 

built in. No computer needed! 

Decimator MD-LX 

Bidirectional Convertor 

($99) 

This device is priceless. 

Includes dual HDMI and SDI 

connections with multiple 

routing options. 

Sectional Worship Connects 

(For more information or RSVPs, please contact your Sectional Rep) 

North Central 

Sectional Rep: Melvin Anaya 

(814) 599-7374 

melvin@scassembly.org 

February 26 @ 12pm 

State College A/G 

North Central West & 

North West 

Sectional Rep: Whitney Banks 

(814) 657-2149 

whitneylanematthews@ 

yahoo.com 

Night of Worship 

January 22 @ 6:30pm 

Living Hope Church, Brookville 

North East 

Sectional Rep: Heather Cicilioni 

(570) 267-4579 

heatherbrittney88@gmail.com 

Saturday, February 6 @ 1pm 

Mission BBQ, Wilkes Barre 

South Central West 

Sectional Rep: Todd Stanley 

(724) 349-8180 

todd@summitpa.church 

January 22 @ 6pm 

Summit Church, Indiana 

East Central 

Sectional Rep: Cory Ermold 

(610) 662-2677 

cory@mstar.org 

February 10 @ 10am 

Whole Foods Café, Allentown 

South Central East 

Sectional Rep: Kristian Walker 

(717) 873-0221 

kwalker@clacamphill.com 

January 23 @ 12pm 

Theos, Camp Hill 

South Central 

RSVP Jane Carlson 

(717) 267-1280 

janec@clcburg.church 

Saturday, February 27 @ 11am 

New Texas Lunch, Chambersburg 

South West Suburban 

Sectional Rep: Justin Rhodes 

(724) 627-5356 

justinrhodes82@gmail.com 

Thursday, January 30th @ 12pm 

Location TBD 

Southwest Metro 

Sectional Rep: Adam Brock 

(724) 470-6230 

abrock@centralconnect.org 

February 18 - Lunch 

Pittsburgh/Robinson Area 

Greater Philadelphia & 

Delaware 

Sectional Reps: 

Steve Giunta 

(724) 809-0077 

steve@navigate.church 

Landon Verkerk 

(484) 682-4000 

landon@thepowerplace.org 

February 13 @ 12pm 

Mission BBQ, Plymouth Meeting 

Penndel Worship Leaders Facebook Group 

Penndel Worship Leaders Website — Did you know you have a sectional worship rep? 

Need a fill-in worship leader for vacation? Wondering what events or workshops are available for 

worship leaders? Be sure to check out our page on the penndel website. penndel.org/worship 

WORSHIP LEAD | JOSH SHAFFER | 814.414.1304 | pshaff@hamburgbridge.com 

REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 15, 2021 


YOUTH MINISTRIES/DYD | Lee Rogers | 717.795.5921 | lee@penndel.org 

MULTIPLICATION, 

Identity & Purpose 

you be interested in learning how to run 

the lights?” It was a simple question, asked 

“Would 

to an awkward middle schooler who was 

searching for purpose and identity. I was asking for two 

reasons: (1) to try to help this student find a place in the 

youth ministry, and (2) out of necessity. I was building the 

tech side of the youth room from scratch, and I needed to 

enlist some students to learn the systems. It would take 

some time to train each student, but in a medium size 

church with limited resources, this was the best option for 

creating a better youth ministry environment. 

“Sure, I’ll give it a try,” the middle schooler replied. He 

mastered the lights in a few short weeks, and quickly found 

a purpose and an identity in the youth ministry. By inviting, 

teaching, training, supervising and releasing this student to 

ministry, I was able to multiply the limited knowledge and skill 

I possessed. A month after that, he learned the programming 

language of the lighting system. Soon the lights were doing 

things I didn’t know they could do, and the system and its 

development were left in the hands of a (supervised) seventh 

grader. I was freed up to focus on developing and multiplying 

another area of youth ministry. 

Jesus was a multiplier, and not just in the miraculous loavesand-fishes 

kind of way. He multiplied his message, mission 

and methods in the disciples, shaping the history of the 

world in the process. The birds eye view of His multiplication 

method is found in Mark 3:13-15, “Afterward Jesus went 

up on a mountain and called out the ones he wanted to 

go with him. And they came to him. Then he appointed 

twelve of them and called them his apostles. They 

were to accompany him, and he would send them out 

to preach, giving them authority to cast out demons.” 

This seems somewhat simplistic, but when the details of 

their time together is examined, it is evident the disciples 

were put through an intentional multiplication process. He 

called them, they committed. He taught them, they gained 

an identity. He showed them how to do ministry, then they 

did ministry together. He sent them out on small missions, 

then they came back together for more teaching. Lastly, 

Jesus gave them their final commission and released them 

to independent ministry, sending the Holy Spirit to empower 

and embolden them. 

Jesus’ method of multiplication is a tried-and-true way of 

developing others and catalyzing movements of accelerated 

ministry growth. It’s a time-consuming process at first, 

slowing down to train others, but the acceleration that results 

from multiplication is well worth the investment. Whether it’s 

an adult who will plant churches, or a seventh grader who 

will run lights, when we multiply leaders and servants we 

also free ourselves up to focus on other important matters. 

This process also helps people find their identity in the 

Body of Christ, and sometimes their purpose in life. That 

awkward seventh grader went on to become a stage lighting 

professional, touring internationally with some of the biggest 

production companies in the world. He wasn’t the only one. 

The student who ran the video side of things went on to 

become a professional cameraman and video producer. The 

student who ran sound went on to become the director of 

an audio, video and lighting company. Several students who 

helped in other areas of youth ministry went on to become 

youth pastors or ministry leaders. They found a place in our 

youth ministry, and in doing so found their direction in life. 

16 

What areas of our 

youth ministry can 

we teach and train 

students to lead or 

serve in? 

Here are some basic questions to help you start 

multiplying leaders and servants in youth ministry: 

1 2 3 4 

What are some of the 

undeveloped areas in 

our youth ministry we 

can work with students 

to create? 

What will the 

multiplication process 

look like, and what 

is the timeline for 

implementation? 

What students in our 

ministry can we invite? 

Who is looking for a 

place to fit in? Who 

is searching for an 

identity?

GIRLS MINISTRIES | SHARON POOLE | ROYAL RANGERS STEVE | STEFFEL | 302-379-1580 | www.pdrangers.org 

sharonp@pdgirlsministries.com | penndel.org/girls 

Follow us: Website: pdrangers.org | Facebook: PennDel District Royal Rangers 

2020 

Hindsight... 

January 1, 2020. Where were you? What was your 

outlook for 2020? Did you make any resolutions? What 

did they look like? If we only knew then what we know 

now….I would NOT have thrown out what I thought was old 

anti-bacterial wipes. I would have bought a pack of toilet 

paper every time I went to the store. I would have hugged a 

lot more and eaten a lot less bacon (in anticipation of what 

I would eat during the pandemic). How I miss those prequarantine 

days! 

Oh how we have complained and agonized over all that has 

occurred in 2020. How we worried about the most ridiculous 

things! (I wonder if anyone actually ran out of toilet paper? 

Seriously, ran out. Not run low, but ran out!) 

We are delighted to welcome Outpost 408 of The Port Allegany Alliance 

Church under the leadership of Matt Simpson. Matt had a burden for 

reaching boys in his community for some time and they had a delayed 

start because of COVID. They were able to start in September and here is 

a picture of the boys and leaders with their Royal Ranger flag. 

Looking back, what have we learned? I have learned that I 

can plan all that I want. I can prepare what I think is necessary. 

But God has a grand plan. He is not surprised by any of 

this. And in the midst of the most chaotic time in our country 

(pandemic, killer wasps, flood, hurricanes, unrelenting fires, 

riots, civil injustice, civil uprisings, an unthinkable Presidential 

election), in the midst of this all, God used us. He taught us to 

reach outside of the Church. He taught us to see people as 

He sees them. 

What have I learned? As I do what is important in the moment, 

God is growing the Church. His Kingdom is expanding. Not 

according to our plans, but as to His! 

This Christmas, don’t forget to enjoy all the 

wonderfully small moments that God ordained. 

PennDel Royal Rangers UPDATE 

A Climbing Wall went 

in over the spring and 

summer and included 

a new garage door 

on the barn. A lot of 

hard work was done 

on the shower house 

foundation. It is very 

close to being ready 

for the concrete floor 

pour. Thanks to the 

volunteers who have 

come and helped get it 

to this point. 

Although events were canceled through summer, the East 

Division had a Fall Round Up at Tri-Count Assembly in Bethel, 

PA and a Canoe Action Camp was held for boys in the junior 

leadership program. 

At our recent District Leaders Conference held at Calvary Assembly in Waynesboro, PA there were 21 leaders and our challenge 

was on growing the ministry. We also had a very nice lunch where we were able to recognize George and Christine Pentz for all 

the work they have done for the PDRR Camp Berry in Honey Grove, PA. 

Our goal is to Evangelize, Equip and Empower boys to become servant leaders and Godly young men. If your church doesn’t 

have Royal Rangers, we would be happy to introduce the all new, customizable program to you. We can also provide assistance 

in getting this vibrant mentoring ministry for the boys in your church and community started. 

18

Conquer the CHAOS 

There is no doubt that the last nine months have been 

extremely chaotic. COVID has given us new words, 

shut down, masking and social distancing and also 

new experiences. How does the church deal with this chaos, 

especially in children’s ministry? 

This new normal is not over yet, it may extend into 2021. We 

recently interviewed some children’s leaders to see how they 

have coped and how they will continue to conquer this chaos 

called COVID. 

One of our leaders said she leads through prayer; lots and lots 

of prayer. She also practices humility and patience. She moves 

forward with confidence by being compassionate. Peoples 

reactions to challenging times are varied. Compassion takes the 

edge off difficult situations. 

Another children’s pastor shared that his team is modeling unity 

in these stressful and chaotic times. People react differently 

during challenging times and modeling unity gives a sense of 

calm. Like most of us, his church has lost some workers due 

to COVID fears. But their team made a commitment to practice 

being compassionate and understanding, knowing that God will 

fill the needs. 

A third children’s leader said they are leading by focusing on 

flexibility. He said one needs a willingness to adapt and change 

when necessary. He also said its important to continually cast 

vision to your team, letting them know COVID has not stopped 

the work of God. Kids are coming to know Jesus whether they 

are in the building or watching online. This keeps his team 

excited to serve. 

Don’t let the COVID 

chaos get you down. 

The recipe to follow: 

Prayer 

Humility 

Patience 

Compassion 

Unity 

Understanding 

Flexibility 

Vision 

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION | GEORGE KREBS | 717.795.5921 | george@penndel.org 


Pennsylvania-Delaware Ministry Network 


Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 

Find us online: penndel.org 

Follow us on Facebook: 

Follow us on Twitter: 

PennDel Ministry Network 

#penndelag 

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Leadership Connexion: Issue 4

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