Rev. Keith Haney

Rev. Mike Mast

Why ‘New Starts’?

Throughout the Northern Illinois District, the Ablaze! movement is coupled with “new starts.” Why? District President Dan Gilbert states the reason best: “Because new starts are where new believers are found in far larger numbers than in existing congregations! .... We are committed to doing what we can, as the Holy Spirit leads, so that even more people will come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. That makes new starts the one thing 230 congregations can do best together to fulfill the Great Commission.”

As part of the focus on the Ablaze! movement, district personnel are working hard to encourage congregations to catch the vision for new mission starts and give their leaders the necessary practical tools for the harvest.

Rev. Mike Mast, one of two new district mission facilitators, is thrilled to use his 30 years of ministry experience to help congregations bring new believers into the Kingdom. Mast has planted six churches in four states.

“My job is helping congregations visualize what it would take to come up with a new start – whether that’s a new church, a multi-site, or a new venue – and walk them through the process,” Mast says, noting that the district is as intentional about working with congregations in actually launching new starts as it is about casting vision.

“We really want to partner with congregations and help them achieve the Ablaze! objectives of reaching millions with the Gospel,” Mast says. “I’m finding the more contact I have with district pastors, teachers, DCEs, and lay leaders, the more they understand that we’re really here to support and help them.”

Rev. Keith Haney also recently joined the district staff as mission facilitator. He has 15 years of experience serving congregations in Detroit, St. Louis and Milwaukee. He describes his role as encouraging congregations to catch a vision for outreach, and enjoys meeting with a church’s pastor and leadership team to help them develop opportunities to reach their community in an effective way.

“I believe a church should be going where God is already working, instead of trying to create something that’s not there - to see what God is doing and go join him in it,” Haney says. “Every congregation has gifts and talents to reach the people that God wants them to reach. It’s just a matter of stepping out in faith and doing what God has called them to do.”

Mast agrees. “There is definitely no formula or ‘magic bullet’ for success in outreach. Sometimes the direction is determined by a church in the process of self-evaluation,” he says. “We can go over some general guidelines, but a church’s leadership knows what’s best and what will work for their church.”

“The district is a partner to come alongside in the process, support, encourage, and do anything we can to help the church and its mission,” Mast says. “We want to be involved.”