Shawn's teaching emphasizes the recruitment of founding members for a new ministry by fostering a community centered on love for God and others, humility, and kindness, without regard to personal backgrounds or beliefs. The initiative seeks individuals who embody these values to contribute foundational support akin to essential structural components like HVAC, electricity, and plumbing, ultimately creating a welcoming and "livable" spiritual home.
Emphasizing love, humility, kindness, and a commitment to truth, this teaching invites individuals to join a community dedicated to respectful communication and the freedom to hold personal beliefs, encouraging unity amidst diversity in the pursuit of spiritual maturity. It stresses the importance of a mature love for God and neighbor, alongside a scripturally rooted appreciation for liberty, urging prospective members to embody these values authentically.
A Message to Our Founding Members
So, we have been relentlessly soliciting your emails to get you to join with us early next year in a brand new ministerial venture. Let me give you some more insight into what is coming. We stand on a foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ being our chief cornerstone. We love and study the Word of God and have taught through all of the Apostolic Record and will begin to teach through the Old Testament next year. Upon that foundation, we have the framing of our ministry. The 4×4 and 2x4s that have built the online structure and video content. Most of them have been with us from the start and have volunteered their time to bring about all that we have produced over the years.
Ministry Framework
This framework includes Kathy Maggie, Seth Moder, Wendy Jensen, Larry Norris, Steve Utley, Michael Anderson, Dave Huss, my wife Mary, our three daughters, and myself. And now we need to add our HVAC, electricity, and plumbing. That is you. The founding elements of the structure that make it inhabitable, comfortable, and a desired place to live.
You will notice that all of this is being established BEFORE the launch in 2022. You will notice that we are reaching out and inviting all who are interested in playing an important role in the start-up to freely come in. You will notice that we have purposely not told you what we are going to be about, what we will be doing, or how it will work. We will. I promise. And on that day you have the right to step away freely and in love.
Traits of Founding Members
What are we looking for in those who opt-in as founding members? First, a desire to join. We trust that those who have this desire will choose to freely email us with their name and state or country of residence. Without an email, you cannot be a founding member – simple as that. And what are we looking for in our founding members? Please hear me clearly.
We love all people – and do not care who you are, what you are, or how you choose to live. However, if you choose to become part of our founding member group we are specifically looking for people who are truly, from the heart, possessing the following:
• A love for God
This is the first commandment, and we take it seriously. We will not vet anyone and their love but we sincerely ask that you too have an inner love for the living God – no matter how you see or believe in Him.
• A love for others
That is a real desire to love your neighbor from the heart. To make peace, to forgive, to serve, to encourage, to exercise patience and longsuffering with all souls. No matter what. It’s not easy and nobody can do it perfectly but if you have the desire, join us. After love for God and love for all others we want our founding member to love and embrace
• Humility
It’s an essential characteristic of our founding members. People who humbly walk before God and Man. People who, though sinful, never boast in sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace., or in the flesh, or in the things of this world. People who are self-deprecating, people who truly want to embrace the example of our Lord in every way possible. We are not looking for feigned humility, but souls who know their place before the living God, and humbly assign themselves to it. Humility is so vitally important to the Christian walk. Therefore, it is a vital position to us. Again, no policing, no correcting of anyone, but we hope those who join us will at least desire humility before God and Man.
Hand in hand then, with humility, is the personal resistance of pride. We look for any and all who reject pride whenever humanly possible. Therefore, please don’t email us, please don’t join us, if you are proud of things about your flesh. We are not interested in your politics, your lifestyle, your wealth or poverty. We have no interest in your hawkish views of America, the wonders of communism, or the beauty of your face or body. Your vacations don’t matter here, nor the fact that you voted (or didn’t). Just those who humbly seek and follow Him.
That leads me to the next desired trait,
• People who are kind and considerate.
It’s a natural result of true humility, really. But we hope people will write.
Kindness and Consideration
In who work hard at being kind toward others and considerate of their person, time, and voice. To us, that means we refrain from attacking others, demeaning them, criticizing them. No matter what. If everyone took this approach, then when one of our brothers or sisters fails in it, victories will be had. So, no matter what, kind polite communications. A willingness to let misguided people be misguided – at least publicly. If there is an interpersonal issue, take it private, talk in person if possible, or at least over the phone. But we are looking for founding members who choose to humbly live by the fruits of the Spirit – and if you are one of them – join us, please. In the face of this fallen world, we need you and your insights and spirit.
A Desire for Truth
• After all of this, we are looking for people who have a longing desire for truth with a capital T.
That capital T means Truth which comes only by the Spirit. So, we look for all who seek to honor and know God by spirit and truth. With love and humility and kindness and consideration leading the way, we hope people will join us who have the spirit-lead ability to hear all sides of every issue, and to give all people the right to cling to whatever they believe is true no matter how ridiculous or insulting or offensive it might be. In this way, we are able to offset situations and people who might be momentarily failing in their flesh or views, and not lend to division, anger, or more insults.
Liberty through Death to Self
And this leads me to the last thing we are hoping our founding members adore – loving and upholding liberty. Truly being ultra-libertarians. Not in a political sense, but in a scriptural sense, as deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. to self and flesh is the gateway to the highest paths of liberty for ourselves and each other. This means you are truly, from the heart, able to look at another and say, “I love you and understand your right to do/be/believe and say anything you want.
All of this takes maturity in Him, folks. All of it takes an undying love for God and the fruit of His Spirit. We are not looking for perfection. We are not looking for robots. We are actually looking to gather into one all people from every race, climb and lifestyle who actually and literally embody the principles and characteristics I just shared:
Love of God
Love of Neighbor
Humility
Kindness and Consideration
Love for Truth
And a love of liberty.
If that is you – truly, from the heart – and you appreciate the direction of this ministry, take the time to email us with your first and last name and the state or country in which you reside. With your help and presence, we think we will be in a position to make a real Christian difference in the Body today. And we want you here with us – if you are so inclined.
