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Birthday

Birthday Post:
MichaelCraft.org

My Last Post... here.

Hello everyone! All of your comments have made my heart so very glad. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love you've shown. I love you all so very much... and I miss you almost as much!

This will be my official LAST POST here. I know I haven't been posting much anyways, but I've just been so busy settling down, as well as starting a new job, and working towards starting a new ministry. That is all going to change.

There are hundreds of folks who follow me here... I hope that each and every one of you will take the time to see what I'm up to and visit:

www.DMaskUs.com

This will do a much better job explaining what it is I've been up to. Also... you'll find that I've personally started a web-site that is under my own name. On this web-site I'll be posting blogs, sermons (past and present), and pictures. It will be a much better way to keep tabs on the Crafts... for those who might be interested.

( That web-site is: www.MichaelCraft.org ) -
Careful not to got to the .com of that name... that's a WHOLE 'NOTHER GUY!  LOL!

Anyways... I love you all and I'd greatly appreciate to hear your thoughts on our future. IF the Lord puts it on your heart to help us in this new venture, then there is a way for you to do that on the site. Because I have a secular job, all monies donated will go directly to this ministry and purchasing food for the poor, as well as some grills to cook it all on.

I'm excited to hear from you... now go visit those sites!!!

Much love,
Michael Craft

Is Ministry On The Horizon?

It has been quite a while since I have given an update. It is the day after Christmas and I actually have a few moments to sit and catch those who might be interested up on our lives.

Kelli is feeling much better. This, of course, was the main reason for our relocating to Colorado. It is truly a blessing to have her up and about, laughing, and able to be involved in our lives like she used to be. She is missing being in ministry very much, and sometimes gets lonely, missing her friends and those from Desperation Church that she was so close to.

Our five children are all healthy and doing well. Conor is on staff at Rev5, and is loving the chance to disciple and mentor other young people in their relationships with Jesus. Kolten is working for a computer company and designing web-sites. He is also engaged to be married, to an incredible young lady, on June 5th. His fiance', Amy, has become a special part of our family. Caleb is 17 in three days and is doing great. He's applying at different jobs and looks to be getting hired on at Papa Murphy's Pizza (I am praying that he is, because I absolutely love their take-and-bake pizza, and feel that the Lord is strongly leading him in this specific direction). Michaela just finished being in the play, "A Christmas Carol". She stole the show and is growing into an awesome woman of God. Merci is also growing and doing really well in school. She has not made many friends, and this is something that we are praying for daily.

We've attended multiple churches, but settled at a Calvary Chapel church, which is located just two houses away from where we live. We love being able to walk to church, and the worship and teaching have been nice. We miss 'community' there, however, and wish for closer relationships with others. We're confident that God will bring that in His time.

I have worked at Schwan's Food Company for about three months, but have recently resigned. I was working 13-15 hour days and, although I was successful in the company's opinion, the hours were requiring me to be apart from the family too much. So, I find myself, once again, in the process of looking for employment.

The Lord has been up to much... in me... during these past four months. I have found that the 'pastor' inside of me is not so easy to suppress. Over and over I find that I land smack dab in a conversation with a customer or co-worker, or someone else I randomly encounter, where I am sharing God's great love and grace. I am often asked if I would ever consider starting something new... where I could share Christ more regularly. What is strange is that these requests are coming mostly from non-believers, and those who have walked away from the Church. This has caused Kelli and I to begin prayerfully considering pioneering something. We are not even sure what it is, or what it could look like.

Having Kelli back... and excited to serve Jesus, in this way, again... has been refreshing and rejuvenating for me. Although there are hundreds of churches in Colorado Springs, we actually live near the city of Manitou Springs, where there are surprisingly few churches, and surprisingly many who are needing Jesus. So Kelli and I are prayerfully considering what the Lord might have for us in the future. Truthfully, we have so many questions: Should this be a 'church'? Should it be a simple Bible-study? Should we podcast (something we receive quite a few requests for)? How can we pay for this? How can we practically minister to the poor, which is our heart, while allowing us to teach verse-by-verse and emphasize community and family? Do we know enough people that have the same heart who would partner with us? Should we start something brand new, or simply join something that is already existing?

As you can see... we are still seeking much direction. One thing I am certain of: I want to glorify Jesus, without it becoming a 'show'. So much of what we've witnessed has become all about the production of weekend services and pleasing people, rather than authentically seeking God's creative, unique will... and guidance. Galations 1:10 is still one of my life's verses: "Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Serving Christ with passion and authenticity is something that we've found to be a rare and special thing... when, and if, it is found.

Of course, I still must feed my family and pay the bills... so I'm looking for employment, as I consider all of this. I'd ask all those who know us well... who are still reading all this... and who pray, to please lift our family up to the Master. We desperately want God's perfect will for us. We want Him to be be seen in us. 
We simply want Him to be authentically seen... period.

I'd appreciate your prayers... and your thoughts and comments, if you have them. May God bless you in this coming year, and may Jesus receive the massive glory that He's due, through the way each of us are living our lives.

Michael

HISTORY OF DESPERATION CHURCH

The following is what I read in my final sermon. It is the history of Desperation Church, as I remember it. I was hoping this would be put on the internet so that it would not be forgotten.  "The Lord answered me: Write down this vision; clearly inscribe it on tablets so one may easily read it." (Habakkuk 2:2).

HISTORY OF DESPERATION CHURCH

as of July 2013

At 2:00am one morning in the summer of 1994, a singing evangelist by the name of Gene Leutzinger couldn’t sleep and was up reading his Bible. Hebrews 11:16 jumped off the page, “Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them”. Gene and his wife Debbie would travel and sing to a multitude of churches in a multitude of cities, so the idea of God preparing a specific city for them was odd. Not long after this night, Debbie approached Gene with a question; ‘Have you ever thought of planting a church?” Within a month, another pastor by the name of Dan Slater, phoned Gene and asked if he’d ever considered planting a church. Gene felt that if the Word had spoken to him, his wife had spoken to him, and a fellow brother in the Lord had spoken to him… perhaps God was speaking to him. They traveled to the Kansas City area and began driving through many different suburbs with a realtor. As they drove through the suburb of Liberty, on Mill Street near Franklin Elementary School, Gene felt God speak to his heart, “Plant the church in this town”. Gene leaned forward to the realtor and said, “Don’t show me another house outside of Liberty because this is where we are going to plant the church.”

The Leutzingers purchased a home and began to hold services in their living room. Nobody came to the first Bible study. One lady they had met, who had told them she planned to attend, was honored with a surprise birthday party and ended up not being able to make it. They were a bit discouraged. However, the next week she came and brought some friends and family. Liberty Celebration Center was born.

Within three months around 30 people were filling Gene and Debbie’s living room, so they rented the Spirit of Liberty Building (where Starbucks is currently located). The official grand opening held Palm Sunday in 1995 brought approximately 75 people to the small 700 square foot room they were meeting in. Two months later the church recruited Michael and Kelli Craft to help as youth pastors with the few youth who were attending. Gene had known Michael from a previous youth ministry position in Ottumwa, Iowa back in 1993. The church purchased a small building near William Jewell College, which had been the former Jehovah’s Witness Meeting Hall, to begin meeting in. Michael and Kelli served alongside the Leutzingers for almost two years, until May of 1997, when Gene and Debbie felt a call to minister elsewhere, as worship pastors in Norman, Oklahoma. Michael was asked to be the ‘interim’ pastor and began serving as such on June 2^nd, 1997. This ‘interim’ would eventually last sixteen years.

Michael stated, “I felt unready to be a senior pastor, and I think there were others who felt that way too. A few made dramatic exits and stormed out the very first week. In that first few months I had miraculously grown our church from a consistent 60 persons to a consistent 35 persons.”

The ex-Kingdom Hall the church was meeting in fit the needs fine, but for there to be any numerical growth, there would require a change. The church leadership began to seek God for direction, and ended up selling the building to William Jewell College. Liberty Celebration Center then became the first church in the city of Liberty to meet in a public school building on the weekends. Ridgeview Elementary School’s gymnasium became the church’s home for 2 and a half years. During this season the church began to grow in unity, as never before. Setting up and tearing down every week has a way of bringing people together, and although numerically there were not many being added, the church was becoming a family.

In September of 2001, when the infamous ‘9-11’ took place, the people of Liberty Celebration Center urgently wanted to meet and pray. Everyone was scared and everyone wanted to just be together. However, that was an impossibility. It was the middle of the week, and the church’s meeting place was only rented on the weekends. Trying to fit 100 people into the Craft’s home did not go well. This became the catalyst for the leadership to pray yet again for a place to call home. One day while getting the car washed in an industrial part of Liberty, Pastor Michael saw some old warehouses. One of them had a 4,400 square foot space available to rent. Not everyone loved this idea, but after some casting of vision, and the willingness of the congregation to take a major step of faith, a lease was signed. There was a major ‘catch’ to the lease: The church would have to spend its own money to fix up the warehouse, and when the lease was over they’d have to leave all improvements that had been done. This was a major risk and huge step of faith, because since the church’s beginning it had only been able to save around $40,000 dollars. After a time of prayer and fasting, the body of believers prayerfully decided to ‘invest’ this into the warehouse. It took two months of working every night and every weekend to turn a dusty, old warehouse into a meeting place that could seat 150, with an office, and two small nurseries.

Since the Leutzingers had left, for nearly seven years, attendance had wavered around 80-100 persons. Pastor Michael worked two jobs, as the church continued to struggle and see many people come and go. It was during these seven years the church seemed to draw a number of middle-aged men who wanted control. Each had been in leadership elsewhere, and each had an unhealthy, controlling attitude. There was also an insurgence of those who were deeply entrenched in the ‘hyper-faith’ teaching. The Lord would give an increase in numbers and then there would be a pruning, as a balanced teaching of the Word of God was strictly held to.

In May of 2005 Pastor Michael woke up in the middle of the night and went into his living room to pray. His prayer was for the church and specifically for his role in it. “Father, I’m tired. The church isn’t growing. I believe You’ve called me to this place. I love these people and I love our church, but I feel as though I am not being authentic - I’m not really being who You’ve made me to be. Help me to just be ‘real’ and to bring You the most amount of glory with my life and ministry.” Through tears and sobs Michael felt the Lord whispering that he was indeed a square peg in a round hole, and that he’d been trying to fit into someone else’s idea of ministry, but not into God’s idea of ministry for him. He had indeed been serving Liberty Celebration Center, but it was another man’s vision for what the church should be that Michael was living up to, not God’s vision. Gene Leutzinger had envisioned this church making a mark in this community and he had prayed about a name and mission statement to help accomplish that goal. However, those things reflected Gene and his calling, not Michael and his unique calling. That night was the beginning of something new. Michael went to bed encouraged and determined to redirect the church to better reflect the unique vision that God had given him… or go down trying.

This led to Pastor Michael quitting his secular job and becoming pastor full time. It also led to the changing of the mission statement and eventually the changing of the name, from Liberty Celebration Center, to Desperation Church. Talk about raising eyebrows! It seemed no one understood why this particular name would be chosen. Negative comments from within the church and all over town were heard, but there was a confidence that this was the Lord’s leading. At the time of the name change, there was another major shift, Pastor Michael was taking classes from a Messianic Synagogue and began preaching from a Jewish Roots perspective. The church began to steadily see numerical growth. Soon Desperation Church was averaging 200 people on the weekends. There were a number of trials, but also a number of wonderful things happening. The church was able to afford its very first ‘associate’ pastor, and they hired Dan Bennett – a long time Liberty resident and member of the church. Then, shockingly, Dan suddenly passed away four months after being hired. They then hired Bil Brown, another long time church member and resident of the area. Bil began ministering as the pastor of worship and creativity and the church was led into a new season of excitement and life. Along with a host of volunteers, other associates were added to the mix over the years, including Jon Peteresen and Jeanne Hewitt, as well as a part time counselor, Andrea Simpson.

The church has seen its share of trials: From long-term sicknesses, deaths, breaking away from a denomination, law-suits, and even occasional unpleasant and rather disgusting ‘gifts’ left on the church doors, various groups of people coming to the parking lot and actually casting curses, damage to the property by vandals, and of course numerous hate letters and emails. All of these have been difficult to deal with, but have also been part of the journey the Lord has had Desperation Church on in order for Him to mold and make them what He desires for them to be. The hard times and the trials have only served to encourage the body and be a reminder that one of the church’s jobs is to upset the enemy, so maybe they are succeeding. 

After further growth, a donation of $150,000, and over a year of volunteers within the church working endlessly, Desperation Church now owns a 16,000 square foot facility that they can call home. As of 2012, the church has averaged as many as 750 persons on the weekends. Easter of 2012 saw over 1,100 people in attendance. 2013 has seen the overall numbers decrease a bit, but one thing has remained obvious; The Lord has had His hand on this particular body of believers from day one. Although there are only a handful of original members that are still here from the church’s first years of ministry, the heart for seeing God do incredible things in this area is the same. The church is now known in the city as a safe place where truly desperate people are welcome. Jesus is the center of attraction, as new Christians and life-time disciples, drug addicts and drug dealers, lesbians and gang-members, abuse victims and those involved in satanic covens, and many who’ve simply been wounded by ‘the church’ all come together consistently to love on God and encourage one another in this journey.

Desperation Church has a unique identity in the city of Liberty, Missouri. God has called it to be refreshingly authentic in a world that wants more than anything for someone to step up and be genuine. DC has found that when it is all said and done, people are more drawn to sincerity and passion than the glamour of the show. The key hasn’t been marketing, advertising, or even perfection in the platform ministries. The key has been a true love for Jesus and for others, regardless of their past or their walk of life. ‘Authentic’, ‘genuine’, ‘passionate’, ‘intimate’, ‘weird’, ‘misfits’ and yes, ‘desperate’ are some of the words used to describe what God is in the midst of doing at Desperation Church in Liberty, Missouri.

God is ‘in the midst’ of doing something awesome. This means that He is not finished. Desperation Church has a bright future, because it will continue to love everyone unconditionally, and have Jesus, the Light of the world, as its center attraction.

Difficulty of leaving the ministry

This week I've been preparing to preach my last message at Desperation Church, and perhaps my last message ever... or at the very least, a very, very long time. While reading, I found an article by a man named David Hayward that talked about some of the reasons it is so difficult for a pastor to leave the ministry. I wanted to share his ten reasons, with some comments of my own. The reason I do this, is so that others out there might understand some of the turmoil that is being experienced and hopefully send up a few prayers my family's way. So, here's some of the bummers about walking away from ministry, in no particular order other than how Mr. Hayward put them:

money: Like any other career change, it is very frightening to let your salary go. Even if it might be an insufficient one, it is still difficult to let go of your guaranteed income. Most pastors have no idea how they will provide support for themselves and their families if they leave.

family: Especially if your family is Christian, they had so much pride in the fact that you were “serving the Lord“. Pastors will anticipate a great deal of disappointment from their families when they walk away from this very special calling that so many people took such delight in.

self: When pastors get ordained, they vow that they will never, ever give up. They promise that they will serve the Lord and His body until death. To even think about surrendering this induces an incredible amount of personal shame.

theology: I always took great comfort from scriptures such as, “Run the race. Fight the good fight.” These passages helped me in the worst of times to persevere. To quit the ministry evokes enormous feelings of spiritual failure.

vocation: Most pastors are very specially trained. They have focused their whole lives and educations on theology and ministry to others. It is feared that to walk away from the only job that employs these specific skills is to expose oneself to a completely unmarketable and unemployable position. Usually it requires retraining, which in itself is pretty stinkin' daunting to face.

congregation: To leave the ministry is to walk away from the congregation that the pastor has served. It can feel like abandoning your family. In fact, some might accuse the pastor of being a false shepherd who abandons the sheep. To anticipate this painful separation is excruciating.

enemies: Yeah, believe it or not... I have them. Those who have questioned, ridiculed or even opposed the pastor’s ministry will suddenly have all the ammunition they need to say, “I told you so!” Pastors can hear that leaving the ministry was proof that they shouldn’t have been a pastor to begin with. It feels like throwing in the towel, and there are people who love to cheer that demonstration of surrender. Don't believe me? The very weekend after I announced my resignation there was in attendance a woman who swore she wouldn't attend DC again if I was the pastor. So... why was she there? And was it just me, or was there a sinister smile on her face the entire time I spoke?

meaning: To leave most jobs doesn’t bear the weightiness that leaving the ministry does. Leaving the ministry carries an existential significance that shoots a resigning pastor into the darkest of nights because, as most pastors sense, their job wasn’t just a job, but an extension of their spiritual selves. Ministry is the expression of their convictions, and to leave the job appears to be the desertion of these core convictions.

waste: All pastors are taught and believe that they are planting seeds. They toil year after year with faith that one day their labor will bear fruit. To consider leaving the ministry is to consider relinquishing the garden and to leave it untended or under the care of another who might not share the same commitments. The feelings are all to real, that all that work might be gone to waste without any chance of sharing in the harvest, if it ever comes.

friends: When pastors leave the ministry, they leave friends. For one, they are walking away from their peers in ministry. They are quitting that team. But they are also walking away from people they’ve served and loved through their births, baptisms, marriages, divorces, deaths, tragedies and spiritual pilgrimages. They are saying farewell to people they have loved in very significant ways, intuitively knowing that walking away from the community network will also endanger their chances of that ever happening again.