January 2018 Volume 3, Issue 6

Special points of

interest:

A word from Bob

Swanger

HNI new members

2018 National

Assembly & Pre-

Conference

Intensive

Notable News!

Inside this issue:

Gaining Uplift by

Bob Swanger

1

Welcome, New

Members

2

2018 National

Assembly & Pre-

Conference

Intensive

3

Notable News! 4

GAINING UPLIFT by Bob Swanger, HNI Presiding Elder

are joining us. I don’t

think that this means

everything will be easy,

but that Holy Spirit is

going to UPLIFT our

faith and encourage and

refresh us for the battle to advance His Kingdom.

Let’s walk by faith and

not by sight and see the

obstacles and challenges

as opportunities. Cultur-

al reformation happens

when people exert

themselves and challenge

the status quo which is

exemplified by Martin

Luther posting the 95

Theses on the Witten-

berg door.

We are going to exam-

ine this word UPLIFT at

the 2018 Harvest Net-

work National Assembly

in Wayne, Ohio at

Church of the Good

Shepherd on June 26-28.

Please mark your calen-

dars and register for the

National Assembly. We

would love to see you

there.

Press on, Doc

Attitude can

change your

altitude. Al-

titude can

change your

attitude. If we see our-

selves in a difficult place with no hope, there is a

tendency to become

discouraged. But, if we

see ourselves in a diffi-

cult place and we know

we are going to win,

there is tendency to rise

to the occasion.

Jesus said, “In this world

(kosmos = fallen world)

you will find trouble

(tribulation, trials and

burdens), take courage

(firmness of purpose in

the face of danger or

testing), I have over-

come (am victorious

over ) the wor ld

(kosmos).” We are go-

ing to win! Our culture

is becoming less evan-

gelical and “churched.”

Our culture is polarized,

opposing views are not

communicating well.

The circumstances

around us make the

Great Commission a chal-

lenging work. We are go-

ing to win, so let’s rise to

the occasion.

Our attitude and altitude

regarding this situation will be key in what we do

in advancing the Kingdom.

If we think it is hopeless

trying to reach millenni-

als, then we won’t try. If

we see ourselves as

grasshoppers (see Num-

bers 12:25-33), then we

will miss the promised

land. If we get on the

wings of eagles—and rise-

up to an elevated altitude

and gain a faith attitude—

challenges are still there

but look manageable.

Ken Roberts had a pro-

phetic word for the Har-

vest Network at the Na-

tional Assembly in Char-

lotte this past June. He

said that the Lord was

bestowing a season of

UPLIFT for the Harvest

Network in the near fu-

ture. We have been ex-

periencing this UPLIFT in

the Network as churches

Page 2 HARVEST NETWORK - January 2018

Welcome, New Members Anthony Savage

Youth/Young Adult Pastor

Kipton Community Church

Kipton, OH

Ariana and Anthony Savage, who were mar-

ried just this May, serve 6th-12th graders together at Kipton

Community Church, which has been Anthony’s church since

he was small. “I consider our senior and associate pastors part

of my family, because they helped raise me from a young age.

They encouraged me and helped me grow in my faith.” In No-

vember, HNI granted Anthony a general license in ministry. “I

wanted to be able to see the kids from my youth group when

they’re in the hospital, jail or juvenile detention home without

having to arrange for my pastor to go with me. I’ll definitely

take advantage of the online training provided by HNI. My

church has been part of HNI since I was a little kid, and I be-

lieve in what HNI stands for and want to be part of the impact

it’s having here and around the world.”

While Anthony loves working with young people in the youth

group and in a multi-church, young-adult ministry, his passion

is to serve Jesus in every aspect of life. By day, he’s an insur-

ance agent, and on his office desk he has two photos of Kipton

Community Church: one from the 1800s and one from

Google Earth. “People ask me about the photos, and it opens

the door for me to talk about Jesus and what a short time we

get on this earth.” Anthony’s other interests include traveling

and scuba diving, spending time with his family, and cooking for

others. He loves to recommend Extreme Devotion: The Voice of

the Martyrs. “I read that a lot, and it really helps me keep cen-

tered. It’s about how ancient and modern-day believers shared

their faith in terrible moments. I also like The Case for Christ.”

George Bakalov

Founder/Apostle

Apostolic Reformed Church, Bulgaria

Lives in Apple Valley, MN

George became a Christian in 1989 during his mandatory two-

year stint in Bulgaria’s military. “In Communism, there’s no

freedom in religion and very little chance of hearing the Gos-

pel.” Over the next year, the Berlin Wall came down, George’s

friends got saved, he got out of the military and started preach-

ing on the streets, the band of believers swelled, and he met

his future wife (a Minnesotan and Bible-school student on a

mission trip to Bulgaria). “We lived in Bulgaria for 12 years,

pastored a church, and planted 25 churches around Bulgaria.”

Fifteen years ago, the Bakalovs and their three daughters

moved to Minnesota due to religious persecution. He contin-

ued traveling to 40 countries. He also developed a small busi-

ness connecting Eastern European software developers with

projects for American small businesses. He loves to read and

hunt. “They’re my only hobbies, since I am out of the country

so much.”

George learned about HNI as a member of Life Church in

Eden Prairie and is a friend of Dale Sisam’s. “I came to see

how HNI is healthy and understands the type of life and mis-

sion that we deal with. It’s important that people you associate

with understand life and the complexities of ministry. I look

forward to learning and drawing from those who are more

mature than I, and I look forward to contributing in whatever

form might be needed.” George recommends Hidden Treasures:

The First Century Jewish Way of Understanding the Scriptures by

Rabbi Joseph Shulam. “It’s critical for the church to understand

our Hebraic roots, so we can resolve the problems we face.”

Stephen Belzner

Tech Department

Beddington Pentecostal Church

Calgary, AB

In November, Stephen Belzner was ordained through HNI. “I

was looking for accountability and networking. We’re all in

ministry and it helps to have people to connect with who can

pray for you, encourage and challenge you, and provide op-

portunities for ministry.” Though Stephen lives in Ontario and

graduated from Bible college in Canada, he learned about HNI

through his friend, Dennis Calhoun, who pastors Souls

Church in MN. “I have a passion to travel. I love getting on a

plane and going to a new place. I want to set foot on every

continent in the world (I’ve only been to two so far). I hope

to work for a week in Honduras this summer.” In fact, it was

when he was living in the Czech Republic ten years ago that

he reconnected with his birth family (who lives in Vancouver)

through Facebook and a lady he’s never met. “It’s one of

those cool God stories.”

In the summer, when he’s not traveling, working for Cruise

Canada as a sales manager, or serving at church on the tech

team, Stephen can be found on the diamond 4-5 nights a

week. “I played on three teams last summer.” Though he’s an

admitted baseball-holic, Stephen’s central passion in life is to

encourage and challenge people to walk in their God-given

destiny. “I often say, ‘when you know your why,

your what has a bigger impact.’” Stephen loves to recom-

mend In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leader-

ship by Henri Nouwen. “It’s simple but deep. It makes you

think of what Jesus means in Christian leadership, a reminder

that leadership is not about being powerful or relevant but

about being vulnerable, open, giving and receiving love.” He

also recommends Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. “It

challenged me to live in authentic Christian community in-

stead of living alone—you need to have people around you

to encourage and challenge, to have your own Paul, Barnabas

and Timothy.”

Page 3 Volume 3, Issue 6

Riding the Wind of the Spirit

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Registration available online beginning February 1 at www.harvestnetworkintl.org.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY June 26-28, 2018

Church of the Good Shepherd—Wayne, OH

plift

Kevin Brown Dale Sisam Tom Herbert Bob Swanger Jim Anderson

Primary Speakers

PRE-CONFERENCE INTENSIVE June 26, 2018 at 9:30 am—3:00 pm

Led by Billy Miller

Encountering the Culture

This one day, pre-conference intensive will equip you to wade boldly into the fray with greater wisdom, grace and understanding. We will address key elements of the biblical worldview, learn how to engage the lost meaningfully and non-threateningly through

asking questions, and expose the powerful apologetic force of authentically Christian culture.

Page 4

NOTABLE NEWS!

“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you

with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it

until now.” Philippians 1:3-5

HARVEST NETWORK

BOARD OF ELDERS

HARVEST NETWORK

ADMINISTRATION STAFF

How can we serve you?

Tell us your prayer

requests, praise reports

and notable news. Give us updates on your

ministry.

jherbert@harvestnetworkintl.org

MINISTRY UPDATES

As of January 1, 2018, Pastor Bob

Swanger at The River Church in Dela-

ware, OH, began serving as the HNI

presiding elder.

The HNI national office has moved and

has relocated to The River Church,

Delaware, OH. HNI’s new address is:

Harvest Network International

2419 US Hwy 42 N

Delaware, OH 43015

HNI office (unchanged)

office@harvestnetworkintl.org

Presiding Overseer Bob Swanger

rswanger@harvestnetworkintl.org

HNI office phone number (unchanged)

(651) 438-2596

HNI’s eNewsletter, contact Judy Herbert

jherbert@harvestnetworkintl.org

Associate Pastor Jeremy Robinson

at Church of the Good Shepherd

in Wayne, OH, would like to invite

HNI youth to participate in the

annual IMPACT Summer Camp on

July 9-13. For more information:

www.impactsummercamp.com.

Pastor Sandy Sisam at Life Church

in Eden Prairie, MN, published her first

book Loving Life. In this book you will

find inspiration to live out each day just

the way God designed you to live. This

book is available on amazon.com.

Greg Davis who is on staff with Cres-

cent Project in North Olmsted, OH,

will be leading a ministry trip to Leba-

non to teach English June 19-July 24. If

you are interested in joining this team,

please contact him at (440) 409-3771.

Pastor Randy Simonson at

Harvestime Outreach Church in Hud-

son, WI, will be hosting Celebrate The

Nations Missions Conference May 16-

20. For more information, visit

www.harvestimeoutreach.org.

Pastor Marty Barrett at Chamblee-

Tucker Christian Fellowship in Snellville,

GA, dedicated their new church building

on December 10, 2017.

Pastor Phil Roland at Sheepfold Minis-

tries in Sharon, PA, has released the

fourth edition of They Shall Be Comforted.

To purchase this book: www.lulu.com.

Please pray for Pastor Victory

Vilsaint at The Primitive Church of

God in Haiti, who has recently been re-

leased from the hospital with an oxygen

cylinder to assist his breathing for the

infection in his lungs. Please pray for a

complete recovery.

Please continue to pray for Pastor Joel

Rogers at Gatekeepers Ministries in

Lake Wylie, SC, who had a double lung

transplant in 2017. His recent test

shows that he has minimal rejection of

the lungs but has developed an infection.

Please continue to pray for healing.

Pastor John Murray at New Covenant

Community Church in Schenectady, NY,

had surgery on his right foot on January

24. Please pray for complete healing and

a speedy recovery.

Please keep Pastor Brian Johnson

from Minnetonka, MN, in prayer as he

battles cancer.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Kristie Farmer Website & Database

Administrator kfarmer@ harvestnetworkintl.org

Kellie Fellenger HNI Administrator office@ harvestnetworkintl.org

Judy Herbert Communications

Coordinator jherbert@ harvestnetworkintl.org

Kevin Brown Cornerstone Church

Americus, GA kbrown@

harvestnetworkintl.org

Tom Herbert Freedom Community

Church Shrewsbury, PA therbert@

harvestnetworkintl.org

Dale Sisam Life Church

Eden Prairie, MN dsisam@

harvestnetworkintl.org

Bob Swanger River Community

Church Delaware, OH rswanger@

harvestnetworkintl.org

2419 US Hwy 42 N

Delaware, OH 43015

(651) 438-2596

www.harvestnetworkintl.org