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The
training recognizes that the Holy Spirit is the primary Counselor in
leading and making applications of Truth. Practical Aspects of Training This
training is offered to all Christians interested in learning how to effectively
use the Word of God in a discipleship/counseling setting. We do not endorse students using this
program for "dealing" with their "issues" even though we
understand this will happen for each attendee. The intent should be to further oneself
in the equipping process of being a minister of the gospel. The
Environment of Training The minimal
requirements for intern/student are as follows: ·
Four hours of classroom (lecture)
time per week ·
One & a half hour of Triad time
per week (practice sessions with assigned intern) ·
One & a half hour observation
session with a staff counselor either in "real-time" counseling or
via webcam observation per week. ·
Two hours per month –
supervisory time with your overseer ·
Strongly recommended to attend
primary teaching conferences sponsored by IOM ·
Volunteer to assist in one or more
IOM sponsored conferences ·
Completion of all assignments
associated with the intern program ·
A minimum of one solo client case
– off campus ·
Teach the Rejection & Wheel
& Line message to fellow interns ·
Complete the Living Life Training
Intern Paper ·
One on one personal counsel with an
IOM counselor = 3 hours per month ·
Complete all reading/study
assignments ·
Lead one or more small groups (off
campus) ·
Attends graduation Costs ·
Suggested Donation (covers all
handouts, training & book rental) - $1,600 ·
Payment of program can be made as a
onetime donation of $1,600, four donations of $400 or monthly contributions of
$320 until balance is paid. ________________________________________________________________ Our
prayer is that God may use the Living Life Training as a vehicle for
ministering both to the trainee, as well as to those that the Lord may
bring into the student's life. It is our primary objective for
the body of Christ to be strengthened and equipped to stand firm and
walk victoriously in these last days. Certificate in Exchanged Life Discipleship The stated
Living Life Training Courses and requirements are for the eternal purpose of
training and equipping attendees with the ability to communicate the Exchanged
Life message to the Body of Christ and potential Christians. Upon completing the requirements, it will be determined by the leadership of IOM America if the work was satisfactorily completed and matriculated. If each track was successfully achieved, a Certificate in Exchanged Life Discipleship will be awarded. Unless special permission is granted, this certificate must be received at an official IOM – Living Life Intern Graduation. Living Life Training Intern Name: ___________________ Exchanged Life Intern Training Agenda
ABOUT IOM
Vision The Institute of Ministry is a
Christ-centered, nonprofit, 501c3 ministry dedicated to building up and
equipping the body through the Exchanged Life truths and principles. IOM America is committed to provide practical training and discipleship/counseling
for the purpose of developing individual spiritual gifts, refining existing
strengths and abilities, and by teaching new skills to further equip the body
of Christ with Biblical tools for spiritual freedom. Purpose IOM purposes
to establish and develop the interpersonal skills and spiritual gifts of all
individuals and church/ministry leaders that become involved with IOM America. IOM's primary objective
is to encourage and help individuals become all that Christ intends for them to
be in the seven areas of life:
The Institute offers
ongoing Exchanged Life training, counseling and conferences in the 7 Areas of
Life in order to build a Godly confidence in allowing Christ to do His work in
and through the believer. Overall, the Institute
believes in building a Christ-centered community through the personal
development of each individual. Financial
Beliefs IOM believes that the financial assets and opportunities entrusted to it do not belong to the ministry. IOM has been called to use the funding to set the captives free from spiritual, psychological and physical bondage. Not only does the ministry use contributions to practice "in-house" ministry but IOM financially supports other ministries that assists it in accomplishing the mission. This is carried out by "tithing" a minimum of 10% of all general account funds. We endeavor to practice this following these guidelines:
What Our
Donors Can Expect We believe it is
critical for you as a potential donor to ask these questions before you decide
to give to IOM or any other ministry. 1.
Are there things about this ministry
that make it uniquely worth investing in instead of thousands of other good
causes? a. IOM is unique because it provides a
direct and straight forward approach to counseling, public speaking and
writing. We avoid using worldly
ideas in presenting the truth. The
ministry commits to standing firm in the Truths stated in the scriptures. (Please see our Statement of Faith) 2.
Before giving elsewhere, have you
fulfilled your primary giving responsibility to your local church? a. We believe that all para-ministries
are to function in support of the local church. If the donor is a Christian and is not
connected to a local church, we are committed to encourage them to give to
their local church as a top priority.
"Giving need not end in the
local church, but it should begin there." Randy Alcorn 3.
Have you not only studied the literature
from this ministry, but talked with others who know it well but have no vested
interest in it? a. Upon request, IOM America is more
than willing to provide interested donors with a list of individuals, groups
and churches/ministries, and their contact information, that have ministered to
others through us. 4.
Does the ministry staff demonstrate
a servant-hearted concern for those to whom they minister? a. Our staff and volunteers are
dedicated to serve others. Seeing
is believing, so we invite you to observe our workers in action. This can be accomplished by attending
events or by visiting the corporate offices. By personally observing workers, we
believe you will see the heart of servant leadership. 5.
Do the ministry's workers demonstrate
a sense of unity, camaraderie and mutual respect? a. One of the significant ways unity,
camaraderie and respect can be determined is by way of observation of
co-workers in the work place. We
encourage all potential donors to spend time volunteering before they
donate. This is an ideal way of
getting to know the "inside track" of the ministry, as well as the
hearts of those that serve on a day-to-day basis. 6.
Have you talked directly with people
at the "lower levels" of this ministry, not just executives and PR
people? a. By calling the front desk of the
ministry, you will be blessed by the honesty and integrity shown in the
willingness to answer any question asked, outside of confidential staff/client
information. (Call 602-292-2985) 7.
Is this ministry Biblically sound
and Christ-centered? a. This is the most important
"claim" of IOM 8.
What kind of character, integrity,
purity and humility is demonstrated by the ministry leaders? a. We know of only two ways you can
discover the purity and character of a ministry leader: watching and
asking. Each leader, staff or
volunteer, should be willing to answer any question you might have regarding
personal purity and integrity. 9.
What kind of accountability
structure does the ministry have? a. Each of the staff and volunteers are
strongly encouraged to maintain a relationship with a mentor of their choice. b. The CEO/Executive Director has five
accountability partners; the chairman of the Board, two businessmen, a medical
doctor and the CEO's wife. c. Regarding the personal finances of
the CEO/Executive Director, he and his wife follow the principles presented by
Crown Ministries. d. The ministry finances are closely
monitored by a CPA on a regular basis, as well as by the Treasurer of the Board
of Directors. e. Biblical doctrines taught, counseled
or written are monitored by staff, volunteers, board members and
"readers" outside of the ministry. 10. Is this ministry teachable and open
to improvement to become more strategic in its efforts? a. One of the key ways of discovering
whether or not the ministry is teachable is by watching to see if it is
consistently finding a more Biblical way of conducting ministry. The leaders of IOM are always in search
for God's perspective on all areas of ministry. The CEO takes a minimum of 4
"spiritual retreats" per year in order to search the scriptures and
pray for God's leading on writing projects, leadership issues and ministry
projections. 11. What view of God and people is
demonstrated in this ministry's fundraising techniques? a. IOM and its leadership have learned
the hard way regarding fundraising.
We are quick to admit that we have tried "fleshly" ideas in
keeping the bills paid. Due to the
impact that God has made on Steve & Jane Phinney through Randy Alcorn and
Crown Ministries, significant changes have been made. 12. How
much money does the ministry spend on overhead expenses and fundraising, and
how much in actual ministry to people? a. Most of the funding given to IOM is
used to conduct free counseling, consulting, conference expenses, small group
activities and producing materials.
All designated salary monies are used for the intended purpose IOM
presently spends less than $100 per month on fundraising. 13. Does the ministry show a clear
understanding of cross-cultural ministry factors, local conditions and how the
donations may affect them? a. IOM is dedicated to financially
supporting ministries that meet the same guidelines it endeavors to
maintain. We at IOM do not believe
we are "God's gift to mankind".
We focus our donor dollar on organizations that assist us in accomplishing
the mission God has called us to.
One of the burdens IOM bears is for the Ugandan people. The costs of materials travel are
expended as God calls. To see a
list of organizations that IOM financially supports or recommends, click on Missions at www.iomamerica.org . 14. Does the ministry speak well of
others and cooperate with them? a. One of the ways you can witness a
ministry's ability to partner with other organizations is to know who they
promote in their literature or on their website, and to whom they dedicate
ministry hours. Please take time to
view the ministries IOM supports or recommends on its website. b. We endeavor to "come along
side" churches and ministries to equip their workers to be more comfortable
and adequate in ministering unto others.
We see this as our primary objective and mission. IOM faithfully works with all interested
attendees in order to build up the local church. We do not see ourselves as competition,
but rather as a tool that can be used to better equip their workers. 15. Is this ministry pervaded by a
distinctly eternal perspective on life, ministry and resources? a. It is our belief that all of our
activities are to be for "eternal weight of glory". If they are not, we expect others to
confront us with the truth. Even
though we have not embraced the fullness of the message of "all things are
to be eternal," we strive to listen and carefully execute the changes that
God has in store for this ministry. These questions were provided by Randy Alcorn, Eternal
Perspective Ministries, IOM BELIEFS God
We believe in the total deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe
that Jesus is the Husband of the Bride of Christ (the church) Rev.19:7. We believe He is the manifestation of
God in the flesh. We believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of
the virgin Mary. We believe Him to be true God and true man (John 1:1, 1:14,
1:18; John 14:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16). We believe in the total deity of the Holy Spirit and that His
ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:14). The Holy Spirit
regenerates and enters the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer
into one body of which Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides,
instructs, fills, comforts and empowers the believer for godly living (Mark 13:11; John 14:26; John 16:13; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians
3:16). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God's righteousness
and of coming judgment (John 16:8-11).
We believe that God gives each of His children a minimum of one
occupational gift and chooses to manifest His "sign gifts" as He
desires. While we believe that the
Scriptures do not teach that certain gifts have ceased, they indicate that use of
the gifts vary according to the need that each gift meets. IOM does not believe
an emphasis should be placed on spiritual gifts, rather the Body of Christ
should seek to emphasize the more excellent way of love (John 16:8; 13:15;
Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11-12; Romans 8:9-17; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 3:16;
12:4-5, 12:11-13, 12:19; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 4:1-4; 2 Corinthians
12:12). We believe that any and all
"tests" given to determine spiritual gifts are subjective but can be
used to gain a general understanding of potential gifting. We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament
are verbally inspired by God and inerrant in their original writings. We
believe the 66 books of the Old Testament and the New Testament are God's
complete and sufficient revelation and therefore carry God's authority for the
total well-being of mankind (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18;
John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16). We believe man was created in innocence under the law of his
Maker, but by voluntarily transgressing, fell from his sinless and perfect
state. Consequently, all mankind is born into sin. All people are sinners not
only by inheritance, but by their own choice and therefore are under just
condemnation without defense or excuse. We believe that without exception every
man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior. We believe the only solution to this
problem is Salvation through Christ Jesus. (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19;
Romans 1:18, Romans 1:32; Romans 5:1-2). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according
to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice. We
believe that each person who by faith receives Him as personal Savior is
justified on the basis of Jesus Christ's shed blood on We believe in the resurrection of the body of our Lord Jesus
Christ, His ascension into heaven and His present life for us as High Priest
and Advocate (Acts 1:3; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-26). We believe in the "blessed hope": the personal,
premillenial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. His return has a vital bearing on
the personal life and service of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We
believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The saved
are raised to eternal, conscious bliss in heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2
Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) and the lost are raised to eternal torment in
hell in conscious separation from God. (Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28; Matthew
13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8). Upon accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, a believer becomes
part of His body, which is the church and becomes the Bride of Christ. There is
one church universal, composed of all those throughout the world who
acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scriptures command believers
to gather in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the
Word, observance of the ordinances (baptism and communion), fellowship, service
to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach
to the world in fulfillment of the command of Christ to make disciples of all
believers (Ephesians 5:23; Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26;
Matthew 28:18-20).
Realizing that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local
fellowship, we commit ourselves to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of
Christ to make disciples around the world (Matthew 28:19-20). Para Church
Organizations We believe that all
non-profit ministries are to be considered an extension of the local
church. We believe each Para
Ministry should function as an outreach to the church as a whole, not as a
replacement. Counseling
Ideology The Lord changes
lives and accomplishes His purposes directly through reading, applying the
Scriptures and trusting the moving and power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish
the transformation. We believe the
Lord uses counselors/disciplers to give direction and encouragement to all
hurting individuals. It is our
belief that the "helper" should use the Word of God as their primary
tool to encourage, exhort, admonish, edify, implore, reprove, rebuke and
counsel. IOM will not use "vain philosophies" (Colossians 2:8) to
guide and direct. It is our belief
that God does not need clever or "unique" insight and/or techniques
created by man to do His work of service.
We endeavor to restrict the temptation of integrating the Word of God
with psychological ideas and techniques in ministering to others. We believe the Word of God is active and
alive (Hebrews 4:2) and it is through His spoken Word that the mind, will and
emotions are redeemed.
Women in
Leadership IOM supports God's role for women as defined by the Holy
Scriptures. The Word clearly states
that women are not to exercise authority over a man. We understand this view is not
"popular" or "culturally" accepted but we hold to the
scriptural guidelines stated for the role of men and women (1 Timothy 2:12; 1
Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:6-9). God created men and women equal but we accept the
fact that He has clearly established a difference in the roles they are to
carry out. We believe the primary
role of women are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious
gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may
encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so
that the Word of God will not be dishonored. Titus 2:3-5 Counseling Services:
The term "counseling" has many colors but
IOM determines to provide a Christ-centered Exchanged Life approach to helping
others. Our style would more
comfortably fall under the category of discipleship – training
individuals to be Christ followers.
Our small teams of caring, experienced and dedicated counselors provide
personal and leadership counseling to families, individuals and corporate leaders.
Our counseling services include:
Counseling Ideology The Lord changes lives and accomplishes His purposes directly
through reading, applying the Scriptures and trusting the moving and power of
the Holy Spirit to accomplish the transformation. We believe the Lord uses
counselors/disciplers to give direction and encouragement to all hurting
individuals. It is our belief that
the "helper" should use the Word of God as their primary tool to
encourage, exhort, admonish, edify, implore, reprove, rebuke and counsel. IOM will not use "vain philosophies" (Colossians 2:8) to
guide and direct. It is our belief
that God does not need clever or "unique" insight and/or techniques
created by man to do His work of service.
We endeavor to restrict the temptation of integrating the Word of God
with psychological ideas and techniques in ministering to others. We believe the Word of God is active and
alive (Hebrews 4:2) and it is through His spoken Word that the mind, will and
emotions are redeemed.
Counseling Guidelines:
IOM People come to IOM America primarily through
word-of-mouth. God working through this ministry accomplishes the significant
changes in the lives of those that come for help. Our biblical
discipler/counselors are trained in the application of scriptural truth to
daily living and do not necessarily hold degrees in secular psychology or are
licensed professionals. We do not take the position that all problems are
"spiritual" but do believe that most "presenting problems"
have a basic spiritual factor. People come to IOM America for Biblical
counseling/discipleship and professional consultation. We do not consider that
we have the "right" to assist those that come for help unless they
give us that right. The following statements are what clients accept as the
condition of counsel:
Rules of
confidentiality are for both client and counselor. That means that clients need to hold to
the guidelines along with their counselor, although, it needs to be noted that
most clients break this agreement.
Due to this, IOM cannot manage the outcome of such breaches.
If you have any questions regarding the
"Counseling & Ministry" approach to assisting our clients, please
contact us at: 602-292-2985. ETERNAL
INVESTMENTS IOM AMERICA is a
Christ-centered 501c3 non-profit that completely depends upon God for our
financial and material resources.
Our fundraising efforts are that of simply presenting the needs to God's
children and then trusting Him in "moving" givers to support our
efforts. Our needs list can be
found on our website at www.iomamerica.org . Presently, our monthly
budget is $11,000 a month. A donor
can make a contribution to one or more of the following areas: ·
General fund – funds are used for general
operational expenses ·
Staff Salaries – funds used to financially
support individual staff members (each of our staff's salaries come by way of
"missionary" type support) ·
Special Projects – funds are used to finance
projects like conference development ·
Scholarships – funds are used to cover
costs of materials, conference fees and counseling for those who cannot make a
donation. Contributions are not only welcomed but they are
tax-deductable by law. Your gift
will be handled with the highest standards of integrity. You can find out more about these
standards on our website by clicking on the "Financial Beliefs"
button. ETERNAL INVESTMENT BROKER Since the foundation of IOM, we have had a desired to
be a "broker" type ministry that functions as a "middle
man" for donors in locating trustworthy ministries who meet the guidelines
listed in our "Financial Beliefs" section on our website. What this means is; IOM commits to
giving a minimum of 10%, usually more, of all general fund dollars to other
ministries. Every donor who gives
to IOM is actually financially supporting other ministries that meet the
criteria set forth by this ministry.
Why is this important to us?
We believe that individuals, churches and corporations are making an
eternal investment when they decide to give. We have no ownership rights over those
funds. They belong to God. Just as we expect our donors to give
from their "first fruits" so must we as a ministry. Tithing might be an Old Testament requirement but He
expects His New Testament children to continue to invest in His Kingdom. God prospers a man in order to have that
man invest in Kingdom work. In God's
miraculous plan of economy, 100% of all that we make, own or steward is
His. Whether it is the
"widow's mite" or a "rich man's" wealth, God expects us to
give so it will be given unto us.
God gives to us so that we can give to those who are in need. This is God's miraculous plan of
economy. A penny to God in the
purse of a poor man is the same as a million dollars in the bank of a rich man. He expects a heart of giving to outweigh
the impulse to spend. If God chooses to bless an individual with excess, He
most likely has Kingdom work designated for those funds. When most of us we get extra cash we
"pay our tithes," pay the bills and use the excess to
"upgrade" our life-style.
The problem with this type of thinking is we need more cash to maintain
the life-style change. The Word of God shows us that God gives an increase in
order to increase His Kingdom work.
Man tends to think that the increase is for an increase of
life-style. The secret is to maintain the present
life-style or preferably shrink it, and use the increase to bless those that
are in need. We as a ministry
understand this principle and endeavor to fulfill our part in God's miraculous
plan of economy. Scriptures to consider: 2 Cor. 8:1-9; 14-15, 2 Cor.
9:11, Matt. 13:44, Matt. 6:19-24, 2 Peter Chapter 3, 1 Cor. 4:2, James 2:1-4, 2
Peter 3:9, John 2:16, Matt. 19:16-30 and Cor. 3:10-15 Details on donating online or by
snail mail – click here PROFESSIONAL
TIMELINE OF STEPHEN R. PHINNEY Dear Interested Reader,
The purpose of this letter: I believe it is
of utmost importance for individals who desire to be served and assisted by a
leader – to know the pathway of the
cross of that leader. I
consider it a privilage to write this letter
of history regarding my love to serve Christ and the message of the Cross
through IOM America & Grace Fellowship International. Before I itemize my historical path of
the Cross, I want to state my love
for my mentor and spiriutal father Dr. Charles Solomon – who falls more
more in line as a father type
relationship vs. a collaborative co-worker of the grace of God. I have considered Chuck to be my
spiritual father since 1976. Due to
my fleshly pattern of "fear of intimacy" early on, I did not maturate
this relationship as God had called me to do. This error has brought me to tears many
times – even now! I find
great comfort in God's extension of forgiveness and for the fact that I will be
given the privelage of spending the rest of eternity with him as a fellow
Bridal member of our Christ. The following historical timeline is by no
means to be interpreted as a "brag list." Any and all accomplishment
are outward actions of Christ in me.
If anyone should know of my incompetence outside of Christ, it is
me. For this I do know, all that I
am is the He that lives and breaths through me.
My
Roots I grew up in what the world classifies a
"dysfunctional home". My
father was the son of a great man of God and preacher that was used to reform
the church. In fact, my father was
named after my grandfathers mentor Charles Finney. Due to the pressure of growing up in a
spiritual environment that was ever so public, my father decided to go the
opposite direction of his calling.
Needless to say, my father did not allow Christianity to be talked about
in our home. His sins were
extensive and his calling was replaced by becoming a career man for the United
States government. Bitterness and
fear ruled our household. Out of a family of six children, I was the one that God
choose for some reason to start the process of restoring our linage back to the
pathway of the Cross. I accepted
Christ as my Savior at age of 16.
It was a "radical" conversion and transformation. Due to my conversion, I was rejected
severely by my father, mother and siblings. I was labeled a "Jesus Freak"
and considered to be on drugs.
These rejections ultimately lead to my father committing to
"never" acknowledging my conversion or service unto the Lord until
shortly before his death. As a result of my conversion, God began to use my
"zealous" heart to minister to each family member. Salvation followed for my mother, 4 of
my siblings and yes, ultimately my father several years before his death. Keith Fredrickson, my GFI (Grace
Fellowship Int.) Intern Supervisor, was used by God to resolve my bitterness
and hatred toward my father. One
significant intern assignment was given – pack my bags, travel back to
Northwest Iowa, sit down with my father and seek his forgiveness for the sins
that I committed against him. This
act of the Cross is what started the process of my own father being lead back
to the Cross and life of Jesus Christ.
I will be forever grateful for this assignment. I use this service act in my counseling
to this very day. I have endless
testimonies of the restoration of children and their fathers.
Village
Unlimited In the mid 70's, while working for an organization (Village
Unlimited) that served the handicapped, within myself, there was a spirit of
unrest. I knew I was born-again and
I served the Lord the best that I knew how, sharing the Word of God and leading
Bible-studies by what I heard preached.
I was active in church outreach but deep down inside there remained a
yearning, a spiritual thirst for a deeper walk with Christ. I desired a life of victory and triumph
rather than one of fear and performance.
I served God the "best" I knew how but knowing all the while
it wasn't enough. I found the
classic message of the Church to be dry as bones. Their push for repentance, rededication,
commitment and surrender became a message of hopelessness to me – it left
me feeling defeated. There had to
be a way of living that was different than the way I was living.
Then God introduces me to Chuck (like my dad's name),
who was soon to become my spiritual father and mentor. A friend & coworker placed a book on
my desk that he obtained from his sister while visiting in Denver – The
Handbook to Happiness. Just seeing
the graphics on the cover created a "wanting" to read it but I had a
problem – I didn't know how to read.
Here I was 21 years of age and keeping a secret, that of not knowing how
to read, faking it all the way through my life. Knowing that this book contained my
answer, the "exchanged life," as the liberating key that would unlock
my secret struggle, I pressed on to find a way to read this book. After confessing my problem to my soon
to be wife, Jane (now of 31 years), she began to teach me how to read by using
the Word of God. Once learning how
to read, I found myself reading the first book of my life, The Handbook to
Happiness. Little did I realize how
this book would be used by Christ to change the course of my life! Within a year of reading the book, I
packed up my family, moved to Denver (from Iowa), went through the GFI Intern
program, and came on staff. Christ
Haven After serving on staff at GFI for several years, I was
given the challenge to start a "Francis Schaffer" type mountain
retreat center that focused on the theological foundations of the
Exchanged-Life. Due to the IRS
denying a non-profit status for our new work, our family moved to Colorado
Springs to work for an organization called "The Branch" – a
residential facility assisting the hurting with the message of the Cross. The
Branch It was at The Branch where I met Rudy Carver who was
trained by Neues Laben – a
counseling/training center in Phoenix birthed from the impact of GFI. Due to a fall into immorality by the
founder of The Branch, the facility was closed one year after I joined their
work. Release
Ministries After consulting with Chuck, he encouraged me to start
our own non-profit in the Springs that focused on the message of the
Exchanged-Life. Promptly, we
started Release Ministries – named after Watchman Nee's book Release of the Spirit. We developed and established
training and counseling center that serviced the community with a special emphasis
on the staff of the Navigators and Compassion International. It is during this time when I met my
second mentor, Lorne Sanny – former President of Navigators. After providing personal counsel to him,
he opened the door to many opportunities of counsel and training for their
team. He was the first to
demonstrate and train me in the power of Christ-centered leadership. It was during our stay with Release Ministries that
Chuck Solomon encouraged me to enroll in Oxford
Graduate School in Tennessee.
Before starting the second phase of the doctorate program, I was
publicly embarrassed by a professor for my beliefs. Due to my lack of maturity and remaining
sensitivity to rejection, I dropped out of the program. A painful experience I have learned to
be thankful. Rapha
– Christian Psychiatry
During our ministry time in Colorado Springs, I was
introduced to Robert McGee – another descendant of the Exchanged-Life
message. Through several years of collaboration
with him and his new corporation, Ralph, Release Ministries became a key
ministry in providing tools for their in-patient care program, which resulted
in an invite to join their corporate team in Huston. In 1990, our family moved to Phoenix to
establish three in-patient care facilities for their organization. About a year after starting this new
work, the Sexual Additions Director for our program ended up molesting my
eldest daughter. Needless to say,
the violation ultimately destroyed the foundation of Rapha, resulting in me
leaving the organization. Neues
Leben Due to our families need for counsel, I was referred to
Dave Ritzenthaler and Neues Laben (now called Victorious Christian Living
Int.), another descendant of the Exchanged-Life message. Once completing
counseling, I was invited to join their staff. I remained on their team for 12
years. My primary role was
materials development, counseling, training, and conference speaking and center
development. During my twelfth year at VCL, I was used by God to
uncover the murder of my best friend and co-worker Stewart Helton, son-in-law
to Dave Ritzenthaler. Through the
counseling process of counseling Dave's new son-in-law (8 years after the cause
of death was determined "unknown"), God revealed to me that Dave's
daughter, my assistant, killed Stewart at gun point. Due to the publicity and rejection my
family and I faced, our attorney encouraged me to resign my position at VCL in
order to "save the ministry."
I resigned from VCL and took the position of President and Co-founder of
Arizona Alliance for Community &
Faith-Based Action.
My
Stint in Politics While at VCL, I served as an advisor to several
Senators, as well as served as the Faith-Based Representative on the Arizona Domestics Relations Committee –
a three time Governor appointed position.
During my advisory position with the state, I was given a plan, I
believe from God, to establish a new branch of government called The
Faith-Based Initiative, a plan I was working on for my doctorate dissertation
at the Phoenix University of Theology.
To my surprise, this plan was embraced by leaders throughout the United
States and modestly by Uganda and ultimately leading to a 5 year collaborative
relationship with the White House.
Even though warned and prepared, the dysfunction of American politics
was used by God to call me back to my roots. I resigned my position at AACFA once our
objective was accomplished in establishing the plan in now over 20 states. Two years before retiring from
politics, a friend at the Department of Labor encouraged me to establish a
no-profit that I could conduct my ministerial activities. Co-founder John Lind and I did exactly
that. IOM
America Through the vision and consultation of co-founder John Lind,
John and I set out to establish a non-profit that would focus on training &
equipping non-profits in learning the art of fundraising and non-profit
management—while providing counseling to interested individuals, couples and
corporate leaders. John & I went on to develop a 5 year strategic
plan. IOM
America then became dedicated to better our communities by changing one leader
at a time. IOM provided practical
and proven training to develop the participant's skills in order to extend
their impact. IOM refined the leadership and management techniques of the
participant by honoring existing skills, teaching new skills and equipping them
with structural tools for success. Until IOM was firmly established, I continued to serve as President
of AACFA until my resignation in the fall of 2004. Through a 2 year process, I began to
come under conviction by God to return to the original vision He gave me in
1982—that of establishing a Christ-centered counseling, training and
conference center. In 2004, those
changes were approved and established by the IOM Board of Directors. The transition of going from being an
organization that trains non-profits in fundraising & management to a
Christ-centered ministry that focuses on healing hurting lives began to occur. For the past few years, IOM has been functioning as a
non-profit ministry that provides counseling, small group leadership,
leadership training, materials development and conference services to
interested individuals, couples and churches/ministries. Recently, God opened the door to kindle a fresh my relationship with Dr. Charles Solomon. Upon the heels of establishing the Living
Life Training Center, God puts Chuck
and me together to discuss the idea of "coming back to my GFI roots." What does this mean? Well, it's simple; IOM will be
incorporating the "exchanged life" into our training center. Our intro level course will be the
"Exchanged Life
Conference." Our base course will be the "Exchanged Life Workshop," and our advanced training will be applying the
principles of the cross to the "7
Areas of Life Training," materials designed
by IOM. We are excited about this
change and look forward to the discussions of developing a more facilitative
and possible direct role with Grace Fellowship International. Future Intensions It is my prayer and intent to
collaborate with Grace Fellowship Int. in order to discover the possible ways
of integrating our ministries. Through
discussions that recently took place at an IOM Board meeting, it was approved
to move forward with an Association Membership and look into the details of
converting IOM America into Grace Fellowship West. Personally, I desire to take an active
role in global leadership for the next generation of the Exchanged Life
message. Oxford Graduate School
With the renewed focus on
deliberating the message of the Exchanged Life, I have started the enrollment process
of re-applying to Oxford Graduate School for a second doctorate. Oxford is considered to be one of the
most, if not the most, challenging doctorate program in the world. Due to recent management dialog and
negotiations with Dr. Charles Solomon and Grace Fellowship Int., I am
interested in renewal of application. I have served in the field of
Christ-centered counseling (Exchanged Life/Spirituotherapy) for over 25
years. My application is not to obtain another advanced degree – it
is for the sole purpose of impacting international societies through the
integration of Christianity into community. I believe Oxford Graduate
School is the ideal institution to help me reach this objective. It is my
desire to advance myself as an educator in order to assist others in
demonstrating the importance of joining their professional abilities with their
faith – with a concentrated effort in being a global trainer and educator
of leaders in the field of Bible-based, Christ and Cross-centered counseling. In Conclusion I thank you for taking the time to read this
"extended version" of my personal and professional timeline. I understand that it was laborious, but
– I prefer to error on the side of too much detail than not enough. I believe it is important, if not
critical, to know the pathway of the Cross for leaders you choose to serve and
assist you. Bless you. In Christ's
Care,
Steve Phinney |
