Our first engagement with IBL was sixteen years ago. Through that process and in the years since, it has become abundantly clear that Father is using this ministry to do exactly what they state on their website: to overcome ministry barriers, discern God’s direction, and become as God desires. We at FiveStone Community Church have experienced all of these up close and personal as IBL has walked side-by-side with us through both very challenging situations as well as positive times of ministry.
We initially reached out to IBL during a very difficult and tumultuous time in the life of our church. I had followed the founding pastor of thirty-two years. After three years as the Senior Pastor, I began to lead the church through a relocation process. The concept and plan was initially embraced with enthusiasm and excitement. Our church had experienced rapid growth in the prior three years and the new location and associated ministry strategy would enable the church to continue reaching more young families.
During the relocation process it became evident that a small group of the leadership was not unified around the new vision and direction. The old property had already been sold and the new location was under contract. In the meantime, we were meeting in a local high school. It was during this period of waiting that this small group of leaders began working behind the scenes to undermine my leadership with the intent of removing me from my position and halting the relocation plans. This disunity and division caused major disruption in the body, and also took an emotional toll on me and my wife.
I was fortunate through God’s providence to have met David and Dawn Phelan a few years earlier when they attended our church’s mid-week Bible study and our AWANA ministry. It was through our growing relationship with David and Dawn that we first became aware of IBLand their consulting ministry . We knew that if we did not receive help and guidance through this time of difficulty, the very real outcome would be my departure and the abandonment of the relocation vision and plan.
After an initial discussion with Russ Lloyd, IBL’s founder, and David Phelan, we felt led to engage IBL’s services to assist us. Their engagement and work with us prior to their arrival set the stage for what would be difficult yet very productive meetings. They then traveled to Texas and began working with our leadership. Through very thorough interviews and assessments Russ and David discerned the root issues causing the division and disunity among the leadership. This is often hard, painful, and revealing work that has to be done, and in our case it proved to be every bit of that and more. Through very biblically based teaching and counsel, issues begin to surface and demand attention. Root causes of the disunity were exposed and addressed. They developed a plan of action which allowed us to take steps toward unity and healing. IBL continued to walk with us in the days that followed and lead us ultimately to a body that was unified around the mission and vision that God had given.
Through God’s gracious hand and through the skillful, biblically based leadership consulting that IBL brought to us those many years ago we were able to move forward and see God’s hand of blessing on our church. Relocation and transition into the new property became a reality and a unified and undivided body began to fulfill the plan and purposes God had for our church. It was a true blessing, as the Senior Pastor, to have the wisdom and godly counsel of men like Russ and David lead me through that most difficult time in my ministry. I can truly say that in more than thirty-four years of serving in ministry I have not experienced a darker and more difficult time of leadership and emotional strain than I went through during that season. Had it not been for IBL I feel certain that I would not have remained here as the Senior Pastor, and it would be uncertain if the relocation would have happened at all. I am certain that FiveStone’s successful outcome and experience is not the exception when IBL guides a church through a time of difficulty.
We have also been blessed to benefit from IBL’s ministry during times when ministry is going well.IBL came to FiveStone last fall and lead our leadership through a process of evaluating our current pastoral leadership structure. We sensed, through the leading of God’s Spirit, that a new direction and organizational structure was needed to carry us into the future and help us fulfill the vision and mission that Father had given us. David Phelan, now IBL’s President, and Dave Deets, who serves as IBL’s Vice President of Ministries, came and led our leadership body through a weekend of discovery and discernment for FiveStone’s future organizational structure. The process by which this was done was truly led of the Lord. Through Biblical teaching, practical exercises, and collaborative discussion, our entire leadership team was in one-hundred-percent agreement on the new organizational structure for our pastoral team. Everyone who experienced the process and outcome still talks about it often. Many of our leaders had not been acquainted with IBL previously. Yet everyone, both those who had known IBL before and those who were being led by them for the first time, agreed that our time with IBL was one of the most uplifting and positive they had ever experienced.
After IBL led us to a new pastoral organizational structure, we moved forward with the plans and identified the new individuals to fully staff our pastoral team. We then asked IBL to lead us in our first Pastor’s Retreat with the new team, which was held less than a month ago. David and Dave led us through a three-day retreat to accomplish major objectives such as team building, aligning and clarifying of vision, development of new ministry initiatives, and re-examining of our values. All of our pastors came away from the experience saying it was the best retreat they had ever experienced. Having IBL facilitate and lead is something we will seek to do again in the future as the outcomes could not have been more positive.
It is easy to see that IBL has had significant influence and impact on FiveStone Community Church through the years. They have truly come alongside and helped us advance and move forward to become the church and leaders God desires for us to be. I am and forever will be grateful for IBL. FiveStone is thankful and honored to have a small part in the ministry of IBL as a monthly supporter through our missions ministry. I would encourage every pastor and leader to prayerfully consider doing the same.
For Jesus,
Jerry Zucha
Senior Pastor
FiveStone Community Church
Garland, Texas