Across The Nation
Sunshine Open Bible: Armed with a Testimony and a Mission!
By Aaron Keller
In July of 2020, I returned to Des Moines, Iowa, to pastor Sunshine Open Bible, the church I grew up in. I was aware of the risks, remembering the words of Jesus in Mark 6:4: “A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family.” However, the calling from the Lord was strong, and I remained confident in His purpose.
Our location, 2130 Easton Boulevard, was in a good spot right next to the interstate, but the property was small. The church had a small lobby, minimal parking, and too few bathrooms. The congregation became trapped in a continuous cycle: we would grow but then eventually shrink as we were limited by our space.
Throughout the years, pastors and other church leaders had entertained the idea of finding a new location. But the challenge was finding a property with adequate space on which to build. In the past they had considered moving to the suburbs but knew that a move of that magnitude would cause us to lose some of our members. Additionally, the cost to buy property and build seemed astronomical.
When I became pastor, I was blessed to already have solid relationships with the board. I was aware of their desire to move and shared in that desire. In one of my meetings with the board, I expressed that continued desire but allowed that it would be foolish for us to actively pursue anything until we heard from God. We agreed it was best to save money and wait for the Lord’s direction. Once we came to that conclusion, I decided to be content and obedient where we were.
Then April 21, 2022, just before the start of a scheduled board meeting, my wife, Wendy, called. She had seen on a local news channel that after 172 years of ministry, First Presbyterian Church in Des Moines was shutting its doors. The location of their building was 3100 Easton Boulevard, only ten blocks up the street from our location. The prospect of buying this property seemed too ideal. It would be double the space of our current location; the church sat on four acres as opposed to our half an acre. I tried not to get my hopes up and told her we would discuss the prospect at the meeting. It would be worth it to at least “kick the tires.”
That weekend I sent an email to the Presbytery (the administrative body that represents the congregation in a Presbyterian church) to inquire about the property. A gentleman called and informed me we could walk through the building that Friday. From there I assembled a team of fourteen for the walk-through. During the walk-through we were informed there were twelve churches, four developers, and a Christian school also interested in the property. My heart sank a bit, but I decided to glue myself to the representative from the Presbytery and walk only with him. He expressed his desire to see a church purchase the property. I shared with him our church’s heart and expressed excitement that we could relocate and still retain all our members because of the proximity of his location.
Our team returned to our building to discuss the pros and cons of such a move. Then we took a vote among the board and others who walked through the property; it was a unanimous decision. We made an offer for $50,000 over the asking price, and then waited. Three days later we were informed that the Presbytery had received five offers; three were higher than ours. My heart sank again, but the representative from the Presbytery insisted we get our preapproval letter submitted. We had not received one yet because a week prior we never anticipated making an offer on another location. Later that day the preapproval went through.
Wednesday, May 4, I received a phone call: the Presbytery council voted 100 percent in favor of accepting our offer. All I could do was sit back in awe of what God had done. I didn’t think it was possible, but He was displaying to me firsthand that He was in control, and we needed to continue to follow His promptings.
I am never one to learn quickly. Later that next day I panicked again because I realized I had a property to sell, and we had two parsonages we would also be selling. As we met with the realtor, I learned how difficult it is to develop comps and price churches. Most churches appraise at 45-60 percent of their assessed value. I was concerned the move might be too much for us to afford.
The next week my realtor called me to discuss a listing price, and although I liked her price point, I felt it was possibly too high. We decided to let the market decide.
On May 12, I was lying awake in bed at 5:00 a.m. when I received a message on the church Facebook page. A lady I didn’t know was asking if we were purchasing the property at 3100 Easton and wondered what we were doing with our current property. After I answered, she asked if she could share my phone number with her pastor. Later that day, after I had spent two hours with her pastor, the Church of God submitted a full asking price offer.
Two amazing miracles in two weeks! We had not even been actively looking to relocate, but now it was clear: we were relocating. Shortly after that we had offers on both houses, and everything fell together very quickly. I told God, “I’m sorry I ever doubted You.”
We finally took possession of the new property on August 1 of this year, and our church celebrated every step of the way. What has encouraged me the most has been the unity in this transition and everyone’s giving glory to God for the work He has done. There is not one person who can take credit for making this happen, which makes it all the more special. God moved in His perfect timing, and we were along for the ride.
Over the few months we have been on the property, we have made it our own. Our volunteers have come together and worked harder than I have ever seen a group work. On October 23 we celebrated our Grand Opening. This gave us an opportunity to appreciate how God has worked everything out and to praise Him for what He has done. It was also our chance to step out after a lot of work and start focusing on the community around us. Our people are now armed with a new testimony and a mission. We are eagerly anticipating what God is going to do next.
About the Author
Aaron Keller is the National Director for MOVE Ministries and the lead pastor of Sunshine Open Bible Church in Des Moines, Iowa. MOVE Ministries started in 1981 and has completed 45 projects around the world.
Life “happened” to me when my first husband died. After walking through my own grief, the Lord allowed me to walk alongside many others who were also grieving. Doors continued to open in this area, and when the opportunity arose to serve with Marketplace Chaplains, I felt a confirmation from God that this was where He wanted me. I started as a chaplain shortly after applying, and two years later I was offered the job as Director of Operations for a new team formed in South Florida.
Marketplace Chaplains is a ministry that stands out from others due to how it was formed and its core reason for existing. It was formed by a former military chaplain, Lee Strickland, in 1984. After his experience of being served by chaplains in the military, Lee desired to provide a similar service for his community through this unique ministry. Marketplace Chaplains has teams made up of male and female chaplains who each assist in the care of the employees within companies throughout the United States and Canada. Relationships within these companies are built through routine chaplain visits that happen weekly, bimonthly, or monthly. These regular visits help the employees become comfortable with the chaplains so that when a crisis happens, they are more likely to call for help. Chaplains are available to the employees 24/7, assisting with bereavement, funerals, suicide prevention/support, and family crises.
Marketplace Chaplains has teams made up of male and female chaplains who each assist in the care of the employees within companies throughout the United States and Canada.
A few years back, a leader of one of the companies I serve called in a panic when one of his employees was sobbing, having discovered that her healthy, 40-year-old husband had died suddenly in his sleep. The leader asked me, “What do I do?” He had offered her condolences and covered her flight home to begin arrangements, but despite this, he shared that such a tragic situation made him feel helpless and weak. I reminded him that when we feel weak, the Lord promises to be our strength. I also let him know that in times of tragedy it is often not what we say but simply our presence that God uses. As I spoke, I realized that all I had walked through in my own grief had helped me support this leader through this huge trial.
There are challenges with being a Christian chaplain in spaces that recognize all faith traditions. I remember a particular moment when I was in training at the hospital when the program’s director insisted that the name of Jesus could not be used to close a prayer without the patient’s consent. I wrestled with this concept, even wondering if this limitation was God telling me not to serve in this type of ministry. Later that day, I was making my rounds on my assigned floor in the paralysis unit, which serves patients with injuries impacting their ability to walk. I entered a male patient’s room, greeting him with a simple, “Hello, sir, how are you?” In an extremely loud and animated voice, the patient responded, “There you go!” Assuming I wasn’t welcome, I responded, “I’m sorry, sir, I’m not sure I understand you. Did you want me to come back a different time?” To which he responded, “How can you leave now? You just brought the Holy Spirit in here!”
I was shocked; I knew that a greeting was all that I had spoken. I hadn’t offered prayer or said anything about God. This man hadn’t even seen my badge of chaplaincy when he made this statement. In this moment I saw the power of God’s presence in my life. I was able to see that when I support and serve patients or employees in secular spaces, Jesus goes with me whether I mention His name or not. God can and will use me in this role as a chaplain, and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve Him in the marketplace.
I realized that all I had walked through in my own grief had helped me support this leader through this huge trial.
For those who sense a calling to serve as a chaplain or who simply want to learn more, Marketplace Chaplains is often looking for men and women who sense the call of God to impact their community outside of their church. Visit this website to search for jobs and learn more about this amazing way to transform lives: www.mchapcares.com
About the Author
Kwabea Francis
Kwabea Francis serves as Executive Director of Operations with Marketplace Chaplains and is an ordained Open Bible minister. Her heart is to share the love and purpose of God with those she ministers to as a chaplain, preacher, and teacher of the Word of God. She attends Living Word Open Bible Church in Cooper City, Florida. Kwabea earned her Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and is a graduate of the University of Florida. She and her husband have five sons and three grandchildren.
On September 19-21, pastors from around the country gathered for the 2024 Open Bible National Hispanic Conference, held in Antioch, California. Attendees of the conference numbered close to one hundred and represented nineteen different Open Bible churches. Templo Santo Community Church was the hosting church for the conference, and our theme was “CHANGED: Transformed to Transform.” We were blessed with the presence of powerful speakers: President Michael Nortune, Dr. Nicholas Venditti, and Pastors John Mendez, Michael Zakarian, and Caleb Plummer.
The Church as a whole, the Open Bible denomination, and Hispanic Ministries are needed for such a time as this.
The conference started with a welcome dinner where pastors and leaders were able to reconnect with old friends and connect with new friends who were first-time attenders. We had a powerful night of worship during which President Nortune spoke a prophetic word about entering a new season. God has opened a wide door for Open Bible, and new opportunities are on the horizon for our ministries.
Throughout the following days, we heard challenging messages on embracing our vision (Dr. Venditti), navigating culturing changes (Pastor Mendez), loving and embracing the next generation (Pastors Zakarian and Plummer), and depending on the presence of God (President Nortune). In addition to these incredible sessions, we had the opportunity to explore the beautiful city of San Francisco and the surrounding areas.
In our closing session, Pastor Mendez encouraged us that we were chosen for this time in history. The Church as a whole, the Open Bible denomination, and Hispanic Ministries are needed for such a time as this.
As we concluded with a time for more fellowship, here are a few of the things we heard people saying:
“This conference exceeded my expectations.”
“I felt the love and unity within the Hispanic Ministries.”
“The messages were relevant for our time.”
“Best conference ever!”
We look forward to what God has in store for Open Bible’s Hispanic Ministries. We believe that a door has been opened for our dream to come to life – having a Hispanic ministry in every state in this nation.
About the Author
Jorge Navarrete
Jorge Navarrete was appointed as the senior pastor of Templo Santo Community Church in May 2002. Prior to that, he served as youth pastor, Sunday school teacher, member of the Board of Elders, and as church administrator for Templo Santo. In May 2017, Jorge was appointed to serve in his current role as Director of the Hispanic Ministries for the West Sector. Pastor Navarrete also works for the Supreme Court of California as the Clerk/Executive Officer. He has served in this role since 2016.
There are over 10,000 homeless citizens in Lee County, Florida, but thanks to a creative nonprofit idea and a fully sponsored shower trailer, Open Bible Community Church (OBCC) has found a unique way to serve them.
Located in North Fort Myers, OBCC is pastored by Joe and Pat VanEst. When Hurricane Ian hit their county in 2022 and homelessness exploded, pastors Joe and Pat responded by founding “Hope Ambassadors,” a nonprofit designed to empower individuals through disaster relief and ongoing rehabilitative efforts.
Beginning by providing food and hygiene kits to homeless communities, the team soon realized there was a need for showering facilities. Through a string of miracles and one philanthropic donor, a shower trailer was purchased, and Hope Ambassadors now owns the only shower trailer in Southwest Florida. Housing two rooms and ten total shower units, the trailer visits two homeless communities twice a week and has already provided nearly 500 showers to families in need.
“This has totally changed the thinking of our church,” says Pastor Joe VanEst. “We are building relationships with these folks, and it’s only a matter of time until we can share Jesus with them.” Already, the church has seen growth from visitors who have come to church after using the shower trailer.
Hope Ambassadors is quickly building relationships with other local nonprofits that provide services like haircuts, food, and clothing. Future dreams include creating a commercial kitchen that would create nutritious, freeze-dried meals for hungry families. Hope Ambassadors’ mission statement is “To heal communities in the spirit of unity,” and thanks to God’s grace and provision, they are well on their way.
“This has totally changed the thinking of our church”
