Family On A Mission
by Paul & Margie Arends
Paul and Margie Arends are the senior leaders of The River, a very happy church family and resource center located in Kalispell, MT. They are living their dream of establishing a Kingdom family culture within a local community and through sons and daughters in the nations. They oversee Fire School, a ministry training center, preparing hungry followers of Jesus to proclaim and demonstrate heaven's wisdom, love, and power to an orphan world. They are the parents of 4 children and 13 grandchildren. You can learn more about their ministry at www.therivermontana.com.
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
-Romans 12:2
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last four decades of ministry, it’s that the starting place for every born-again believer is to grow in their identity as a son or daughter. They must embrace the transformation of dismantling the orphan structures of their heart, so they can think, live and love like Jesus. Many are passionate about ministry and missions today, but orphan-thinking produces Ishmaels instead of Isaacs.
Many churches around the world function as spiritual orphanages because they are led by orphan-hearted leaders who don’t understand the Kingdom paradigm of family. Sons and daughters need to be planted in local churches that have a family culture. A place without the pressure to perform or fail, where they can belong and discover their identity. This ultimately births a healthy vision for ministry that flows from genuine love, supernatural wisdom, and increasing power unto the glory of our God.
When Papa Leif came to our church around 12 years ago, he helped us create a family culture that transformed not only the “why” and “how” of our church’s mission but has yielded much fruit. Interestingly, it is now typical for those who join our church family to go through a six-month month awakening journey and cultivating a deep, intimate relationship with Papa God. Many realize that their old orphan thinking and practices were dysfunctional and they start pursuing healing and renewing their mind (Romans 12:2).
It is not because we teach on these topics constantly, but these values and practices that emanate from Father God and permeate all that we do and say. We are ambassadors of heaven’s culture as we engage with the orphan world.
I am convinced that there’s a great awakening that is being birthed on the earth. Church leaders will need to understand the Kingdom family paradigm and know how to build a culture that allows the prodigals to safely come home to their Papa and receive healing, while equipping mature sons and daughters to live from the Father’s love. The most important Kingdom family business is about to be handed over to them and they will produce an army that will be unstoppable and unified, unlike anything the world has ever seen!
