Acts 2 Journey Key to Restoring Church

When John and Susan McHaffie became lead pastors at the Assemblies of God church in Mount Vernon, Missouri, they knew they faced challenges. The church had suffered a split, causing attendance at the main site to dwindle to an average of 45 people on Sunday mornings, and the 58,000-square-foot facility needed $600,000 in improvements. The church was in survival mode and did well to pay the mortgage and utility bill on time.

But the McHaffies began to implement a strategic plan. The property was placed on the market, and the McHaffies worked at rebuilding relationships to merge the two churches back together. The church gained a fresh start at a new location with a new name, Lifebridge Assembly.

Shortly afterwards, McHaffie and his leadership team began the one-year Acts 2 Journey with the consultant team from Church Transformation Initiative in Springfield, Missouri.

“The Acts 2 process gave us practical tools to build a team and vision that were biblically based, not fad-based,” McHaffie says. “It helped re-establish our church mission and values and refocus the leadership. We began to see the congregation move from survival mode to vision mode.”

The church placed Acts 2 vision banners in a highly visible location, listing their goals and the Acts 2 functions of the church: Connect, Grow, Serve, Go, and Worship. Lifebridge’s van ministry helped increase attendance to 140 on Sunday mornings.

A new converts class and women’s Bible study were started at the church, and Sunday evening services focused on praise and prayer. A greater emphasis on missions resulted in increased monthly missionary support and also in local community outreach made possible through the resources of Rural Compassion, a ministry arm of Convoy of Hope, based in Springfield, Missouri.

The heartbeat of the church became one of winning people to Christ.

“I have a huge heart for rural America and churches that have lost their motivation to lead,” McHaffie says. “I believe the Acts 2 Journey contains the right elements and structure to help any pastor whose desire is to see God revealed in their church and community again.” 

When a young woman named Becky later visited the church, she says she felt love and acceptance from the parking lot to the sanctuary. When Becky visited Lifebridge, she was taking chemotherapy for cancer. In one of the services, Jesus healed her heart, which she said was a bigger miracle than even her cancer survival. She became one of the first to attend the new converts class, and now she serves as a lead greeter and an usher.

McHaffie expresses his thankfulness for the support of AGTrust partners that made the Acts 2 Journey scholarship available to Lifebridge Assembly. “The church could not have afforded to take the journey otherwise,” he says.

Recently, the McHaffies’ transitioned to lead Sikeston (Missouri) Assembly. McHaffie says he is eager for the opportunity to move Sikeston First into the Acts 2 model training.

“Taking the Acts 2 Journey at Lifebridge helped me to identify needed changes that brought life and vitality to that church,” he says. “I believe it will do the same for First Assembly in Sikeston, and I am excited to take this church through it.”

More than 600 AG churches, including Lifebridge Assembly, in 24 AG districts have participated in the Acts 2 Journey. Nearly half of those churches have received AGTrust scholarships, thanks to the support of AGTrust donors.

Pictured: Lifebridge AG's Holiday Central outreach team. Through Holiday Central, the church provides Christmas presents to 125 families.

Amber Weigand-Buckley