Visionquests for Joy: Spiritual Meetings With Jim McReynolds, Minister of Joy to the World

Evangelism has always been central in the ministry of First Christian Church and of Dr. James McReynolds.  Churches in past years have benefited from revivals, crusades, workshops, and other special ministries.  Churches of every size would schedule three or four revivals a year.  Today many pastors have never had a course in seminary or any experience in doing evangelism. Mainline churches have lost millions of members. Have we lost the joy of our salvation? Can it be restored?

Today the words evangelism and revival are rarely used.  People are looking for a new method, an easier way with no price to pay. Even preaching, traditional music, and prayer meetings are considered from the old-fashioned past.  Churches are being made over, yesterday's vibrance is but a past memory. Churches use modern songs, testmonies, emotional outbursts, or anything new to attract today's church attender. What happened? When did we lose our joy?  Not all that's new is bad, and not everything old is good.

Visionquests for Joy is the name pastor Jim uses for special meetings in local churches, collegiate sites, prisons, hospitals, business or civic groups, area-wide meetings, workshops and seminars, state or national conventions, retreats, or summer assemblies. Being a small membership church, First Christian Church views Pastor Jim's visionquests as part of its ministry to the world-wide church.

Principles and guidelines for inviting Dr. Jim and his wife Laurel to come to your church or group include:

Visionquests for Joy in a local church or group of churches: Any denominational or independent church needing a closer relationship to God or a way to unbind the Gospel can use a Visionquest.  Jim has served local church staffs in American Baptist USA, Southern Baptist, Cooperative Baptist, United Methodist, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church (USA), Presbyterian Church (US), United Presbyterian Church USA, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and has spoken in many other denominated and non-denominational groups.  Jim, through the Holy Spirit, can help your church reclaim the joy of the Lord. Fee for small churches is up to the inviting group, free will, plus transportation to the site. Money is never an obstacle. Larger and small churches can share in this ministry of joy to the world. Dr. Jim is a retired elder in the Holston Conference or the United Methodist Church.  He was ordained in 1960 in the Southern Baptist Convention.  He also now has standing as an ordained minister of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ.)  His sharing in churches has added an atmosphere of joy and hope throughout the world.  Dr. McReynolds has held 10,000 such meetings from 1954-present.

Campusquests:  Meeting on collegiate sites has long been a part of Jim's ministry. He gave his first sermon on a college campus in 1960 at Sullins College in Bristol, Virginia.  He has served as campus minister in many schools located near his pastorates, including for the past twelve years, Southeast Community College in Lincoln, Nebraska.  No fee required.  Some Campusquests have been held simultaneously with a local church's Visionquest for Joy.  Some are sponsored by a campus religious group, psychology or religion class, or any campus group.  College students are our leaders for tomorrow. The college experience is an important time in their spiritual development.

Healingquests: Meetings for in-service, seminars on mental health and other health topics, spirituality, or therapy topics in a hospital, medical facility, nursing home, treatment center, or professional helping group. Reasonable fee. Appreciation for transportation costs, but this is a volunteer ministry outreach of the First Christian Church.

Prisonquests: Meetings approved by prison officials and religious coordinators in local jails, county jails, prisons, or state facilities.  Ministry to those in prison has always been part of Jim's work.  No fee required.

Others: Inspirational and motivation speeches for businesses, NASCAR race track ministry, sports teams and/or Fellowship of Christian Athletes, writers groups, ministerial associations, Alcoholic Anonymous or any Twelve Step organization, mental health support groups, community or civic groups.    

Contact this minister of joy to the world at 404 North 4th Street, Elmwood NE 68349-6022, or call 402-994-2266, or e-mail at joyquest@windstream.net.   

Purchase his books on line: Dancing With Bipolar Bears: Living in Joy Despite Illness and Passionate Joy: Building a Wealth of Joy in a World Starved for Love  by author Dr. James Evans McReynolds through Amazon.com; iUniverse.com; or other places on internet.  Jim requests you buy the books asking for discount and having them available for your Visionquest.  Any profits go to First Christian Church.

Honorarium:

Typically for busy groups or churches who can afford it, I receive $500 to $1,500 for talks, keynotes, or workshops not including expenses.

This honorarium is negotiable since the talks are considered part of my mission to the larger church, as a mission of the First Christian Church of Weeping Water  so it acts as a contribution from your organization to support this mission. Checks should be made out to "First Christian Church."  Expenses paid to me for reimbursing travel and other incidentals should be made to "James McReynolds."  I'll give you receipts for these expenses.