ClearNote Fellowship

Since most of our readership is friends and family—who else would want to look at an endless stream of pictures of our kids?—I thought some of you might be interested in finding out a bit more about what Amanda and I have been doing for the past 2-3 years.

Most of you (I hope) know that I've been attending the ClearNote Pastors College. Most of you (probably) have no idea what that is. And even if you think you know, you might be a bit hesitant to check it out.

ClearNote Pastors College is a relatively new training institute for pastors. It's a ministry of ClearNote Fellowship, an umbrella organization (you might think of it like a denomination) that seeks to unite like-minded churches in an effort to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through church-planting, missions, and resources (books, conferences, music, etc.).

The great thing about CNPC is that it operates in the context of a local church—Church of the Good Shepherd in Bloomington, IN. That means the training can never be purely academic, because the academic training takes place in the context of the trenches of pastoral ministry.

Because of my work at ClearNote Pastors College, I've had the opportunity to help found ClearNote Campus Fellowship (CNCF) at Indiana University. The goal of CNCF is similar to the goal of the pastors college—to reconnect a vital ministry to the lifeline of the local church.

When I was a student at IU, I was actively involved in Campus Crusade for Christ.  However, as I began to grow in my faith, I began to see more and more my own need to be connected to a local church—where I could break out of my 20something bubble and be involved with families, children, and old folks. The more I grew in understanding of the importance of the local church, the more grieved I became over how many of my friends seemed to think being involved in campus ministries were an adequate substitute for the church. A supplement, sure, but never a substitute.

CNCF, then, is an attempt to bring the two together. It is a campus ministry that is based out of a local church (again, Church of the Good Shepherd). We bring the same benefits of any other campus ministry—we're active on campus, we have bible studies, large-group meetings, retreats, etc.—but we maintain a vital connection with our church. We encourage all of our students to attend worship services and Sunday School, to get involved in serving the church, attending small groups, and to become members.

Over the past 2 and a half years, CNCF has grown from 8-10 students to around 60. Nearly all of our students are actively involved in campus ministry and in the life of our church. They are members, they attend small groups, they serve in the nursery, sing in the choir, teach Sunday School, play with the worship band, and much more. God has richly blessed the work.

I took over as Campus Director of CNCF in the Fall of 2008 after Joseph Bayly, a dear friend of ours, graduated from CNPC and began making plans to plant a church in Indianapolis.

Like all non-profit organizations, ClearNote Fellowship and ClearNote Pastors College are largely funded by the donations of private individuals. And like all campus ministers, my work is largely funded by donations from private individuals and a part time job.

As we approach the holidays, would you consider helping to support these vital ministries financially? If so, you can find out more by visiting the "Support Us" section of the ClearNote Fellowship website, or email me at "jacob[dot]mentzel[at]gmail[dot]com."