Sunday Service Times:
9:00 a.m. & 10:45 a.m.

1026 7th Avenue Southwest,
Puyallup, WA 98371
(253) 845-7508

THE FREEDOM HOUSE

Philippians Two fifteen

“Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God.  Carry the life giving message into the night”

For the last few years, Camille and I have felt that God was preparing us for something greater in ministry, something beyond the norm.  When we began the 24/7 prayer movement, things intensified as God seemed to move more deeply and quickly, both in our lives and in the lives of our college age students.  On a personal retreat, and while the church was still praying 24/7, we felt that God spoke clearly to us about what He wanted us to do.

Simply put, we want to disciple the college age students at PNC.  We want them to be transformed into the likeness of Christ in every aspect of their lives.  But this is an impossible task when you have a gathering once every week in a group setting and occasionally meet one-on-one over a cup of coffee.  Consider Jesus. While He spoke to the multitudes on occasion, he invested his life in a few (12), whose lives were radically transformed and who then turned the world upside down for His sake.  Camille and I realized that we needed a more intentional and focused approach if we were to accomplish this mission of discipleship.  Furthermore, the PNC Mission Development Plan states:

 

Transformation is the dynamic process by which every believer and the ‘community of believers’ become more like Jesus expressed primarily in our love for God and love for all others.  It is the process marked by crises through which we are made into Christlike disciples.  The Bible clearly demonstrates that such transformation happens in the context of community and in the environment of grace and truth.

 

Also from the Mission Development Plan, a stated goal is the high importance of training up young leaders.  Therefore, with the mission of restoration, transformation, and leadership development in mind, the Freedom House is born. 

The Freedom House is a 4,000 sq ft house on South Hill where our family (Chris Rodes family) and up to eight college age persons (disciples) live.  The layout of the house is unique in that it enables our family to live upstairs while the others live downstairs.  The downstairs kitchen is shared.  While guys and girls may both live in the house, the sleeping and showering quarters are separate, and there is a strict covenant for living in the House that must be signed by each disciple.  Each disciple also pays rent which covers lodging, utilities, and food for “family” dinners.  The purpose of the Freedom House is to disciple young people in the ways of Christ and to bring about radical life transformation, teaching them to walk in the freedom and power of Christ.  This can only happen if great care is taken to consider each element of living in the House and if every prospective member is fully aware of the commitment involved.  Those who choose to enter into the discipleship program understand that the goal of the Freedom House is discipleship and that the details of the House covenant are a means to that end.

The discipleship program consists of an intense curriculum that enables each disciple to engage in the discipleship process.  The scope of things covered would be vast, ranging from reading books together, to hands-on experiences, accountability, and discovering the ability of each person to claim the freedom for themselves that Jesus desires for them.  It would also consist of working through the freedom class materials by attending a class and actively pursuing and engaging in the process of freedom.  Also in the House, there is an expected standard of living that even consists of weekly meal times all together.  Candidates for the House must have a foundational level of Christianity with a desire to go deeper.  The duration of this training is to be determined, but will likely range from 12 – 18 months.  We believe that within this context of community, and within this intense setting, the virtues of Christ and the ways of responsible living can be effectively taught.  We want to raise disciples who will then disciple others.

From Deeperwalkministries.org:

“People may not practice what they preach, but they will always practice what they really believe.  Heart-focused discipleship teaches that truth only transforms when it touches the heart.  Truth that merely penetrates the head leads to good academic training, but does not change lives.   Heart-focused discipleship stands in direct contrast to behavior-focused discipleship which tends to be legalistic and focuses on acting like a good Christian rather than being a good Christian.  Our training focuses on the perspectives and practices of a deeper walk that lead to genuine transformation and maturity development.  We emphasize the sacred romance to which every believer is invited and the spiritual battle that threatens our hearts and our walk with God.”

Another benefit of the Freedom House is “hang-out” time.  College agers naturally want to hang out together and the House will definitely be a place for gathering.  The Freedom House is an addition to the existing ministries of Peak One, providing one more opportunity for discipleship and community.

This discipleship training program emerged out of the mission of God and of PNC.  While the house is owned by us, it is the setting in which the mission is accomplished.  The training is part of the ministry of PNC and Peak One Ministries.  PNC is in no way financially liable for the Freedom House.

May the Kingdom of God be expanded and may God be glorified! Amen.

*  The house is purchased and owned by Chris and Camille Rodes.

*  Mortgage and expenses are covered by Chris and Camille and supplemented by the students.