Wheeling, WV and Bridgeport, OH are two adjoining towns located on the Ohio River at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The area is the picture of abject poverty in the United States. Median household incomes are $37,692 per year. Bridgeport is a small town with a population of 1,195 people.
Pastors Tim and Linda Seidler
But tucked away in this Appalachian Valley is a church, two pastors, and a move of God which is as miraculous as the parting of the Red Sea. Don’t believe me? Allow me to introduce you to The Experience Church and its pastors, Tim and Linda Seidler.
Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Pastors Tim and Linda and hear their story. These are two delightful individuals every Christian leader should know about.
A Wife’s Prayer
Tim and Linda were high school sweethearts who are now entering their 30th year of marriage. But early on, Linda had a relationship with Jesus while Tim did not. However, he was a talented musician, highly-driven, his company’s top salesperson, and extremely successful. However, Tim would see Linda taking their girls to church each Sunday. Even though he did not have a relationship with Christ, he wanted to be the best husband and father he could.
Linda would lay hands on Tim and pray, “God, I know how you designed him. Please let him do in the Kingdom what he’s doing in the world.” Tim began attending weekly services and God answered her prayer… and then some. Tim became a modern-day Saul-to-Paul story. He was not knocked down with a bright light but he was a person of great capacity, talent, and influence who was now using those gifts in a ministry context.
As a result, The Experience Ministry was soon born.
A Christian Happy Hour
Tim and Linda soon discovered the people in the Valley did not have a problem with Jesus, but they had a big problem with the church. God birthed in them a desire to start something fresh and exciting for people far from God. So in 2010, they began a service called Happy Hour which included music, coffee, and and preaching. 40 people were in attendance that first Sunday but everyone knew God was up to something. This small gathering grew… and grew… and grew some more.
Why The Experience Church Was Growing So Fast
I asked Pastors Tim and Linda why the church grew so rapidly (other than the goodness of God of course). The following were their answers:
- A Passion About The Power Of Invitation – Allow me to paraphrase Pastor Tim’s words, your invitation can cause a conversation which leads to transformation and can change someone’s eternal destination. The church is passionate about inviting people into conversations and to church.
- Social Meda – The church has a very successful social media presence.
- Authenticity – The Experience Church is the perfect place for imperfect people. 65-70% of their church were truly unchurched people – not dechurched. They literally had no church background and brought all of those issues with them.
- Not Authority But Relationship – They honor up (those in ministry positions), down (the broken and hurting), and all around.
- The church is a place of excitement.
- Diversity – All demographics are welcome. Women are also empowered.
- The Next Generation – A tremendous amount of resources are dedicated to families and especially children.
The Experience Church Hits A Lid
By 2018, the church had purchased an old Catholic school to meet in. However, the facility had absolutely no parking. In a town of 1195 people, the church had an Easter attendance of 1,800!!! The church leadership then decided to be smart but also walk by faith. 50 acres were purchased just off the interstate as you can see in the video above.
Pastors Tim And Linda Seek Wise Counsel
Pastors Tim and Linda are continual learners. They are always picking someone’s brain. Facing a need to raise more money than at anytime in the church’s history and living in a city with mostly broke people, Tim discovered INJOY Stewardship Solutions. Understanding a partnership fee would be required to work together, he leaned on his Sales background. Tim reasoned if INJOY Stewardship helped them raise $1 more than the fee, the partnership was worth it. As Tim said, “I looked at the potential more than the cost.”
The Results – God Once Again Parts The Red Sea
With the help of their consultant Chad Aukland, the church set a faith goal of $850,000. This was a HUGE number!!! On the day of their commitment event, Tim and Linda went home, each got out a calculator, and began adding up the commitment cards. Linda said, “We were literally watching the five loaves and two fish multiplying.” Card after card. Commitment after commitment. Once compiled, the church received commitments of $1,129,000 in one of the most poverty-stricken areas of the country!!!
Pastors Tim and Linda pointed out there were only two rather large gifts. The congregation simply all participated in the vision and what God was doing. The results were not a result of the sacrifices of a few wealthy individuals but rather the commitment of many. This was a monumental win for their entire city and church.
The First Miracle Many People Had Ever Seen
Since the results were announced, there is a fresh excitement and expectation in the air. The church became the church. People, many with no religious background, saw the fruit of a God who can do anything. People stopped saying, “The church….” and began saying, “My church….” Greater ownership has taken place. People now see The Experience Church as their house.
A Consistent Thread From Pastors Tim And Linda Starting With The 20 People In Their Living Room To Their New 50 Acre Property
As I talked with these two wonderful people, I felt a consistency from day one of The Experience Church until today. It has always been about the empty seat. The church has always been about unselfish people providing opportunities to reach more people. New people will literally come to a new location and new open seats will be available for them to sit in. The Experience Church has always been about inviting someone else in. As they have gotten bigger, they have also gotten smaller. An open seat is always available for a broken person to sit in. The capital campaign simply helped them get further faster.
The Disease Of Comfort. When Is Enough Enough?
Pastor Tim concluded with these words, “These (capital campaigns) are hard. There’s a lot of prayer and a lot of effort. But when is enough enough?… When are we happy and comfortable? We’re uncomfortable if there is one more who doesn’t know Jesus and for them we have a seat.”
Pastors Tim and Linda Seidler are two of the greatest Christian leaders I have spoken with in a long time. There is a kindness and compassion which exists in them I really experience. If you are not following them on Twitter, I would recommend you do so HERE and HERE. You can also follow the church HERE.
And if you are a women in ministry looking to be equipped, inspired, challenged in your leadership skills, Linda is part of an organization I recommend highly called Leading And Loving It. This is a collection of some of the finest pastors’ wives in America. There is a unique sense of community and joy which exists in this network of high-capacity Christian female leaders. Click HERE or on the image provided to learn more.
Finally, if your church is looking to raise significant capital in the next year and want what happened at The Experience Church to happen at yours, you can email me at briand@injoystewardship.com and I will be glad to follow-up and have a conversation with you.
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.