FAITH
THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JUNE 11, 2017
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Discerning truth, walking the talk /EVTNow
Longtime Ahwatukee church merges with fast-growing Mesa congregation BY PAUL MARYNIAK Tribune Executive Editor
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Mesa church called one of the nation’s 100 fastest-growing congregations has established a second campus by merging with New Life Church in Ahwatukee. The merger also is a kind of family extension: New Life Pastor Paul Lavino’s daughter Amy is married to Pastor Ryan Visconti of Generation Church in east Mesa. The merger, which officially was marked June 4 at New Life’s campus at 11832 S. Warner-Elliot Loop, has been approved by nearly the entire congregation of the 26-year-old Ahwatukee church. “Our people are so excited,” Lavino said, calling his son-in-law “a fearless leader with a tender heart for God and people. Everything he’s done so far has been very successful.” Temporary signs already have gone up identifying the old New Life campus as the Ahwatukee campus of Generation Church, which Visconti has grown from 350 to 1,800, earning the title from Christian publication “Outreach Magazine” as one of America’s 100 fastest-growing congregations. Lavino said that while New Life’s congregation of 500 will now be part
“We’ve been talking about the idea of our churches coming together for a while,” said the 32-year-old pastor. “By coming together, we’re able to bring the strength of both of our churches. We’re already so similar it has been an easy transition.” Visconti was an Army Cavalry captain in Iraq in 2010 and thinking about a law career when he felt a calling to follow in the footsteps of his father, then Generation’s senior pastor. After his discharge from the Army, Visconti went to New (Kimberly Carrillo/Tribune Photographer) Liberty University, earned his Generation Church’s Ryan Visconti of Mesa is expanding master’s degree in theology and the congregation of 1,800 by merging with the 550-memjoined the Generation Church ber New Life Church in Ahwatukee and creating a second campus there. staff. In some ways, Visconti said, of Generation Church, “nothing has he is not surprised at Generation’s changed for our people.” growth because “we have a really great “This is one church with two locations,” ministry and our message is very relevant he said, adding that within a few months, and practical.” the 11 a.m. service at Ahwatukee likely “We focus on the core aspects of will consist of a live video feed from Christianity. People want Bible-based Generation’s Mesa campus. Lavino, 62, teaching,” he said. “We have a great kids also said he will continue to minister to ministry where kids have fun but also his Ahwatukee flock. get really good teaching. “ Visconti said he and Lavino have been Additionally, the church has a working the last few months to ease number of “life groups,” small clusters the Ahwatukee congregation into the of congregants who meet at members’ merger. homes to deepen their faith and, in the
process, make deeper relationships with others as well. Located on Ellsworth Road not far from U.S. 60, Generation currently has a 40,000-square-foot auditorium for services, but Visconti sees a time when he will need more room. Generation Church’s recovery ministry, which consists of weekly confidential group meetings already have now started in Ahwatukee. That ministry is aimed at helping people through “a wide variety of hurts, hang-ups and harmful behaviors,” according to the church’s website. They range from substance abuse and pornography to depression, anger, fear of abandonment and a host of other issues. Married for five years, Visconti first approached his father-in-law about the idea of a merger last October and then wrote out his vision for what it could achieve. “His vision was so compelling, I said, ‘I gotta do this,’” Lavino recalled. “So I told him I would think about it, pray about it and finally decided it would be a good thing to do.” “Our church is strong and is doing well,” Lavino added. “In my heart, I feel like we have a better opportunity to reach more people.” Information: generationaz.org.
God’s grace empowers purposeful and meaningful living BY REV. SUSAN WILMOT Tribune Guest Writer
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id you notice how the world d e m a n d s eminent domain in our lives by creating false paths to our hearts’ desires, including love, freedom, security and worthiness? The consequences of our assent to the world’s ways are evident in the prevalence of violence, injustice, consumerism, materialism and addictions as a way of escaping or coping. Other addictive behavior is equally devastating. Those
addicted to power and the world’s definition of success do everything they can to affirm their self-worth – usually at a terrible cost to others, including injustice and violence. Thank God there’s another way that actually expands our freedom to live authentically, with humility and simplicity in order to build up community, end violence, and the treadmill of competitiveness. Let’s see how Paul affirms, applies and expands our understanding of Jesus’ life and teachings by taking a closer look at Paul’s “no longer” statements of freedom. In faith, our first experience of freedom in Christ is God’s forgiveness and healing. In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ, we see God’s ultimate response to the world’s violence, and share in the victory over sin and death. Paul’s practical way of describing the gift of faith is found in Romans 6:6 (NRSV emphasis added): “We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin.” As Paul contends in Romans 6:13, this aspect of our freedom in Christ empowers us to be “instruments of righteousness.” That is, living in the integrity of our faith in such a way that we allow God’s goodness and love to flow in our lives and freely share it with others. In other words, our freedom in Christ empowers us for purposeful and
meaningful living. As we live boldly in faith, we make a difference. We show others how to find Christ’s transforming love and grace, while also exposing the fallacy and tragedy of worldly eminent domain that has such a vise grip on so many lives. We like to think we’re in control and self-sufficient so it’s a challenge to remember that our real freedom is a gift of God’s grace, not something we can earn or buy. God’s grace creates a response of deep gratitude and an eagerness to share the good news. We’re free from the tyranny of trying to earn God’s or anyone else’s love, or working to repay the gift. See
WILMOT on page 22