Real Life Ministries
{{short description|Non-denominational Evangelical Christian church in Idaho}}
Real Life Ministries is a non-denominational, Evangelical Christian church in Post Falls, Idaho, USA, situated in Kootenai County. The church was planted in 1998 by four families, including the now senior pastor and elder, Jim Putman. Since its founding, the church has grown to an average weekend attendance of over 7,000{{Cite web|url=http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10334|title=How to grow a congregation|accessdate=10 March 2008|work=2007 Spokesman Review|archive-date=24 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524095912/http://www.spokesmanreview.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=10334|url-status=live}} and has become one of the fastest-growing churches in the United States, ranking 13th in a 2007 report.{{Cite web|url=http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2007_fastest.pdf |title=101 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches(#13) |accessdate=10 March 2008 |date=8 October 2007 |work=2007 Outreach Magazine Report |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920170132/http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2007_fastest.pdf |archivedate=September 20, 2008 }}
History
File:RealLifeMinistriesPostFalls.jpg
The church began by meeting in private homes until the numbers became too great, at which time it was able to rent space in a movie theater. In 1999, Church Development Fund stepped in to buy {{convert|33|acre|m2}} of land in Post Falls, through its Advanced Land Purchase program, in order for the church to build a facility to serve the 850 in weekly attendance at that time. The church moved into a {{convert|26000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} building on that property in 2001, but quickly outgrew it.
In 2004, the church built a {{convert|68000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} facility, with a multi-purpose 1,700 seat auditorium, also on the same property. Real Life Ministries has purchased an additional {{convert|14|acre|m2}} plus a home, for a total of {{convert|47|acre|km2}} at the current site. The Church's master plan for the current site included a 3,600 seat main building, a softball field and a youth center.{{cite news | title=Miracle Growth| newspaper=CDA Press| date=25 July 2003}} It has been a borrower of CDF for land purchases and all phases of construction.
In a 22 June 2006 letter to the Coeur d'Alene Press (CDA Press), RLM's financial accountability was questioned. The writer suggested RLM seek certification from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability as other large churches had done.{{cite web|url=http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2006/06/24/editorials/letters/letter03.txt|title=CDA Press, June 22, 2006, CHURCH: It's good to be held accountable}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} RLM responded with its own letter to the CDA Press on 15 July, describing its accounting practices and stating that it would seek ECFA certification as an additional measure of outside accountability.{{cite web|url=http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2006/07/17/editorials/letters/letter05.txt|title=July 15, 2006, FINANCES: Real Life takes responsibility}}{{Dead link|date=June 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In December 2008, the ECFA accepted RLM's application.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=23345|title=ECFA Profile|accessdate=22 December 2008|publisher=ECFA|archive-date=28 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228163745/http://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=23345|url-status=live}}
Expansion issues
With its congregation continuing to grow,{{Cite web|url=http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2005.pdf |title=100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches(2005)(#24) |accessdate=16 March 2008 |date=17 June 2005 |work=2005 Outreach Magazine Report |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127044402/http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2005.pdf |archivedate=January 27, 2007 }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2006.pdf|title=100 Fastest-Growing U.S. Churches(2006)(#35)|accessdate=16 March 2008|date=15 July 2006|work=2006 Outreach Magazine Report |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929174849/http://www.outreachmagazine.com/docs/top100_2006.pdf |archivedate = 29 September 2007}} Real Life Ministries has purchased a {{convert|124|acre|km2|sing=on}} plot of land for a new site, again borrowing funds from the Church Development Fund.Kootenai County Recorder's Office #I 2126812000 (Recorded 10-15-2007) Preliminary plans for the new property include an expandable 3,500 seat auditorium, state-of-the-art children's facility, a 300-seat chapel, field house and six multi-use sports fields. The property, however, has no water rights (according to the deed recorded at the county), no septic hook-up, and access roads have not been widened nor brought up to highway standards. According to the Conditional Use Permit Agreement,Kootenai County Recorder's Office #I 2077525000 (Recorded 1-16-2007) RLM will fund a traffic study and infrastructure improvements, including but not limited to reconstructing two adjacent roads, before receiving any building permits. Senior Pastor Jim Putman has said that while plans to build on the new property have been shelved, the real need now is for RLM to build the sports fields on the new property.{{cite news| title=Church delays building on prairie...| newspaper=CDA Press| date=22 August 2008}}
After spending more than $750,000 on the new property project,{{Cite web|url=http://www.reallifeministries.com/rlm_news_page_archive|title=RLM News 7/2008|accessdate=8 August 2008|publisher=RLM|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080204103927/http://www.reallifeministries.com/rlm_news_page_archive|archivedate=4 February 2008}} Putman announced in July 2008 that RLM will not begin construction on the {{convert|124|acre|km2|sing=on}} parcel of land, saying "...at this time at least the new building is out of reach. Other options must be explored as a temporary solution until the time when what’s required can be afforded (initial estimates being $40 million). Also in his July 2008 announcement, he suggested home church as one potential option, saying, "Maybe doing church on Sunday in our homes? How do we keep reaching people but not get in over our heads financially." The July 2008 statement also said, "We believe the move to the new property is something God wants us to do, but the timing has always been in question." Earlier in the project, Putman was quoted as saying, we believe "Jesus has shown us He is all in, now we will wait for Him to tell us when."
In 2025, the church financed the construction of a freshwater well in a water-restricted country in honor of Pastor Gene Jacobs, who died in 2024.{{Cite news |last=McDonald |first=Josh |date=2025-05-09 |title=Living water: Silver Valley church honors former pastor |url=https://cdapress.com/news/2025/may/09/living-water-coeur-dalene-press/ |access-date=2025-06-19 |newspaper=Coeur d'Alene Press |language=en}}
Boise Bible College–Post Falls
In 2004, Boise Bible College launched the Post Falls Center in co-operation with Real Life Ministries. The extension site combined the discipleship process developed by RLM with the Biblical training provided by BBC, resulting in an A.S. in Biblical leadership. This co-operative extension site was no longer active in February 2009.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.reallifeministries.com Real Life Ministries]
- [http://www.rlmchurchtraininganddevelopment.com// Church Training and Development Team]
- [http://www.bend.caretool.net/care.asp Caretool]
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Category:Evangelical churches in Idaho
Category:Buildings and structures in Kootenai County, Idaho