SERVICES
Waterfalls Retreats
Waterfalls cares for Pastors and Christian leaders. The name is from Psalm 42:7, “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls…” The purpose of Waterfalls Retreats is to provide refreshment and spiritual renewal to those who give of themselves in Christian service. Currently, retreats are provided for leaders and their families on a fully or partially funded basis. Persons taking advantage of these retreats may also receive prayer and counsel from the Intersect team or take the retreat as a time for solitude or vacation. Resort facilities in the Okoboji Lakes area are made available. Funding is limited, but interested persons may contact Intersect to receive consideration. Waterfalls Retreats are facilitated by Denise Triggs.
Waterfalls is also moving ahead in a vision to provide regular small group retreats for pastors and missionaries and their spouses who are facing a life or ministry crisis. These healing retreats will be modeled after the Oasis Retreats of Canada. Interested persons will help accelerate the scheduling of these events by making themselves known to Intersect’s leadership team. In addition to pastoral retreats, Waterfalls does from time to time host focused retreats for writers, worship leaders, teachers, and other marketplace Christians.
A long-term vision for this ministry is the provision of a continually available, low-cost retreat center in the Okoboji Lakes area. This “bed and breakfast with a purpose” will be a place of prayer, solitude, counsel and renewal. Thanks for praying with us toward this long-term Waterfalls goal.
Prayer Events
Jesus taught that we “should always pray and not give up.” Intersect desires not only to lay a foundation of prayer for ministry, but also to actively mobilize prayer in the churches and region. Prayer is a key intersection of faith and community. Intersect prayer venues encourage prayer for our locale, nation and world. Leaders are prayed for. Our faithful God is faithfully called upon for spiritual renewal and societal health.
The Intersect Prayer Center is the foundation to all prayer ministries of Intersect. From the prayer and worship heart of the Center, focused prayer gatherings for healing, global compassion, and evangelism happen.
Pastors Prayer Connections convene area pastors in sharing and prayer for the unity of Christ’s Church and for God’s protection and blessing on the region. Another group convenes leaders of Christian non-profits in prayer.
Prayer Events of national and global importance are often mobilized by Intersect. Intersect’s purpose in brokering these gatherings is to live under the stated blessing of Psalm 133: “When the people dwell in unity, God commands His blessing there.” Among these have been the Global Day of Prayer on Pentecost Sunday each year, the National Day of Prayer held the first Thursday in May each year, and other major prayer events such as Reign Down, held nationwide in 2008.
Coaching/Consulting
Intersect’s two full-time staff members bring long experience in both pastoral and cross-cultural ministry. As schedules permit, both provide spiritual and professional coaching to any person facing a ministry or personal crisis, or desiring Christian and/or professional growth. There are no stated fees for these services, though contributions to Intersect are gratefully accepted.
Regular pastoral coaching is also made available on a limited basis to Pastors interested in a longer term, regular relationship for personal and professional growth.
Consultations with church leaders and boards in the areas of transitions, staffing, building, funding and visioning are available to churches in the immediate region of Intersect as an additional service. Expense reimbursements are requested.
Speakers
The Intersect staff is in demand for speaking engagements for retreats, church services, funding events, and missionary emphasis gatherings. They are capable in a wide-variety of topics such as Bible, missions, church life and healthy Christian living. The presenters generally do this as part of their ministry at Intersect. Therefore, expenses and honoraria are requested as payable to the ministry and not to the individual.
MINISTRY/EVENT PARTNERS
Spirit Lake/Okoboji Timber Bay
Timber Bay is both a camp and wide-ranging ministry to teens across the Upper Midwest. The Spirit Lake/Okoboji ministry is led by John Winebrinner. Intersect supports Timber Bay with meeting space, office space and equipment, communications support, and coaching.
KJIA Christian Radio
KJIA joins Intersect as a primary sponsor of the annual Praise in the Park gathering. KJIA is a part of the Kinship Network of Minn-Iowa Christian Broadcasting headquartered in Blue Earth, MN. The station broadcasts Christian radio at 88.9 FM from a 50,000 watt transmitter located west of Milford. KJIA graciously shared their rental office space for the launch of Intersect and has since relocated to offices in Spirit Lake.
REVIVE Ministries
REVIVE is a new ministry in the Okoboji Lakes area dedicated to sharing the transforming power of Christ to persons outside traditional church involvements, bringing the love of Christ to the marketplace. REVIVE hosts concerts and other events as a gift to the community, primarily serving young adults. Intersect is privileged to partner with REVIVE in some of these events.
RISE Ministries
RISE ministries reaches out to youth and families with mission and festival events across the Midwest. Founder and Executive Director, Rob Roozeboom shares his compelling story of physical affliction and spiritual wholeness. Intersect partners with RISE in occasional events such as Rise on the Road Okoboji, held in July of 2009.
Cherish Center
Cherish Center provides life-valuing support to young men and women facing unplanned pregnancies. Primary among their services is Cherish House, a supportive home for young women during pregnancy. Abstinence education, marriage mentoring, counseling, and parenting education are also provided by this ministry. Cherish Center is a strong and respected area ministry. Intersect partners in prayer support and leadership coaching.
Area Churches
Intersect is offers partnership with and facilitates partnership among many Christian churches in the northwest Iowa and southern Minnesota. Mission projects, both local and global, are a key point of church and Intersect partnership. An example is the Character Counts for World Bicycle Relief Benefit Ride in May of 2009. Through partnering, over $22,000 was provided to purchase bicycles for education and AIDS relief in Zambia.