Soul Restore Ministries Position Paper:

Meeting the Church’s Need for Relevance and Growth

The Newest Move of the Holy Spirit is Creating a Shift in the Kingdom Culture of the Local Church


The "What":

The current CHURCH is undergoing something like a tectonic shift. There have been various changes in how the Church message is delivered in order to be relevant, however, now it is apparent that God is calling the body of Christ toward a new paradigm of Kingdom culture.

God is using at least the following four factors in the current moral culture of our world to point us to the relevance of this emerging movement of His Spirit:


1. There is a heart-cry from the suffering which is following the Covid pandemic which needs to be addressed by the Church. Only one in four of those who attended a Christian church prior to the pandemic have returned to their church community. This is at least partly due to the 25% who have scattered not having deep or relevant enough connections to “bridge them back in” to fellowship following their traumatic, painful losses from the pandemic.


2. There is a greater awareness and general anxiety stemming from the perceived instability around current and future world conflicts and the nuclear aspect of war. This is most clearly evident around the Ukraine/Russia-related and the Taiwan/China-related conflict areas.


3. Especially in America, there is an age shift in the population away from the large bell curve of baby boomers who have led and shaped the church. There is a need to “rightly interface” with the core of those who will inherit the responsibility of stewarding God’s Church. This new “people group” of post-boomers is unique in its intra-cultural characteristics and offers the challenge of being apprehended and empowered into leadership and ministry.


4. Currently, there is a general awareness of a crisis of unresolved traumatic pain, loss, and toxic stress inside and outside the Church. Research has shown that over 60% of those within and outside of the church have suffered a severe childhood trauma. In addition, almost 20% of people have suffered four or more of these serious traumatic incidents. The traumas in this study include sexual and physical abuse, serious domestic violence, imprisonment, suicide, and addiction.


God wants to heal the effects of these painful experiences in order for Him to use the testimony of those He has touched to bring salvation and wholeness to a desperate, broken world. As “cities of refuge” provided safety in the Old Testament times, God is looking to raise up “churches of refuge”, where the safety and power of His healing can build an army of deliverers to meet the needs of our current culture.

To misalign with this new shift in Kingdom culture will cause the Church to reflect the real losses and the perceived future losses of our current world culture. This loss cycle can be described as follows:


Misalignment with the New Kingdom Culture Results in the Following Cycle of Pain Points

  • Loss of: Personal Authenticity; Interpersonal Connection; Organizational Relevance ->
  • Sense of Betrayal and Distrust as the Church Loses Practical, Healing Connectedness ->
  • Disillusionment and Loss of Hope in Finding Refuge, Healing, and Relevant Equipping ->
  • Disorientation and Chaos in the Search for Authentic, Fulfilling Connection->
  • Disunity and Scattering as Families Seek a Clear Option for Healing, Growth, and Equipping ->
  • Disempowering of the Kingdom as the Church is Perceived as Impractical and Self-Preserving


The “What”:

The characteristics of the Kingdom culture that God is leading for the Church can best be described by that of a Biblical paradigm we can call, a “trauma-informed”, healing culture.

Aligning with the New Biblical Kingdom Culture


Need a System/Culture Shift vs. Instead of a Pathogenic “Quick Fix”

  • Safety vs. Guarding with Walls
  • Trust by Transparency and Vulnerability vs. Splitting Emotion from Spirituality
  • Peer-to-Peer Care Model vs. Professional-to-Client Model of Care
  • Collaboration and Mutuality vs. Isolated Decision-making
  • Empower Individual Voice and Choice vs. Collective “Herd” Mindset
  • Sensitivity to History and Culture vs. Irrelevance to Environment
  • Wholistic and Systemic Approach vs. Pathogenic “quick fix “Model


Leads To:

  • Safety and Trust
  • Allowance of Respectful Conflict to Empower Collaboration
  • True Commitment Out of a Seasoned Unity
  • Collaborative, Servant-Driven Accountability Resulting in Building the Kingdom
  • The “How”: Soul Restore Ministries


6-Month Culture Intervention Experience

Phase One: (One Month)

  • Executive Staff, Pastors, and Leaders: Overview of the Relevance and Principles of a Trauma-Informed Culture (5 hours)
  • Assessment of Leadership and Staff Needs and Plan for Personal Care & Development (2.5 hours)
  • Preparation for Staff and Leadership to Go Through Training on the Soul Restore Eight Principles (2.5 hours)


Phase Two: (Three Months)

  • Implement Training on Eight Principles for Leadership, Staff Development (Optional: Include Congregation) (20 hours)
  • Provide Sessions for the Development Needs of Individual Leadership and Staff and/or
  • Referral of Staff and Leaders to Outside Providers for Appropriate Support (Hours: to be determined)
  • 5-step / Group Model


Phase Three: (Two Months)

  • Train-the-Trainer (Ambassador) and Facilitator Training for the Implementation of an Ongoing Soul Restore Healing and Equipping Ministry (10 hours)
  • Implementation of the Ongoing Soul Restore Ministry (10 hours)
  • Monthly, and Additional “As-Needed” Connection Time with the Soul Restore Ambassador (and SR leaders) (5 hours monthly)


Jeff Fellman Soul Restore Ministries, https://soulrestore.thinkific.com

[email protected]

B.S M. Div. Asbury Theological Seminary

Ordination: International Ministerial Fellowship

Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (CCTS): Arizona Trauma Institute

Certified Mental Health Coach (MHC): American Association of Christian Counselors

Certified (ACES) Adverse Childhood Experiences Trainer: AZACES Coalition


Soul Restore Blessing

May the Road of God’s Way Rise Up to Meet You

May the Wind of His Spirit be Always at Your Back

May the Reign of His Grace Fall upon the Soil of Your Soul

And May His Peace Enfold You All the Days of Your Life

Adapted from the Traditional Irish Blessing