“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
2 Timothy 2:2

Over the next few months I will feature the stories of some of the leaders I have had the privilege to work with as their mentor, coach and friend. Equipping and encouraging leaders on the front lines of ministry has been the passion of my life ever since I can remember, and God has been gracious and the fruit has been good. Thank you Jesus.

This first mentoring story comes from my friend and Kingdom comrade, Don Hunter. Don and I have developed a rich friendship over the years. I respect him a lot and am proud of the life and ministry he leads. Here is Don describing our mentoring relationship:

Don Hunter, Awakening Alliance Church

I first met Bill Randall in March 2010.  At the time, he was the Senior Pastor at Risen King Community Church in Redding, California, and was one of the featured speakers at Risen King’s first annual “Kingdom Come’ conference.  Bill was both an excellent speaker – deep but not over our heads, practical but not formulaic – and a wonderful host pastor for the conference.  Although I had very little personal contact with Bill at that conference, his ministry impacted my ministry and I decided that I had to return to Redding the following year for the next conference.

In 2011, my family came to Redding with me, and I got to meet Bill on a personal level for the first time.  We had lunch together with our wives, and that lunch was the beginning of a relationship that has continued to deepen both personally and professionally.   Since that lunch, Bill and Jill have had a major impact on my own walk with God, my family, the leadership in our church, our congregation as a whole, other pastors and congregations in my district in Western Pennsylvania, and many other communities as well through those who received ministry from Bill and Jill in our church and then moved on to other ministry opportunities outside of our local area, our state, and even our side of the country.

Since 2011, I have been blessed by Bill’s leadership personally in a number of different ways:

• As a local church pastor, I was able to attend Bill & Jill’s Life Equipping Center in Redding through online classes, Skype conference calls with other students, and an on-site spiritual formation retreat and an on-site Kingdom Conference in Redding. This was one of the best investments of my time and money as far as growing both my personal walk with the Lord and my spiritual leadership for my staff and my church.
• As an individual who is concerned about my spiritual health, and as a leader of both a church and a church staff, I have also experienced significant growth through regular coaching by Bill over the past several years. Bill has coached me via phone calls, Skype calls, and whenever it has been possible, through face-to-face meetings.  We’ve covered a significant range of topics, from things like hiring and leading staff, to personal spiritual formation skills, to communicating and preaching, to leading a governing board, and many other subjects that have equipped me to be a better steward of my time, talents, and relationships.
• As a husband and a father, I have benefited from Bill’s coaching, advice, and years of experience.
• As a local church pastor, I have been blessed to have Bill and Jill minister in our church over the past several years in several different capacities. During their various trips to our church, they have:
  • Spoken in our services;
  • Been keynote speakers in our conferences;
  • Led our church staff and leadership team through a spiritual formation retreat;
  • Led our church staff and leadership team through vision development retreat;
  • Led our church staff through leadership development training;
  • Trained Ministry Team members to pray for people with diverse needs;
  • Trained Prophetic Encouragement Team Members to hear God’s voice and encourage others by sharing what they hear; and
  • Trained our entire congregation to take risks by praying for people with needs at home, at work, and wherever they encounter them.

I am excited to support Bill & Jill financially because I have personally been encouraged and equipped by them in an ongoing way.  I have seen – and continue to see – the Lord work through them in my personal life, in my family, and in my congregation.  For me, it’s good stewardship to invest in a proven ministry like that of the Randalls – a ministry that has widespread impact and ongoing fruit.

I hope you’ll strongly consider doing the same.

Sincerely,

Rev. Don Hunter
Senior Pastor
Awakening Alliance Church
Ridgway, PA