John Garfield

John Garfield – Releasing Kings, Investing

John and Sue

Personal

Name: John Garfield, 54 (www.releasing-kings.com), johnsue@clearwire.net
Education: BS Chemical Engineering, BA Theology via a local church
Family: Wife Sue (nurse), 4 grown children, and 4 grandchildren
Business: Marketing the “Releasing Kings” Message, Adventure Capital
Hobbies: Raises Quarter Horses and Kelpies (www.garfieldranch.com)
Home church: Pastor of City of Bridges... in a prior life

How it started: My first desire has always been to be part of God’s plan. Sue and I spent 16 years in a vibrant church that emphasized ministry and planting new churches. In 1990 we planted Columbia Christian Fellowship and in 2000 we turned the church and facilities over to a pastor that was raised up in the congregation and started City of Bridges. I worked as an engineer and bi-vocational pastor through both plants. In 2004 we closed the 2nd church and have given ourselves to Releasing Kings. It dawned on me through the course or writing our book that priestly ministry (being a pastor) wasn’t the only option… and probably wasn’t the option closest to my heart’s desire.

Personal Passion: My passion is to help people find the thrill of being used by God in their ministry. The first expression was to plant churches and raise up ministers to plant more churches. My current passion is to help Kings find ministry in the market place and “find” the expression of evangelism that really answers the “Great Commission.” More specifically:

We deal with the permission and ministry issues in our book and conferences (via Releasing Kings)… then take 3 more steps
Help people through the creative process of connecting their passion with a business or vocation
Help them put feet on the dream and turn their idea into something that multiplies, prospers and blesses others

(see examples via interviews)

Help them connect with ministry opportunities they can personally get involved in using the resources and contacts of their business – Tie missions back to their dream

Personal Benefit: There is nothing more satisfying than igniting the heart of another person to connect with Jesus. It’s not only salvation, but helping them connect their vocation and ministry into one fruitful package that makes disciples in the real world. The Lord also spoke to us not just to teach the message but to make it real in our own lives. Sue and I both work (engineer and nurse) and we haven’t found a business angle we have time to implement. However, we have chosen investing as a means of Kingly expression. I believe the Lord is opening doors of prosperity that will fund ministry that are beyond our wildest expectations. (see article on investing in a prior newsletter)

http://www.releasing-kings.com/Releasing_Kings_Newsletter-Investing.html

Value to others: We all go to church. Two percent of us are on the paid staff. About 20% are involved in helping with various church ministries. About 80% don’t connect with ministries inside the church. The real calling for that 80% is Kingly – we’re supposed to be equipped inside the church to go outside and minister with that same anointing. God is going to bless Kings in business, the arts, communication, politics, etc. with great wealth, power, and influence that will be used to expand the Kingdom.

We want to use the books (Releasing Kings and Desire to Destiny) along with conferences, web site, newsletter, and any other vehicle we can think of to communicate the message.
We want to be examples of people that God has greatly blessed and are positioned to greatly bless others.
Adventure capital – we eventually want to help others called to the investment route to network with opportunities.

Business Potential (upside): Releasing Kings - (the book) describes a literal reformation for 80% of Christians. Its message is prophetic, enduring and has world-wide impact. Because God is “Releasing Kings,” it’s safe to expect the book to have far-reaching impacts.

Adventure Capital – To date we’ve invested over $500k in a dozen opportunities that include 32 oil wells, an internet marketing company, two medical products, a communications tower, and an import/export business. We review about 5-10 proposals for every one we invest in and don’t usually consider anything with less than a 1-2 year payback (100% interest) based on my favorite investor’s Bible verse:

Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him. The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy. Gen 26:12-13

Complexities, failures (downside): Because we’ve chosen venture capital investments, both the risks and rewards are high… so is the warfare. Several smaller investments have failed outright, others have had modest delays, and some have had cost overruns requiring supplemental funding. Venture capital investments are not for the faint of heart! They also require: 1) a relational connection with someone in the field of your investment that really knows the details, and 2) a perfect personal credit rating.

Vision for the Kingdom: I believe God has called me to “full-time ministry”. For Kings, that means we earn our own salary instead of taking offerings “and” we minister in the marketplace instead of behind a pulpit. It means that we have something of value (a bargain) that helps make others successful. Although I want to experience what we proclaim personally, the real story is that God is calling a whole generation of Kings to prosperity and ministry in this hour. We are simply sounding the trumpet in advance of the “charge.” For more on our vision see:

http://www.releasing-kings.com/the_big_picture.html. We also use a great summary graphic to show how we're networking Kings toward the "power to get wealth" and then toward opportunities to expand the Kingdom (see Networking Kings).

Impact from Releasing Kings: As an author, I was probably impacted more by Releasing Kings than anyone else. It represents the heartbeat of what God is saying to an army of people that will take the great commission to the ends of the earth through the marketplace. When we’re done the roles of Kings and Priests will be complementary and Kings will value the equipping of pastors, and the church will rejoice over the exploits of Kings who take new land and expand God’s Kingdom.

When 80% of the Christian community find out they carry an anointing for ministry in the marketplace, there will be a revival of “jail-break proportions” that will exceed the historic impact of the reformation. The gospel will be taken to the ends of the earth… through the marketplace.

Building the Kingdom is fun!