About MorningStar Publications and Ministries MorningStar Publications and Ministries is a diverse and expanding international ministry founded by Rick and Julie Joyner in 1985. It began with the biblical mandate of Matthew 24:45-46: Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. To comply with this mandate, we seek to always serve the Master's household, not be served by it. Our ministry motto is: “We will not use people to build our ministry, but we use our ministry to build people.” One of the primary ways that we are called to do this is to provide the household of faith with the highest quality spiritual food that is timely, or “meat in due season.” Our goal is to help strengthen the church by helping believers become the strongest Christians possible, and therefore true light and salt in the earth. This is the focus around which every aspect of the ministry revolves. Following is a brief description of the different facets of MorningStar Publications and Ministries listed below: MorningStar Publications MorningStar Conferences The MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries (MFM) The MorningStar Fellowship of Churches (MFC) MorningStar University (MSU) Comenius School for Creative Leadership (CSCL) EagleStar Productions Heritage International Ministries (H.I.M.) ZAO Life Project Apostolic and Prophetic Councils About MorningStar Publications (back to top) Just as a chef who served a king's household would seek only the best ingredients, demanding quality and freshness, as well as the finest cooks who are devoted to excellence in all that they do, we are devoted to doing the same for the materials we publish and distribute. It is not our goal to publish a lot of books, but important ones, with an important and timely message, well written and well presented. This devotion has proven successful as our titles are distributed around the world, and are translated in over 50 languages, with almost all distributing far more than the average Christian book, and a high percentage becoming bestsellers. In 1991 we added the distribution of a high quality quarterly publication, The MorningStar Journal. Edited by Rick Joyner, with Francis Frangipane and Dudley Hall serving as co-editors, The Journal is devoted to imparting a prophetic vision that is founded on sound biblical teaching, with a broad historical perspective. Articles are included from a wide diversity of historical and contemporary writers who are having, or have had, a significant impact on the church. The Journal continues to grow in popularity, and is now distributed to Christian leaders in over 100 nations, and denominations. MorningStar also distributes audio and video teachings in the CD, DVD, and MP3 formats. These include some of the most popular Christian teachers and preachers in our times, and are having a major impact on the edification of Christians around the world. The spoken word has a different anointing than the written word. The written word can impart a depth of understanding, while the spoken word imparts a freshness of vision. We think that both are important. For this reason, we are devoted to the distribution of books and teaching tapes. About MorningStar Conferences (back to top) In 1990 MorningStar began sponsoring conferences as a way to help equip and train the future leadership of the church. By the end of that decade it was concluded that conferences had actually displaced seminaries as the main educational format for the future leaders of the church. MorningStar Conferences immediately drew thousands, from across the globe, and across the spectrum of the body of Christ. News of them went out so that a registration policy had to be implemented to control the numbers coming to them, as some had traveled from other continents to come and could not get in because of the crowds. In 2008 MorningStar will have sponsored its 100th conference. It has been a basic goal for each one to be better, and more effective than the previous ones, and to date it seems as if this has been accomplished. Each conference continues to be highly charged with spiritual energy, in-depth teaching and training, as well as miraculous visitations and the power of God. Some of these have been credited with sending waves of refreshing and encouragement throughout the church. Conferences are a core ministry of MorningStar that is like a nuclear critical mass that keeps the fire and energy increasing in every other part of the ministry. View upcoming conferences About The MorningStar Fellowship of Ministries (MFM) (back to top) MFM was founded to serve 3 basic parts of the overall vision of MorningStar. First is the equipping, over-sight and support of ministries related to MorningStar. Second is to use the relationship MorningStar has with many different parts of the body of Christ to promote interchange, understanding and friendship between them. The third is for the mobilizing of spiritual forces for the sake of the gospel. Several long term goals of MFM include: providing support for apostolic and missionary teams, to include intercessory prayer on their behalf, spiritual covering, financial support and housing for the families of those called to the field for extended periods, the continual teaching and prophetic input into MFM members that keeps them in touch with, and on the cutting edge of the great spiritual advances of our times. overseeing of members and their ministries for the sake of helping them fulfill their purpose, and accountability. being a resource center for the missions and ministries associated to aid each in the fulfillment of their mission. Visit the MFM area of our website About The MorningStar Fellowship of Churches (MFC) (back to top) MFC is our fellowship of local churches. We are committed to the building of the local church as the front line of the battle between light and darkness, and we consider helping “the bride make herself ready” for the coming King is one of the most important purposes we can ever be engaged in during this life. Therefore we are devoted to keeping the edification of the local church as a primary purpose. The primary goal for every MFC church is not just to grow big, but to be fruitful, and multiply its fruit. Our goal is for every church plant to itself begin planting other churches within 5 years, but most of all, to be growing in Christlikeness, and doing the works that He did. Just as when any part of a body starts consuming and growing without regard to the rest of the body it becomes a cancer that threatens the whole body, it is also the resolve of MorningStar that all of its churches fit within the community of churches in each region, always keeping as a high priority the edification of the whole body of Christ. Visit the MFC area of our website About MorningStar University (MSU) (back to top) MSU is committed to the equipping of future Christian leaders with the knowledge and practical experience needed for the most effective ministry possible, highly relative to the times, and moored solidly to the strongest foundations. The curriculum is designed to impart: A deep, personal relationship with the Lord, Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit and the ability to know His voice, A solid foundational understanding of basic Christian doctrines, An in-depth knowledge of, and love for, the Scriptures, An overview of both secular and church history and the relationship of that history to the present state of the world and the church, A solid Christian world view, and a prophetic perspective from which to interpret current and future events, The knowledge and use of the gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit, The vision and character required for Christian leadership, An understanding and commitment to God's purpose for the local church, An understanding and commitment to God's purpose for Israel. MorningStar is committed to the belief that the local church is supposed to be the true school of ministry. In recent polls we have taken, less than 5% of the people in an average congregation know what their gifts or callings are, and only about 2% of those are actually equipped and functioning in their calling. What body could possibly live if only 2% of its members were functioning? MSU is the initial step in our commitment to fulfill the Ephesians 4 mandate to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. A recent development within MSU is Special Forces Missions (SFM) to develop and deploy some of the most highly trained and specialized missionaries in the world today. Visit the MSU area of our website About Comenius School for Creative Leadership (CSCL) (back to top) CSCL , our K-12 school, is named after Jon Amos Comenius, a 17th century visionary considered by many to be the father of modern education. Comenius believed that education was the vehicle to prepare each generation to preach the gospel of the kingdom and fulfill the Great Commission. CSCL is innovative in its approach to education in many ways: classes are held only four days a week, homework is never assigned, and students are urged to take ownership of their education. The CSCL concept is highly effective academically as our students graduate with above average SAT scores, consistently receive academic scholarships, and are accepted into the colleges and universities of their choice. In fact, one professor at Queens University in Charlotte was so impressed with our graduates that he paid a visit to CSCL in order to see for himself how our teacher equipped our students! Academic success notwithstanding, the main purpose of CSCL is to produce leaders who know their purpose, can think creatively, and have the resolve and character required for true and lasting accomplishments. Students have the prospect at even young ages to be a part of worship teams, to participate in various ministry and internship opportunities, and to put into practice the spiritual concepts taught throughout the day. Students are challenged daily in order to strengthen them for the sake of the gospel of Christ, loving God and serving Him all the days of their life. Visit the CSCL area of our website About EagleStar Productions (back to top) King David understood that music is a powerful prophetic media. When he brought the Ark of God to Jerusalem he also established continuous worship before the Lord. Some of the most powerful prophetic words found in Scripture came through the Psalms. These messages were captured because King David had the wisdom to appoint scribes to record the worship that took place before the Lord. When MorningStar was just starting, was still relatively unknown, and with little resources, one of the first people we put on staff was a worshiper who was given the job of simply worshiping the Lord. We immediately began to experience a release of the prophetic, and powerful new forms of worship that went around the world, and helped ignite the contemporary worship movement. MorningStar music continues to experience new waves of creativity and anointing that keeps pushing back the limits of our times in this important media. About Heritage International Ministries (H.I.M.) (back to top) In September of 2004 it became national and international news when MorningStar purchased the former Heritage USA, or PTL, Grand Hotel and Conference Center. Having sat vacant for 7 years, many thought that it could not be restored, but in just 2 ½ months MorningStar Fellowship Church held its first congregational meeting in the lobby area of the Grand Hotel. Exactly 3 years after the purchase we were again in the news as the ribbon was cut for the Grand Opening, as over 90% of the facility had been restored and opened again as a Christian Conference and Retreat Center. Christians once made Heritage the 3rd most visited site in the U.S., and they are coming back again by the thousands. As one Asia pastor said, “The encouragement barometer of the body of Christ went up a few degrees at just the news of that property returning to the hands of Christians and being restored.” Indeed, it is becoming a world-wide prophetic symbol of God’s power to redeem, and His heart for restoration. Not only does MorningStar host their own conferences at H.I.M., but other ministries and churches are also coming to host their events, finding it a place sanctified and set apart especially for drawing closer to the Lord, and one another. Go to the H.I.M. Website About ZAO Life Project (back to top) The ZAO Life Project was founded by Matt Peterson, the pastor of our Winston-Salem MFC, and has become a primary mission vehicle for MorningStar. ZAO means “to live” in Greek, and this project seeks to provide a counter to one of the most devastating killers in our times—diseases from impure drinking water in third world countries. Just in Africa it is estimated that a child dies ever 8 seconds from this one problem, when the answer to often lies only a few feet under them. ZAO takes the proceeds from selling bottled water in the U.S. and uses them to dig wells and develop springs for remote regions in Africa. Along with the development of pure water sources, teams go to teach basic hygiene, the lack of which is also the cause much death and disease. Along with the digging of the physical wells, ZAO seeks to dig spiritual wells everywhere its projects are found. Teams also preach the gospel, plant churches and build schools to promote the “living waters” that can alone give eternal life. Beginning in 2008 ZAO will begin building a mission base in Africa to house its workers, equipment, as well as an orphanage and school. Because of AIDS and other diseases now sweeping the continent there are whole towns in Africa with no adults, and orphans are everywhere. Given the opportunity we believe many of these orphans can be the future leaders of the continent, and we want to give them an opportunity for the finest education possible, grounded in the gospel and promoting the fulfillment of The Great Commission. Go to the ZAO website About the Apostolic and Prophetic Councils (back to top) MorningStar hosts councils and roundtables that are attended by some of the high impact ministries in our times. Those who participate come from many different movements, streams and denominations. The format of these meetings is to provide interchange concerning the major issues of our times, mobilization for strategic missions, the judging of prophecy, and the release of prophetic words of strategic importance to the church. Attendance at these councils are by special invitation only. Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Let your hands be strong, you who are listening in these days to these words from the mouth of the prophets, those who spoke in the day that the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid, to the end that the temple might be built" (Zechariah 8:9).