A church that prays, endures.

At Strategic Renewal, we believe that with all our hearts. We see it in Scripture. And we’ve seen it in practice, as pastors from all over the country have shared stories about how starting and centering their ministry around prayer has shifted the focus of their churches and their own hearts.

Today, we’re sharing a conversation with one of those pastors. We sat down with Joe Olkowski, pastor of Zion Church of Petroleum Valley in Karns City, Pennsylvania to hear how The 6:4 Fellowship has encouraged him in his ministry and helped him move past the pressures the world places on churches to a place of real, lasting purpose. Read on to hear Joe’s story and be encouraged in the hope that exists for all of us to thrive in our pursuit of Jesus.

 

Strategic Renewal: Can you share a bit about your journey into ministry and what led you into pastoral leadership?

Joe Olkowski: I started Bible college at about 23 years old at Multnomah Biblical Seminary—a little later in life than some, but I had felt since I was a teenager that God was calling me into ministry. I worked in the Christian school environment for about 15 years, but I knew that I wanted to get more into the pastoral side of things. I was able to start part-time in pastoral ministry in California, and then God led my family to Pennsylvania to start full-time in 2007. We’ve been here ever since.

 

SR: What were some of the pressures or challenges you were facing before you connected with Strategic Renewal?

Joe: There was this nagging idea that we weren’t getting down to actual worship—we were just playing a church game.. We were a social club. We were busy with activity, but we weren’t really getting down to people’s hearts and souls. I was feeling uneasy about all of it, but I had trouble expressing it clearly.

Then, as we went through a study on the Lord’s prayer in our own church, we realized that as a church, Jesus’s words didn’t match up with what we were doing. So, we started praying: God, how can we be people of depth? How can we be real, authentic believers?

There’s such pressure from our worldly mentality that you have to be big in order to really be successful. We realized we needed to start reevaluating what success really means.

 

SR: How did you first get involved with Strategic Renewal and the 6:4 Fellowship?

Joe: My first connection came through Daniel Henderson’s book, Glorious Finish. It was recommended to me by a fellow pastor, and I actually remembered Daniel’s name—I had worked at one of the campuses of a church he had pastored in California. 

The book started to encourage me. It helped me realize—we don’t get measured on what the world measures. It’s not about how many people come to your church or how big your budget is. God is concerned with faithfulness. It was such a relief.

After that, I learned about the 6:4 Fellowship and started looking into them. I saw that they were really speaking that language. They offered resources that confirmed what I was going through in both my pastoral ministry and my personal faith. They were scratching that itch that had been there the whole time.

 

SR: What have you found most refreshing or different about working with the 6:4 Fellowship?

Joe: There’s not a church of over 70 people here in our area. We’re a small, rural community, and it can be easy to feel discouraged if your standard is seeing big numbers walk through your door. Other pastors in our area have felt it, too. The 6:4 Fellowship has been a great way for me to encourage them to keep at it. Remain faithful. Follow Jesus’ instructions.

It’s been great for me, too. When I feel discouraged, 6:4 has been huge for that. I honestly don’t know what I’d do without them.

 

SR: How has focusing on prayer and the Word changed the way you lead your church?

Joe: It just puts our focus in the right place. Just spending time praying isn’t the endgame—we’re not about having a prayer meeting just to say we’re doing it. It’s about seeking God, being worshippers, and truly spending time with Jesus. It’s more intimate, more worshipful, and honestly, it’s humbling.

For me as a leader, it helps me put my focus in the right place. We have amazing volunteers at our church, and I’ve learned to trust and empower them to do their work, which allows them to bring their gifts while allowing me to make prayer and the Word my priority. 

It’s not just changing our church—it’s changing me. I’m growing in my own passion for the Lord and in my own faith.

 

SR: How have you seen your church move from pressure to purpose in this season of ministry?

Joe: We used to feel so much pressure based on those worldly things—numbers, money, and all of that. I felt it personally, and I’d wonder—what am I doing wrong? Is it me?

Now, those old pressures aren’t as relevant as they used to be. In the world’s eyes, we may not look like we amount to much, but we just don’t care. Those old pressures of how ministry used to be aren’t there anymore, and it’s so refreshing.

It’s still hard. People are complex. But there’s so much satisfaction in being Jesus-focused.

 

SR: What would you say to a pastor who feels burned out, discouraged, or unsure how to lead differently?

Joe: Stop looking at worldly measurements. Cry out to God. Learn how to pray. Jesus taught us how to do that, so follow His instructions. Get with other pastors who are doing that. We’re not meant to be lone rangers, and there’s so much encouragement in community.

And, connect with the 6:4 Fellowship. I’ve found them to be so helpful—having that encouragement, connection, and all the resources they offer. It’s been huge connecting with like-minded pastors who are seeking God themselves.

At Strategic Renewal, we exist for churches like Zion Church of Petroleum Valley, and for pastors like Joe. If you feel weighed down by the pressures of serving a church in today’s world and want to move toward purpose, take time today to learn more about the 6:4 Fellowship and how we can partner with you as you lead your church toward Jesus.