A Conversation with Ron and Patty Stackhouse: HeavenEarth Church Stories

What would it look like to start a community that was really.

It's for the people like Jesus would be for.

Welcome to Heaven Earth Church.

I'm Ross Stackhouse, the founding pastor of Heaven Earth Church.

From the start, our heart has been to be a church for people who

don't fit neatly into church.

We want to meet people where they are and know their stories.

Because in every story there is God story.

And this podcast is just about that.

It's about inviting you to the stories of the people of Heaven Earth

Church.

So let's turn to the story.

Hello, good people.

Welcome to the Heaven Earth Church podcast.

My name is Brad Miller, one of the producers and co hosts of the

podcast.

We love to talk to people connected in the life of the church

and so they can share the stories about, about their life and

about their connection to Heaven Earth Church and about.

About the mission of the church.

And so today we are just really happy to have with us Ron

and Patty Stackhouse.

So welcome.

Glad that you're here.

Thank you.

Awesome.

Well, Ron, let's just start with you.

Tell us what's, what's hometown for you.

West Maiden Springs, Indiana, New Orleans county, southern part

of the state.

Awesome.

Tell me just a little bit about growing up there.

Well, I was born the only child my mother ever had.

She was 15.

Okay.

And I lived with her and my grandparents, usually with my grandparents

through the winter.

My mom and stepfather worked on pipelines, so they would travel.

I'd be with them in the summer, come back to Indiana.

My grandparents go to school.

She had kind of a.

In a little bit of a nomadic life in a way.

Didn't you?

A lot of places.

Well, that, that's awesome.

Patty, how about you?

What's, what's, what's your hometown?

Where, where, where do you hail from?

I was born in Indianapolis.

Well, in Lawrence, Indiana.

Well, it's not.

Anyway, I was born in Methodist hospital like my six other

siblings.

All right.

And lived in the Same House all 18 years until I got married

and we grew up in.

It was called Lawrence Christian Church.

Okay, so tell them about growing up.

What was something you said you had several siblings and things.

Give me one.

Oh, warm or good thing about your growing up years.

Something that was kind of memorable about your growing up years.

Well, my parents most, when I was younger had a cottage up in Monticello

and so those are always good memories.

And we have the youth group up there sometimes and it was just a

lot of fun when we went to the lake.

Awesome.

Awesome.

Ron, tell us, tell us a little Bit about your faith story, about

either coming to faith in the first place or your faith journey

that kind of led you along the way to become more.

More of a committed Christian and, you know, deeply involved with

the local church.

Well, in my old hometown of West Baden, there was a little small

United Methodist church still there.

And my mom or my grandmother either would, I suppose they took

me when I was little and then someplace around the eight year old

range, my grandmother would get me ready, my clothes ready on

Saturday and send me to church.

She would send me because she never attended church, she didn't

feel she had nice enough clothing.

Okay.

Yeah.

Wow.

Which was just something of her background, I suppose.

Okay.

So went to this little church, attended very regularly, had been

nurturing people all my Life.

Someplace around 8 or 9, I'd come and ring the bell at 9:15.

So the people in the community know they're supposed to be going

to church.

9:30, I ring the bell.

You're supposed to be here.

Yeah.

And that's.

So that was kind of your job, the bell ringer.

All right.

And.

And there were people in that church that were very nurturing to

me in my faith.

Awesome.

I could name three or four yet today.

That's awesome.

Well, that is fantastic.

And I love that imagery of you, the nurturing church, even though

there was some discomfort or whatever on your mom's part or however

that was working out and then.

But you got to have a role to ring the bell and people nurtured

you and took care of you there.

Well, Patty, let's talk about you.

Tell me a little bit about your faith life growing up and kind

of what eventually led you to be what I know now as a committed

part of the church.

As I said, I grew up at Lawrence Christian Church and was

very blessed to have a very committed youth sponsor.

And that youth sponsor taught us many things.

And I think that helped me grow the most at the beginning.

And of course, all my brothers and sisters involved too.

And then many of them married spouses that were in the ministry.

And so I became a Christian when I was 9.

I was baptized then and I just stuck to my faith the whole time.

But I haven't grown as much as I have here at Heaven Earth.

Awesome.

We'll come to that part of our story here in just a minute, but

I want to hear just a little bit more about your personal story

in the sense of how you and Ron managed to get get together.

Well, I was married 30 years to someone else and then I became

single and for my girlfriend introduced Me to him.

He was there with her at a euchre church euchre party, a singles

euchre party.

And that's how I.

I met him.

And then six months, a year later he called me want to know if

I wanted to go out.

And I wasn't really interested a lot, but I thought it sounds like

fun.

So I went out with him and on the second day date I knew he was

the one.

Wow.

Had you been single for a fairly long time or five years?

So a fairly long time and yeah.

So you had at least a little bit used to being on your own, I

guess.

Is that a fair thing to say?

I just want to.

Yeah, it was still hard.

I've never, never.

I got married at 18.

Right.

And after high school week after high school.

So I'd never been on my own.

And so those are learning years.

Right.

My faith grew a lot because I knew had to give it all to God because

I didn't know how to do it myself, you know.

And I think I let him control.

Be in control those four to five years.

And then.

Do you.

I forget, I know you've been that to me personally before, but

you had career as well, is that right?

Yes, I was in.

In.

Well, I was a store service manager in like grocery stores.

Os and okay.

And then I got into banking and I was investment banker.

Okay.

Opening account and stuff in bank.

Awesome, awesome.

Ron, let's learn a little bit about you personally.

Let's kind of start with what do you.

What did you kind of evolve to do in your adult years career wise

and service and things of that nature.

Tell a little bit of what happened that way.

I worked for about eight or nine years and got through Purdue

University, graduated there and then I worked in production management

and material management, purchasing production control.

And then I had an opportunity to move into technical sales.

So then I worked for about 30 years as a tooling application sales

engineer.

I would apply tungsten carbide, ceramic tooling machine,

metals, calling on accounts like Cummins.

Allison.

I did that for 30 years.

Now as I tell everybody choking me.

It fed the bulldog.

It kept us going.

There you go.

I also know you, you served in the military, correct?

I was in the National Guard.

Awesome.

A helicopter unit for six years.

Well, that's, that's great.

Now she mentioned how you two got together.

Was what she said accurate, for one thing.

And then, you know, I'm just going to say that you married up,

of course.

But tell me a little bit about how your perspective on how you two

got together.

And what's been really good about that.

A little background there.

My first wife passed away.

Okay.

After we'd had a daughter.

And then I was remarried and.

And they didn't work, you know, a couple times.

Didn't work, didn't work out.

And I had two children in a second marriage, and we got a divorce.

She gave them to me.

So I had three children, 14, four, and nine months.

And was a single parent for some time.

And then I didn't think I'd marry again.

Yeah.

And my friend Carol introduced me to Patty.

We started dating, and I probably knew pretty soon that she

was the right one, but I couldn't convince myself.

That's the way I'll say it.

We dated for four years.

Yeah.

And finally I got the nerve to say, yes, this is the right one,

and the Lord has blessed me.

Awesome.

And so you had a relatively long time as a single father, too,

is that right?

Yeah, through a couple marriages in there and raising my

kids.

So what a blessing you two got together, huh?

Been a good overall, a good thing?

Oh, yes.

Oh, yes.

Awesome.

Awesome.

Well, I know, Ron, tell me about.

You were at one of your prior churches.

You were pretty involved, were you not, in terms of things that

happen in your church?

So you've been involved with the church for a long time, leadership

capacities and things like that?

I was involved a lot in the church I was raised in, born in.

I attended there for, like, 13 years in this.

Once or twice in the summer, I'd be at my mom and stepfather.

Right.

Who worked on pipelines.

Wherever we were, they'd get me to church.

Baptist Church, Church of Christ in Louisiana one summer.

Yeah.

And then through the years, just stayed involved.

It was after I got out of college, I decided to be baptized.

Okay.

All right.

And I was baptized, and I was 27 or 8.

Wow.

I was baptized.

That's great.

That's great.

Well, tell us the story then.

You've been involved with.

Sound like both of you kind of grew up in church and you were involved

with church in your younger years, but also as adults, you know,

quite involved with church activities.

So you're church people.

So you grew up in.

I think it's fair to say you grew up in churches that would be

somewhat traditional in nature.

Is that a fair thing to say?

So now you're part of Heaven Earth Church, which has a little

bit of a different model than a traditional church.

So tell me a little bit.

I know part of the story here, but share with the folks that are

gonna be listening to this.

How you, after being very involved with the churches you're

part of, end up come in here and be a part of this initially.

Let's start with you, Patty.

Additionally, because our son was the.

Is the pastor here, but when he was at this previous church, I

mean, he.

I just.

God blessed me with a son that could help me grow in Christ and

help me understand a lot more in a different way, which has been

very good.

And then, of course, when we're coming here, I can't explain

any better than that that it.

Sure he grows and I love the people here and it's joy and anticipate

going to church every Sunday.

Yeah.

Well, you know, Ron, you know, Patty has mentioned it's your son

Ross, who's the pastor here.

I forget what you mentioned.

You've got four children all together.

I forget.

Yes.

So in that.

Which one?

In.

In.

There were five.

Patty lost a son.

Right.

Okay.

But, yeah, I forget.

He's.

He's not the oldest, is he?

Oh, he's the youngest.

He's the youngest.

Okay.

Well, just tell me a little bit how that evolved, how your youngest

son ended up being, you know, you connect with him as a, as a pastor

and how you've got to be at least.

At least initially involved with heaven or church.

And a little bit about your journey there.

Okay.

Well, we.

At always raising my children in church.

Yeah, we went to church every Sunday someplace.

And as teenagers, I told them, it doesn't matter how late you come

in, you're getting up with me.

And we would go to.

We would go to church.

Right.

And then my oldest daughter on Tenny University said, I'm thinking

about going into religious studies.

I said, that's through you and God.

And she did.

And she's a Methodist pastor.

Then my middle daughter, who is very evangelistic, I'll say, yeah.

She attended Southern Indiana University.

And Ross went to Purdue and decided to get a theological master's

at Vanderbilt.

Then he interviewed and came into a church, became a pastor, and

Patty and I attended there.

Our daughter was far away in a church.

We got involved in that church, and then Ross chose to do

a church plant, and we were involved in him starting that and

deciding where the church ended up being.

And he was offered the opportunity of the church that is

now Heaven Earth, and we started attending here.

So you started attending and if I'm understanding correctly, to

support your son.

That's a part of it at least.

But it's, you know, I know you've been a part of the church

for some time since its inception.

So part of what you know, it's my understanding you're not here

only to support your son.

You're here because you've made a.

A connection.

So tell me a little more about the connection you made and Patty

will come to you in a second on that.

When I talk to people today, this is often what I say.

I don't attend Heaven Earth Church because my son is there, unfortunate

that he is.

But I attend it because that congregation, my son and his presentation

all feed my faith and nurture me in my faith and my family and.

And I think the people of Heaven Earth Church, I think that's

what most of them are, they're fed.

But what happens here, it's.

It's the relationship you have with Christ.

Yeah.

And how's it nurtured relationship with Christ.

And how it's experiencing that here.

And that's awesome.

Patty will turn to you similar question, but tell me about what

the nuances meaning what is it about the relationships here that

keep you being a part of things beyond your relationship with

your son and your daughter who are here?

I know what keeps you here.

What is part of the ongoing process of you being fed?

It's a little.

This church is a little different than growing up.

And so the things I.

I learned has spread my knowledge of the traditional church

helped me learn to reach out to people more, take it, try to make

a difference in little things and to live the life Christ wants

me to.

Awesome.

Awesome.

Well, of course.

And then we talked a little bit about how you came up in a very

traditional churches and tell me a little bit about how you know

the nature of worship, the nature of church done in those small

groups and things like that.

How did you navigate that?

Ron, I'll start with you.

How did you kind of navigate that?

It is a little bit different than a traditional church.

How would you do church here and how do you understand it as being

a meaningful part of your experience?

I think we that attend here get to think and we're nurtured in

what Christ really wants us to be.

This might be a.

A negative to some people.

When I make a statement that it's not just about salvation, it's

about what can I do for Christ.

One of my prayers often is lord, do to me what you must to do

through me what you will and how we can be involved with people

concerned about people concerned about people in the community.

Another phrase might be lord, help me to be a window through his

someone sees Christ.

Yeah.

Awesome.

I think that's what our church exhibits and teaches.

One of the things you kind of touched on there, Ron, and you and

Patty, I just, I want you to get your comments about this.

Is that how there's kind of an application process of the gospel

to real life things.

And that's the name of the church is Heaven Earth Church.

Indeed.

One of the things that Jesus said is Jesus spoke as if heaven

can start to fill our lives now.

And have you experienced this kind of this connection, this intersection,

if you will, of heaven and earth, you know, actual, you know,

based on the name there, the intersection of where life meets

spirituality.

So Patty, you want to speak to that at all?

Do you think you see that happen around here?

Oh, yes.

I always thought heaven's way up there, you know, when growing

up and all the years.

And then I've learned here that a lot more about what heaven

really is and how it's coming to us.

So I learned from that.

I didn't know that before here.

Ron, do you see the intersection of heaven and earth,

you know, in kind of reality is how we experience it here at heaven

or church?

I think so.

It's a, it's what can we be?

What is my involvement with Christ that helps bring Christ to

all of us?

Yeah.

Awesome.

Well, one of the, one of the church core beliefs says that Jesus

core teachings are simple about love, but they are not easy.

And I think getting to know you a little bit, I think you embody

that in a lot of ways.

And what are some ways that loving others and even through a

chin setting like heaven or church is simple but not easy?

Well, I think today, today's sermon at church was a discussion

of other people.

And we need to learn all peoples aren't just like me.

They're not supposed to be.

If a person is raised in many foreign countries, in our neighborhood,

there's a few people from Nigeria met another gentleman from

Dominican Republic.

Doesn't matter if they're of darker skin or lighter skin or whatever.

It matters what their relationship is with Christ and what

their relationship is through fellow man.

Well, let's go on there for a second.

You mentioned people of different backgrounds.

Do you think, do you see one of the values the church lifts up

as diversity?

And we have some of that, maybe not just some, but do, but

do you think people with different thoughts or about different

ways of approaching life or lifestyle, you think there's room

for them here at Heaven Earth Church?

And how are that, how's that, how's this diversity being experienced

right now?

Do you see that happening?

Absolutely.

A retired pastor that Attends our church.

Made a statement to me one day.

He said, After 30 some years in the ministry, I look at this congregation

and I will see somebody that's not wealthy, that's struggling, that's

making it.

I'll see another person that is a retired pastor or physician

or an attorney, and I'll see a full mix, be that economically, a

diversity in backgrounds.

And they all seem to come here and be fed.

Yeah.

Well, Patty, one of the things we say around here, it's the fact

that even on the church website, if you don't fit in church,

you'll fit in here, kind of.

And sometimes people say this is a church for misfits, perhaps,

but I don't know.

What do you think?

Do you think there's a truth in that statement?

And if so, how do you see that being lived up?

Yes, I believe it's so because.

They'Re.

Accepted here and that helps them to grow and they don't have

to be this or that, like Ron said, but they have.

They can grow here and they're accepted here and they're learning

the sifu ways to be what Christ wants them to be.

That's awesome.

Other part of the church life here and even was on banners around

the church and so on and on.

The church mission statement says something to the effect of we

exist to make a lasting impact in our community.

And so let's talk about how that's lived out.

What does that look like to you from your eye?

Is there any effectiveness?

Is it a true statement?

Is it just a fluff statement we make to put on a banner somewhere?

This church looks to make a lasting impact in our community.

Rod, can you speak to that for a second?

Yes.

We had a picnic this week to invite other people in the community

to get to know them, to know that they're welcome here.

People come here and drink a cup of coffee, eat a donut, listen

to a message that fills their soul, and some others will be online

listening if they live farther away.

I think it teaches us to have a real concern for our fellow man,

you know, with our housing, our living conditions and recovery.

Church help people that's got a situation that they need help with.

Yeah.

So the church is involved not only with the care of those who come,

but also connecting the community with different programs

and entities and social service agencies that the church

supports, even houses in the location here.

And that's a part, I believe, the fulfillment of that mission statement.

But ultimately, you know, a church community is about how people

experience God and share the good news.

With others.

And that's all.

All wrapped up in this thing we have here.

So, Patty, I just like to ask you, in the.

Your experience here at Heaven Earth Church, have you had what we

might call a God moment or a moment when you just got, okay, there's

something special here.

There's some.

Some God thing going on here.

Was there a moment or some experience that was kind of like

that for you?

I felt it from the first time I was here.

I mean, it just.

I can't explain it.

It's like heaven, Earth, Heaven coming to earth.

That was the first moment I.

I really realized how that worked, Evan, you know, so it's just

from that first day coming, I've just never been filled as much

as I do here.

This church.

Awesome.

Awesome.

We're on a similar vein, but just a little more personal.

Have you had around your experience here at Heaven Earth Church

what I might call a lump in the throat moment?

A moment that's kind of just caught you off guard, where you might

have kind of a visceral reaction or emotional moment that

you saw, you know, God's doing something here that is absolutely

moving to me personally and then might be moving to others?

I think watching some people.

Pardon me, some people that have come here, I can think of two

that had addictions that are now counselors in communities with

a job to help people or to see.

I've seen one young family that I've known for a long time.

I think they have three little girls and a son, and to watch them

in their warmth as they attend here and their faith is fed.

Yeah.

And, you know, I'm an emotional man, indeed.

My son upon one occasion even said, he's the only guy I know.

They can listen to insurance commercial and get there.

I do feel emotional about the people, and I'm one of the older

people that attends here, and I'll see a full range of, you know,

my grandchildren up through and including a couple guys about

my age, and everybody's fed everybody.

I feel the emotion of it.

Awesome.

Awesome.

It's just gross.

Well, that's exactly what we're looking for.

Your.

Your reaction?

Well, this is the.

This is the type of thing that other people may be looking at to

kind of check out Heaven Earth Church to see if this is the kind

of place for them.

And a lot of times folks are.

Have their own challenges.

You know, we've talked about some of them here about, you know,

dealing with substance abuse and housing needs, any number of

things that people have real life needs.

But what would you say to that person or persons who may be struggling

and looking for a church or somebody or something to be helpful

to them.

And so what would you say to a person who may be checking out Heaven

Earth Church?

Start with, start with you, Patty.

What would you say to that person?

It's always.

You always say to the person you're talking to, you try to relate

to them.

But mainly that it's a place to relax, to listen, to grow and

be yourself.

Relax, listen, grow and be yourself.

How awesome is that?

Because so many times in church, going to church for the first

time for many people is pretty scary.

They're not relaxed, they're tensed.

You know, they are on their guard because they've had unhappy

experiences.

But you're sharing to the person who maybe listen to this,

relax, listen, grow, be yourself.

That's awesome.

Ron, let's say there's somebody in your life, maybe a neighbor

or maybe somebody you've known in your life who's struggling or

dealing with something.

And would you be willing to invite them to Heaven Earth Church?

And if so, kind of a similar question to this.

Why would you do that?

And what would be your encouragement to them?

I absolutely agree with what Patty said.

You know, you're comfortable here.

I would say to them, come and see what it feels like to be welcome,

sit down, have a cup of coffee, a donut, listen to a message,

see if it feeds your soul.

Don't do it just once, come three or four times and see that

it continues.

See that you're comfortable here, see that people really care

about you, that.

They'Re.

Concerned with your relationship with God.

Yeah.

Well, I just love what I hear here.

Come and see, relax, listen, learn.

And just for people to come and literally check it out.

Right.

You know, I mean literally to not to be, not feel overwhelmed or

this kind of thing, but to have an opportunity to kind of at

their own pace, as it were, to see what God can do.

Come and see.

I love that.

Well, our guest today on Heaven Earth Church podcast with

two, two really incredible people.

Ron and Patty Stackhouse have been our guests and we thank you

for being with us.

My name is Brad Miller, the co host of this podcast.

And we hope that you'll check out Heaven Earth Church.

You can always check it out at the website Heaven Earth Church.

We want to thank you for spending time with us today.

My name is Ross Stackhouse, the pastor to Heaven Earth Church.

And you may think out there that your story is over, but in fact

your faith story may just be beginning.

If you want more information about our church or you're interested

in the next step, you can go to heavenearthchurch.org Otherwise,

we look forward to being with you next time at the Heaven Earth

Church podcast.

It.