A Man with a Legacy

Bob Sloniger

CDEA/Ignite Church Planting Honors the Legacy and Contributions of Bob Sloniger

Amid the many speakers giving tribute to the impact of Bob Sloniger's ministry, some he knew and others he didn't, was the consistent message of legacy.  Over the last 60+ years Bob has gone where God has called, ultimately bringing him to Chicagoland and the Chicagoland District Evangelistic Association (CDEA).  Among those who have been in church planting for many years, Bob is known for his innovation and intuition.

As Pete and I were beginning to work with Bob, he kept saying that we plant new churches to reach new people.  It is hard to imagine for us that planting a church wasn't always about evangelizing the lost, but this was a purposeful distinction with Bob and the CDEA.  It has resulted in creative venues, such as Life Bridge's coffee-house style, Adventure Christian (Bradley/Bourbonnais, IL) meeting in a movie theater, and Impact Christian (Merrillville, IN) preaching from a wrestling ring.


Planters, associates, and family were invited to share a story of someone whose life was impacted by Bob and what God has done through him over the course of his ministry.  Person after person got up and shared a story of someone from their church whose life had be changed -- gang members, bikers, prisoners, elderly, young, and more -- but most ended by saying that ultimately each of them were the most impacted by Bob.

When Pete was introduced to church planting at a seminar at Cincinnati Christian University nearly 13 years ago, he met many planters from many organizations.  He wasn't impressed with PowerPoint slides or new ways of applying what works in the business world to church planting.  What he was impressed by was a man with a well worn Bible, who stood up and spoke from experience, a confident relationship with God, and an assurance of the mission he was called to.

As Bob retires completely, he leaves a legacy that reaches way beyond him and continuing for generations to come.  It is a legacy that will not be burned up on the Day of Judgement (1 Corinthians 3:13ff)

Who are the Bob Slonigers in your life?  In what ways are you building a legacy that won't be burned up on the Day of Judgement?

Our prayer is that as Bob pursued advancing God's Kingdom throughout his life, that his legacy and God's mission will continue to spread through us and through you.

"Because of God's grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames."  (1 Corinthians 3:10-15 NLT)