RPM's Life Verse
“We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man )complete in Christ. 29 For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.”
Colossians 1:28-29
The Face of RPM
My name is Tom Cheshire. By the grace of God, I'm not the man I was ten years ago.
This is my story :
I was the model of Christian respectability back then--upstanding; well versed in scripture; present at church each and every Sunday with my family by my side and always a decent check in my pocket for the offering plate. I even led junior and senior high youth ministry, and my job--working on corporate jets--ensured I had the respect of every man I encountered.
I looked good, but in truth, I was the cup of the Pharisee in Luke 11:39 . I was clean on the outside but filthy on the inside, living in away that did not honor God. I understood Christ?s imperative that I repent and turn away from sin--I just couldn?t bring myself to do it, yet.
I had grown up in the age of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and there were certain sins I?d been unable to lay down.
God has little patience for such things. He had a plan for my life, but until He "washed out the cup," I was of no value in His service. So He did what His word promises He will do--he laid bare my sins for all to see.
I had been entertaining the notion that my sins were hurting only myself. That illusion was dashed when I saw the wounded look in the face of my wife. My peers pulled away in righteous indignation. The Church--what could they say?
That was a difficult time. Of all the lessons I?ve learned in this life, that was the most painful. But I praise God for it, because it was also, ultimately, the most rewarding. The real tragedy would have been for God to leave me in my sin--leave me to play the part of the righteous man without ever knowing Him.
My name is Tom Cheshire, and I am a missionary. My mission field is comprised of men like me--men who sell themselves short out of temptation or simple masculine pride. Men who don?t realize they could be the engine of the Church, rather than just another passenger, if only they would commit to the destination God has in mind for them.
My name is Tom Cheshire, and I work for God.
RPM's Vision
To be a resource to pastor's, leadership and the men of the local church to build strong disciple-making ministries to men in the context of their churches.
RPM's Mission
By working with the network of men, churches and resources God has given me to disciple men one on one, or small groups using relevant and practical materials and resources that find their root in Scripture to restore and build his relationship with Jesus, through strong spiritual disciplines so that he is equipped to serve and lead in his marriage, family, workplace, church and community.
RPM's Bio
Relevant Practical Ministry for Men (RPM) is the first subsidiary ministry of Business Men In Christ (BMIC). RPM is the ministry of Tom Cheshire who along with Doug Ryherd and Dave Rosche founded BMIC. RPM comes out of Tom's desire to move into full time men's ministry and to focus on building a network of men and churches around Springfield, IL, Central IL and beyond, that are equipping men to be all God created them to be, first and foremost followers of Jesus Christ and then servant leaders of their marriages, families, employers, churches and communities.
Tom's vision for full time men's ministry was born many years ago but through different opportunities and his own equipping he didn't move to this end until January of 2007 and since then has been continuing to build and work towards putting on conferences, teaching classes and building relationships all around Illinois and even nationally to build RPM into the ministry he knows God wants it to be.
2007 has and will continue to be a transition year and this transition will continue as God leads Tom to focus on the many tasks that are required to build a lay ministry.
There are many needs as this ministry is built and we hope you will be in prayer as to how you might come along side this ministry with prayer, support of material needs, and financial needs as God leads and directs you.
Tom Gensler Bio
Currently I am working in Monticello, IL and my wife Lisa and I are working to fully fund ourselves as field missionaries with Relevant Practical Ministry for Men. Oh, we had our first child in 2010 - Ms. Ruby Sue. My favorite colors is blue or grey. My favorite bands are Mercy Me, Third Day and Casting Crowns. My all time favorite car is a Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo. Probably my favorite movie is the first Back to the Future Movie. I love anything related to World War II history and enjoy spending lots of time with my family!!
Tom Cheshire Bio
Tom Cheshire, married to his helper and wonderful wife, Jan Cheshire, two beautiful daughters Amelia and Lindleigh, they have lived in the Springfield IL area since 1990. Tom served in the USMC 1976-1980 where he fell in love with aviation and a career he had in corporate aviation from 1980 until 2002. Tom has been in men's ministry really all his life, but has been in leadership in both his church as the lay men's leader and in the community for the last 10 years. Tom is a Promise Keepers Ambassador; Men's Ministry Coach for the National Coalition of Men's Ministry, Charter member of, and in the leadership of the National Conference Ministry Iron Sharpens Iron, and is President and co-founder of Business Men In Christ (BMIC) located in Springfield IL. BMIC is founded on 3 pillars, Discipleship, Outreach and Service. Tom is also a leader and trainer for the men's curriculum Men's Fraternity. In 2007
Tom has founded RPM, which is Relevant, Practical Ministry for Men that is designed to come along side pastor's, leadership and men to help equip them to disciple and grow men in relevant and practical ways in Christ in the context of their local churches.
