Our History:
In 1984, Pastor Shelli brought a friend, Deb, to Rhema Bible Training Center’s Healing School. Deb had lymphoma cancer and had been given up to die, the doctors had told her to get her things in order and to say her goodbyes. Neither Deb nor Shelli knew anything about this place, but they were hoping that there was something to it, and so journeyed down to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
During the weeks stay, Deb’s platelets were restored…this was what had been killing her at this point. Within a year, the cancer was gone.Also that week, Pastor Shelli was healed of Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, and called into the ministry. What a week! It was about 3 years before returning to Rhema as a student.
Pastor Gary and Shelli Sisk both graduated from Rhema Bible Training Center in 1989. In September of that year, they started a Bible study in their home. In October, they started their first Sunday morning services. This was the beginning of Country Bible Church. The first 9 months were in their home, they then moved into a rented hall in Fairfield, WI for the next 8 years. A more central location opened up for them in Elkhorn, which housed the church for the next 4 years.
In January of 2001, the church purchased a building on the corner of 4th Street and Washington Street in Delavan, WI. In the move, God spoke to Pastor Gary to change the name of the church to Harvestpoint; and in so doing, the vision of the church was clearly defined:
Harvestpoint Church:
Preaching Christ…
Teaching Faith…
Reaching Out in Love…
Helping to Usher in the End-Times Harvest
Pastor Gary Sisk went home to be with the Lord on March 12, 2021. See below for his obituary. Pastor Shelli Sisk continues ministering at Harvestpoint.
Obituary for Reverend Gary Lee Sisk
June 28, 1952 – March 12, 2021
Gary L. Sisk was born on a summers day, June 28, 1952 in Elkhorn, Wisconsin to Frederick ‘Gene’ E & Shirley J (Beardsley) Sisk and went to be with his Lord and Savior on March 12, 2021 at Mercy Hospital in Janesville, Wisconsin. Or, as Gary would say, in his book “The Misadventures of Buck Tanglewood”—
“he was born under a covered wagon near the banks of Tanglewood Creek while traveling to the west with my family.” So began the adventure of a lifetime.
Along the way, Gary married his wife Michele ‘Shelli’ McKay on June 2, 1977 whose mercy towards him continued to make life an amazing journey. Gary and Shelli have been the pastors of Harvestpoint Church in Delavan, Wisconsin since 1989. Both are graduates of Rhema Bible Training College in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Gary also earned a Master’s Degree in Counseling/Family Systems Therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Gary believed that adults are just older kids. He didn’t keep his crayons inside all of the lines (if you know what that means). When Gary colored pictures with his grandkids, the house rule was “all individuals, including Gary” must remove all crayons from all nostrils after playing ‘walrus’ and especially before answering the doorbell.
To say that Gary’s sense of humor was dry was like “if towels could tell jokes”. Of course his observations had to be said with a straight face showing minimal expression, but with a twinkle in his eye.
Gary’s interests and talents had no bounds. He was a builder, a writer, a musician, preacher, an artist, mechanic, inventor, veteran (army), husband, father, son, sibling, uncle, friend and most importantly. . . Papa to his grandchildren. He played trumpet, had the leads in more than one high school musical, was class President (Delavan-Darien Class of 1970) and he was a hunter.
This cherished tradition to go hunting with his father, brother and friends, and later son led to more than one adventure. As brother Larry writes:
We deer hunted in my family when I was growing up. It was a rite of passage of sorts when you finally reached the age of 12 and you were allowed to go with the men “up north”. One car that was used to drive “up north” was a 1960 Cadillac Sedan deVille. That thing must have been 18 feet long. My brother Gary had a tendency to wander off from the “stand” my dad would put him on. He got bored easily I guess and would leave where my dad put him to go try out a different area or just to “still hunt” – that is taking a few steps and stopping, taking a few steps and stopping. . . you get the drift. When we (Gary) would get lost there was a signal. . . three blasts of the horn from the old Caddy. This would continue until the missing party would come out of the woods. My dad would never give up until we were all safely returned to the car.
Gary, we tried to keep you here with us, but you must have been hearing those horns honking all the way from heaven. You once wrote about your friend and mentor Johnnie Visgar, “I know you slipped off to heaven ahead of me. I’ll catch up with you later. I will miss the nearly four decades of walking the trails of “Tanglewood” with you scouting for the biggest buck. Say “hi” to my dad”. . . Well Gary you walked into heaven with all the “horns honking” and were greeted by dad, Johnny, Carrie and all the saints that went before you. . you are safe, but will be forever missed and loved here on earth. . .
Gary is survived by his wife Michele ‘Shelli’, son, Levi (Melissa) Sisk, daughter, Emily (Alex) Valadez, Son-in-law Joel Schuknecht, mother, Shirley J Sisk, Brother, Larry (Cheryl) Sisk, sisters, Sharyn (Dave) Sheen, and Sandy (Bill) Rima. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Zak, Cheyenne, Violet, Xander, Zoe, Devontae, Alex and Carrie. Gary was preceded in death by his father Frederick ‘Gene’ Sisk, and his beloved daughter Carrie Anne Schuknecht.