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One of my favorite things to do is go to work. In the last five plus years, I don't think there has been a single day when I wanted to miss work because of strained relationships. I love the people I work with from day to day.
Our assistant Casey is a five-time national champion cheerleader. She was a flyer. That means she is well accustomed to being tossed around. Who knew such experiences could equip her so well for working with us? She handles every new challenge with the heart of a champion and the spirited spunk of the perfect perky person she is.
Walter and Cindy Krueger quietly come in and out of our office and work in the back of the service suite to keep our records up to date. They keep us apprised of prayer requests coming in from churches around the association. They are unassuming, peaceful souls who enrich our work. They love to serve. They serve well. They save us many hours of detailed data input and manipulation.
Hector Mendez is our world traveler. He has been in Israel for the last week or so. I'm pretty sure he will touch down in Peru and Venezuela this year as well. He reminds me of the old Beach Boys song,
I Get Around
. He is a world evangelist.
Troy Wolfe is the New Guy. Troy served as our moderator last year. He is a church planter on his second church plant with our association. He trained the staff of Movement Church to take his place so that he could move on to start Northwest DFW Church in Argyle. Troy is actively engaged with several church starting groups in the USA. He helps assess and train new church starters. Now he is a church starting strategist working alongside Jay. Together they are rethinking and redeveloping our church starting efforts for the years ahead. I am excited to have Troy on our team.
January 17 was Jay's 17th anniversary with TBA. I have never known a more loving and loyal friend than Jay. He is part golden retriever, part border collie, part -- squirrel! -- ADD poster child. He is kind, compassionate, loving, and prayerful. Jay is an elite-level listener. I think of Jay when I pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." Jay never holds grudges when I impatiently push beyond his patient comfort zone. Everyone needs someone to model grace for them like Jay does for me.
Gary celebrated his 15th anniversary with TBA January 1. Fastidious, circumspect, and thorough are words I use to describe the man I playfully call G-Dawg. Becky calls him Mad Dog. We all call him when we can't figure out what to do next. He listens long before offering an opinion or advice. You can disagree with him if you like. He doesn't mind if you are wrong. G-Dawg demonstrates classic signs of Multiple Personality Disorder. He is much more lively and fun in Spanish than in English.
Becky celebrates her 35th anniversary with TBA on February 1. Can you believe that? Becky has longevity and the perspective that comes with it. I don't know anyone who hears God so clearly as she does. Maybe it's because she listens more than anyone I know. Maybe it's because God favors her over the rest of our staff just like everyone the rest of us meet outside of the office. If she isn't with us, the first question we get is, "Where's Becky?" She carries sunshine in her soul. It radiates through her in all she says and does. Someone asked recently, "How do you guys get everything done that you do?" There's a simple answer: Becky.
My prayer is that sometime in your life you enjoy your work as much as I do. I have always enjoyed the work that God has called me to. However, having companions like these makes my labor a delight.
With gratitude,
David
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TBA-nniversary Shoutout
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Happy TBA-nniversary to Gary Crowell and Jay Harris!
Gary celebrated his 15th anniversary with TBA January 1st
Jay celebrated his 17th anniversary with TBA January 17th
You both make the world a better place! We are so glad you are on our team!
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Pastor's Conference and Executive Board Meetings
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*NEW COST: $8.00
January 23 - Pastors' Conference
Speaker: Gary Crowell - Minister's Taxes
January 30 - Executive Board
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Life Younique
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It's the middle of January. That means that many New Year's resolutions have already bit the dust.
Think about that for a minute. Many people who began the year with the best of intentions have already given up on their goals for 2017. They will likely not think about goals the same way again until next January. There has to be a better way.
There is.
The Life Younique personal calling and lifeplanning process provides a person with a completed vision frame consisting of a Life Call (mission), Life Core (values), Life Steps (strategy), Life Score (measures), along with one-year and ninety-day goals. Each of these goals has four objectives that make it possible to accomplish those goals.
For example, if you decided like many USAmericans, to lose weights this year, how would you go about accomplishing that? First, break that goal into manageable steps. If your big goal for the next ninety days is to lose ten pounds, decide what four things you need to focus on to get there.
Let's say you include exercise as one thing you need to do weekly to burn calories and to improve your overall fitness. How many times per week will you exercise? What kind of exercise will you do? Who will you do it with? When and where will you do it? How long will these exercise sessions last? You come up with a plan to exercise with your spouse four times per week at 5:30 at your local gym for one hour each session. You will combine thirty minutes of walking on a treadmill or using an elliptical machine with thirty minutes of weight-bearing exercise.
Second, you need to manage your meals. You choose a diet plan that is healthy and doctor approved. (Your doctor should also sign off on your exercise plan.) Track your junk snacks and meals each week.
Third, get plenty of rest. Well-rested brains and bodies crave less junk food. Set a sleep target and stick with it. Create a bedtime ritual that will become a life-giving habit that will turn into a regular routine.
Fourth, weigh in weekly with your collaboration and accountability partner. Celebrate success.
Set aside a weekly review and planning session. Assess yourself on these four objectives. Ask yourself if you are thriving, surviving, or reviving in each area. Ask yourself if you are behind schedule, on target, or ahead of schedule.
Then note any unexpected obstacles you encountered. Next, record any new ideas you will use in the week ahead.
Complete your review with a four sentence prayer:
God you are ______________
Thank you for ______________
Guide me in _____________
Empower me to _____________
This is a success tool. Renewing the big goal every ninety days provides fresh motivation throughout the year. Even if you only achieve most of what you plan to do each quarter and not all of it, you will still finish far ahead of what you would have done if you quit midway into January.
This really could be the best year of your life.
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Upcoming
Training
and Retreats
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Upcoming Training and Retreats
Minister's Tax Seminar
Thursday, February 9 | TBA Office
4520 James Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Cost: $10.00
Conversion Growth Solutions Seminar
February 13 | TBA Office
4520 James Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
1:15 PM - 3:30 PM
**DAY OF CLARITY**
February 14 | TBA Office
4520 James Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Cost: $50.00 (includes lunch and 2 books)
Ministry Connect Conference
March 25 |
Dallas Baptist University
8:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Free - Lunch Provided
March 27-31 | Catalyst Room, TBA Office
4520 James Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
April 23-25 | Riverbend Retreat Center
Cost: $125.00
(New peer groups forming for October 8-10)
Hearing God Retreat
April 17-18 | Riverbend Retreat Center
1:00 PM Monday - 12:00 (noon) Tuesday
Cost: $50.00
VBS Training
April 29 | Southcliff Baptist Church
4100 SW Loop 820
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
No registration required
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Our Weekly Blogs!
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Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes have been made! Be sure to check out our new blogs that go out every Thursday! Visit: refocuscoach.org/blog and let us know what you think!
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Day of Clarity
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WHEN? February 14, 2017
WHERE? TBA Office
WHAT TIME? 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
HOW MUCH? $50.00 (this includes lunch and 2 books)
OVERVIEW? We will discuss Church Unique with a special emphasis on the
God Dreams
visioning process in the morning. We will preview the Younique
personal calling and lifeplanning
process in the afternoon.
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TBA Bible Drill
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Tate Springs will host the 2017 TBA Association Bible Drill on Sunday, March 26,
from 2:00-4:30 PM.
Children, Youth and High School drills, as well as Speaker's Tournament
Contact Daniel Engstrom - Email [email protected] or call 817-713-7638
for more information or to sign up.
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App of the Month
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 I received an Apple Watch for my birthday last fall. I like it. I like it a lot.
One of my favorite things about the Apple Watch is the health apps. Some of these apps are built into the watch's operating system. Other compatible apps provide additional features.
Autosleep is one of the add-on apps I use. There are several apps that track sleep like Sleep++ and Sleep Better. Each has its charms. What I like most about Autosleep is that I don't have to remember to turn it on at bedtime and off in the morning. Turning on Sleep++ at bedtime was easy enough. However, I have other things on my mind at 5 AM, mostly having to do with coffee.
Autosleep sends a daily notification to let me know how much I slept. The app measures the quality of my sleep, average heart rate, and the percentage of sleep I got compared to what I set as my target. Last night I got 72% of my target of seven hours. For the last week, I hit 87% of my target.
This app connects with the native Apple operating system apps which provide a fuller view of my vital statistics.
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Podcast of the Month
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Exponential is one of those podcasts that always features great content. Much of it focuses on church planters. However, the leaders are more interested in starting missional movements than church planting for the sake of church planting.
Let me recommend three of their recent episodes from December 2, 2016 in particular.
Why a Return to APEST is Essential to the Multiplying Church features Alan Hirsch. APEST an assessment for ministry related to the five spiritual gifts listed in Eph. 4:11-13: apostle, prophet, evangelist, shepherd, and teacher. I can almost guarantee you will find something to surprise and delight you in this episode.
The Role of Personal Calling in Mobilizing Your Church features Will Mancini. Mancini wrote
Church Unique
and
God Dreams
. He is also the founder, along with Dave Rhodes, of Life Younique, a personal calling and lifeplanning process. This is a gospel-centered lifeplanning process. Listen to this podcast then call Becky, Troy, or me and let's talk further about Younique.
Four Imperatives for Clarifying Your Calling features Dave Rhodes, cofounder of Life Younique with Will Mancini. Dave provides insights into part of the Younique process related to personal calling.
If these three podcasts were on audio cassettes, I would have worn them out by now. Listen to these episodes and then listen to them again. You will be glad you did.
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Book of the Month
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The Organized Mind
by Daniel J. Levitin
I listened to this book on several road trips recently. It is 16 hours and 19 minutes long. I listened to it at two times the normal rate of speech. That still didn't speed it up enough. I didn't think I was ever going to finish.
That said, this is a really, really good book. It would be a great book with half of the explanatory and illustrative material cut out. Levitin is a scientist in a highly specialized field. He writes with an engaging, informative style. He also writes with a drive to thoroughly communicate the full meaning and application of his research.
This book would be twice as good if it were half as long. He could double, nay triple, his sales if he reduced the book in a separate edition for the common man.
Should you read the book and not settle for a simple book summary, you will be rewarded. You will delight in new understandings and thrill at the insights. You will also sleep well if you read it just before bedtime.
Read the first couple of chapters. Don't stop until you read why almost every home has a junk drawer. You will thank me later.
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What Kind of Leader Are You?
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Are You A Good Leader?
By Becky Biser
"Good leaders need to become masters of
themselves before they can be masters of anything else."
One of the major threads running through the Global Leadership Index is the crisis of confidence in leaders which has grown on a national and global scale. As citizens lose faith in democratic institutions and geopolitical conflicts proliferate, it is clear that a lack of leadership in the world today is contributing overall to a leadership crisis.
Using a methodology based on the National Leadership Index created by the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, the respondents of the Survey on the Global Agenda have rated their confidence in the leaders of their countries. The Index uses 37 indicators to better capture the perceptions of and challenges facing global leadership, with the final results ranking Leadership across national and regional levels, as well as by sector.
Here are the rankings of confidence in leaders: (1 lowest to 10 highest) Not where leaders of religious organizations/churches fall:
1)
Non-profit and Charitable Organizations - 5.53
2)
Business - 4.72
3)
Education - 4.70
4)
International Organizations - 4.62
5)
Healthcare - 4.53
6)
News Media - 3.94
7)
Government - 3.83
8)
Religious Organizations/Churches - 3.57
Source: Survey on the Global Agenda 2014
Leadership must be important - more than 20,000 books and thousands of articles have been written about the critical elements of and the impact it has on people, organizations and countries, if not the world. Yet despite the fact leadership training programs abound, they have failed to produce good leaders.
In the past 20 years, 30% of Fortune 500 chief executives have lasted less than three years. Chief executives now are lasting 7.6 years on a global average down from 9.5 in 1995. According to the
Center for Creative Leadership
, 38% new chief executives fail in their first 18 months on the job.
Many studies show that the tenure of most pastors is 3.5 years. Ray Williams says, "Good leaders need to become masters of themselves before they can be masters of anything else," - and the only way to achieve it is to understand that good leaders are made from the inside out. That strength of character is the only thing that will allow you to stand under pressure, make the tough call, go against the grain and give you the opportunity to influence others with integrity.
Gain more clarity about how God has created you for His purposes. Tarrant Association offers the following tools to help you.
1)
CC4T - Communication Clarity for Teams
(4 hours, $50/person)
Participants take three different assessments to help them gain clarity on their natural behavior, gifts, and strengths. They also get to start work on their own personal mission.
2)
Lead Like Jesus
(1 day, $100/person)
Participants will learn the four domains of leading like Jesus - defining leadership as "any time you seek to influence the thinking, behavior or development of others."
3)
LifePlan
(2 days, $1,500)
An intensive individual process that gains perspective on a person's life to discover turning points, talents, passions, values and mission and sets specific plans in motion.
4)
Younique -
Experience 2 ways: (3 day intensive plus 4 follow-up calls) or (Virtual Cohort for 12 weeks)
A breakthrough process for personal calling and life planning. The process includes four assessments and numerous tools to gain clarity and focus.
5)
Re:FOCUS
(Four 2 ½ day retreats plus monthly peer meetings over 18 months - $500/person)
Participants experience four different focuses over the journey. Retreat 1 - walk with God, Retreat 2 - personal design and mission, Retreat 3 - making disciples, Retreat 4 - engaging community
If interested, contact me at [email protected]
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Scam or Truth?
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There is a continually increasing trend in this country of fraudsters seeking to deceive, cheat and rob unsuspecting citizens. This illicit activity can happen in multiple forms. We are all familiar with the concept of "phishing" through e-mail to get us to buy or do something that is of dubious origin. Undelivered goods or services that have been contracted happens all too frequently. However, perhaps the most growing area for scams is over the telephone. These perpetrators are out of sight with little or no way to trace their activity. They are constantly changing phone numbers and using blocking devices so the recipient of the call has difficulty knowing anything about them.
Unfortunately, elderly citizens are the most common attempted victims of unscrupulous elements. There is so much information available about us as individuals and families on social media nowadays that they can "mine" sufficient personal data to begin a credible conversation. They are masters at taking what is "given" to them in the course of the conversation to further convince the victim they are legitimate and the victim needs to follow their urgent instructions to provide information on bank accounts or credit cards, wire cash to a designated recipient, or provide online gifts cards, just to give a few examples of what they ask for. A common scam is to call and posture themselves as a family member, often grandchildren, who are in desperate trouble and need immediate financial steps to be taken to get them out of danger, out of jail, etc. Another is to call posing as the Internal Revenue Service demanding immediate payment for back taxes or risk seizure of all assets or jail time. This will never happen as the IRS only communicates with citizens by paper mail when there is any tax discrepancy or amount due.
What should one do upon receiving a call of this nature? First, don't say or confirm any names of family or friends, e-mails or phone numbers that they should mention. Have them clarify who they say they are and what they are asking you to do. Tell them to give you their phone number so you can call them back. This will likely end the call abruptly. If not, another option is to have someone else in the house call the person they are posing to be and verify what they are trying to get you to believe (while you are on the phone with them). Always seek to identify the number from which they are calling through caller ID if that is possible. Of course, you always have the option of just hanging up and ending the call yourself. Then call the family or friend who is supposedly in trouble to let them know what has happened, not only for your own confirmation, but also to protect them from being a potential victim.
How can scams and frauds be reported? It depends on the nature and means of the crime: Here are some guidelines:
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For scams perpetrated by shady contractors and front-door solicitors, contact local police and your state attorney general or district attorney.
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In cases of identity theft, abusive debt collectors and most types of fraud, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (ftc.gov/complaint)(877-382-4357).
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Unsolicited sales calls can be curbed by putting your name on the Do Not Call Registry. (donotcall.gov) (888-382-1222)
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Complaints about shady business practices and financial products, including loans, bank services, credit reporting, ID theft, and debt collection can be submitted to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov/complaint)(855-411-2372)
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Internet-based scams, including online auctions, investment and sales fraud, internet extortion, hacking and phishing and scam e-mails can be provided to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (ic3.gov/complaint). This is operated by the FBI.
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Scams distributed by U.S. mail, such as bogus lottery and fake sweepstakes winnings, chain letter schemes and deceptive advertisements as well as mail theft are reported to the Postal Inspection Service. (postalinspectors.uspis.gov)(877-876-2455)
God wants us to be the best possible stewards we can be of the resources He allows to pass through our hands. This includes using some common sense steps and good judgment to avoid being a victim of those who mean evil towards us. 1 Peter 5:8 takes on new meaning that was not likely in the original intent when written when it says, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Let us not give opportunity to him and his followers.
Gary L. Crowell, CPA, CCA
CFO, Tarrant Baptist Association
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| re:FOCUS Journey for Pastors and Staff |
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*NEW PEER GROUPS FORMING FOR OCTOBER 8-10, 2017
Is is time to refocus your life?
Want to experience a life change journey designed just for pastors, staff and leaders? This is not like any other discipleship conference you have experienced. This is a time you can refresh yourself in a hands-on experiential-type of journey. Here are some of the things you will experience:
- A safe environment
- Time for reflection
- Time to spend reading the Bible and reflecting on your relationship with Christ
- Authentic facilitators who let you discover your own way
- Prayers offered over you
- Laughter and fun
- A few stretching and challenging activities
- Time to hear God speaking just to you
- A renewed excitement and expectation about what God is doing in your life
The next re:FOCUS journey will start Sunday evening at 6:00 p.m. on April 23rd and end at noon on Tuesday, April 25th at the Riverbend Retreat Center. The cost is $125. Each retreat time is unique and will focus on different aspects to help empower leaders.
Retreat #1
- Leaders will spend time re:Connecting with God and with peers in an experiential learning environment. This time will include alone time with God enhancing their dependence on the Father and time to make friends with peers that are both authentic and safe.
Retreat # 2
- Six months later leaders will come back together to re:Discover who God has made them to be. They will spend time exploring things about themselves and formulating their own personal mission statements.
Retreat #3
- In another six months leaders will re:Think what it means to be a disciple. They will explore passages of scripture and write their own definition of a disciple. They will gain a clear picture of what this disciple looks like and how they personally will help others grow to be a fully devoted follower of Christ.
Retreat #4
- The final retreat six months later will focus on re:Engaging with God in His Kingdom. How has God created me to be most effective personally on engaging others? What is He nudging me to do? How do I most effectively lead myself and others?
Between these retreat weeks leaders will meet together monthly to encourage and pray for each other.
Interested? If so, contact Becky Biser at [email protected]. Sign up today! Date: April 23-25, 2017 (Begin Sunday evening at 6:00 and ending at Tuesday at noon) Cost: $125 each retreat (includes lodging, meals, snacks, books and other materials) Duration: 4 retreats over 2 years Register Here! |
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Riverbend - 50th Anniversary Book
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R
iverbend celebrates their 50th Anniversary in this year, and they are writing a 50th Anniversary history book.
They are looking for those who would like to purchase ads for the book to celebrate the occasion! If you are interested in submitting an ad, please click here to complete the form.
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RA Camp
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RA Camp is scheduled for July 18-22, 2017 at Riverbend Retreat Center. Currently, there are beds available for additional churches. Contact Glenn Hedgpeth at
817-249-9968 for additional information.
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Concert at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
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Southwestern Seminary will host a Friday
night (7 PM)
concert featuring Greater Vision and the Mark Trammell Quartet, Friday
evening, January 27th.
The cost is $20 general admission in Truett Auditorium.
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Vancouver Vision Tour
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2017
Vancouver Vision Tour
March 6-9, 2017
May 8-11, 2017
If your church is affiliated with the BGCT, or even dually aligned, arrangements will be made to pay your
hotel and local travel expenses.
All you need to pay is the cost of travel and a few meals.
If you or any of your leadership team are interested, please contact David Bowman.
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21st Century Wilberforce Initiative - Speak Freedom
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Invest in Religious Freedom
Take Action
The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative advocates for religious freedom as a universal right. Over five billion people, 77% of the world's population, live in a context characterized by religious persecution, discrimination, or restrictions. Twenty Christians are killed because of their faith every day. Genocide is occurring against Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East.
The 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative is creating an alliance of churches that will make religious freedom a priority. Wilberforce provides current, reliable information and training for these churches and suggests practical ways they can mobilize as advocates for defenseless people.
I have worked with Dr. Randel Everett on religious freedom issues over the last couple of years. This is a consuming passion for him and his team. I strongly encourage you to lend your voice and church support to this ministry.
With gratitude,
David Bowman
For more information about the 21st Century Wilberforce Initiative and
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BGCT Upcoming Events
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reviveTX
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Preparations a
re underway for
reviveTX
, scheduled for April 16-Jun 4, 2017. This is a concerted effort among evangelical churches of multiple denominations to obey the Great Commission and make disciples.
Time to Revive
is gathering churches around the Metroplex to hit the streets, pray for neighbors, and share the good news of Jesus Christ.
Take a moment to learn more about reviveTX and to engage in the initiative as a tool to equip church members to be salt and light in effective witness in the Metroplex. You can find out more about reviveTX and upcoming vision lunches at their website, www.reviveTX.org. You can also contact Wade Aaron, reviveTX Church Relations at [email protected], or 903-570-4757.
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Text-Driven Preaching Conference
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March 6-8, 2017
See the full conference schedule
here.
Click
here to read frequently asked questions.
If you have further questions, please contact Mr. Daniel Dickard at 817-923-1921 ext. 6331 or
Mrs. Heather Janson at 817-923-1921 ext. 4002.
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Ministry Connect Conference
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March 25, 2017
Dallas Baptist University
8:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Leading with Emotional Intelligence:
Making Strong Connections with People and Motivating Them to Serve Others
Featuring Dr. Henry Deneen
Free admission. Lunch will be provided. Registration details to come.
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Children's Ministry Leadership Summit
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If you are like many children's ministers, you have a deep desire to take your children's ministry to a new level, but you are not sure how to get there. You have tried every curriculum out there to find that perfect fit. You may have discovered that just because it has a nice cover, the content may be slim to none. What if it isn't in the curriculum but in how you do ministry with children that makes difference? In the typical church in the United States, we are practicing a model that is ineffective in changing the lives of kids in the church today.
We invite you to an exciting training event that will equip you to train and release children for ministry in your church. You will learn proven steps to disciple and empower children for ministry within your local church. The ETNG events are planned for open discussion, and the goal is to assist you in developing a ministry plan and effective steps to implement that plan in your church. For more information about the conference and dates click here (Here is the link:
http://leadersintraining.com/index.php/etng)
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New TBA Job Board
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Our TBA website has updated our Job Board, and we would like for everyone to check it out. We have recently made changes that should make the process easier to navigate for the employer as well as the job seeker. Please visit our website,
check out the Job Board, and get busy posting your new jobs here!
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News from Churches
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First Baptist Bridgeport has a nice organ that they would like to donate to a church. Please call 940-683-4037 for more information.
First Baptist Grapevine has some "gently" used children LIfeWay Bible Study for Life curriculum they would like to donate to a church in need.It is a full years worth for babies through preteen. Please contact Linda Boney if interested at 817-203-2372.
First Baptist Church in Flower Mound is hosting Dallas Holm in concert on Friday, December 2 at 7:00 PM. Admission is free. For more information, please call 972-539-0641.
Greg Ross has a small organ that he would like to donate to a church. Those interested can contact Greg through either email [email protected] at or by phone at 817-467-1412. Below you will see a picture of the organ.
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