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Dear Pastor/Friends,
Congratulations to Pastor Clint Benn and Arlington First Church on the outstanding second-year Pastoral/Church Board review he received last week. His board expressed unanimous and enthusiastic support for Clint and Bridget, who also serves as one of the associate pastors.
One thing, in particular, happened in the meeting that I felt was especially gratifying. Arlington First is still dealing with the ramifications of a building program and a large mortgage payment. During the meeting, the chairman of the finance committee spoke up and commended Pastor Clint's preaching and pastoral care. He added, "Pastor, please allow us, the lay leaders of this church, to carry the financial burden for you so that you can focus on the spiritual needs, as you do." I can't tell you how encouraging this was to me, and must have been to Clint. I remember as a pastor, virtually feeling like I was carrying the financial burden of the church all alone. I never was alone in this...but it sometimes felt like I was. I do know that I thought about the offerings, mortgage payments, staff salaries, and denominational allocations almost all day...every day. What a blessing when our wonderful laity step up and shoulder, or at least share, this burden.
I do want to thank members of our District Disaster Response Team for their service in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, last week, and again this week. Certainly those whose homes (and churches) have been devastated by this flooding, which has now displaced over 60,000 families, are grateful for all the help they've received.
I am pictured here with Pastor Victor Boyd of Baker First Church, where our team is working to get them up and running again. Our team has been working on the church buildings and the parsonage.
Over and over again, he and his people thanked us for being there.
Certainly, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is an organization that we can feel very good about contributing to and volunteering for.
We have another team from WT arriving in Baton Rouge later this week. Thank you!
A few weeks back, I mentioned to you, in this article, that Tyler Parson, son of Pastor Jeff and Lindsay Parson of Hamlin, has been accepted into the M365 cross-cultural ministries degree program at NTS. Soon he will be traveling to the Philippines, where he will be serving and studying this coming year. He is still raising funds. If you'd like to help, please let me know. I've suggested to him that he actually call some of you and ask for the opportunity to come for a missions service or regular service to give his testimony and receive an offering. Thanks for being receptive to his call.
Finally, I want to encourage those of you in the Metro area to participate, unless providentially hindered, in the WT District-Sponsored Racial Reconciliation Seminar, which is being held at Arlington First on September 13th, from 9:00-12:00. Please see the brochure below for more information.
For you and with you,
Pastor David Downs
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IN THIS ISSUE:
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Meet Tyler Parson
What a joy and privilege to introduce another young West Texan called to serve God through Nazarene Missions! Read Tyler Parson's story and please consider supporting him through prayer, financial gifts, and opportunities to speak in your churches:
I just recently graduated from Southern Nazarene University (SNU) with a Bachelor's Degree in Ministry and Theology. I am currently a district licensed minister in the WT District and serve as an associate pastor at Hamlin Church of the Nazarene. Through much prayer and guidance, God has led me to further my education at Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS). Through NTS, I have been accepted into a cross-cultural ministry program called, "365m". In this program, I am currently being trained mentally and spiritually through different courses I am taking that pertain to fundraising in ministry, cross-cultural adaption, and other courses that are preparing me for roughly a year of ministry in another country.
A round February 1st, 2017, I will be shipped out to the Philippines and will remain there until Mid-December of 2017. I will be based out of the Asia Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) in Manila, Philippines. I will continue my education while I am on the field as a full time student of NTS. However, I will also be an active missionary of the Church of the Nazarene working with other missionaries as well as the people of the Philippines to help spread the lifesaving message of Jesus Christ. I will be involved in the Church of the Nazarene's mission to show the love of God to the children of the Philippines and to the victims of human trafficking in Asia Pacific region.
When I first received my calling into ministry, I knew that God was calling me to spread his Good News and work for the physical, mental, emotion, and spiritual betterment of broken people. The 365m program is a unique and awesome opportunity that is helping me to fulfill God's calling for my life! However, I need your help. As the old joke goes, "Well, we can't offer you that kind of help!" But all joking aside, there are many ways in which you can help me. One way is financially. I will need to raise roughly $20,000 before January of 2017 in order to have the funds to pay for my schooling and living expenses in the 365m program. Another and most important way is through your prayers and encouraging support. You can contact me on my cell phone (325-721-6486), email (
[email protected]), and on Facebook. I truly appreciate you for taking your time and efforts in joining with me in this great adventure that God is calling me to!
Tyler Parson
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Classes start September 13. Peniel is a collaborative effort of West Texas, South Texas, Dallas, and Texas-Oklahoma Latin Districts to provide educational requirements for ordination.
PHENOMENAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES: Classes designed FOR you and your ministry WHEN you can take them.
- Pastoral Counseling, taught on Tuesday evenings by Rev. Michael Davis, the pastor of our Wellington Church of the Nazarene who brings years of pastoral ministry and chaplaincy experience.
- The Practice of Christian Ministry, taught on Thursday evenings by Rev. Mark Ramsey, chair of the West Texas ministerial studies board and pastor of Willowwood Church, which has a unique international ministry on the campus of the University of North Texas.
- Spiritual Formation, taught on Saturday mornings by Rev. Matt Carte, with Rev. Corey Jones. This class focuses on the spiritual development of the disciple, with an specific, practical training emphasis on the small group discipleship and corporate prayer at the core of the Awakening Prayer Conference (Oct 20-22, registration included with the course).
- Intro to the Old Testament, offered on Friday evenings by Keith Megehee. Before moving to Texas, he pastored in Mississippi and was four-time Teacher of the Year at Wesley College.
CONVENIENCE: Real classroom experience with live interaction wherever you are.
- Host classrooms are at Crossroads Tabernacle in Fort Worth (Spiritual Formation and Intro to OT), Willowwood in Denton (The Practice of Christian Ministry), or Wellington (Pastoral Counseling).
- Remote Sites: Groups of students in an area meet at remote classrooms hosted by churches across Texas. Individual students who register for classes in areas where no other students are taking classes make arrangements with Peniel for class access from home or office.
VALUE: Full collegiate credit is available for courses completed through Peniel, at the lowest cost for Nazarene collegiate-level training in North America. Students can complete 60% of a degree from Nazarene Bible College for a few thousand dollars. Interested in sitting through a class to sharpen your skills? Audit for half price!
SPECIAL $50 INTRODUCTORY SPANISH CLASS: Formación Espiritual, Profesora Toni Porter, Septiembre 5-17, Emmanuel Iglesia del Nazareno.
Peniel School of Ministry Director
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DISCOVERY WEEKEND
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A MINISTRY-EQUIPPING WEEKEND
OCTOBER 28-29, 2016
This is a special weekend for first-time licensed ministers. They will explore their strengths for ministry through our affiliation with Nazarene Strengths Institute. Also, practical information will be given to equip them in the process toward Ordination and ministry in general.
For information contact:
Earl Robertson, our Asst. District Superintendent
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District Children's Council annual meeting - Saturday, September 10th at Lubbock First Church
Details will be emailed out.
Kid Min Training Day - Saturday, October 15th from 10:00am-2:00pm at Fort Worth First Church
Please RSVP Jennifer Sommers with your church name and how many leaders you will be bringing.
Leaders - this is a day for you and your team! Bring anyone that teaches Sunday school, Quizzing, Kids Church or on Wednesday nights at your church. Cost will be $15 per person to cover lunch and a few supplies we will provide. The day will be broken up in both large and small group formats giving you time to meet with your team specifically to discuss items for your specific church. It promises to be a great day to meet with other kid min leaders from across the district, share ideas, be encouraged and most importantly lift up our churches and their families. We are working on simulcasting this to a church on the west side as well so churches in that area can go and participate too. If the simulcast doesn't work we are planning on offering a training day for the west side later this year. We'll let you know what we work out.
Jennifer Sommers
WTD Children's Ministries Director
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Dear Pastors and NMI Leaders:
Deputation Visits are coming up!
If you need to make a change (or have made a change) to this schedule, please contact the missionaries directly and cc Jackie Miner at
[email protected]
& Cheryl Crouch at
[email protected]
Deputation Schedule (please check carefully for your church name!):
September 7 - Higgins hosts Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 8 - Dalhart (both congregations)/Cactus (all congregations)
Dumas/Dumas Nueva Vida* host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 9 - Borger First/Stinnet/Borger Trinity/Pampa* host Steve
&
Amanda Pettit
September 10 - Clarendon/Wellington/Dodson* host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 11 am - Amarillo First host Steve & Amanda Petit
2pm - African Community host Steve & Amanda Pettit
pm - Turning Point host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 12 - Amarillo South Georgia/Valley View/North Beacon* host
Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 13 - Hereford New Bethel/Hereford/Muleshoe* host Steve &
Amanda Pettit
September 14 - Plainview hosts Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 15 - Abernathy hosts Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 16 - Hereford hosts Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 17 - Lubbock Refuge hosts Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 18 am - Dickens Bible hosts Steve & Amanda Pettit
pm - Lubbock First host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 19 - Ropesville/Levelland* host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 20 - Post/Grassland* host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 21 - Denver City/Seagraves* host Steve & Amanda Pettit
September 22 - Bowie Hispanic hosts Vito & Jenni Monteblanco
September 23 -
Decatur Jesucristo es el Camino host Vito & Jenni Monteblanco
September 24 - OPEN
September 25 am - FW Sobre la Roca hosts Vito & Jenni Monteblanco
pm- River Oaks Iglesia de Gracia host Vito & Jenni Monteblanco
September 26 - Denton Hope Community Hispanic/Denton Willowwood
Hispanic* host Vito & Jenni Monteblanco
September 28 -
FW Emanuel/FW Fuente de Gracia* host Vito & Jenni
Monteblanco
We are excited that Steve & Amanda Pettit, missionaries from West Texas serving in Dominica, and Vito & Jenni Monteblanco, missionaries from West Texas serving in Cactus, are able to fill in for Liliana Reza, who had to cancel her tour.
Remember, hosting Deputation Missionaries doesn't have to mean holding a service in your sanctuary. You can take them to dinner or invite them to join in whatever your church enjoys - a game night or a picnic... get creative! DO allow your people (especially children and youth) time to interact with them and get to know them!
We are exploring new possibilities for 2018 Deputation Tours. In the future, if your church would like to host missionaries as part of a zone service or group of churches, please let us know! We plan tours 1 - 2 years ahead, so we need your feedback now for future tours.
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August means LINKS giving and Children's Project collecting.
LINKS:
The LINKS program is an important part of Nazarene missions! It provides personal connections between missionaries and Nazarenes around the world, giving each church an opportunity to become acquainted with a missionary family and their field of service. Click here for your church's missionaries (remember you have both ACTIVE and RETIRED) and suggested giving amounts:
Label with missionary names, your church name, church year, and West Texas. Mail all LINKS monies (by September 1) to Global Treasury Services (address below)
Click here for information about your LINKS missionaries:
Children's Offering Project:
The project
is "Power" and will focus on getting God's Word into the hands, hearts and minds of kids around the world. Google "Kids Reaching Kids Nazarene" for information and materials. It is the general church project, and our whole district is participating in it. (We were number one in the world for the children's offering AGAIN last year! Thank you for your generosity!)
This offering is DUE SEPTEMBER 1!
Make checks payable to "General Treasurer" and mark with "Children's KRK Offering", your church name, church year, and West Texas. Mail to:
o
GLOBAL TREASURY SERVICES (866-624-3092)
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P.O. BOX 843116
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KANSAS CITY, MO 64184
Many churches like to collect School Pal-Paks for kids around the world while our own kids are preparing to head back to school. Click on the picture to get details about School Pal-Paks.
West Texans on the Field: Our West Texas Mission teams have returned safely from Puerto Rico, Dominica, and
Croatia & Serbia. Thanks for your prayers!
Please pray now for our West Texas Disaster Relief Team serving flood victims in Louisiana!
Blessings,
Cheryl Crouch, WT NMI President
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West Texas District
2016 - 2017 Calendar of Events
September
- Alabaster Offering to Global Treasury Services
September 1 - Children's VBS / Summer Mission Offering due
September 1 -
LINKS Offering due
September 7-26 - Steve & Amanda Pettit on Deputation
September 9 - Naz Night at Six Flags Over Texas
September 10 - District Children's Council Meeting - Lubbock First
September 13 - Racial Reconciliation Seminar at Arlington First
September 22-28 - Vito & Geni Monteblanco on Deputation
October 10 - Pastor's Forum at SNU
October 12-13 - Youth Ministry Summit
October 15 - Camp Arrowhead Board of Directors Meeting
October 28-29
- Discovery Weekend
November - Thanksgiving Offering to World Evangelism Fund
November 9-11 - SNU Board of Trustees
December 10 -
SNU Winter Commencement
December 27, 2016 - January 3, 2017
- Commission Unto Mexico
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January 10 -
Ministerial Credentials/Educational Committee
Amarillo First
January 20-22 - Shepherd's Sabbath Retreat
January 17 - Ministerial Credentials/Educational Committee
Fort Worth Northside
February - Alabaster Offering to Global Treasury Services
February 23 - Planning Session - Vision Conference & District Assembly
March 3-4 - Kids Fest in Lubbock, TX
March 3-5 - PK Retreat @ SNU (for pastors' kids, grades 10-12)
March 13 - Annual Pastor's Reports due
March 18 - District Assembly Finance Committee meeting
April 5-7 - Vision Conference & District Assembly, Lubbock First
June 4-9 - Family Camp, Camp Arrowhead
June 12-16 - CRAVE Teen Camp, Camp Arrowhead
June 21-30 - General Assembly, Indianapolis, IN
July 17-21 - Kids Camp, Camp Arrowhead
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Pastoral Families Birthdays & Anniversaries for the month of September
9/1 Alton & Cristi Ashby
9/1 Ron & Deanna Sullivan
9/2 DeAnn Page
9/2 Diamond Taylor
9/2 Doug Yates
9/2 Ruth West
9/2 Al & Carol Mixon
9/2 Jesus & Nelida Espinoza
9/2 Mark & Sonya Lofton
9/3 Glendon &Edna Pyle
9/3 Clayton & Julie Rose
9/4 Dennis Hayes
9/4 Rebekah Davidge
9/5 Jacob Jones
9/7 Manuel & Esther Rodriguez
9/8 Benjamin Dunlap
9/9 Gaylord & Sheree Hayes
9/9 Esther Rodriguez
9/10 Billy & Mary Jo Hodges
9/11 Anna Derbyshire
9/12 Cailyn Alvarado
9/12 Sarah Elam
9/14 Amanda Pettit
9/15 Debi Schmidt
9/16 Leona Davis
9/17 Elias Chavez
9/17 Wendy Cole
9/17 Brenda Murphy
9/18 Barbara Jones
9/18 Deanna Sullivan
9/20 Araceli Marquez
9/20 Mirian Davidge
9/20 Susan Downs
9/23 Dave Menefee
9/23 Luis Reyes
9/25 Cawlie Johnson
9/26 John Donnerberg
9/27 Glendon Pyle
9/28 Matthew and Dana Carte
9/29 Ryan Nelson
9/30 Caleb Hughes
9/30 Abigale Pepper
9/30 Santiago & Leticia Rueda
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