August 9, 2018
Dear Pastor/Friends,
 
I want to thank our district for affording Susan, Kai, and me the opportunity to take a "mini-sabbatical" in South Korea during the month of July.  We had a wonderful time, visiting old friends, zipping all over the country in trains, preaching five times, eating tons of awesome Korean food, swimming in the Yellow Sea and, especially, introducing Kai to his Korean heritage.  Again, thank you!
 
Congratulations to our Ft. Worth Riverside congregation on the election of their new pastor, Rev Santiago Rueda!  Santiago and his wife Leticia began ministry at Riverside in late July. The installation service will be on August 26. Until now, Pastor Santiago has been the associate pastor for Hispanic ministries at Ft. Worth Crosspoint Church of the Nazarene. We are all very excited about the future of ministry at Riverside!
 
I want to thank our pastors as you are submitting verification of your congregations' completion of the Ministry Safe requirements on our district. Please see the article below if you are still in process. The due date for verification of your compliance is September 1st.  Again, thank you for leading your congregations in the vital effort.
 
I have received wonderful reports about our district's youth (CRAVE) and children's (ACTIVATE) camps this summer. I've heard reports of many of our teens and children making decisions for Christ! I know the Lord appreciates each of our leaders, and every pastor and volunteer worker who sacrificed valuable time and energy to help make these ministry-events successful.  I visited with one pastor this week (Rich Humphrey of Bowie) who took kids to both camps.  Outstanding! Thank you!
 
Also, please read the article below regarding the WOW District Women's Conference.
I've received many great reports regarding this event, which seems to grow and improve each year. Special thanks to Sandra Porter and her great leadership team for organizing this awesome event. 

Finally, please make note of the Shepherds Sabbath date (Feb. 1-3) in Abilene. We have moved the retreat back one week this year to accommodate our awesome speaker, Dr. Carla Sunberg.
 
For you and with you,
 
Pastor David Downs







 





 

 
We are so excited to report that we had over 100 ladies register for the WOW conference this year.  We have seen continual growth every year and continue to hear amazing testimonies from the women who attend.  Worship was amazing, it was led by Amanda Kleeb, and we sensed the presence of the Lord every time we gathered. Leah Fort, from Amarillo First served as our Prayer Team Leader and under her leadership we saw many answers to prayers at WOW 2018.  Donna Kyzer Rice brought anointed messages in every service about the Samaritan Woman and her encounters with Jesus at the Well.  Every service was blessed by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit especially on Friday night as many came forward during our anointing service. 
 
This year our WOW conference took on a mission project to help Pastor Julian Corpus and Pastor Mary Corpus with their mission in Mexico to buy VBS supplies for the children there.  We presented over $1,400.00 from the offering received.  Our ladies on the West Texas District are some of the most amazing women I have ever met.  Their love for God is always felt as we gather together each year and this year was no exception.  Not only are they loving but they are a group of generous outreach minded ladies too.  Praise Go d!
 
Special thanks to Pastor Eric Deluna from Wichita Falls Lakeview, he was an absolute blessing.  He and his wife Teresa helped us in many ways. In talking with Pastor Eric, he shared that they had sponsored 4 ladies this year, enabling them to attend WOW.  We are so grateful for the wonderful support he is showing for WOW. 
 
Our council continues to work hard to provide this conference each year. 
We know that God is not done with this ministry and we are excited to see what He is going to do in the future.
 
Many thanks to council members, Susan Downs, Serina Nelson, Samantha Riggle, Bobbie Bradshaw, Becky Glidden, Mary Corpus, Leah Fort, and Katrina Martin.
 
We are already beginning to prepare for WOW 2019!  So, save the date!  Our conference is scheduled for July 25, 26 & 27, 2019 with Donna Kyzer Rice coming back by popular demand!
 
I am grateful for the privilege of serving these ladies of West Texas.

 
Sandra Porter
 
 










"The Church of the Nazarene traces its anniversary date to 1908. Its organization was a marriage that, like every marriage, linked existing families and created a new one. As an expression of the holiness movement and its emphasis on the sanctified life, our founders came together to form one people. Utilizing evangelism, compassionate ministries, and education, their church went forth to become a people of many cultures and tongues." http://nazarene.org/history
 
We are a Christian People, We are a Holiness People and We are a Missional People.
 
Missions is in us as Nazarenes. We pray, we give and we go, it's just who we are. All of our 479 Districts worldwide are active in missions in some way. West Texas happens to be my favorite of the 479 and the people of the West Texas District are some of the best people I know. So tell me West Texan's where have you been? Where are you going? What are you giving to? Who are you praying for? What are you doing locally and globally? I want to know! Email your stories and your pictures to amanda@pettit5.org, so I can tell world!
 
 
Our NMI emphasis this month is LINKS. We were a LINKS family for many years. The mail service where we were was so bad that things usually came about 3 months late. Imagine my son's surprise when he received a birthday card in July when his birthday was in April from a church in California. They put five dollars in the card for him and he was just blown away that a church we had never spoken at remembered his birthday and gave him five dollars. It didn't matter that it was 3 months late, he felt loved and that's what it was about!
 
(If you don't know who your LINKS are or you are looking for creative ways to reach out to them let me know and we will figure it out together.)
 
 
Love Well,
Amanda Pettit
WTD NMI President




       
8/1 Sharon Ramsey
8/1 Steve & Rhonda Swanson
8/2 Jeff & Amanda Kleeb
8/2 Misael & Yvette Alvarado
8/2 Cynthia Prentice
8/3 Lowell & Debi Schmidt
8/4 Joseph & Tracy Ricenbaw
8/6 Charles & Michelle Gibson
8/6 Susan McPherson
8/7 Naomi Smithson
8/8 Lowell & Marilyn Clark
8/10 Raquel Forrest
8/10 Burnie & Peggy Burnside
8/11 David & Cindi Tharp
8/13 Michael & Leona Davis
8/14 Dale & Barbara Peirce
8/14 Martha White
8/14 Tyler Parson
8/15 Travis & Tabitha Zachary
 
 
 
 
 
8/16 Grace (Eun-Ha) Shin
8/17 Earl Robertson
8/17 Hope Powers
8/17 Ron & Jackie Miner
8/18 David Tharp
8/20 Mark & Sharon Ramsey
8/20 Ryan & Serina Nelson
8/21 Jimmy & Wendy Cole
8/21 Leticia Rueda
8/21 Lisa Griffin
8/22 Cristi Ashby
8/22 Gregory White
8/23 Awilda Hayes
8/24 Doris McNutt
8/25 Clint Benn
8/28 Corey Jones
8/29 Cayden Callender
8/30 Elijah Smithson
8/31 Marilyn Clark
8/31 Michael  & Angalique Parker




September 7 -     NazNite at Six Flags
October 12-13 -   JOY Senior Adult Retreat, Lubbock first
October 17-20 -   Awakening Prayer Conference 
October 26-27 -   Discovery Weekend in Abilene
Dec. 27 - Jan. 2 - Commission Unto Mexico (Guadalajara)
January 8  -         Ministerial Credentials/Education Committee, Amarillo First
January 14-15 -   Ministerial Credentials/Education Boards, Fort Worth Northside
February    -         Alabaster Offering to Global Treasury Services
February  -           District Man Camp - Arrowhead Camp and Retreat Center
February 1-3  -     Shepherds' Sabbath Retreat, Abilene, TX
February 24 -       Vision Conference and District Assembly Planning Session
February 28 -       District Nominating Committee Meeting
February 24-March 2 - Nazarene World Week of Prayer