November 22, 2016
ddowns
Dear Pastor/Friends,

Susan and I had a wonderful opportunity to be with Pastor Mark Ramsey and our Denton Willowwood congregation on November 6th.  While there we were able to meet the members of their exciting new Chinese ministry, which is reaching out into the university community...and especially into the aviation school there.  It was exciting to see a number of these precious students, and one of their professors, involved in the music ministry that morning. 
Pastor Ramsey reports that 23 of these men have given their hearts to the Lord in recent weeks. Through their simple faith (many amazed to learn for the first time that they can pray directly to God) numerous  prayers have been answered. In addition to the large Mandarin language Sunday school class I visited while we were there, they now are having a special Chinese meal and worship service on Saturday evenings with around 60 in attendance!

I want to thank Pastor Michael Page of Lubbock First, and his congregation, for planning and hosting the recent WT District Senior Adult ("Joyers")  Retreat.  Pastor Page,  who is our SDMI Adult Ministries coordinator, led in this very successful event with over 200 participants. 



It has been very busy in Cactus recently. Pastor Michael Gatkek, his assistant Kor Chakud, and the Cactus African Community congregation hosted a revival/holiness conference, which was very well attended.   Pastors Michael and Kor reported a powerful outpouring of God's grace and mercy. Many victories were celebrated. 

Incidentally, Kor and his family moved to Cactus from Amarillo recently to assist in the ministry there. They have been living in temporary housing at the ministry center while awaiting the delivery of their mobile home.  We are so pleased to announce that it was delivered yesterday!

Please continue to pray for our Sudanese brothers and sisters. As I write this, South Sudan is one of the most war-torn and tragic places on earth. Many of our WT Sudanese families have been directly and profoundly affected. Yet, in the midst of all of this, our Sudanese congregations have been powerfully active in planting new Nazarene congregations in areas of South Sudan that have previously been unreached...25 new congregations as of the most recent count! In early December, Pastor Gatkek and Associate Pastor, Mabure Atak, will be traveling to Africa to meet with the regional director and the regional ministerial-training coordinator to set up an educational program to train the new South Sudanese pastors there. Isn't this awesome?! We are so blessed to be a part of such an amazing work of the Holy Spirit, and to be part of the great denomination with which we are partnering!

Also in Cactus, CNMC directors Vito and Jenni Manteblanco reported that the winter coat distribution among the immigrants and refugees was very successful again this year. I want to thank our pastors and people who helped supply the coats. Vito reported that over 400 people representing 106 family groups received coats and boots!  

I am pleased to report to you that Pastor David Hollon of Denver City is continuing to make slow but steady progress in St. Luke's hospital, in Houston, following his heart surgery several weeks ago.  He and his wife, Robin, are hopeful that he will be able to return home soon. I've had the privilege of visiting them twice and communicate with them very regularly. Robin wants everyone to know how grateful they are for the prayers and support of our district family.

Finally, Susan and I plan to be at almost all of the zone Christmas parties again this year. We will bring the annual tree ornaments with us. We can't express fully how grateful we are for the privilege of serving the great pastors and congregations on the WT district. We look forward to seeing you soon.  Have a very blessed Thanksgiving!


For you and with you,

Pastor David Downs

IN THIS ISSUE:

.
christmas
Pastors: Be sure to contact your zone coordinator to register!

 


.
nmi


Thank Offering  - A Letter from our General Superintendents:
 
When you look around, you can't help but notice it: God has blessed us in so many ways. The psalmist calls on us to "sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy" (Psalm 107:22). When we give back, we recognize God as the giver of all good things. We remember now so that we never forget: it's All From Him.
 
"All From Him" is the theme for the 2016 Thanksgiving, or Thank, Offering. Together, we join in prayer and preparation for this annual emphasis in the Church of the Nazarene. As our gifts come together through the World Evangelism Fund, we make Christlike disciples in the nations. We remember God's generosity toward us and respond by giving back and spreading the gospel around the world.
 
Prepare your church for this offering emphasis by reflecting together on your blessings, praying for ministry around the world, and remembering that God is the great giver.
 
The offering will be received in November of 2016. Resources including sermon outlines, bulletin inserts, & social media promos are available at nazarene.org/generosity in English, Spanish, & Korean. If you have questions, contact Stewardship Ministries at 1-800-544-8413 or [email protected] .
 

Yours in Christ,

The Board of General Superintendents
 


The letter is also available en Español
 


.
hispanic

We thank God for all his blessings upon the Hispanic Ministry in our district. We know that God has been moving and doing marvelous things among our congregations.

Our Emanuel Church, where our brother Gerardo Reyes is pastoring, celebrated an evangelistic revival on October 28-30, with Evangelist Noe Diaz, where a large crowd attended to hear the Word of God under a tent out in the open, and many gave their lives to the Lord. We also heard testimonies of healing, and we praise the Lord for that as well.

We want to invite all our Hispanic congregation to contact Pastor Noe Diaz to schedule a tent revival with your congregations and use this resource that God has given to the West Texas District for the strengthening  of our churches. You may contact Pastor Diaz at 806-236-6021.
 
We also are blessed to inform you that we will have the ministerial class "Leading the People of God" starting at Emanuel Church. If you are interested in taking this class, please contact Pastor Gerardo Reyes.
 
The first week in November we had a Pastors' reunion in the Amarillo, TX area. It was a blessing to visit the Pan Handle and hear of the great things God is doing in our congregations. We are planning to start the marriage seminar "Free to Love" in that area at the beginning of 2017. 
 
God bless you,


Pastor Moises Marquez
 



.
localchurch

in our local churches...

Arlington First Fall Fest

Fall festival is always one of my favorite community events.  It is one of our opportunities as a church to provide an atmosphere where families get to spend time together.  So many times in our society, families are split into a dozen different directions, and rarely do they have a time to just play together. Our fall fest has evolved over time.  

What began as a traditional Trunk or Treat event has grown to include 18 carnival style games for kids and adults to play indoors (and believe me, the adults play the games too).  The eclectic nature of the event has allowed multiple generations to participate.  Many of our adults love the creative expression of decorating their trunks for the kids and it is always fun to see the themes they create. But our teens and college students on the other hand, enjoy the ministry of manning the various carnival games inside.  We have ages ranging from 12 to 70+ who volunteer to provide this fun atmosphere for the community. 
And while the primary purpose of this event is just to provide an alternative to traditional "trick or treating," by creating family fun, we also recognize the opportunity to witness to our community.  For that reason, under the leadership of Dan Davisson and the Gideons International, we also handed out English and Spanish New Testaments to all the families. 
 
Like most churches, we see a huge influx of kids and families who participate in this event, but we don't always see that translated into new families on Sunday morning.  But that doesn't matter to us; we just want to serve our community. 
However, this year was the exception.  This year, through a casual conversation with two young adults with a child, one of our volunteers was able to share about our church and various ministries. It was so thrilling to see them walk into church this past Wednesday night!  It serves as a reminder that no matter the event, our very presence and openness to serve is a witness to others, and you never know which seed will grow. 


Pastor Bridget Benn
Arlington First
 

.
SS2017 

    Back to Top
.
calendarnovember

In recognition of Thanksgiving, our District Office will be closed Wednesday, November 23 - Friday, November 25. We will resume our regular office hours on Monday, November 28. 
 

.


West Texas District
2016 - 2017 Calendar of Events




December 3 - Amarillo Zone Ministers' Families Christmas Dinner
December 4 - High Plains Zone Ministers' Families Christmas Dinner
December 5 - East Side Zones Ministers' Families Christmas Dinner
December 12 - Lubbock Zone Ministers' Families Christmas Dinner
December 12 - Lamesa Zone Ministers' Families Christmas Dinner
December 10 - SNU Winter Commencement
December 27, 2016 - January 3, 2017   - Commission Unto Mexico
-----------------------
January 10 - Ministerial Credentials/Educational Committee  Amarillo First
January 20-22 - Shepherd's Sabbath Retreat
January 17 - Ministerial Credentials/Educational Committee  Ft 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


.
birthdays
UPCOMING BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER

11/24 Sueann Angel
11/25 Blanca Perez
11/25 Timothy & Rachel Oh
11/26 Tammy Fisher
11/26 Steve Swanson
11/28 Jim Graham
11/29 Lynn Nichols
11/30 Daniel Diaz
 
Visit Our Ministry Sites
Our district Children's Ministry team plans and organizes annual Summer camps, talent festivals, periodic Bible quiz meets and other training events throughout the year
 
NMI
M ISSION  S TATEMENT
To mobilize the church in mission through  praying, discipling, giving, and educating .

NYI
Our Mission:
BE. Evagelism
DO. Discipleship
GO. Leadership Development

 
WEBSITE    ABOUT    CHURCHES    MINISTRIES    CALENDAR    CONTACT
West Texas District Church of the Nazarene
8174798615
ana @westexnaz.org
http://www.westexnaz.org
Like us on Facebook