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Dear Pastor/Friends,
On February 18th, Susan and I had the memorable opportunity of participating in the Centennial Anniversary Celebration at Amarillo First Church. It was an amazing event, which not only looked back at a blessed past, but also culminated with the installation of their new pastor, Rev. Jeff Marcoe.
Though I've been to several centennial celebrations, this is the first one I've attended, or even heard of, where a new pastor was installed. It was all very appropriate. Jeff and his wife, Amy, and their son, Alex, are coming to us from New Braunfels, Texas, where he has served for 15 years. They also have a daughter, Ashley, who is a freshman at Texas A&M. Pastor Jeff is a graduate of Asbury Seminary, where he focused on pastoral counseling. They are a great couple!
As might be expected, there was a tremendous video presentation regarding the history of Amarillo First. I was particularly blessed by the photo of their founding pastor, Rev. Nora Graham. Rev. Graham also founded other churches on our district. It was a good reminder that many of the pioneer church planters in the American Holiness movement, particularly in the Church of the Nazarene, were women. I've been told that, perhaps, the concept of women in ministry does not fit well in "western culture" but that was certainly not the case in West Texas (as western as western culture gets) back in the early days. How grateful we are for the courageous women, and men, who sacrificed so much in our formative years as a denomination, planting churches in so many cities, towns, and villages in Texas. I'm thankful that, as Rev. Nora Graham heard and answered the Lord's call in her life, she was given the opportunity to fulfill that call in the Church of the Nazarene. Somewhere along the line I'm sure she had a supportive and encouraging pastor, very possibly a male, who did not hinder and discourage her...but helped her along her journey of obedience to God!
This past Sunday, I was in Wichita Falls for the installation of Pastor Kevin Angel at Lakeview Church. What a great day! There were 126 in attendance at the service, which was followed by an awesome church dinner and fellowship. Kevin, and his wife Sueann, come to us from Akron, Ohio. He is a graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University and NTS. They have three teenaged kids at home (Caleb, Lydia, and Micah) and one daughter at Mt. Vernon. We are delighted to welcome Pastor Kevin and his family to Texas!
I want to thank my daughter Kimberly for stepping in to help us here at the district office as we begin the search for a new office manager. Kimberly has done this before and is quite capable. Our Hispanic Ministries Coordinator, Pastor Moises Marquez, is helping us with Spanish language translation and interpretation. Please join me in prayer for our new assistant. This is a very important position in the district office.
Among Kimberly's first duties was the responsibility of preparing and mailing out the registration information regarding this year's Shepherds' Sabbath, which will be held in Abilene on January 15-17, 2016. In addition to an e-mail version, you should have received a hard copy of the registration form (which is also available below). Our speaker this year is Scott Rainey. He is absolutely outstanding. Our prayer is that our ministers and spouses will be encouraged and inspired. I know God will answer this prayer!
For you and with you,
Pastor David Downs
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You can also view the reservation form on our website by
clicking here.
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Hispanic Ministries
God has been blessing and supporting the Hispanic ministry on our district. More and more, pastors and churches are joining our efforts to seek unity and strengthen each of our congregations.
In October, we celebrated our Hispanic pastors by meeting at Emanuel Church with Pastor Gerardo Reyes. We had a good time of fellowship.
On October 15th, God allowed us to rent a theater at the Cinemark in Arlington, where we watched the
film "War R
oom" in the Spanish version. We gave glory to God because we had the room filled with 440 attendees, appr
oximately 160 of those
were from our Hispanic Nazarene churches on the district. We were h
onored to have with us Dr. Jerry Porter, w
ho at the end of the movie shared a word of encouragement and a challenge to each of us. We thank every pastor and congregation that supported us in this project, and especially Dr. Porter for his involvement with us.
On October 25th, we had our second Hispanic District United Service at Emanuel Church. We thank Pastor Gerardo Reyes and his entire congregation for having us and for sharing a great time of fellowship and food.
On Saturday, November 28th, we will be having a training seminar on the program, "Free to Love." This program is aimed to restore and build strong marriages and, at the same time, is a powerful evangelism tool for our churches. Pastors Honore and Melina Calera from the Church of the Nazarene in Slidell, Louisiana, (who are certified mentors in this program), will be speaking at this seminar. We believe with all our heart that this will be a very effective tool in spreading the gospel of salvation for every church that chooses to participate.
Blessings,
Pastor Moises Marquez
West Texas District Hispanic Coordinator
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District Licensing Information
A. Qualifications for receiving a First-time District License
1. Have a local license for one year
2. Have registered with the District Ministerial Studies Board:
www.wtnazed.org
3. Have completed a minimum of 6 courses in the Course of Study which must include the following
two:
1. History & Polity of the Church of the Nazarene (the Manual course)
2. Becoming a Holy People (the Holiness course)
4. Meet with the Ministerial Credentials and Ministerial Studies Boards:
January 12, 2016 at Amarillo First Church of the Nazarene*
January 19, 2016 at Fort Worth Northside Church of the Nazarene
5. If applying for a district license and there has been a divorce in the past, the candidate must meet
the boards on January 19th at Fort Worth Northside.
6. Request an Application Packet from:
Earl Robertson
540-312-4500
B. Qualifications for renewal of a District License
1. Completed 2 courses from the Course of Study
2. Meet with the Ministerial Credentials and Ministerial Studies Boards:
January 12, 2016 at Amarillo First Church of the Nazarene*
January 19, 2016 at Fort Worth Northside Church of the Nazarene
3. If applying for Ordination/Recognition the candidate must meet with the District Boards on January
19th at Forth Worth Northside
4. Request an Application Packet from:
Earl Robertson
540-312-4500
*Please note that the meeting place on the west side of the district has been changed to Amarillo First.
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West Texas Children's Ministry!
Coming up...
Camp dates for 2016 - June 27 - July 1 at Camp Arrowhead
. Mark your calendars now and get the word out! Families can start making payments into their PayPal accounts every month to help with the costs. Starting in October if you set aside $25 each month you'll have $175 by the May 1 early bird deadline. Camp Early Bird fee with be around $200 this year.
Kids Fest & District Quiz - March 4-5
(tentative date - will be finalized in the coming weeks). ALL quiz and talent entries will be due February 22. More details will be coming to your inboxes later this fall.
Want to be in the know?
Contact Jennifer Sommers to sign-up for our email blasts at [email protected]
Want to connect with other Kid Min Leaders?
Join our Facebook page - West Texas Children's Ministry. This is a closed group so send a friend request to Jennifer Sommers or Renae Fowler to join.
Finally - our summer mission offering was another HUGE success! Looks like the West Texas Kids were number 1 in money raised again this year for our mission project...In His Name! Way to go West Texas Kids and churches!
Because Jesus Loves Kids!
Jennifer
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WTD Kids Ministry News!
WTD Kids Leaders -
We have 5 quiz meets coming up in the next few months. Please come and support these churches as they provide opportunities for your quizzers to practice before zone and district meets this spring. Make sure you RSVP as soon as possible so they have adequate time to prepare.
Below is a link to our Children's Council Contact Page and District Kid's Calendar for the year. We've also updated our children's page on the district website at
www.westexnaz.org so check it out!
Because Jesus Loves Kids!
Jennifer Sommers
WTD Kids Director
Upcoming Quiz Meets for WTD Kids!
Northside Children's Bible Quizzing Invitational
Saturday, Nov. 21 from 9am - 11:30am.
Dig Sites 1-8
We will go to Chick-fil-a immediately following our Quizzing match. Please bring lunch money.
6750 Denton Hwy
Watauga, TX 76148
RSVP no later than Nov. 13
817-962-8387
Borger Invitational Quiz Meet
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Chapters 1 - 6
Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. quizzing to follow at 9:00 a.m.
501 Kaye
Borger, Texas 79007
RSVP by Monday November 16th
806-274-6151
Amarillo Valleyview Invitational Quiz Meet
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Chapters 1 - 10
Breakfast at 8:00 a.m. quizzing to follow at 9:00 a.m.
7601 S. Western
Amarillo, Texas 79110
RSVP by Monday, December 7th
806-282-4263
Bowie Church
Saturday, January 9, 2016
9:00 am start
Digsites - TBD
Lunch - TBD
940-923-1123
Ft Worth First
Saturday, January 23, 2016
2001 E Main St
Crowley TX 76036
9:00 am
Digsites-1-16
Lunch- TBD
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Dear West Texas NYI Family (students, youth workers, pastors, etc.),
Please take the time to read all the information below. There are exciting things happening in WTNYI.
In 2016 West Texas NYI is trying something new! Youth A Rama will be joining the region at Southern Nazarene University to make Extravaganza 2016 a truly exceptional event.
The West Texas NYI council spent much time in prayer and discussion before making this decision. We understand the tradition of Youth A Rama and the impact that is has made on the lives of so many students. Extravaganza at SNU is a meaningful regional event that has impacted the lives of many students over the years as well. That being said, the NYI Council is excited to join forces with Extravaganza. We pray that it will be received as a new opportunity and tradition, taking Youth A Rama to the next level; Introducing our students to the region, and our university, while still maintaining unity as a district. We want to see more students attending our fine university and one way to do that is to get more of our West Texas Students on the campus. The region has moved
Extravaganza
to March 31 - April 3 in 2016. If you are not familiar with Extravaganza at SNU, it is almost identical to Youth A Rama but on a larger scale. It offers more options for students to display their talents and has separate divisions for junior high and high school. The regional council has made recent changes putting more emphasis on the worship services at Extravaganza. It already is a great event. Add in a little West Texas flair and it becomes an exceptional event. :)
The WTNYI Council is excited to get on board with this event and bring our West Texas students to SNU. We pray you too will be excited about the potential. Most importantly we want our students to encounter God! Join us in praying that God will prepare all our hearts for what He wants to do at all our local, district, and regional events!
Also in 2016, ENCUENTRO 2016. July 10-16, 2016. West Texas NYI is taking a team of students, sponsors, families, etc. to Encuentro 2016 in Puerto Rico. This is an NYI- sponsored mission trip with over 2500 students anticipated to participate during July 2016. We will work along side our Puerto Rican Nazarenes conducting youth, adult and family evangelistic missions. Prayerfully consider how you can get your students involved in this incredible mission opportunity. Go online to www.wtnyi.com for more information and to get your students registered.
Mark Your Calendars:
Youth Ministry Summit (Youth Leaders conference) --October 12-13, 2016
SNU West Texas College Days -- February 18-20, 2016
Extravaganza at SNU -- March 31 - April 3, 2016
Crave (Youth Camp) -- June 13-17, 2016
Encuentro Mission Trip -- July 10-16, 2016
WTNYI is so blessed to have so many dedicated youth leaders that passionately care about our students. We join you in prayer for our students and local ministries.
Your NYI Council,
Gary Young
WTNYI President
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PASTOR'S WORK AND WITNESS TRIP 2016
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The Church of the Nazarene's annual Thank Offering for the World Evangelism Fund has been a denominational tradition for more than 75 years. Every year we look back and remember what God has done. Out of thankfulness, we give back to God. This year's World Evangelism Fund Thank Offering celebrates how our time, prayers, and donations help spread the gospel. Through language schools, church plants, mission hospitals, and many other ministries, God uses our gifts to do amazing things.
To give a personal gift, use the
Give page
. For more information on planning your church's offering, visit the
Resources
and
Stories
pages.
Imagine what God will do through our generation and those that follow as we continue to serve Him. Today's sacrificial giving to the Church of the Nazarene around the world assists in Developing the Future.
Blessings,
Cheryl Crouch, WT NMI President
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Since Cactus Nazarene Ministry Center started, one of the most requested services from the community was English classes. So, providing ESL became a top priority for the staff of CNMC! This fall we kicked off the semester by offering six classes on every Thursday. We have almost 60 students from all over the world (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Mexico, Somalia, and South Sudan) participating in classes. Students are part of the ESL program for any number of reasons, but many of them are taking English in order to take their GED test, to become more successful at their job, or even just to make day to day life in a a little easier.
ESL classes are one way that we can help foster unity in our neighborhood. In our classes people from different cultures are meeting and learning together. People who had no way of communicating before are now able to come together and learn about each other and their respective cultures. With the coming semesters we are looking at offering classes on additional days and even in additional locations. This ministry is incredibly important for our neighbors and for their empowerment and success in this new place they call home. Please join us in prayer for our volunteers, who are learning and growing as they become more confident in the classroom and learn how to be Jesus to people from very different cultures. Please pray for our participants, as learning a new language can be incredibly difficult but so very important, and for our staff as we continue to grow this program.
Liz Gentry
CNMC ESL Coordinator
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PENIEL SCHOOL OF MINISTRY LAUNCHES FALL CLASSES in NETWORK OF TEXAS CLASSROOMS
The Practice of Christian Ministry and Introduction to the Old Testament are now being taught in weekly classroom gatherings at web-connected churches in Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Harlingen, Midland, Lubbock, Amarillo, and Tyler. Check out our website at penielschoolofministry.org for online registration and complete information.
The West Texas, South Texas, Dallas, and Texas-Oklahoma Latin Districts of the Church of the Nazarene collaborated earlier in 2015 to create the Peniel School of Ministry. The rotation of classes at Peniel allows a student to complete educational requirements for ordination in as little as three years.
Peniel's fully qualified classes are ideal for ministry students who want the collegial environment and convenience of a nearby classroom. Eleven-week trimesters allow each class to meet just four hours once a week, with typical out-of-class preparation of about an hour a day. The Alliance relationship between the Texas districts and Nazarene Bible College makes it possible for Peniel students to complete 72 hours of an accredited BA degree with NBC at steeply discounted tuition.
SPANISH LANGUAGE CLASSES: Later in 2015 Peniel will launch its NBC-Alliance 24-class ordination track entirely in Spanish. Juan Vazquez-Pla, coordinator of Spanish language instruction for Peniel, will be instructor for Historia y Politica de la Iglesia del Nazareno in the winter trimester.
Peniel's network of video-connected Spanish-language live classrooms will be groundbreaking in USA/Canada. As in English, Spanish-language students who register their studies with Nazarene Bible College may receive degree credit.
AUDITING AVAILABLE: Peniel discounts audit registration for interested laypersons or ordained clergy looking to obtain CEUs or simply to sharpen their ministry skills.
THE TRADITION of PENIEL: Did you know that the Church of the Nazarene in Texas predates the October 1908 Pilot Point merger? Phineas F. Bresee preached a revival at Texas Holiness University in Peniel in the spring of 1908. Bresee issued an invitation for those present who wished to join the Church of the Nazarene, an invitation the entire faculty accepted, including THU President E. P. Ellyson. In fact, Ellyson would be elected General Superintendent that fall at Pilot Point. The first pastor of Peniel Church of the Nazarene was Mrs. E. P. Ellyson!
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District Funding the Mission Report
Our
District Treasurer, Dan Davisson, has prepared an updated District Funding the Mission Report. Pastors, please pay close attention to your church's contributions so far this year. Please make every effort to encourage your people to faithfully maintain their giving for others. You can view your church's current progress below or by clicking here.
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West Texas District
Calendar of events
2015-2016
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2015
November-
Thanksgiving Offering for the World Evangelism Fund
November 5-6-
SNU Board of Trustees
November 6-7-
SNU Homecoming
November 13-14-
Discovery Weekend-A ministry equipping
workshop for first-time licensees and
pre-Ordination candidates at Abilene First
December 4-
District License Application Packets due
December 27, 2015 - January 2, 2016
Commission Unto Mexico
2016
January 12-
Ministerial Credentials/Education Committees--Lubbock
January 14-
SNU Spring Semester Classes Begin
January 15-17-
Shepherds' Sabbath Retreat
January 19-
Ministerial Credentials/Education Boards--Fort Worth
February 20- Fort Worth Zone Talent & Quiz (Denton, Arrowhead, & Mid-Cities invited)
February 20- ALL Children's Zone Competitions - no later than the 20th
February 25-
Vision Conference/District Assembly Planning Session
February 18-20- SNU West Texas College Days
March 4-5-District Kids Fest & District Quiz at Lubbock First
March 7-
Pastor's Forum Sponsored by the RCPL at SNU
March 12-
Annual Pastor's Reports due
March 17-20-
Youth-A-Rama (Tentative)
March 19-
District Assembly Finance Committee Meeting
March 31 - April 3rd-
SNU Extravaganza
April 13-15-
Vision Conference/ District Assembly- Fort Worth
May 1-Early Bird Camper Registration by midnight
May 12-13, 2016-
SNU Board of Trustees
May 14, 2016-
Spring Commencement
June 1- Regular Rate Camper Registration by midnight
June 1-Counselor, Staff, & Intern registration by midnight
June 5-10- Family Camp at Camp Arrowhead
June 13-Regional Quiz at SNU
June 13-17
- Crave (Youth Camp)
June 15- Late Rate Camper Registration by midnight
June 27-July
1-Kids Camp
July 10-16- Encuentro Mission Trip
August 24-
SNU Fall Semester Classes Begin
September 1-Children's VBS / Summer Mission Offering due to General Treasurer
September 10- District Children's Council Meeting - Lubbock First
October 12-13- Youth Ministry Summit (Youth Leaders Conference)
November 10-11-
SNU Board of Trustees
November 11-12-
SNU Homecoming
December 10-
SNU Winter Commencement
December 27, 2016- January 3, 2017
- Commission Unto Mexico
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NOVEMBER PASTORAL BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
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11/1 Carol Mixon
11/1 Jackie Miner
11/2 Michele Gibson
11/4 Jimmey Cole
11/5 Aubrey Dunlap
11/6Daniel & Dreanna Dyer
11/13 Angelica Banda
11/14 Terry & Sandra Porter
11/17 Scott Jimenez
11/21 Tammy Fisher
11/26 Steve Swanson
11/28 Jim Graham
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