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June-July, 2018 Volume 19, Issue 5
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President's Message - Andrew Kissell
What are we changing?
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 Pastor and modern-day prophet
Carey Nieuwhof
recently shared (hyperbolically) the
7 reasons our churches will never change
.
I've modified them slightly for our men's fellowships to,
7 signs your men's group will never change
.
1.
You Keep Having the Same Conversation Over and Over (and Over)
Again. How many times have we heard that millennials like projects, not programs (meet and eat)? Or that Wesley Small Transformational Groups are the best way to grow? What are we changing? Anything?
2. Every Time Someone Raises a New Idea, Someone Lists 3 Reasons Why it Won't
Work
.
And then three other guys agree!
3.
Fondness for the Past Exceeds Passion for the Future. How often do we talk about the way things used to be
back in the good ol' days?
4.
Small Things Always Become Big Things. If we don't take care of little problems they fester.
"Those who cannot change their
minds cannot change anything."
-- George Bernard Shaw
5.
Men are Still Complaining About the Last Thing We Changed: Spiritual "Advance" vs. "Retreat," vision, values and goals, emails instead of letters, etc.
6. "
We've Never Done it that Way Before" Has Become a Theme Song. Facebook? I don't know that song!
7.
Our Leaders Don't Bring Unchurched Friends with Them. If we don't bring friends to our events, why are we even having them?
I hope you got a good laugh out of these! If you
don't laugh,
you'll cry!
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A Personal Invitation from Bishop Lewis
GO ... and Make Disciples!
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"Take advantage of a very exciting opportunity to stir into the Flame your Spirit and boldness within you."
Bishop Sharma D. Lewis
Resident Bishop, Virginia Conference
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40th Annual United Methodist Men Spiritual Advance
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 Along with an
all-new
setting in Virginia Beach where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, you're in store for a refreshing new program format. You'll also see another
big change this year
... Spouses are invited to attend and be an active part of the 2018 United Methodist Men Spiritual Advance. And don't forget, there is plenty to see and do in Virginia Beach, a great year-round vacation spot!
Interest and excitement is building for the October 26-27
spiritual weekend that begins with registration at 4:00
pm
on Friday at the Virginia Beach Confer-ence Hotel. The scheduled program of speakers and workshops begin that same evening at 6 o'clock at Baylake UMC.
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Spiritual Advance Registration Check-in Hours
Friday, October 26
Virginia Beach Resort Hotel 4:00
pm - 6:00
pm
Baylake United Methodist Church 6:00
pm - 8:00
pm
Saturday, October 27
Baylake United Methodist Church 7:30
am - 1:30
pm
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Spiritual Advance Headliners
 Featured Speaker Bishop James E. Swanson, Sr. -- a gifted speaker alive with the Spirit -- will teach and preach three sermons throughout the weekend under the theme GO and Make Disciples,all based on New Testament scripture. He will also lead an essential workshop called Apprenticeship that invites your participation.
Our Guest Speaker, Greg Koukl, has a long history of telling God's Good News,and will  be telling more Good Newsduring our spiritual weekend together.
He started out thinking he was too smart to become a Christian and ended up as an apologist,that is, dedicating his life for the defense of the Christian faith. A central theme of Greg's speaking and writing is that Christianity, if it's properly understood and properly communi-cated,makes the most sense of the world as we find it.
Greg will guide us through sessions on Tactics, Intolerance of Tolerance and The Story of Reality. He will also conduct a workshop on the Truths of Spiritual Growth.
Listen to Greg Koukl speak on, "
What is Faith?
" (2:18)
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Workshop and Devotional Leaders
Since 2010 the Rev. Greg West has served both as the Chaplain at Virginia Wesleyan University and as an evangelist in the Virginia Conference. Greg is passionate about small group ministry seeing this as the front line for both evangelism and discipleship. He leads teams from VWU and churches to Nicaragua each year partnering with the Church in Latin America.
Pastor Greg will lead two workshop sessions on small group ministry titled Shaped Through Serving and The Method of Jesus, The Method of Methodists. To hear him speak will almost make you feel as though John Wesley is in the room.
Rev. Wayne Snead
Fresh out of Asbury Seminary, his first appointment was West Mecklenburg UMC Charge on the Farmville District in 1982. Four years later he began service as the founding pastor at Messiah UMC in the former-Norfolk District until 1996 when he was appointed to Galilee UMC on Arlington District and serving there for 17 years until being appointed to the Bishop's Cabinet as the Elizabeth River District Superintendent in 2014.
Rev. Reason A. Chandler
is now in his sixth year as Pastor of Jackson Street United Methodist Church in Lynchburg. Prior to his appointment there in 2013, he had served several churches since becoming a Full-time Local Pastor in 2000. Jackson Street UMC is approaching its 152nd anniversary since its founding in 1866.
Rev. Clark Cundiff is the
Senior Pastor of Baylake United Methodist Church; he is
finishing his 18th year as a pastor having served five congregations in Virginia and South Carolina. Clark comes to ministry after a 20-year career in the paper industry. He has a Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology and a Master of Human Resource Development from Clemson University
. Baylake UMC is hosting Virginia's United Methodist Men 2018 Spiritual Advance.
Jim Boesch
is an Orlando, FL-based deployed staff member of the General Commission on United Methodist Men. He was certified as a Men's Ministry Specialist by GCUMM in 2009 and is a nationally certified trainer and facilitator of training.
Jim will ease you through an introductory session on, "Lead Like Jesus," showing that leadership
happens anytime you influence the thinking, behavior or development of another person. So, whether you are mom or dad, a small group leader or a pastor, YOU are a leader who can change your world!
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Good news for golfers
Tee-off at Ocean View Golf Course - Norfolk
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The Virginia Conference Heart Havens Benefit Golf Outing, hosted by  Elizabeth River District United Methodist Men is sched-uled for Friday, October 26 at the Ocean View Golf Course-Norfolk located at 9610 Norfolk Ave. Getting to the golf course is a straight shot on US-60W, 12 miles from the Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Confer-ence Center at 2800 Shore Drive, and only 9 miles from Baylake United Methodist Church at 4300 Shore Drive.
Cost is $70 each, or $260 for team play, which includes golf cart, lunch and beverage; and $100 for Golf Outing hole sponsorship. Be sure to register by no later than Sunday, October 17!
Golfers are urged to check-in at the Ocean View Golf Course by 8:00 am to be ready for a 9:00 am shotgun start.
Golfers, Please Note: All proceeds after expenses will go to Heart Havens to help maintain their seven residences, places that are called "home" by God's children who live there. Heart Havens empowers adult men and women with a developmental disability to live full and vibrant lives with as much independence as possible.
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Virginia Conference United Methodist Men Webpage
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The Great Awakening and Revival
Is the Nation, Church and United Methodist Men at a Crossroad?
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Commentary
by Larry Burian, Editor
Telling of the "
Great Awakening
" and "
Revival
" in this issue of The BEACON didn't happen by chance. Thoughts on the subject began entering my mind many weeks ago during morning devotion while reading
Scripture
and visualizing about the trials and tribulations of the Israelites and drawing a comparison with the worrisome troubles that are testing our nation, the Church, the United Methodist Men and our Brothers and Sisters in Christ everywhere
.
Those same thoughts kept cropping up, not every day, but frequently, until they became top of mind on a daily basis. Time and again I wondered where they were coming from, they certainly were not my own, or so I thought. Both thoughts and images became uncontrollable, that is, whether it was during my regular devotional periods or at any time throughout the day, they "followed." That's when I realized that it was God's voice telling me that the story of Awakening and Revival be told.
It's a timely story that compares early-American society with today's culture as we prayerfully struggle for a way forward in our spiritual lives. As you dive into this centuries-old story
try not to use the terms "Awakening" and "Revival" inter-changeably.
An Awakening is when a nation comes alive spiritually, sees its need for God, and turns to Him. A Revival leads God's people, individually, to come back to life again, which can lead to an Awakening of the Church and the Nation.
"
A moderately bad man knows he is not very good; a
thoroughly bad man thinks he is alright. You understand
sleep when you are awake, not while you are sleeping
."
C.S. Lewis
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Some Christians know little about, while many others are eager to know more about the "
Great Awakening,
" and "
Revival
."
It doesn't really matter in what category you fall, because it's all an intersting reading and learning experience. Please read on, you'll be glad you did.
America's story is told in periods of time beginning in the early 1700s, with a live link leading into each episode providing brief background information that will take you back in time if only for a few minutes. Ready? Let's get started.
The Story
America's First Great Awakening
(4:54)
was a religious movement that swept the Atlantic region, and especially the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American religion. The America's First Great Awakening launched the
Evangelical Christian movement in America and laid the foundation for the Evangelical successes of the Second Great Awakening.
The
Second Great Awakening
(4:48)
was a major  religious movement in
the U.S. (1800-1840s) that reached out to the unchurched and brought large numbers of people to a vivid experience of Christianity, fueling the rapid growth of numerous denominations, especially the
Methodists
.
 The
Third Great Awakening
(4:55)
was a period of religious activism in American history from the late 1850s well into the 1900s. It energized evangelical Protestant denominations and generated a strong sense of social activism (e.g., voting rights for women, and prohibition) gathering strength from the
post-millennial
theology that the Second Coming of Christ would occur after mankind had reformed the entire earth. The
Social Gospel
Movement gained its force from the Awakening, as did the worldwide miss
ionary movement.
The
Fourth Great Awakening (3:56)
was a religious awakening that some scholars  discerned in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. The
terminology is controversial as many historians believed that the religious changes that took place during these years in the U.S. were not part of an
"awakening," to be understood like the first three Great Awakenings.
Thus, the idea of a Fourth Great Awakening itself has not been generally accepted.
 The Jesus Movement was an Evangelical Christian movement beginning on the U.S. West Coast in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily throughout North America, Europe, and Central America, before subsiding by the late 1980s. Members of the movement were called Jesus people.
Its predecessor, the Charismatic Movement (
similar to
Pentecostalism
)
, had already been in full swing for about a decade. It involved mainline Protestants and Roman Catholics who testified to supernatural experiences similar to those recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, especially speaking in tongues. Both of these movements held that they were calling the church back to a closer biblical picture of Christianity in which
the gifts of the Spirit would be restored to the people of the Church.
Is a new Awakening of our Church and Nation possible (Psalm 85:4-7)?
Or are we on a slippery slope in the "grip of Babylon" (Revelation 18)?
The answer is "Yes" to the first question; and "No" to the second,
IF
we turn to God.
The Story
above is
not
the complete story. But rather, it's intended to kindle your interest and encourage you to dig deeper to be, or become, a believer in personal Revival and part of a new Great Awakening.
Pray for it. We need it!
__________________________________
Credits:
Much of the background information came from Conservapedia.com. Extensive online research produced related images and videos from Christian Broadcasting Network, YouTube and other sources.
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Pathway to Spiritual Growth
What's been your experience?
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The
Growth in Theory
diagram is a typical drawing used to help describe Christian life in clear, logical steps. We enter by faith at the cross as a disciple, we become brothers and sisters through love, and we end up experiencing hope, which leads us to becoming a laborer in the Kingdom.
The Growth image looks more like what really happens, doesn't it? Our lives are a series of ups-and-downs, momentary victories and momentary failures. When we stay in the process, focusing on God, He can use all those experiences to shape us into the image of His Son.
Victorious Christian living is not perfection. Victorious Christian living is entering the battle and never turning back.
____________________________________________________
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Q: On what does the future of VA UMMen depend?
A: Successful fundraising and Spiritual Advance Attendance
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FYI
The 2018 Stakeholder Fund Campaign Fundraising Report is ready for your review. The Report lists the contribution amounts month-by-month, February - thru - July.
Also included is a list of contributors.
Thanks for your support!
If your name is not shown, please consider making a contribution as generous as your budget will allow. We need you help!
Thank you for considering financial support for
Virginia Conference United Methodist Men
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This message is a continuation of the article appeared in every issue of
The BEACON beginning in February
announcing the
2018 Stakeholder Fund Campaign
. That article told of our
first-ever full-fledged fundraising campaign
to help underwrite operating expenses of the Virginia Conference United Methodist Men. Please be sure to read the
History of How and Why
we are where we are today. Now, let's take a look at what has happened since that February meeting.
During the May 5, 2018, meeting, the Virginia Conference UMMen Cabinet made a change to our 2018 projected expense that was characterized by a $4,800 cut from $16,620 to $11,820, a whopping 29% reduction.
Here's a summary of what was trimmed from projected expenses:
* 2018 Spiritual Advance promotion, $4,000 to $500
* NACP and SEJUMM dues, $1,200 to $600
* Annual Conference Breakfast, $600 to $0
* Office Supplies, $100 to $0
We were inspired to make these changes through prayer and a free-wheeling discussion guided by our faith that a successful 2018 can be happen!
The largest decrease, $3,500 in Spiritual Advance promotion, came about by preparing a cost-saving production strategy. Instead of outsourcing the project, all production will be accomplished in-house. In addition, 80% of the scheduled postage expense was eliminated!
Lots of work is yet to be done between now and October if we are to be successful. And with your help, we will be! Looking back at the May Cabinet meeting, it turns out that we put together an informal three-step approach. It looks like this: First, the 2018 UMMen Stakeholder Fund Campaign must be successful so that we can pay-as-we-go. Second, we must build a continuing interest among UMMen and their families to attend the Spiritual Advance; all of us have a stake in assuring the longevity of the men's movementin Virginia. Third, the Spiritual Advance must be a well-attended event in order to replenish what was spent up to the October event and to end-up the year with some cash in the bank to continue meeting our historical obligations and goals in ministry and mission.
By day's end, the consensus among Cabinet members was, "There is no alternative to success; all things are possible with God."
2018 Projected Expenses $11,820
Revised May 5, 2018
Please say,
"YES, I want to be a 2018 UM Men Stakeholder."
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Upcoming Dates to Remember
United Methodist Men in Ministry
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2018
OCT 6
UMMen Cabinet Meeting
United Methodist Center, Glen Allen, VA
OCT 26-27
2018 UMMen Spiritual Advance
Baylake UMC (Elizabeth River District)
4300 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA
2018 UMMen Stakeholder Fund
Campaign
Please say,
"YES, I want to be a UMMen Stakeholder!"
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 Letter To the Church in Laodicea
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
________________________________________________
1/See Letters to the Churches in the Province of Asia- Revelation 1:1 - 3:22 |
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nearby 
