Dear Pastor/Friends,

Our Shepherds’ Sabbath pastors and spouses retreat is a highlight of our district year…and this time was certainly no exception. I want to thank everyone who participated, and especially those in leadership, such as our speaker, Larry Morris, our praise team, led by Chad and Marti Jones, our sound technicians, the Arnolds, and especially Vania Palacios-Alvarez, our event coordinator and her team. See the newsletter header for a group picture.

Speaking of Vania, I am very pleased to report that Pastor Palacios-Alvarez has been elected by the SNU field DSs as our representative to the USA/Canada regions’s Nazarene Young Clergy Council. I know she will serve very well in this capacity. 

There are several powerful district events coming up which can greatly benefit your people. These would include this weekend’s young adult retreat at Arrowhead, Brighter girls conference, February 10-12, Man Camp, March 3-5, Kids Fest, March 3-4, and district Prime Timers Event, March 25. See promotional/registration details in the newsletter below.

We just completed ministerial credentials/studies meetings in Amarillo and Ft. Worth, interviewing 40 district licensed candidates and 5 candidates for ordination! This is always one of the most exciting events for me and our boards as we celebrate all that God is doing tin the lives of these wonderful and gifted district licensed ministers. Their testimonies of the Lord’s call and His deliverance and protection are amazing! Especially, I enjoy the powerful time of prayer we share at the close of each of the interviews.

I was very honored to be with Pastor Michael Burton, his wife Lindsey, and the congregation of our Bowie Church this past Sunday. The were blessed by a very successful fund-raising campaign during which the Lord helped them raise all of the funds necessary for the new 500-square-feet addition being planned for their parsonage. A volunteer work team led by Pastor Lee Lennon will be doing the construction, God willing, in March. The Bowie parsonage in currently the smallest, I believe, on our district. This will be a great blessing to the Burtons who now have 4 precious children, upon the arrival of Maddox Andrew (weighing 6lbs, 13oz) who was born this past Tuesday! Congratulations Lindsey and Michael!

Please join me in prayer for our African Pastors, Michael Gatkek, Mabure Atak, and Kor Chakud who are traveling together in South Sudan this month. Among their tastes will be the purchase of the sound systems we are giving to three of our churches in Aweil. These are three of the 26 congregations Mabure planted a few years back. They are still prospering and growing, Three of them desperately need the self contained sound systems our pastors are delivering. They will also be engaged in ministerial training while there.

We are very pleased and grateful that our Stinnett pastor, Michael James, has enthusiastically taken on the responsibility of a two-point charge, including Stinett and Pampa. In Pampa he will be following his good friend, David House, who is now serving on Staff at Amarillo Intersection Community, our special ministry to the homeless in Amarillo, led by Dr. Shawn Fouts I am so grateful for each of these awesome pastors! Pastor Michael is pictured here with his new wife Heidi. Congratulations!!

Finally, as February is the final month of our church year, pastors please check the budget payment records below and make every effort to excel in your giving to others this year. Also, thank you for holding membership classes and receiving new members. This is so valuable to the participants, and an important element of our polity.

For you and with you,

Pastor David Downs

Our district finance officer, Dan Davisson, has prepared the West Texas District 2022-2023 "Funding The Mission" report as of February 1, 2023. 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. 

Click here to download the report.

Dear Pastors and Children’s Ministry Leaders,

The Board of General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene has made a formal statement regarding our policy regarding sexual misconduct. “The Church of the Nazarene has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior with minors. All workers, leaders, and pastoral staff are to be above reproach in their conduct and to act in the best interest of others. This requires not only that they themselves refrain from engaging in any abusive or suspicious behavior involving minors; they will also be required to report without delay to the proper authorities anyone seen engaging in such behavior.” The Board of General Superintendents (statement from M11 conference in Louisville)

The West Texas Children and Youth Ministries partner with MinistrySafe for our online sexual abuse training. MinistrySafe is a tool to help churches begin the process of protecting the children and youth in their ministries. The West Texas Ministry Safe Training Team (MST) will be working with each church on the district that ministers to children to begin (or update) this process at their local church.

We will be taking the following approach.

Step 1 – Every Senior/Lead Pastor communicates with the West Texas Ministry Safe Training Team (MST) a list of pastoral staff, leaders, or volunteers who minister with children or youth (18 years of age or younger). All Senior/Lead Pastors are required to complete the training regardless if they directly minister to children/youth or not.

• Provide First/Last Name, working email, preferred language, and identify if Sexual Abuse Awareness Training (AWT) or Skillful Screening Training (SS) is required.
• Please note, Skillful Screening is required for all senior/lead pastors and anyone who screens/hires/fires staff or volunteers who will be ministering to children/youth.
• 
  

Step 2 – The MST will send a training email to each person’s email provided from Step 1. This email will include a link for each individual to complete the training. If there are individuals who do not have a working email, the senior pastor (or delegate) can contact the MST to discuss an alternative approach for training.

Step 3 – Each individual will open the link provided (open the link only once). They are to watch all seven videos and then complete the online quiz. This will take approximately one hour to complete the entire process for Sexual Abuse Awareness Training. (Senior Pastors are provided a separate link to complete the Skillful Screening Training).

Step 4 – The MinistrySafe system will notify the MST that the training is completed. The Team will update records and notify West Texas Kids Treasurer to initiate payment from local churches.

Step 5 – West Texas Kids Treasurer, Candace Clem ([email protected]), will coordinate with each local church to pay for the training. (Training costs $5 per MinistrySafe Awareness Training; $50 for Skillful Screening Training).

The MST is prepared to work with you as you conduct this process on the local level. See team contact information:

Mary Brewer - 817-915-5034 [email protected] Zones: Fort Worth, Lamesa, Metro Mid-Cities, Wichita Falls

Connie Lincecum - 817-240-4474 [email protected] Zones: Abilene, Amarillo, Arrowhead, Denton, High Plains, Lubbock



Jennifer Sommers – 817-919-8078 [email protected]

Regards,

Jennifer Sommers

West Texas District Children’s Director

Upcoming Events…Mark your calendars now!

• ACTIVATE 2023 - July 17-21, 2023 -Online registration will be up and ready in March 2023!
• BLAST! formerly Kids Fest at Lubbock First Church - March 3-4, 2023 - NEW things coming our way for this event beginning next year! Details coming soon.
• SPARK - Regional Children’s Leaders Event at Arrowhead Camp - March 16-18, 2023

Contact Jennifer Sommers for more information - [email protected]

• WTX KidMin Journey - virtual small group for any children’s leaders and volunteers on the district! Join anytime. Click here for details.
• WTX Ministry Leader Opportunity - deadline to join is December 20th. Click here for details.

Brighter Girls Conference ’23 is our teenage girls' annual time of getting together as young women of Christ who strive to find intentional time with Jesus!

This is a weekend of growing not only spiritually but together making new relationships our students can keep throughout the years. Brighter is open for female students in 6th - 12th grade. Hosted by Lubbock First Friday, February 10th - Sunday, February 12th. The cost is $65 (student/sponsor) more details and contact information can be found here.

Payment Dates for those who are attending:



March 15th - a $350 payment

April 15th - a $400 payment

May 15th - a $350 payment (whole trip paid in full on this date!)

Payments can be done 1 of 2 ways:

NYC PayPal Link:

https://paypal.me/wtxnyi?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US

CHECK PAYMENT:

Make check out to “WTNYI” memo “NYC students name”

Mail To: 

Lubbock FCN

C/o Kelsea Beville

6110 Chicago Ave.

Lubbock, Texas 79424

February is Alabaster month. Such a worthy cause for all of us. Please promote this is your congregations. 

What is Alabaster?

The Alabaster Offering provides funds for property and buildings around the world. While we understand the church consists of the people of God and not a building, buildings erected for the purpose of ministry help provide a sense of permanence, functionally enhance ministry efforts, and convey an attitude that the Church of the Nazarene intends to "put down roots." 

Use of Alabaster funds

Alabaster funds are to be used for new churches to:

   •   Purchase a property or church building

   •   Purchase or build a church parsonage

   •   Build a church building

   •   Conversion of a property into a church gathering space

   •   Meet initial costs for renting a church meeting space for a limited period

Alabaster funds may also be used to:

   •   Purchase or build missionary homes

   •   Purchase or build regional or field missions facilities

   •   Build or repurpose buildings on Bible college campuses