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Dear Pastor/Friends,
It was awesome to be the speaker at our own district Man Camp this past weekend. It seemed like the Lord was with us in a powerful way with great music, wonderful fellowship, and awesome activities (including skeet, paintball, target shooting, fishing, golf, horseshoes table tennis, and a motorcycle ride!). Most importantly, the Lord blessed and anointed us…molding and shaping and healing hearts and minds. There were many victories at the altars! I am very grateful to Pastor Dwayne Edwards and his Man Camp leadership crew. Also, of course, the Arrowhead staff was wonderful. The food was outstanding. Praise the Lord!
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At the same time, our children’s Blast event was taking place in Lubbock. Our district children’s director, Pastor Jennifer Sommers, reports that they had a wonderful time with great competition and services. We are so grateful for all of the wonderful parents, pastors, and volunteers who make this event, under the Lord’s anointing, so wonderful each year.
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Two weekends ago, I had the opportunity to attend the annual on-site board meeting of the Cactus Nazarene Ministry Center Board. We were very pleased to welcome our newest board member, Dr. John Bowling, former president of Olivet Nazarene University. Our board chairperson, Dr. Larry Dunlap gave an OUTSTANDING challenge to the board regarding why we do what we do in Cactus. I would encourage you to read it by CLICKING HERE.
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Also that weekend, I had the great privilege of installing two new pastors in the Panhandle…in Wellington and in Pampa. In Wellington, Rev. Leah Fort, who served as interim pastor during the COVID years, was installed as the official pastor. The people have come to love and appreciate Leah and her husband, Mike, very much.
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In Pampa, we installed Pastor Michael James. Michael will be serving a two-point pastoral charge, including Pampa and his current pastorate, Stinett. I am very grateful for Michael’s willingness and enthusiasm regarding this big responsibility and significant workload.
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There is some very exciting news regarding Rescue Hill, our compassionate ministry reaching out to victims of human trafficking. As you know, RH provides emergency housing for human trafficking victims However…just this past week, Rescue Hill opened their new “Stabilization House,” which houses recovering victims for a more substantial period of time while they receive intense therapy and services helping them rebuild their lives. Here, at the “Starla House,” they can come to know the Lord and His mercies and regain a sense of control over their lives.
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Our team at the Starla House will also help them receive medical and dental services. I am so pleased at this development and proud of Steve and Amanda Pettit and the entire Rescue Hill team. This reminds me so much of the work of JT Upchurch and the original Berachah Home at Rescue Hill over a century ago. Thanks be to God!
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Pastor Mabure Atak has just returned from South Sudan where he and Pastors Michael Gatkek and Kor Chakud purchased and delivered three self-contained, generator-powered, sound systems to our sister churches in Aweil.
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You will recall the great offering we took at district assembly last year to fund this great project. We are very grateful to these good and courageous pastors for carrying out this important mission.
Finally, pastors, please take a look at the current allocation (budget) payment record by CLICKING HERE. This week, we’ve found a couple of situations where there is a discrepancy between our records and the local church's. Please make every effort to pay your budgets. To make sure late payments will be credited to your account, please carefully mark them, “2022-23 church year.”
For you and with you,
Pastor David Downs
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Our district finance team has prepared the West Texas District 2022-2023 "Funding The Mission" report as of March 9, 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.
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Year-end reports are due this Friday, March 10
Year-end report: please click here to download and save the reports to your computer. Once saved on your computer, you will be able to type right into the fields that need to be completed. When your reports are completed ( four documents: annual pastor's report, certificate of election, associate application (if applicable), deceased church members), save them again and then attach them in an email to Zack Smithson - [email protected]
Over the course of the last year the GMC has been updating the Annual Pastor’s report (APR) and made every effort to have it ready for the end of the church year. Unfortunately, we received an email that the APR will not be ready online. That is the reason the fillable APR is necessary and will be the way to submit your APR.
Church directory pages: Please click here to find your church page. If your church is not listed, there is a blank form for new churches started this year. Once you click on your local church report, click on file and then download it at a word doc (that will give you access to edit it), save it as 2023 (Church Name) Church Directory Page.
Once saved, fill out the highlight section, change the picture if that’s not the picture you want to use, and update the church directory information on the bottom. Once completed, save again and attach in an email back to Zack Smithson - [email protected]
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the district office or to district secretary, Zack Smithson.
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Childcare: Birth through 5th Grade
All children, birth through 5th grade, needing childcare at the West Texas Vision Conference and Assembly need to be pre-registered.
Parents may do this by contacting Children’s Pastor Bryson Turner at [email protected] or 325-660-2627.
Lubbock First Church of the Nazarene will provide snacks and juice for all the kids. They will also provide activities for kids through 5th grade. Activities will include movies, a Bible lesson, and crafts.
IMPORTANT: All children need to be pre-registered in order to secure a spot for childcare. Please share this information with everyone in your church who plans to bring children up to 5th grade to the Vision Conference and District Assembly. Otherwise, we may not be able to accommodate some children.
- When registering, please provide the following information: Home church
- Parents’ names
- Phone numbers – both home and cell phone numbers
- Parents’ e-mail address
- Each child’s name and age
- Wednesday Banquet: Yes or No
- General Rules: Children must be picked up during meal times – the childcare rooms will be closed.
- Please periodically check on your children. We will contact parents via text if a need arises, so please keep your phone handy but on silent during the sessions.
- Each child must be checked in and have a label completed each time.
- Children running fever or showing symptoms of illness will not be admitted into the childcare rooms. Children can return after they have been symptom free for 24 hours.
- Childcare will be available during the Wednesday Banquet. However, parents must bring a sack meal for each child and notify Pastor Bryson Turner when you register that they will be attending the banquet.
- Nursery – newborn through 2 years and 3-5 years of age. Please provide labeled, fully-stocked diaper bag including a change of clothes.
- Please provide labeled snacks, drinks, and sippy-cup.
- Since it is difficult to locate Conference/Assembly participants, please make regular checks on your children.
Childcare up to 5th grade will be provided on Thursday night, since that will be a very lengthy service.
Provided:
- Adult Supervision
- TV / VCR
- Worktables
Feel free to send the following labeled items with your children:
- Homework
- Electronics with headphones
- Non-athletic activities
- Labeled snacks and drinks.
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2023 Vision Conference
Hotel Blocks
Best Western Plus Lubbock Windsor Inn
5410 Interstate 27
Lubbock, TX 79404
(806)776-1494
Block rate: $89
Call the hotel to make reservations and mention room block:
2023 Vision Conference and District Assembly.
Book by March 21st
Holiday Inn Express Lubbock West
6023 45th St
Lubbock, TX 79407
Block rate: $99
806-687-2600
2023 WT Vision Conference
Book by March 25th
Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Lubbock Southwest
6435 50th St.
Lubbock, TX, 79407
(806) 993-9000
Block rate: $119 - $129
WTX Vision Conference 2023
Book by March, 28th
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BLAST 2023
Lubbock First Church hosted the West Texas kids at their annual Kids Fest event the first weekend of March. We had churches from all over the district come and participate in this event, now called BLAST, which stands or Bible Quizzing, Living on Mission, Academics, Sports Competition and Talent. Kids in 1st-6th grade could participate in our District Quiz preparing for this June’s World Quiz, Talent events including music, art and drama, Speed Math, and different Sports competitions including our Free Throw Contest, Four-Square Tournament and Pinewood Derby. We also offer two worship services, missions on-site and prayer stations for families to engage in during the weekend.
This year we had a special guest come and share a Biblical drama from the view of a 1st century carpenter who worked with Joseph and watched Jesus grow up. This man eventually moved to Jerusalem and was forced to make crosses for the Romans, and one day had to make Jesus’ cross. The families were able to see and hear what it might have been like to live in those times and how this man felt knowing that he made the cross Jesus would die on for him and his sins. It was a powerful service and many kids and their parents came to the altar to thank God and receive salvation Friday evening and again on Saturday during our second service.
The on-site missions projects were making blankets for a local medical facility and the people that come to receive their dialysis during the week and making cards for first responders that churches took home to share in their own communities.
Mark your calendars now for BLAST 2024 - the first weekend of March!
Coming Soon!
SPARK Regional Children’s Leaders Retreat - March 16-18 at Arrowhead Camp. Online event available as well.
Mission Offering Results for 2022 - video link https://youtu.be/AhisNYKBe0E Special thanks to all the WTX Churches that participated in last year’s mission offering for Arrowhead Camp and Retreat Center.
Mission Offering Promo for 2023 - video link - https://youtu.be/Yk0l-Dmp-M4 This year West Texas Kids Ministry will be supporting the Kids Reaching Kids Mission Offering - Camping with Jesus. Details will be available on the district website soon!
Family Camp - June 25-30 Nursery and kids church workers needed. Contact Jennifer Sommers for details [email protected]
ACTIVATE-kids camp - July 17-21 Camp Promo video - https://youtu.be/6CsSqaLvXbE to share in your churches! Registration will be open in the coming weeks - register and pay online at www.westexnaz.org This year’s theme is Team Jesus! John 14:6
Jennifer Sommers
Family/Children’s Pastor
Generations Church of the Nazarene
[email protected]
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NYC 2023
Our next payment deadline is soon approaching! Each Student and Sponsor must have AT LEAST $1,000 paid towards NYC by MARCH 15th.
Upcoming Payments:
April - $400 payment ($1,400 paid towards trip)
May 15th - $350 payment (whole trip paid by this date. So if you have those who registered after October 15th they would need to make a $500 payment here to pay off the total of $1850)
Extravaganza
Registration deadline is March 12th! Please let Pastor Michael Preston know if your church is planning on going and what time you are arriving. If you have any questions please reach out to him.
Crave
Save the date June 19th-23rd. More details to follow. If you want to be a part of the Crave Camp planning meeting, let Pastor Michael know.
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West Texas Vision Conference & District Assembly:
April 19-21, 2023
Pastors & NMI Presidents, please share this information with everyone in your church who plans to attend the Vision Conference and District Assembly.
Banquet:
There will be a banquet at Lubbock First Church of the Nazarene on Wednesday evening, April 19 at 5:30 PM. The banquet is open to all pastors and church staff, ex officio and elected delegates, anyone involved in NMI, NYI, NDI, Children’s Ministries, members of the District Advisory Board, spouses, and all attendees of the Vision Conference.
Seating is limited to the first 320 people who register and pre-pay for their tickets. The price is $15 per ticket. This is a bargain, considering most restaurants have raised their prices, yet we have NOT! The commute is only a few steps down the hall, and the company is the best.
To ensure that the caterer prepares enough food, all banquet tickets must be purchased in advance. Please have one person from your church purchase all of the banquet tickets for your church’s attendees. Click on the link below to purchase your tickets and pay for them using either a credit card, debit card, or PayPal account:
One designated person should pick up all of the tickets for your group at the ticket booth in the NMI registration area before 2:00PM on Wednesday at Lubbock First Church.
NMI President's Love Offering:
Annually in the month of March, all WTD churches are invited to send a Love Offering for the District NMI President for her excellent leadership. And some of you have already sent in your checks! Thank you!
Rev. Amanda Pettit serves all year long - not just during Vision Conference - as our NMI President. She receives no salary for her tireless efforts to promote and support Nazarene Missions International. If you have not already done so, please plan to mail your church's generous Love Offering by March 31. Make the check payable to "West Texas District NMI" and note that it's for the NMI President's Love Offering. Mail it to:
WEST TEXAS DISTRICT CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
ATTN: KATRINA MARTIN, NMI TREASURER
860 AIRPORT FRWY SUITE 206
HURST TX 76054-3273
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2023
April 19-21 Vision Conference and District Assembly, Lubbock First Church
April 30 SNU Sunday
June 11-16 General Assembly, Indianapolis, IN
June 19-23 CRAVE Youth Camp, Arrowhead Camp & Retreat Center
June 25-30 Family Camp, Arrowhead Camp & Retreat Center
July 4-9 Nazarene Youth Conference, Tampa Bay, FL.
July 17-21 ACTIVATE Kids Camp, Arrowhead Camp & Retreat Center
July 27-29 Women of Worth Retreat and Conference, Wichita Falls
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[806 Airport Fwy., Suite 206, Hurst, TX 76054 ] [817-479-8611] [westexnaz.org] | | | | |
