August/September 2024

CENTRAL GULF COAST

CONNECTION

The Lord is doing great things on the Central Gulf Coast district. We had an amazing Mission Area Tour, “Movement from Attractional to Missional Ministry.” It was well attended as we discussed opportunities to be more mission minded. 

Jamie and I attended Youth Camp and Children’s Camp. We have some amazing youth and children on the CGC. The Lord moved in mighty ways at both camps.

TEAM DAY is right around the corner. You don’t want to miss this great time of worship and discipleship. It will be August 10 at River Region Church of the Nazarene in Millbrook, AL. Registration is currently open.

Rev. Ryan Brown

District Superintendent

Join me in giving a great big CGC welcome to some new pastors on the district:

·      Pastor Anderson Perez at Moundville COTN

·      Rev. Angela Stephens at Pace New Faith COTN

·      Pastor Blas Garcia at Iglesia Manantial de Vida Nazareno

·      Rev. Robert Prater at Roanoke COTN

·      Rev. Sam Evans at Ridgeville COTN

Churches in Transition:

Please continue to pray for our Tuscaloosa Holten Heights and Landmark churches as they continue to pray about their next pastor. 

You can still register for Team Day for $20 per person, including lunch. Where else, for this price and at this convenient location, will you find high-quality training by experienced professionals for your church leadership and laypersons?

In addition to two keynote messages from Rev. H. Lamar Smith, the following workshops are scheduled:

Session 1

1.     NYI: “We Are CGC”

2.     NDI: “Using Social Media & Other Digital Resources Within the Church”

3.     Children’s Quizzing

4.     NMI: “Making Mission Areas Missional”

5.     Hispanic Ministries

6.     Ministers in Training (for Ministerial Students)

7.     NDI: “Trauma Informed & Inclusive Children’s Ministry”

Session 2

1.     Teen Quizzing

2.     NYI: “What are your talents?”

3.     “New Pastors’ Orientation”

4.     “Paying the Preacher: Structuring Pastoral Compensation for Maximum Benefit”

5.     “NazSafe Training”

6.     NMI: “Making Mission Areas Missional”

7.     NDI: “Using Social Media & Other Digital Resources Within the Church”

Full details, including schedule, workshop descriptions and registration forms are available on the CGC district website: 

https://centralgulfcoast.org/events/2024/8/10/team-day-2024

M25 CONFERENCE - FEB 2025 - KANSAS CITY, MO

EARLY BIRD PRICING $79 - CLICK IMAGE BELOW TO REGISTER

M25 is a USA/Canada Regional quadrennial Nazarene conference focused entirely on evangelism. It will further the Regional Vision, our CoRe Strategy of the Cycle of Resurgence, and in particular our 2025 emphasis of Bringing People to Jesus. The agenda will include plenary speakers, break-out workshops, affinity group meetings and corporate worship times. Pastors, Lay Leaders, and Students will leave this conference encouraged, equipped, empowered and ready to engage in new ways of Bringing People to Jesus.

ATTENTION CHURCH TREASURERS

In order to receive proper credit for NTS/NBC gifts, reporting should be done as follows:

All gifts to NTS or NBC must be reported on the Funding the Mission website via the point to point reporting method. These gifts will be credited as approved point to point giving.

AUDIT OF TREASURER'S BOOKS

Every church is advised to conduct an annual audit of the financial records of the treasurer(s) of the church. This includes the NYI, NDI, NMI, Nazarene childcare/schools, and any other financial records of the church as mandated in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene. 



CHURCH PROOF OF INSURANCE & INCORPORATION PAPERS

The District Advisory Board requests that all churches provide proof of insurance, in addition to filing incorporation papers at the District Office; unless your church has already done so.

Nazarene Discipleship Ministries (NDI)

Brian Aaron, District NDI President

We experienced another wonderful District Kids Camp at Camp Baldwin, July 22-25, with 93 in attendance. Our theme, “Game On,” encouraged the kids to "power up" for next level living. Each service featured a different speaker with Pastors Kevin Coberly (Fort Walton Beach), Jacob Hill (Pensacola Ensley), Blake Mohling (East Brewton), Sarah Lynch (Pensacola Ensley), Ryan Brown (District Superintendent), and Laura Kramer (Praise Park). The kids learned more about following Christ and growing closer in their walk with Him. Twelve children were saved at camp this year!

Our kids learned a new memory verse each day and played fun games to learn them. Because they did such an excellent job they got to dump a giant bucket of ice water on Pastor Blake at the end of the week. We had great music led by Blake Mohling, Laura Kramer (Praise Park), and Sarah Reyes (Mobile 1st), a Bible Quizzing demonstration with Pastor Bill Hamby, and an upcoming NYI meeting with Pastor Susan Sawyer. We are thankful for how God moved at children’s camp!

We also had a lot of great games, joke-telling, a campfire, challenge course, photo/video scavenger hunt, lake time, and pool time. A big thanks to all the churches who sent kids to camp and to the wonderful counselors who served. We hope you’ll make plans to join us for camp next year, July 21-24, 2025 at Camp Baldwin!

Camp Directors,

Pastor Blake and Rachel Mohling

Begin now praying and planning to give to the ALABASTER OFFERING in September.  Giving to Alabaster is part of being a Mission Priority One Church.

 Alabaster funds are 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

Deputation with REV. GARY & PENNEY SIDLE is scheduled for Feb 2-Feb 9, 2025.  There are still some openings, and we need to fill all of these dates. If you are interested in having them at your church or mission area, please contact Sheryl Cullifer at 334-333-3770 (phone or text) or email at timnsheryl@centurytel.net. Thanks to those who have already confirmed having them.  

DEPUTATION SCHEDULE

FEB 2 AM Tuscaloosa Cross Pointe

FEB 2 PM Columbiana

FEB 3 PM OPEN

FEB 4 PM Huguley/Lanett/Landmark

FEB 5 PM Roanoke/Rock Mills

FEB 6 PM Capital City Mission Area

FEB 7 PM OPEN

FEB 8 PM OPEN

FEB 9 AM Praise Park, Selma

FEB 9 PM East Brewton

Don’t forget to connect with Ben and Hannah Ponder, our Links Missionaries serving in Serbia. It’s not too late to connect with them to help them celebrate a birthday or anniversary. An email to them just to let them know you are praying for them is a tremendous encouragement. Mark your calendar for Ben and Hanna’s birthdays coming up in December: Ben on Dec 21 and Hannah on Dec 26. Let’s shower them with prayers and our love for the remaining months of this year. Contact them by email: hponder@eurasiaregion.org or bponder@eurasiaregion.org. Connecting with our missionary family is part of being a Mission Priority One Church.  

This year's teen camp truly lived up to its theme - LEGENDARY!

It was a Legendary week growing spiritually and as a community. With 68 teens attending, we more than doubled our 2023 teen camp numbers. We were the church and lived out our mission of doing ministry together by having Austin Lockard, teen from Pace New Faith, and Pastor Kevin Coberly from Fort Walton Beach as our speakers. Trevecca's worship band Refuge and Student Ministry Team (SMT) joined us for the week. We are witnessing growth in the local church and it is overflowing into our district events, these are exciting days!

Teens participate in open/closing and lunch at Team Day as usual with adults, but during breakout sessions will participate in team building, talent workshop and sport clinics. This will be a time of building relationships with teens and adult volunteers, while also exploring how we can use our talents from God for God as a community with our teens as active participants in our local churches and districts.

Nazarene Youth Conference is for high school students from across the US and Canada. NYC26 will be July 1- 5, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Though it is two years away, it is a great time to start raising funds for this life changing event. 

HOLD THESE DATES

Preaching Conference

Oct 8

Experience Trevecca Day

Oct 19

TNU Board of Trustees

Oct 31-Nov 2

Homecoming

Nov 1-2

Trevecca Nazarene University

333 Murfreesboro Road

Nashville, TN 37210

Admissions: 800-210-4TNU

www.trevecca.edu

Contact the District Ministry Resource Center

Phone: 334.365.3188

Email: office@centralgulfcoast.org

Website: www.centralgulfcoast.org

Facebook: Central Gulf Coast Nazarenes

Newsletter editor: Becky Shobe, Communications Coordinator

cgcnaz.communications@gmail.com