LEADERSHIP UPDATE of the Southeast Region
Volume 4,
Issue 1
January 2009
Pastors:
Please distribute this to your delegates, leaders & congregation
BE STICKY
THIS JANUARY
For many, theres a natural let-down
following the holiday season. Our blood sugar levels have roller coasted
through far too many holiday treats and sweets. Were tired of shopping - even
for bargains. And were ready to pack away all the Christmas stuff and get our
homes and lives back to normal.
Even in our churches, there may be a
feeling of relief that the holiday season is over, if weve over-extended our
congregation with a myriad of celebrations and programs that we offered in attempts
to serve the CEO crowd (Christmas and Easter Only attendees) during December.
Ah, now for a few quiet months until Lent and Easter come our way . . . .
Surprisingly, researchers tell us
that January is actually a more fruitful time for personal and local church outreach
than Christmas or Easter. Where neighbors and relatives might attend a seasonal
church event out of obligation or tradition, there is often no stickiness - the
attendees dont come back. But its different in January. Many people are
looking for support to keep New Years resolutions, and often they wait until after
the first of the year to seek help with problems or answers to their questions
about spirituality.
Recognizing and responding to the
felt-needs of those in your surrounding community during January can result
in January stickiness curious neighbors and visitors who return for repeat
visits and begin developing relationships with others in your church. And
thats where opportunities open up to delve beneath the surface needs of life, providing
time to share at deeper levels about the One who came to be their Immanuel.
Here are just a few simple
suggestions for increasing your January Stickyness quota (adapted from Outreach
magazines Idea Bank):
CREATIVE
SERMON SERIES: Speak to peoples felt needs in a new years sermon series.
Example: Lifestyle Garage Sale Get Rid of the Junk sermon series of how to
let go of fear, grudges, jealousy, etc. Include a community garage sale where
people can swap stuff or designate profits for a local shelter or food bank.
FITNESS:
offer a weight-loss or stop smoking support group, aerobics class, etc.
FINANCES:
offer a short term course on debt reduction and budgeting. Crown Ministries offers
a 4 session Road to Financial Freedom
course (www.crown.org) and Dave Ramsey offers a 13 week Financial Peace University (www.daveramsey.com/fpu/church)
EXPLORING
FAITH: A book study such as The Purpose
Driven Life might provide a venue for discussion and reflection for those
exploring the Christian faith.
Of course, the greatest outreach
tool is ourselves, not a program or a course or a sermon series. Jesus said it
well in Matthew 5: 13 16 a life lived as salt and light is the not only
sticky, it is also attractional.
Supt/ Darrel Riley
Encourage your
congregation to begin the new year praying daily for President elect Barack
Obama and his team of advisors. Weekly prayer guide: www.presidentialprayerteam.org.
INWARDLY
HEALTHY & OUTWARDLY FOCUSED:
MISSIONAL RESOURCES
& OPPORTUNITIES
SUPER SALAD BOWL to fight HUNGER in
On Super Bowl Sunday, February 1,
churches in the Southeast Region are being challenged to respond to this food
crisis. Why not organize a Soup or Salad luncheon right after church or at game
time, with all donations going to Haiti Hunger Relief. Give big we have set a
goal of raising at least $12,000. A poster PDF has been sent to all pastors for
publicity. Review the DVD Help Haiti Heal sent out this
fall. Make it a truly Super Sunday!
UNVEILED FACES: Reflect Gods
Glory (new 2009 Missions Packet):
In mid December all senior pastors /
churches were mailed the 2009 Missions Resource Packet. This years theme Unveiled
Faces, reminds us that all believers from those stateside in the
local church, to missionaries abroad, to national leaders have the privilege
of reflecting God to others (2
Corinthians 3:18). The packet provides helps for all ages (preschool
adult), for use in morning worship, small groups, teen and childrens programming
for an entire year. Some of the resources included are the following:
Introduction
to FMWM, local church missions team resources, prayer guides, etc.
Twelve
2 - 3 minute DVD segments of FM ministries around the world view one each
month in coordination with the provided Window
to the World monthly bulletin inserts.
Resource
CD: 4 Bible studies, stories, graphics, photo gallery of 800 missions
photos, drama script, kids activity
pages & Africa curriculum, youth helps, missions sermons
Individualized
missionary posters, PowerPoint slides, maps, information on countries
KATRINA RECOVERY: THE
BIG PUSH
Katrina may seem like old news, but
3 years later, over 9,000 FEMA trailers & MEMA cottages are still
occupied in
Pull together a team and come to
PARTNER with our
SOUTHEAST REGION MISSIONARIES:
Recent
newsletters, blogs and support information on each family are available on-line
at www.fmwm.org
(then click on Missionaries tab). You can also email them:
Josh & Susy
Fajardo (
Josh will be a featured speaker at a national
FM Hispanic Missions Conference hosted by Tampa First Spanish the weekend of
February 6 - 8. Translation into English provided.
Mike & Maria
Long (
The Longs are stateside, and scheduled to
speak in Georgia New Years Eve Jan 4, in
Jack & Jeanne
Munos (
Donate big to Haiti Hunger Relief on Super
Bowl Sunday at a Soup er Salad Bowl event.
BE FILLED and SPILLED in the NEW YEAR
2009: EVERY
PERSON A PASSIONATE
PRAY-ER
Pray
daily for the following churches. Use the Southeast Region Pictorial Directory
to visualize each pastor as you pray. Send greetings to one another. When you
are the prayer focus, please contact the Rileys to share your personal &
church prayer requests.
|
JANUARY 2009 |
|
AL-GA or GCC CONFERENCE |
|
Dec
28, 2008 Jan
3, 2009 |
Bishop David
Kendall &
Lavone Bishop David Roller
&
Yvonne Bishop Matt Thomas & Marlene Supt. Darrel Riley & Peggy riley661@yahoo.com |
Bishop David
Kendall &
Lavone Bishop David Roller
&
Yvonne Bishop Matt Thomas & Marlene Supt. Darrel Riley & Peggy riley661@yahoo.com |
|
Jan
4 - 10 |
DL
& Pastor Roberto Silva (Creuzeli) drrobertosilva@comcast.net |
Acme, LA: Acme FMC Pastors
Wade & Cindy Robinson |
|
Jan
11 - 17 |
Pastor
Steve Bell (Emily) Bellsj@aol.com |
DL
& Pastor Monty Bower (Jo) |
|
Jan
18 - 24 |
Brandon, Cristo La
Senda CPP Pastor
Sergio Peralta (Hicy) cristolasenda@hotmail.com Nicolas
Collado (Maria) NicTampaMinistry@aol.com |
Pastor
Fred Summers (Faye) |
|
Jan
25 31 DLEE
Jan 26 - 28 |
District Leader
Equipping Event, Ron
Balzer Wes King Rex
Bullock Belarminio
Martinez Emmanuel
Eugene Roberto Silva |
District Leader
Equipping Event, GA:
Brad Wilcox GCC:
Monty Bower |
TRAINING EVENTS
& RESOURCES:
FM INTENSIVE CLASSES
in
Two
intensive classes will be offered at Asbury Seminary, Orlando Campus for 3
days. Both courses will be taught at the same time on Thursday Saturday,
Jan 22 24. Select one class and contact Supt. Riley immediately at
407-277-1428 to participate, as class text books need to be pre-ordered and
read before coming to class. Lodging & meal information will be sent with
class textbook lists:
FM History & Polity taught by
Supt. Darrel Riley
Wesleyan
Theology taught
by Dr. Wes King
MINISTRY CONFERENCE
at ASBURY SEMINARY,
Feb.
2 4: Kingdom Encounter Reaching the World conference,
with an emphasis upon multi-cultural ministry and globalization, will be held
at Asbury Seminary, Orlando. Check out details at www.asburyseminary.edu/kingdom-encounter.
Registration is $125.
FREE DEMOGRAPHICS
& INFO PACKET:
Find
out the profile of your neighbors to better meet their needs. Apply for a free
demographics and info packet for the area immediately surrounding your church.
Limit: one per congregation. http://www.mappingcenter.org/citoutreachfd.html.
Thanks Pastor Jon Howery for sharing this tool by Outreach & Evangelism
Newsletter from Christianity Today.
MAKING A
LIST, AND CHECKING
IT TWICE!
Ushering in a new year requires the
completing of a few reports by those in church leadership. Pastors and
delegates should check this list twice when meeting to talk and pray together
at your January Monthly On Purpose meeting. All forms are due in January. Contact Peggy at riley661@yahoo.com
or call 407-277-1428 if you need additional copies of any form. The On
Purpose Process Forms are also available online at the southeast
regional website - seregionfmc.org.
q
On
Purpose Process: Annual Form
Local church pastors and delegate(s) are to
be involved in a year-long On
Purpose Process of meeting together monthly to evaluate your
congregations ministries and to pray. At the end of the year, each churchs
leadership was to have completed the Annual On Purpose Form together,
which guides congregations through a process of assessing ministries in 2008
and hearing from God what their priorities should be for 2009. Pastors are to
bring / send a copy of the Annual On Purpose Report to their
District Leader as follows:
AL
Pastors send a copy of the report to Andy Bunn by Friday, January 23rd.
GA
Pastors send a copy of the report to Brad Wilcox by Friday, January 23rd.
GCC
Pastors turn in the report to Monty Bower by Friday, January 23rd.
SAC
Pastors turn in the report at a January
Regional Training Event location:
Sat., Jan 10: West Coast: St. Pete
Cornerstone, 9:30 - lunch
Sat, Jan 17: S Florida:
Mon, Jan 19:
q
Year
End Report: 2008 statistics filed electronically with
Each January a statistical review of
your church from the previous year needs to be filed on-line with our
denomination in preparation for publishing a new Yearbook. The statistical form
is available in English and Spanish.
(HINT: The statistics chart on your Monthly On Purpose Forms will help
you complete this Year End Report.). Pastors needing someone to file
electronically for them should contact their District Leader; SAC pastors can
bring a hardcopy of their completed form to the January Regional Training Event
and it will be electronically filed for you.
q
Appointments
Reports: 2009 Confidential Reports & Benefits Changes
Pastors and delegates need to submit
their hopes regarding the upcoming Annual Conference pastoral appointments to
the superintendent by January 31.
Return a completed Confidential Report to Supt. Riley at riley661@yahoo.com
or mail to
Additionally, those pastors enrolled
in the pension program who have a change of status or salary beginning in 2009,
need to complete the Notice of Change of Status or Benefit Form
and send it to HR (Human Resources) in
q
FMWM
Support for 2009 (Free Methodist World Missions)
Youve
received the 2009 Unveiled Faces packet. Respond to FMWM to indicate your
anticipated 2009 missions support. Congregations are encouraged to provide
financial support for FM missions in three ways:
Missionary
Support (support of specific missionaries & their families)
Country
Shares (fund basic ministries in a specific country - hospitals, schools)
Extra
Mile Projects (above-and-beyond designated, bonus project giving).
Questions?
Contact FMWM at 1-800-342-5531 or www.fmwm.org
INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE NEWS
Reminders:
Light & Life Work
Team Projects:
If your church facility or parsonage needs work and you need extra help
tackling the project, send your written request, detailing project needs, to
the Financial Office, attention Marge Lehman, at 5421
Upcoming Dates:
JANUARY REGIONAL TRAINING EVENT DATES & LOCATIONS:
Bring a copy of your
completed Annual On Purpose Form for
your DL;
Optional: bring a
hard copy of your 08 Year End Report if you
need help filing online
Sat, Jan 10: West
Coast Site: at St Pete: Cornerstone (Pastor Rex Bullock)
Gather
9:30am, meeting 10am lunch.
Sat, Jan 17:
Mon, Jan 19: Central
FL Site at
MISSIONS STRATEGIC PLANNING with Bishop Roller & Area
Director Dr. Neuch-Olver:
Fri Sat, Feb 13 - 14:
Cabinet
Mtg. Saturday 9:30am lunch. BOA Mtg. to follow after lunch.
Fri - Sat, April 24 25: ANNUAL CONFERENCE at Light & Life
FMC in
Thurs Sat, May 14 16: SAC LADIES RETREAT at the
Thurs Mon, June 11 15: SAC YOUTH CAMP: REFUEL at
Other Events Happening Around the SAC:
Dr. Jeffrey Johnson will lead daily morning
Bible Study
Bishop Matthew Thomas will be the evening
speaker each night
St. Pete: Cornerstone
Missions
Conference is Fri Sun, Jan 30 Feb 1
INDIVIDUAL CONFERENCE
NEWS
Fri
Sun, Feb. 20 - 22: Pastors & Spouses
Retreat:
AL-GA and GCC pastors & spouses
will come together Friday PM Sunday afternoon, Feb 20 - 22, at the Edgewater
Beach Resort on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico in Panama City Beach, FL
(11212 Front Beach Rd., Panama City Beach, FL 32407; ph: 850-235-7380) for a
time of replenishing and challenge. Supt. Darrel and Peggy will lead the 3 day,
2 night retreat, focused upon the theme: Passion for One, Compassion for All.
Two couples will share each 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom fully equipped condo. There
will be planned worship and meeting times, as well as free time for couples to
relax.
The deadline for turning in your
$180/couple fee (made out to Gulf Coast Conference) and registration form to
the Rileys is Friday, Jan 16.
UPCOMING AL-GA
CONFERENCE DATES:
Wed., Jan 16: Registration deadline
to Supt. Riley for the Pastors &
Spouses Retreat.
Fri, Jan 23: Deadline for local church Annual
On Purpose Process form to your DL.
Sat, Jan 31: Deadline for the filing of the following
forms:
2008 Year End Report for local churches
to be filed electronically with
2009 Confidential Reports for appointed clergy
to be send to Supt. Darrel Riley
Sun,
Feb 1: Super Salad Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday to
raise funds for Haiti Hunger
Fri
Sun, Feb 20 22:
Pastors & Spouses Retreat: Passion for One, Compassion for All
Sun
Mon, Mar 15 - 16:
Supt Riley meets Sunday with Executive
Team Mtg & holds MEG
Interviews; combined Pastors Meeting on Monday AM.
Fri
Sat, May 1 - 2:
ANNUAL CONFERENCE at
UPCOMING
Wed., Jan 16: Registration deadline
to Supt. Riley for the Pastors &
Spouses Retreat.
Fri, Jan 23: Deadline for local church Annual
On Purpose Process form to your DL.
Sat, Jan 31: Deadline for the filing of the following
forms:
2008 Year End Report for local churches
to be filed electronically with
2009 Confidential Reports for appointed clergy
to be send to Supt. Darrel Riley
Sun,
Feb 1: Super Salad Bowl on Super Bowl Sunday to
raise funds for Haiti Hunger
Fri
Sun, Feb 20 22:
Pastors & Spouses Retreat: Passion for One, Compassion for All
Fri,
March 6: Administrative
Sat, March 7: I AM
THE CLAY workshop led by spiritual director Jane Knight, at the Pineville:
Edgewood FMC. This is a hands-on, experience in renewal for all adults. This
event will take the place of our March Pastors meeting. Cost: $15. Invite other
adults in your church to attend with you!
Sun, Apr 19 or 26: Family
Camp Sunday: testimonies and special offering for 09 camp
Mon
Fri, June 8 12: FAMILY CAMP at the
Fri
- Sat, June 19 - 20: ANNUAL CONF. with Bishop Roller (