1 LEADERSHIP UPDATE of the Southeast Region (SER) Volume 10, Issue 7 GC15 REVIEW ISSUE August 2015 Pastors & Delegates: see that your ministry leaders & congregations get this newsletter What Is Your Definition of Success? It’s now August. The GC15 gathering has come and gone. It seems incredible that after over 2 years of intense preparation, that the 9 days of meetings and services which included Missions Trips, Freedom Summit, Annual Conferences and General Conference are all over. Certainly there are many indicators that GC15 was a huge “success.”-Registration numbers were nearly 3 times any previous General Conference. Unprecedented numbers of children and teens were involved in fantastic programs which provided age-appropriate challenge and networking. And new levels of partnership were experienced as Freedom Summit, missions work teams, and AFMEI school teams worked collaboratively to expand the GC15 experience, while also introducing themselves to attendees who were newer to Free Methodism. But honestly, I don’t think the true indicators of GC15’s “success” lie in what happened July 8 – 16. Rather, I think GC15’s “success” – or fruitfulness – will only be seen in the time between August 2015 – July 2019. Here are a few indicators of success I will be looking for within our AL-GA, Gulf Coast and South Atlantic Conferences between August and December: How many individuals within the Southeast Region – pastors, delegates, ministry leaders, and congregational attendees – will take the time to watch the 3 evening Celebration Services and 9 strategy summary presentations online? Which congregations will use the online Celebration Services & 9 strategic presentations as part of their church programming this fall – viewing during the Sunday School hour, or evening worship services, or small groups – to discuss and assess where they are “right on,” or where they need to change how they are doing ministry in a few specific ways? How will each church’s proposed 2016 budget, calendar & priorities be different from 2015 because of what they learned through GC15 resources? As a pastor for over 40 years, I have performed 100’s of weddings. One truth I know is that the size of the wedding party and the tastefulness of décor and food are absolutely no indicator of the “success” of the newlyweds’ future marriage. The day to day choices of whether the bride and groom will choose to defer to one another in love, develop unity of life priorities, and live out their vows in practical ways on a daily basis, FOLLOWING the wedding ceremony, are the only indicators of whether the “2 will become 1.” In the coming months, let’s remember that just as couples must leave the marriage ALTAR and begin ALTERING former life patterns, so too we need to go from the ALTAR of GC15 commitment, and start ALTERING how we live personally as followers of Jesus, and also how we serve as congregations of The Way, so that we might more fruitfully live out God’s unique purposes for us as His people, both as individuals and as congregations. Supt Darrel
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LEADERSHIP UPDATE of the Southeast Region (SER) Volume 10, Issue 7 GC15 REVIEW ISSUE August 2015
Pastors & Delegates: see that your ministry leaders & congregations get this newsletter
What Is Your Definition of Success?
It’s now August. The GC15 gathering has come and gone. It seems incredible that after over 2 years of intense preparation, that the 9 days of meetings and services which included Missions Trips, Freedom Summit, Annual Conferences and General Conference are all over.
Certainly there are many indicators that GC15 was a huge “success.”-Registration numbers were nearly 3 times any previous General Conference. Unprecedented numbers of children and
teens were involved in fantastic programs which provided age-appropriate challenge and networking. And new levels of partnership were experienced as Freedom Summit, missions work teams, and AFMEI school teams worked collaboratively to expand the GC15 experience, while also introducing themselves to attendees who were newer to Free Methodism.
But honestly, I don’t think the true indicators of GC15’s “success” lie in what
happened July 8 – 16. Rather, I think GC15’s “success” – or fruitfulness – will only be seen in the time between August 2015 – July 2019. Here are a few indicators of success I will be looking for within our AL-GA, Gulf Coast and South Atlantic Conferences between August and December:
How many individuals within the Southeast Region – pastors, delegates, ministry leaders, and congregational attendees – will take the time to watch the 3 evening Celebration Services and 9 strategy summary presentations online?
Which congregations will use the online Celebration Services & 9 strategic presentations as part of their church programming this fall – viewing during the Sunday School hour, or evening worship services, or small groups – to discuss and assess where they are “right on,” or where they need to change how they are doing ministry in a few specific ways?
How will each church’s proposed 2016 budget, calendar & priorities be different from 2015 because of what they learned through GC15 resources?
As a pastor for over 40 years, I have performed 100’s of weddings. One truth I know is that the size of the wedding party and the tastefulness of décor and food are absolutely no indicator of the “success” of the newlyweds’ future marriage. The day to day choices of whether the bride and groom will choose to defer to one another in love, develop unity of life priorities, and live out their vows in practical ways on a daily basis, FOLLOWING the wedding ceremony, are the only indicators of whether the “2 will become 1.”
In the coming months, let’s remember that just as couples must leave the marriage ALTAR and begin ALTERING former life patterns, so too we need to go from the ALTAR of GC15 commitment, and start ALTERING how we live personally as followers of Jesus, and also how we serve as congregations of The Way, so that we might more fruitfully live out God’s unique purposes for us as His people, both as individuals and as congregations.
Supt Darrel
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TWO VIDEO RESOURCES FOR YOUR CONGREGATION Sociologists tell us that every decade (ten years) a “new generation” is born, so if your systems or programming have not had an update in the past ten years, you are losing your influence upon an entire generation.
Here are two resources to check out and implement this fall. Be aware that you will be asked to describe how you are utilizing both resources in this coming December’s 2015 Year End Report:
GC15 NIGHTLY CELEBRATION SERVICES: The first resources from GC15 are now available. The Bishops
each spoke one evening on becoming WHOLE as we: Love God by Bishop Kendall Love People by Bishop Roller Make Disciples by Bishop Thomas
Pastors, by Labor Day, make sure you have previewed these 3 messages and you have determined how you will view / discuss them within your congregation this fall. (www.fmcusa.org.)
CHURCH TREASURERS TRAINING VIDEO COO Larry Roberts has developed a quick video guide for basic legal and financial fundamentals which should be followed by each FM congregation – regardless of size. As we begin a new Annual Conference year, it is a MANDATE that at least a team of 3 from each congregation watch the video (total 37 minutes) and then determine any changes in procedure which need to be made this fall. Your team of at least 3 should include your treasurer, and then include either a trustee, pastor, and/or BOA personnel. You can find the video by going to www.fmcusa.org/resources and then looking under
RESOURCES by TOPIC for ABC’s of Church Finance . . . What Church Treasurers Need to Know
EVERY PERSON PRAYING PASSIONATELY
Read Ephesians 3:20 – 21, then ask yourself:
“How can God do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine,
unless we have the nerve to ask and imagine?” Doug Newton
August 2015 SOUTH ATLANTIC CONFERENCE AL-GA or GCC CONFERENCE Aug 2 - 8 Holiday FMC
Those in the SER should have a well-deserved sense of satisfaction for “rolling out the red carpet” to host GC15 in our own backyard. Peggy and I are so proud of each of you for your prayers, hours of volunteer service, and availability to be “on call” for whatever last minute challenges arose. You represented Free Methodism at its best, and many people were introduced to our vibrant SER church family whom they had never met before. There were well over 200 key volunteers who contributed hours and hours of effort prior to, and during, GC15. In addition to up front worship team members Pastor William Pena (bass guitar, Hialeah New Vision Ministries) Dawn Salmons (vocalist, Orlando), and soloist Alex Silva, the following coordinators deserve our special thanks:
Pastor Jason Roberts of St Pete: Cornerstone Main Stage Producer of Grand Sierra sessions
Linda Hawkins of Holiday FMC PreEvents Asst & GC15 Welcome Teams Coordinator
Gwen Norheim Ocala Bread of Life Food Events & Private Meetings Coor.
Pastor Thad Roller of Tampa: Life Bridge Ministries Translation Equipment & Translator Coor.
REPORTS from TWO GC15 WORK TEAMS in FLORIDA
MINISTRY TEAM to HIALEAH, by leader Doug Ranck On July 10-15, a team of 37 individuals ranging in age from 8 to 56 years old traveled south to partner with New Vision Church in Hialeah. Team members were from Gearhartville PA, Pendleton OR, and Santa Barbara CA. Hialeah hosts Melvin Martinez and Lucy Rexach had prepared many strategic opportunities, including:
Working with the weekly church food bank, medical
assessment and assisted services. In addition a children’s
festival with bounce house, face painting, cotton candy and
snow cones were offered to families
Serving at Camillus House to feed and greet over 400
disabled people, rehab clients
and street people
Helping at the Miami Rescue Mission in serving another 400
friends without homes. Additionally we helped organize &
clean the associated thrift store
Loving and playing with children at HIS HOUSE foster care.
Serving New Vision Church in helping to clean up, assemble a
shed and organize things around the church property.
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It was an honor to work with the leadership of New Vision Church. They “bleed” strategy and intentionality. They called us “family” and we believed it.
As team members debriefed, it was clear they wanted to take Hialeah’s love and care for their community, home with us. It is our hope to see an ongoing partnership where the people of New Vision would send a team to our churches as well.
MINISTRY TEAM TO CENTRAL FL by Leader Bob Cannon Twenty six missioners traveled from seven churches in Philipsburg & Emporium PA; three Michigan churches in Deerfield, Boyne City and Niles; one church in Champaign IL and one church in Melbourne FL – to blend into a ministry force in Central FL. They packed relationship building, evangelism and service projects into five very full days of ministry.
At Fuego Church in Kissimmee, the team demolished the church kitchen which needed to be renovated, painted the nursery, and power washed
the exterior of the facility.
At Orlando First Church, they unloaded 150 pallets of supplies, served in Food Pantry Distribution, offered yard sale give aways, and provided a Prayer Table for intercession and counseling.
At Tampa First Church, the team organized a Family Fun Night complete with water slides, and did a myriad of service
projects including interior painting, building park benches and clearing brush, fence repair, yard work & clean up, and organizing materials in a large storage shed. A highlight was attending the Sunday English and Spanish services at Tampa.
During the debrief, team members voiced the desire to return and serve in other South Atlantic churches before the next General Conference, and to host a SAC missions team “up north.”
SOUTHEAST REGION ANNUAL CONFERENCE NEWS
At the combined SER Annual Conference on Sunday, July 12, it was announced that at the end of 2015, the shared administrative / financial oversight of the conferences in the EAST known as “The
WAVE” will end, and the Southeast Region will need to function as its own corporation beginning in 2016. AL-GA, the Gulf Coast, and South Atlantic Conferences will continue to share one supt. Bishop Roller recommended that Supt Riley’s current 4 year term be extended to 5 years, so the new corporation could be under Supt Riley’s oversight until 2019; approved. The role of Bob Cannon (the current SAC Business Administrator) will expand to include financial oversight of the AL-GA and Gulf Coast Conferences as well. In this new arrangement, monthly
EPP (Equal Participation Payments) will be sent to FL rather than New York beginning in January.
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SOUTH ATLANTIC NEWS:
ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATES Congratulations to the following individuals:
Newly ordained elders: Jonelle Marie Capitano, Fils Aime Darius, Daniel Jaquez, Indhira Mejia Jaquez, Rudy Marte and Nicole Marie Roller.
New CMCs: Maria Zoried Cruz and Demetrio Walters
Transfers received: Richard & Amanda Blue (CMCs) from the UMC, Guillermo Flores (E) from The River Conference, Jon Howery (E) from the Wabash Conf, and Daniel Norheim (E) from the Acts 12:24 Conf.
The following clergy were recognized as retired:
Leland Crist (E), Efrain Hernandez (E), Daniel Hummer (E) The following recently deceased clergy were also remembered:
Robert Andrews (E) Nov 11, 2014; Kenneth Henry (E) Aug 16, 2014; Thomas Johnston (D) Feb 14, 2015, and Henley Perry (LP) Nassau Bahamas (Feb 5, 2015)
SAC YOUTH CAMP 2015 It just ended Sunday evening, but Camp Director Jason Leadingham shared that this year’s BTG (Bridging the Gap) retreat was filled with first time salvation commitments as well as deeper discipleship decisions. Pray for those teens who made important choices. Pray for each weary, but happy, retreat worker!
BOA to MEET SAT, AUG 15: The BOA will meet at Lakeland Park in Maxwell Commons from 10am – 3pm. A major focus will be how to transition from the 2015 EAST “Wave” system to the new 2016 SER corporation, as well as learnings/highlights from GC15 to integrate into the SAC
FALL REGIONAL TRAINING EVENTS: PLAN TO ATTEND In order to have a strong start in the fall, reserve the following date NOW so you can participate: Sat, Aug 29: WEST Regional Training @ Tampa: Life Bridge Ministries (Pastor Thad Roller)
9602 Hulsey Rd. Tampa FL 33634
Sat, Sept 5: SOUTH Regional Training at Miami: Melrose (host Pastor Robert Lagrange) 3108 NW 34
th St. Miami FL 33142
Sat, Sept 12: CENTRAL Regional Training at Lakeland: Peak Worship (former site of Living Hope) 311 Granada St. Lakeland FL 33810
June 8 – 12: “UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT” An annual highlight in the Gulf Coast is Family Camp in June. For five days everything is put on hold and individuals pull in their campers or rent cottages for the week, and everyone lives together as family. There are lesson times and crafts for children, outrageous games and heartfelt talks with teens, and lots of Bible studies and discussion times for adults, all interspersed between swimming, canteen time and worship services. This year Bishop Roller and Supt Riley were our speakers; Yvonne Roller was the Camp Missionary.
JULY ANNUAL CONFERENCE UPDATES A combined Southeast Region Annual Conference was held Sunday, July 12, in Orlando FL. During the afternoon session Pastor Jimmie Freeman of Provencal, was received as a CMC from the Congregational Methodist Church, and that evening Pastor Mike McMullen of Martha’s Chapel was ordained as an elder.
Pastor Freeman VIDEO GAMING as a MEANS OF MINISTRY Any common interest or experience can potentially be a way to network with others for evangelism or discipleship. Pastor Mike McMullen is exploring ministry outreach through video gaming. Check out how he is utilizing the popular game MINECRAFT. Pastor Mike shares, “I have developed a server and coded the server to create a safe gaming environment where youth can connect together while in game play and encourage each other in the name of Christ through a gaming environment. It has been an intensive project and it is a completely free service, other than the player will have to purchase the game (which they probably already own) to attach to our server.” For more information go to http://www.fullyawakened.org/minecraft.html.
SAT, JUNE 20: TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS in Shreveport LA On June 20, 2015 New Vision Community Church-Shreveport sponsored its annual ummer community outreach event to 1500 city residents who were treated to free clothing, toiletry items, hot food, music, games, prayer and community resource agencies providing assistance with addictions, homelessness, health and wellness. 15 gave their lives to Christ while others were prayed with. Team members traveled from Dallas, TX, Virginia and Maryland to join in for this occasion. Held at "Orleans Field" on the property of Ernest's Orleans
Restaurant, all were blessed and looking forward to our next event.
