The Kerusso – October | 2019 Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”
We Need YOU! They’ve been called “The Greatest Generation” - folks who grew up in the 1920’s and 30’s who lived and served during the World War II era in the United States. They knew something that I think is increasingly lost these days; it takes ALL OF US working together to be successful. An iconic symbol during the war effort was “Rosie the Riveter.” While men went off to war, many women stepped up and joined the effort by working the factories and service industries that supported an unprecedented production explosion. What does that have to do with the EMC, you ask? Well, in a very real sense, “There’s a war on” still today. We are in a spiritual battle for the hearts and minds of men and women, boys and girls, as our adversary comes to attempt to “… kill, steal, and destroy.” (John 10:10). We know that in an ultimate sense, satan is a defeated foe; a vanquished enemy, but he is still working to distract or destroy as many of God’s people as he can. The Word of God admonishes us to “be sober, and vigilant” (1 Peter 5:8) in our efforts to thwart his goals. We need to step up, and stand together so that we can be useful to the Master in His grand work of building the church as a rescue station to seek and to save the lost. The Evangelical Methodist Church is just one small part of His grand and glorious church, but we have been commissioned to do our part, and in that great work each and every person in the EMC is important. WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER as brothers and sisters in the family of God, called together by our Father for the important task of taking people DEEPER IN CHRIST, and FURTHER IN MISSION.
Family.
That is what we are. We have been brought together by the Lord himself to love others on His behalf, welcome them into the family and then grow them up through discipleship, empowering them as contributing members so that the legacy of faith lives on. The only way we do that effectively is to be connected. Over the next 15 months, I am encouraging our Conference Superintendents, Pastors, and denominational leaders to think creatively about how we can increase and enhance the connection in and among the EMC Family. One of the ways we do that is to stay informed. Read about what is happening in our youth programs, missional efforts, and discipleship opportunities. Read the “Kerusso” … read “The Connection.” Pray earnestly when the Prayer Department sends a prayer request out to the family. Give when the Board of World Missions informs about specific needs. Go to youth camps and rallies, worship conferences, EMW retreats, and Revivals held in nearby churches. Get informed, and get involved. One of the most important things everyone can do is to GO TO THE JOURNEY MEETING NEAREST YOU. The Cabinet of Superintendents has asked General Council to approve FOUR Journey locations again in 2020. The goal is to host Journey meetings within a reasonable driving distance of all of our churches so that lay people can attend. And to that end, we have heard your feedback that the meetings should be closer to a weekend for those who work secular jobs. Each of the four Journey meetings will begin on Thursday evening and conclude on Saturday morning. The four locations and dates approved for 2020 are: 1 - Grace Church, Haltom City, TX – 4/23-4/25 2 - Lakeview Chapel, Lake Elsinore, CA – 4/30-5/2 3 - Gilham Community, Eugene, OR – 5/14-5/16 4 - Crosslink Church, Rutherford College, NC – 6/4-6/6 We would love to see our attendance double at our Journey meetings in 2020. And you can make that happen!!