The Kerusso | 2020 January

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2020

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The Kerusso – January | 2020 Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”

Looking forward into 2020 We are anticipating a great year in the EMC, and we very much want YOU to be a significant part of it. We are better together, because each of us bring gifts and talents that compliment and enhance the whole body. In our “Journey” meetings last year, we spent some time focusing on the value of COLLABORATION. This year, we expand on that general idea, recognizing the blessing of being a faith FAMILY. The logo that you’ll see over and again, especially connected to our 2020 Journey meetings celebrates our connectedness … WE ARE FAMILY. Families are made up of unique members, each contributing toward a much better and unified whole.

The EMC is just such a family. Each of our churches has its own special character, but we are united in our desire to see people born again and discipled as maturing believers growing in grace and sanctified living.

Just as we did in 2019, we will host 4 different “Journey” gatherings this year. By selecting regionally located host churches in the Northwest, Southwest, Central, and Eastern US, we hope to make it possible for ALL of our pastors and many, many lay people to gather with other EMC’ers for encouragement, edification, and fellowship.

Note -

DATE CHANGE

We have set a goal for 2020 to be the year that we experience a brand new influx of attendees from our churches. Our pastors are amazing, and they are required to come, but it is our lay-people that make the EMC the Family that it is.

So please know that our “Journey” meetings are NOT just for pastors and ministers.

This year, they are being specially designed to make them more engaging for all of the unique and wonderful people that make each EMC church a welcoming place for all people, right there in their own communities.

Each of the gatherings will begin Thursday evening and conclude by Saturday noon. We’ve been listening to your feedback, and hope that this new schedule will enable more working people to attend.

And in order to make it as affordable as possible for churches to bring many lay people, we are discounting the registration fee for multiple delegates. Registration is $40 per person, which will include two on-site meals this year, but for any church that registers 5 lay delegates (for $200), they may bring up to 8 people at no additional cost.

The Kerusso – January | 2020

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Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”

Changes Are Coming to Simplify End-of-Year Reporting for Credential Holders THE 2019/2020 REPORTS HAVE BEEN REVAMPED! You will still complete them online but now there are only two different forms to be completed - One unified Ministry Report Form for every credential holder to complete; and one Church Report Form for Senior Pastors in Evangelical Methodist Churches to complete.

Simply go to the EMC’s website at: https://emchurch.org/ministries/credential-churchreports and click on the link for either the ministry report or the church report. Please note - these are online report forms, and you cannot save a partially completed report.

Therefore, each report must be finished once you start it. If you must exit your web browser before finishing, you will need to start the report over. Once submitted, your report will automatically be emailed to the General Conference Secretary AND your Conference Superintendent.

BESIDES USING ONE UNIFIED FORM, THERE ARE OTHER CHANGES The one, redesigned ministry report works for ALL credential holders, so no matter what your current role or credential status is, this new report gathers the information we need.

AND, THIS NEW REPORT REQUIRES LESS STATISTICAL DATA This form does not ask for information such as jail service totals, etc., but encourages more narrative reporting. You can include the statistics you track in the narrative section if you wish, but we don't require it. As before, no report is required for Superannuated or Supernumerary ministers, however, we would appreciate hearing from you about any ministerial service, activities or functions you would like to tell us about.

Register NOW for a Pastor’s Training Event at EMC Headquarters!

Rev. Stan Key Dr. Ron Smith

AMPLIFIED MOTIVATIONAL PREACHING

The USA Conference Superintendents have been working on the creation of a Preaching Institute for Senior Pastors and others with preaching and teaching responsibilities.

At the EMC’s Heritage Learning Center | Indianapolis, IN

AMP2020

Insights from Exodus

AMP2020 stands to be two incredible days of teaching and training with amazing expositors of the Bible:

The Journey to Spiritual Wholeness

Dr. Ron Smith Dr. Ron has served as past president of the Francis Asbury Society, and in 1998 was elected as the fifth President of Wesley Biblical Seminary. Most recently, he has served as Senior Pastor at Trinity UMC in Mullica Hill, New Jersey for several years.

March 24th - 26th, 2020

and

Peter’s Preaching from the Book of Exodus WHAT IS SPIRITUAL WHOLENESS? True spiritual wholeness is a level of Christian living that is sadly rare today. It is neither a certain level of religious performance nor a certain kind of experience.

Stan Key will unpack aspects of spiritual wholeness showing that it involves: • Real victory over sin.

• Bearing the fruit of Christian character and

ministry.

• Being spiritually at rest and abiding in the

peace of Christ.

Ron Smith will explore the Apostle Peter’s preaching and his use of the historical narrative of the Exodus in his witness of salvation.

To register or for more info: email kparsons@emchurch.org

Rev. Stan Key Stan is the current President of the Francis Asbury Society.

From 1994–2012, Stan was the senior pastor of Loudonville Community Church in Albany, New York. Stan joined the staff of the Francis Asbury Society in 2013 and was named president a year later.

Registration is limited to 36 students Early-bird registration for $150 is now open, and has been extended to January 31st.

After February 1st, registration will be $175 per person

The Kerusso – January | 2020

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Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”

I have a small tree in my back yard.

A 21st Century funding plan for Planting Churches in the EMC . . .

The

year it was planted, we staked it to protect it from the wind, and watered it faithfully throughout the summer. But the winter that year was very harsh, and it did not survive.

The next Spring, its lifelessness was

The Legacy Plan

apparent … it had no buds, no leaves, no activity. So I simply pulled on the trunk and it snapped off in my hand.

Story over,

right?

Wrong!

To our surprise, within a few weeks, a small shoot could be seen coming straight up

• Three Income Streams 1. Launching the Legacy Fund 2. Future church property sales 3. “One-percenters” support

from the dead-looking stump. This tree had found a way to forge new life from the remnants of what came before.

That same thing can happen with churches that, for one reason or another,

• Feeding Church Planting 1. 10 funded church plants by 2030 2. $1,000,000 in the Legacy Fund that will be sustainable as a funding annuity

have come to the end of their life-cycle.

From the roots and remnants, new life can spring forth. We not only believe it can happen, but that it IS happening.

The Kerusso – January | 2020

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Kerusso (Greek): “To publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done.”

Over the last few decades, several EMC Churches in the USA Conference have fulfilled their purpose, and have come to the end of their life cycles.

During

their fruitful years, people were won to Christ, discipled in kingdom truths, and sent out as ambassadors for the King.

Planting Churches

They also built or bought buildings and accumulated cash or other kinds of assets.

Those “remnants and roots” are, through the LEGACY PLAN, springing up to form new life through church planting. The EMC will be liquidating those transferred assets over the next 18 months, with the proceeds of those sales being invested in the LEGACY FUND, which will serve as a life-giving endowment to EMC Church Planting for years and years to come. ~ IGS Max Edwards

Our General Council has approved the LEGACY PLAN: 1. Which establishes a new board-designated LEGACY FUND to be initially seeded by the sale of denominationally owned property.

2. Part of the LEGACY PLAN is the adoption of a designation investment proportion of 60/40 with no less than 60% of the proceeds flowing into the LEGACY FUND, ensuring that the majority of existing and future sales of property be reinvested in new church growth. The 40% retention is necessary because there are static costs of holding, maintaining, and selling properties which need to be recouped by the general fund. Additionally, other denominationally supported ministries such as youth, education, missions, and ministerial training are all benefitted by this retention.

3. Any church plant receiving LEGACY FUNDING will become a “Onepercenter” church that reinvests in church planting by adding 1% of their regular church income to the 10% of their Conference Support.