The Kerusso – February | 2025
Journey Missions Offerings
Max Edwards
Those of you who faithfully read our monthly Kerusso, and my weekly Tuesday Brief are aware that I have been promoting a change in how we prepare for our regional Journey meetings regarding Missions Offerings.
Pastors, I am asking for 100% participation, which will require specific action on your part. We are just a short 6 weeks away from our first Journey meeting in Salem, VA, on March 13-14.
Here’s what I’d like all of you to do: Please talk to your Missions Committee Chairperson, or Board of Stewards Chair and ask for a sacrificial commitment from your church to this Missions Offering . Please plan to bring the offering with you to the Journey meeting you attend. If you cannot attend for some reason, send it with someone who is attending, or send it in to our HQ Office, and contact your Conference Superintendent to let them know what your offering will be so that we can include it in the announced total at each meeting.
I have a goal of $45,000 in combined missions giving across our 4 Journey locations this year.
Do I truly believe this can happen?
Yes, I do. EMC people have a strong history of support for global missions!
How will we get there?
1. I’m asking that each person who will attend a Journey session come prepared with a personal offering. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount, but if each person or family would bring a gift of $20 - $30, that kickstart would easily crest $5,000.
2. Next, I’m asking every EMC Church to prepare a special significant JOURNEY MISSIONS offering There aren’t many churches in the EMC that couldn’t send a minimum of $500, and many of our churches will be doing many times that amount. Think of it … 100% of these dollars will go directly into mission work in one of our Global Conferences. Not 90% … not 95% - - 100%
Actually, this is not a new thing. It is a return to an “old” thing that several of our District Conferences used to do. It will be a return to a deeper mission impact and will result in more souls coming to know Christ Jesus as Lord.
By the way, I will be sending personal emails to every EMC Pastor, highlighting this request and opportunity. Please look for yours in the coming weeks and make plans NOW for your church’s participation. Thanks!
The link and QR code provided above, will take you to a registration page where you will choose the Journey you would like to register for. Your registration and payment will be made at the same time through the online form. Registration will remain open until two weeks before each Journey.
The 2025 Journey registration fee is $50 and includes two evening meals. For children 17 years old and younger, there is no registration fee but please include them on your registration form in the appropriate section.
Your payment must be made to complete and submit your registration. Credit card or electronic check are acceptable forms of payment. Contact Karen Parsons (252 -339-1414) with any questions or for assistance with your registration.
Register today for the location of your choice … these first two are in March with two more to come !
JOURNEY SCHEDULE: Check in will open on Thursday at 2pm with the opening session starting at 3pm for each Journey location. Journey will conclude after the Friday evening Worship service. MARCH 13-14 | RIVERSIDE EMC 1920 Lucas St. Salem, VA 24153
Pastor Brian Gordon – 540 -387-0326
Registration Deadline – February 27 ~
Registration Deadline – March 6
River of Life Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary
Submitted by Rev. Jun Mateo
River of Life Church, where God's grace and abundant blessings flow, located in Roseville, California celebrated its first anniversary.
With God's prompting, ROL started with a gathering of 17 people on June 11, 2022, after the COVID 19 pandemic. The main goal was to connect, sing, play group games and draw spiritual lessons by just having some Friday Fun. After a year of Friday Fun, a home church of 17 -20 people led by Pastor Jun and Marlene Mateo began to worship together. By December 10, 2023, River of Life EMC was formally organized.
On December 15, 2024, a beautiful service of gratitude to a loving and faithful God was rendered by River of Life Church at the Life Community Church Youth Center , their temporary meeting location.
Witnessed by over 125 family and friends and treated with a sump tu ous dinner, the celebration opened with the lighting of the advent candle by Deanna Domiguez and her daughters . The ROL Ensemble presented the song " Talk About Love" , the amazing duet "More than Wonderful" by Anabel Valencia and Racleo Capili , and Marlene Mateo sang "We Will Stand".
Pastor Jun Mateo re-introduced River of Life as a Bible -based teaching church with a n emphasis on loving God and loving others. He highlighted the core values of faith and being obedient to Matt hew 28:19 , “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Associate Pastor, Aaron and Worship Pastor, Anabel Valencia have been a great support to ROL. Last July, an outreach ministry was started in Stockton, CA with Pastor Manny and Faith Tabujara. From the beginning, home worship services have been held every Saturday evening. We are excited to announce that Emmanuel Faith Church will soon be born as the first daughter church of RO L! We thank God for His work at River of Life Church!
Please pray with us as we continue, by God's grace, that River of Life will continue to embrace the greatest mandate: "A Great Commitment to a Great Commission makes a Great Church".
ColinConner – Texas
Excerpts from Pastor Colin’s 2024 Ministry Report
I have served here at Grace for 12 years as Lead Pastor. Dana and I could not be more pleased with the love and support of the church. If you add up all the time we served on staff here at Grace in differing capacities and at different times, it comes to 22 years! Our connection is strong and so is our resolve to continue to do the Lord’s work here.
This year has had challenges and successes. We’ve added new leadership for our women (Judy), prayer team (Andrew), and food bank (Caitlyn). New leadership brings new and fresh ideas and actions. Small groups are an essential part of any church. Home groups, Youth, Men, Women, Young Adult, Sunday School… these are all examples of small groups. A high percentage of our church is involved in some kind of smaller group other than Sunday morning. This is very healthy and serves to help us build a powerful foundation for the future. I’m thankful for Stefanie Bowman who leads our small group and campaign ministry. She has been very proactive and has made a great impact. Our youth group is doing great! I can’t remember it doing better that it is right now. We have seen several kids receive Christ this year, as well as take significant steps to go deeper with the Lord. I’m proud of Jason and his team of leaders for all the hard work they put in. Another area where we’ve seen some really cool things is our Young Adult ministry. Shelby Conner has been very instrumental in keeping this group together and moving forward. I’m so thankful for her and all our young adults who are the next generation of leadership for our church. Looking at them makes me feel the future is bright. This year we sent a few key leaders off to serve in other churches. While we miss them greatly, it has opened up opportunities for others to step in to fill their shoes. We were blessed to have Jasmine Smith waiting in the wings to lead our worship team. She has been wonderful to work with and brings a unique style that really fits Grace Church and the capacity to take us deeper in our worship of the Lord. I’m also continually thankful we have the most amazing superintendent in Rev. Brouillette. He is so faithful to pray and be there for us at any time. It has been our privilege to lift up his wife, Carolyn, this past year as she has battled cancer. We will continue to pray for the Brouillette family to stand strong and to give all the glory to God.
The newest staff member at Grace is Crystal Whaley. She has stepped in for Rodney and Joe who retired last year as our janitorial staff. Crystal has outperformed any high expectations that I may have had for her. She treats her job as a ministry to the church and her contribution is invaluable. Dana has been serving as Office Admin for 3 years now. Her job is often complicated and technical, but she perseveres and does a wonderful job. She is faithful and dedicated and treats her position as her calling, often going above and beyond to make sure things get done. Our staff all perform at an extremely high level as those not working for a paycheck, but as those seeking to please the Lord. I can’t thank them enough. I’m thankful for the Board of Elders at the church that has once again led us with such Godly spirit. They care, they pray, they live the life.
DebraMiller– Arizona
Excerpts from Pastor Debra’s 2024 Ministry Report
Praise God for His goodness in 2024. It’s been quite a year with many wonderful things, and also some rough patches, but God blesses through it all. We were able to be a part of the Franklin Graham Evangelism Tour in Tucson. We had 14 people trained in evangelism and the proper way to speak to people wanting to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. It was quite a night.
Church activities: We had several baptized this year and 3 young couples were wed. We held a Family Camp at Roosevelt Lake in March with 30 in attendance and in June, a Family Camp at Woods Canyon Lake with over 40 in attendance. We started a movie night once a month that will continue in 2025.
Our church attended the EMC Journey in Arizona City Church. Butch Hayes, EMC Stewardship Department representative, did free wills at our church. We had three attend HSOM classes in Texas. Melinda Gould finished her last class for her Local Preacher’s License. Melinda and I attended the AMP 2024 Leadership Training in Indianapolis.
Community Activities: We were a major part of the Community Thanksgiving Dinner for Eloy serving 320 people. I and Alice continue to serve at the Eloy Hot Lunch Program three times a week and I still serve as Secretary/Treasurer for the Eloy Ministerial Alliance. We had our first Tree Lighting, Nativity and singing program at church this year. We are looking forward to 2025 with anticipation of what it will bring to us.
JerryMcNeill– Texas
Excerpts from Pastor Jerry’s 2024 Ministry Report
The past year was one of spiritual growth within the church family. People who in the past have been quiet attenders are becoming more involved in the study of the Word. People are taking notes, volunteering to read and lead in studies, etc. When someone goes to the altar, others immediately respond to pray with and for them. A sense of community is growing within the body. The vision of ministry is reaching outside the walls of the building to places such as a local homeless ministry. We were able for the first time in many years to send youth to youth camp. What a joy to see these things happen.
Updates From Around The World
Keeping Up With Our Global Partners
Submitted by, Bill Walker, GBWM Co-Chair
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28
One foundational truth about being a global EMC family is that we all have equal value before Christ. I think this is the core of what Paul was getting at when he wrote to the Galatians. No one has a corner on the truth except God. No believer, no ethnicity is superior to another.
This is the perspective behind Discipline revisions made at the 2022 General Conference of the EMC. We changed the way we refer to the conferences of EMC congregations in other countries, from “mission conference” to “global conference.” This reflects and directs a more humble perspective and servant attitude from the EMC USA toward the EMC around the world.
Another big change is the formation of the General Superintendents of each Global Conference into a Cabinet of Global Superintendents, with meetings at least every two years.
We celebrated the first of these meetings in January 2025! The General Superintendents of Mexico, Myanmar, Asia Pacific, Christ for all Nations, and South Africa met for two days in Manila, The Philippines. As the International General Superintendent, Rev. Max Edwards organized and chaired the meeting this time, however, these meetings do not have to be USAled.
Though Lisa and I know each of these Global General Superintendents personally since we had been to their Conferences, it occurred to us shortly before the trip that they didn’t all know each other! They do now! These men rapidly coalesced as a band of brothers. They transparently shared their successes and struggles with each other. They prayed together and strategized for future collaboration between the conferences.
This first in-person meeting allowed them to establish a comradery, and there will be more in the coming years. They expressed the desire to also have virtual monthly meetings going forward. We eagerly anticipate great things in the future of EMC worldwide as we work and pray together for Christ’s Kingdom!