God is On the Move
Max Edwards
The Kerusso – March | 2025
In the fictional world created by C. S. Lewis, Narnia had been in a 100-year-long winter in which evil had run rampant, but things were about to change as the four Pevensie children had stumbled in through the wardrobe. Later in Beaver’s home, Mr. Beaver made a statement about a rising future hope for change, saying simply, ‘Aslan is on the move.’ “At the name of Aslan each one of the children felt something jump in its inside. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt suddenly brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delicious smell or some delightful strain of music had just floated by her. And Lucy got the feeling you have when you wake up in the morning and realize that it is the beginning of the holidays or the beginning of summer.” ~ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Click here for a YouTube clip about Narnia's Winter
In Lewis’s imagery, Aslan the Lion represented Jesus Christ. But the beautiful truth is this - - right here, in our present non-fictional world of 2025, God is indeed ON THE MOVE.
Gen Z’ers and other young people in our time are hungry. They are hungry for something real that isn’t clouded by inane political infighting … hungry for something that isn’t phony … hungry for something besides a shiny façade, and that isn’t marked by catastrophic moral failure. There are plenty of examples of famous folk that either certainly are, or at least seem to be, opportunistic predators both in and out of the faith … names like Epstein, “Diddy” Combs, and Cosby, alongside several Christian leaders who have deeply disappointed their followers.
But there is a real shaking going on, and revival is spreading across college campuses and in some urban sectors. The outpouring at Asbury two years ago was a bit of a watershed moment, but the stirring wasn’t (and isn’t) just isolated to one Christian college. Florida State University is experiencing a move of God in an unprecedented fashion. And campuses like Ohio State are becoming hotbeds of spiritual awakening.
Blogger Michael Foust* writes on Crosswalk.com “Nearly 2,000 students at Ohio State University surrendered their lives to Jesus Tuesday [February 18th, 2025] during a one-night worship service that [was] part of the “Unite Us” movement sweeping the nation. The event drew more than 6,500 students to the Schottenstein Center the home of the Buckeyes basketball team and also attracted support from players of the national championship football team. "We've been in awe of how God has already been moving on this campus over the past year, and He met us here again tonight," the official Unite Us Instagram page said. "God is moving in this generation, and we know that He's just getting started!" Nearly 2,000 students "responded to the altar call - experiencing the freedom only He can bring
* Michael Foust has been a full-3me writer, blogger, and editor for 20+ years, first in the field of sports, and these days widely in the Chris3an realm. He has earned degrees in journalism and theology.
According to the reports I have read, they had to bring in baptismal troughs on U-Haul trucks to have enough capacity to baptize the number of students who had committed their lives to Jesus. Amazing!!!
You can read more about all of this at Crosswalk.com - Click here to read about "Run With Christ" at Ohio State There is a short Instagram video clip about the recent event - Click here to watch the Video
Register today for the Journey location of your choice.
The deadline for the Missouri Session is March 6 but there are 2 more opportunities in April!
The link and QR code provided here, 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.
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.
EMC Stewardship Department – Will Writing
Mr. Butch Hayes, Stewardship Department Chairperson
Five Reasons
to Have a Will:
1. Guardianship for Minor Children
2. Appoint an Estate Executor
3. Avoid Family Disputes
4. Protect Assets
5. Peace of Mind
The EMC Stewardship Department offers Will writing information and assistance FREE OF CHARGE to your EMC congregation. Appointments are currently available for 2025. Contact Mr. Butch Hayes at 812 -564-1000 to schedule an appointment or for more information.
From the Desk of the General Secretary/Treasurer
Rev. Brian
Hammond
I hesitate to write about this again s ince I have done so a lot leading up to the January 31st deadline, but with only 56% of our churches having reported at the time of this writing, I feel compelled to bring it up again.
Required Annual Reporting by churches and credential holders can still be done by going to the EMC website page here: Credential/Church Reports - The Evangelical Methodist Church
Follow the instructions on the page and the form, and you should be able to complete it with minimal effort. If you do have questions or need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact me (317 -780-8017) or Karen Parsons (252-339-1414).
If you have nothing to do and would like to read more about reporting in our Book of Discipline, check out ¶204, ¶207, ¶412, ¶803, ¶822 (2), ¶856, ¶1002 (3), ¶1108, and ¶1157.
Okay. That is all. Have a nice day!
Board of World Missions
Rev. Bill Walker, GBWM Co-Chair
We have great news! The November Missions Offering totaled nearly $18,000, including a matching gift from a generous anonymous donor. By the time you read this article, the money will have been evenly distributed among our five global conferences: Mexico, Myanmar, Asia Pacific, CFAN, and South Africa. Thank you so much to every one who gave sacrificially to this annual offering. We know that our global conferences will put this money to good use in their respective ministries, such as missionary support, church planting, pastors’ retreats, Sunday school teacher training, and mu ch more too much to mention in a brief paragraph! THANK YOU, EMC FAMILY!
MISSION EXPOSURE PHILIPPINES
Wait, we have more good news! We already have 7 people confirmed to participate in the MISSION EXPOSURE to the Philippines in December of this year!
This will be a youth Congress held in Bulacan, north of the capital city of Manila. The dates are Dec ember 26, 2025January 4, 2026. The cost per person is $3,500.
Contact Bill Walker (billwalkeremc@gmail.com) for more details including minimum age requirement!
YOUR APPLICATION with deposit is due May 1.
You can now apply online by clicking this link: Mission Exposure Philippines or by scanning this QR code:
Please prayerfully consider joining us! We have space for 15 people , and we’re nearly half full!!
Tiffany Barber – Texas
Excerpts from Pastor Tiffany’s 2024 Ministry Report
In the beginning of 2023, I wrote a few things down that God had laid on my heart as a pastor being led to plant a church in Farmersville, TX. [Vision]: Meet Sunday evenings; have 1st Sunday as Food, Fellowship and Prayer; meet at Farmersville Rise & Brew; need congregation members who will officially join in membership; need members to serve as Church secretary and Finance secretary; Church Launch in August. Our Prayers: Salvations and Baptisms, Reaching New Neighbors, Healing (Spiritual and Physical)
God is good and faithful! We have seen all of these fulfilled by His Will. Praise be to God. The Beginnings of New Beginnings… On January 8th, 2023, a small group of “wandering” Methodists and some others who were looking for a place to belong came together to be a people that preached the Word wholly, worshiped God earnestly, and strived to be the Body of Christ living in His will. We spent the year meeting in homes: praying, digging into the Word, and sharing in the Communion of the Lord. We established that our core values are to be a people who are: Bible Centered & Spirit Led, Family Driven, and Outreach Minded. We welcomed six official members, two associate members and baptized two in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We ended the year with an 11 PM/midnight Christmas Eve service where we had approximately 20 people in attendance. January 7th, 2024, New Beginnings Fellowship celebrated its first birthday and officially affiliated as a congregation of the Evangelical Methodist Church. We welcomed Rev. Ike Cowell at that service to oversee and lead us in joining the EMC. These first two years have been a long road of learning and relying on our faith in Christ to provide. By Christmas of 2023 we were able to start meeting in a local coffee shop (Rise & Brew) after their closing hours, where we continue to meet today. We have fully had to lean on the everlasting arms of Christ. As pastor, stepping out of full-time ministry into the role of bi-vocational ministry and as a congregation who has been in churches with full-time pastors, it has been an adjustment for us all. We all have varying stories and journeys in our lives of ministry and church which lends well to the demeanor and attitude you experience within our church. I am a blessed pastor to have loving people and folks who desire to stand firmly on the truth of God’s Holy Word. We are praying for the growth of the church by God’s grace and mercy. We pray for those whom God is preparing us to encounter. We pray for the families in our community and the children who need to be introduced to Jesus. We pray to be instruments of God’s Will. As pastor, I pray for fully Spirit-filled revival in our homes, church, and community.
Joshua Reid – Pennsylvania
Excerpts from Pastor Joshua’s 2024 Ministry Report
Reflecting on the blessings of this year has been good for my heart. Each time we look to the past, I notice that God has provided so much and will continue to be with us. The Scriptures that have driven Sunday Services this year are Ruth, Mark and Daniel. We have been gaining understanding of how God is with us even when the circumstances do not look that way. God shows us His love through grief, through His Son and through our faithfulness in serving Him even when others are not. This year the Church has grown deeper in our faith and 13 people have committed to baptism and 11 to partner with the Chapel of Hope as members. The work that the Lord is doing at the Church is amazing because He is using different people to reach out to others.
Here are a few ministries that took place this year… Some of the ladies participated in a Secret Sister program where gifts were constantly spread through the sanctuary, this led into a Ladies Book Club that met for a few months. There have also been some Women’s breakfasts held at the church. The men of the church meet on the first Saturday of the month for breakfast, fellowship and sharing on how to be a man of God. The congregation was able to do a couple of missions together, we filled almost 50 shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, and we raised funds for Lifeway to help support the decision for Life. There is a dedication to praying together. The Church is open for A Concert of Prayer on the third Saturday. We had a prayer vigil with the Church open for 24 hours for individuals to come and pray. Our Wednesday Night Bible Study has allowed people to think with others seeking to grow in their own understanding. We have looked through Genesis, had a topical study of He Chose the Nails, looked through Jonah and Nahum, and are currently walking through Romans. We have also enjoyed a wonderful time of fellowship with potlucks, cleaning, decorating, and even weed whacking the church grounds. Our Church is a great family that keeps growing together, doing life together, and learning how to be like Christ as we march on toward Heaven!