The STAR - Winter 2016

the

ST R

WINTER

2016 VOLUME 64 NUMBER 1

SOUTH TEXAS ASSEMBLIES REVIEW

ASSEMBLIES OF GOD FACILITATING HEALTH, GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

OF THE MINISTERS & MINISTRIES OF SOUTH TEXAS.

South Texas District HonorBound: Men’s Ministries

2016 Light For The Lost Tour!

Rio Grande Valley Section Faith Assembly of God Combs Monday, January 25, 2016 Rev. Tim Barker San Antonio Section Victory Assembly of God Universal City Thursday, January 28, 2016 Rev. Tim Barker Houston Section Faith Assembly of God Houston Monday, February 1, 2016 Rev. David Raley San Jacinto Section Coat Of Many Colors Baytown Thursday,February 4, 2016 Rev. David Raley Beaumont Section New Life Assembly of God Orangefield Monday, February 8, 2016 Rev. Tim Barker

Corpus Christi Section Trinity Worship Center Corpus Christi Tuesday, January 26, 2016 Rev Tim Barker Rev. Tim Barker South Texas District Superintendent

Rev David Raley Green & Raley Ministry Advancement Group

Banquets will start at

7:00 p.m.

Casual Dress For More Information: Roger Bailey 713-455-1221 rogerb@stxag.org

Victoria Section New Life Assembly of God El Campo Friday, January 29, 2016 Rev. Tim Barker North Houston Section Cornerstone Christian Conroe Tuesday, February 2, 2016 Rev. David Raley Neches Valley Section New Covenant Silsbee Friday, February 5, 2016 Rev. David Raley Gulf Coast Section First Assembly of God Angleton Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Rev. Tim Barker

From Our Superintendent that is universal in its application. It is a message that has the potential to change every life and every eternity that falls under its power, John 1:11-12.

Tim & Jill Barker District Superintendent Before Jesus’ ascension, he gave what has come to be called The Great Commission. A “commission” is “an authoritative command; a directive.”

When Jesus spoke these words directly to His disciples, and indirectly to us, He was giving the church her marching orders. He was telling exactly what He expected us to do in His physical absence. The disciples took the Lord’s command seriously. They went into the world and shared the Gospel of Jesus and thousands upon thousands were saved by the grace of God. Their message was so powerful and their witness so effective that their critics accused them of turning the world upside down, Acts 17:6.

That was then, and this is now! What was given as The Great Commission has turned into what some have labeled The Great Omission. When 95% of all Christians have never won a soul to Christ. 80% of all Christians do not consistently witness for Christ. Less than 2% are involved in the ministry of evangelism. 71% do not give toward the financing of The Great Commission, we’ve got a problem.

I visit with pastors regularly who are literally heart broken because of the complacency of some of their members.

This 64th South Texas District Council is strategically designed in such a way as to challenge each leader in attendance of the “COMMISSION” that we have personally been given.

Matthew 28:19 WE HAVE A DIVINE MISSION Go…and teach all nations.

Acts 1:8, He says, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Matthew 8:20 WE HAVE A DIVINE MENTOR 1. We Are Promised His Presence – Lo, I am with you always…

2. We are Promised His Power – All power in Heaven and earth is given unto Me – He also says, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me… (Acts 1:8) !

On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they unselfishly went out day or night to save the lost. Because so many lives were saved by that station, it became famous.

Consequently, many people wanted to be associated with the station to give their time, talent, and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, new crews were recruited, a formal training session was offered. As the membership in the life-saving station grew, some of the members became unhappy that the building was so primitive and that the equipment was so outdated.

They wanted a better place to welcome the survivors pulled from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in the enlarged and newly decorated building.

Matthew 28:20 WE HAVE A DIVINE MESSAGE …to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you…

Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members.

They met regularly and when they did, it was apparent how they loved one another. They greeted each other, hugged each other, and shared with one another the events that had been going on in their lives. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions; so they hired lifeboat crews to do this for them.

Our message is not a message about our church or our denomination.

Our message is a simple message. It is a message of hope to hurting; of life to the dead; of peace to the tormented. Our message is called The Gospel and it is the power of God unto salvation, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom. 1:16) It is a message that every person in the world needs to hear. It is a message

About this time, a large ship was wrecked off of the coast, and the hired crews brought into the life-saving station boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick, and halfdrowned people. Some of them had black skin, and some had yellow skin. Some could speak English well, and some could hardly speak it at all. Some were firstclass cabin passengers of the ship, and some were the deck hands.

Matthew 28:19 WE HAVE A DIVINE MANDATE. The mandate of The Great Commission is to Go. This is a word of action!

The beautiful meeting place became a place of chaos. The plush carpets got dirty. Some of the exquisite furniture got scratched. So the property committee immediately had a shower built outside the house where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting there was rift in the membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s life-saving activities, for they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal fellowship of the members. Other members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all those various kinds of people who would be shipwrecked, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. And do you know what?

That is what they did.

As the years passed, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It evolved into a place to meet regularly for fellowship, for committee meetings, and for special training sessions about their mission, but few went out to the drowning people. The drowning people were no longer welcomed in that new life-saving station.

So another life-saving station was founded further down the coast. History continued to repeat itself. And if you visit that seacoast today, you will find a number of adequate meeting places with ample parking and plush carpeting.

Shipwrecks are frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.

That is a parable of the condition of the modern church. I do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but here are the facts.

We have become more concerned about buildings than about people. We are more interested in having our meetings than we are in fulfilling our mission. We are more interested in our personal comfort than we are about who is drowning in the sea of sin just beyond our walls. We are more concerned about the color of a man’s skin than we are the condition of His soul. We want to see people come into the church, as long as they are the right kind of people. I am afraid The Great Commission has become The Great Omission.

South Texas District is historically an extremely generous district reaching far beyond our geographical boundaries, but, I just keep asking, is there more? Let’s come together, May 10-12, 2016 at First Assembly of God in Humble to strategize and partner together, while the Holy Spirit challenges & empowers us once again.

WE ARE COMMISSIONED!

Complete all the Global University courses you need for any level of credentials in just one year! The South Texas District School of Ministry (DSOM) makes it possible with special teaching and group study sessions. The cost is $80 per course. Enroll in each course 30 days before it begins. For more information contact the office of the South Texas District Executive Secretary/Treasurer, Don Wiehe or his secretary Kay Bailey at (713) 455-1221, or email kbailey@stxag.org.

No!classes!held!in!May,!July,!August,!or!December.

2016

COURSE SCHEDULE

Te s t i n g 9 : 0 0 A M , D e v o t i o n s 9 : 4 5 A M , C l a s s e s 1 0 : 0 0 A M Class% Dates

Level%1%Courses% (Certified)

Level%2%Courses% (License)

Level%3%Courses% (Ordained)

BIB!117!

Prison!Epistles

BIB!215!

Romans

BIB!318!

The!Pentateuch

March!!

5,!2016

BIB!115!

Acts:!The!Holy!Spirit! at!Work!in!the!

Believers

BIB!214!

Old!Testament!Survey!

April!!

2,!2016

BIB!121!

Introduction!to!

Hermeneutics:!!How! to!Study!the!Bible!

MIN!223!

Introduction!Homiletics!

MIN!325!

Preaching!to!the!

Contemporary!World!

June!!

4,!2016

MIN!123!

The!Local!Church!in!

Evangelism

THE!245!

Eschatology:!!A!Study!of!

Things!to!Come

MIN!327!

Church!

Administration,!Law!&!

Finance

MIN!191!

Beginning!Internship!

MIN!291!

Intermediate!Internship

MIN!391!

Advanced!Internship

February!6,!

2016

June!!

4,!2016

Introduction!to!Missions

*Internships are not taught as classes, students do this on their own with a mentor.

September!

10,!2016

THE!142!

Assemblies!of!God! History,!Missions!&!

Governance

MIN!251!

Effective!Leadership!

MIN!311!

Prayer!&!Worship!

October!!

1,!2016

MIN!181!

Relationships!&!

Ethics!in!Ministry

MIN!281!!

Conflict!Management!for!

Church!Leaders

MIN!381!

Pastoral!Ministry

BIB!112!

Synoptic!Gospels

THE!211!

Introduction!to!

Theology

MIN!311!

The!Corinthian!

Correspondence

November!

5,!2016

South Texas District School of Ministry presents Leadership Advancement and Team Development We are pleased to announce a leadership development initiative sponsored by the South Texas District Assemblies of God District School of Ministry (DSOM), Leadership Advancement and Team Development. Dr. Jim D. Rion has agreed to facilitate these quarterly seminar sessions, the first of which will be Thursday evening February 18, 2016, 7-10pm.

Although these sessions are tailored to our Senior / Lead Pastors to receive advanced ministry leadership training, they are open to any of our South Texas credentialed ministers, those pursuing ministerial credentials and to your staff, key leaders and board members, free of charge. One can also receive AMT (Accelerated Ministers Training) credit for attending. We simply ask that you RSVP to the Secretary/Treasurer’s office so we can set up the room appropriately.

Dr. Rion leads a vibrant growing church in San Antonio, Westover Hills Assembly of God. He also serves us as our General Presbyter and has served as Presbyter of the San Antonio Section. Jim holds a Batchelor of Theology, Masters in Biblical Literature and in 2013 graduated with a Doctoral of Ministry in Church Growth from the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary (AGTS) and so brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our District ministerial family.

Pastor Rion has already blessed hundreds of our ministers and laity with his seminars, personal coaching and encouragement. He shows a passion for churches of all sizes knowing that there is a great variety of churches and communities. Our desire within the South Texas District is to have healthy ministers and churches no matter what the size. God bless each of you as you consider participating in these advanced leadership sessions.

Below is a list of the 2016 dates and the corresponding reading list. Please begin now ordering your books for study prior to attending. Blessings to each of you and thank you so much for your ministry and service to the communities of South Texas.

1. DNA of Leadership - Thursday February 18 Books: Relational Leadership: A Biblical Model for Leadership Service, by Walter C. Wright; The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World, by Ronald Heifetz, Alexander Grashow & Marty Linsky; Leadership Pain: The Classroom for Growth, by Samuel R. Chand.

2. Building a Team - Friday April 1 Books: The Teaming Church: Ministry in the Age of Collaboration, by Robert Crosby; The Wisdom of Teams: Creating the High Performance Organization, by Jon Katzenbach and Douglas Smith.

3. Common Mistakes Leaders Make - Friday June 3 Books: 7 Warning Signs Your Church Has Ministry Silos, by Tony Morgan; The Five Dysfunction of a Team,

By Patrick Lencioni; Your Church in Rhythm: The Forgotten Dimensions of Season and Cycles, by Bruce B. Miller; Leading On Empty, by Wayne Cordeiro.

4. Understanding the Culture of a Church - Friday September 9 Books: Sticky Church, by Larry Osborne; Church Unique, by Will Mancini; Culture Shift: Understanding Your Church from the Inside Out, by Robert Lewis and Wayne Codeiro.

Senior Adult Summit February 23-25 2016 Hill Country Camp & Conference Center 1325 Harper Road, Kerrville, Texas 78028 Amos%and%Sue%Dodge!moved!to!the!Virginia!suburbs!of!Washington,!DC!in!1979!

to!plant!Capital!Church!as!a!center!for!rebirth!and!renewal!in!the!National!Capital!

Area.!ThirtyCsix!years!of!faithful!and!fruitful!ministry!have!resulted!in!a!strong!and! healthy! church! that! touches! a! city! and! reaches! the! world.! He! is! noted! for! his! practical,! insightful! teaching,! marked! with! simplicity! and! clarity.! His! passion! is! to! help!people!conquer!today’s!tough!challenges!with!Biblical!hope,!vibrant!faith,!and! courageous!living.!!

Four! Dove! Awards! for! “Best! Female! Vocalist,”! inductee! into! the! Gospel! Music! Hall! of! Fame! and! four! decades! of! singing! gospel! music! in! sixteen! nations! of! the! world! only! begin! to! tell! the! story! of! Sue% Dodge.! Her! national! and! international!radio!and!television!appearances!include!In#Touch#with!Charles!Stanley,!The#700#Club,!TBN,!and!every! week,!Sue!can!be!found!on!a!Gaither!Homecoming!series!program.!Sue’s!ministry!crosses!all!denominational!lines,! singing!in!notable!churches!throughout!the!United!States.!!!

We!will!also!have!music!ministry!of!New%Day!and!the!Harvesters%from!Southwestern!Assemblies!of!God!University.!

Early%Bird%registration,!before#February#1,!will!be!$80.00!per!person.! !After#February#1,!it!will!cost! $90.00!per!person.!!This!includes!five!meals!and!complimentary!housing!in!the!camp!dormitories.! !!!

For%those%desiring%to%stay%in%a%hotel%at%your%own%expense.!!A!special!rate!has!been!arranged!for!Standard!

Rooms! at! the! LaQuinta( Inn( and( Suites( (830.896.9200)# located# at# 1940! Sidney! Baker! Street! in! Kerrville,!

Texas!!78028.!!##You#must#call#the#hotel#directly#and#let#them#know#you#are#with#the#Senior(Adult(Summit.## This#rate#is#good#as#long#as#rooms#are#available.### You! may! complete! the! registration! form! and! mail! it! to! the! South! Texas! District! Office,! P.! O.! Box! 9714,!

Houston,!Texas! !77213!or!you!may!register!at!our!website!at:!www.stxag.org.! !Wait!for!the!Senior!Adult!

Summit!slide!to!appear,!click!on!it!and!follow!the!instructions.!!!

Come!expecting!a!great!time!in!the!beautiful!Hill!Country!of!Kerrville!!!!

We’ll!have!lots!of!fun,!good!music,!delicious!food!and!wonderful!fellowship!!!!

Invite!a!friend!!!We’ll!see!you!at!the%Summit!% LaQuinta%Inn%and%Suites!!!(830.896.9200)!

1940!Sidney!Baker!Street!

Kerrville,!Texas!!78028!

Special%Hotel%Rate%$80.!per!night!

(Must!call!the!hotel!directly!and!let!them!know!you!are!! with!the!Senior!Adult!Summit,!to!receive!this!rate.!!!

Rate!is!available!as!long!as!rooms!are!available.)!

Musical Guests New Day and The Harvesters

June: Youth Camps 6-9 – Camp 1 w/ Garland Owensby 10-13 – Camp 2 w/ Truston Baba 22-25 – Camp 3 w/ Tim McCain

SOUTH TEXAS YOUTH MINISTRIES

2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS February: 19-20 – Youth Leaders’ Conference

March: 14-18 – Spring Break Outreach

April: 1 – STL Golf Tournament 7-9 – District Fine Arts Festival 22 – STL Grand Club Banquet

May: 10-12 – District Council

July: 11-18 – AIM Trips

August: 1-5 – National Fine Arts Festival

September: 28 – See You at the Pole 30 – Breakaway Young Adults Conference

October: 16 – National Speed The Light Day

November: 18-19 – Youth Convention

December: 31 – STL Giving Credit Deadline

Hosted at Humble First Church A/G, 1915 Fm 1960, Humble, TX

SOUTH TEXAS DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES OF GOD

2016 CALENDAR OF EVENTS January 1

3-9 8-9

New Year’s Day DO Closed Week of Prayer Royal Rangers Staff Retreat

9

District School of Ministry 9:30 am - District Office 9 JBQ 10 Church Planting Day 15 STL Offering Due 15-16 Royal Rangers World Class Outpost (WCO) 16 Mosaic Gathering District Office - 10am-2pm 17 Cradle Roll Day 18 Martin Luther King Day D O Closed 19 Executive Presbytery Meeting 21-23 Leading Ladies Retreat HCC – Kerrville 29-30 Royal Rangers South Central Region Seminar 31 Annual Church Ministries Report (ACMR) Deadline SPEED THE LIGHT TOUR January 6 Corpus Christi Section 8 Victoria Section 9 Rio Grande Valley Section 11 San Antonio Section 12 Houston & North Houston Sections 14 San Jacinto & Gulf Coast Sections 15 Beaumont & Neches Valley Sections

LIGHT FOR THE LOST TOUR January 25 Rio Grande Valley Section 26 Corpus Christi Section 28 San Antonio Section 29 Victoria Section February 1 Houston Section 2 North Houston Section 4 San Jacinto Section 5 Neches Valley Section 8 Beaumont Section 9 Gulf Coast Section

February 6

District School of Ministry 9:30 am – District Office 6 JBQ 10 Ash Wednesday 12-14 Marriage Encounter Houston 14 Valentine’s Day 15 STL Offering Due 15 President’s Day 16 Executive Presbytery Meeting 18 Youth Sectional Coaches Meeting 19-20 Youth Leaders Conference 23-25 Senior Adult Summit HCC - Kerrville 26-28 Royal Rangers FCF Spring Trace/Adventure 28 Girls Ministries 5K Missions Walk

30

Church Ministries and Discipleship CHURCH MINISTRIES AND DISCIPLESHIP Rev. Tammy Calderon, Director The Church Ministries & Discipleship Department would like to wish each of you a Merry Christmas. We pray that God will bless you during the holiday season. We look forward to seeing what the New Year holds in 2016.

Remember to send BGMC offerings directly to the National Office in Springfield, MO. For your offering to count toward 2015 calendar year, you must have a visible postmark date of December 31, 2015.

As of September 2015, the South Texas District has given a total of $118,670.68. Great job South Texas!

Please make sure you send your BGMC offerings directly to the National Office in Springfield, Missouri.

This ensures that our missionaries can get the funds they need quickly. www.stxagchurchministries.org

713-455-1221

churchministries@stxag.org

SAGU%Partners%with%The%Waxahachie%

Project(to(Make(A(Difference Waxahachie,% Texas! –! November! 15,! 2015! –!

Southwestern% Assemblies% of% God% University% (SAGU)% is! partnering! with! The% Waxahachie% Project! to! use! students! to! gather! research! addressing! the! greatest! needs! in! Waxahachie! for!continual!health!&!growth.!

T h e! s u r v e y! w i l l! a n s w e r! t w o! v i t a l! questions:!What!does!Waxahachie!need!that!we! can! collaboratively! address?! What! does!

Waxahachie!do!well!that!we!can!collaboratively! support?!

The! vision! of! The! Waxahachie! project! is! to! unite! community! leaders,! business! leaders,! nonaprofits,! churches,! and! educational! institutions!to!work!for!the!good!of!the!City!of!

Waxahachie.!

President! Bridges! explained,! "We! always! want! our! community! outreach! to! be! strategic,! so! when! we! had! the! opportunity! to! hear! about!

The!Waxahachie!Project.!We!wanted!to!provide! the! boots! on! the! ground! to! gather! the! information."!

President!Bridges!concluded!by!saying,!"We!are! blessed! and! thankful! to! be! a! part! of! The! Waxahachie!Project!and!the!difference!this!will! make!in!the!community."!

SAGU!president!Dr.!Kermit!Bridges!said,!"We!do! our!best!to!encourage!our!students!to!engage!in! community! service! to! make! a! difference.! We! have! 40! students! right! now! that! are! being! trained! to! begin! surveying! the! community."! He! continued,! "We! want! to! address! the! needs! in! the! community! in! ways! that! is! truly! beneficial! and! make! Waxahachie! even! better! than! it! is! today."!

Beginning!in!January!2016,!SAGU!students!will! begin! compiling! survey! responses! that! will! be! reported! in! June! 2016.! These! reports! will! provide! valuable! insight! to! community,! nonprofit,! and! church! leaders,! in! addition! to! the! leadership! of! SAGU,! to! know! how! to! most! strategically! align! efforts! that! will! provide! the! greatest!benefit!to!the!Waxahachie!community.!! !!!

Southwestern!Assemblies!of!God!University!is!a! private,!Christian!university!located!30!minutes! south! of! the! Dallas/Fort! Worth! Metroplex! in! Waxahachie,! Texas.! The! university! was! established!in!1927,!and!now!offers!more!than!

70! associate,! bachelor’s,! master’s! and! doctoral! degrees!on!campus!or!online.!More!information! is! available! at! www.sagu.edu% or! by! calling!1a888aYESaSAGU.!

Two$more$SAGU$articles$on$$following$pages.$

SAGU%Alumnus%and%former%Dorm%Pastor%

Plants%Church%in%Denver,%Colorado

Waxahachie,% Texas! –! ! November! 5,!

2015! –Southwestern% Assemblies% of% God% University% (SAGU)! ! alumni! and! former! Bridges! Dorm! Pastors!

Preston! and! Lisa! Ulmer! prepare! to! launch!a!new!church!with!the!Urban!

Islands! Project! ! and! the! Church!

Multiplication!Network!(CMN)!in!the! downtown! urban! area! of! Berkeley,% Denver,% Colorado,! in! September!

2016.!

Preston! said,! "My! family! and! I! are! taking! the! biggest! step! of! faith! we! have! ever! taken! before,! but! we! are! believing!that!if!we!go!all!in!for!God,!

He! will! go! all! out! for! us."! He! continued,! "With! 80%! of! Americans! living! in! the! urban! areas! of! major! cities,! it's! not! just! a! good! idea,! it's! a! necessity.! ! That's! why! we! are! planting–Because! necessity! always! trumps!a!good!idea.”!

"Our! hearts! break! for! the! Urban! areas! of! Denver.! We! are! going! because! broken! hearts! often! times! make!the!hardest!working!hands.”!

The! Ulmers! will! be! planting! among! young! professionals! and! families.!

Preston!explained,!"A!lot!of!our!work! will! involve! apologetic! centered! discipleship! and! personal! outreach! efforts.”!

causing! him! to! dive! deeper! into! the! 'why'!behind!what!he!believed.!"As!a! result,!I!am!convicted!that!the!life!of! t h e! m i n d! i s! a! v i t a l! p a r t! o f! worshipping!God!fully."!!

His! wife,! Lisa,! attended! SAGU! from!

2005a2008.! She! graduated! with! a! bachelor's! degree! in! Business!

Marketing! and! is! highly! involved! in! worship.! She! has! a! desire! to! see! f a m i l i e s! s t ay! c o n n e c t e d! a n d! marriages!made!whole.!!

P r e s t o n! a n d! L i s a! m e t! w h i l e! participating!in!Southwestern!Live,!a! comedy! sketch! show! performed! by!

SAGU!students.!

After! Preston! and! Lisa! married! in!

2008,! they! spent! the! majority! of! their!ministry!career!as!young!adult! pastors! in! Albuquerque,! New! Mexico.! During! this! time,! Preston! attended!Liberty!Baptist!Theological!

Seminary! ! and! received! a! master's! degree!in!Religion.!!

They! then! transitioned! to! SAGU! as! dorm! pastors! from! 2012–2015.!

Preston! received! a! master's! degree! in! Divinity,! authored! a! devotional! called! 'The% Why% I% Love% Jesus% Marathon,'! and! taught! numerous! onacampus! courses.! Preston! said,!

"The! greatest! honor! of! all! was! that!

Lisa! and! I! had! our! two! girls! there,!

Piper!(3)!and!Brennan!(8!months)."!!

After! leaving! SAGU,! they! began! working! in! the! Berkeley! area! in! the! summer!of!2015.!God!put!everything! in! place! to! create,! "The! Doubter's!

Club."! This! club! invites! atheists,! spiritualists,! believers,! people! of! all! different! world! views! to! come! together! and! talk! about! issues! of! faith.!It!is!led!by!Ulmer!and!his!good! friend,! who! is! an! atheist! and! owner! of! the! local! coffee! shop! where! they! meet.!!

I n! 2 0 0 8 ,! P r e s t o n! r e c e i v e d! a! bachelor's! degree! in! Church!

Ministries.! While! at! SAGU,! He! experienced! a! major! crisis! of! faith,!

In!a!recent!movement!known!as!the!

"Urban% Island% Project,"! there! are! seven! church! planters! who! will! be! planting! churches! in! the! Denver! cohort! in! seven! different! "islands"! that! will! launch! on! the! same! day! in!

September! 2016.! All! are! planting! churches!in!different!neighborhoods,! but!all!within!Denver.!!

Preston! says,! "This! preaevangelistic! effort! is! really! helping! us! gain! ground! in! this! area.! It! allows! us! to! build! genuine! relationships! with! people! who! hold! different! views! than! us,! and! we! are! able! to! clarify! the!truth!and!relevancy!of!Jesus."!!

Preston! says,! "We! work! together,! train! together! and! pray! together.!

One! of! the! great! benefits! of! this! is! that! the! "loneliness! factor"! of! starting!a!church!is!lower!than!if!we! were!trying!to!do!this!on!our!own."!!

The! "island"! the! Ulmers! will! be! working! in! is! the! neighborhood! of! Berkeley.! One! of! the! fastest! growing! neighborhoods! in! Denver! with! 8,000! people! comprised! of! young! adults! aging! from! 25! to! 39! years! old! and! young! families.! (walkscore.com)! ! "We! are! making! room! for! Christ! in! a! very! crowded! city.”!

"If! you! walk! downtown! of! a! major! city,!you!will!notice!that!within!a!one! mile! walk! you! have! crossed! several! demographic! and! socioeconomic! lines.! Not! boundaries! or! barriersa! lines.! In! our! estimation,! these! lines! mark!downtown!‘islands.'"!

(Continued$on$next$page…)

SAGU%Music%Group%%

The(Harvesters(( Release%New%Album

Wa xa h a c h i e ,% Texa s! –! N ove m b e r! 1 9 ,! 2 0 1 5! –!

Southwestern% Assemblies% of% God% University% (SAGU)! traveling! music! group! "The! Harvesters"! released! their! new! album! entitled,! "Hymns! of! Our! Faith,! Vol.! 2:! Singing! with!the!Saints"!on!September!11,!2015.!! !!

The! Harvesters! is! a! fourapart! harmony! quartet! that! represents! the! SAGU! Advancement! Office.! The! group! brings! back! a! treasured! style! of! music! that! has! been! popular!for!many!years!within!the!church.!Their!music!is! embraced!by!all!generations.! !!

According! to! Irby! McKnight,! SAGU! Vice! President! of!

Advancement! and! Bass! singer,! "It! is! a! privilege! traveling! and! singing! with! such! talented! young! men! as! you! will! hear!on!this!album."!He!continued,!"I'm!so!thankful!for!the! beautiful! hymns! of! the! Church! and! pray! that! this! album! ministers!to!you!as!it!has!to!me!!Great!Songs,!great!sound! and!great!quality."! !!

The! Harvesters! members! include:! Irby! McKnight,! Bass;!

David! Hartmann,! Tenor;! James! Bridges,! Baritone;! Micah!

Eddy,!Lead;!Luca!Perolli,!Pianist.! !!

Songs! on! the! album! include:! Hallelujah! Side,! Send! the!

Light,! The! Comforter! Has! Come,! I'd! Rather! Have! Jesus,!

Singing! with! the! Saints,! Jesus! Saves,! Lord! I'm! Coming!

Home/! Just! as...,! Heaven! Medley,! When! He! Was! on! the!

Cross,!and!The!Love!of!God.! !!

Tenor! vocalist! David! Hartmann! said,! "I’ve! absolutely! cherished! my! time! with! the! Harvesters! over! the! past! 3! years.! I’ve! gotten! to! travel! all! around! the! U.S.! while!

ministering! the! gospel! through! song! and! I’ve! seen! it! impact! every! single! service."! He! continued,! "I! hope! our! second! Hymns! album! continues! to! impact! people! for! many!years!to!come."! !!

The!Harvesters!performed!at!the!2015!General!Council!of! the!Assemblies!of!God!in!front!of!22,733!participants.!The! group! consistently! performs! across! the! nation! with! remaining! dates! at! First! Assembly! of! God! in! Woodward,!

Oklahoma,!Calvary!Church!in!Irving,!Texas,!Heritage!AG!in!

McKinney,! Texas! and! Dominion! Church! in! League! City,!

Texas.!Click!here!for!more!information.!! !!

Click(here(to(preview(the(album

Dorm%Pastor%Plants%Church%in%Denver% …continued

The!launch!team!has!grown!from!just!the!

Ulmer! family! to! now! 10! team! members! who! are! devoted! to! see! the! church! add! value! to! the! Berkeley! neighbora hood.! Many! of! these! people! being! SAGU! alumni.!!

Companies! such! as! "For! the! Good"! has! partnered! with! the! Ulmers! by! giving! a! percentage! of! their! profits! to! help! the! n e w! c h u r c h! p l a n t .! T h e! O a k s!

Fellowship,! 7! City! Church! and! Lifegate!

Church!have!also!joined!the!church!plant.!

S A G U ' s! S o u t h w e s t e r n! M i s s i o n!

Association's! (SMA)! chose! the! Berkeley! church!plant!as!this!years!Giving!Project,! allowing! the! student! body! to! raise! and! give! funds! to! reach! the! set! goal! of! $17,350.!!!

T h e! U l m e r! f a m i l y! w o u l d! l i k e! to! emphasize! the! need! for! prayers.!

Additionally,!they!invite!those!who!live!in! the! Denver! area! and! would! like! to! be! a! part!of!the!church!plant!team.!

To!learn!more!about!the!project!and!how! you! can! help,! subscribe( to( their(

" We! a r e! m a k i n g! s u r e! t h a t! w e! are!ready!financially!by!raising!a!budget;! that!we!are!ready!spiritually!by!growing! in! prayer! partners! and! spiritual! d i s c i p l i n e s ;! a n d! t h a t! w e! are! ready! corporately! by! recruiting! a! team.!Your!help!is!appreciated,!and!most! needed,!in!all!three!of!these!areas.”!

mailing(list(here.(

For( more( information( about( the( Urban(Island(Project,(click(here.(

PERIODICALS POSTAGE

P A I D

At Houston, TX USPS # 014-651

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: South Texas Assemblies of God P. O. Box 9714 Houston, TX 77213-0714

The S.T.A.R., USPS #014-651, Volume 64, Number 1, is published quarterly (plus a special December issue) by the South Texas District Council Assemblies of God, Inc. 11102 East Freeway, Houston, TX

FACILITATING H EALTH , G ROWTH & D EVELOPMENT OF THE MINISTERS & MINISTRIES OF SOUTH TEXAS.

the

ST R W FA I NL TL E R2 0 2 10 21 6

SOUTH TEXAS ASSEMBLIES OF GOD OFFICERS/PRESBYTERY/STAFF Executive District Officers

Tim R. Barker - Superintendent Steve Banning - Assistant Superintendent Don Wiehe - Executive Secretary/Treasurer

The S. T. A. R. (South Texas Assemblies Review) is published quarterly (plus a special Christmas issue) and is the Official Publication of the SOUTH TEXAS DISTRICT COUNCILASSEMBLIES OF GOD, Inc. 11102 East Freeway (I-10) Houston, Texas 77029 Don Wiehe - Executive Editor David Wilson - Managing Editor

Mailing address: South Texas Assemblies of God P.O. Box 9714 Houston, Texas 77213-0714

www.stxag.org

District Ministries Departmental Officers Roger Bailey -

Executive Presbyters

Steve Weaver and Gene Summers

General Council Presbyters Tim R. Barker, Don Wiehe & Jim Rion

District Sectional Presbyters

Darold DeHart - San Jacinto Section Donny Flippo - Beaumont Section Mike Hammonds - Gulf Coast Section Lloyd Maddoux - North Houston Section Erny McDonough - Victoria Section Joel Nabors - Neches Valley Section Mario Perez - Rio Grande Valley Section Deborah Prihoda - Houston Section Doug Roberts - San Antonio Section William Stockstill - Corpus Christi Section

Honorary Presbyters

Howard Burroughs, Gary Chapin, Johnny Durham, & Joseph Granberry

713-455-1221

Roger Bailey Tammy Calderon Vanessa Hall Stancle Williams -

Missions HonorBound Men

Church Ministries/Discipleship Women’s Ministries Youth Ministries

_________________________________ Article IX, Finances: Section 2, District Office Support, Paragraphs (a) The District Office shall be supported by a monthly offering of at least three fourths (75%) of the tithes of every minister (except Senior Retired Ministers) from both secular and ministerial income. If a minister fails to cooperate with this plan, he shall be called to give a reasonable explanation to the District Officials. (b) It is recommended that the District Office shall be supported by one percent (1%) of the monthly general fund income of each of the churches of the South Texas District Council.