SUMMER 2015 | USPS 165-700
PENNDEL MINISTRIESUMMIT pages 2-3
EAST AFRICA PROJECT UPDATE pages 6-7
HOME MISSIONS PROJECT OFFERING pages 10-11
I’d like to invite you to experience this year’s PennDel MinistrieSummit and District Council at Glad Tidings Church in Reading, PA where Bryan Koch is lead pastor. We are excited for the opportunity to come together at GT as a Network to seek God’s face and prepare our hearts and lives for what He has in store for us in the future.
C C ES S SUPERINTENDENT
Pastor Stephen Tourville, D. Min. 717.795.5921 supt@penndel.org
Our theme this year is ALL IN. This is both a declaration of who we are and a challenge for the days ahead. The times of prayer and intercession will lay the groundwork for the task of reaching the unreached through the power of the Holy Spirit. Our MinistrieSummit is designed to provide not only times of spiritual renewal but also connections and training for the challenges we all face in ministry. Please be aware of the ALL IN ACCESS training activities that begin on Monday at 12:30 PM and are presented by our host church staff who will provide practical resources and ideas. Monday evening the relational connection involves an outing involving the Reading Fightin’ Phils. This evening will include the ballgame, a meal, and faith testimonies of ball players and game staff. (Details are included in the brochure.) We will convene on Tuesday with our annual MinistrieSummit Sacred Assembly, communion, and memorial which will be led by our Assistant Superintendent and host pastor, Bryan Koch. Being ALL IN requires prayer and intercession as people of the Spirit. Beginning on our knees demonstrates our dependence on the Lord for His anointing and favor. The afternoon includes the business session at 1:45 PM where important elections and business will be transacted. The Missions Rally on Tuesday evening will be inspirational with our guest speaker, AGWM Africa Regional Director, Greg Beggs. Wednesday morning is our church planting emphasis along with my annual address to our Network. Wednesday afternoon will be devoted to our guest, Pastor Jim Cymbala. The jubilarians, newly credentialed ministers, and ordination candidates of 2015 will be honored at 7 PM with Pastor Cymbala delivering the ordination address. I trust you will plan to participate in these opportunities to strengthen relationships with one another, prepare for greater things in God, and be transformed by His Spirit as we spend time in His presence. Please join us in Reading being ALL IN for Him!
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GUEST SPEAKERS
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
GREG BEGGS 04
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He has spent most of his life in Africa, growing up in a missionary family and continuing to serve as a missionary. Recently, Greg was instrumental in launching the Live Dead initiative across East Africa. He encourages leaders to guard against the temptation to do church for ourselves, “When the gospel becomes consumer-driven — where we ask what a church can offer us rather than discovering how we can be empowered to fulfill God’s call to ministry — we lose.” Greg and his wife, Danna, desire to plant the church where it does not exist, nurture the church where it is young, and partner with the church where it is strong.
JIM CYMBALA 04
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06 TUESDAY, MAY 5
12:30 pm ALL IN Access In Cafe 3:00 pm Registration Opens in Worship Center Atrium 5:30 pm Reading Fightin’ Phils “Assembly of God Night”
WORLD MISSIONS NIGHT TUESDAY, MAY 5
Greg Beggs is the director of the Africa region of the Assemblies of God World Missions, giving leadership to more than 350 missionaries and missionary associates who minister in 50 countries and territories across Africa.
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REFRESH ORDINATION CELEBRATION WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
In the early 70s, Pastor Jim Cymbala took over the leadership of a small, struggling Brooklyn congregation of fewer04 than 05 twenty people. No money was available for adequate salaries during most weeks in those early years, but that was where they felt God had placed them. Pastor Cymbala and his wife, Carol, believed that this was the very spot where God’s love could meet the most desperate of human needs. Right away they realized the necessity of real prayer to secure God’s grace and power in their ministry. The Tuesday Night Prayer Meeting, though very small at the start, became a central feature in the life of the church and has remained so to this day. Today, Pastor Cymbala oversees a vibrant congregation. Many of the inner-city problems are still there, but so is the congregation’s dependency upon the grace of God, who has raised up workers to direct outreach to children, women, men, youth, seniors, the homeless and people in shelters, among others. Globally, their ministry has impacted the world through church planting, the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and numerous books that include Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire; Breakthrough Prayer; Storm; The Church God Blesses and Spirit Rising.
8:30 am Registration in Worship Center Atrium 9:30 am Sacred Assembly Prayer, Memorial & Communion Service Rev. Bryan Koch 11:45 am Seniors’ Luncheon in NexGen Center 12:00 pm Youth Leaders’ Luncheon at The Works Worship Leaders’ Luncheon at Giannotti’s 1:45 pm Business Session 7:00 pm World Missions Rev. Greg Beggs 9:00 pm Under 40 Gathering
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 6
9:30 am Keynote / Church Planting Dr. Stephen R. Tourville 11:45 am Ladies’ Luncheon in NextGen Center Urban Ministry Luncheon in Fellowship Room 113 12:00 pm Children’s Ministry Luncheon at Giannotti’s 2:00 pm Refresh Rev. Jim Cymbala 7:00 pm Ordination Rev. Jim Cymbala
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ALL IN WORLDWIDE
Bryce with Masi Warriors
Good African food
Steve Pennington & Me
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ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT Bryan Koch 610.678.0266 ext. 224 bryankoch@gtaog.org
Bryce & Me waiting to board the plane at Doha Airport
Adventure to East Africa
T
he term ALL IN can have a few different meanings. It can refer to extending yourself physically to the point that you are exhausted. Or, more commonly, it can refer to someone pushing everything they have to the middle of the table as a last ditch effort to stay in the game. The PennDel Network has ministers that are ALL IN, ALL OVER the world. They are working hard to share Christ with those who know nothing of Him. These missionaries, rather than pushing all their resources into the middle for themselves, are instead pushing everything to the edge for the unreached people of the nations.
of ministry under our belt, we were on our way to dinner with Steve Pennington, his wife, and his son. As we were driving in Nairobi, a Peruvian physicist suffering from jet lag put his turn signal on but didn’t turn his steering wheel and plowed into us at about forty miles an hour. Fortunately no one was hurt! Despite the seemingly difficult time we were having on this trip, what hit me was the fact that this is what our missionaries face daily in their ministries.
A Mission’s Prayer List Safety Family Effectiveness Fruit Vision Wisdom Anointing Favor Relationships Health Legacy
Our missionaries deeply appreciate the financial support our churches provide for them, because without it they could never get to the field. However, they also know that without our prayer efforts, they could never stay on the field. Here are just some of the things we can lift in prayer for our missionary leaders. This list was given to me by Steve Pennington who is the Area Director for the EAIOB.
This past January I, once again, had the privilege to get an up close and personal look at our Assemblies of God global teams. I had the opportunity to speak at the annual retreat for the We are praying that we will finish strong East Africa Indian Ocean Basin world in the final year of our commitment to the PROVISION missionaries and their families. We East Africa region through the PEOPLE LIKE experienced great services with a strong YOU REACHING – PEOPLE LIKE ME vision sense of the presence of God as well which involves our prayers, financial support, as well as times of rich fellowship. It was such a blessing to as our personal interest and relationships with our preach God’s Word among these amazing servants of missionary teams. If you have made a pledge we trust Christ and to hear the fresh accounts of God’s faithfulthat God will help you in fulfilling it. If you haven’t ness as He works through these leaders and the had a chance to make a pledge, yet, we encourage amazing people they serve. you to do so as your resources will help us to reach the many unreached people groups of East Africa. My son, Bryce, and I were ALL IN as well, experiencing on this trip many of the challenges that Oh, and by the way to wrap up our adventure to East missionaries often face. We spent many hours on Africa… the place where Bryce and I stayed during our planes and in airports. We both got sick and I had trip caught on fire the day we left. So I guess we are lost ninety percent of my voice by the first day I glad that we were ALL OUT! was to preach. Then, after we had a couple of days
PennDel World Missions
East Africa Project Update PEOPLE LIKE YOU REACHING PEOPLE LIKE ME
FINANCES $500K Goal • $195K Pledged • $149K Received to date
When the East Africa Project was launched, the challenge went out: if 25,000 adherents to our Network churches (approximately 20%) would give $20, we would raise $500,000 to reach the unreached in East Africa. The greatest challenge is communicating the challenge to our Network family. Pastor – would you take up the cause? Would you communicate the need to your church family? Would you set a date for a special offering for East Africa? We are approaching the halfway mark for raising the funds to reach into Muslim areas where the light of the gospel will not otherwise be given. We have “boots on the ground.” We have the “pieces being placed.” We have every confidence that with your help, these initiatives will bring light in very dark places.
Although less than a year has passed since we initiated the East Africa Project, I am pleased to report that significant progress has already occurred. ETHIOPIA (DIRE DAWA) “English as a second language” business model. Boots are on the ground. This amazing evangelism model is a wonderful fit for the Muslim world with its resistance and prohibition of sharing the faith. Learning the English language leads to conversations. Conversations lead to sharing the faith…
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PEMBA In process; a tourism model may interface best on this island. The groundwork is being laid with missionaries slated to begin within the year. Providing funding will equip the missionaries with necessary resources to begin their ministry upon arrival.
WORLD MISSIONS
Donald J. Immel 717.795.5921 don@penndel.org
THE TIME IS NOW By a Missionary to Ethiopia
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aving just moved in to The Coffee Grounds (name of sensitive country), our spiritual eyes and ears are sensitive. We’re quickly noticing that the forces of Islam are strong, influential, and growing here. Just half a mile down the road from our house, a new mosque is being built. Elaborate and elegant in design, it stands out among the other buildings, even oriented askew from the road so that the Qiblah points toward Mecca. The muezzin (the man who sings from the minaret) faithfully calls five times a day to beckon Muslims to come and pray.
We fight not against flesh and blood. The enemy has developed Islam, khat, depravity, and conditions of the heart that bind. However, JESUS gives us all authority, every tool needed, to overcome. The final step is sacrificial obedience to live in a place like this, so that all can hear. That step has been taken.
Just in front of our home, a woman sits under a makeshift covering to block the sun. Daily, she is faithful to her post, selling a drug called khat (Qat – in Arabic). Each afternoon, we watch as people stream in to purchase this mind numbing drug.
The Time is Now!
We are your front line representatives. We are positioned for the battle for souls in the Coffee Grounds. Our team members are arriving, one by one, in March, then April, and finally July. Join with us in the fight for the souls of this area.
East Africa Project Focus
My wife and I met a young man, ‘Mahmoud,’ recently. We went to his part of town to share the Word. Coming prepared, we had a Bible in his language. Seeing that Mahmoud was interested in what we had to say, we asked him to read the Parable of the Sower to the people of the village who had gathered around us. He was honored to read for us. He was impacted by what he read. We left the Bible for him to keep, hoping he would continue to be honored to read it.
ETHIOPIA $50K language school
SOMALIA $50K water wells (NGO)/compassion projects
PEMBA $175K – creative business access; there has never been an AG missions platform in Pemba
ZANZIBAR $75K – Church Planter School; 10 “units” @ $7,500 each
MADAGASCAR $50K – 10 churches planted
Project Total: $400K
MADAGASCAR A Church Planters Extension Bible Training Center was started in Manakara, Madagascar in 2012. Each session teaches 12 classes over a 12-week period, starting in January. We are in the 4th school session at this time with 13 new students. Out of the previous 3 sessions there have been 50 students. From these 50 students, 15 have so far planted new churches!
ZANZIBAR Construction has begun on the church planting school; 300 Muslims signed up in English Club.
All of these churches meet in temporary buildings, schools or homes. With your help we will be able to partner with these churches and others to get into permanent buildings. These buildings will be 12 meters by 8 meters, built halfway with rock or cement blocks and the rest of the way with wood. They will have metal roofs. Network connexions | Summer 2015 | 7
SECRETARY/TREASURER
About People:
Donald J. Immel 717.795.5921 don@penndel.org
With the Lord
Ministers Transferring In: Bobbitt, Michael A. (Licensed) Clemo, Samantha M. (Licensed) Gitzel, Robben W. (Ordained) Lecocq, Debra J. (Ordained) Lecocq, Robert J. (Ordained) Vagle, Kyle T. (Licensed) Weber, John W. (Ordained)
from Potomac from Potomac from Minnesota from PenFlorida from PenFlorida from Potomac from Potomac
Ministers Transferring Out: Compton, Kevin (Ordained) Burkhouse, Michelle A. (Licensed) Gillott IV, Bernard R. (Licensed) Headley, Michael (Licensed) Heikkila, Holly D. (Licensed) Merritt IV, Maxwell K. (Ordained) Rogers, Sarah E. (Licensed) Wagner, Sean T. (Licensed)
to Peninsular Florida to Ohio to Potomac to Nebraska to North Texas to Alabama to Illinois to New Mexico
About Churches: Parent Affiliated Assembly: Transformation Assembly of God – Montville, CT Jeff Leake – Parent Church Lead Pastor Shirley Ellis – PAC Leader Pastoral Transitions: Nestor S. Reyes to Lighthouse Family Community Church, Philadelphia, PA
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Barbara Rhoades, 84, of Burlington, NJ, formerly of Wilmington, DE, went to be with her Lord on Monday, January 12, 2015. Wife of the late William Rhoades, William and Barbara were the lead pastors of Faith A/G, Newark DE. Prior to their ministry at Newark, they traveled extensively as evangelists throughout the Eastern United States. John Flokstra, 88, stepped from this earth into Heaven on January 30, 2015. He was born in Grand Rapids, MI and received a bronze medal of service in the US Army. John married the late Lorraine Gault and attended Central Bible College prior to their missionary call to Liberia, West Africa. He and Lorraine were later used in the PennDel Network as evangelists and lead pastor of Bethany Full Gospel, Youngsville, PA. Jane Propson, 61, loving wife of 43 years to Pastor Philip Propson of Hellertown and formerly of Allentown, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on January 31, 2015. She was a loving mother and grandmother and was very active with youth ministries and other multiple ministries. She was by her loving husband’s side serving in ministries at Emmanuel Assembly of God, and most recently at Hellertown Assembly of God.
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2015 PENNDEL DISTRICT COUNCIL
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M AY • 4 - 6 • 2 0 1 5
AC C ESS
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MONDAY, MAY 4
READING FIGHTIN’ PHILS VS. THE NEW HAMPSHIRE FISHER CATS Pool Picnic Area Buffet starts at 5:30 pm “Celebrate their Faith” Player testimonies at 5:45 pm
2 1/2 Hour All-You-Can-Eat Buffet
(BBQ Ribs & Chicken, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Vegetable Lasagna, Mac & Cheese, Corn, Pasta & Potato Salad, Tossed Salad, Fruit, Cookies & Pepsi Products)
Picnic table seating in a fantastic location Register by April 27 at penndel.org
$24.00 per person Children 4 & under are free
Bring your team to ALL IN Access. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for your team to ask questions and engage in discussions with the GT Church staff. A special focus will be on the best practices for retaining and recruiting volunteers.
Cost including lunch in the Cafe is $10.00 per person. Register online by Monday, April 27 penndel.org
Phunland unlimited ride wristband for all children Network connexions | Summer 2015 | 9
PennDel Church Planting
HOME MISSIONS PROJECT OFFERING 2015 LIFE CHURCH • HERSHEY, PA Pastor Shawn & Kristal Bentley Life Church www.lifechurchhershey.com shawngbentley@gmail.com 717.974.4140
“Life is a journey. Everything we do is centered on helping people take their next step in their journey of faith.” Hershey, PA started as a “model town” for employees of the world’s first modern chocolate factory to live, work and play. But how can “The Sweetest Place on Earth” model true community without the example of Christ’s love among its people? This need is part of what called our family to “Chocolate Town, USA.” God paved the way for Life Church to be planted in Hershey, PA in February 2014. Our vision is to REACH people in a way that exemplifies a genuine and growing relationship with God and to CULTIVATE a Christ centered, spirit-filled environment where people GROW in their relationship with God. After enjoying our first few months of Sunday services at the Cocoaplex Cinemas and a short transition at the local Elementary School, God blessed us with the opportunity to lease a great facility at a remarkable price right in the heart of Hershey. Our new location is only two blocks from Hershey Square (the intersection of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues) and provides us with an amazing amount of space (16,000 square feet). The Hershey Project will help transform ten old school classrooms into strategic environments for facilitating relational growth within the Hershey community. Thank you for taking time to prayerfully consider our request!
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OUR GOAL THIS YEAR IS TO RAISE
$100,000 FOR THESE PROJECTS
US MISSIONS
Tom Rees 717.795.5921 tom@penndel.org
THE PLACE • READING, PA Pastor Evelyn & Sam Klingler The Place www.theplaceag.org theplaceag@gmail.com 610.603.6625
“The Place is a congregation that God wants to use to tell Reading and the world that He still cares.”
WE NEED YOUR HELP! WE CAN DO THIS IF... 1 CHURCH GIVES $ 20,000 2 CHURCH GIVES $ 10,000 5 CHURCH GIVES $ 5,000
Reading, PA is a city of over 88,000 people that has been riddled with poverty, violence, drugs, and a seeming hopelessness, especially in the heavy urban areas. Like with Nineveh, we believe God desires to and can transform whole cities. In this age, it takes the work of churches - old and new- to get His powerful Gospel to the lost. Planting new churches births fresh opportunities for people to be saved. This was our incentive for planting “The Place…a church of HOPE for everyone!” Our young church is comprised of several cultures that reflect the heart of the city. Hispanics, Blacks, Italians, Germans and many others worship together each Sunday in our growing community. Our greatest joy is watching people come to Christ and walk with Him in full surrender.
8 CHURCH GIVES $ 2,500 10 CHURCH GIVES $ 1,000 10 CHURCH GIVES $
500
To continue to reach people effectively, we have been praying and believing for a new property. The Lord has opened the door for us to purchase a property that puts us in our immediate neighborhood where people will be able to walk to church (a benefit in our urban setting). The location is excellent for our mission. We will be across the street from the Intermediate School where we now do an after school outreach program. My husband and I work bi-vocationally as not to tax our young congregation as it continues to grow and become a strong, vibrant church. We ask for your help so that we can purchase this terrific building and continue to reach Reading’s inner city for Jesus. Network connexions | Summer 2015 | 11
ALL IN FOR PRAYER We are delighted to have Pastor Jim Cymbala at this year’s MinistrieSummit. Here are some words of encouragement from Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire.
PRAYER IS THE SOURCE of the Christian life, a Christian’s lifeline. Otherwise, it’s like having a baby in your arms and dressing her up so cute— but she’s not breathing! Never mind the frilly clothes; stabilize the child’s vital signs. It does no good to talk to someone in a comatose state. That’s why the great emphasis on teaching in today’s churches is producing such limited results. Teaching is good only where there’s life to be channeled. If the listeners are in a spiritual coma, what we’re telling them may be fine and orthodox, but unfortunately, spiritual life cannot be taught. Pastors and churches have to get uncomfortable enough to say, “We are not New Testament Christians if we don’t have a prayer life.” This conviction makes us squirm a little, but how else will there be a breakthrough with God? If we truly think about what Acts 2:42 says—“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
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MINISTRIESUMMIT SPOTLIGHT
“Does anyone really
Jim Cymbala Senior Pastor The Brooklyn Tabernacle Brooklyn, NY
think that America today is lacking preachers, books, Bible translations, and neat doctrinal statements? What we really lack is the passion to call upon the Lord until he opens the heavens and shows
We had to have a visitation of the Holy Spirit, or bust. “I haven’t been trained. All I know is that Carol and I are working in the middle of New York City, with people dying on every side, overdosing from heroin, consumed by materialism, and all the rest. If the gospel is so powerful …” I couldn’t finish the sentence. Tears choked me. Then quietly but forcefully, in words heard not with my ear but deep within my spirit, I sensed God speaking: If you and your wife will lead my people to pray and call upon my name, you will never lack for something fresh to preach. I will supply all the money that’s needed, both for the church and for your family, and you will never have a building large enough to contain the crowds I will send in response.
himself powerful.”
to prayer”— we can see that prayer is almost a proof of a church’s normalcy. Calling on the name of the Lord is the fourth great hallmark in the list. If my church or your church isn’t praying, we shouldn’t be boasting in our orthodoxy or our Sunday morning attendance figures. In fact, Carol and I have told each other more than once that if the spirit of brokenness and calling on God ever slacks off in the Brooklyn Tabernacle, we’ll know we’re in trouble, even if we have 10,000 in attendance.
“Visiting Brooklyn Tabernacle and seeing the many lives that have been changed by the power of God makes you want to raise your voice and sing ‘Lord, Your grace is so amazing. Wonderful! Wonderful!’ Whether it is a Tuesday night prayer meeting or a Sunday service, you sense such reverence and awe as people from all walks of life gather to meet with the King of Kings! When times were hard and the struggles many, God was faithful to Brooklyn Tabernacle and to its pastor, Jim Cymbala. God met him and told him to lead the people to pray, and he was ‘not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.’ The miracle-working prayers of his faithful congregation are evidenced by the life-changing
Copyright © 1997, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, The Zondervan Corporation.
testimonies that have not only been proclaimed in Brooklyn but have traveled around the world.” ~ Rev. Penny Wheatley PennDel Ministry Network Network connexions | Summer 2015 | 13
YOUTH ALIVE MISSIONARY Lee Rogers 717.795.9780 lee@reachtheschool.com
reachtheschool.com twitter.com/reachtheschool facebook.com/reachtheschool
ALL IN:
Balancing the Seesaw of Youth Ministry
W
hen I was a kid, one of my favorite playground activities was the seesaw. There is something brilliant in the simple physics of that wonderful contraption! We used to run across the playground before all the good seesaws were taken, and soon we’d be launching one another up into the air and back down again. The up-and-down was fun, but every once in a while, with the right concentration, we could find the perfect equilibrium and balance one another in mid-air. That was the most difficult achievement—finding the perfect balance, the perfect weight-to-counterweight ratio.
Youth Ministry is not much different, and though the variables seem far more numerous, it’s really wonderfully simplistic. The big picture of Biblical ministry is a seesaw with “shepherding the flock” on one side and “reaching the lost” on the other. H. Dale Burke wrote, “In a real sense, Jesus has given every leader in the church two full-time jobs: 1) care for the flock, and 2) go after new people for God’s kingdom.”1 Unfortunately, any honest evaluation of American Christianity will find us heavy on “feeding the flock” and light on “reaching the lost.” If you doubt this, just check out any “Best-Sellers” list of Christian books. You’ll find titles focused on personal growth, finance, marriage, devotionals, prayer, theology, and even some semi-heretical fiction. But you probably won’t find a single title focused on evangelism. Our seesaw looks like a large adult with both feet on the ground on one side, and a small child with feet dangling in the air, desperate to get to the ground, on the other side. Can we find the equilibrium that Jesus urged us toward? Can we get it ALL IN?
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YOUTH MINISTRIES Doug Sayers 717.795.5921 dyd@penndel.org
Here are three tips for finding balance on the seesaw of Biblical ministry: • Remember that community flows out of mission. You can’t read a book about youth ministry today without reading about the importance of community. The point has been so well stated that community has become the main goal; God’s mission has been lost and having a youth ministry “family” has become of prime importance. Here’s the problem—Jesus didn’t focus on creating a community. He focused on God’s mission, and community was a natural byproduct of that mission. Learn to prioritize the mission of God. Community will happen as you go. • Call students to carry their cross. We have become slaves to individualism, and our youth ministry methods may have more to do with personal prosperity and low cost discipleship than authentic Christianity. There is a real sense in Scripture that following Jesus should be challenging, costly, and demand fundamental change in our lives. If the hardest thing you’re challenging your students to do doesn’t involve real tangible sacrifice, you’re not calling them to Biblical discipleship. • Equip the Saints for the work of the ministry. Students must be challenged and equipped to carry forward God’s mission of seeking and saving the lost on a regular basis. This is what Jesus did with his disciples. He took them with him and trained them in his ministry. He didn’t wait to get all their issues worked out or for them to show themselves as truly devoted. On the contrary, he trained them as they were (including Judas, who would eventually betray him). Jesus gave the distinct impression that true discipleship includes evangelism; they are not as separate and distinct as we tend to believe. As E. Stanley Jones said, “The converted convert, or they don’t stay converted.”2
1. H. Dale Burke, How to Lead & Still Have a Life (Harvest House Publishers, 2004). 2. E. Stanley Jones, Conversion (Abingdon Press, 1959).
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Connecting
Around the Network
Be part of our 100 stories As we anticipate the 100th District Council to be held on May 2-4, 2016, we are receiving the stories of individuals, churches, and our ministry network in a collection called “100 Stories.” Please send us stories of God’s work in you, your family, or your church. We would love to include your testimonies of salvation, healing, deliverance, and empowerment through the Holy Spirit. Our fellowship has long embraced experiences - let’s celebrate them! Forward submissions to the Network office or to don@penndel.org.
Pastoral Commissioning Pastor Michael & Diane Bobbitt Cornerstone AG, Kittanning, PA
Pastoral Commissioning Pastor Todd & Jacquie McClauslin Heritage AG, Gettysburg, PA
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ROYAL RANGERS Greg Scott 302.697.2313 gscott@pdrangers.org www.pdrangers.org
Coming Events in 2015: PennDel RR Camp Work Day PDRR Camp Berry, Honey Grove, PA June 6th Junior Leadership Training Academy PDRR Camp Berry, Honey Grove, PA June 16-20th PennDel District Powwow PDRR Camp Berry, Honey Grove, PA June 26-28th PennDel District BB Gun Competition Newport AG, Newport, PA July 18th
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We’re
ALL IN
and waiting for you to join us at this year’s District Powwow. This year’s Powwow will be an Arts and Trades theme.
COME SHOW US YOUR TALENTS AND LEARN SOME NEW SKILLS.
DISTRICT CALENDAR MAY
Pennsylvania-Delaware Ministry Network 4651 Westport Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Read online: penndel.org/connexions
Editor: . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen R. Tourville Managing Editor: . . . . . Carole Bongiorno
1.................. Fasting & Prayer 1-2............... NE Regional Teen Bible Quiz Finals 4-6............... MinistrieSummit/99th District Council – Glad Tidings A/G, Reading 7.................. National Day of Prayer 7.................. Youth Committee Meeting 10................ Mother’s Day 15................ Credential App’s deadline for Sept. Interviews 16................ Kids’ Fun Arts 24................ Pentecost Sunday 25................ Memorial Day – Ministries Center Closed
JUNE Executive Presbytery Superintendent . . . . . . . Stephen R. Tourville Assistant Superintendent . . Bryan Koch Secretary/Treasurer . . . . . Donald J. Immel Timothy Bunney Southwest Suburban - SWS Christopher Clark North Central West - NCW Steven DeFrain East Central - EC Stephen Getchell Southwest Metro - SWM Jeffrey Kettering South Central - SC Robert Novak Greater Philadelphia Area - GPA James Pentz North Central - NC Randall Rhoads South Central East - SCE Roland Coon Delaware - DEL Walter Smith South Central West - SCW Allan Thorpe Northwest - NW David Twiss Northeast - NE General Presbyters Stephen R. Tourville Donald J. Immel Bryan Koch Honorary General Presbyter Philip Bongiorno
6.................. RR Honey Grove Camp Workday 8.................. Executive Presbytery – Summer Session 8.................. Kennywood Park Day 9.................. Hersheypark Day 11................ Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom 11-13........... Stars, Friends and Girls Only Retreats – BCC 15-19........... Week #1-Youth Camp – BCC 16-20........... RR Junior Leadership Training Academy – Honey Grove 21................ Father’s Day 22-26........... Week #2-Youth Camp – BCC 26-28........... RR District Powwow – Honey Grove 27................ Single Moms’ Day Out – Central/Houston 28-July 3..... National Bible Quiz Finals
JULY 3.................. Ministries Center Closed 4.................. Independence Day 6-10............. Week #1-Kids’ Camp – BCC 10-11........... Acts 2 Journey Retreat – BCC 13-17........... Week #2-Kids’ Camp – BCC 18................ RR District BB Gun Competition 20-24........... Week #3-Kids’ Camp – BCC 27-31........... Week #4-Kids’ Camp – BCC
PennDel Superintendent Emeritus
AUGUST Volume 61 Number 2 - (USPS 165-700) is the official periodical published quarterly by the Pennsylvaina-Delaware District Council of the Assemblies of God. Periodical postage paid at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Circulation Stands at Approximately 7,500 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Pennsylvania-Delaware District Council 4651 Westport Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-4887
1-3............... General Presbytery 3-7............... 56th General Council – Orlando, FL 3-7............... National Fine Arts Festival – Orlando, FL 7-15............. RR District Leaders’ Conference – Newport 14-16........... Bible Quiz Camp – BCC 14-16........... RR District Family Camp - Honey Grove
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Pennsylvania-Delaware Ministry Network 4651 Westport Drive Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 Find us online: penndel.org Follow us on Facebook: PennDel Ministry Network Follow us on Twitter: #penndelag
Celebrating 34 Years of Service
When you invest in HIS Fund, your investment is ALL IN the Kingdom of God. Whether saving for your child’s education, investing for retirement through an IRA, or just setting aside funds for a “rainy day”, the end result is a harvest of precious souls.
HERITAGE INVESTMENT SERVICES FUND An investment that works
current interest rates ($500.00 Minimum Investment)
5 year Term Note 4.00 %
4 year Term Note 3.25 %
2½ year Term Note 3.00 %
1 year Term Note 2.75 %
6 month Term Note 2.50 %
Demand Note 2.25 %
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An investment that works OFFERED INTEREST RATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL FOR CURRENT RATES. THE INITIAL INTEREST RATE ON ALL NOTES WILL DEPEND ON THE EFFECTIVE INTEREST RATES AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. TERM NOTES PAY INTEREST AT A RATE FIXED AT THE TIME OF ISSUANCE. ONCE FIXED, THE INTEREST RATE ON A TERM NOTE WILL NOT BE CHANGED UNTIL THE NOTE MATURES. DEMAND NOTES PAY INTEREST AT A VARIABLE INTEREST RATE. AT LEAST THIRTY (30) DAYS PRIOR TO ANY DECREASE IN THE INTEREST RATE ON A DEMAND NOTE, HIS FUND WILL NOTIFY THE INVESTOR OF SUCH CHANGE. THIS INFORMATION IS NEITHER AN OFFER TO SELL NOR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO BUY THE SECURITIES ISSUED BY HIS FUND. THE OFFERING IS MADE ONLY BY THE PROSPECTUS. THE UNSECURED SECURITIES OF HIS FUND ARE NOT OFFERED OR SOLD IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE NOT PERMITTED. THE NOTES ARE NOT SAVINGS OR DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS OR OTHER OBLIGATIONS OF A BANK AND ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORATION, ANY STATE BANK INSURANCE FUND, THE SECURITIES INVESTOR PROTECTION CORPORATION OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY.