Wisconsin District neWs November/December 2014
Wisconsin District News WDN EDITOR Craig Lundt PO Box 688 Beloit, WI 53512 wdn@wisconsinupci.org WDN SECTIONAL REPS Section 1: Heather Poland Section 2: Melissa Taylor Section 3: Simon Chappell Section 4: April Peckham Section 5: Kathy Fry WDN Proofreader: Dede Sharp DISTRICT OFFICERS Superintendent: Rev. John E. Putnam Secretary-Treasurer: Rev. E.A. Kaske Honorary Board Member: Rev. John Grant PRESBYTERS Section 1: Rev. Dale Pace Section 2: Rev. James Booker Section 3: Rev. Ed Herman Section 4: Rev. Rufus Parker Section 5: Rev. Paul Bennett DEPARTMENTS Foreign Missions: Rev. M.W. Rogers Home Missions: Rev. Rick Keilley Deaf Ministry: Renee Strand Ladies Ministries: Sis. Barb Hilderbrand Sunday School: Rev. Geoff Albertson Youth Ministries: Rev. Tim Vik Revival Commission: Rev. Michael Hook Multimedia Ministry: Rev. Scott Jacobs Men’s Ministry: Rev. Steve Rogers Music Ministry: Sis. Libby Solberg Purpose Institute: Rev. J.D. Putnam Prayer Force: Rev. Don Rogers FUNDAMENTAL DOCTRINE The basic and fundamental doctrine of this organization shall be the Bible standard of full salvation, which is repentance, baptism in water by immersion in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We shall endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit until we all come into the unity of the faith, at the same time admonishing all brethren that they shall not contend for their different views to the disunity of the body.
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BRO. J. E. PUTNAM
WI District Superintendent
II CORINTHIANS 9:15 “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.” When we look into a mirror, we immediately see the reflection in that glass of the person or object that stands before it. I know that at times it’s a challenge to truly look at the image reflected, because many times we would like to see something else rather than the frank truth of reality. I believe that, at times, that is how it is in living for Jesus Christ. We would like to see ourselves completely different
than what we really are. We bear the “image” of the invisible God in our individual bodies. Jesus has “gifted” His body, the Church, of which we belong, if we are born again of water and Spirit. He has molded His “image” into that which will give Him glory and honor. He sets His body in a place to be witnessed. Jesus is not interested in us hiding in the midst of a corrupt and dying world. He wants you and I to reflect what He is, and what He wants this world to be. He sets His “candle” on the top of the hill, so that others will not only see it, but will be drawn to its magnificent light! Jesus has purposed each of us to be His witness in this world. We are His ambassadors! He has literally baptized each of us with Himself. His Spirit lives inside of us, the “unspeakable gift” of the Holy Ghost. “I am crucified with Christ: never-
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
theless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) Brothers and sisters, as we enter into the midst of this “holiday season,” let us not forget why we are here and what we need to be doing while all those around us are taken up by a “party time” atmosphere. Let us realize that our responsibility is to “reflect” the very one who bears the name that is above every name. Let them witness the body of Christ, who understands what the real meaning of “Christmas” is all about. Let us be overwhelmingly “thankful” for God’s unspeakable gift to each of us. And in our thanksgiving, let us reach out to those who are in need of the very “Savior” that was born in that Bethlehem’s stable. Let us give our best to all, showing
them the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts! Let us make sure that our priorities are in line with God’s Word and be willing to sacrifice for the cause of reaching the lost. May all of us give the best “gift” that we could possibly give, our Lord Jesus Christ, by making the sacrifices necessary to establish new preaching points and daughter works. Let us put our finances where our true reflection shines. Let’s give Jesus Christ the best “gift” and let us be extremely “thankful” as we do so. May each and every one of you have a most blessed CHRISTMAS, and a most prosperous New Year as you are going about His business! Let’s be “thankful for His unspeakable gift”!
A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 November/December 2014
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BY MELISSA TAYLOR Holiness Conference at Apostolic Faith Church in Racine on October 24 and 25 was a cleansing bath for the soul. The featured speakers were Rev. James Littles and District Superintendent John Putnam. Though these two orators did not plan together ahead of time, the entire conference focused on holiness in the “inward part.” David’s prayer in Psalms 139:23-24, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me…”
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was the core message of the conference. On Friday evening of the conference, Bro. Littles taught that cleanliness is not the goal of holiness. Rather, holiness is a salvation issue. It may not be
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your salvation, but the salvation of your neighbor. “Holiness is the sign that God waves to the world about a redeeming Savior,” said Bro. Littles. He also contended that you can’t be with Jesus and not be marked
by the experience with Him. For that matter, you can’t stick
your hand in a fire and not be marked by it.
Bro. Putnam challenged the audience Saturday morning to be holy not just in words, but in the motives behind the words. He preached, “Let your yay be yay” from Matthew 5:37. In today’s world, words cannot be trusted, but God did not create us to be manipulators. Christians must go the extra mile to be transparent in the “mediation of our heart” (Psalm 19:14). Bro. Putnam stressed that Matthew 12:36 says every man will give account of “every idle word” he speaks. This word “idle” means “careless.” The Lord will judge your words that you aren’t even giving conscious thought to, so be careful what you say. Bro. Littles wrapped up the conference with a compli- not based on feelings. A true mentary message about being Christian must constantly holy in emotions. Holiness is bring his or her feelings to the
cross and ask the Lord to judge if those feelings are appropriate or not. One way we can check the appropriateness of our emotions is by questioning if we are “abiding in the vine” like John 15:4-5 urges. Are we producing good fruit in our lives? Speaking in tongues is not the continual sign of having the Holy Ghost, but instead the love and the joy present in our lives – the “fruit” will be the true sign (Galatians 5:22-23 and Matthew 7:16). This message was a convicting dare that compels the listener to evaluate the dark corners of his or her heart. Listen to the entire Holiness Conference message for free at www.RacineUPCI. com/Sermons.
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Tuesday night we were addressed by Bro. Coltharp as he delivered a passionate I imagine that driving through the message entitled, “Boots on the Ground.” streets of St. Louis must be similar to Bro. Easter then followed up that message walking the streets of Israel. “Look! There’s with, “You’re On Candid Camera.” Dunn Road, that’s where headquarters is!” Wednesday night was the Global Misand “Hey! That’s Urshan College!” Some sions service. Personally, it was the pinnapeople call that the weight of history. cle of my week. Over 4.3 million dollars I was privileged to attend the UPCI was raised in a single service, enabling 26 General Conference 2014 at the beginmissionaries to end deputation early and ning of October. It was actually a business return to their mission field. Bro. Anthony trip, and I spent the majority of my time Mangun preached a life-style changing on the exhibit floor promoting Ekklesia message about sacrifice and commitment. Apostolic Partnerships. I was unable to The North American Missions service attend the day services and breakouts, but was Thursday night, and it was an incredthe evening services were the highlight of ible thing to see these missionaries standthe week. ing with their families. They carried signs saying, “I am North America’s Hope.” A significant offering was also raised for BY HEATHER POLAND
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NAM, bringing the total amount raised for missionaries at the conference to over 5 million dollars. Bro. Webber delivered a message reminding the conference that the church was never meant for preservation, but for evangelism. The Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International, David K. Bernard, addressed the conference the final night. Expounding on the theme of the Conference, “Advance,” he stated, “God is wanting to do something different than just small incremental growth!” This echoed the sermons preached and
testimonies given throughout the four days leading up to this service. It’s an incredible thing to stand where history has “happened.” I submit, however, that it’s even more incredible to be present when history is “conceived.” How many millions of souls will be saved as a result of this General Conference? How many Pastors went home with a renewed passion to reach their city? How many young people left knowing the call God has placed on their lives? The Kingdom of God is forcefully advancing!
For an in-depth recap of each message, check out: http://upcigc.com/upcigc14-reports To see additional photos, like the UPCI Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/upci.org
To purchase DVDs or CDs of the conference, check out: https://sales.upci. com/
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BY HEATHER POLAND As I type this, I’m sitting in the back of our church bus with 17 other Hyphen, balancing my laptop and typing between bumps. If you’re reading this article, it means both my laptop and I made it through unscathed. We’re on our way to Stamped, the 2014 Hyphen Tour. Parkway Apostolic in Wisconsin is one of only three locations in the country. Groups are coming from as far away as Kentucky, so we’re pretty jazzed about only needing to travel for two hours. Expectations are already high for this conference. Christopher said he’s looking to receive a personal revelation before the weekend is over and Ruth is expecting some practical insight she can take home and utilize. As I moved to the front of the bus, hopping from empty seat to empty seat, Bethany Hughes told me she’s hoping this conference will build unity between the different churches: “Hyphen is still so new, I’m excited to see us come together as one solid group.” Well, the first night was a success! While waiting for Denny’s to bring out our food, we discussed the “service.”
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Stamped had something different in mind than the typical “worship set, sermon, altar call” format. Kristin Keller, the Hyphen director, kicked off the night with a welcome and announcements. The music team then led us in a small worship set. Josh Carson, Director of Promotions for the General Youth Division (GYD), was the first speaker of the night. He taught about the dangers of divided dreams. Eutychus in Acts 20 exemplifies what happens when you stay close enough to hear the teachings of the church yet dream about the possibilities the world offers. Bro. Carson stated, “God would never put a calling
into your heart and mind that would pull you away from His presence.” After a time of quiet reflection, this message was followed by Joel Gray, Director of Hyphen Resources and Training. Bro. Gray taught on Image: Unmasking Moses. Moses, as we see in Exodus 2, was taken from the river by Pharaoh’s daughter who immediately identified him as a Hebrew. Eleven short verses and 40 long years later, however, people who had just met Moses thought he was an Egyptian. Moses, though Hebrew on the inside, had become Egyptian on the outside. “The only way we can push back against the pressure of the world,” Bro. Gray said, “is to have more Holy Ghost building up inside of us than what is on the outside.” This session was immediately followed by a second, powerful worship set. The final speaker of the night was introduced. Shawn Stickler, raised in Delaware but now pastoring a church in Quinte and Youth President of the Ontario Region, describes himself as “a missionary to Canada.” He had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand within a few moments when he admitted Wisconsin has the best cheese curds he’s ever tasted. Bro. Stickler taught on Pain: Living With
a Limp. He transparently shared what it’s like to be an Apostolic Pastor while raising a daughter that has severe disabilities. Faith was so high when she was first diagnosed, but after several years, God still has not healed their precious daughter. No, we don’t know why bad things happen. No, God doesn’t always take away our deep pain. But like Jacob of old, we can realize that somehow we’re more valuable to the kingdom walking with a limp. What happens when we’re completely overwhelmed? “We take it one day at a time.”
This stirring message gave way to an altar call that concluded the first part of the 2014 Hyphen Tour. I’m now happily at home, drinking steaming hot chocolate and reflecting on the rest of the weekend. Though it was only 11 hours earlier, it already seems like days ago that Brent Coltharp, on the heels of a brief worship service, taught on Worldview. He skillfully wove the three messages the night before throughout the session. Bro. Coltharp emphatically declared, “We are holistic beings, cre-
ated in the image of God.” We cannot separate our emotions from our physical bodies, our views from our lifestyles, or our dreams from our realities. Worldview is the lens through which we view the world; everything hinges on it. The stakes are highest when we go through trials. He reminded us that as Apostolics we need to take the Word of God as the Word of God. We cannot afford to waffle on important issues. The congregation of Hyphens broke out into groups of two to discuss everything we had learned up to that point as the glass pulpit on the platform was replaced by luscious-looking brown leather couches. Thus began a panel comprised of the four aforementioned speakers and Sarah Hogan, the Hyphen Administrator. The topic of the panel was relationships, and everything from knowing when to marry to homosexuality was discussed. After 45 minutes (that everyone admitted went by way too quickly), we broke out into another quick time of discussion and then came together for worship. The last speaker of the day and of the conference was Kristen Keller. The title of her message was “Be a Hyphen.” A hyphen is a part of speech that fills the gap;
it joins two disconnected elements into a cohesive thought. As Hyphens, our mission is to be a connector between God and the lost. We must take our focus off ourselves and look to Christ. “We can live without knowing our identity,” Sis. Keller reminded us, “if we know His identity.” This final message was the perfect bookend to an incredible conference. I’d like to thank the GYD and the Hyphen team for planning this tour and for bringing it to Wisconsin! Additionally, Parkway Apostolic did a fabulous job hosting. I believe that many lives were changed over last few days, forever stamped with the identity and mission of Christ.
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BY SARAH DREMSA I first heard about Project7 in Louisville, KY at NAYC 2013. I thought it would be so cool to make a difference in my own school by starting a Bible Club in Waukesha. That fall I started my senior year of high school and my brother, John, was an incoming freshman. My schedule quickly became busy with work and projects so I couldn’t find time to start a P7 group in my school. A few months went by and I
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found myself sitting in a breakout session at Winter Youth Convention on how to start a Project7 Bible study. I was so inspired by all the testimonies I heard from peers that I was regretting not starting one in my own school. But it’s never too late! I went home after WYC determined to get P7 going in my school. The first step I took was going to the P7 website, p7online.org. After quickly browsing through the pages, I was given all the material to start my own club. I had no idea it was going to be so easy. I printed out all the forms and filled in the information. The next step was to contact my Principal; I set up a meeting with my Vice Principal to work out the process of starting a club. My Vice Principal was very open to the idea; he gave us a room to meet in and we worked out a time for us to meet weekly. He also allowed me to post flyers around the school, which,
conveniently, can also be found online. As far as the meetings went, they were a lot of fun and easy to lead. Everything needed can be found on the website. Under the lessons area, I went through weekly and picked out a lesson I felt would be beneficial to my peers (you can write your own lessons, too!). Each lesson outline opened with prayer and dictated the whole Bible study. I personally liked to add my own input and would open it up for discussion. You may be surprised how much your classmates want to learn about God! Each week I would bring in a treat and an activity. We really enjoyed our time together weekly. If you have been thinking about starting P7 in your school, don’t think that you have to wait until next year; I didn’t get my first meeting started until February, and I am so glad I did! My friend Kayla came to Youth Camp 2014 after first attending our P7. She got the Holy Ghost on Thursday Night! Taking the time to show your peers that you care is a great way to witness to your friends. I recommend P7 to anyone who wants to see their youth group grow, and their friends to come to know God.
Author SP
TLIGHT
Description Baptism seems to be one of the least well-understood aspects of the apostles’ teaching on the Plan of Salvation. There are many opinions and ideas about baptism. These often seem to get in the way of people abiding by the simple teachings of the scriptures. To that end, this book explains baptism: what it is, how we conduct it, what the spiritual significance is and to do so by using only contextually valid scriptures. After all, the final authority on any matter to do with the Lord is His word. And His word is clear on the subject of baptism.
Author Biography
Available for Purchase
Pastor Simon Peter Chappell is the pastor of New Life United Pentecostal Church in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, in the United States of America. Pastor Chappell moved to the United States from England in 1994 and has lived in Dodgeville since 1998. He has pastored the congregation there since 2007. He describes himself as a “recycled atheist” and gives the Lord all the glory for bringing him out of the hopelessness of unbelief. Pastor Chappell is happily married and keeps busy raising three minions. He loves God, writing, guns, cats, bacon, good tea, photography, esoteric programming languages, martial arts and lots of other guy stuff.
The book is available from Amazon.com in both paper and electronic format: http://www.amazon.com/ApostolicBaptism-Review-Apostles-Teaching/dp/1500963666/ The list price for the paper version is $8.00. The Kindle version is $4.99 and is DRM-free. Electronic versions are also available through LeanPub: https://leanpub.com/apostolicbaptism and the list price is $5.00. LeanPub makes versions of the book suitable for Apple devices and Kindles and also offers a color PDF. Your single purchase gets you all three versions. Or you can visit New Life Church in lovely Dodgeville and buy a personally signed copy! November/December 2014
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