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Pacific Church Network Newsletter
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Flexibility
Our grandkids wanted to celebrate the New Year, but toddlers don't do well late at night! So, at 7:15 pm on New Year's Eve, our extended family gathered around the TV and watched a YouTube video of a New Year's Eve countdown from somewhere in the world. The grandchildren were excited they got to stay up late and count down to the new year!! We shouted Happy New Year and ate cookies! Then the kids went to sleep and the adults stayed up 'til midnight. Sometimes you just have to get creative along with practicality to makes things turn out okay. You might notice that life doesn't always turn out the way we planned. Just keep the main goal in front of you, and maybe you just might have to do something for the first time ever, instead of what has always been. "We can make our plans, but the final outcome is in God's hands." (Proverbs 16:1 LB) Be willing to be flexible and do something different.
Happy New Year,
 Jim Smith
Pacific Church Network
Executive Director
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Free PCN Workshop Next Week
Pacific Church Network will host their first workshop of 2016 next Tuesday, January 12, at Bethany Church in Long Beach. We have invited Dr. Christopher Yuan to speak on the subject of "A Christian Response to Homosexuality." Make time to join us for this very informative workshop. Time is 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Lunch is included.
Please RSVP so we can order enough for lunch.
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PCN Annual Meeting this Month
Register now for our Annual Meeting on January 31, 2016. Helpful workshops, networking opportunities, free food, inspiring talks, informative presentations and a chance to see all the wonderful things we are doing as a network of churches working together.
More information and registration.
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Honolulu's New Pastor
Change is in the air at International Baptist Church. After months of work, the search team recommended Scott and Fiona Custer to the church. Scott was affirmed as the new Senior Pastor and will begin on
February 1, 2016. Scott is a graduate of Denver Seminary and has been the Pastor of small group ministry at Pulpit Rock in Colorado Springs. He is the son of Dougg and LeAnn Custer who serve with WorldVenture.
Scott will be installed at International Baptist on February 7 during a weeklong celebration of International's 50th Anniversary.
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Honolulu to Florida Bible College
This past July, Dr. Stan Ponz announced that after 10 plus years of fruitful ministry in Hawaii at International Baptist Church in Honolulu, he and Carol sensed the Lord leading them to pass the baton of leadership at International by the spring of 2016. He was asked to coach the Transition Team and then team-preach until the end of April when Stan and Carol will move to Orlando, FL where he has accepted the position of president at Florida Bible College. Stan, a graduate of FBC, has led this educational institution to reactivate themselves after the school suspended operations in the late 90's. The school will open classes on
August 29, 2016.
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New Pastor in Lakeside
On December 13, Mapleview Baptist voted unanimously to call Jon Bones as their next Senior Pastor. Jon previously served on staff at the church for six years as their Youth Pastor. Jon earned his B.A. in Theology/Music from San Diego Christian College and an M.A. in Linguistics from San Diego State University. He was ordained earlier this year. Jon and his wife Karen have one daughter, Lua Julienne, born on January 16, 2015. Mapleview thanks Dave Bancroft for stepping in as their Interim Pastor this past year and for the time he invested with Jon. Mapleview is very excited about having Jon now lead them as their Senior Pastor. Jon's first Sunday was January 3.
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Independence Has a New Pastor
On December 13, Sierra Baptist Church in Independence, CA voted Dave Bancroft in as their Senior Pastor. Dave had been the Interim Pastor at Mapleview Baptist located near San Diego. Now that Mapleview has a new pastor, Dave will start his new ministry on January 10. He and his wife, Suzy, have spent much of their Christmastime moving from Apple Valley, CA to Independence. Welcome to Sierra Baptist Dave!
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PCN Trip to Israel
PCN has finalized all the details of our trip to the Holy Land this year. It will be from December 1-10. You and those from your church are encouraged to join us as we tour the land where Jesus walked. More information may be found here.
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PCN Looking for a Pastor for Goleta
Goleta Valley Church has designated Pacific Church Network to serve as
their search team and find the next pastor for their church. In
December, after 10 years, pastor Ivan Voster resigned as their Senior Pastor. Ivan has enough energy for two people, and although in his 70's, Ivan will continue in his job as the Santa Barbara County Police Department Chaplain. We appreciate all Ivan has done for Goleta Valley Church. With the resource of a great group of very capable speakers, PCN will be overseeing the preaching schedule and any pastoral needs during this transitional period.
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New Building in Bishop
Calvary Baptist Church in Bishop, a Pacific Church Network member, is expanding their facilities in order to meet their growing needs. Many classrooms are currently in portable buildings. The new building will provide additional children's ministry classrooms, a nursery, bathrooms and a welcome area. Pastor Rick Klug wrote, "amazingly, donations and price reductions from local contractors and businesses have enabled us to get this far, debt free!" The building shell is already up and volunteers are framing the inside walls. An additional parking lot has also been added. They are excited about this building project that will equip them to continue to live out their purpose statement, "Love all people to Christ and help them in their journey with God."
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Small Church Conference
On February 22-23, join other pastors and church leaders from churches that have less than 200 regular attenders to hear Dennis Bickers, who has served as a bivocational pastor for twenty years. The conference will start at 1:00 pm on Monday, February 22 at South Shores Church in Dana Point, CA. (32712 Crown Valley Parkway/92629) The cost is $89 for the pastor (wife may attend free of charge) which includes all conference material, one hotel night, Tuesday breakfast and lunch along with refreshments. For more information and to register, go here.
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Wierd Things Said to Pastors
Thom Rainer's top blog post in 2015 was "Twenty Five Really Wierd Things Said to Pastors and Other Church Leaders." Thom writes, "Few people are truly aware of the constant requests, complaints, and criticisms pastors and other church leaders receive. I must admit, however, I was surprised when I asked church leaders on Twitter to share some of the more unusual comments they have received. I was first surprised at how many responded. But I was most surprised at the really strange things people tell pastors and other church leaders. Read the list.
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CBAmerica settles with the VA
A lawsuit filed in Washington, DC in November of 2013 alleging religious harassment by a leader of a San Diego-based Department of Veterans Affairs chaplain training program against two chaplain participants endorsed by CBAmerica was settled out of court through Federal Mediation in December 2015. CBAmerica serves as our national endorsing agency for all CB chaplains.
Read the statement
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(Read this great article from the blog of Andy Meverden, CBAmerica's Director of Chaplaincy:)
"Holy Order of the Inadequate" (HOI)
That's in the signature block of Chaplain Bill Brown, Director of Chaplaincy, and Manager of the Kairos Prison Ministry in a large State Prison in San Diego, California. Since 2002, Chaplain Bill has seen the hand of God work in amazing ways. I recently caught up with him and asked if he had any encouraging stories he could share. T
his is some of what he said:
"I can tell stories all day long of God's miracles that take place on a daily basis...At the last Kairos Weekend a lead litigant (inmate suing the state to meet the religious needs of Wiccans throughout the California Department of Corrections) came to Jesus and is now attending services and attending the class for new believers." Read more.
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Top of 2015
Top selling
movies
of 2015.
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Thanks for reading our newsletter. We hope to see you at our Training Event and Annual Meeting this month.
909-944-5900
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