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Being a Hero-Maker
In whom are you investing? Who on your staff or in your congregation are you encouraging to become a great leader? Now is the time to re-focus, re-evaluate, and get creative for the sake of Jesus Christ, and for the sake of the church. It's time to become a hero-maker!
- A word from Dana Allin, ECO Synod Executive
I am just returning home from a week-long trip to Florida that served two purposes. One was to work with Mandarin Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, where Kevin Pound has been the senior pastor for 25 years. Over those years, the church has increased from an average worship attendance of less than 200 to 800 worshiping together on a Sunday. Now Kevin is preparing to retire..
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Read More
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"Four Words That Changed My Life and Could Change Our Denomination"
- by Lisa Johnson, Director of Lay Leadership Development
I was 26 years old, had just graduated from seminary, newly ordained, and in my first call as a pastor. The night before I was to preach my first sermon, I walked across the hall in our apartment building to borrow an egg from our neighbors, who were members of the church where I was serving. Dick answered the door, and as his wife went to get me an egg, he asked me how
I was feeling about preaching the next day. I told him that I was a bit nervous, as the new, young pastor.
Then he told me, "Whenever I am overwhelmed by the size of the task in front of me, I pray four simple words: 'Holy Spirit, take over.' Try it tomorrow before you step into the pulpit. I think you will be amazed at what He can do." Read More
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We want to hear your voice! Please take this 5 minute survey by March 15th. Pastors, forward this link to the elders and deacons at your church.
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Mission Affinity Groups (MAG)
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The Narrative Questions... love 'em, hate 'em, don't like 'em, don't get 'em, don't know 'em...
- By Anna Kent, Mission Affinity Group Director
Over the years of ECO's existence, I think I've heard it all. I get it.
The Narrative Q
uestions on Mission and Ministry
- even the name is long and a challenge! These ten questions were pulled from our Presbyterian history and are intended to invite the Session of a church to give a qualitative assessment of what God is doing in their midst and context.
Those answers are then shared together in a Mission Affinity Group meeting. In a sense, the Narrative Questions provide an opportunity for an annual
Examen
- a way for us to be aware where God has been active and at work in the overall ministries of a church. They then provide a basis for Sessions to encourage and hold one another accountable to be flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. Read More
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Partnership is Friendship
 FPC Houston is a dedicated partner with Kasr el Dobara Church in Cairo, Egypt. Pastor Sameh encouraged us to be friends not just with individuals, but with whole ministries and congregations as an expression of gospel partnership. Read more about this, Cindy Wu's work with refugees, and a recap of the Global Engagement National Gathering pre-conference in the latest edition of the Global Engagement Newsletter.
Sign up for the Global Engagement e-newsletter mailing list here.
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Get to Know an ECO Church Plant!
Erin Crowley, Church Planter, Eden Grace Church, Ashland, OR
I am planting a church in Ashland, Oregon. The city of Ashland is 10% Christian and has a reputation for being a hotspot for new age spirituality. There are so many different pockets of community in this one city. There is a big outdoors/active community, a large community of artists and actors since it is the home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, many people practicing Wicca, as well as a school for learning witchcraft, and people experimenting with various types of spirituality. There is also a college campus. I knew that I was being called to plant a church that would be simple in structure and heavily focused on learning about and practicing drawing near to Jesus. One of the biggest visions for this church plant will be spiritual formation and sharing about having a relationship with Jesus, since so many people in this community are seeking spiritual experiences. My hope is that we will be able to build relationships with people who experience Jesus' love through us and are able to trust us as people who are safe to have conversations with about Jesus and their spiritual journeys.
There are so many things that I am excited about with this church plant! I am excited to be part of a new work in this community and to have the opportunity to reach out to a lot of new people. I am excited to see the Lord leading us into a community that is far from him because it reminds me how important it is to him that people are exposed to the truth of the Gospel so that they can be reconciled to him. I am excited to see all of the things that he will do in people's lives as they come to know him, and also what he will do in the lives of everyone on the launch team as we embark on this journey!
God has shown up in so many ways already in this church plant. To start with, the process of getting me to Ashland to plant a church is a miracle itself. He opened every door in terms of providing financially through the residency, providing people in ECO who have been such a gift in encouraging me, praying for me and training me in church planting. He provided housing that exceeded my expectations in a city where it is extremely difficult to find housing, he opened up the opportunities for me to build relationships with people who are not believers and have typically been shut down to relationships with Christians, and he has given me favor with the other pastors in the community. I have seen him open doors and create opportunities in every part of this church planting journey.
My two biggest prayers are for the launch team and for the relationships with people in Ashland. I am praying that we have a launch team that is passionate and excited about reaching Ashland, and joyfully surrenders to the Lord in this process. My prayer is that we would grow closer to each other, pursue our relationship with Jesus with more fervor than anything else, and surrender to his transformation in a deeper way than we have before. My prayer for the people in Ashland is that we would be filled with overwhelming love for them and equipped with the wisdom to share Jesus in a way that they will understand. We could always use prayer in spiritual protection as well considering the context in which we are planting.
How can we learn more?
I have a monthly email that I send out with updates and prayer requests. People can email me at
[email protected]
to get on that list.
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2018 National Gathering Highlight
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Skeptic's Only Bible study
Remember when David
Hancock (Pastor, The Grove Church, Port St. Lucie, FL)
shared about his
"Skeptic's Only" Bible study
at our National Gathering in Houston?
Here's a message he got from one of the members of the group:
Praise God with us for this new believer!
Want to know more about how to start your own "Skeptic's Only" Bible study?
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Dr. Condoleezza Rice videos are live!
Three great excerpts from Dr. Condoleezza Rice's 2018 keynote address are now available on our National Gathering website! They will be up for only 60 days, so watch them now while you can! The rest of the main session videos will stay up to inspire and encourage you all year long.
Watch Videos
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Welcome New ECO Churches!
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Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood
Ketchum, ID
We at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood are excited to be a part of a movement which at its heart has a desire for Jesus to be made known. We are praying our new association with ECO will be used by God to help catalyze what God wants from us as we serve Him here in the Wood River Valley and beyond. As far as me personally, it is great to be serving among those with whom I sense a deep camaraderie - in a real sense, I'm finally feeling "at home." - Mark Inouye, Pastor
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Ministry Information Forms
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The Ministry Information Form website is
now live!
All ECO Churches were emailed a letter
containing login and password information.
If you are responsible for completing this form, login to the website and submit your church's 2017 Ministry Information Form!
Remember - they are due by March 31st!
If you have any questions, please email:
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Transitional Pastor Training
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Save the date!
ECO and EPC will be partnering once again to offer
Transitional Pastor Training Seminars.
Two locations to pick from - East and West:
East
(May 16-19, 2018)
Liberty Corner Presbyterian Church
West (June 11-13, 2018)
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Partnering Today to Change Lives Tomorrow
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What will be happening in the life of your church tomorrow? Or even next year? No one can say for sure. Hopefully, you will have many opportunities to serve others and change the lives of those in your congregation, but you could also face unplanned trials and tribulations.
For example, one of our partners in Texas, Leon Springs Presbyterian Church (LSPC), just reached out to share with me how TPF has helped them. Recently, municipal water became available in Leon Springs, and whether the church wanted the system or not, regulations required that it be installed at the cost of $62,000.00 to the church. Because they chose to invest their funds with TPF almost 10 years ago, LSPC could join the new water system without having to borrow money or place additional strain on the...
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5638 Hollister Ave. Suite 200, Goleta, CA ยท 855.326.3268
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