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2018 ECO NATIONAL GATHERING WRAP UP
Thank you to all of you who joined us in Houston for our 2018 National Gather
ing!
We are well aware that it takes much planning, sacrifice, time, money, and ene
rgy
to
get each one of you there. As always, it is our prayer that it was a refre
shing time of
renewal, and that God met and encouraged you and your ministries in unexpected
ways. We loved every second of worshiping, praying, laughing, l
earning and
growing
with you!
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- By Paul Kim, Jr. Neelsville Presbyterian Church, Germantown, MD
"God overflowed His grace through this man of God, using Pastor Jasper as a tool for His Kingdom work and for His glory."
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21
Although it is not extraordinary for Christians to experience
God
'
s
provision in our daily walk with Christ Jesus, it is my joy to share my
testimony with ECO sisters and brothers in Christ as I did during the
East Central Presbytery meeting at the National Gathering in Houston,
TX...Read More
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Reflections on the National Gathering
- from ECO Synod Executive, Dana Allin
Though several weeks have now passed, I am still so exhilarated from our National Gathering in Houston. It was a wonderful and long week, from preparing early at the venue to concluding with two days of coach training. Our fabulous staff deserves huge thanks, along with the gracious Houston churches who provided thousands of volunteer hours to make this event run smoothly. Allow me a moment to briefly reflect on three personal RENOVATE highlights that I hope we can continue to build upon in the future.
First, we palpably feel the enthusiasm and hope...Read More
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By Chris DiVietro, PhD.
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Reading, PA.
I am 32 and was raised Catholic, converted in a non-denominational church, was discipled in college by a Christian Missionary Alliance church, attended Reformed Theological Seminary, and spent five years as an associate pastor at a seeker-friendly Methodist megachurch in South Carolina prior to my call to FPC Reading.
Including every junk-drawer term we can think of-young, restless, reformed, missional, incarnational, authentic, organic, millennial
- I probably fulfill some stereotypes while breaking others...Read More
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Renovating Buildings - and Renovating Hearts
By Farrar Griggs
Pastor, Rocky Creek Presbyterian Church, Jefferson, SC
My tribe at Rocky Creek Presbyterian Church in tiny Jefferson, SC has been though a lot this past year. Last July, we arrived to ready ourselves for Sunday services amid the confusion and clanging of fire bells. Our fellowship hall was ablaze from a lightning strike some eight hours earlier that had smoldered through the night. In spite of the valiant efforts of three fire departments, the fellowship hall was lost. To deepen our sadness, the sanctuary was also a total loss, thanks to pervasive smoke damage. The last months have been about assessment, evaluation and
ultimately, decisions, all bathed in prayer...Read More
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 Videos/Photos from the National Gathering
are now online!
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Please note that the worship service with Dr. Q Kim preaching will be posted soon. For those of you eagerly anticipating Dr. Condoleezza Rice's keynote video, please note that we are able to post clips, but not her address in its entirety. Thank you for understanding!
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Moving Together In Partnership
"The Church worldwide needs to move together where God is moving, and God is moving in the Middle East." Rev. Sameh Hanna, Kasr el Dobara Church
Hearing this message from Pastor Hanna at the Global Engagement pre-conference challenged us to think more deeply about our call to partner and collaborate as we seek to live out the Great Commission. God is moving! God is sending! What does it mean for us to move
together
?
In a world that is fragmented and rapidly increasing in complexity, more than ever the world needs a gospel witness that reconciles and speaks out of the unity of the body of Christ. The Global Engagement pre-conference speakers challenged us to think about how to live into this reality through partnership. Partnership in the gospel, as described by Paul in Philippians 1, is a joint vision and commitment to share Jesus with others. We can partner together as ECO churches, and we can partner with sister churches around the world who share our vision and mission commitments. When we connect and move together in mission, we are encouraged and better equipped, and God's Kingdom flourishes.
At the pre-conference, Phill Butler challenged us to seek out those in ECO who are engaged with places and ministries where we ourselves are involved. How much could we learn, grow in effectiveness, and increase our impact on the world if we were connected in our efforts, rather than doing our best on our own as individuals or congregations?
As Director of Global Engagement, I'm dreaming of ECO mission communities coming together around particular places or ways of engaging in mission. Already, I'm seeing the beginnings of this with ECO churches who are engaged in Egypt or the Arabian Peninsula. Why not connect ECO congregations engaged in other locations, or around specialized mission practices like Business as Mission or Refugee ministry? Fostering this collaboration and identifying the leadership and resources to help it flourish are on my prayer and to-do list in the coming season. We have a lot to learn from partnerships. We have a lot give partnerships. There is much to share in God's mission. Praise God, we're in this together!
If you'd like to join this conversation about partnership, please contact Jen Haddox, Director of Global Engagement, [email protected].
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Join the next Borden Church Transformation Cohort!
Dr. Paul Borden has successfully led hundreds of churches of various denominations through a proven transformation and revitalization process. In 2017, he graciously led a pilot group of ECO churches in Western Pennsylvania and has been teaching us how to multiply the transformation process across our own denomination. Though Paul has masterfully trained ECO leaders to facilitate future cohorts, we are grateful that he will continue to lead the cohorts and do the vast majority of consultations himself in the coming year.
Join the next Borden Church Transformation Cohort, beginning April 16-17, 2018 in Denver, CO. Read more details and learn what is required
here.
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Reminder/Timeline for annual Ministry Information Forms
Data Collection forms for the 2017 Ministry Information Forms will be emailed out mid-February. The MIF information will be due by the end of March. We are currently building a MIF website so that you will have the ability to log in and enter your answers online. The same website will be used in the following years, so each church will be able to get real time analytics on reported data, and access and compare your church's information year-to-year. Each church will only be able to access its own data.
As we move to this online system, the mid-February email will include the printable Data Collection form for you to start collecting the information needed. The email will also include your church's unique username and password for secure online reporting. The email will be sent to the pastor, clerk of Session and primary church contact at each ECO church.
If someone at your church is responsible for completing the MIFS who is not one of the above contacts, please forward them the MIF when you receive it, or have them email [email protected] so we can add their email to the MIF mailing list.
There are two options for submitting the 2017 Ministry Information Forms.
1.
Our recommended method is to start gathering your church's information by looking at the Data Collection form you will receive in mid-February, and then enter your answers online between March1st - March 31st.
2.
Alternately, print the Data Collection form you will receive in mid-February, write in your answers, and mail it back to our office. We will then enter the answers online for you.
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Looking for a devotional for yourself of your congregation this Lenten season?
Our friends at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas have shared their devotional written by Rev. Laura Murray. May God meet you powerfully during the weeks leading up to Easter!
Download the devotional
here.
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Welcome our Newest ECO Church!
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Dawson Presbyterian Church
"I am excited to be a part of ECO because the focus of ECO is on the Gospel, bringing people to Christ, and building flourishing churches!"
- Tim Olds, Pastor
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5638 Hollister Ave. Suite 200, Goleta, CA ยท 855.326.3268
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