When my wife Beth was pregnant with our first child, Micah (who is now 14), we had a lot of people who loved, cared for, and supported us as we were preparing to be parents.  Everybody had opinions on how to take care of oneself during pregnancy as well as how to raise a child.

I think we received 3 different copies of "What to Expect When You're Expecting."  This book was very popular at the time and can be very helpful for first time parents to know what are and are not "normal" experiences during pregnancy.
Though we didn't always know "what to expect", one of the things that we have very intentionally desired from the beginning in ECO has been for us to become a church planting denomination.  

 We didn't want to simply transfer churches into our tribe, but we knew if we were going to be a vibrant, gospel movement, we had to have new expressions of church to reach a greater quantity and diversity of people for Jesus.  

We want to invite church planters and those connected to church planting to the Exponential East gathering March 4th to 7th in Orlando, FL. 

The conference is from Monday, March 4th at 12:30 pm through Thursday at Noon.  

As we look toward the future of church planting, we want to ask the deeper question of how the ECO national staff can best serve the needs of the church planting community. 

We have heard from some of you about the challenges related to planting , such as the sometimes-confusing relationships among the plant, other local churches, the presbytery, the national office, and outside resources. 

We had already been sensing a need to create a more robust national church planting team that could take a greater role in support of plants, planters, and presbyteries, and now is the time to move forward with that team effort.
     
Please register below for your complimentary Exponential Conference Ticket  (travel and hotel not included)


National Gathering
A personal invitation from Tim McConnell,
Lead Pastor at First Pres Colorado Springs
Tim and his staff are excited for their ECO family to enjoy their congregation's hospitality and the city of Colorado Springs
next January. See you there!

Note to pastors: If you are planning on attending the pastor's retreat,  please register ASAP because we are almost full
(and would hate for you to end up on the waiting list!).

New Free Resources!
Free Webinar 
Made for More: Mobilizing God's People, God's Way

Would you like to see every Christian in your church released into their calling for the Kingdom? Perhaps you've been sensing there has to be more for your people than just recruiting them to fill positions. But Sunday's coming and that makes it difficult to think about sending and releasing.

Exponential is hosting an exclusive FREE webinar entitled, "Made for More: Mobilizing God's People, God's Way", for our Network at 2:00 pm EST on Thursday December 6 th . 

Made for More continues the critical conversation of church multiplication by looking at 6 critical shifts for a mobilization culture from the book of Ephesians. (To get preview of this conversation, check out the FREE Made for More Church Leader Resource Kit ).

Get excited to join us as we begin to look at what it would take to move from recruiting volunteers to equipping and empowering everyday life missionaries on mission for Jesus.

Let's explore what it would take to see a wave of mobilized believers making disciples where they live, work, study, and play!

Complementary Year-End Gift Bulletin Inserts!
Don't forget the gift that touches future generations! The end of 2018 is quickly approaching, and with it comes the perfect time to remind your ECO congregation that they can both change the lives of others and capitalize on available tax savings. To assist you in these efforts, ECO and TPF are pleased to offer, at no cost to you, a new bulletin insert created to inspire generosity during this special season.
I f you prefer not to use the Internet for ordering, and/or have special instructions, please call Martha Ingrum at 800-955-3155 or email her at [email protected] .
We sincerely look forward to hearing from you,
ECO & Texas Presbyterian Foundation

A Daily Devotional for Advent
Frontier Fellowship's 2018 devotional, Behold , was born from a prayer to recognize signs of God's Kingdom coming among the world's least-reached peoples and places.

Daily entries by Frontier Fellowship staff and ministry friends reflect on the realities of God making all things new-inviting readers to look with prophetic imagination and see the world for what it will be when His Kingdom comes in all its fullness. 
O nline beginning Sunday, Dec 2 

California Fire Update

As you are well aware, California has been ravaged by wildfires the past few months.

Please continue to keep those who lost everything in Paradise, Malibu, and other cities in your prayers.

Northern California  
Southern California
Northern California fire relief funds can be sent to
Bidwell Presbyterian Church in Chico.

Southern California (Malibu) fire relief funds can be sent to
Malibu Presbyterian Church.

All information is located on their website below. 

Southern California (Malibu) fire relief funds can be sent to Malibu Pres:
Malibu Presbyterian Church
3324 Malibu Canyon Rd
Malibu, CA 90265

Remembering Pastor Dale Paulsen

If you would like to encourage the church or family of Dale Paulsen, pastor at Morro Bay Presbyterian who was recently killed by a drunk driver, you may do so through the church.
  
Please pray for his family, friends and congregation during this tumultuous and devastating time. Dale had just announced his retirement at church that morning. Our hearts are with our ECO family in Morro Bay following his sudden death.  


 


Morro Bay Presbyterian Church
485 Piney Way
Morro Bay, CA 93442


Global Engagement
Advent: May We Recognize the Longing for Jesus' Return
By Jen Haddox, ECO's Global Engagement Director
"Be always on the watch, and pray." Jesus, Luke 21:36
All around the crowded room, there was a sense of urgency in the worship and prayer. These workers who had come away from their marketplace ministries in the Arabian Peninsula spoke their prayers in concert, united in their call to mobilize others to pray for Christian witness in the region. Those of us who had joined them from outside the region could not help but notice the greater sense of urgency and dependency on the Holy Spirit in prayer. Every story we heard referred to an urgent and unrelenting hope that Jesus was on the move - and we simply needed to be ready and prayerful.

Commissioned Lay Pastor Training
Are you Interested in Lay Pastor Training?

Applications are due December 7th.  Applications after the deadline will be  accepted based on cohort availability.
Pastor Updates
Calling all ECO Pastors! We need your info! 

If you haven't already, please take the survey below. 

In an effort to  try and have all our records up to date for our ECO pastors, we have created a quick survey so we can be sure your information is current!
 

Welcome New ECO Churches!

First Presbyterian Church
 San Saba, TX 


FPC San Saba seeks to obey and follow God, by engaging in joyful worship, continuous prayer, faithful study of Holy Scripture, inclusive fellowship, diligent equipping for faith-sharing, and sacrificial service to the community and world. 



Pioneer Mission Community 
 Brenham, TX  (Church Plant)


Pioneer Mission Community is a new church plant that is making plans to launch in the Fall of 2019. With Pastor Mark Renn as the organizing pastor, this vision for a simple, Kingdom minded community has been developing for many years. 



The Beautiful Church of Bakersfield 
 Bakersfield, CA


ECO: A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyerians