From the Desk of the Superintendent |
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“I love my job” is the slogan at my favorite restaurant. I agree! I wake up each morning excited about what Holy Spirit is doing in our churches and ministries day by day, and I am surrounded by great people serving the Eastern Regional family of churches!
I have served as a Superintendent, Christian Academy school teacher, Youth Camp Director, Youth Pastor, and Pastor over the past 26 years. Through all of these various positions there are a few basic ministry priorities that have not changed in each position. Whether I was serving as a Camp Director or Superintendent, I have been committed to the gospel, discipleship, developing leaders, serving the church of Jesus Christ, and growing in my relationship with God.
I love serving Jesus Christ and each of you. While we are in the midst of some of the greatest challenges we have ever faced within and without of the church, I also believe that we are in the last days. I believe that all that is going on should be a wake-up call to the church. It’s time that we stop being a group of Sunday morning believers and begin functioning as the People of God. We need to realize as Ephesians 6:12 teaches, that we are not wrestling against people, and we aren’t going to legislate morality, but we are fighting against Satan and his agenda.
After being the Association of Churches who have heralded the Second Coming of Christ for over 100 years, it is our time to step up and be as active as possible in Proclaiming the Coming of the Lord! Trusting in Him, and the Spirit's leading.
In this edition we will be learning about plans for the October Regional Convention, results of a survey that was completed by our Pastors, and an interview with Brandon Twitchell.
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Can you guess which church this is? The first person to email the office (secretary@aceasternregion.org) with the correct answer will receive a small prize. If this is your home church, we ask that you refrain from answering.
The July Church was the Highland Cliff Advent Christian Church in Windham, ME. Rev. Roger Brown guessed it correctly.
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ERA STATS ON THE RESULTS OF COVID SURVEY
PART 1
STATS
We recently conducted a survey in which 33 Pastors responded out of 57 surveyed. This is part 1 of 2 where I will reveal and discuss the results.
For me this survey shows that the majority of our people do have access to the internet and many of our churches tried using online meetings. Since this survey was conducted in the summer, many churches have gone back to live services and some never wavered from meeting that way. One of the greatest challenges we have faced as believers is not being able to meet together. Many of our people find great joy, comfort, and benefits through their time of fellowship and worship each week. There are reports of many more people being reached through their online presence and outreach. People are writing more to stay in touch with one another through cards, letters, and e-mails. Pastoral staff is finding new ways to minister other than primarily through the Sunday worship service. Families are spending more time together, and I have heard that many churches are encouraging family worship and small groups in people’s homes.
One blessing that was mentioned and I can elaborate on is that we have only had a very few cases of Covid, and none in our Sr. care centers. Praise Go for his protection over our people!
Through the survey we found:
What percentage of your people have access to the internet for online meetings, email, etc.?
· 1 church 10%
· 9 churches 50%
· 12 churches 75%
· 10 churches 90%
How is your church currently meeting? (check all that apply).
· Live 30
· Online 16
· Live small groups 6
· Online small groups 6
· Prayer Meeting 5
· Online Prayer Meeting 4
· Other 7
What good things is God doing in your church in the midst of the chaos around us?
RESPONSE 1 - Prayer, Praise, Producing, People
RESPONSE 2
Opening up the conversation about change.
RESPONSE 3
Our people have been caring for each other's needs.
RESPONSE 4
The longing to be together has grown stronger.
I have had some discussion with whose spiritual quest is becoming more open.
RESPONSE 5
Morale is petty high. The Lord has given good weather for outdoor worship. We have had numerous visitors, including some repeat visitors.
RESPONSE 6
More people are hearing the Word than normally.
He has more than met our needs.
None of our people has gotten the virus.
RESPONSE 7
Continued mission giving.
More letter writing and internet connection.
RESPONSE 8
Forcing us to be patient and creative.
RESPONSE 9
We have certainly broadened our outreach some through video online posting. People looking in that would not otherwise be in church.
RESPONSE 10
* new family now regularly visiting
* some tourist visitors outside
* God is blessing financially in spite of everything
* people are generally keeping connected by email/text/notes, etc.
* families are spending much more time together
* staff is getting rested from a very hectic schedule
* many more people hearing messages on our web-site
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The Eastern Region's Family of Families
Interview with Brandon Twitchell - Highland Cliff AC Church
You attended BICS in 2018-2019. What led you to attend there?
When I was 12 and going to summer camp, I met John Tate who was working as a recruiter for BICS at that time and we met up at several camps together. John told me about the program even though I was quite young. In 2017 I began to look at it more seriously. At that time Ben Boehm was the current recruiter. I talked with Ben, Steve Brown, and some alumni about attending. It was after these interactions that I decided to attend.
Were you considering ministry prior to attending BICS?
I wasn’t really considering it before going to BICS. It was near the end of my time at BICS that I began to feel called into vocational ministry.
How did you get involved with Highland Cliff Church in Windham, Maine?
I was invited to fill in as a speaker, and they invited me back a second time. After this, the Superintendent suggested to the church that they have an Interim Pastor rather than a series of guest speakers. They spoke with me about it and after prayerful consideration, I started in June.
What does an Interim Pastor do?
I’m in charge of preaching on Sunday.
I’m in regular contact with the church.
I’m getting to know the congregation by getting together over lunch on the weekends.
I pray for the congregation daily.
I work with the Elder, Tom Szostak, to care for the people.
Do you have any specific goals while serving there?
My number one priority is to care for the people
I’d like to do more outreach and get the congregation involved. This is currently challenging due to COVID-19.
What are you currently studying?
I am enrolled in the Antioch School of Church Planting and Leadership Development. With the church, we just finished going through the book of Galatians and will start Ephesians.
What have been your favorite aspects of attending the Antioch School?
I really enjoyed the Leaders Course
What are your plans after serving as an Interim?
Finish my schooling to earn a Bachelors of Ministry
Get ordained and pursue some type of church leadership
Continue following the Lord’s leading one step at a time.
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Monthly Devotional Thought
More Simple Than We Think
Now and then I read something in the Bible that leaves me positively dumbstruck. Such as those times someone allegedly speaking for God summarizes what God expects from folks - in both Old and New Testaments. Take Micah, for example, "What does God really want from you?" asks this prophet from the 8th century B.C. The rabbis later counted 613 commandments in God's law, which they eventually expanded into an encyclopedia-sized set of books known as the Talmud. But Micah narrows the list considerably: "to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God" (Micah 6:6-8).
And what about Jesus? Asked to identify the greatest commandment, he did not specify baptism, or church attendance, or helping the poor. He didn't even quote one of the Ten Commandments. "Love the Lord your God," said God's own Son, "with all your heart and soul and mind and strength" (Matt. 22:35-38). Not obey God, or fear God, or even serve God. Love God. And the second greatest commandment, said the Savior, is to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matt. 22:39-40). Paul the Apostle echoed Jesus when he said that loving one's neighbor fulfills the law (Rom. 13:10). Of faith, hope, and love, said Paul, "the greatest is love" (1 Cor. 13:13). Above all other traits, he urged, we are to put on love (Col. 3:14).
Certainly anyone who seeks to obey these core commands will discover that they have enormous implications for life's details. Neither Micah nor Jesus nor Paul suggests otherwise. Still, I marvel at the daring summaries they so boldly set forth. When we become so encumbered with religion that we mistreat people, or when we get so caught up in Bible interpretation that it obscures the God who speaks through the Bible, we need to remember these texts. When life seems confusing and moral discernment appears difficult, it is powerfully helpful to remember that God's chief concerns are not that complicated at all. We have it on the highest authority!
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Online Prayer Meeting Fridays from 12-1 p.m. |
Previous copies of the monthly newsletter and helpful articles on Covid-19 are now on our website.
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Click the link below to visit the Advent Christian Voices blog. Where Advent Christians consider the past, examine the present, and define the future of the Advent Christian Church. |
Visit our website to make a donation online |
To the churches who have continued to give this year, THANK YOU! |
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Leadership Development
After much prayer and discussion, the Board of Directors has decided not to enroll students for the 2020-2021 academic year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
For more than thirty years, the Institute has sustained its commitment to discipling young adults in the context of a Christ-centered and caring community. We remain fully committed to our mission and to the unique dynamics of this program that have made it so formative for our hundreds of alumni. The entire BICS experience is based in relationships that are built through daily interaction in a close-knit community.
While distance learning can be a useful tool, it is no substitute for the intimate environment that makes the BICS classroom and dorms instrumental components of the discipleship process. Rather than compromise our program to fit within current and future restrictions, we have decided to use the coming year as an opportunity to enhance our program and prepare for a full reopening in August 2021.
Despite the disappointment caused by this change, we are looking forward with great excitement to welcoming our next class. Students accepted for 2020 will have the opportunity to defer until 2021, and we are already getting to know some of the students who will join us next August for an exciting and transformative year of discipleship in our BICS community.
Though the coming year will not be what we anticipated, we remain confident in God’s good purposes for BICS, and we resolve to redeem this year for the good of our mission. May God continue to raise up a generation of young believers who love Jesus and who are committed to using their lives in service of His Kingdom.
Please join us in praying for BICS
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Secondary Education Scholarships
The DuBois scholarship is available to students from the Maine State Conference. Applications must be post marked by August 31st.
The Vincent E. Taber scholarship information is available on the Regional website. Applications are due by September 15th.
Berkshire Christian College has a scholarship for those taking courses at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, undergraduate with Eastern, or Interactive eBerkshire courses.
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ERA NEWSLETTER CONVENTION NEWS
GOOD NEWS! Our Convention this year is still going to happen! We will be on YouTube and Zoom. We will record some segments in advance and have some live. Our theme is “THE CHURCH IN CRISIS” and Rev. John Tate will be our Keynote Speaker. The Convention schedule is tentatively planned as follows:
Thursday October 22 6-7:30 PM
Friday October 23 6-7:30 PM
Saturday October 24 8:30-12 Noon
We will have videos, and written reports available prior to the 22nd. The Convention will have Host sites for people to attend together as well as the ability to view and participate from home. We need each of our churches to appoint delegates and we need Pastors to commit to being present. We would also welcome guests to attend from the various churches. They will not be able to vote, but they will be able to attend, be blessed by the teaching and learn more about the ministries within our Network.
Please mark your calendars for “THE CHURCH IN CRISIS” 2020 Regional Convention!
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ERA Board of Directors
Rev. George Karl, President - sumkarl@yahoo.com
Rev. Frank Jewett, Vice President - frankrjewett@gmail.com
Rev. Allen Latimore, Clerk - aclatimore@netzero.net
Mr. Howie Munday, Treasurer - mundayhk77@gmail.com
Rev. Doug Tourgee, Heritage Conf. President - dougin401@aol.com
Mr. Kent Davis, Maine State Conf. Vice President - kdavis@pgagnon.com
Josh Rice, Maranatha Conf. President - jrice.emmanuel@gmail.com
Rev. Derek Irvine, New Life Conf. President drick1221@gmail.com
Mr. Adam Facteau, New York Conf. President - afacteau@twcny.rr.com
Rev. Ken Perkins, Nova Scotia Conf. President - Ken.perkins@EastLink.ca
Mr. Charlie Merrill, ERA Representative to ACGC - cmerrill7967@gmail.com
Rev. Steve Lawson, ACGC Executive Director - slawson@acgc.us
The Eastern Regional Association Newsletter is published as a ministry of the Eastern Regional Association of the Advent Christian General Conference.
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Eastern Regional Association
32 Four Rod Road, Rochester, NH 03867
Phone: 603-332-1412 / Fax: 603-332-1648
www.aceasternregion.org
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