From the Desk of the Superintendent |
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Happy November, everyone!
In the opening weeks of November, we have gone from 30 degrees to 70 degrees and back to the 30's again. We had a crazy election that took 3 extra days and still isn't done until all the lawsuits are finalized. Covid has spiked and new rules and restrictions have been passed on to almost everyone regarding how we should live. And this is just the first 15 days! Imagine what the rest of the month may hold.
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On the bright side, we had a wonderful Convention with 93 people registered and a relatively seamless technological experience. I hope that all of you who attended enjoyed the messages, music, and interaction. We also had the opportunity to celebrate the life and ministry of Rev. Clint Taber as this year's Lifetime Servant Award recipient. Clint was very humble and appreciative as he received the award and certainly emulated all the reasons why he was chosen.
There is a lot of information in this Newsletter. I hope that you will take time to explore all the ways God is blessing us as a network of churches here in the Northeast. I trust that you will have a great Thanksgiving Day with your family (US). May God richly bless you as you live out your life for His honor and glory!
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There is a beautifully done video celebration on the Regional website. Please share it with your church. |
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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 October Church was the Northside Community Church in Massena, NY. I completely stumped everyone, not one guess was made. :)
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DRIVEWAY FUNDRAISER
Dear AC family,
Thank you so much for your investment in the Eastern Region and partnership in the Network of Churches that make up our Church Family. I would like to thank each of you who have given to meet the annual budget of United Ministries, Penny Crusade, and toward special projects like the driveway fundraiser.
We have been given several gifts toward the project and we have raised $4,250. Would you consider giving toward this Regional project fund to help us underwrite this Capital Improvement? Only another $750 is needed to reach our matching gift and our $5,000 goal total. Please send a check or go to the following link to give a donation.
Many thanks!
Greg & Regional Board
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Sunrise Christian Church and Big Lake Campmeeting gets new floor.
Greetings from Sunrise Christian Church,
Our efforts to cover the cement at the dining hall with new laminate flooring are fast becoming a reality. John McCrorie delivered both pickup loads of flooring that you see piled up beside Nathan Batson, one of our youth. A crew could finish installation as soon as October 12.
I praise God for such a swift response to this need.
Blessings,
Ernest Carle
Pastor
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Greetings in the name of Jesus, Lord of the Church.
I will be sharing on leadership in the church and on ELDERSHIP in particular over the next few months because I believe we need to embrace the concept of leadership teams and changing our churches from the solo Pastor model we have had for so long, and to embrace the ministry of an elder team for the health and growth of our churches. I believe that this is not only a Biblical model, but that it will answer our needs for church leadership in the days to come.
As I help churches across the Region to find leadership as they go through a transition, one of the questions that I always ask is what are you looking for in a Pastor? What strengths are important to your congregation right now? The reason I ask this is because every Pastor is human and will have strengths and weaknesses in ministry. The Bible tells us that we are all given a spiritual gift but none of us has all the gifts. Similarly, no individual has every skill needed for Pastoral Ministry. There is: counseling, shepherding, evangelism, preaching, teaching, administration, conflict management, missions, development of disciples and leaders and so much more. Some work better with different age groups and struggle with others. All of this is natural even though we expect our Pastors to be able to do everything while wearing a smile 24/7.
In the New Testament, we see people functioning in Ministry Teams that have several people utilizing a variety of gifts. Where I am weak, someone else may be stronger. I believe that we need to get back to this New Testament model of having our churches led by more than one person at a time. Here are 4 examples that we see in the New Testament of believers functioning in leadership teams and more specifically as elders. In Jesus' ministry, on multiple occasions He sends out the disciples to do ministry and He always sends them two by two. Secondly, in Acts 11, Barnabas begins leading the new believers in Antioch and goes to get Paul to help him in ministry. A short time later, there are now 5 Elders working together to lead the church and they are mature enough that they are able to send out Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey. Thirdly, In Acts 14:23 Paul appoints Elders, and in Titus 1:5 directs Timothy to appoint Elders in each of the churches. Notice that it is Elders plural, not singular. Holy spirit’s model for the churches then, and our churches today is to have a leadership team that is made up of ministering Elders, not solo Pastor(s). Fourth, Paul goes to great lengths in 1 Timothy and Titus to spell out the qualifications for the selecting of Elders. This selection process is based on qualifications that are rooted in their leadership in the home and their character qualities as believers. 1 Tim. 3:4-5, 12 says, “He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” It’s not about degrees, businesses, or annual donations. Ministry is not about having paid professionals, or lay leaders with worldly credentials. It is about fulfilling the Biblical patterns of leadership which is evidenced best by how we lead our families.
I will spend more time on this in the next article
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There are very few live events going on due to Covid-19. There are still plans to offer Seminary Courses through “Thriving in Ministry.” These courses provide you with a Seminary level course that has a Seminary professor and students while you get the opportunity to audit the class for a fraction of the price. I will be posting these opportunities as they become available for the Spring Semester.
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Monthly Devotional Thought
The Many-Faceted Gospel
The word "gospel" means good news, and it is the very best news we sinners might ever hope to hear. There is only one true gospel, but New Testament writers proclaim it through many pictures and figures of speech. It is as if they lead us through the city and find examples and illustrations on every street. There is the courthouse - and God the judge has "justified" us. For the sake of his Son Jesus Christ, he has acquitted us, pronounced us righteous as if we had never sinned (Rom. 3:24-26). There are the public baths - and God has cleansed us, washed us, removed our moral filth and guilt (1Cor. 6:11). Here is the orphanage - and God has adopted us and made us his children by grace (Eph. 1:5, 11). Here is the attorney's office - Christ is our intercessor and the Holy Spirit our divine Advocate (1 Tim. 2:5; John 14:16).
We pass the hospital - and remember that Jesus heals our body, soul, and spirit (Matt. 8:17). Here is the slave market - but we are redeemed (Col. 1:14). Over there are cozy houses - the Father has reconciled us and called us home to himself (Col. 1:20-22). There is the bank - we who were poor are rich (Lk. 6:20). Here is the inn - and we who were hungry and thirsty are filled (Matt. 5:6). Out there is the cemetery - and we who were dead in sin enjoy new life (Eph. 2:1-7)
All these figures share two common truths. First, that our problems were self-inflicted through our own sinful attitudes and actions, for which we have only ourselves to blame. Second, that God has personally undertaken the task of remedying our problems - guilt, filth, estrangement, bondage, ailments and poverty, our hunger and thirst and homelessness - and he has done so without any help from us (Isa. 43:11, 25: 59:15-20). All this happened in Jesus our representative, and it occurred before we ever heard of it (2Cor. 5:18-19). When we hear the gospel, we cannot contribute anything to God's many-faceted salvation. All we can do is trust his kind disposition toward us in his Son, and give him our love, obedience, and praise in return (Rom. 11:33-36).
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Online Prayer Meeting Fridays from 12-1 p.m. |
Previous copies of the monthly newsletter, Convention videos, 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.
You can now donate through Venmo as well.
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To the churches who have continued to give this year, THANK YOU! |
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The following Bible Study classes will begin in January. Please contact the office to sign up or if you have any questions. secretary@aceasternregion.org |
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Leaders Class facilitated by Roger Brown Mondays 7:30-9
Interpreting 1 Facilitated by Steve Brown Tuesdays 4-5:30
ACTS class for women facilitated by Missie Twitchell Tuesdays 7:30-9
Perspectives facilitated by Kimon Nicolaides Wednesdays 6-7:30
Life Nth facilitated by Chase Mendoza Mondays 6-7:30
First Principles Series 3 facilitated by Greg Twitchell Fridays 10:30 a.m. - 12
Institutions facilitated by Sam Cobb Sundays 6-8 pm
Click on the Bible Study picture on the website for more information
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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
Rev. 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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