SEPTEMBER 2021
A PRAYER FOR PANDEMIC PASTORS
By Superintendent Michael Traylor
The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” Isaiah 50:4 NIV

Its somewhat ironic to return from a sabbatical and talk about weariness. Supt. Amelia and I had a wonderful time of renewal and come back with a deepened appreciation for the voice of God’s Spirit and greater knowledge of God’s heart. One of the clear observations that we noted before our sabbatical was that our pastors, leaders, and TRC members are weary. We are spiritually tired, mentally exhausted, emotionally frayed, and physically fatigued. We have fought to be faithful during a global pandemic, politicization of everything, massive disinformation campaigns, record protests, rising violence, and record global displacement due to war, poverty, and climate change. No matter where you live, this affects you. The long-term effect of ongoing pressure is a weariness of the soul. Spiritual Formation author Ruth Haley Barton describes the process this way:
“Dangerous levels of exhaustion usually accumulate over a longer period of time in which we are consistently living beyond human limits, functioning outside our giftedness, or not paying attention to the sources of our exhaustion.

When we are dangerously tired, we are unable to be our best selves, we find it difficult to make wise and discerning decisions, we hoard energy rather than being able to give ourselves freely to others, and our bodies may begin to break down under the stress and strain of it all.”
Ruth Haley Barton An Invitation To Retreat
Due to persistent fatigue, we become not only low in energy, but less willing to expend energy on the people who need our attention and encouragement. In turn, our ministries, which are already stressed by the changes required of it, dwindle due to a loss of passion and foundational energy to sustain it. Some pastors have found ways to be resilient and have identified opportunities for ministry that were made possible due to the pandemic and civil unrest. These resilient leaders have managed to continually adjust and adapt while encouraging their communities with the power of hope. Hope is not simply being optimistic but exercising the faith that Jesus will intervene according to promises.
 
Leading with hope is not leading recklessly or ignoring real problems with catchphrases like “faith over fear” or “I have overcome with the blood of Jesus”. It means doing what we can to promote the shalom (flourishing, wellness and thriving) of our churches and their surrounding communities while relying on the supernatural power of Jesus that is available to work in and through us (Phil 4:19). 

Christian Author Alia Joy writes: “Sometimes keeping a language of hope fluent on your tongue with dust in your throat is the hardest thing of all.” Alia Joy Glorious Weakness

The language of hope builds a story where Christ is leading us towards the dawn, amid the night. The Word that sustains the weary does not ignore the night but seeks to over come the night by being the light in the midst of darkness and courageously and confidently awaiting the breaking of dawn. My prayer is that our pastors and leaders will receive an anointing that allows them to share God’s Word that sustains those who are most tired.
 
Leadership experts Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee write: Hope is an emotional magnet—it keeps people going even in the midst of challenges. A leader’s hopeful outlook enables people to see beyond today’s challenges to tomorrow’s answers. Hope binds people together and helps us move in concert toward a desired end.” Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee in Resonant Leadership
 
The result of leading with hope is that it galvanizes the entire church together. Hope is not trust in hope itself but continually trusting and communicating the object of our hope, which is Jesus who knows something about living in the pain of Friday, while waiting for the victory of Sunday. The Apostle Peter wrote to a group of persecuted believers and admonished them during their suffering to in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,” (1 Peter 3:15 NIV).
 
To lead with hope, leaders must take time to cultivate a spirit of hope within. This is a gift from God. Therefore:
  1. Pray without ceasing: Prayerlessness and hopelessness are often found together
  2. Practice self-care: Taking care of spirit, soul, heart, and body through sustainable rhythms of rest and work.
  3. Promote Agency: What can you do to help with those distressed?
  4. Press into Scripture: Having a sense of expectation that God wants to give you a Word to sustain the weary around you.
  5. Protect Fellowship: Isolation intensifies fear.
LET US PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 NIV
The Art of Neighboring
By Rick Snodgrass

“We all probably believe in Jesus; wouldn’t it be great if we believed like Jesus.”
Dallas Willard

I want you to think seriously about throwing outreach, evangelism, discipleship, small groups and church planting programs right out the door.
 
How? We turn our churches into Intentional Missional Communities.
 
We have gone to great lengths, even sacrificial measures to bring the Art of Neighboring into our Conference culture so we can believe like Jesus in our neighborhoods and here is why it needs to get more traction.
 
Jesus came to a place where He said I have completed the work. John 17:4 I have completed the task… he had a task… Q. what was it?
 
John 13:13-15 … do just as I have done to you. And 34-35. A new commandment…All people will know…
 
So how do we intentionally work at what we are supposed to be accomplishing? Q. What are we trying to accomplish?
 
The art of neighboring is the task to work so we can accomplish what Jesus lived for, died for, and called us to.
 
If we get intentional about the task from the inside out, we can throw a lot of programs out…outreach, evangelism, discipleship, small groups and church planting.
 
Three Essential Actions for Kingdom Impact starting from the inside.
 
1. Receive Truth and Promises
Jesus said if we know God’s truth, it will make us free (unbound) – John 8:32. We are told that God’s promises empower us to escape the things that bind us and blind us (2 Peter 1:4).
 We are asking people and small groups to use a simple process called ‘345’ to find the truths and promises for the day.
It takes three minutes and forty-five seconds (345) to listen to or read the average chapter of the Bible.
We encourage people to view this as time with God in His Word and ask God to reveal the truth or promise he wants to highlight for the day.
 
Father, as I read/listen, I ask that you show me the truth or promise to focus on today. Let it bring the promised freedom and power that I need to live for you in this world.
 
2. Ask the Holy Spirit for Adjustments and Assignments
The Holy Spirit is our guide, to help govern and guard our walk every day. He is God IN us. He wants to help us magnify Christ in the world by adjusting things that don’t reflect Christ and giving special assignments so we can reveal Christ to others.
 
Holy Spirit, will you reveal today, what you want to adjust in me so that I can have the mindset of Christ. I ask you to reveal what you want me to do (assignment) today to reveal the love and light of Jesus to someone.
The people led by Simon and Katherine H at COC started doing this before the boxes were unpacked…
 
3. Seek Support and Encouragement
God designed us, not to be dependent, but interdependent. We need the support of others and they need ours. One person’s perspective is not enough. We need insight and encouragement from one another to stay on mission (1 Thessalonians 5:11). When I live out of obedience with (#1, #2) the results change my conversations, and the outcome is encouragement and support which generates more awareness in #1 and #2
Lord, open my eyes to the support and encouragement I need personally, and how I can be that to someone else who needs it.
 
As we are living out these 3 essentials every day, things change.
 
1 up 3 down and/or a group engagement now puts us on mission together and the ethos changes as well as the conversation.
 
People get saved because they are the assignment that the H.S. is giving.
 
Neighbors and workplaces become the environments where we take our missional life and begin to listen for His assignment.
 
When you get in the flow of this life, you don’t have to do what He isn’t assigning.
 
We have celebration stories that can find their way into a Sunday morning service, and it becomes intoxicating …
 
Here is what happens…The church grows, and you have to multiply or build a massive dynasty…
 
Success in the Art of neighboring comes from either gifted evangelist…(few), or intentional missional communities. Will you join me? 
Abundant Life and Spiritual Growth in the Midst of Tragedies
Our very own Pastor Brenda Nagunst from Chewelah's Abundant Life Church was featured in the September 1, 2021 Light & Life Magazine. Article by Jeff Finley

A lot has happened since Brenda Nagunst became the lead pastor of Abundant Life Fellowship in Chewelah, Washington, in January 2020. While the COVID-19 pandemic has created new opportunities and challenges for all churches, this Free Methodist congregation has especially experienced an intense time of spiritual growth and personal loss.

In keeping with The Free Methodist Way value of God-given revelation, Nagunst encourages her congregation to engage Scripture on a personal level rather than making devotions a brief routine. She advocates slowing down and allowing God to speak through His Word.

“I started writing out my devotions in our Facebook group and invited the church to partake in that. I think that’s one of the reasons people say they’re growing so much, because they’re learning about the Scripture — really engaging with it and letting it speak to them and not just reading it and moving on,” she said in an interview with Light + Life. “I have invited everybody to read a chapter a day and then just journal what God is saying to them.”

The River Institute Fall Cohort Begins
October 18, 2021
The River Conference has partnered with Asbury Theological Seminary to provide a platform for The River/Free Methodist Institute. Each Institute contains five Modules, and ​Asbury Seminary will grant a non-degree certificate for completion.

COURSES OFFERED:
  • FM History and Polity
  • Wesleyan Theology 
  • Church Administration
  • Homiletics and Hermeneutics
  • Pastoral Counseling and Self-Care
 
Each module is 8 weeks in length. The cost is $1,000 for the 5 modules. The Institute completes the Local Ministerial Candidate "Head" requirements for an individual and sets them up for Conference Ministerial candidacy.

Contact Pastor Kasey Martin at Institute@theriverconference.org with any questions.
Refugees from Afghanistan
Impact Middle East is partnering with the Free Methodist Church USA to prepare for an anticipated influx of refugees fleeing Afghanistan. Impact Middle East has well-established refugee ministries in countries where fleeing Afghans have arrived or will arrive in the coming days and weeks.

Those who would like to help Impact Middle East assist these refugees may give to Impact Middle East's Refugee Ministry or through FMC's Operation Hope.
TRC COVID-19 State Resources
Below are the websites for all the states in The River Conference that have current information on COVID-19. Stay informed. These websites have the most current information for each state. Simply click on the state and it will take you to the corresponding website.
FMCUSA
ADDRESS CHANGE
FMCUSA has closed their PO Box. All mail to their office (or any of our World Ministries Center offices) is being received at the following address:

770 North High School Road
Indianapolis IN 46214

Please use the above address for anything you send to the denomination
ONLINE COURSES AVAILABLE IN AFRICAN LANGUAGES
The NY/NJ Metro Ministry Training Center is pleased to begin a new online cohort for theological and pastoral formation that will be taught directly in Swahili (and other African languages as needed) via Zoom. The tentative course schedule and enrollment form is attached below.

For more information, email chris.pulice@acts1224churches.com or text/call 540-241-7021.

Cost:
Recommended tuition for each student is $65 per credit hour. A minimum of 8 students per cohort is ideal. When this is not possible, churches and/or conferences are encouraged to give an additional Love Offering to help compensate the instructor.

Vision:
The influx of African Immigrant Kingdom leaders into the USA is a great opportunity for the FMCUSA to advance the Kingdom of Jesus. However, a robust theological and pastoral formation program that is directly taught in native African languages is largely missing. In response to this opportunity and challenge, we seek to multiply the African teaching ministry of the NY/NJ Metro Training Center into Annual Conferences across the USA. As we launch this initiative, we seek to raise $75,000 over the next three years to mentor a next generation of instructors—"reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others” (2 Tim 2:2). We invite you to join us in carrying this vision, raising support, and identifying potential candidates whom God is calling to equip the saints through the spiritual gift of teaching.
TRC signed up to take advantage of Amazon.com's "give back" campaign. Amazon Smile is a program where you can designate a charity to receive a percentage of any purchase made on Amazon.com.

If you buy things off Amazon, please consider designating TRC as your charity. How to get started:
www.smile.amazon.com - find The River Conference of the Free Methodist Church, Lakewood, CO on the charity list, select it. Now every time you order something from Amazon, you must enter through the smile.amazon.com website, you'll see what charity you're supporting in red letters. Then start shopping. Amazon will automatically deposit donations into our checking account.

If you buy things off Amazon, please consider designating TRC as your charity.
Around the Conference
TRC DISTRICT LEADERS

ARIZONA
Julie Gray (Phoenix, Light & Life Church) pastorjulie@mylightandlife.org

BOISE
Ryan Stoops (Caldwell, Deer Flat Church) ryanstoops@deerflat.org

COLORADO/NEW MEXICO/SOUTH DAKOTA
Mark Douglas (Pueblo, The Gathering at 2602) mark@markwdouglasllc.com

NORTH TEXAS
Ali Mitachi (Abilene, Portland Avenue) mitachilw@yahoo.com

SOUTH TEXAS
James Ford (Corpus Christi CPP) jesusandjames@yahoo.com

SPOKANE
James Leman (Spokane, First) james.leman@ffmwired.com
Upcoming TRC Committee Meetings
 
Thursday, October 7, 2021
MEG Monthly Video Conference

Tuesday, October 12, 2021
MAC Monthly Video Conference
  
Thursday, October 14, 2021
Property Team Monthly Video Conference

 Tuesday, October 18, 2021
Finance Team Monthly Video Conference

Thursday, October 21, 2021
Board of Directors Monthly Video Conference

Tuesday, October 26, 2021
District Leaders Monthly Video Conference
HEY Free Methodist Youth Workers!
I hope you’ve heard, FMYC 2022 is happening! We’ll gather on the campus of Colorado State University in Ft. Collins, Colorado June 27-July 1, 2022.
FMYC (Free Methodist Youth Conference) is a week-long event designed for your high school students. (Bringing Middle School students is up to the discretion of the Youth Worker. But again – please know that the event is programmed with high school students in mind.)
The Scriptures tell us that followers of Jesus are “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession…” (1 Peter 2:9). We are Marked. Our identity is in Jesus. This next Summer we’ll spend a week together in Colorado, looking at what this means!

On our website you’ll find:
* Promotional material
* Program information
* FAQ & Contact information
We've also encouraged each conference to help with the transportation costs for groups attending FMYC’22. Make sure you contact your local Superintendent for more information!
Click HERE to hear a message from the Bishops regarding the upcoming conference
Wesleyan Holiness Women Clergy is made up of a group of likeminded denominations who ordain women and promote a biblically-based theology and practice of women in ministry. WHWC’s biennial conference, called E2022, is being held March 10-12, 2022 in Grapevine, Texas. Women who are elders, CMC’s, leading laypersons, students or others exploring a call to ministry or seeking to understand our position on the role of women in the church are encouraged to attend. Men are also welcome—whether husbands, colleagues, superintendents or others looking for an uplifting event featuring excellent women preachers, workshops and fellowship.

AND… “WELL2022” is a Free Methodist women-only event on the day before the conference at the same location. This all-expenses-paid event begins at 1 PM on March 9 and ends at noon on March 10. Women will spend time getting to know other Free Methodist women in ministry and celebrating what God is doing in our denomination—for instance, we now have 571 ordained women, two female superintendents, a female bishop and hundreds of women serving in denominational or conference leadership positions. At this pre-conference event, we will also have time to explore concerns that can be heard together and communicated to denominational leaders to address our acknowledged “room for improvement” reality.

To register ONLY for the WHWC conference “E2022”, use this form: http://www.womenclergyconference.com/

For both WELL and E2022:

If you have already registered for E2022, you can still add on WELL to your registration. Don't use the links above, just email or call Callie Darling, our event services manager
phone 972 724 5184.

If you have any questions, please email Soo Ji Alvarez at sooji@theavenue.life.

P.S. If you are a pastor’s husband or a man in leadership who plans to attend WHWC and would be interested in a gathering of FM men during WELL, contact Soo Ji Alvarez.
Find out what is happening around the Free Methodist Church. Click below to view the respective newsletters
The River Conference | theriverconference.org