CRM Ascent September 2022
Converge Rocky Mountain is a movement of dynamic, Christ-centered churches. We seek to transform lives and communities by strengthening and multiplying Jesus-filled believers and congregations
in the Rocky Mountain West.
A New President For Converge
In an historic vote, the Converge Board of Overseers has unanimously approved the appointment of Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr. as President of Converge. Pastor Jenkins, who is the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, is the first African American to lead our 170-year-old movement. Dr. Jenkins will complete the last two years of former President Scott Ridout's term. Ridout resigned as President, effective Sept. 1, 2022. In the interim period until our next biennial meeting in 2024, the Board of Overseers unanimously voted to appoint Pastor Jenkins as the next Converge President. Pastor Jenkins will remain the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Glenarden, in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

Pastor Jenkins is a 25-year member of Converge and has served in various leadership positions for our movement. Previously, he served as the Vice President of National Ministries. Recently, he joined the Board of Overseers and its Executive Committee. President Jenkins will be the keynote speaker at TTT 2023. He will also be visiting with CRM pastors over the next several weeks to get better acquainted with our district. Please pray for Dr. Jenkins as he leads our movement forward.
Pray for Hendersons and Neighborhood Church
Meet and Greets Underway in Daybreak, Utah!

Planter David Henderson reports, "We’ve hosted three Meet & Greet events since the end of June! The 15,000 mailers we sent out reached every home in Daybreak plus a few nearby neighborhoods to invite them to come say hello, have dessert, and hear more about where Neighborhood Church is headed.
 
We prayed for three types of people to come to our Meet & Greets: committed Christians who can help us build, less mature Christians looking for discipleship, and detaching Latter-day Saints. The biggest win we saw is that we met people from all three groups! We’ve been able to make some really solid connections. Please pray for these conversations to continue!
 
The mailers have also led to a significant uptick in traffic to our website and social media pages! Pray that those who are looking for connection and community would find us and come to call Neighborhood Church home, and that we’d see salvations through that process."
S2 Conference
November 8-10, 2022

Come spend three days in the beautiful East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona with your team for a time of intentional learning about how to multiply your influence and ministry. Hear from some of the greatest church leaders of our time at this powerful event.

  • Practical, impacting teaching from top leaders of today
  • Resources, ideas, and how-to steps through countless breakouts.
  • Uplifting worship that will recharge and refresh your spirit.
  • Quality time with your team to talk about where God is wanting to move in your church
CRM will host a team dinner
Wednesday, Nov. 9th night at Joe's Farm Grill!
What is a missional community?
Many churches are moving to a missional community model of ministry. Here is how Mitch Lynn, Center Church planter, explains the model. "As Christ-followers, we have been sent by Jesus on a mission to make disciples. At Center Church, we believe that is best done in community with one another. We call this Missional Community. If you are looking for a wonderful way to grow in your faith, spend time in God's word, serve with others, and enjoy Godly community, then we encourage you to consider joining one of our Missional Communities. 

A Missional Community is...
FAMILY
A Missional Community is a group of followers of Jesus who live and experience life together like a family. They see God as their Father through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and the new regeneration brought about by the Holy Spirit.
SERVICE
A Missional Community serves those around them as though they are serving Jesus Christ. In doing so, they give a foretaste of what life will be like under the rule and reign of Jesus Christ. A Missional Community serves in such a way that it demands a gospel explanation because its people are living lives that are centered on Christ.
MISSION
A Missional Community is more than a Bible study or a small group that cares for other believers (although these things take place!). It is made up of followers of Jesus who do life together for the mission of making disciples and reaching the lost. 
Partner Church Contribution Packets On Their Way
Your church will soon be receiving its partner contribution packet for 2023. The packet will be filled with resources for your church, coaching/training opportunities, a description of our mission field, and information on each of our church planting couples. I encourage pastors, mission leaders, and mission teams to review the packet and then fill out your proposed contributions sheet for 2023. Your estimate helps CRM leaders plan accurately for the financial resources we’ll have available for the 2023 ministry year. You enable CRM to strengthen your church and start healthy new churches across our region. Thank you very much for supporting your mission's movement.
Save The Dates!
Two CRM Mission Trip Opportunities for 2023
Nordic Baltic- May 2023
During this trip to Estonia and Sweden, we will encourage CRM international missionaries, visit area pastors, and participate in several ministry opportunities. More information coming next month.
Philippines
Nov.22-Dec.2, 2023
Join a veteran missions team as we encourage pastors on outer islands, care for the needy, love on kids, and be humbled by the incredible, faith-filled believers we will find in the Philippines. Buses, planes, ferries and outrigger canoes will all be part of the adventure. Stay tuned for more details.
Jeannine Brown Receives Bethel’s First Endowed Professorship


In March 2022, Bethel announced the creation of its first ever endowed professorship, named to honor the legacy of David Price, former Bethel board member, donor, and longtime supporter. After a national search, the committee awarded the professorship to Bethel Seminary professor and New Testament scholar Jeannine Brown.

“With this first endowed professorship, we wanted to be very intentional about reflecting the DNA of the Seminary and its three centers philosophy,” says Peter T. Vogt, dean of Bethel Seminary. “One of our centers is biblical and theological foundations, so it was meaningful to have the first endowed professor at Bethel have the very explicit title in the name of the professorship. Then, to put Jeannine in that position was a no-brainer—she was such a good and obvious fit for the position." 

Brown has been on the faculty of Bethel Seminary for more than 20 years, teaching in areas of New Testament, Greek, hermeneutics, and integration. In addition to being an educator, she’s an internationally recognized New Testament scholar. She serves on the NIV Committee on Bible Translation and has written six books, four biblical commentaries, and numerous journal articles. 
Contact CRM For Church Salary Help
Contact the CRM office if you need help planning salaries for next year's church budget. You will need to provide: your position title, education level, ordination status, average attendance, and annual church budget. We can provide reports of median incomes for similar positions, in similar churches.
We Are Stronger When We Pray Together!

  • Praise the Lord, the Prairie Hills community center is almost enclosed and ready for interior construction this winter. This will be a great gathering place for the church and for the people of Lusk, WY.
  • Praise the Lord for the installation of Converge President John Jenkins and the reorganization underway in the national office.
  • Praise the Lord for the arrival of CRM's new Executive Assistant, Leanza Thomas.
  • Praise the Lord that The Mission Church, South Jordan, Utah has secured meeting space for their growing congregation.
  • Praise the Lord for our faithful prayer warriors who stand in the gap for the ministries of Converge
  • Pray for the search of a VP of Church Starting. The right person will be crucial to take our planting efforts to the next level.
  • Pray for churches looking for Worship and Youth Directors. Pray that God will raise up gifted candidates. Let Paul Mitton know if you are aware of any possibilities.
  • Pray for Crow Hill Bible Church, and Cody Bible Fellowship-Cody, WY, as they seek new pastors.
  • Pray for spiritual leaders battling depression, discouragement, or difficult seasons in ministry.

Pray for Regional President Paul Mitton
  • Paul and Janelle celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary on September 21st. They are grateful to God and to each of you for investing in their lives in such beautiful ways. This fall Paul will also be preaching in our churches, meeting with mission teams, attending Bethel Board meetings, enjoying the S2 conference, and trying to cheer for the Broncos. It has been a busy year with big decisions and big changes. But God is in control and Converge is headed in a great direction. Jan's foot is healing well and she is traveling with Paul as much as she can. Let them know if you have specific prayer requests or if Paul can assist you in any way.