CENTRAL GULF COAST
CONNECTION
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Don't Miss TEAM DAY August 12! |
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Jamie and I continue to travel across the Central Gulf Coast getting to know our amazing pastors, their families, leadership teams, and congregations. Often, while we are traveling, we look at each other and say, “We are so blessed. I can’t believe we get to do this for a living.” We are truly loving being here and serving Christ alongside each and every one of you.
We are turning our focus toward our 2024 District Assembly and we are hard at work preparing for an amazing time together May 14-16 at Dothan First Church.
February is the end of our fiscal year, so now is the time to make sure we are caught up with allocations (budgets) and ask questions like “Did we accomplish what we wanted to accomplish as a local church in 2023-2024? And what are our goals for 2024-2025?”
I believe the best is yet to come for the CGC.
Churches in Transition:
Please continue to be in prayer for our Mobile Parkview church and Ridgeville church as they continue their pastoral search with the help of the Lord.
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District Ministers' Christmas Banquet |
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God Inspired Giving
March 2, 2024 - 10 a.m.
Live Q&A session to follow
Rev. Jon Carnes
This training is for pastors, discipleship training, and finance ministry teams in churches. We desire to set our people free to give generously. Too often we try the strong-armed approach to giving and it seems to do very little good. The greatest stewardship comes when people learn to give freely because they desire to. It is the aim of this class to teach guiding principles about how this happens in a leadership-intense, volunteer organization like the church.
Worship Flow
(Meaningful & Memorable Worship Service Planning)
April 20, 2024 (time to be determined)
Rev. Josh Moore
You don't have to be a big church to plan and execute well, offer a top-notch guest experience, and send folks out your doors feeling loved, inspired and commissioned.
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Email the district resource center with questions.
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2023 Manual Now Available |
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2023 Manual of the Church of the Nazarene |
A PDF of the updated Manual is available at https://nazarene.org/manual. A red-underline version showing changes adopted will also be available for download as well as several supporting documents showing procedural changes and paragraph number changes. An updated Manual Frequently Asked Questions document will be available at https://nazarene.org/manual-faqs.
The Manual and resources will initially be available only in English with other translations to follow. Printed copies of the English Manual are available for pre-order from The Foundry Publishing (Nazarene Publishing House).
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Central Gulf Coast District Reminders |
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AUDIT OF TREASURER'S BOOKS
Every church is advised to conduct an annual audit of the financial records of the treasurer(s) of the church. This includes the NYI, NDI, NMI, Nazarene childcare/schools, and any other financial records of the church as mandated in the Manual of the Church of the Nazarene.
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CHURCH PROOF OF INSURANCE & INCORPORATION PAPERS
The District Advisory Board requests that all churches provide proof of insurance, in addition to filing incorporation papers at the District Office; unless your church has already done so.
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Nazarene Communications Network |
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For Global Nazarene News
visit the
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Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI)
Brian Aaron, District NDI President
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NDI Handbook Available
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A new Nazarene Discipleship International Handbook is now available at Nazarene.org. Click the picture/logo to download the PDF.
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Space is Still Available for the Women's Retreat
(Click image below for flyer)
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Can't come Thursday? Friday & Saturday night only option is available.
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NEWS FLASH!
Women's Mission Project - Musical Instruments for Cuba
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Bring used or new instruments and supplies to retreat. Examples: Guitars, tamborines, harmonicas, smaller band instruments, guitar strings, drum heads, etc. Anything is welcome, as they are unable to get instruments.
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Children's Bible Quizzing |
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Children’s Bible Quizzing is alive and well on the CGC!
The next quiz meet will be February 17 at 10 am at East Brewton and will cover Dig Sites 16-20. This quiz meet will be conducted as part of Heavenly Star Search. The District Quiz Meet will be March 16 at 10 am at Montgomery Capital City.
To participate in the District Quiz Meet, a quizzer will be required to participate in at least one of the four regular quiz meets. The District Quiz Meet will cover Dig Sites 1-20 and will determine the teams for the Regional Quiz Meet in Atlanta on April 26-27. There will also be a Bible Memory Verse Competition.
It is not too late to participate in Children’s Bible Quizzing. Please contact Pastor Bill Hamby at 205-294-9839 or at bill.hamby@hotmail.com, if you are interested in competing this year. The registration fee is $10 per quizzer for the year.
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Are You Planning Ahead for Your Next VBS? |
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Start planning now for your 2024 Vacation Bible School!
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Check out these Nazarene VBS resources available at this webpage:
Children are the life of our churches and too valuable to ignore!
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Click the photo below to read the current Global NDI newsletter! |
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Nazarene Missions International (NMI)
Diane Thompson, District NMI President
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Stay in the Know with NMI CENTRAL
To receive monthly NMI news from Nazarene Missions International, sign up for NMI Central, a free publication to your email.
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Alabaster's 75th Anniversary Year |
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Throughout Alabaster’s history, there have been many places where funds could be used to help rebuild or establish church presence following times of war or other catastrophic events. The encouragement that comes through Alabaster giving fosters a spirit of gratitude for the granted funds but also a spirit of participation by those recipients for the sake of others who need buildings. In these contexts, Alabaster truly lays foundations for people to worship, heal, and learn.
This month’s Alabaster video comes from Seoul, South Korea, where following the Korean War (1950-1953) the Sangam-dong Church of the Nazarene was able to build a church that has proven to have significant influence to this day. You can find the video on the Nazarene Missions International website. Your giving means so much. As we continue to celebrate 75 years of Alabaster giving, I ask that you just give what the Lord puts on your heart to give. No amount is too small.
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28th Global Week of Prayer |
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The annual Global Week of Prayer is February 25 – March 2, 2024. Resources such as the prayer booklets shown below are available for children and adults in more than 15 languages and may be accessed at http://www.nazarene.org/nmigwp. These may be downloaded for either print or digital use.
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CUBA 2024 - Work and Witness |
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Over-the-counter Items Needed!
The CGC Work & Witness trip is coming up in 4 weeks, February 24 - March 2.
The team covets your prayers as we visit many pastors in Cuba as well as work on various projects.
We are collecting over-the-counter items to share with our friends in Cuba such as: Band aids, antibiotic ointment, vitamins, anti-itch cream, Tylenol, children’s Tylenol, etc. Let Diane Thompson or Rev. Freddy Williams know if you can help provide some of these items.
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CGC Winter Deputation Schedule |
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Rev. Josh Herndon
Native American Christian Academy
Sun Valley, Arizona
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Rev. Josh Herndon is Executive Director of the Native American Christian Academy, a Nazarene Compassionate Ministry Center, and an approved 10% Giving Project for the Nazarene Church. His wife Shannon serves as Community Relations Coordinator and official “gap filler.” There is much work to be done at this residential school that serves Navajo and Apache children and their families.
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Click above to see the Herndon's bio. |
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Be sure to attend a Mission Area Event near you!
Contact church pastor for service time.
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Sunday, Feb 4, AM Service - Dothan
Sunday, Feb 4, PM Service - East Brewton
Monday, Feb 5 - River Region
Tuesday, Feb 6 - OPEN
Wednesday, Feb 7, 6:30 p.m. - Tuscaloosa Cross Pointe
Thursday, Feb 8 - Shawmut
Friday, Feb 9 - Columbiana
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April 20, 2023
Hotel Capstone
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Keynote Speaker: Brian Helstrom
Executive Director,
JESUS Film Harvest Partners
This is a FREE event to spread the news of how God is changing lives through the JESUS FILM Harvest Partners all around the world. There will be a beverage reception at 6:45 p.m. with a three-course dinner following.
For More Information Contact:
Diane Thompson, 205-331-9785 or Rev. Freddy Williams, 205-349-9528
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Nazarene Youth International (NYI)
Rev. Susan Broadhead Sawyer, District NYI President
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Follow us: Instagram @cgcnyi
Facebook @Central Gulf Coast NYI
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More than 80 teens and adults attended our first solo District TNT in more than 7 years.
We Celebrated the greatness and goodness of God!
We Celebrated our talents from God and glorified Him with our talents!
We Celebrated our Family - We are CGC!!!
Special thanks to all the teens, youth leaders, volunteers, Pensacola First and our TNT Coordinator, Pastor Angela Stephens, for making this a great event.
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The cost for TNT@TNU 2024 is $290 (4 per room).
A $200 deposit is due February 15
with the remaining balance of $90 due March 21.
Parent Rooms are available for those not participating in TNT@TNU as a sponsor/chaperone or teen (not needing meal ticket and not needing entry into tent for opening/closing ceremony). Cost per night is $175 (deposit of $145 per night is due February 15).
Please email Pastor Angela (pastor_angela.stephens@yahoo.com) with a list of attendees (teens & adults) including events competing in and a suggested rooming list (we will do our best to honor this request) no later than February 15.
Registration forms will be required for anyone who DID NOT attend Celebrate 2024, adults included.
Mail monies to TNT Coordinator, Pastor Angela Stephens at 5132 Potomac Drive, Milton, Florida 32571.
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April 20, 2024
10:00 am to 12:00 noon
Dothan First Church of the Nazarene
A Mexican Lunch including Walking Tacos will be available for $7 per person. Please email CGC NYI President Pastor Susan (suzlily77@gmail.com) with head count for those planning to eat.
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June 26 - 29, 2024 - Registration is open now!
The Becoming Conference is a four-day residential experience at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN, that combines vocational training with individual and corporate worship, biblical instruction, service learning and fun - all designed to assist students in discovering their call to vocational ministry.
Two Tracks to choose from:
1) YES Track - designed for those students who are interested in further discovery concerning vocational, pastoral ministry.
2) MIssion Nashville Track - designed for students who may want to pursue a career/studies outside of church ministry, but are just as interested in growing as disciples of Jesus. Go to www.trevecca.edu/calling-cooperative to find out more.
Early Bird Cost: $225
After April 1st: $275
Adult Cost: $175
Contact CGC NYI Event Coordinator: Pastor Angela Stephens at pastor_angela.stephens@yahoo.com if you are interested or planning on participating in this event. All teens/youth groups should have an adult attend with them.
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HOLD THESE DATES
Board of Trustees
March 14-16, 2024
Mar. 16, 2024
March 27, 2024
April 5-7, 2024
Trevecca Nazarene University
333 Murfreesboro Road
Nashville, TN 37210
Admissions: 800-210-4TNU
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District Finance Report & District Calendar |
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Phone: 334.365.3188
Facebook: Central Gulf Coast Nazarenes
Newsletter editor: Becky Shobe, Communications Coordinator
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