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  • AG NEWS #1581: August 20, 2008
    ** The "unknown" Assemblies of God fellowshipsUnknown to many, the Assemblies of God includes 19Ethnic/Language Fellowships, which are growing and becoming asignificant part of church growth in the Assemblies of God. "AGNews" to offer stories on the fellowships in the upcoming weeks.More information about Intercultural Ministries found athttp://Intercultural.ag.org.** Frontiersman rendezvous signaled a successMore than 800 Royal Rangers Frontiersman Camping Fellowship (FCF)members gathered for a week of fun competition, skill learningand spiritual development during National Rendezvous held in Julyat Camp Eagle Rock in Missouri. More information and photos foundat http://RoyalRangers.ag.org/rendezvous.** Free subscriptions offered"Today's Pentecostal Evangel" Web site drawing now offersopportunity to win free six-month subscription to the magazine.See http://tpe.ag.or and click on Weekly Drawing.-----------------------------------------------------------------. . . it's been coming ‹ for years!For many, divorce seems inevitable. You see it coming and youstand there, believing there's just no way to avoid it. Yes,it'll hurt, but it's better than what you're living through now.Don't be a victim! Take charge and make a change now throughMarriage Restored ‹ it will change your definition of"impossible!"Upcoming events: Lafayette, Indiana, August 29-31; Columbus,Ohio, September 5-7; St. Louis, Missouri, September 26-28.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** THE "UNKNOWN ASSEMBLIES OF GOD FELLOWSHIPSAt first blush, stating that the Assemblies of God is "unknown" inthe United States, especially in the 21st Century, doesn't seem tobe an overly accurate statement. Often times, even in secular newsmedia, the Assemblies of God is now recognized as a significantdenomination with community involvement and missions efforts ahallmark of the church.In addition, the national headquarters of the Assemblies of Godincludes AG World Missions and AG U.S. Missions. Within these twoareas are thousands of missionaries who are sharing the gospel witha wide variety of people groups throughout the United States andaround the world.However, within the Assemblies of God there are ever-increasing,vibrant and organized groups of churches that few AG pastors orlaypeople are aware of, much less anyone outside of the Assembliesof God.The groups? AG Ethnic/Language Fellowships.Currently the Assemblies of God has nearly 20 officially recognizedEthnic/Language Fellowships in its membership. However, names suchas Samuel Asiedu, Sai S. Lee, Michel Beaudouin, K.P. Titus, MosesCao, Isikeli Tuirabe, Talosaga Vanilau, Filimone Mau or FelixHalpern ‹ the presidents of some of the fellowships ‹ don't evenregister for most.Is not being "in the know," a problem? According to InterculturalMinistries Director Scott Temple, the problem is huge asopportunities to share Christ and expand Godıs kingdom are missedover and over again."A Vietnamese immigrant, for example, enters your church doors oryou meet him during an outreach ‹ what does your church have tooffer that would help him feel comfortable in your church?" asksTemple rhetorically. "However, if you knew we had a VietnameseFellowship, suddenly barriers for that person could be removed."Temple explains that when immigrants enter the United States andbecome U.S. citizens, it doesn't mean that suddenly their heritage,including language and culture, disappear."They, like anyone else, seek out what is known and familiar," hesays, "that's why AG fellowships are so vital and are becoming asignificant part of AG church growth. They provide the opportunityto worship Christ in a familiar language with people of similarcultural background."Temple explains that the Ethnic/Language Fellowships are not incompetition with geographic districts, but instead work incooperation to expand the effectiveness of reaching otherwiseunreached people groups."In the Assemblies of God, we know that establishing indigenouschurches [churches pastored by nationals] overseas results insuccess," Temple says. "It's no different in the U.S. OurEthnic/Language Fellowships are led by people who are 'indigenous'to a certain people group ‹ they intimately understand the culturalneeds, activities and practices of those groups. And as afellowship, they are given a vote and a voice in our GeneralPresbytery to help communicate their practices and needs."But why are the Ethnic/Language Fellowships so "unknown" even withinthe Assemblies of God?"The barriers of language and culture can make it difficult forbridges to be built," Temple explains. "Yet, over the last fewyears, as we've focused on building those bridges at the leadershiplevels, we've cleared away confusion and have come to experience alevel of trust and cooperation that simply wasn't possible in thepast."According to Temple, one of the best ways for churches to get toknow and better understand an Ethnic/Language Fellowship is to sharefacilities."Many of these growing churches do not yet have the funds topurchase their own facilities," Temple says. "What a blessing itwould be for them to have a church 'home' that they could use, forexample, on Tuesday and Saturday evenings."The Executive Presbytery backs up Temple's statement as theyrecently approved AG Total Giving Credit to churches that make theirfacilities available rent-free to AG U.S. Missions-endorsedministries (which includes churches of the Ethnic/LanguageFellowships) or district-approved ministries. The credit can amountup to $156,000 a year, depending on the size of the church and thenumber of times the facilities are used. For more information aboutthis opportunity, contact Fred Gore, the assistant administrator ofthe Division of the Treasury, at fgore@ag.org."The Executive Presbytery and I strongly believe in supporting ourfellowships in this way," said AG General Superintendent GeorgeWood. "Overcoming the huge burden facilities can place on a newlystarted or financially challenged fellowship church can make thedifference between success and failure. And when souls are at stake,we should do all we can to keep failure from being an option for ourco-laborers in Christ."In the upcoming weeks, "AG News" will be featuring articles on the19 AG Ethnic/Language Fellowships, introducing the presidents,providing contact information and providing a glimpse into thesevital ministries, which include African, Fijian, Native American,Arabic, Vietnamese, India, Filipino-American, Romanian, Black,Haitian, Samoan, Chinese, Hmong, Slavic, Southern Asia, DeafCulture, Indonesian, U.S. Tongan and Jewish fellowships.--Dan Van Veen-----------------------------------------------------------------** FRONTIERSMAN RENDEZVOUS SIGNALED A SUCCESSThe National Rendezvous for the Royal Rangers Frontiersman CampingFellowship (FCF) held at Camp Eagle Rock (Missouri) this past July13-18, was deemed a "great success" by National Royal RangersCommander Doug Marsh.More than 800 FCF members representing nearly every AG district,supported by nearly 100 volunteers, gathered for the weeklong event,which focused on frontiersmen skills and spiritual development.Some of the activities boys participated in included black powdershooting, knife and hawk throwing, longbow shooting, flint-n-steel,stump preaching, outfit judging and a Seneca run. Demonstrationsincluded blacksmithing, knife making, bow making, flint napping,arrow making, beading, Dutch oven cooking, hat making and many otherfrontiersmen skills.Pastor Wayne Clark of First Assembly of God in San Antonio, Texas,was the featured evening speaker for the event, inspiring andchallenging FCF members to greater devotion to God.According to John Hicks, Royal Rangers national Communications andAdministrative coordinator, FCF membership is open to boys age 11and above and to all adult male leaders who complete therequirements."FCF utilizes the imagery and lore of the early frontiersmen toteach outdoor skills as well as develop Christ-like character inboys," Hicks explains. "FCF also provides excellent opportunitiesfor boys and men, fathers and sons, to spend time . . .strengthening the bonds of friendship that form the basis for thementoring process.""The challenging events and competitions planned by men especiallyfor boys are ideal activities around which relationships andmemories are built," states Marsh. "These activities also settle andprepare young men to receive what God has in store for them duringthe dynamic evening services ‹ services designed to help shape theiridentities as godly men."For more information about FCF or to view a photo gallery, see theRendezvous Web page at http://RoyalRangers.ag.org/rendezvous.--AG News-----------------------------------------------------------------** FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS OFFEREDBeginning in August, the "Today's Pentecostal Evangel" Web sitedrawing started to offer complimentary six-month print subscriptionsto the magazine.Since it began in March 2006, the contest has primarily offeredbooks from Gospel Publishing House, Pentecostal Evangel Books andOnward Books. Approximately 120 books were awarded during the past29 months.Now, more readers will have the opportunity to receive a giftsubscription to the "Evangel." Winners who already have anindividual subscription may either extend their subscription by sixmonths or designate their award to a family member or friend.Through early June, winners of the weekly drawing represented 39states along with Canada, the Philippines and United Kingdom. Thecontest has drawn thousands of entries from across the United Statesand from 27 other nations.To enter this week's contest, or for more information, visit the"Evangel's" Web site at http://www.tpe.ag.org and click on the WeeklyDrawing button.--Today's Pentecostal Evangel

  • AG NEWS #1580: August 18, 2008
    ** Tragedy results in hope for New LifeGod uses tragedy of 9-11 and article in "Evangel" magazine tohelp small church in New Mexico receive much-needed assistance.Since then, workers and finances have unexpectedly continued toarrive at New Life Christian Assembly in Pine Dale in a regularstream of support for church and community. New building nearlycompleted ‹ value of about $600,000 ‹ and God provided for itall! See http://newlifechristianassembly.org for more informationon church.** Ministry rescues women lured into prostitutionAssemblies of God U.S. missionaries Michael and Denise Bartelhave started F.R.E.E. International in Long Branch, New Jersey,to share freedom of Christ with teenage girls lured into UnitedStates by international prostitution rings and forced into sexualslavery. An agent with U.S. Department of Homeland Securityestimates that up to 14,000 victims pass through JFKInternational in New York annually. Bartels are partnering withchurches, ministries, social organizations, and government andlaw enforcement agencies to find enslaved women in New YorkCity/New Jersey metropolitan region. Seehttp://free-international.org.-----------------------------------------------------------------Igniting the flames ‹ the right way!Many couples experiment with all kinds of ill-advised ways to addsome "spark" to their married lives.... Marriage Encounterkindles a fire that won't leave your marriage in ashes. Find outjust how exciting your marriage can be -- register for a MarriageEncounter weekend today! See http://agme.org----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hopeless No MoreTeen Challenge celebrates 50 years of outreach, and the August 24"Todayıs Pentecostal Evangel" celebrates the many lives salvagedand transformed thanks to that ministryıs commitment to battlingdrug abuse with the gospel.Visit "Todayıs Pentecostal Evangel" Web site for more resourcesand for free e-mail devotionals:http://www.tpe.ag.org----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------:::: Autism and Other Special Needs ::::A special edition of the Leadership Ministries Ideas e-mailnewsletter is coming later this week.This edition will introduce resources to help churches ministerto people with special needs ‹ including autistic children.If you donıt already receive the Leadership Ministries Ideasnewsletter, you can sign up now. Itıs free. Pastors and otherchurch workers read it. Click here:http://www.gospelpublishing.com/store/startcat.cfm?cat=SIGNUPNOW.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** TRAGEDY RESULTS IN HOPE FOR NEW LIFEIn less than a month, our nation will be observing the anniversaryof the terrorist acts that took so many lives on September 11, 2001.Although little good, aside from awakening a nation to itsvulnerability, can be attributed to that day, there is at least onechurch that has seen God use this tragic day in U.S. history toperform miracles.In 2001, New Life Christian Assembly was a very small church locatedin the tiny community of Pine Dale, New Mexico ‹ population 1,100.Surrounded basically by the Navajo nation (the reservation beingonly miles away), the church leased a small parcel of land ‹ aboutthree acres ‹ from the tribe. Along with being physically run-down,the church was spiritually struggling as it had recently gonethrough difficulties between some congregants and the former pastor.In fact, even after the pastor left the church, some congregantswould not return to the building.But because of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and whatPastor Nathan Lynch sees as a "divine appointment" when his churchwas featured as part of the U.S. Missions' November 11, 2001,edition of the "Today's Pentecostal Evangel," things have never beenthe same for New Life Assembly."We were put in that Home (now U.S.) Missions ["Evangel"] editionalong with other Native American ministries ‹ we were just one ofthe churches mentioned," Lynch recalls. "But then, I was contactedby Todd Pope, then the assistant youth director of the NorthernMissouri District . . . . "Pope explained to Lynch that he had a group of young people who hadraised all their funds and had been preparing to go on an overseasmissions trip, but now, with the fresh events of 9-11 still hangingin the air, parents were unwilling to put their children on planesheaded overseas.For some reason, when Pope read the "Evangel" article, New LifeChristian jumped out to him. Now, he was calling to see if perhapsthere was something this youth missions team could do at Lynch'schurch. Caught slightly off guard, but recognizing the opportunity,Lynch eagerly accepted the offer of help."That was the beginning of the calls," Lynch says, as several morechurches contacted him to offer assistance.With the teams' help, Lynch's small church was able to reach out tothe Pine Dale community as well as fix up the aging church building.Over the next few years, the phone kept on ringing and teams kept oncoming ‹ and people in the community started to notice the constantactivity.Then, in 2004, New Life Assembly, a church of 30 with little moneyin the bank, received an opportunity of a lifetime. A 160-acreparcel of private land, one of only a few acres not owned by theNavajo Tribe in the area, was for sale. The church was given theopportunity to buy it. Although the asking prices was relativelyinexpensive ($39,000), the church didn't even have enough for a downpayment, much less an outright purchase.But that didn't stop Lynch or New Life Assembly."We went to the [New Mexico] district and they helped us purchasethe land," he said.After the land was purchased, churches continued to call and teamscontinued to come. Pastor Howard Thompson of First AG inBurlington, North Carolina, called ‹ someone had given him a checkand asked him to invest in Native American ministries with it, so hecalled Lynch. Soon after, Lynch received the check ‹ $25,000!"We were able to pour the concrete slab and purchase all thematerials to dry in the building with that money," Lynch says.But then, the proverbial well dried up."Recall that time period," Lynch says. "We started to build thechurch in 2005, and we began to frame it in August, expecting to bein the new facility in 90 to 120 days. But then [hurricanes] Katrinaand Rita hit, and everything stopped. We didn't get any teams or anyfinances for so long, that I began to ask God if this [new building]was still in His plans for the church."But just as Lynch hit his low, "out of the blue" a letter arrived."I received a letter from Pastor Alan Schaberg of New Life AG inBuffalo, Wyoming," Lynch recalls. "Schaberg wrote saying that henoticed we were in a church building project, and they would like tosow seed into our project in anticipation of God blessing them intheir building project."Enclosed was a check for $1,500."How he found out about us, I don't know," Lynch admits, "but rightafter that, other funds started coming in and churches began to callagain."Lynch adds that when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez closed thecountry's borders to missionaries for a time, his church was againblessed. A team from Grace Outreach Center (AG), Rio Rancho, NewMexico, had planned to go to Venezuela, but now could not gainentrance and their trip was cancelled. Once again, New LifeChristian Assembly was the church named as an option ‹ that teamended up making two trips to work on the new church, and donating$20,000.In 2007, Anthony Ross, a youth pastor from Aurora, Colorado, calledLynch, but not to help ‹ he and his team just needed a place tospend the night on their way to another missions outreach. Lynchsays he was happy to help. But when the team prepared to leave, Rosspulled Lynch aside and told him that their team would be coming tohis church next year ‹ and they did!Today, the new 90- by 70-foot building stands nearly complete, witha value of about $600,000, built by a church with no money ‹ allsupplied by God in the forms of financial gifts, RV MAPS teams andadditional church teams from Tyler Texas; Tucson, Arizona; andBernalillo, New Mexico; who all gave of their time and talents tothe church."It's a God thing," Lynch says. "There's just no other way to putit."Although that would seem to be a fitting end to the miraclesoccurring at New Life Christian Assembly, God is still at work inthe new church with miracles in the form of teams and finances stillcoming one after the other this year.For the second consecutive year, a team from Cathedral of the Hills(AG) in Edmond, Oklahoma, conducted a VBS outreach, with 200children in attendance; the church partnered with Shoe AngelsMinistries to provide shoes for the VBS kids; a group of 54 youthfrom Cornerstone (AG) in Madison, Tennessee, came out and painted 15homes of senior citizens in the community; and a team from MonmouthWorship Center in Marlboro, New Jersey, brought school supplies,finished the church's plumbing, spent $3,000 fixing up all thechurch's vehicles, hosted a medical clinic and poured a regulationbasketball court for church.It's been a busy summer!"Word is spreading through the community [about the basketballcourt], and I know if I can get children on the court, it won't belong before they're in the church as well," Lynch says. "It isawesome what God is doing and how He is using all these teams tobless our church and our community."I have three more teams already lined up for next year," Lynchadds, laughing in amazement at God's continuing blessing. "I can'texplain it ‹ God . . . He's just doing it!"For more information about New Life Christian Assembly, includingcontact information, see its Web site athttp://newlifechristianassembly.org.--Dan Van Veen-----------------------------------------------------------------** MINISTRY RESCUES WOMEN LURED INTO PROSTITUTIONAn estimated 27 million people suffer under slavery globally.Assemblies of God U.S. missionaries Michael and Denise Bartel havestarted F.R.E.E. International in Long Branch, New Jersey, to sharethe freedom of Christ with teenage girls lured into the UnitedStates by international prostitution rings and forced into sexualslavery. F.R.E.E. (http://free-international.org) stands for find,rescue, embrace and empower.The Bartels first learned about the horrors of modern slavery frominternational students while serving as Chi Alpha pastors at PurdueUniversity."It was a shock, like a hand slap across the face," Denise Bartelrecalls.After seeking God's direction, the couple joined Assemblies of GodWorld Missions' Project Rescue in India as missionary associatesministering to women and young girls forced into prostitution."God brought us back to our own country because the U.S. is one ofthe largest destinations in the world for sex slaves," MichaelBartel says.An agent with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimatesthat up to 14,000 victims pass through just JFK InternationalAirport in New York annually.The Bartels are partnering with churches, ministries, socialorganizations, and government and law enforcement agencies torecognize and find enslaved women in the New York City/New Jerseymetropolitan region."My congregation was shocked that this type of slavery was going onin our backyard," says Jamé Bolds, pastor of Christian Life Church(AG) in Middlesex, New Jersey.Organizing safe homes of holistic discipleship is the next phase ofthe ministry.--Peter K. Johnson, Today's Pentecostal Evangel

  • AG NEWS #1579: August 16, 2008
    ** Sharing a message of God's power, South Carolina church growsUsing "Nothing's Too Hard for God" media campaign, Faith Assemblyin Summerville, South Carolina, invited its community to takepart in an eight-week series that shared testimonies of Godmoving in difficult circumstances. Faith Assembly congregationgrew by nearly 150 during campaign and many received salvation.Senior Pastor Larry Burgbacher describes his church's experiencesin a conversation with General Superintendent George O. Wood andPastor Mark Palenske of Greers Ferry (Arkansas) First Assembly ofGod. Their video discussion is available athttp://ag.org/top/Media/Video/index.cfm#Nothing's-Too-Hard-For-God/ or on General Superintendent's page athttp://ag.org/top/General_Superintendent/Media/index.cfm/.** General Presbytery approves new and revised position papersEarlier this week, General Presbytery approved both a newposition paper on Worship in the Bible and revisions to Divorceand Remarriage paper. Position papers are official documents ofthe Church that outline Fellowship's stand on given issues. Bothnewly approved papers are available on Assemblies of God Web siteat http://ag.org/top/Beliefs/Position_Papers/index.cfm/.** AG sees jump in full-time children's pastorsSince 1998, number of paid full-time children's pastors hasnearly doubled in the Assemblies of God. Children's MinistriesAgency National Director Jason Noble believes churches have cometo realize just how important it is to continue to reach the nextgeneration. More information about CMA found online athttp://www.4kids.ag.org/.** CorrectionIn article on Larry H. Griswold's election to the ExecutivePresbytery released in Wednesday, August 13, 2008, edition of"AG News," it was mistakenly reported Griswold was IllinoisDistrict Superintendent since 1997. He was not elected to thatexecutive post until 2002. We apologize for the error.-----------------------------------------------------------------** SHARING A MESSAGE OF GOD'S POWER, SOUTH CAROLINA CHURCH GROWSEach day, millions of people struggle ‹ some with fear, some withaddiction, others with finances. Specific circumstances differ, butthe feeling of desperation is universal. Many find themselveshopeless, believing their situation is too hard for anyone torepair.At the beginning of the year, Faith Assembly, a church of 2,000 inSummerville, South Carolina, decided to share a message of hope withits community on a larger scale than it had ever done before.To do so, the church decided to use the "Nothing's Too Hard for God"media campaign developed by the Assemblies of God. NTHFG centers onthe eight true stories of people who, with God's help, have overcomestruggles with illness, forgiveness, relationships, fear, finances,loss, loneliness and addiction.With the help of NTHFG television commercials, billboards, mailingsand other communication tools, Faith Assembly invited the people ofSummerville to the church for the eight-week sermon series."If you're touching felt needs, the people are going to come," saysFaith Assembly Senior Pastor Larry Burgbacher. "They're hurting and[the NTHFG campaign] speaks to the needs they have."Each Sunday, Burgbacher preached on a topic from the NTHFG seriesand showed a corresponding video testimony from people within thechurch. The messages of God accomplishing the impossible werereinforced later in the week during small group gatherings.Approximately 600 people, including many non-Christians, attendedone of the 50 small groups during the course of the eight-weeksession. The NTHFG small group DVD, featuring the compellingtestimonies, opened the door for discussion on topics that nearlyeveryone could relate to."People found it to be relevant to challenges they face today. Ithit people where they are living," says Craig Butler, discipleshippastor at Faith Assembly. "The simplicity of each topic had aprofound effect on individual lives and the church body as a whole."The church has offered small groups for around 15 years, butparticipants agreed that NTHFG was the best series they've used.Butler found the small group DVD to be very professional andteacher-friendly."Nothing's Too Hard for God" seems to have given Faith Assembly apush forward, numerically and spiritually. During the eight-weekcampaign, close to 150 new people were added to the Faith Assemblychurch family and many gave their hearts to the Lord."There was a true sense of excitement and expectation that hasbecome the norm through this series," Butler reports.The message of the campaign has resonated so deeply within thechurch, that Faith Assembly's theme for the remainder of 2008 is"Nothing's Too Hard for God."Assemblies of God General Superintendent George O. Wood recently satdown with Burgbacher and Pastor Mark Palenske (Greers Ferry FirstAssembly of God, Arkansas) for a conversation about theirexperiences using the Nothing's Too Hard for God campaign. Inaddition to Burgbacher's perspective from a larger church, Palenskedescribes how NTHFG changed lives and helped his small-town churchgrow from 75 to 125. The pastors' video discussion can be viewed onthe new NTHFG AG Media interface athttp://ag.org/top/Media/Video/index.cfm#Nothing's-Too-Hard-For-God/or on the General Superintendent's page athttp://ag.org/top/General_Superintendent/Media/index.cfm/.--Kara Chase-----------------------------------------------------------------** GENERAL PRESBYTERY APPROVES NEW AND REVISED POSITION PAPERSAmong the decisions made at this week's General Presbytery meeting,was the approval of a new position paper and the revision of anexisting paper.Position papers are official documents of the Church that outlinethe Fellowship's stand on given issues.The new position paper, Worship in the Bible, was created in "aneffort to set forth for all sincere worshippers what the Scripturessay about worship."It addresses the biblical definition of worship and the implicationsfor the health and stability of local congregations.Originally approved in 1973, the Divorce and Remarriage positionpaper has been revised several times since then. The most recentchanges were made to bring the paper into conformity with policiesthat were passed at the 2007 General Council.Both newly approved position papers have been posted on theAssemblies of God Web site athttp://ag.org/top/Beliefs/Position_Papers/index.cfm/.--Kara Chase-----------------------------------------------------------------**AG SEES JUMP IN FULL-TIME CHILDREN'S PASTORSAcross the United States Assemblies of God congregations arerealizing in greater numbers the importance of reaching children andinvesting into the next generation. Since 1998 the Assemblies of Godhas gained 1,002 full-time paid children's pastors, bringing thetotal number full-time paid children's pastors to 2,083 ‹ anincrease of 93 percent."Churches have realized the importance of reaching the nextgeneration," says Jason Noble, the national director of Children'sMinistries for the Assemblies of God. "In fact, churches have turnedthis idea of reaching children into their primary mission field.With this increase, the amount of churches now employing a full-timechildren's pastor has dramatically increased."Strategically investing in future leaders echo the sentiments of theleader of the Assemblies of God, General Superintendent George Wood."Dr. Wood has made strategically investing in the next generation acore value for our denomination," says Noble, "It's a goal we aretaking very seriously at the CMA."As more churches realize the importance of reaching children, aneven greater increase of children's leaders is expected to surfacewithin the next 10 years, Noble believes. To meet this demand, theCMA is actively working with AG colleges, building relationshipswith young people to ensure there will be people to fill thesefuture positions.George Barna, founder of the Barna Research Group, said, "I haveconcluded that ministry to children is one of the most strategic andimportant activities of any church."The national Children's Ministries Agency provides training forchildren's pastors and leaders, networking, proven resources, andtools to promote the importance of children's ministries on thelocal level.For more information about CMA, see its Web site athttp://www.4kids.ag.org/.

  • AG NEWS #1578: August 13, 2008
    ** AG missionaries in Georgia safeAssemblies of God missionaries and missionary associates workingin Republic of Georgia reported as safe, having evacuated toYerevan, Armenia. Missionaries to return as soon as fightingconcludes. Missionaries also ministering to refugees fleeingSouth Ossetia into Russia.** Griswold elected to fill Executive Presbyter termIllinois District Superintendent Larry H. Griswold elected asGreat Lakes Area Executive Presbyter during Assemblies of GodGeneral Presbytery meeting being held this week in Springfield,Missouri. Griswold fills unexpired term of former Great LakesArea EP, Doug Clay, who was elected AG General Treasurer earlierthis year.** Light-Rail Ministries helps people get on the right trackThrough a chance encounter at a light-rail train station lastsummer, Jared Jankowski felt God directing him to start anoutreach ministry to light-rail riders in New Jersey. EverySaturday Light-Rail Ministries reaches out to people at thestations and on trains by distributing tracts and buildingrelationships through conversations. Three men whom Jankowski metare now enrolled in Teen Challenge, where they are receiving helpto transform their lives. In near future, Jankowski plans tocontinue sharing Christ by starting Bible studies on trains andat stations. See http://LightRailMinistries.com for moreInformation.-----------------------------------------------------------------Is divorce a leading cause of death?Divorce doesn't just mean the death of a marriage. It alsosignals the death of a family, friendships, hopes, dreams,security, love and oftentimes, a bright future ‹ especially forchildren. Divorce IS a vicious killer on multiple levels...don'tlet it destroy your marriage and so much more. ContactMarriageRestored today ‹ it will change your life!http://www.marriagerestored.com.Upcoming events: Lafayette, Indiana, August 29-31; Columbus,Ohio, September 5-7; St. Louis, Missouri, September 26-28.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Retooled Resources for Women MinistersThe Network for Women in Ministry Web site has a refined focusand new look to better serve women preparing for or participatingin vocational ministry. The site also offers a renovated freebiweekly e-newsletter, Women in Ministry Mobilized. Visithttp://womeninministry.ag.org today to subscribe to site updates,the e-newsletter, and learn of upcoming Network events.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** AG MISSIONARIES IN GEORGIA SAFEAssemblies of God missionaries and missionary associates working inthe Eurasian country of Georgia, which has been hit hard by theRussian military over the last few days, have all been reported assafe and out of harm's way.According to AGWM Communications Director Randy Hurst, missionaryDiane Dorlon and Bob McKay along with missionary associates AmandaTyler and Juan and Shirley Ocasio all evacuated the country afterthe U.S. Embassy evacuated their personnel on Saturday. Currentlythe missionaries are residing in Yerevan, Armenia, awaiting theconclusion of the fighting."Please pray for a miracle for the people of Georgia," says Dorlonin an e-mail. "I praise God for our safety and have cried for hoursand days for our precious Georgians. The second we can go back, wewill."Reports estimate at least 2,000 civilians have been killed in oneregion. Omar Beiler, AGWM regional director of Eurasia, says thatthe Georgian missionaries are preparing to return to minister there.AG missionaries are also working to minister to South Ossetianrefugees, who are fleeing north across the border into Russia.According to news reports, the conflict began when the Georgiamilitary moved into South Ossetia to crackdown on separatists, whowant the region to break away from Georgia. When Georgia respondedwith military action, the Russian military forcefully stepped in. Atenuous cease-fire agreement was reached on Tuesday, but alreadysome officials are claiming violations of the agreement.--AG News-----------------------------------------------------------------** GRISWOLD ELECTED TO FILL EXECUTIVE PRESBYTERY TERMLarry H. Griswold, the Illinois District superintendent, was electedto serve as the Great Lakes Area Executive Presbyter Tuesday duringthe General Presbytery meeting being held this week in Springfield,Missouri, home of the national headquarters of the Assemblies ofGod.Griswold, who has served as the Illinois District's superintendentsince 1997, was elected to fill the unexpired term of ExecutivePresbyter and Ohio District Superintendent Doug Clay. Clay was nolonger eligible for the position as he was elected the GeneralTreasurer of the Assemblies of God in April, when former GeneralTreasurer James K. Bridges stepped down.A graduate of North Central University (AG), Minneapolis, Minnesota,with a degree in Bible and Pastoral Ministries, Griswold alsoattended Northwestern University and Wheaton Graduate School.Griswold will remain the district's superintendent, adding theresponsibilities of an Executive Presbyter into his portfolio. Healso serves as a board member for Teen Challenge, Illinois; Board ofRegents member for North Central University and Trinity BibleCollege (Ellendale, North Dakota); and on the General CouncilCommittee on Finance.For more information about Assemblies of God leadership, seehttp://ag.org and click on "Leadership" under the "About Us" tab.--AG News-----------------------------------------------------------------** LIGHT-RAIL MINISTRIES HELPS PEOPLE GET ON THE RIGHT TRACKEvery day thousands of people board New Jersey's light-rail trainson their way to work, school and to take care of otherresponsibilities. The crowd moves on and off the publictransportation in a hurried mass, a scene typical of manymetropolitan areas.But where others would just see a herd of commuters, JaredJankowski, founder of Light-Rail Ministries, sees individual soulsin need of God.In June 2007, Jankowski and his mother were going out for dinner onenight, but, in what seems to be a God-ordained evening, they nevermade it to the restaurant.While waiting at a local train station, Jankowski struck up aconversation with a man who was blind and who eventually shared thathe was saved. Upon learning he was a Christian, Jankowski asked ifhe could pray for the man. The man agreed, adding that he wouldappreciate prayer for his alcohol addiction.When Jankowski heard this request, he realized this man, and otherlight-rail riders, "had a lot of hidden stuff.""Jared, the harvest field is right here," he felt God telling him."I want you to begin spending time here."In that moment, it became clear to Jankowski that the light-railtrains were to be his place of ministry.The following weekend, Jankowski began Light-Rail Ministries at alocal station. As he embarked on his first day of outreach, somedoubts entered his mind. So Jankowski prayed that God would provideconfirmation through supernatural contacts with people.There weren't many people at the station that first day, butJankowski saw one man "cursing up a storm" because the train hadjust left without him. He approached the angry man and tried toengage in conversation with him. When Jankowski realized that theman was someone he had ministered to five years before, it was theconfirmation he needed.Every Saturday, Jankowski and his primary ministry partner arrive atthe train station around 2 p.m. As they prepare for the day'soutreach, they ask God to break down spiritual walls and to leadthem to those who are desperate and at the end of their rope.With backpacks filled with Bibles and tracts, the men board thetrains and begin handing out the introductions to the gospel.Jankowski estimates that they distribute 1,000 to 2,000 tracts everymonth and a half. He says most people accept the tracts and many arereceptive to engaging in conversation."We'll be out there until 6 p.m., or we could be done at 10 p.m.,"Jankowski explains. "It all depends on who we're speaking to. It's aday we've set aside to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide usand time is not a restraint. The goal is to reach out to people andspend time investing in their lives."Through Light-Rail Ministries, lives are already being changed.Three men that Jankowski met are now enrolled in Teen Challenge tohelp them completely turn their lives around. In the future,Jankowski wants to establish transitional homes to help even morepeople get off the streets.Lately, Jankowski has spent a lot of time ministering in the city ofCamden, where he says there are many homeless people, drug addictsand prostitutes. Because the area represents such need, he feels itshould be the main area of concentration until the Lord brings moreworkers to Light-Rail Ministries."This is just the beginning stages because I know the Lord puton my heart that there are rails and there's a harvest all over,"Jankowski says. "I want to eventually start Bible studies at thestations and on the trains because a lot of people won't cometo church, but as we build these relationships they're more opento it."Jankowski says he also has a strong desire to train more Christiansin evangelism because he has observed that many people areuncomfortable sharing their faith. He feels "there are plenty ofpreachers and not enough 'reachers,' and Light-Rail Ministriesprovides another way for church people to practice sharing theirfaith and reaching others."Jankowski's church, Fountain of Life Center (AG) in Burlington, NewJersey, donates bagels and bottled water to give away each Saturday.The church's bus ministry also helps provide rides for thoseinterested in attending services at Fountain of Life Center."Jared, almost every week, has somebody in church sitting in thefront row with him who has been reached through Light-RailMinistries," says Dave Boudwin, one of the pastors at Fountain ofLife Center.Boudwin describes Light-Rail Ministries' work in Camden as effectiveand innovative ministry to one of the neediest cities in America. Heencourages older teens at the church to volunteer with Jankowski.From the start, Jankowski says the Lord has miraculously providedfinances to meet ministry needs. Jankowski was still taking coursesfrom Valley Forge Christian College (where he graduated with adegree in Urban Ministries) when God called him to begin Light-RailMinistries, so money was tight when he invested $250 to purchasetracts. But after sharing his vision for the ministry with people atchurch, someone offered to take care of the cost for tracts.Jankowski and his fellow volunteers trust that God will continue toprovide as they forge ahead with Light-Rail Ministries mission:"Bringing the light of Christ to the rail and helping people get ontrack with Jesus."For more information about Light-Rail Ministries, seehttp://LightRailMinistries.com/.--Kara Chase

  • AG NEWS #1577: August 11, 2008
    ** National Youth Convention review ‹ MondayA review of National Youth Convention held in Charlotte, NorthCarolina, last week, offering two articles: A look at Fridayevening's celebration service (includes a listing of NationalFine Arts Festival top winners), and recap of the other eveningservices held last week. To view "Top 10" list of FAF finishers,see http://FAF.ag.org and click on "Top 10 list."** Cool program welcomes kids for "No Bummer Summer"From June 9 to August 5, Cool Assembly of God (Cool, Texas)welcomed local children every Tuesday for daylong program called"No Bummer Summer." Pastor Marsha McDonald says small churchwanted to live out love of Christ in front of kids, many of whomcame from broken or single parent homes. Program includeddevotional and prayer time, as well as many fun activities andfield trips. Cool Assembly wants to build on these relationshipsby offering an after-school program this fall. Learn more aboutCool Assembly of God, at http://www.coolassemblyofgod.com/.-----------------------------------------------------------------Igniting the flames ‹ the right way!Many couples experiment with all kinds of ill-advised ways to addsome "spark" to their married lives.... Marriage Encounterkindles a fire that won't leave your marriage in ashes. Find outjust how exciting your marriage can be -- register for a MarriageEncounter weekend today! See http://agme.org----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**NATIONAL YOUTH CONVENTION REVIEW ‹ MONDAY****NFAF CELEBRATION SERVICEFriday night's National Fine Arts Celebration Service began with aninspiring worship concert by 2002 Fine Arts participant and nownational recording artist, Francesca Battistelli. Performing suchsongs as, "Beautiful, Beautiful," "I'm Letting Go," and "It's YourLife," she encouraged the packed arena of students that God can usethem even if they never win at Fine Arts."In all of my years of National Fine Arts competitions," she said,"I never won once in any category. But God has chosen to use meanyway. Don't let whether or not you win a competition influenceyour willingness to let God use your gifts for His glory."After Battistelli's performance, the award presentations for allNational Award of Merit recipients (the highest achievement levelavailable) began. Of the over 70,000 Fine Arts participantscompeting this year at the local, district, and national levels,there were only 67 who received the top awards. Of those 67, 13 weregiven the opportunity to perform live on stage in front of the fullBobcats Arena.Also announced this year are two new Fine Arts categories for 2009,including worship dance, and six new categories for Kappa Tau, thecollege level Fine Arts competition. New Kappa Tau categoriesinclude worship team, Christian band, female vocal solo, male vocalsolo, drama ensemble, and drama solo.Here are the 2008 top National Fine Arts award recipients:--ART DIVISIONGraphic Design-Bryan Garrison of Real World Worship Center inNewport News, VirginiaPhotography, Digital-Caitlyn Gauthier of Calvary Church inNaperville, IllinoisPhotography, Traditional-Hannah Capps of Calvary Church Assembliesof God Fellowship in Greensboro, North CarolinaT-shirt Design-Jennifer Cantrell of Calvary Assembly of God inOrange Park, FloridaVisual Art, Three Dimensional-Daniel Taylor of Calvary ChurchAssemblies of God in Fellowship Greensboro, North CarolinaVisual Art, Two Dimensional-Alesha Nguyen of Assembly of God in SanJacinto, California--COMMUNICATION DIVISIONAmerican Sign Language Group-God's Handiwork of Ellicott CityAssembly of God in Ellicott City, MarylandAmerican Sign Language Solo-Jason Manning of Ellicott City Assemblyof God in Ellicott City, MarylandChildren's Lesson Group-Katherine, Melody and Joshua of The WorshipCenter in Houston, TexasChildren's Lesson Solo-Corinne Smith of Blue Springs Assembly of Godin Blue Springs, MissouriPuppetry Group-RIOT of Christ Alive Church in Newton, North CarolinaPuppetry Solo-Naomi Benecasa of Central Assembly of God inSpringfield, MissouriShort Film-Eatamax of Christ Church Assembly of God in Fort Worth,TexasShort Sermon-Andre Grey of Living Water Fellowship in Kissimmee,FloridaShort Sermon, Spanish-Veronica Martinez of Faith Assembly of God inOrlando, FloridaWeb Design-Brock Bennett of Assembly of God in Pawnee, Illinois--DRAMA DIVISIONDrama Ensemble, Large-The Lost Art of The Oaks Assembly of God inDallas, TexasDrama Ensemble, Small-It's Ridiculous of The Oaks Assembly of God inDallas, TexasDrama Solo-Miguel Guerreiro of Evangel Temple in Springfield,MissouriHuman Video Ensemble, Large-A - The Gospel of Judas of Spring FirstChurch in Spring, TexasHuman Video Ensemble, Small-The Remnant of Faith Assembly of God inOrlando, FloridaHuman Video Solo-Tyler Brodess of Grace Community Assembly of God inFlower Mound, Texas--EXHIBITION DIVISIONAmerican Sign Language Storytelling-Christina Swe of CalvaryAssembly of God in Frederick, MarylandBook Chapter-Lorie Powell of First Assembly of God in Lexington,KentuckyChildren's Literature Collaborated-I Want to Be a Shepherd ofCalvary Church Assemblies of God Fellowship in Greensboro, NorthCarolinaChildren's Literature Solo-Benjamin May of Lakeside Assembly of Godin Shelby Township, MichiganOriginal Instrumental Composition-Unworthy of Radiant Life ChurchAssembly of God in Dublin, OhioPerformance Art-Amy Van Heerden of Victorious Life Assembly of Godin Wesley Chapel, FloridaVocal Ensemble, Spanish-Grupo Bethel of Iglesia Bethel Assembly ofGod in Othello, Washington--INSTRUMENTAL DIVISIONGuitar Solo-Thomas Kurtz of Fountain of Life Center in Burlington,New JerseyInstrumental Ensemble-The Dueling Guitars of Northville ChristianAssembly of God in Northville, MichiganKeyboard Solo-Ryan Temmel of Bethel Assembly of God in Minneapolis,MinnesotaPercussion Solo, Traditional-David Berry of Grand Rapids FirstAssembly of God in Grand Rapids, MichiganPercussion Ensemble, Traditional-Trinity Bronze of Trinity Church ofthe Assemblies of God in Cedar Hill, TexasPercussion, Unconventional-Divine Soldiers of Assembly of God inHempstead, New YorkString Solo-Alicia Determan of Emmanuel Christian Center Assembly ofGod in Minneapolis, MinnesotaWind/Brass Solo-Brock Bennett of Assembly of God in Pawnee, Illinois--VOCAL DIVISIONChristian Band-Doubting Benefit of Calvary Assembly of God in OrmondBeach, FloridaRap Group-LOUD of House of Prayer Assembly of God in Dallas, TexasRap Solo-Ryan Holt of Calvary Church Assembly of God in Irving,TexasSongwriting-As I Am Harvest of Christian Center Assembly of God inMount Vernon, OhioVocal Ensemble, Large-Out Numbered of Glad Tidings Assembly of Godin Reading, PennsylvaniaVocal Ensemble, Small-King Jesus of Brightmoor Christian Church inNovi, MichiganVocal Solo, Female-Mishavonna Henson of South Coast ChristianAssembly in San Juan Capistrano, CaliforniaVocal Solo, Male-David Mueller of First Family Church in OsageBeach, MissouriVocal Solo, Spanish Female-Jessie Polk of Christian Life Assembly inColumbia, South CarolinaVocal Solo, Spanish Male-JonCarlos Velez of Oak Creek Assembly ofGod in Oak Creek, WisconsinWorship Team-Face Down of Glad Tidings Assembly of God in Reading,PennsylvaniaYouth Choir-Real Life Youth of Glad Tidings Assembly of God inReading, Pennsylvania--WRITING DIVISIONFirst Person Essay-Samantha Orr of Evangel Temple in Springfield,MissouriPoetry-Lisa Williams of Coeur D Alene First Assembly of God in CoeurD Alene, IdahoPoetry, Spanish-Nicole Rodriguez of Abundant Life Assembly of God inHarlingen, TexasShort Story-Naomi Susman of Assembly of God in Peckville,PennsylvaniaSketch Writing-Mackenzie McIntire of Evangel Temple in Springfield,Missouri--KAPPA TAU ART DIVISIONGraphic Design-Jason Fowler of Christian Life Assembly of God inCarrollton, TexasPhotography, Digital-Megan Eyraud of Mossyrock Assembly of God inMossyrock, WashingtonPhotography, Traditional-Jeanette Schaaf of Trinity Assembly of Godin Lutherville, MarylandT-shirt Design-Jena Clark of Freedom Assembly of God in ArizonaCity, ArizonaVisual Art, Three Dimensional-Lemuel Calpito of People's Church SanDiego in San Diego, CaliforniaVisual Art, Two Dimensional-Thomas Harshberger of North CentralAssembly of God in North Syracuse, New York--KAPPA TAU COMMUNICATION DIVISIONShort Film-Cravings of Grace Chapel Assembly of God Church inMagnolia, Texas--KAPPA TAU WRITING DIVISIONBook Chapter-Nathan McKay of ROC International Church in Northville,MichiganChildren's Literature Solo-Dani Schiewek of Faith Assembly of Laceyin Lacey, WashingtonFirst Person Essay-Nicole Potter of Calvary Assembly of God inOrange Park, FloridaPoetry-Shayna Baker of Faith Assembly of God in Orlando, FloridaShort Story-Jennifer Wallace of First Assembly of God in Beaumont,CaliforniaSketch Writing-Shayna Baker of Faith Assembly of God in Orlando,FloridaTo see a complete top 10 listing of each FAF category, go tohttp://FAF.ag.org and click on the "Top 10 list" for a downloadablePDF.****NYC: WEEK IN REVIEWSo, what did you do last week? For 13,000 National Fine Artsparticipants, AIMers, students, and leaders, they can say they were"Led By Fire" during the National Youth Convention in Charlotte,North Carolina. In three days' time, Fine Arts evaluators watchedover 36,000 performances and narrowed the field of participants downto the top few National Award of Merit winners.But more important than any awards or trophies, students experiencedGod during three powerful evening services. On Monday night,national Student Outreach Director Steve Pulis preached on how inthe Bible the presence of God was most often signified by fire.However, even though the Israelites were led by fire out of Egypt,as soon as their situation got tough, they wanted to go back totheir familiar lives of slavery."There are three key questions you need to answer in your pursuit ofGod," Pulis told students. "Are you going to allow yourself to beled by fire or led by sin? Are you going to allow yourself to be ledby fire or led by feelings? And are you going to allow yourself tobe led by fire or led by only what you can see?""God gives us amazing experiences of his presence, but it's easy forus to just live for the experience," Pulis continued. "We miss outif we do that. God gives us the experience as a way to teach us howto depend on him. If you want to be led by the fire of God's Spirit,then you must learn to be led by His Word. God doesn't want you tosit back and wait for the experience; God wants you to live out yourexperience when you get back home."On Tuesday night, Rod Whitlock, national Student Discipleshipdirector, spoke on what each of us needs to do to be led by fire."I want North Carolina to be known as the place where God poured outHis Spirit on a bunch of teenagers who went out and changed theworld." He continued, "If revival is confined to this one arena,then we've missed it. We've missed what God wants to do."Using the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, Whitlock gavethe students five key steps we all must take to be led by fire:1. Repair our altar to the Lord.2. Dig a trench.3. Prepare the sacrifice.4. Soak the sacrifice.5. Pray the fire falls."The fire of God consumes and changes all it touches," he said."Spiritual revival is always born in the hearts of those who aretruly consecrated to Him. And we are here to be gap standers. We arehere to say, 'God, even if no one else will, I will!'"During the Thursday night service and release of the new 2008-2009Speed the Light and FAF theme: EXTRAORDINARY, National StudentMissions and Speed the Light Director Rick Lorimer spoke on thebaptism of the Holy Spirit."In Acts 2, we see a time in history when heaven invaded earth," hesaid. "Ordinary people had an encounter with an extraordinary God.These ordinary people experienced first-hand supernatural events andaccomplished extraordinary exploits! Can I let you in on something?What God did then, he wants to do now."Lorimer continued with four observations of how God wants to pourout His Spirit. God wants:1. More people Baptized. God wants EVERY believer baptized in theHoly Spirit.2. More than tongues. Speaking in tongues is the "initial" evidenceof the Baptism.3. More outpourings. We need multiple outpourings of God'sSpirit.4. More focus on the mission. The disciples' focus was not on the"manifestation" of the Holy Spirit, but the "mission" of the HolySpirit.As the service came to a close, no floor space was left at the altaras hundreds of students received the baptism in the Holy Spirit forthe first time.By the time Friday's Celebration service came around, students wereready to celebrate the week's events and go home filled with thefire of God's Spirit.Student Stephanie Johnson put it best, "This week has been amazing.I didn't even compete in any categories; I just came along with myyouth group. But I never expected God to speak to me so clearly. Iam ready to start this school year knowing that God is going to useme to do something extraordinary for Him."--Monica Gallinger-----------------------------------------------------------------** COOL PROGRAM WELCOMES KIDS FOR "NO BUMMER SUMMER"Cool Assembly of God (Cool, Texas) was the place for kids to be thissummer.Every Tuesday from June 9 to August 5, the church welcomed localchildren for a daylong program called "No Bummer Summer."Pastor Marsha McDonald, who also works as a public school teacher,says the idea for the summer program came through prayer, as sheasked God for His plan "in bringing in the harvest."Barbara Tabner, one of the program's main volunteers, says there areno children among Cool Assembly's 15 or so regular attendees. Thesummer program was planned as a way to reach out to families in thecommunity, while showing what their small congregation is capableof. Multiple church members, including Judy Owen, Jim and ChristineGatlin and Nick and Jennifer Owen volunteered their time to make adifference in the children's lives."The main thing was to live out the love and life of Christ in frontof the children," says McDonald, adding that most of the childrencame from broken or single parent homes.Each Tuesday included a devotional led by McDonald. After splittinginto smaller groups, the children were encouraged to share needsthey wanted to pray for.According to Tabner, it was the first time some of the children hadbeen taught to pray. As trust was built with church volunteers, thechildren began opening up and sharing some of their struggles."Some of the kids would say, 'My parents aren't in church; they areso far from God,'" McDonald recalls. "Those are Holy Spirit words."Weekly activities included sign language lessons, craft time, gamesand singing Christian songs. The group also went on field trips tothe local bowling alley, pool and even a Creation Evidence museum.One of the highlights of the summer was the final Tuesday. With arecord attendance of 17 children, they spent the day at a Putt-Puttplace and enjoyed rides and a 3-D movie. Tabner reports that boththe children and the volunteers created lasting memories that day."You could tell that they were being touched by the love that theyexpressed to us that last day," Tabner says. "There wasn't one ofthem that didn't come by and hug us and tell us how much they lovedus. We invited them all to come back to Sunday School."As the school year approaches, Cool Assembly is planning to host aweekly after-school program in an effort to continue buildingrelationships with the children in the area. They also look forwardto hosting another "No Bummer Summer" next year.To learn more about Cool Assembly of God, seehttp://www.coolassemblyofgod.com/.--Kara Chase

  • AG NEWS #1576: August 8, 2008
    ** National Youth Convention report ‹ FridaySeries of articles from the 2008 National Youth Convention beingheld in Charlotte, North Carolina, this week, including: a reporton Thursday evening service and new Speed the Light theme, a Qand A with Dr. George Wood, a Q and A with Planetshakers andinformation about posting of National Fine Arts Festival results.More information about event can be found online athttp://www.Charlotte08.ag.org/.** Does God want you to be rich?Does God want us to be rich? Or does God want us to take a vow ofpoverty? Both financial extremes taught in Christendom today.While proponents quote isolated biblical passages, majority ofsome 2,000 Scripture verses dealing with money and possessionsdon't sustain either. Rather, biblical definition of 'rich' isability to share, according to Kregg R. Hood, senior vicepresident at AG Financial Solutions in Springfield, Missouri.-----------------------------------------------------------------Send a "person"al message to a wounded friend or family member!Ed and Faith Ferguson are AG missionaries to U.S. Militarypersonnel/families stationed in the Kaiserslautern area ofGermany. They also volunteer with the Wounded Warrior Ministry atthe Army Hospital where personnel wounded in Iraq or Afghanistanare taken. If you have a family member or friend who is wounded,and you would like Ed and Faith to visit him/her, please contactthe Fergusons at elferg41@yahoo.com or call their U.S. phone at239-677-4562 (Germany is six hours ahead of the east coast of theU.S.) It is important to contact the Fergusons quickly as thewounded only stay at the hospital three or four days before beingtransferred to the U.S. for further treatment.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------** NATIONAL YOUTH CONVENTION REPORT ‹ FRIDAY****NEW STL THEME ANNOUNCED IN EVENING RALLYThe new 2008-2009 Speed the Light theme, EXTRAORDINARY, wasannounced last night during the Thursday night service in Charlotte,NC. As four young students stood in front of the 13,000 NationalYouth Convention attendees, they each prayed over specific areas oftheir lives where they feel ordinary and want God to make themextraordinary.After the personal, heartfelt prayers of these students, NationalYouth Director, Jay Mooney, made an appeal for every student to bewilling to sacrifice so that our missionaries can have the essentialtransportation and creative communication equipment they need toreach the lost with the love of Jesus. Students responded by givingover $54,000 in a Speed the Light offering to provide a new vehicleto missionary Phil and Lisa Dimusto in Singapore.As the evening continued, National Student Missions Director, RickLorimer, challenged students to be consumed with the fire of theHoly Spirit. His primary text was Acts 2:1-4. "In Acts 2 we see atime in history when heaven invaded earth," he said. "Ordinarypeople had an encounter with an extraordinary God. These ordinarypeople experienced first-hand supernatural events and accomplishedextraordinary exploits! Can I let you in on something? What God didthen, he wants to do now.""All too often," he continued, "we allow our lives to be spottedwith temporary encounters with God that lead to limited results andeventually fizzle to an end. Don't just have an experience, live theexperience."Throughout the message Lorimer encouraged students to not be contentwith their current relationship with the Holy Spirit; God has morefor them. "Speaking in tongues is a beautiful gift. It is theinitial evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, but it's justthat, the 'initial' evidence. It's the starting line, not the finishline."Lorimer stressed that when the disciples gathered in the upper roomto wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit, their focus was not on themanifestation of the Spirit but the mission of God's Spirit. Thedisciples had an extraordinary unity and purpose for fulfillingGod's Commission. "God longs to immerse a people in His presence whowant to love the lost."When the altar call was given, the entire front area of the arenaand main floor isles were flooded with students who wanted toreceive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit for the first time. Hundredsreceived that touch from God as He poured Himself out on thosehungry for more. To see this service and message go tohttp://www.charlotte08.ag.org/live/.The new, overarching EXTRAORDINARY theme can be summed up with theinspired theme text below:"The extraordinary exploits, supernatural stories and whollyremarkable happenings of otherwise ordinary youths ‹ who, for theproclamation of the Kingdom to the uttermost ends of the earth,endured great sacrifice, accomplishing feats of renown and othernotable and glorious wonders that the King's treasury might be fullFOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS ‹ and that the greatest treasure of allmight be known among the sons of man."--Monica Gallinger and Rick Lorimer****LEADERSHIP LUNCHEON WITH DR. GEORGE O. WOODNew to this year's National Youth Convention was a specialized, VIPleadership luncheon featuring a Q&A session with Assemblies of GodGeneral Superintendent, Dr. George Wood. During this luncheon, Dr.Wood fielded questions from youth pastors and leaders on a varietyof topics of their choosing. Below are a few of the items discussed.Q: What are your thoughts on having youth separated from the mainSunday services rather than integrated into them?I have always believed deeply in the intergenerational church.However, you have to make a deliberate attempt to blend the twostyles, young and old. When I was a pastor, I created an imaginaryaudience when preparing my sermons. I included a 10-year-old girl,an elderly couple, a teenage boy, two newlyweds, etc. And I wouldalways check with myself to see if my message could connect witheach of them. Church jargon is always an issue. Sometimes we get soused to speaking 'church' language that it loses the interest andattention of our young people.Q: Are spiritual gifts relevant to today's youth?YES! I encourage you to break open the Word of God and preach thespiritual gifts. Be willing to teach kids the common mistakesrelating to the gifts of the Spirit. Be real and honest. And also becareful about speaking as God in the first person when exercising avocal spiritual gift. Individuals without a church background mayget confused about what's going on. Always pay attention to tone ofvoice.There are three questions you should ask to determine if thespiritual gifts they're displaying are appropriate:1. Do they honor Christ?2. Do they have an edifying effect on believers?3. Do they serve as a positive witness to unbelievers?Q: What is the status of our AG schools/colleges?One thing that's stood out to me is that there is good integrationof faith and learning‹and of faith and real life‹in our AG schools.Regarding current challenges, truthfully, budget is always an issue.Sometimes parents see the dollar signs of a particular collegeinstead of seeing the life-long investment they are making in thespiritual development of their kids. To put it bluntly, you don'talways get your money's worth out of a less expensive school.Q: Is Master's Commission hurting our AG colleges?I think Master's Commissions can be a fantastic leadership trainingvenue and feeder to our colleges. But MCs don't provide thelong-term background that colleges and thorough pastoral preparationcan. However, many schools now allow credits from MCs to apply totraditional four-year degrees. Integration of MCs and our AGcolleges is good, but our future leaders need the in-depthbackground provided by our schools.Q: What is your perspective on teaching our kids the biblicalprinciples of saving money and investing in more worthwhile thingsto get out of debt?It's true that too many of our young people are coming out of schoolwith deep debt. We are working on developing an AG Trust to helpsupport these kinds of issues and initiatives. Along those lines isthe idea: What if churches 'commissioned' just one student to be apastor or missionary or dedicated lay person, and took offerings tohelp them with their costs at an AG school?If just one-half (6,000) of our churches sent even one student to anAG school this year, enrollment would double in the entering class!What would happen if church congregations took it upon themselves tohelp just one student pursue pastoral or evangelism training ortraining as a lay person? We would have over 6,000 additional,trained leaders in the Assemblies of God. The effect this could haveon our nation and on the world is astounding. This is just oneavenue that our churches could be focusing on.Q: How can youth groups learn to have a good balance of bothevangelism and discipleship, since the different cultural groups ina church tend to focus on either one or the other?The key to this is to get all of the church kids doing evangelismthemselves. Make it their responsibility. Also, outside kids NEED tobe brought into the church. It is vital for their spiritual growthand development for you to find a way to plug them in, disciplethem, and utilize their gifts.Q: What would you say is the future of youth ministry in the AG?Children and youth are the fastest growing areas of the AGŠand evenother denominations are envious of the thriving nature of our AGyouth ministries. Keeping and expanding this trend is critical. Oneof my core values is to strategically invest in our young people.Symbolically, we need to find ways to say, This is not about thepast, this is about the future.To this end, I have and will continue to pursue ways to stay intouch and connected to our younger generation. For example, I'vedeveloped my own Facebook site as one additional way to connect withthe youth. If I can do it, you certainly can. Find ways to reachthem! We need to be determined and focused in our efforts to berelevant to the students we come in contact with so we caneffectively pass on to them the values written in God's Word.--Monica Gallinger****PLANETSHAKERS VIP LEADERSHIP SESSSIONDo you ever wonder what makes a great worship leader tick? Whatmakes a world-renown worship band successful? In a Q&A leadershipluncheon during the National Youth Convention in Charlotte, NorthCarolina, attendees were able to hear straight from this year'sworship band, Planetshakers, what God has done to lead them towhere they are today.Q: What drives you and your music?It is our hearts' desire to run after the presence of God, to pursueJesus, to be like Jesus. And to lead others to do the same. Studentsnowadays have a deep fire in their spirits, a hunger and passion forGod. We all need to go for it together to see this nation won. Ifrevival could begin here in America, then the rest of the worldwould follow.We don't ever want to be on stage and think it's about us at all. Weare just the vessels that God has decided to use to glorify Him.Q: What is it that you're doing (fasting, praying, etc.) that Godhas chosen to use you this way and inspire you like He has?God, in His sovereignty, has the ability to see past all of ourshortcomings and is willing to use imperfect tools that have madethemselves available to Him. God oftentimes can see something in usthat we don't even see ourselves.We've always prayed and sought God's favor that He would sendrevival to our home nation of Australia. The opposition in ourculture [against Christianity] has actually lit a fire in our youngpeople to pray and pursue God's help in reaching the nation.Q: How do you guys structure the worship/creative arts venture inyour church?The whole team comes together at least once a month as a creativeteam. Each of us has our little areas, or nitches, and thisintentional meeting is for us to connect and share discipleship.Rehearsals for extra things is done as needed. However, we do holdhour-long rehearsals every Sunday before service.The foundation of all of our training starts with discipleship. Wedon't start by training the gift. We train our hearts firstŠandspend less time in rehearsals.Q: Where do you find your inspiration?We never write our songs for people. We write our songs for God.Whenever we sit down to write, we pray, God, what do you want me tosay? Or, God, what do you want to say to me?God just manages to use our situations in lifeŠ"the sun shines onthe just and the unjust"Što our good and His glory. Our hurt helpsus understand God's compassion on a hurting world. In ourbrokenness, God helps us connect with a broken generation.Q: How do you find your inspiration for music style?We don't really follow or model after any other band or existingstyle. We feel that God has called us to be the head and not thetail. If we allow ourselves to be totally dependent on the Spirit,then God can inspire all of us to write relevant music.What is your favorite Planetshakers song?It's hard to choose. Our songs are a map of the geography of thedevelopment of our band. Each song is a landmark of where God hastaken us.*For more information about the Planetshakers' leadership andworship materials, visit http://www.planetshakers.com.--Monica Gallinger****NATIONAL FINE ARTS FESTIVAL RESULTSThe top 10 places in every official category will be posted onlineat http://www.charlotte08.ag.org by 11 p.m. Friday, August 8. Insome categories, 10 places may not appear as either there were lessthan 10 registrants or less than 10 people/groups earning a ratingof Superior with Honors. Exhibition categories will only postHonorable Mentions.-----------------------------------------------------------------** DOES GOD WANT YOU TO BE RICH?Does God want us to live in a mansion, drive a new sport utilityvehicle and take an around-the-world luxury vacation?Or does God want us to take a vow of poverty, eschew all worldlypleasures and consign ourselves to a life of austerity?Both financial extremes are taught in Christendom today. Proponentsin the first camp, epitomized by the health-and-wealth preachers whodominate televangelism, proclaim that a lack of financial blessingis an indication followers are outside of God's will. The flip sideposits that showing concern about material resources indicates alack of spirituality.While proponents of each position quote isolated biblical passages,the majority of some 2,000 Scripture verses dealing with money andpossessions don't sustain either one."God wants us to be spiritually rich, but that doesn't alwaysinvolve money," says Carolyn Castleberry, whose books include"Women, Take Charge of Your Money." She explains that the apostlePaul in 2 Corinthians 6:10 wrote that he could provide spiritualriches to others despite being poor."The biblical definition of 'rich' is the ability to share," saysKregg R. Hood, senior vice president at AG Financial Solutions inSpringfield, Missouri.Hood, whose new book is "Rich Toward God," says Jesus taught inMatthew 6:33 that those who first seek God's kingdom won't have toworry about what they will wear or eat. And when the apostle Paultalked about being "made rich in every way" in 2 Corinthians 9:11(NIV), "rich" dealt with a full and complete life, not the size ofa bank account."Most of the promises of blessing in Scripture should be interpretedin a spiritual rather than financial sense," says economist CharlesM. North, co-author of "Good Intentions: Nine Hot-Button IssuesViewed Through the Eyes of Faith."Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 that there is a long-term causeand effect between sowing and reaping, Hood says."But there isn't a correlation between an individual act of givingand receiving," Hood says. "God isn't a heavenly vending machine."Castleberry says 1 Timothy 6:6 puts material belongings in contextby showing that godly contentment is what truly makes Christianswell off."We can never follow God for the sake of gaining money," saysCastleberry, who is co-host of ABC Family Channel's "Living theLife." "If money is our first priority, we will fail or we will bemiserable because it never satisfies."Assets aren't innately evil. Some Christian entrepreneurs who havebecome wealthy ‹ such as Chick-fil-A's Truett Cathy, Auntie Anne'sAnne Beiler and Hobby Lobby's David Green ‹ have started a varietyof philanthropic endeavors to share their blessings.On the other hand, half a dozen "name-it, claim-it" televangelistshave so enriched themselves with donations from "ministry partners"that they've attracted a Senate investigation. The probe resultedfrom reports of opulent lifestyles by leaders of tax-exemptministries, including operating private jets for personal use,driving Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, living in multimillion-dollarmansions and earning excessive salaries.For many televangelists, the central message seems to be that God'sgoal is for the viewer to be rich. Hood disagrees. "The fundamentalappeal of the rewards theology preached in the prosperity gospel iscovetousness," Hood says.Hood, citing 1 Timothy 6:9, notes that God warns against the desireto "get rich" because it can lead to destruction. "It's not God'sheart that we be trapped with the temptations of wealth," Hood says.The attitude of the heart is key, according to Hood. He says thepossessions that the rich fool had accumulated in Jesus' parable inLuke 12 didn't cause the problem. Instead, the man's greed andunwillingness to share his gains led to his downfall.The wealthy heroes in the Bible, Abraham and Solomonnotwithstanding, are a distinct minority, Hood says. Those who teacha prosperity message have bought into their own warped theology,Hood believes.Those who have amassed exorbitant wealth have a greaterresponsibility in managing it, says North, referring to the Parableof the Talents in Matthew 25. North says those who own more have anobligation to curtail their consumption to free up resources forhelping others.And, North says, it's incorrect to presume that everyone who iswealthy has gained that affluence as a result of being blessed byGod. "There are a lot of Bible passages suggesting that people withthe money are the ones causing problems," North says.Castleberry says Christians in the United States are susceptible totemptations of wealth because we live in an entitlement societyyearning for the latest fashions, be it in clothes, technology orelsewhere."The overriding American culture that emphasizes material successhas spilled over into the church," North says. Two Baylor UniversityReligion Surveys show that as income rises the percentage of churchgiving actually declines, according to North. Those with lessactually donate a larger chunk of their wages to Christian causes.Experts warn that it's easy for Christians to put trust in bankaccounts, real estate and accumulated possessions. But 1 Timothy 6:7warns that we take nothing out of this world. The only place we canstore up eternal treasure is in heaven (Matthew 6:20).--John W. Kennedy, Today's Pentecostal Evangel

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