Pesacdore's Praise. TDSETN Community Newsletter December 2014

Transcription

1 Pesacdore's Praise TDSETN Community Newsletter December 2014 Wishing you a Merry Christmas from your Secretariat...Ray, Nathan, Tim, Pam, Robin, Susan, Lamar & Wanda, Paul & Chas, David & Karen, Robert & Judy, Roger, Jon & Jennifer, Don & Kay, Dennis and Stefanie. Merry Christmas from your Tres Dias of Southeast Tennessee Secretariat. On behalf of all the Secretariat members, we would like to say it has been an honor to serve the community this past year. God has been faithful to us and we have been blessed to witness lives changed for the Kingdom through special people like you and the ministry of Tres Dias. We expect no less from our God in the coming year. Preparations for weekends #51 are well underway, with the first team meetings scheduled for the first of January. We are anticipating another busy year at the Apison Retreat Center (ARC). We are honored to be hosting a Tres Dias International Secretariat meeting at the ARC on October 23-25, Tres Dias Representatives from all over will attend and your participation will be needed for many different functions prior to and during that weekend. Contact Stefanie Oppenheimer-Foster (communications@tdsetn.org) to volunteer.

2 A great gift to give this Christmas would be to sponsor that special friend for one of the upcoming weekends. The following is an excerpt from the Tres Dias International December 2014 Newsletter: Sponsoring - The Lifeblood of Tres Dias by Jan Coleman GMTD Spin in right: It's important to put a positive spin on what you're trying to promote, so share how Tres Dias grew your faith, stretched you, changed your priorities, and improved your prayer life. Never say, "You need this." What the candidate hears is, "He thinks I'm deficient somewhere." Instead, say, "You deserve this." It's all in how we approach it. And don't go overboard or pressure. It scares people away. Offer to help the persons who you sponsored, to sponsor others. Go with them to meet prospective candidates. They won't be as nervous when there is somebody on hand to answer questions and provide clarity. If you do not receive the TDI Newsletter, go to the TDI Website and sign-up on the Newsletter tab. As this year ends, I want to thank all of you for your support of Tres Dias of Southeast Tennessee this past year. Our community and the two communities we are starting (Tres Dias Con Dios and Foothills) need your continued support and prayers in Ray Newby TDSETN Chairman

3 PRAYER REQUESTS You can submit prayer requests on our website, facebook, or The perfect gift regardless of the holidays. James 1:17 NKJV, Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. I have noticed that sometimes we can get really nervous about light and the things being revealed especially when it comes to our lives, but in this passage God wants to share something with us about Him. In other words, breathe easy and don t panic. You can let down any guard or wall because He isn t looking to expose you. Maybe this is a nice change of pace for you because you are always reminded of where you have fallen short or messed up? Instead, the Father has something else in mind. He wants to reveal His love and goodness to you and here is one of my favorite parts this revealing or giving or showing of His grace to you was ALWAYS His choice. He never had one doubt or change of mind or change of heart or change of attitude about giving Himself to you. Is that not the best gift ever? Honestly, I can think of a few times where I might have wanted to change my mind about doing something kind for someone who I may have perceived as being difficult to love. Right? We all have a few people like that in our lives? Even when we may have perceived ourselves as being unlovable, His choice for us was to favor and love us. In the light of His choice, He has asked nothing from you, which is also especially comforting because sometimes we may feel like we are totally spent with nothing to give in return, especially after all the holiday busyness. I know that it is possible that you may be thinking.ok there is a string attached somewhere or a spiritual guilt trip that is about to be sprung upon me but the truth is that loving you is HIS choice regardless of how you choose. I do know that what we have experienced does play a huge part on how we choose to live, and the Father wants you to have a great experience by receiving from Him! Will you? Nathan Fletcher TDSETN Spiritual Director for Community

4 Welcome New Pescadores - Weekend #50 Men Women Billy Bradley, Vince Caggiano, William Coulter, Tom Damron, James Davis, Steve Dover, Van Ferguson, Chad Gass, Clayton Goodman, Joel Griffeth, Brent Harvey, Geran Jenkins, Scott Johnson, AJ Johnston, Walt Kaczmarek, Dwayne Kingry, Ricky Long, Chris Miller, Cody Pope, Andy Powell, Clinton Ray, Bradley Roberts, Darius Robinson, Philip Rogers, Michael Steffey, George Thompson, Brad VanLandingham, Joe Wiggs Chris Woodhull, Dusty Wright Emily Bell, Casey Christopher, Holly Coulter, Tina Damron, Camella Darden, LaShandra Davis, Dianne Dover, Lyndsey Ezell, Anna Ferguson, Cindy Gibson, Sharon Grayson, Natalie Griffeth, Carlene Grisard, Sarah Harvey, Mandy Jenkins, Traci Johnson, Kelley Johnston, Bonnie Kaczmarek, Kim Kingry, Brenda Logan, Suzanne Logan, Dani McNiel, Lisa Miller, Christina Patterson, Vivian Powell, Joy Roberts, Armel Robinson, Marti Smith, Christina Steffey, Sonya Thompson, Brandy Townshend, Allegro Ward, Kristen Wells, Sadie Wiggs, Jenny Wright

5 Sponsor A Candidate for Weekend #51 Thank you for Sponsoring candidates on weekends #50. You can begin submitting applications for weekends #51. Please get your applications in soon to secure your candidate's spot. Send your applications to TDSETN Preweekend Couple Wanda and Lamar Orr at preweekendcouple@tdsetn.org or call them at TDSETN Application Who Should I Sponsor? Tres Dias is designed for those who desire to be strengthened in their faith and to be brought closer to Christ in their discipleship. All believers are welcome to attend provided they are sponsored by someone who has attended a Tres Dias, Emmaus, or Cursillo-type weekend. Candidates should not be in the middle of or just coming out of a traumatic, life-changing event (divorce, passing of a close family member, dire health issue, prison, etc.). And lastly, candidates must be demonstrating a lifestyle commensurate with biblical teaching. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Pre-Weekend Couple Wanda and Lamar Orr at Give the The Gift of Tres Dias this Holiday Season. Be A Sponsor. Why should I sponsor anyone to experience a Tres Dias Weekend? Because, Christ is counting on you! This is a statement that each of us have received as a Weekend comes to a close. I truly believe that Tres Dias is a gift basket that

6 God has given us to help advance His Kingdom and it is full of Palanca. Sponsorship is the first piece of palanca that a candidate receives and one that will be remembered and cherished numerous of times after the Weekend is over. I will always be grateful for the couple that sponsored me and my hubby. God used my weekend (#5) to introduce me to Christian dance and I have been dancing for Him since that time and even had the honor of dancing on Weekend #50. You don t have to know what God wants to do for your candidate. Just remember that He is counting on you to just take that first step and sponosor! So I encourage you to take some time and look around in every environment of your daily lives and search out those who have given their lives to Christ and give them a gift of fellowship, friendship, food, fun and of course ROLLOS! Audrey Jones #5 Abba's House Upcoming Weekends Men's Weekend #51 Feb 19-22, 2015 Rector: Tim Cook

7 Women's Weekend #51 Feb 26 - March 1, 2015 Rector: Christine Haga Save the Date: Secuela March 14, 2015 at the ARC 5:15pm Mixer for New Pescadores from weekend #49, #50, #51 6:00pm Dinner for everyone in the community TDSETN Secretariat Chairman Ray Newby chairman@tdsetn.org Spiritual Director Nathan Fletcher spiritualdirector@tdsetn.org Menʼs Leader Tim McMahan mensleader@tdsetn.org Womenʼs Leader Pam Hindman womensleader@tdsetn.org Secretary Robin Peek secretary@tdsetn.org Treasurer Susan Durand treasurer@tdsetn.org Pre-Weekend Couple Lamar & Wanda Orr preweekendcouple@tdsetn.org Weekend Couple Paul & Chas Barnes weekendcouple@tdsetn.org Food Couple David & Karen Smith foodcouple@tdsetn.org Fourth Day Couple Robert & Judy Hays 4thdaycouple@tdsetn.org ARC Manager Roger Taylor arc@tdsetn.org Palanca Couple Jon & Jennifer DeVaul palancacouple@tdsetn.org Palanca Couple Elect Don & Kay Provonsha Database Manager Dennis Matthews datamanager@tdsetn.org Communications Stefanie Oppenheimer-Foster communications@tdsetn.org

8 Meet Your Secretariat - Dennis Matthews (Data Manager) It is my pleasure to serve the Tres Dias of Southeast Tennessee community as the data manager. My name is Dennis Matthews. My wife, Maria, and I worship and serve at City Church of Chattanooga. We attended Tres Dias of Southeast Tennessee number 18 at the Camp of Colors in Dahlonega Georgia. Maria and I are very involved in serving the Chattanooga community through various local groups. It was through one of these groups that we were introduced in the fall of We were in our late 40 s and had completely given up on finding our soul mate. Then there was the question Aren t you single? followed by a blind date. We married in December We love to tell the story of the blind and subsequent dates. Unfortunately it is too long to cover here; but, just ask us sometime. I recently retired after over 35 years with the Tennessee Valley Authority. I worked as a systems analyst on projects related to the areas of physical security, chemistry, radiochemistry, and radiation protection at all three of TVA s nuclear plants. My job dovetailed extremely well with my primary hobby any and all things related to computers. I love to work on hardware, software, and programming. It is a true blessing to be able to learn from and work with an incredible group of people serving God by serving our community through the Secretariat. They demonstrate the love and wisdom needed to guide our community as we share God and develop leaders in our Lord s kingdom. The Data Manager service area on the Secretariat is responsible for the collection, storage, and reporting of information related to our community. This includes maintaining community members contact information and service areas worked on weekends. Reports are generated for the leaders

9 and upcoming rectors to help them in the selection of weekend teams. Additionally, reports are presented to the Secretariat to aid in rector selection and other specialized needs. We are also in the process of updating the community s web site, tdsetn.org. This is an ongoing process and your patience is greatly appreciated. The current web site is an interim version. Please keep checking the site for additional functionality and information on community issues. It is also my honor to represent our community as a member of the Tres Dias International Secretariat. This involves communicating issues and information to and from the local and international organizations. It also allows our community to maintain our chartered status by having someone in the community with a current essentials certificate. The Tres Dias community is a place where we see growth in Christ and leadership practiced as described in His Word. It is a place where we get the opportunity to serve others as commanded. It is a place where you build relationships which strengthen the body of Christ. It is a place where you can see God s grace flow. Dennis Matthews #18 City Church Stay current on your service reports. Have you moved and changed your address? Switched phone numbers? Changed your last name? Moved churches? We want to know so we can keep your information current in our database. Please send your updated information to datamanager@tdsetn.org

10 CCIA...Christian Community in Action God's Love motivates us into action. His love overflows into our hearts and lives and propels us into action for his name's sake. This October, my family was propelled into love-action with a group of families from our church. We partnered with AMG International to serve alongside family friends of ours living in Lima, Peru. It really was a joining of several Christian communities: Silverdale Baptist Church, AMG and Tres Dias. I realized, after I got home, that four of the families were Tres Dias brothers and sisters AND the missionaries as well! This was an exciting trip for our family. We have never been on a mission trip with our kids. We serve here locally as a family, but had never gone on a mission trip together. I wondered if I would be able to serve like I wanted to. Would I have to focus too much on being a mom? Would I be preoccupied with

11 my children and what they were or weren't doing? I asked Jesus to help me lay that down. I can report, with praise to our King, it was nothing like I expected. Serving with my children was just like serving alongside any brothers and sisters in Christ. It blew me away! All the young people on the trip were servant leaders and it was beautiful. We went to children's centers everyday where children, who are sponsored, come each day for tutoring, to hear the good news and eat their only substantial meal of the day. These centers give them a place to be and hope for their future. We taught them, loved on them, worshipped in Spanish, played games and did I say...loved on them? They were full of joy and so rich. Rich in love! Our missionary friends and the national men and women who serve these children and the community every single day had the biggest impact on me. As I watched them serve in love, I thought about how this is EVERY SINGLE day of their life. It reminded me that I don't need to be in Lima, Peru to be full of love and action for the people God created. I was reminded that I once had Kingdom focus. Kingdom eyes. Kingdom ears. Somewhere, in the last couple if years, that focus had shifted just enough to where my eyes and ears weren't seeing or hearing Kingdom things. I want to live a life for HIS name's sake. I am willing and He is faithful to lead me. "Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me." Psalm 31:3 Kristin Howell #23 Silverdale Baptist Church

12 REUNION GROUPS LaDonna Ralston #49, Kim Wallace #49, Lori Howell #40, Kimberly Swanson #49, Kim Patton #49, Barb Cooley #49, Cassie Cochran #49, Tonya Gorszczyk #49, Cherie Hurst #45, Connie Moss #49 Our reunion group started while we were preparing for #50. A few of us said we would really love to be in a reunion group but hadn't connected with a group yet...so I said let's start one! And we did. We asked several girls from #49 and picked up a few more from previous weekends. We have a variety of ages... from one in college to several turning 50 this year, then we fill in all the gaps. It works great as we have mentors from all walks of life that help keep us accountable. Right now with the hectic holiday season we are meeting once a month. We do palanca for upcoming weekends, share prayer requests, and challenge each other in our spiritual walks. One of our favorite meetings so far was for serenade, we met for dinner before then enjoyed ministering to the men together. We are starting a group Bible study after the first of the year and will be meeting more frequently. Our goal is to share one another's joys, burdens, and successes over the upcoming years. It's amazing how God can bring all of us together for a common cause...to worship Him. De Colores LaDonna Ralston #49

13 4th Day Spotlight By Attending Tres Dias weekend #41 God showed me his vast, unending love and opened my eyes to who He really is. I have never felt so loved, cared about, and prayed for as I did during my weekend. Tres Dias drew me into Jesus's loving arms and flamed the fire in my heart for Him. At a point in my life where I was confused about where my life was heading and dealing with doubt about the effectiveness of my testimony, Jesus used our weekend theme, "His Story", to speak life and confidence to my heart. I am able to live out my 4th day in assurance that what He has set before me will bring glory and honor to Him because He wrote the story of my life. His Story is my joy. That mountain top experience restored my weary soul and prepared me for battle in the valley. The Christian Walk is a battleground and Tres Dias equipped me with the tools to fight more effectively and for that I am forever thankful! Sasha Tinsley #41 Peakland Baptist Church Upcoming 2015 Dates: Jan 17 Foothills Secuela Feb TDSETN Men's #51 Feb 26- March 1 TDSETN Women's #51 March 14 TDSETN Secuela April 2-5 Con Dios Men's #6 April 9-12 Con Dios Women's #6 July TDSETN Men's #52 July TDSETN Women's #52 Aug 8 TDSETN Secuela

14 Foothills Secuela Exciting things are happening in Northwest Georgia! A new Tres Dias community is forming, and you are invited to be a part of it. The Northwest Georgia Foothills Tres Dias will hold a Secuela on Saturday, January 17th at 6:00 p.m. at The Church at Liberty Square in Cartersville, Georgia. If you live in the Northwest Ga. area and/or are interested in being a part of this amazing opportunity to expand the Tres Dias movement, please come, bring a covered dish and a 2-liter drink and meet with us, fellowship and worship with us, and hear all about what God is doing through this community. Also, please pass this word along to anyone you know that may be interested. For more information, please contact Connie Locke at or foothillstd@yahoo.com. ARC Committee Volunteer at the ARC in 2015 Interested in volunteering at the ARC? We have several small projects to update the inside and outside of the ARC. Grab your spouse, Reunion Group, Tres Dias friends, etc. and sponsor a Looking for another opportunity to serve? Join the ARC Committee. The ARC Committee will be involved in the planning and What is AmazonSmile? AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to

15 project in Contact ARC Manager Roger Taylor at or mail the forms to his address: 7507 Clyde Road Chattanooga, TN ARC Volunteer Form organization of projects and maintenance of the ARC. The ARC Committee will meet Sat, January 10 at 2:30pm to discuss plans for the first quarter of Contact Roger Taylor at if you are interested in serving on the ARC Committee. you. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support. Select Tres Dias of Southeast TN as the charity of your choice if you don't already have a charity on Amazon to donate to. TDSETN on Amazon Smile