The Michigan Free Will Baptist Menorah April The Monthly Publication of the Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists 2014 Fellow Michigan Pastor, Sunday, April 27, 2014 is the World Missions Offering (WMO) for International Missions. Gifts given to IM from this "big day" offering greatly help the financial support of Free Will Baptists building the Church around the world. I would love to encourage you to make the month of April (or May, or June, etc.) a special month of emphasis for missions. In addition, would you prayerfully consider having your church participate in receiving a WMO offering this year? Including FWBIM in your regular monthly giving would even be a bigger help. No matter how God leads you, if you are planning to participate would you please let IM know of your plans? You can do this by a couple of clicks of your computer mouse pad or by calling or emailing me (Tom McCullough, 248-547-7755) If you wish "do it yourself" here are the steps: 1) Go to <fwbgo.com> 2) Click on "WMO 2014" in the top menu bar of the home page 3) Click on the red rectangle on the right of your screen "Sign up to participate in the WMO" 4) Select "Michigan" from the drop down menu 5) Scroll until you find your church and then click "Add This Church" This sounds a lot more complicated than it is. If you get to the "WMO 2014" page it is easy after that. If you haven't received a pastor's resource packet please let me know. I can send you this ASAP. Praying for God's blessings on your ministry. Also praying for the snow to melt before the Tigers' Opening day. Serving you in Christ, Rev. Thomas R. McCullough Central Free Will Baptist Church 2005 Rochester Rd. Royal Oak, MI 48073 248-547-7755
The Michigan Free Will Baptist MENORAH Page 2 Good News from Spain This morning our doorbell rang. It was one of our neighbors from the fourth floor apartment above us. She'd been at the outdoor market today and had some fresh parsley that she wanted to share with us. Not long after that, another neighbor rang our doorbell, saying that our car alarm had been going off outside. We think it was just the hail that was beating down during that time, but he wanted us to know so we could check on it. These kinds of things happen often when you live in close contact with so many neighbors in apartments like ours. In our building, we have four floors with twelve apartments. One family is from Eastern Europe, one family is from North Africa, three families have dogs and everyone can hear through the thin walls exactly what television shows are being watched in the evenings. That's life in an apartment building! Mark 12:31 tells us to, "Love thy neighbor as thyself" a concept that can be difficult at times when you live in such close contact. But our "neighbors" in this passage are not just the forty or so people who live in our building, but the multitude that we come in contact with each day. Right here in Alpedrete, we have about 15,000 neighbors. Many are facing difficult economic times and are unemployed. Some have physical suffering. Some are in the middle of family struggles. All of them need to be loved. Please pray for the people of Alpedrete, that God will help us to be good neighbors to those we meet on the street, the ones whose children attend school with our children, the man who runs the local printing company, the owner of the butcher shop, the people who own the bakery where we usually get our bread and many more that we see each day. Pray that they will not only feel our love for them, but that one day they will accept the love of Jesus and have a relationship with Him. Tim, Kristi, Alejandro, and Ana Ana Johnson leading the music and Alejandro Johnson delivering the message Age does not matter if the matter does not age. -Carlos Pena Romulo (1901-1985)
The Michigan Free Will Baptist MENORAH Page 3 CLA SAMPLE CHURCH CONSTITUTION Churches have requested a copy of CLA's sample church constitution and by-laws. The sample constitution and by-laws can act as a guide to help a church create or modify a church constitution to be adapted to each local church. To contact the Christian Law Association with questions about this or other ministry needs, call 888-252- 1969. Pastors, join us for this free training on expositional preaching with Jeff Manning When? Saturday, May 31 from 4-8 pm (dinner provided) Where? Central Free Will Baptist Church, 2005 Rochester Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48073 Cost? Free Join us on Saturday, May 31 from 4-8 pm at Central Church in Royal Oak to strengthen your preaching skills by learning from Jeff Manning. Jeff is pastor of Unity Free Will Baptist Church in Greenville, North Carolina where he has served for 24 years. Pastor Jeff received his B.A. from Welch College in Pastoral Training, the M.Div. from Bob Jones University and a D.Min. in Expositional Preaching from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jeff and his wife Jennifer have three children: Jena (married to Jon Hart), Jake, and Joanna. He also serves on the Free Will Baptist International Missions board and is an adjunct faculty member at Welch College. Martin Lloyd Jones said, The most urgent need in the Christian Church today is true preaching; and as it is the greatest and the most urgent need in the Church, it is obviously the greatest need of the world also (Preaching and Preachers). This free event includes three sessions with Manning that includes Q/A and a complimentary dinner. We want to encourage and equip Free Will Baptist pastors from the state of Michigan as we believe preaching to be the most important time of the week in the life of the local church. For more information, email Tom McCullough (tomatcentral@sbcglobal.net) or Jacob Riggs (jacob@centralfwbchurch.com). This mini-preaching conference is co-sponsored by the Central Church and the Michigan Board of Christian Education.
The Michigan Free Will Baptist MENORAH Page 4 New Book to help families by Dr. Roy W. Harris FAMILY Common Sense is a tremendous tool to help and encourage families. It is ideal for engaged couples, newlyweds and also couples married for years. It offers practical advice and principles for husband/wife relationships, raising children, disciplining children, understanding teenagers, developing blended family relationships, understanding parent/grown children relationships and much more. FAMILY Common Sense is a great resource for individuals, families, and small group studies. Recommended by Others. Roy Harris is immensely qualified to write a book on FAMILY Common Sense. I recommend him for his sterling character and ability. His step-by-step approach in this book is practical, easy to read, and will be a great asset and help to many families. Dr. Alton E Loveless, Retired President of Randall house publications, Nashville, Tennessee. FAMILY Common Sense - Whether a Tune up for your own marriage or a Tool encouraging others, you'll find this book a great resource. Dr. Harris lives what he teaches. Marjorie Workman--Retired Director of Women Nationally Active for Christ and Faculty Member at Welch College Nashville, Tennessee. Roy Harris has always been a model family man. In his work FAMILY Common Sense, he compiled proverbs and anecdotes from his personal experience with practicality. His approach will serve to mentor a generation, of which many are without models in their lives. Yvonne Thigpen - President, Evangelical Training Association Wheaton, Illinois. To order a copy or for more information about the book go to Roy s website, email, call or write him: www.royharris.info roy@royharris.info 615-351-1425 Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists Zehnder s of Frankenmuth May 15 - Annual Golf Tournament May 15, 6:00 p.m. Michigan State Association General Board Meeting May 16, 9:00 a.m. Michigan State Association Convenes May 16, 7:00 p.m. Michigan Youth Conference and Michigan State Association Meets in Joint Session
The Michigan Free Will Baptist MENORAH Page 5 May 17, 9:00 a.m. Michigan Youth Conference and Michigan State Association Convene The room rate is $109.00 per night per room. Reservations are to be made with the hotel at (989) 652-0400 or toll free at 1-800-863-7999. Please identify yourself as being with the Michigan Free Will Baptist when you call to reserve your room. Deadline for this special rate is April 30, 2014. Michigan Women Active for Christ Annual Meeting April 26 Registration 9:00 a.m.; Meeting 9:30 a.m. Rouge Free Will Baptist Church Mrs. Sherry McBroom, President Rev. Danny Slater, Pastor Liberty District Association May 3, 9:30 a.m. Free Will Baptist Chapel 302 E. Thirteen Mile Road, Madison Heights, Michigan 48071 Rev. Larry Hendricks, Pastor Rev. Danny Slater, Moderator Fellowship District Association May 3, 9:30 a.m. First Free Will Baptist Church 1244 Holmes Road, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48198 Rev. Rex Evans, Pastor Rev. Calvin Brown, Moderator Dear Michigan Friends and Ministry Partners, Verlin Anderson Family Update What the Lord is doing in Cote d Ivoire, and throughout West Africa, gladdens our hearts. It encourages us to keep our hands to the plow in ministry as a Free Will Baptist couple there. There are fields ripe unto harvest right before our eyes: *yearly training sessions at the University of Abidjan for faculty, who will then train others to bless the whole nation with better health and opportunity to hear the gospel *3 FWB endeavors using Community Health Evangelism (CHE) that need encouragement and further training as they reach out in new villages, work to prevent malnutrition, and bring hope to AIDS patients *7 new groups seeking to begin CHE outreach and needing some of our knowledge to network
The Michigan Free Will Baptist MENORAH 4166 Maplewood Meadows Avenue Grand Blanc, Michigan 48439 *Opportunity to continue translating FWB materials into French for Ivorian churches, and to coordinate with teams all over West Africa to distribute CHE lessons *Sharing Farming God s Way scriptural methods with Muslims, pagans, and Christians *Increased occasions to train, preach, teach, and witness to friends, neighbors, and strangers To allow us to enter those ripe fields, Verlin began deputation services in March, after our family transitioned to Christian Health Service Corps as our new sending mission. He has spoken in district meetings and churches in Tennessee, North Carolina, and Michigan. It is a privilege to share what the Lord accomplished during our last term and see the encouragement it brings others, as well as to us. Verlin visited Michigan during the March snows, reporting in churches, renewing old friendships, and making new ones. One day it was his joy to briefly visit Louis and Doretta Tolbert. How thankful we are for such servants of the Lord who labor faithfully in Michigan. Although Whittaker FWB closed, we trust the Lord to build new FWB congregations. He never fails to give vision and tools to win the lost. So far, by living frugally on savings, we have managed to not touch the funds that accrue in our mission account. We hope to continue this until the $25,000 needed in cash is there, and more of the $8,000 per month is pledged. Right now $6,000 is available, with $3,000 more on the way. Regular monthly giving has begun, too. Praise the Lord, and thank you to churches and people who continue to pray and give! Gratefully laboring in the harvest, Verlin and Debbie Anderson End of February 2014 accounting: Income to date $6,082.99 Salary/Reimbursements requested $ 0 To receive our updates, go to www.verlindeb.org. Next, click on Ministry and then Updates. The West Michigan District Association May 3, 9:30 a.m. Rev. Bill Hughes, Moderator The Michigan Free Will Baptist MENORAH is the monthly publication of the Michigan State Association of Free Will Baptists and is sent free upon request. Rev. Ron Helms, moderator; Rev. Gene Norris, Promotional Director and editor.