E-Tidings June 2005

E-Tidings August 2005

In this Issue: (click the title to jump to the article) News From Around our Great District

It was 32 years ago this month that I walked into my boss's office at Michigan Bell Telephone to give two weeks notice that I was leaving to go into the ministry. Frank was his name and he thought it was rather foolish on my part to leave a secure job with a good future to follow a call into an uncertain path. "After all," he reminded me, "you have a wife and daughter to provide for and you just built a new house." I assured him that I was aware of all of that and yet I knew God was calling me and I must go the direction He was leading.

Hindsight for me now was foresight for God then. You see God knew all along the plans he had for my life and where it would take me. Little did I know then that the secure job Frank talked about would become an unemployment line for many of my colleagues. Michigan Bell has been downsized, right-sized, and bought out so many times it is not recognized as the same company. I'm sure that house we built has been sold at least a half dozen times. The bottom line is, God has never failed to provide.

As I prayed with people of all ages at the altar during Campmeeting, I was reminded once again that God is still in the business of calling people from their seemingly "secure futures" into an "uncertain path". My advice was and is to always go God's way. He will not disappoint you and He will always provide.

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. -- Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

What are God's "thoughts" (plans) for you?

Stephen T. Anthony

District Superintendent

More News

Richard Hall, the brother of Rev. Fred Hall (Plymouth Church), passed away on July 19th. Richard was 65 years old and lived in the Allen Park area.

Jeremy Selvidge has resigned as youth pastor at Richfield and has accepted a call as youth pastor in Hereford, Texas

Judy Brown, children's pastor at Detroit First has resigned due to her expecting a baby.

Sandy Grimshaw has recently resigned as children's pastor at Richfield.

David Lyke has accepted a part time position at Allen Park Church as Minister of Music.

Craig Dillman has resigned as associate pastor at Detroit First to accept a Senior Pastor position in Illinois.

Eldon Asher has resigned from his position as youth pastor for Fenton Church.

Janet Benjamin has resigned as children's pastor at Adrian First to accept the children pastor's position at Richfield.

Jeremy Gomez has resigned as senior pastor at Living Waters Church (formerly Ann Arbor Honey Creek) to accept the youth pastor position at Richfield.

The new Water Slide at the Camp is a hit with "Kids" of all ages. Thanks to our Camp Crew, Henry Cornell, Russ Gray and Greg Gillim for their many hours of work to get it operational by Campmeeting.

Clio Community Church of the Nazarene under the leadership of pastor Scott Salo is purchasing 11 acres of land on N. Clio Road for a future building.

Rev. Marv Gerbig, pastor of Deer Park Church, is negotiating to lease a building in Grand Blanc formerly occupied by a Farmer Jack Supermarket.

Love Mercy Ministry Church of the Nazarene under the leadership of Pastor Vera Davis is investigating starting a Compassionate Ministry Center to minister to expectant unwed mothers in the City of Detroit.

Thank you to Jerry Spears and his crew from Flint Central Church for the installation of the new patio outside the Dining Hall. It accommodates 20 new picnic tables.

The District Advisory Board has voted to progress with plans to install a sanitary sewer system at the Campground. This system will allow for expansion of both the residential side and the camp side of the grounds. Future plans include new RV sites.

The Collingsworth Family

The Collingsworth Family in Concert

Sunday, August 14th at 10:45 AM at Howell Church of the Nazarene

Their ministry has been highlighted on the nation's largest gospel music syndicated radio program, "The Gospel Greats", with Paul Heil. Their music is regularly featured on Gospel Music Television and has also been featured in one hour primetime specials on the INSP TV Network.

A gifted family of musicians and singers! The Collingsworths travel around the country sharing their gospel message. In May, 2004, they were nominated as "Horizon Group of the Year" by subscribers to "THE SINGING NEWS", the printed voice of Gospel Music!

Campmeeting Softball Tournament Winners!

2005 Men's Silver Division Tournament
Imlay City
1st place - Imlay City (photo above)		 2005 Men's Softball Tournament
East Flint
1st place - East Flint (photo above)
2005 Legends Softball Tournament
Warren Woods
1st place - Warren Woods (photo above)

2005 Co-Ed Softball Tournament
1st place - Morenci

EMNBI Fall Term Classes

Mondays: Sept. 12 - Nov.28, 2005

BIB-1013
Introduction to the Old Testament
Place: Detroit First
Teacher: Rev. Bob Moulding

PAS-1023
SPIRITUAL FORMATION
Place: Fenton Dist. Office
Teacher: Dr. Mike Kitsko

Thursdays: Sept. 1 - Nov. 17, 2005 (Except 9/21-05)

PAS-2023
HISTORY & POLITY CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
Place: Flint First
Teacher: Rev. Don Ault

Or

HIS-2023
WESTERN WORLD/EMERGING MODERN SOCIETY
Place: Flint First
Teacher: Ron Compton

The entire list of Fall, Winter and Spring 2005-2006 EMNBI classes can be found at the District Web site.

Missions_Update

Missions Day at Camp Meeting

The District Council delivered a special announcement of appreciation to the Local NMI Presidents and Pastors and served Ice Cream sundays on Wednesday. Thank you Local presidents and pastors for working together to make Nazarene Misssions International minister in 150 world areas and serving 800 missionaries. Your efforts are making a difference around the world. God is blessing.

Maximize Missions Day

Saturday, November 5, 2005 at Richfield Church of the Nazarene 9:00 - 3:30

  • All local NMI council members and interested pastors.
  • Bring a empty 3 ring notebook with 8-10 dividers. Expect to fill notebook with handouts
  • General NMI workshops ideas shared.
  • "Mission Called" information - Sharon Drake
  • "Beautiful Feet" Faith Promise ideas - Dawn Welton
  • "Goats at church" - Children’s project - Wilda Trisch
  • "Views of missions from a paperboy - Wes Bittenbender
  • Pastor Glen Gardner
  • Crisis Care kits / School Pal kits
  • New Presidents training - Jan Fleming & Teri Dilts
  • Mission Auction - Shirley Hesselrode
  • "Weakest LINK" — Nancy Ault
  • Planning a Mission Festival: - Kim Goodwin
  • Testimony of Lisa Drake
  • Catered Lunch

Pre-registration To Diane Witt-Kingsbury $10.00 Per person (will include printing and lunch)

One Heart Many Hands Goes International in 2006

What - Providing maintenance and remodeling of homes in typical One Heart Many Hands way. This is truly an international Work and Witness project.

Where - Tuxtla, Gutirrez, (Chiappas)Mexico - There are 11 Nazarene churches in the Tuxtla area who will be participating.

Who - 500 persons from the U.S. and 500 from Mexico Adults and mature teens

When - July 22-29, 2006 - Saturday to Saturday Travel - One Heart Many Hands is considering chartering a plane from Indianapolis and one from Kansas City.

How to Register - Contact Bill Heaton, 734-591-2456 or e-mail him at BHeaton@RC.Net

Tools - Most tools, especially heavy ones will be provided by the Mexicans.

Material - The cost and method for providing funds for the material have not been identified.

Flint Eastside Mission Update
Flint Eastside Mission Logo

Allen packs the power at Homerun Derby

Josh Allen, Youth Pastor at Williams Lake, lead the pack with 5 home runs out of 8 pitches and he won the grill from Home Depot plus a 12-meal package from Main Dish Kitchen (a $200 value that Josh should be able rally into 24 meals!). He also won a $10 gift certificate from Hubbard's Army Supply.

Second place was another matter... as two sluggers tied with 4 home runs out of 8 pitches and we did two rounds of play offs that still yielded a tie. Since time was pressing and we needed to get back to the tournament... the prizes were split between Doug Roberts of Imlay City Nazarene and Marshall Ruddle of Rochester Nazarene. They each got a $10 certificate and a couple of fancy knives from Hubbard Army Supply and they arm wrestled over the free oil change from Jiffy Lube.

In all, 14 sluggers competed before a great crowd of supporters!!

Golf outing canceled

This is very sad for me to write this, but we had to cancel our Golf Outing due to lack of registrations. The Men's Group at Crossroads Church is to be commended for approaching us to do this project on behalf of the Mission. Their efforts were tremendous and perhaps we'll give this another try at a later date. Stay tuned.

Grant awarded for backpacks for the Back to School Carnival... 2005

This City of Flint, hearing of our need for backpacks, awarded the Flint Eastside Mission $3,000 to purchase backpacks.

We did indeed find a new wholesale resource for these and have already placed our order. We still have funds left over and are working on purchasing books for each child to also be given to them. Our goal is to begin to encourage reading in these young people.

Thanks (in advance) to all of the churches who are collecting school supplies for the Friday, August 26 event. So many of you support us in this that it's impossible for us to list you all!

May God bless all of you in advance for the work you are doing for those on the Eastside who cannot provide for their children in the same way we provide for our own children.

Volunteer Coordinator Needed

Yes, we are still seeking a Volunteer Coordinator! f you or someone you know would enjoy working with volunteers, both for our special events and on a weekly basis, please contact us!

Link with Us

We are asking for a link to the Eastside Mission website to be placed on EMD Church websites. The instructions to do this are on our homepage.

In addition, if you own a business and would like to put a link on your website as a show of support for our ministry that would be wonderful.

Visit the Mission online at flinteastsidemission.org!

EMD NYI

2005-2006 NYI Bible Quizzing Information

The following dates have been set aside for EMD Youth Bible Quizzing in the 2005-2006 season:
  • Sept 10, 2005
  • Oct. 8, 2005
  • Nov. 12, 2005
  • Dec. 10, 2005
  • Jan. 14, 2006 @ Richfield
  • Feb. 11, 2006
  • March 24-25 Finals
Only the January 14th event has a location secured so if your church is available to host one of them, please contact Rev. Robert Flowers at reviceman@netzero.net. Rev.Flowers would like to have 8 rooms available for each event. Quiz Masters are also needed for each event. Your church need not have a Bible quizzing program to sponsor a quiz. It would be a good way to introduce or reintroduce the quizzing program to your local church!

Sunday School Ministries Update PrimeTime Ministries Update

PrimeTime Ministries

Being the District PrimeTime Ministries Director is more thrilling than Cedar Point! The ride is faster, the excitement is off the charts and the thrill gives one an awareness of the massive power of our creator God. What a ride!

Participating in the General Conventions is a quadrennial rush greater than the Demon Drop. Being part of this large gathering of Nazarenes provides one the awareness we are not alone. Hearing the different languages; observing the various nationalities and worshipping with 25,000+ as if we were one, is an indescribable, awesome experience.

I highly encourage each of you to plan to attend the next General Conventions and Assembly in Indianapolis, Indiana to be on June 17 - 26, 2009. If you have never experienced this largest Nazarene family reunion on the planet, you must plan to join us at this spirit-filled gathering of our great church.

PrimeTime Work & Witness "Barbados Blitz 2006"

We have 48 participants, representing 13 districts; 30 local churches; 4 denominations in 11 states and 2 Canadian provinces. We have 21 "rookies" and 27 "veterans." There are: Two Mother-Son; One Father-Daughter; One Father-Mother-Daughter-Niece and Eight husband-wife combinations. We even have a retired missionary who served for a few years in Barbados! The average age of the participants is 63 years with ages ranging from 24 to 78. The 27 veterans have completed 64 W&W trips and when The Blitz is completed these teams will have a combined total of 112 W&W trips which is over 4 years of volunteer service to our Lord and missions! Time is running out, however there is still room for YOU!

For more information go to: www.GoPrimeTime.org

Or phone: Rev. Charles A. Bledsoe at 248-684-9457

Calling All Cooks!

If you love to cook; if you love to travel; if you love to meet new and exciting friends; if you love missions then you are the exact person we want to meet! We have an opportunity for you that will shake your world and change your life.

The Missionary Training Center in Brazil is looking for cooks who will accept the challenge of living at the Center and preparing meals for the pastors and laypersons who have a passion for missions. These Brazilian Nazarenes come to the Center to receive training so they may be equipped to enable their people to become missionaries and / or to lead their own Work & Witness teams.

They are looking for individuals, like yourself, to "Donate Your Heart" and come to Brazil for 1 - 6 months to prepare meals for these courageous and daring Brazilians who hunger to change the world through missions involvement.

Your housing and language lessons are FREE. (How can you resist?)

If this has "tickled your fancy" you must contact the Center for more information. Email: Info@ChurchOfTheNazareneBrazil.org Phone from USA: 011-55-115-928-4305

Prime Dates to Remember

2005:
  • September 11 : Grandparents Day! Plan to celebrate this special day!
  • September 26-30 : General PT Event -- Schroon Lake, NY
  • September 14 - 16: National Quartet Convention - Nashville, TN ONU is organizing a trip to this convention. If you are a Southern Music fan you will not want to miss this opportunity to see your favorite Gospel Music groups as well as dozens of others. Call ONU for details: 1-800-648-1463
  • September 26 - 30 PrimeTime Event at Schroon Lake, NY This location has historically been the most popular locations for our PrimeTime retreat. Near the scenic shores of Lake George and Lake Champlain, the word of Life Retreat Center is on a bluff above Schroon Lake, providing a breathtaking & spectacular view. Call PrimeTime Ministries for details: 1-800-221-6317 Or at: WWW.Nazarene.org/ssm/adult/primetime/index.html
  • September 27 : PrimeTime Day at ONU
2006:
  • January 13 - 26: PT Barbados W&W Blitz - Team One
  • Jan 27 - Feb 9: PT Barbados W&W Blitz - Team Two
  • February 10 - 23: PT Barbados W&W Blitz - Team Three
  • April 1: 1st Spring Luncheon - Flint East Nazarene Hostess: Cecilia Howe - Phone: 810-658-3323
  • April 22: 2nd Spring Luncheon - Bedford Nazarene Hostess: Lyndene Olson - Phone: 734-850-0073
  • April 25: EMD District NMI Convention, EMD Ordination Service - Brighton
  • April 26: EMD District Assembly - Brighton
  • April 29: 3rd Spring Luncheon - Allen Park Nazarene Hostess: Phyllis Reese - Phone: 734-283-3349
  • June 3: PrimeTime Senior Summit @ ONU - Evangelizing Senior Adults with Dr. Lyle Pointer of Nazarene Theological Seminary. Mrs. Paula Porter, who will join her husband, is a credentialed counselor dealing with various lifestyle issues. Pre-Registration Cost is $35.00. For more information call: 1-800-648-1463
  • July 23 - 30 Family Camp at Howell
  • September 10 Grandparents Day!
  • September 12 - 15 PrimeTime Event at St. Charles, MO Rev. Jerry Porter, General Superintendent - Guest Speaker Embassy Suites / Convention Center. St. Louis, MO, was the launching point for the Lewis & Clark Westward expedition. This beautiful and historic city is the setting for our 2006 retreat. Plan to join with Hundreds of PrimeTime adults as we explore this celebrated location. More Information? WWW.Nazarene.org/ssm/adult/primetime
Complete PrimeTime schedule through 2009