Chambersburg Church in Mission and a Church Plant

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
March 27, 2010

Chambersburg

This Sabbath I had the privilege to join Pastor John Rengifo and the Chambersburg SDA Church. The worship service begins at 9:15 a.m. While there for the service, I was asked to officiate for an ordination service for Brandon Senior as an elder, and Sonny Hoffman and Randy Winkler as deacons.
Then the morning worship message was entitled, “Failure Prepared a Leader,” and drew 8 principles of Christian leadership for church leaders from the life of Moses.


The Chambersburg Church has a SIGNS gift box out front for the townspeople to pick up free copies.



Inside the foyer, I was impressed with the bulletin board and all the attention provided for the active Pathfinder club.


After lunch, I asked to meet with the Church Board and we discussed the role of the Church Board in the mission of Jesus. We looked at various church officer positions and said, if that position is not about reaching the lost, or not active in reaching the lost, it should be re-evaluated as to whether it ought to be continued, funded or promoted.
Three lay members of the Chambersburg church are presenting a Share Him evangelistic meeting in about a week. After the Board meeting, several members and youth went out along the streets of the city to “prayer walk” and intercede with God for reaching folks with the wonderful Adventist message we have.


In the afternoon a Hispanic SDA Church Plant meets in the Chambersburg church facility. Juan Lopez happened to be there for the worship service, and I asked those who attend the Church Plant to come together for a picture.

Missional Church Assessment at Hampden Heights

President’s Blog
March 12, 2010

Mission Intentional Church Assessment

The Reading Hampden Heights church was the location for a Mission Intentional Church assessment and consultation beginning last Wednesday night through this Sabbath afternoon.

Our assessment team consisted of:
Elder Ray Hartwell, President, Pennsylvania Conference
Elder Bill Peterson, Assistant to the President for Mission, Pennsylvania Conference
Dave Morgan, Vice President of Education, Pennsylvania Conference
Tamyra Horst, Communication Director, Pennsylvania Conference
Elder Mike McCabe, Pastor, Kenhorst Boulevard Adventist Church, Pennsylvania Conference
Dr. Ray Pichette, Vice President of Pastoral Ministries, Potomac Conference


Coming into this assessment process, the local church provided the assessment team with a comprehensive document of the 20 year history of this church.

We conducted personal interviews with over 12 individuals asking about the strengths and weaknesses of the current church life. We also met with the church board and reviewed the data from the self-study the church board had provided. Later, we conducted a focus group interview, consisting of over 20 individuals representing a broad cross-section of the church by age, gender, ethnic and philosophical backgrounds. We also interviewed Pastor Brian Cassell and his wife. Then the assessment team indentified the major strengths and the major concerns affecting this church’s ability to effectively work on the mission and calling of Jesus for a church family. After these were listed, the assessment team provided a comprehensive list of recommendations or prescriptions for the church to implement for becoming intentional in mission going forward.

This report with the prescriptions will be shared tomorrow immediately following the fellowship meal right after church.

The Hampden Heights church will received this report, and then in 2 weeks will have a business meeting to vote whether or not to accept and implement all of the recommendations.

We in the Pennsylvania Conference are blessed by God to have a Conference staff like we do, that are dedicated and willing to coming alongside our churches and spend the time to support and equip our church families for service. Each church we work with has an assessment team that differs from church to church, that draws from the Conference leadership staff and pastors that we have. I am very proud of our staff and all the time they give and diligent work they do.

This is the 3rd Mission Intentional Church assessment process with a Pennsylvania Conference Church. Other churches are preparing to request the Conference assist them with this process. For anyone who would like Ellen White selections that provide the principles behind the MIC approach, feel free to request this of me. Also, I have a power point presentation that addresses many of the questions people have asked about the MIC process here in Pennsylvania, which I would be willing to e-mail to anyone who asks.

Mission Intentional Church helps a church apply a functional system and a structural framework to be the church we are called to be in the last days, that focuses on the calling to reach the lost for Jesus before He comes. It does not take the place of necessary prayer, reflection on God’s word and a deep, heartfelt call for the Holy Spirit. It also does not take the place of repentance and confession of unfaithfulness, which precedes the reception of the Holy Spirit. However, it does follow the counsel of Ellen White that we are to pray for the Holy Spirit, in order that we might plan and executive wisely (AA p. 50), and that “the leaders in God’s cause, as wise generals, are to lay plans for advance moves all along the line.” GW p. 351

Elementary Music Festival

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
March 6, 2010

Elementary Music Festival

It was a joy to attend portions of the Pennsylvania Conference Elementary School Music Festival held at Blue Mountain Academy. Tracy Enoch, the BMA recruiter has been the overall coordinator for the Elementary Music Festival this year. Eric Engen and Hector Flores have participated with many elements of the programming. Each of our BMA Elementary schools are represented.




Before the worship service began, I joined the BMA students for Sabbath School in the gym. Carlos Abreu, a BMA Board Member and student parent led a very engaging lesson study with the Academy student body while the elementary students practiced in the Church.



On Sabbath morning, it was wonderful to see 200-250 students crowding the choir area of the BMA Church as they sang 3 songs for Divine worship.


Craig Ziesmer, principal tells me that already a student from New Jersey, who is here this weekend, has declared his intention to attend BMA next year. One of our elementary school principals was telling me that one of the 8th graders wasn’t sure he wanted to participate and attend the music festival over the weekend. So the principal said, “For anyone who wants to stay home and not attend music festival, the assignment is to write a 2 page report about each of 15 music composers.” She said that the student thought about it and then decided that he wanted to attend music festival and he would like it! As I talked with her, she said he really was having a good time and was glad he came.



After church 2-3 BMA students talked with me and shared about their desire to be accepted as ministry workers at the Laurel Lake Summer Camp program this year.

I am so happy for the multiple ways our Conference works with young people, and the many teachers, camp staff, youth workers and family members who give ministry to our Adventist young people every week.

State College District visit

PRESIDENT’S BLOG
January 30, 2010

Last night I joined the State College, Lewistown, Mifflintown and Pioneer End Time mission group for a district meeting to introduce Pastor Chris Buttery, Jennifer and their family as the new district leader. This district was formerly led by Pastor Lonnie Wibberding, who moved out to the Pacific Northwest to be nearer to family. Chris has been doing an excellent job leading the churches of Montrose, Tunkhannock and Beaumont district.

The State College district received Chris very well and are eagerly looking forward to his transition.

While I was there, I looked up the residence for a couple of young adult brothers who have settled in the State College area after growing up in Hamburg, PA. Although they weren’t home, I left them a note and a copy of the book, Story of Redemption, by Ellen White. I heard later that they found it and had been reading some in the book.

Come Read With Me!

President’s Blog – What I’ve Been Reading Recently

Currently, there are several books I have been reading from that I’d like to share with you here in this blog. Some I have just finished. One or two are long term reading—I pick them up for awhile, set them down for awhile, and pick them up again.



Right now, I am presenting a few short selections from one chapter per week in the book, Great Controversy by Ellen White to our office staff for Monday morning staff worship. This is a tremendous book with a powerful message for Christians living right now before Jesus’ second coming.

In my personal devotional time, I am reading from A.G. Daniels classic book, Christ Our Righteousness. In this, he details the all-encompassing message of righteousness by faith and presents quotes and selections from Ellen White urging the Adventist Church to make Jesus Christ the central point of every person’s life. She details that it is only in the presentation of righteousness by faith, that the message will go with power in the last days, and it is Satan’s studied effort to keep people from understanding righteousness by faith, for Satan knows that when people accept Christ’s righteousness by faith, Satan’s power over them will be broken. I am praying about the possibility of making this book available at a very affordable price for those attending the 2010 Pennsylvania Camp meeting.

Jeanne and I are reading (well, she is reading and I am driving) Story of Redemption, by Ellen White, each morning that we ride together from our house to the Conference office. This book is a wonderful telling of the Great Controversy/Conflict of the Ages in one shorter, easier to read volume. I am praying about also making this book available at a very affordable price for those attending the 2010 Pennsylvania Camp meeting.

Recently I finished reading John Ortberg’s book, God is Closer Than you Think. This book deals with a creative and yet compelling call to invite Jesus into every day and every part of our life. Several have shared with me what a blessing and also a conviction they have received from this book.

Another book I am currently meandering through is Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. It describes how our brains are able to process and handle understanding certain things, and even lead us to decisions or conclusions, without our being conscious of a specific thought process. Gladwell is not describing some ethereal, or hypnotized, or out of control experience. He is saying that our brains have been created with the ability to organize and process data on a subconscious level and use that ability when we may not even be aware of it.

Ben Patterson has a volume entitled, Deeping Your Conversation with God. An Excellent book on personal prayer with God. I have shared this with all the Pastors and all the Teachers who came to the Spiritual Retreats this fall, where we followed Ellen White’s counsel to come apart and rest awhile, focusing completely on God’s presence.

A historical non-fiction book I enjoy reading snatches in from time-to-time is American Lion by Jon Meacham. This details the life of Andrew Jackson during the years he was an American President. This is also a book that James Cress,(a voracious reader) GC Ministerial Department Director was reading right around the time of his death last November.

Our Wednesday night neighborhood Men’s Group is reading Being God’s Man…By Standing Firm Under Pressure, by Stephen Arterburn, Kenny Luck and Todd Wendorff. This is a book for small group study and discussion, and focuses on the life of Daniel and his 3 companions as they demonstrated how not to compromise under pressure. They didn’t let misfortune, temptation, manipulation, intimidation or even death shake their faith into compromise. Instead, they faced each new challenging circumstance with courage and trust.

To grow as a Church leader, I have read, and am now re-reading portions of Patrick Lencioni’s book, Silos, Politics and Turf Wars. This book helps leaders work with the organizations departmental directors in discovering and joining together on a thematic goal, that every department can work together on, to reach the mission for the organization. Soon I will read Lencioni’s book, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, to continue growing as an effective organizational leader.

The last book I am listing here now is Dwight Nelson’s Creation and Evolution. Rather than being a definitive book on all the scientific theory for or against evolution, Nelson brings a spiritual study from the Scriptures, along with good solid questions for the evolutionary theory to address if it is to be seriously considered acceptable. He also brings an over-view of excellent current scientific thought and discoveries that cast significant doubt on the ability of the evolutionary theory to be the sole authority for origins of life. I enjoy Nelson’s treatment and believe this provides a strong case for Creationism and a Creator – God expressed in this book. Currently this book is available at an excellent price in the Adventist Book Center.

Come read alongside of me! And tell me what you are finding to be interesting reading!! I’d love to hear from you.

Ray

Typical Administrative Committee (ADCOM) work

President’s Blog
January 20, 2010

Typical Administrative Committee work

Between Conference Executive Committee meetings, there are a number of weekly and monthly activities and issues that need to be addressed. Your Conference Officers are charged with leading out in the every-day and routine items that need decisions to be made and implemented, along with giving the vision and direction for the Mission of Jesus through our Conference. Our Executive Committee has been charged by the Constituency with the governance and broad direction for the Conference, setting or approving policy, approving the Conference funding and Pastor Personnel hiring and placement.
I have listed below, this week’s agenda for ADCOM, as just an example of what might be on a typical ADCOM discussion with some items voted for action. All ADCOM actions are recorded and then the minutes are presented to the Conference Executive Committee for their vote to approve each ADCOM meeting minutes.
If you should have any curiosity or question about this week’s ADCOM agenda, feel free to contact me.

ADCOM
January 20, 2010

1. Prayer

2. Lori Landa
a. Minutes review by ADCOM Officers – new software process to use

3. Columbia Union Haiti relief update
a. Suggested: Offering from Conference reserves.
b. Special appeal to all churches to help rebuild churches, schools,
university, hospital. Make recommendation to Conference Executive Committee

4. French books for Darnel Marius Part Time pastor of Lancaster Haitian Church. Evangelism funds to provide

5. Additional rent assistance request – short term

6. Women in Ministry update

7. Camp Keystone summer use request

8. 3 youth Share Him overseas travel expense budgets for Adult Evangelism Coaches

9. 2010 Conference Budget update

10. Assistant to the President for Mission update

11. LLC report to Executive Committee

12. Mission Intentional Church – York update

13. Marriage, Homosexuality and the Church
a. International Religious Liberty Conference at Andrews University CD recordings available

14. Columbia Union Mission Funding to Conferences. 2010 Allocation update.

15. Arise and Build. Future direction for this activity

16. HVCA update

17. Camp Meeting 2012
a. Concept for future of camp meeting
b. Hispanic camp meeting

18. Discuss annual member age survey in each church

El Camino Church Organization

President’s Blog
January 16, 2010
El Camino Church Organization


Today Elder Ron Christman, Elder Juan Lopez, his wife Daisy and I had the joy and privilege of celebrating the organization of a new Pennsylvania Conference Church in Easton, PA.



The El Camino SDA Church begin just a few years ago as a mission group. Now they have been organized, and already, some of the members are dreaming and talking about planting another SDA Church in the Easton region. Members shared with me that this is the only Hispanic church of any kind in this part of Easton, where there is a sizable Hispanic population. In just a week or so, the El Camino SDA Church will be having the graduation of the 3rd English as a Second Language (ESL) Class they have provided for community benefit and church outreach.
Elder Ron Christman, who speaks fluent Spanish, presented the summary of the Adventist beliefs. Elder Lopez, who also speaks fluent Spanish, pronounce the Conference blessing, declared the church to be officially organized in the SDA World Church as part of the PA Conference and had the official prayer. Although I only speak fluent English and just a few words of Spanish, I led the organizing serviced and the voting of the charter members.




Answering our appeal for any to take their stand for Jesus Christ and the Biblical beliefs of the Adventist Church, was a man who had been attending but was not a member. He came forward and pledged his desire to prepare for baptism.



At lunch following the worship service, Elder Christman and I were seated at a table with mostly young people. I visited with a young man who attended the Junior High a couple of blocks from the rented Lutheran church our Adventist Church family meets in. Elder Christman visited with his father in Spanish, as his English as not very strong. We learned that both father and son had walked into this church off the street for the 1st time this Sabbath, having never visited this church or been invited by anyone. As I visited with the son in English, he asked me if I knew anyone who could help his father learn to speak English better. So I introduced the father to Mrs. Brown, the lay person who was teaching the ESL classes. Elder Christman learned from the father, that he had several Adventist relatives, and he would be interested in considering becoming a Seventh-day Adventist himself.
God is at work across Pennsylvania! As we pray, seek the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and make ourselves available anywhere, anytime, with anyone, God can do mighty things for His work.



The Easton El Camino Church plant is the result of a number of layperson deciding to step out in faith and answer God’s call to be a missionary for Jesus. They were also lead and assisted by Pastor Montesinos, District Pastor Gabriel Montalvo, and Pastor Saud Elias who recently conducted and evangelistic reaping series of meetings there. Also Adventist members from Bethlehem Spanish and Lehigh Valley Spanish assisted.