Tres Dias of North Georgia Newsletter

Secuela Dates for 2011
All secuelas are at Piedmont Baptist Church unless otherwise noted The 2011 Secuela dates are: February 26 April 30 August 13* November 5* December 3* *Tentative dates

Upcoming TDNG Weekends

calendar

2011

Men's 104 - February 3-6
Dana Duncan, Rector

Women's 117 - February 10-13

Terri Horsley, Rector

Men's 105 - April 7-10
Geoff Rhines, Rector

Women's 118 - April 14-17
Lori McClure, Rector

Men's 106 - July 21-24
Bill Coe, Rector

Women's 119 - July 28-31
Liz Lauster, Rector

Men's 107 - October 13-16
TBA, Rector

Women's 120 - October 20-23
TBA, Rector

As team information becomes available, it will be posted at www.ngtdteams.org

From our Chairman's Heart

Into Your Hands [Ps 31:5]

Hands have worked their way into our common speech. It is an expression we use often.

We sometimes grab an opportunity "with both hands". When there is work to be done we "lend a hand". A sportsman may be so skilled as to win the game "hands down" and when we can see the odds are against us we "throw in our hand".

David was a strong person who had come through a lot of difficulty and suffering. For him it was not just physical, it was spiritual as well. When he came to a point of exhaustion and weakness, his faith in God reminded him of God's nearness and His covenant promise. It was God's call on his life that remained his ideal. He was confident that he would be healed, strengthened and returned to fighting fitness as he rested in the strong hands of his Father.

Jesus spoke the words "Into your hands" from the cross. He understood the context in which they were written but now as He utters them from the cross they take on an immensely richer meaning. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God and He has obtained our victory.

Each of us can reflect forward times of God's faithfulness. Times when His presence was so real and His counsel wise and assuring. Times of deliverance from circumstances that were overwhelming. Times of comfort in the grip of deep grief. Times of direction while immersed in confusion. Through all of life's most difficult challenges our God is forever loving and faithful.

As we begin another year of ministry there will be trials for sure but we do well to remember David's example and again commit our spirits into God's hand.

Happy New Year and DeColores,

Bill

Team Members Needed for Denmark TD#2

help wanted

Mens - March 24-27
Women - March 31-April 3

Do you have a heart for the nation of Denmark, Scandinavia, Europe? Please pray about the Lord's calling to serve in this brand new community, sponsored by Germany Tres Dias. For information about fundraising, travel, etc., contact Patti Jo Bach, Rector, Denmark #2. Patti can be reached at pattijobach@gmail.com. For questions about the Men's weekend, contact Mike Osgood at michael.osgoog@yahoo.com.

The team fee is $150. The airfare is approx $850.

Secretariat Positions Coming Open

One sure way to "give back" part of what Tres Dias means to you is to serve the community through the Secretariat. If you would like to nominate someone, including yourself, please let us know.

There are several positions open immediately on the TDNG Secretariat.

Palanca Couple - Coordinates Palanca letters to and from other communities. Coordinates prayer Palanca for the weekends. Inventories and maintains the banners.
Weekend Couple - Opens and/or closes the camp each weekend. Work closely with each of the Team Section Heads.

There are several Secretariat positions coming open in January 2012. These open Secretariat positions will begin the six month transition period in May/June. The Policies and Procedures states "the position being vacated will be replaced at the 2.5 year mark. They will train the last six months."

Chairman -Responsible for overall guidance of TRES DIAS OF NORTH GEORGIA. Is the lay representative of TDNG in meeting with clergy from participating and potentially active churches, leaders of other movements, acts as liaison with TRES DIAS INTERNATIONAL, and serves as chairman of the TDNG delegation to the INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY. Presides at Secretariat meetings and official functions as may be necessary. Attends Rector orientations, Weekend send-offs, closings and Secuelas.
Database Manager - Prepares and maintains a current computerized database of Pescadores. Provides special reports to assist other Secretariat members to accomplish their respective functions. Furnishes mailing labels as needed for newsletters or special mailings. Makes recommendations regarding electronic equipment including computer equipment, software, and programming as necessary for efficient management of TDNG business.
Women's Leader - Guides Rectors through the team selection and weekend execution process. Prayerfully supports the Rector while ensuring that Secretariat guidelines are followed. Must have been a Rector.
Men's Leader - Guides Rectors through the team selection and weekend execution process. Prayerfully supports the Rector while ensuring that Secretariat guidelines are followed. Must have been a Rector.
Pre-Weekend Couple - receives and processes applications for TD attendance. Contact sponsors when their candidate can attend a weekend. Conducts and coordinates activities for/at Send-offs.
Food Couple - Assists the Head Kitchen with menu selection, training and purchasing all food for the weekends.
Weekend Couple - Opens and/or closes the camp each weekend. Work closely with each of the Team Section Heads.

If you are interested in a more formal job description, and/or would like to discuss the commitment required in Secretariat service, contact George Flury, Vice Chairman, at flurys@bellsouth.net.

For a list of current Secretariat members, visit the TDNG web site.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship and the Responsibilities of a Sponsor

This is the seventh article in a series about the joys and responsibilities of being a sponsor.

Sponsoring candidates is only one of the many joys we have as members of the TD community. However, sponsorship brings with it several serious responsibilities to the candidates, to the community, and ultimately, to God.

It has been said that the most important part of Tres Dias is sponsorship.

How To Sponsor

Sponsors need to use prayer and discernment when asking God whom He chooses for them to ask as a Candidate. Pray the the Candidate will be open to God's call to discipleship, rather than asking God to make him or her go on a Weekend.

Sponsor ship requires a commitment of time. Get to know your candidate. Make an appointment with the person or couple for the purpose of discussing their participation in the Weekend. Extend an invitation. Frame it in terms of a gift to be received rather than coercing them to go. Share your faith, explain the purpose of Tres Dias and the basic elements of the Weekend, and answer all questions honestly. Ask them to fill our a registration form. Encourage equal commitment from the spouse.

Tres Dias recommends that when a Candidate is married, the husband attends Tres Dias before the wife attends. We are committed to helping families maintain a Biblical balance, and we believe that can best be achieved by having the husband attend first. Ideally both people would attend consecutive weekends so that they can share their experience.

All candidates must be 21 years of age or older to attend a weekend.

Message Board
Don't forget to use the message board,http://ngtd.activeboard.com for prayer requests, praise reports and other community member announcements. There are areas for prayer requests, ministry events, needs & seeds, and any other items you may have that would be of interest to the community.

Tres Dias Essentials

There are some components of the weekend that are "essential", some are "optional", some are "accidental", and some are "divinely orchestrated". The essentials are proscribed by Tres Dias International. Here are more (continued from previous newsletters):

3.3 The essentials of the Fourth Day phase

The Pre-weekend and Weekend phases are only a prelude to each individual's Fourth Day.

1. Reunion Groups

A. That local secretariats encourage Peacadores to participate in Reunion Groups.

B. That local secretariats utilize the form of the reunion group known as "The Working Reunion Group" to carry out the activities of the Tres Dias movement.

2. Secuelas

A. That local secretariats sponsor regularly scheduled Secuelas; preferable at least once each month.

B. The each Secuela include an opportunity for Pescadores to participate in the form of reunion group known as "The Floating Reunion Group".

C. The each Secuela include a "Fourth Day Talk".

(Continued next issue)

Tres Dias Guide For Team Members

The following continues a series of excerpts from The Tres Dias Guide for Team Members.

THE ROLE OF THE TEAM MEMBER

(Continued from previous issue)

POST-WEEKEND

The final formal ream responsibility is to critique the Weekend. This takes place soon after the Weekend and is usually the last time the entire team will gather. The purpose of this team meeting is to review Weekend experiences so that we may encourage those action which were supportive of "The Essentials of Tres Dias" and learn from those that were not. Team members should review the Weekend in realistic, objective terms, carefully regarding the dignity of the rector. The rector will be using this data as the basis for a written report to the local Secretariat. While the critiquing process may vary from community to community, it is best when the local community has a prepared questionnaire to elicit responses from team members, in addition to encouraging them to write their unsolicited comments in narrative fashion. The team should use "The Tres Dias Essentials" as a guide for measuring the value of the pre-weekend and weekend activities, possibly following along on the local communities "Detailed Schedule" as a convenient way to cover all activities.

While the first sentence in the previous paragraph spoke about the final formal team responsibility, there is nevertheless, an informal responsibility the team has with regard to the new pescadores. The team (particularly Table Leaders and team leadership) should stay in touch with new pescadores, pray for them, and encourage them well into their Fourth Day. A couple of ways to do this is to have one or two team and candidates group reunions or a couple of reunions of the people at each table.

Secretariat Reminders

The Secretariat would like to remind you that it is inappropriate to bring children to send-off, closing, serenade or other Tres Dias functions that are not "family affairs"

Further, only those that have attended a recognized 3-day weekend my attend Tres Dias functions.

We appreciate your understanding and compliance with these Tres Dias requirements.

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Also a reminder to sponsors - Please urge your candidates to leave all cell phones & electronic devices at home so that they can block out the outside world & spend 3 days focusing totally on God & what He has in store for them.

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There has been a growing issue with sponsors bringing candidates to send-off that have not been called for the weekend by the Secretariat. We would ask that, to avoid embarrassment to yourselves and your candidate, that you NOT bring anyone to attend a weekend that has not been called by the Secretariat. If you have a candidate that can attend at the last minute, write "last minute" on the top of the application and the application will be handled accordingly. For questions about this, or any area of sponsorship, contact the appropriate Secretariat member.

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We would like to remind everyone in the community that names and addresses from weekend rosters, team lists, and or the TDNG database are for TDNG use only. This information should not be used for solicitation, or any other purpose not related to TDNG business.

If you have a need to inform the community of a ministry, prayer need, employment opportunity or need, we encourage you to use the message board referenced earlier in this newsletter.

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Over the years a tradition has evolved where the sponsor paid the fee for their candidate's weekend; however, it is not a requirement to sponsorship. Please do not avoid sponsoring just because you can't pay their fee or only sponsor those you can pay for in your budget. Many sponsors will mention the $125.00 weekend fee up front and ask if that would that be a problem?

Think of it this way, if you invite friends to go see the Falcon's play, that does not obligate you to pay for their tickets or if you invite someone to go to a concert you do not feel obligated to pick up the tab. Remember the only way your friends can experience Tres Dias is for you to sponsor them.

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Each Rector who serves the community agrees to be responsible for the collection of the team fees for their weekend. In some cases it has been interpreted that they would have to pay for any fees that were not paid by team members. This is not the intent. It is the Rector's responsibility to ensure that a full weekend fee is collected and paid to the Secretariat, but the fee is not his/her personal liability. Any shortfall should be taken care of by scholarships and remaining incidental fees.

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Sponsorhip Note

Some new Pescadores have asked what they can do to sponsor those who have a husband that does not wish to attend a TD weekend. Also, the waiting list for single females can be quite long.

Walk To Emmaus is a similar "3 day movement" and they hold their weekends almost every weekend during the year and sometimes several are going on at the same time.

Emmaus does not have a "couples lock" for their sponsorship. The applicants are called on a first/come first/serve basis. If you have a single female candidate, or a candidate whose husband refuses to attend, you may choose to investigate Emmaus to have them attend a three-day weekend. Then they can be added to our TDNG database and sign up to serve on a Tres Dias team and be involved in our Fourth Day activities.

http://ngwte.home.comcast.net/~ngwte/index.html

Upcoming Vida Nueva Weekends

Angel

The next Vida Nueva Weekends are:

Young Women's #42
Joyce Hardin, Director
March 3-6, 2011

Young Men's # 42
Chris Crutchley, Director
March 10-13, 2011

Young Women's #43
Gayle Moss, Director
October 28-30, 2011

Young Men's #43
Cole Knight
November 4-6, 2011

For more information go to http://www.ngvn.org and click on Upcoming Weekends

The Word
"I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2