| The Official eNewsletter of the Anglican Mission in the Americas
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Welcome to Anglican Mission's Currents
Dear Friend,
Spring is a time for new beginnings, and we have given Currents a new look. We hope you will enjoy the fresh format and news from across the Mission. We look forward to staying in touch as we follow God's vision to proclaim His Gospel and to reach the unchurched in the Americas.
May you experience the power of the Christ's Resurrection this Easter!
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Senior Pastors Gather for Leadership Retreat
In what Bishop Chuck Murphy, Anglican Mission Chairman, called a "kairos moment", clergy from across the Mission attended a Senior Pastors Leadership Retreat on February 26 - 28. Nearly 60 leaders representing 17 U.S. states and Canada gathered in Pawleys Island, South Carolina for a time of fellowship, developing stronger relationships, and encouraging and equipping one another.
"We will also have the opportunity to discuss various issues of interest, but the primary focus will be more fully grasping God's revelation to His people," remarked Bishop Murphy in the opening session. "We have come together asking the Lord to open our minds to the Scriptures," he said.
During the three-day retreat, the Rev. Bill Jackson, pastor of Black Mountain Vineyard Church in San Diego, CA, gave a powerful presentation of the meta-narratives of Scripture. Bill coordinates the Vineyard Leadership Institute, a training program for young people, and is the author of The Quest for the Radical Middle: A History of the Vineyard.
Based on a curriculum he developed, "NOTHINSGONNASTOPIT!", Bill presented a "romp" through the Old and New Testaments as well as the inter-testamental period-all in only in seven hours! The teaching emphasizes that ultimately God's purposes will be fulfilled (Isaiah 46:10).
In informal sessions, Bishop Murphy led conversations about the parallels between the Vineyard and the Anglican Mission as well as forum topics ranging from Anglican realignment to the new constitution and canons of the Province of Rwanda. Clarifying the nature of our partnership with Rwanda, Bishop Murphy emphasized, "We are a Missionary Movement of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. We are not a Church, a Province or a Diocese; we are a Missionary Movement."
Leaders championed the Anglican Mission's vision for reaching the unchurched in the Americas throughout the retreat.
Bishop Murphy offered special thanks to all the Senior Clergy who were able to carve out time from their full schedules to attend the retreat and encouraged them to continue to fulfill the Great Commission. "Our call and purpose is clear, and we will continue to move forward led by the Spirit to do the work God has given us to do," he pledged.
For more information on the meta-narrative curriculum, visit www.nothinsgonnastopit.com.
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Youth Ministry Coaching Helps Churches
Answering a desperate call, The Anglican Mission Youth Ministry Coaching Network is carrying the banner of excellence in youth ministry by assisting our congregations to equip leaders to reach youth with the Gospel message.
Reaching young people early with the Gospel is key; attending to the "soul care" of youth volunteers is important to sustainable success.
"We know that youth ministry is both hard and critically important," said Curt Solomon, Director of Student Ministries for Church of the Apostles in Raleigh, NC and YAMiA Coach. "We want youth leaders to know they are not alone; we are here to help."
According to research, most people make a decision to follow Christ between the ages of four and fourteen. Of those that choose Christianity, eighty percent do so before they reach college.
"Through coaching, we are trying to help individual churches reach kids now while they are ripe for the harvest," Curt emphasized.
Recognizing that most Anglican Mission church plants have a small staff led largely by volunteers, the network provides tailor-made plans for youth ministry that are organic and open-ended, emphasizing the "soul care" of workers as primary to creating sustainable youth ministry.
The coaching process begins with an evaluation period collected from conversations with students, leaders and pastors of churches. Based on the findings, a team of 2-3 youth pastors and leaders conduct a resource weekend incorporating prayer, talks on philosophy of youth ministry and teaching to address specific needs. Topics include: goal setting, contact work, camps, retreats, special events, teaching, publicity, worship and Anglican Mission distinctives.
Coaching continues through follow-up phone and email conversations after the weekend, maintaining the process to help churches take the next step forward. A resource weekend for one church or a whole network of churches is a minimal, all-inclusive fee of $500.
"We want the Anglican Mission to be known for exceptional youth ministry and so the coaching network wants to come alongside workers, no matter what stage they find themselves in, and help them take the next step and move to the next level," said Chris Zoephel, Coordinator of Student Ministries. "It is important for people to know we aren't providing cookie cutter programs because every church has unique needs."
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Soul in the City Summer Mission Trip in Orlando
Surfing and skating for God? Yes! Anglican Mission youth from all over the country are invited to participate in Soul in the City, a mission trip scheduled this summer in Orlando, Florida, July 20-26, 2008. 
The outreach, sponsored by YAMiA, an Anglican Mission Student Ministry Initiative, will expose teenagers to a mission field that is not across a body of water, but in the same country where they live. It's designed for students to experience reaching the lost in their own backyard.
"The DNA that makes us who we are as the Anglican Mission will be woven through what is experienced every day as we challenge them personally in private devotions and teach on topics like discipleship, authentic faith and the God of mission," said Sheryl Shaw, Youth and Missions Pastor for New Covenant Anglican in Winter Springs, Florida.
 Open to rising seventh graders through high school seniors, the outreach is organized with a ratio of one adult to every seven students. All campers and leaders will stay at New Covenant Anglican Church. The cost is $195 per person for the week.
"We will have core groups of students leading each outreach and sharing their faith, hosting groups like skate club, surfing club, paint ball, housing repair and backyard Bible clubs," Sheryl reported. Soul in the City clubs are advertised to invite local kids. The outreach teens are given a skills assessment and then placed where their gifts will be use d best.
"Our hope is that students will return home knowing what they believe with a passion to share their faith wherever they go, doing their part in fulfilling the Great Commission to reach the 130 million un-churched for Jesus Christ," said Sheryl. |
Hispanic Initiative Moves Forward
Church planting efforts to reach Hispanics in Mexico and Arizona are under way with great enthusiasm according to Gabe Garcia, Leader of the Anglican Mission Hispanic Initiative.
Doors are beginning to open in Tijuana, Mexico, where last month Gabe led a Eucharistic celebration service at a Byzantine Catholic Retreat Center along with a group very interested in beginning an Anglican Mission church plant in the area.
The next scheduled celebration will be held on Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. at the same location.
Church planters Alex and Sonia Gutierrez are moving this March to Mesa, Arizona to concentrate Hispanic ministry efforts in the Phoenix area. Outreach activities focused toward second-generation Hispanics are scheduled to begin in April.
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Christian Education: From the Ozarks to Rwanda
Cross-cultural education can work both ways. The Rev. Dr. Mark Quay and his third-year Diploma in Theology students learned this truth together during Dr. Quay's recent stint as a visiting lecturer at Rwanda Christian University (formerly Kigali Anglican Theological College). "I was expecting a lot of 'worldview-expansion' for me, but I think the students were just as challenged," commented Dr. Quay. "In addition to sharing my passion for Christian Education, I gave them a good dose of Ozark culture." 
Theological Students and Faculty at Rwanda Christian University.
Dr. Quay is in the back row, second from right.
In reflecting on this recent teaching assignment (February 15-March 7), he observed, "Humor was the most difficult thing to communicate. In the Ozarks, we use a lot of understatement, self-deprecation and sarcasm. It took a lot of explaining [to the Rwandans] before they finally got my jokes." Yet he also noted, "The one thing that wasn't hard for all of us to understand was our mutual passion for communicating the Gospel to the lost and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry."
Dr. Quay, Dean of the Anglican School of Ministry-Little Rock (ASM-LR), was invited two years ago by the Principal of the University, the Rev. Dr. Dick Seed, to come to Rwanda. When Dr. Quay moved from teaching at a private, Christian school to working full-time for the Little Rock Network, he was finally able to accept Dr. Seed's invitation. "The Lord willing, I will return to Rwanda next year and recruit others to serve as visiting faculty as well," he said.
ASM-LR is a theological education program using a combination of parish-based training, internships, and short-term residency courses. The school is developing a cooperative relationship with Rwanda Christian University to provide instructors and assist in curriculum development for both institutions.
This coordinated effort exemplifies the Anglican Mission's identity as a part of the Province of the Anglican Church of Rwanda. "Little Rock and Kigali are two schools in the same University," affirmed Anglican Mission Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini during Dr. Quay's visit.
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Lives Deeply Impacted at Journey Conference
Many lives were dramatically changed through the healing ministry of the Rev. Conlee Boodishbaugh and wife Signa at the Journey to Wholeness in Christ conference held the last weekend in February.
Approximately 250 people attended the conference at New Covenant Anglican Church in Winter Springs, Florida, representing states all over the country from as far away as Arizona.
Conference participants experienced the deep heart-healing power of the Spirit of God through biblically based teaching, worship and personal testimony as well as individual and group ministry.
"We see the Journey as an incredible opportunity for us to receive what God has for us in our baptism, allowing Him to do the work in us so we can be more fruitful servants," said Conlee, Rector of Christ Church in Mobile, Alabama, and founder of the Journey.
To read life changing testimonials from some that attended the conference, go to "Real Life Stories" on the Anglican Mission Web site: www.theamia.org. For more information about hosting a Journey conference in your community, contact conlee@christanglican.com.
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Update on Worship Development
This past February, representatives from three Anglican Mission churches traveled to Hong Kong and China for two weeks to experience worship training and mentoring with Andy Piercy, Director of Worship Development for the Anglican Mission. "This was an opportunity of a lifetime," said Michael McKinley of Mesa Community Church in Austin, Texas. "The mentoring I received on this journey was invaluable and will stay with me for the rest of my life." While in Hong Kong, the team worked with several churches and spent time with Jackie Pullinger, author of Chasing the Dragon, who has ministered to drug addicts, prostitutes and ex-Triad gan  g members for more than 25 years. "I had the privilege of watching Andy go from a Spirit-filled, non-denominational church to an Evangelical church established 150 years ago and then to an Anglican Renewal church all in one weekend...serving the body and ushering them into God's presence," said the Rev. Chris Cairns, Rector of Apostles Anglican in Knoxville, TN. "For any rector or worship leader struggling to blend Anglican distinctives with forms of worship that engage post-moderns, they would do well using Andy as a resource." 
In Beijing, the team was introduced to Robert Glover, founder of Care for Children, a ministry devoted to placing hundreds of thousands of Chinese orphans into long-term foster families with the aid of the government. They also led worship for several services at the Beijing International Christian Fellowship.
"It was a small picture of heaven seeing people from so many cultures worshipping together," said Michael.
"Andy has the gift of giving the Spirit permission to be powerfully present in Anglican forms of worship," Chris added.
Members of the team are anxious to use the experience gained from this worship training event and replicate what they learned to further develop worship in their own congregations.
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Keep Current!
Monthly Video Message from Bishop Chuck Murphy
Bishop Murphy continues to keep us informed in his regular video feature. You won't want to miss hearing about the latest developments, exciting plans and new initiatives directly from Anglican Mission's Chairman.
This month, Bishop Murphy reports on two significant retreats that are formative in the life of the Mission.
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YOUTH MINISTRY
For More Info
To begin a relationship with the Anglican Mission Coaching Network, churches may contact Curt Solomon at (919) 422-9748 or email curt@apostles-raleigh.org
Go to the Anglican Mission youth Web site at: www.yamia.net
The Rev. Chris Zoephel
is the National Coordinator of Anglican Mission Student Ministry Initiatives. Click to check out Chris' blog.
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SOUL IN
THE CITY
For More Info
To sign up or get info on the Soul in the City summer mission trip, contact Sheryl Shaw at 407-699-0202, or go to www.yamia.net
Final deadline for registration is June 2!
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HISPANIC
INITIATIVE
For More Info
Please continue to pray for church planting efforts to reach Hispanics with the Gospel.
Get more information on the Hispanic Initiative at this excellent Web site: anglicanosenamerica.org.
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RWANDA
CHRISTIAN
UNIVERSITY
For More Info
For more information on how to be a part of this effort to support
Rwanda Christian University, please contact Dr. Quay at (501) 801-3410
or maquay@comcast.net.
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JOURNEY
CONFERENCE
Changed Lives
"Since attending the Journey, there is more peace in our home, and I no longer feel discouraged. I have a new hunger to have time with the Lord." ..."The weekend was a monumental time in our marriage."
-Anthony Cravaritis
"I wasn't cured overnight, but now I am not walking around depressed all the time."
-Mindy Anders
"I can let go and walk in freedom."
-Sue Kranz
"The prayer team in many ways served as tangible hands and feet of Jesus, pointing me to Him."
-J. Michael Blackston
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WORSHIP MINISTRY
Upcoming Worship
Training Events for 2008
April 3-5
Jacksonville, FL
Christ Church
The Rev. John Shuler
April 25-26
New Bern, NC
Emmanuel Church
The Rev. Jim Murphy
May 30-31
Melbourne, FL
Prince of Peace
Bishop John Miller
June 9-11
Knoxville, TN
Worship Leaders Retreat
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