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Mission Driven
by Rev. Steve Engram, SWCC Regional Executive
"Mission-Driven" sounds really good to me - it sounds cool, focused, like cutting edge terminology. I would imagine everyone agrees with me that churches should be "mission-driven".
The reality is every church IS mission-driven. Can I say that again, every church IS mission-driven. The ugly part of that truth is that in many churches the mission is not what it should be and/or one person's "mission" is different than another person's "mission", in the same church. There are some churches where the mission is to keep people happy, others where the mission is to simply keep the doors open. For other churches it is . . .
Steve
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Pastor Steve Doerksen, SWCC Connection Groups & Church Planting Consultant
 Barn Raising In the Southwest?
As churches we all want to achieve our Christ-given mission to make disciples. When we focus on the front end of this mission, bringing people to Christ, we can train our people to evangelize, we can offer evangelistic events & programs, and we can plant churches.
Church planting statistics have always shown that new churches are the best way to reach un-churched people. Although there are exceptions, new evangelical churches tend to see more conversions (as a percentage) and spend less money per conversion than established churches. . .
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Meet Rob and Mark
 Meet Rob Wagner, one of our Transitional Pastors. Rob graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministries and a minor in business and from Denver Seminary with his Master of Divinity degree. He is married to Kathryn who teaches school and serves with Rob in the ministry. In 2012 he served as a Transitional Pastor in Page, and in January 2013 he began his new transitional ministry in Bisbee Arizona.
Bill Hybels once said, "The Church is the hope of the world." After many years of ministry as an associate and a lead pastor in churches in Ohio and Scottsdale, Rob agrees with Hybels but he adds this caveat, "The Church is the hope of the world when it's working right." Part of the reason he has joined up with our team as a Transitional Pastor is because of  his concern that many once vibrant churches have lost focus, lost mission, and have allowed themselves to exist with unresolved conflicts. He states his mission this way, "to help churches find their way back to their first love".
Meet another one of our Transitional Pastors - Mark Rice . . .
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Quick Links
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Invest
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Churches Looking
for Pastors
Please keep our churches that are searching for new pastors in your prayers. Click on a link below to see their website or to get an email for more information.
Calvary Baptist, Tempe
FBC Arivaca
FBC Benson, Youth Associate
Grace Community Church, Salome
FBC Mammoth | | |
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Ed Clavell - SWCC Regional Facilitator
 Why Are Spanish Churches Offering English Services?
On Sundays at La Casa del Carpintero, or the Carpenter's House, they've raised twin yellow banners for churchgoers that read "Welcome" and "Bienvenidos."
As a complement to the regular 11:30 a.m. Spanish service at the independent Pentecostal church, where they've worshipped Papi for years, there's now a 9:30 a.m. English one where the faithful praise God the Father. While churches from every imaginable tradition have been adding Spanish services to meet the needs of new immigrants, an increasing number of Hispanic ethnic congregations are going the other way- starting English services. It is an effort to meet the demands of second- and third-generation Hispanics, keep families together and reach non-Latinos. . .
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When Churches Merge
Joining forces may make sense-but consider the legal, financial angles first.
by Jim Tomberlin and Warren Bird
Each year, thousands of U.S. churches-plus tens of thousands of others elsewhere around the globe-are sensing that they could fulfill their God-given mission better together than separately. They're exploring new ways to join forces for the advancement of God's kingdom.
Mergers are happening with increasing frequency. And unlike in previous generations, many church mergers today are producing positive growth and admirable fruit. Increasingly, they are becoming a vehicle for unifying local congregations around a shared mission that is producing more effective spiritual and social impact. . .
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 Prescott Pines, Helping the Local ChurchIf you asked a Prescott Pines Camp staff member what our mission is, they would say that we are here to be an asset to the local church. We joke about how few passages of Scripture mention camping (other than 40 years in the wilderness, and Jesus taking his disciples on Leadership Retreats) compared to the tons of verses that speak about the local church ministry.
We feel that our job is to help the church to do its job of making disciples.
Here are some examples of how we help. We...
- Provide a retreat from the distractions of the world.
- Provide a place to present the Gospel and have people respond.
- Provide recreation, lodging and food that help to earn the right to be heard with the Word of God.
- Create positive memories with other Christians.
- Help families share Christ with their children.
- Help families find friends for their children that share similar values
- Provide a place for personal spiritual growth decisions
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The Remedy - One Day Conferences
Mrs. Carol Tetzlaff, SWCC Event Coordinator
Tucson, March 16th - Flagstaff, April 6th -
Yuma, April 13th - Tempe, April 27th
The Remedy is coming very soon to a region near you! This conference is the most affordable way to expose your staff, leaders, and ministry volunteers to a training that will encourage them in their ministry. For as little as $20 each your ministry team will experience a day of uplifting worship, encouraging teaching, and effective training that will enhance the ministries of your local church. Healthy churches are maintained by healthy leaders and The Remedy will assist you to attain that level of ministry.
 Dr. Bert Downs will be our key-note speaker and will speak on community.
As Christ- followers, our identity is shaped, and our mission is empowered, in community . . . koinonia. We're a fellowship based on sharing a common life found in Christ. We're in relationship with Him and with each other. Because we're in relationship, our relational health is of vital importance to our mission. During the introductory session of this conference, we'll examine four aspects of our koinonia (community) health: why it needs our attention, how a church's life cycle is dependent upon it, the role of ministry mapping for sustaining health, and a checklist for healthy churches.
CHILDCARE will be provided at our Tucson Conference. For childcare, you must RSVP with El Camino Church. Click Here to send them an email requesting childcare.
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"Oaks of Righteousness" Roundup Theme
Set for April 19-21 at Prescott Pines, the 2013 SWCC Men's Roundup will feature regional coach Bert Downs speaking on God's special guys . . . Isaiah calls them "Oaks of Righteousness, the planting of the Lord." (Isaiah 61:3)
In the midst of the Lord's judgment, Isaiah saw a kind of man . . . a man who by his very nature and life would be called by the Lord an "oak of righteousness" . . . a man who would make all the difference for his country, his city, his friends, his family . . . bringing them out of seasons of ruin and defeat back into the sunshine of God's grace and favor . . . "restoring the desolation of many generations."
And whether its 800 BC or 2013, God makes them, tests them, uses and rewards them in exactly the same way. It's a message and a need for our day. And one's age is not a factor; God's oaks include men of all ages whether barely in their teens or well-tested by seasons of life. "Oaks of Righteousness" . . . for the sake of all that's important for God and for you, don't miss your chance to look into the heart of God's men through the eyes of Isaiah . . . you just may see your future there.
As always, the Roundup will include the usual great worship, fellowship, food and fun . . . check it out at www.prescottpines.org. Then register early for what could turn out to be the best weekend of your year. See you at the Roundup!
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