Allegheny Advance July
2010
Church Health
 Pastors
and Wives Retreat 2010The Allegheny District Pastors and Wives Retreat will be held October 1-3, 2010 at SpringHill Suites Erie by Marriott. Enjoy a cookout at a beachfront house on Lake Erie! All district senior and solo pastors and wives are invited. Please mark your calendars and make plans to attend! |
| Church Pastors Network in Your Area Chances are, a Healthy Church Pastors Network is meeting in your area of the district. All pastors of the Allegheny District are welcomed. If you would like to get involved or would like more information feel free to contact these Healthy Church Network leaders: New York - Ron Linton, wccef@yahoo.com, (585)533-1172 Ohio - Jeff Powell, Jeff.adefca@gmail.com, (419)962-4586 Western Pennsylvania - Matt Mitchell, pastormatt@lansefree.org, (814)345-6500 Greater Pittsburgh Area - Jack Wilson, jack@waterdam.org (724)745-2158 |
| Workshops and Training Events The Allegheny District has more than 25 workshops and training events available to our district churches. Do you have something scheduled yet? Check out the district web site at www.alleghenydistrict.com/resources.html for a complete list of workshops. Contact District Superintendent, Jeff Powell for more information and to make arrangements, (419)962-4586 or email jeff.adefca@gmail.com |
Church Planting
 ReachColumbus
2010 to Plant Two ChurchesThe newest members of our church planting efforts in the Allegheny District are Scott Burns and Ken Flower. The Allegheny District has been working with EFCAStartChurches and the Great Lakes District of the EFCA to prepare for two church planting works in Columbus, OH. Get acquainted with our new planters and what God is doing in Columbus. The Allegheny District church plant is slated to begin in December 2010. Please pray for their efforts and join the team! |
| Find
out the Latest Church Planting Happenings Sign-up to be a part of Jim's weekly prayer e-mail prayer army...the best way to stay informed regarding Church-Planting in the Allegheny District. E-mail Jim at alleghenyharvest@gmail.com and ask to be added to the Prayer Army! View the latest Church Planting Calendar at www.alleghenydistrict.com/calendar.html |
| KAP
TEAM (Kingdom Advancement Partners) KAP team is a supplemental support ministry being developed alone-side of the 3% support of our district's member churches. The strategy is 3-pronged in its approach. 1) Recession-proof giving - several hundred people giving smaller regular amounts over and above their giving at their local church (goal=1000 RP partners). 2) Large Special Gifts Donors - These are people who are faithful in their local church, but also have resources that they want to invest in a larger cause. 3) Legacy Gifts - helping people to plan God into their estates by designating their local churches and/or the Allegheny District. Our goal is to be able to provide health insurance for all of our planters and their families for the first 2 to 3 years, AND to be able to provide start-up funding grants. Again, if interested in learning more about this developing ministry, contact Jim Culbertson, or our Board Chairman, Mike McCormack at mike.mccormack@oh.rr.com |
|
Bill
&
Sheryl White (Action
Church, Akron, OH)
|
|
Nathan
& Teri Childers (Youngstown, OH Area) Nathan is the director of a Free Lunch program called Camp Woodside this summer (June 14-July 30) in the suburb of Austintown, OH. We are meeting in an elementary school gym Monday-Friday from 11-1 with an average of 40 kids and total of over 100 kids already enrolled. There are six churches that volunteer for a week to help serve with Nathan and his summer staff of three adults with lunch, games, music, Bible talk, crafts, special speakers and other enrichment activities. Plans are underway to start a faith-based non-profit that would facilitate and provided leadership within the community for other similar ministries to possibly start next summer in Austintown, Boardman, and Struthers. If you would like to learn more about this new ministry in Youngstown or for your area give Nathan a call at (330)883-9327 or e-mail him at nate@mymillcreek.net . |
| Mark
& Kendra Petras (Crossroads Community Church, Altoona, PA) Some baptisms and more new members to come in the summer. Also, they are planning an outreach event for July 17-18 where we will serve the community on Saturday and have a service on Sunday utilizing our YMCA's pavilion with a lunch to follow. Thanks for your prayers. Contact Mark at (814)505-4611 or at mk4jesus@gmail.com Visit them on the web at www.crossroads-efree.org |
| Jason
& Janeen Oesterling (ikon church, Wadsworth, OH)
ikon church continues to pursue its mission of discovering together what it means to follow Jesus. God continues to bless, as we see individuals growing and excited about what they are learning from God’s Word. Pray that God would bless our efforts to reach out to friends, neighbors, co-workers and family with the great news of Jesus this summer. Church in the Park is scheduled for Sunday: August 1 and September 12. Contact Jason at (330)410-3445 or at jason.oesterling@gmail.com. Visit ikon church on the web at www.ikonwadsworth.com |
| Alex
& Jennifer Ielase (Redeemer on the Mount, Mt. Washington, PA)
Please be in prayer for leadership development,
caring for new folks coming in and our summer outreach events. Redeemer will
also be launching a more focused youth ministry this summer. Check out
Alex's interview on Cornerstone Television--http://www.ctvn.org/mediaplayer/Focus4/FS060410.asp
about 21 minutes into the program. For more information please check the
website at www.redeemeronthemount.org or
contact Alex at (412)352-8876 or at fisherofmen376@yahoo.com
|
|
CORE Community Church
(Shelby, OH - John & Lisa Stevens) |
| Crew
Community Church (Huntington,
WV - Josh & Sarah Perry) Crew Community Church is celebrating their 3rd year together. They are in a pivotal place right now. They're having growing pains as they move from an unorganized chaotic church plant to a more disciplined mature church. They now have new believers who need to get strong foundations, more folks wanting to be in small groups than they have groups and leaders, two men who are going through a year long elder training process and 3 folks going through the deacon training. Pray for Crew as they are taking serious intentional steps to put a deep leadership development process in place. |
| Abundant
Grace EFC (Wellington/Oberlin,
OH) Abundant Grace EFC is nearly at the end of it’s second phase of church plant plan. New opportunities to engage the community of Oberlin have come by way of participation with other churches in community well as some first steps in ministry with Oberlin College students. |
| Other
Church Planting Contacts We are in the beginning phases of discussion with: Matt Beurhle--Rocky River, OH Doug Booher--Forest Hills area near Pittsburgh Tom Richards--Frostburg, MD Jeff Biddle--Charleston, WV Carl Matice--Ithaca, NY Keith Biddle--Huntington, WV Darren Gollon--Jefferson, OH Tim McGill--TBD Mike Rice--Paynesville, OH Neal Dorran--Harpers Ferry, WV Roy Burket--Akron Area Justin Racca--Morgantown, WV Scott Burns, Ken Flower--Columbus, OH Jay O'Brien--Columbus, OH Plus, we are working in many church-planting partnerships with existing churches and other contacts in the works. |
District News
| Pray for Our District Churches in need of Pastors - Christ Community Fellowship in Sarver , |
| District
Budget Shortfall Although giving to the Allegheny District has increased it continues to be behind the budget by 20% or more per month. As you schedule your annual business meetings for this year, please remember and prayerfully consider a significant increase in giving to the district ministries in your budget. We are asking you to consider giving 3% of your annual budget to the district. Your support allows the district to continue providing a wide variety of programming and resources for our district churches. Online donations to the Allegheny District--EFCA are now available at www.alleghenydistrict.com/donations |
| New Pastor of Worship at Pastor Jason Martin began his ministry in Beaver Falls, PA as Pastor of Worship in June 2010. Let's welcome Jason, his wife Elisa, and their five children as they begin their new ministry in our district. Contact Jason at jmartin@cefree.com or at the church (724)843-6381. |
| Next
Allegheny District Board Meeting The next Allegheny District Board meeting is scheduled for Saturday, August 28, 2010 at Chippewa EFC in Beaver Falls, PA beginning at 10:00 a.m. Please contact the district office with your plans to attend at (412) 854-5620 or alleghenydistrict@verizon.net |
National News
|
The Allegheny District Church Planting Story
of CORE Community Church Pastor John Stevens and CORE Community Church are featured on the EFCA web site for ReachNational. Check it out: http://www.efca.org/church-planting/reachnational-church-planting/taking-it-streets |
| EFCA
Newsletters and Interactive Mailing Lists Want to stay connected with what's going on the EFCA? Join one of the EFCA's email groups such as: EFCAUpdate, BUMPUPdate, EFCA Urban News, EFCA ENCORE Prayer Team, Gift and Estate Planning eNewsletter, Worship Leaders Network, Pray ReachGlobal and many more at http://www.efca.org/about-efca/resources-and-services/newsletters-and-interactive-mailing-lists |