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September 25, 2009
Volume 156, Number 21
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Austin Frederick to leave conference office Dec. 1
 The Rev. Austin Frederick passed out watermelons on July 4, 2008, one of his many tokens of appreciation to staff members at the Southwest Texas Conference.
Managing Editor
A box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. A watermelon for the Fourth of July. A Bluebird of Happiness for the staff appreciation luncheon.
It’s no wonder staff members at the Southwest Texas Conference office believe the Rev. Austin Frederick Jr. cares.
“His pastoral care and concern about individuals both on staff and otherwise is just something that most people don’t recognize,” said the Rev. David Seilheimer, secretary and treasurer for the conference. “He’s very thoughtful.”
“I do it because people need to be affirmed and appreciated,” Frederick said, “and, oftentimes, it’s not in the big stuff as much as it is in the little things, the things that say, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about you.’”
After 10 years of lavishing his tokens of appreciation on staff members as the assistant to the Episcopal Office, Frederick will become the new vice president of pastoral care services for Methodist Healthcare System, effective Dec. 1.
He was appointed to the position by Bishop Jim Dorff, in consultation with Jaime Wesolowski, chief executive officer of Methodist Healthcare System.
Frederick’s experience serving on the Methodist Healthcare Community Board for the last decade marked him as the best leader for the position, Dorff said.
“Because of his experience in the San Antonio Area, his demonstrated leadership and his familiarity with the hospital system, he is uniquely qualified to provide this ministry,” Dorff said. “While I will miss his presence in the Episcopal office and personally will miss his day-to-day colleagueship in ministry, I feel this appointment will be of great benefit to the overall mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church.
“This very crucial position required a leader who could evolve our nationally recognized program,” Wesolowski said. “We are blessed that we found a leader right here in San Antonio.”
Under the appointment, Frederick will oversee pastoral services for every Methodist Hospital in San Antonio.
“He will have the responsibility of maintaining and providing the highest quality pastoral care for thousands of patients who go through the Methodist Healthcare System,” Dorff said. “It will be a position through which Austin will be able to maintain the critical ties between the health system and The United Methodist Church.
 The Rev. Austin Frederick pauses for a photo with Jaime Wesolowski, CEO of Methodist Healthcare System.
Frederick said he began pursuing his call to ministry in 1977 after a conversation with the then-director of the conference. The “desire to assist people in becoming who God would want them to be” strengthened when he took his first appointment in 1981 at St. Paul/Altair and Wesley UMC in Columbus and Garwood.
In 1983, Frederick was appointed to Simpson UMC, Austin. In 1987 he served First UMC, Port Lavaca, and became the Victoria District Superintendent in 1992. He became the assistant to the Episcopal office in 1999.
Frederick said he has enjoyed his decade at the conference office—but what he has enjoyed most is helping people become who God wants them to be.
“It goes back to the initial call and desire,” he said. “This position afforded me the opportunity to do that, conference-wide, jurisdiction-wide, nationally and in the world.”
In his new position, Frederick said he hopes to usher in the presence of God to hurting people and, at the same time, build a tie between the church and Methodist Healthcare.
“I hope to enable God’s presence to assist people at a critical and crucial time in their lives,” Frederick said, “whether those individuals are critically ill patients or staff members who have to address those needs or board members who have to make far and broad decisions that may have an effect, or perceived effect, on patient care.
“I am in a unique position, as I have already created a tie with Methodist Healthcare through my service on the community board and my work with the church. My goal is to take that tie and form a binding knot between the System, the Methodist church and the faith community at large. That is the primary way I plan to take a great program and make it even better.”
Methodist Healthcare has more than 7,600 employees and more than 23 healthcare facilities in San Antonio, making it the second largest private employer in the city.
Dorff and Seilheimer said Frederick’s leadership at the conference office will be missed.
“Austin has provided outstanding leadership in too many ways to count,” Dorff said. “We have been blessed.”
“He’s done a super job as director of personnel, in keeping the conference staff motivated on the mission of the conference and moving in a unified direction,” Seilheimer said. “He has also handled the difficult position where he is the one who many times has to deliver messages that are not exactly what people want to hear with grace and respect and dignity.
“Personally, I have a great appreciation for his devotion to Christ and for the ministry that he has performed.”
The Rev. Rusty Freeman, director of youth ministries for the conference, said Frederick has been one of the biggest supporters of his ministry for the last 10 years.
“Not only was he one of those who initially helped create my position, but throughout my tenure, Austin has been our strongest supporter,” Freeman said. “His commitment to reach youth for Christ has never diminished.
“There is no wiser man who has helped shape my ministry. Not only does he care for those he shepherds personally (he was there at the hospital at 5 a.m. when my wife went to deliver our second child), but he has been a constant mentor, keeping me on track and pushing me to become a better man for Christ. Austin’s love for the Lord and commitment to the church is something I will take with me always.”
Frederick said all he’s ever wanted to do was give God’s best.
“Where I failed or disappointed, I apologize,” he said. “But where I have been effective, where I’ve made a difference, then praise God.”
Those who have had the privilege of working with Frederick would agree that he has, indeed, given God’s best.
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Keeping men in church requires creativity
Leaders say leadership opportunities,
hands-on projects draw men in
By Rachel L. Toalson
Managing Editor
Leadership opportunities. Hands-on projects. Out-of-the-box thinking.
That’s what leaders say it takes to get men involved—and keep them involved—in church.
“If you get men involved in church, they will be there,” said Ralph Thompson, president of United Methodist Men for the Southwest Texas Conference. “If they’re just watching, they’ll be there sometimes. If they’re just watching and there’s not much to watch, you don’t see them much at all.”
“Men have a different cycle of working,” said Nancy McDougall, a conference deacon who specializes in Christian education and faith formation. “Women can go on forever on church programs. Guys prefer to plan and work and celebrate and rest and be done with it.
“To restore the masculine spirit, we’re going to have to be very deliberate about developing a band of brothers, perhaps in spiritual fathering as they walk alongside each other.”
What churches are doing
The Rev. David Skinner, pastor of Dripping Springs UMC, said his church set up a classic car show in the church parking lot on Father’s Day. Leaders decided to do it, he said, because the church has seen a lower attendance that day than other days.
“Men are convinced they will walk into church and the pastor will tell them everything they’re doing wrong,” Skinner said. “We try to encourage them in their significance because there is a belief, with the Al Bundees and the Homer Simpsons of our world, that men are just donors to the cause of creating children and not much beyond that. There aren’t many Cliff Huxtables on television anymore.”
Skinner said the classic cars started arriving around 8 a.m. The cars sit in the church parking lot, where men can filter through and look at them. Leaders gave trophies away for fan favorites.
The church saw about 500 people on Father’s Day, up from the summer slump of 300, he said.
“It helped us reach out to the community,” Skinner said.
B.J. Taylor, who teaches a men’s Sunday school class at First UMC, Burnet, said his class builds wheelchair ramps for individuals in the community and does other hands-on projects like repairing steps and porches and working in the food bank.
About six men come on a regular basis, and he thinks “the men enjoy doing these projects,” Taylor said.
The men of Northwest Hills UMC, Austin, have been meeting at 7 a.m. every Wednesday morning since 1986. Members of the group
sign up to cook breakfast on a rotating basis. The breakfast includes a devotional and prayer time, said Ken Moyer, leader of the group.
During the prayer time, each man prays—out loud—for the man on his right.
“It’s uncomfortable for some of the guys,” Moyer said. “It has been a growth experience for everybody. We do know that the prayer time is keeping some men away because that’s not something everybody is comfortable with.”
Moyer said most of the men started coming to the prayer breakfast after they attended a Walk to Emmaus. Ninety percent of the men who attend are members of Northwest Hills UMC.
Moyer said the group holds quarterly events where leaders bring in a guest speaker and a musical guest and have a hamburger or chili supper. The events were well attended by men, he said—so well attended that the women started asking if they could come.
Once a year the group holds a steak dinner, and the “girls aren’t invited,” he added.
Moyer said he has noticed, at the district level, that United Methodist Men get more younger men involved when they have events that young men are interested in—like work opportunities and more hands-on activities.
Many men attended the group’s work day at the city park in Dripping Springs, he said. Some of the younger guys even brought their kids.
“From what I know and can tell, the younger men are looking for something hands-on,” Moyer said. “Not the old meet and eat. Their lives are so full of checking e-mail and doing stuff that they’re not as inclined to participate in the meet and eat, but they do feel a commitment to service.
“The challenge is translating that into getting people to come to Sunday worship. Some of them will come (to church) just because they’re committed. Sometimes that’s more than you can really hope for. So you just have to hope that being in a Christian work environment, with guys are not out there cussing, will set an example.”
Steve Coker, an associate pastor at Bulverde UMC, said many men start coming to church because of activities like service projects or the steak and break dinner that Bulverde does and then sort of fade away. The real need, he said, is to keep them plugged in—and that comes from a deeper connection with God.
That’s why he founded the Men of Light Conference.
 Men from San Antonio and surrounding areas joined together for a Men of Light conference last year. More than 800 attended for worship and teaching.
The conference, Coker said, is “non-threatening” but challenging for all men. Speakers, dramatists and musicians lead the two-day conference.
Churches can utilize the conference, he said, as a way to revive stagnant men’s groups, kick off new men’s ministries or provide new energy in the church community.
The next conference is Oct. 16 and 17 at Oak Hills Church, 19595 West Interstate 10 in San Antonio. The theme is “Yield No More.”
The 2008 conference was the first, Coker said, and more than 800 men attended it.
“There’s an overwhelming cry for more in the community,” Coker said.
For more information about the conference, call (830) 885-2735 or visit www.menoflight.org.
What men really need
Coker said men desperately need—and want—to find “that spiritual connection to God.”
“It doesn’t exist anywhere else,” Coker said. “They’re not going to get it from work. Work is our greatest, most dominating experience. It’s where we put our self-value, our accomplishment, our esteem. It’s all tied up in our work. We’re to be the provider. But that alone leaves us empty and searching for more.
“The only place to find it is the church. I believe men are seeking from their heart a spiritual connection.”
He said the men who have the “guts” to come to church and then come to a small group will realize that it “isn’t so bad,” that the guys are just like them, Coker said.
And friendship is something they need, he added.
“Men are looking for true friendships in their lives because they don’t have them,” he said. “And sitting around talking about sports and weather is not it. I was so there not long ago. I realized I didn’t have any close friends in my life. I had some buddies I could pal around with, but nobody I could call and say, ‘You know what? My wife and I just had a nasty blowout.’
“I need somebody to gut check me. We need a partner. We need a rallying coach, someone who will lift us up when we’re giving it our all. I think guys are missing true friendship in their lives, and I believe they’re found when people are vulnerable. And if the church builds an atmosphere where men can be vulnerable in a safe place, not only will men find God, but they will find friendship.”
Coker said he also believes that men desire to be leaders because they were “created by God to be leaders.” But they won’t go looking for it if they’re never asked, he added.
 Steve Coker, an associate pastor at Bulverde UMC and founder of the Men of Light Conference, said what men need most is true friendship. He believes if churches offer a safe place for men to be vulnerable, they will find God and friends.
Thompson said that United Methodist Men, in the next year or so, is going to be “restructuring the UM Men Steering Committee” and looking at what sorts of events draw more men in.
The group will also be enhancing its relationship with United Methodist Women.
“In the past, it’s been the men doing one thing, the women doing things over there,” he said. “Neither organization wants that. We live with each other at home, we sit with each other at church, we work with each other in ministry.
He added that the UM Men Steering Committee is already planning a “Ministry Incubator” ministry, where UM Men will support local congregations as they “discern, develop and equip themselves for ministry in their congregations and communities.”
“Men love to build, and the Ministry Incubator is a way that we can build by thinking outside the box,” Thompson said. “As the local church learns to sustain the new ministry, we’ll move on to help other congregations.”
One such “incubation” is already in the planning stages in the Austin District, he said.
The future
McDougall said congregations need to start looking for ways to attract men—because a great opportunity lies before The United Methodist Church.
“If your churches want to attract men, they have to have programs of vision, strong pastoral leadership, effectiveness and achievement, combined with the feminine qualities of support, nurture and tenderness,” McDougall said. “We have an opportunity for great explosion, and it’s going to be of the masculine nature.”
“In almost every case, it was a group of prayerful and God-led men who put many of our churches in place,” Thompson said. “Over the years, however, various factors may have led too many of our men to believe that their work is done, and now it’s time to do something else.
“I have spoken to men and women who are passionate about bringing men back into the lives of their churches but do not feel empowered to do so. We can do all things through God, who strengthens us.
“I have personally attended congregations where the ratio of men to women has been as poor as one to 20. But even that one man has the power to make a meaningful difference.”
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Kingdom Kamp reaches out to
special needs adults 18 and older
 Kingdom Kamp, held every year at Mt. Wesley Conference Center in Kerrville, reaches out to mentally challenged adults ages 18 and older. This year 70 adults attended the camp.
Conference Leadership Development Director
Do you know someone who knows someone who lives with a mentally challenged adult? Who, outside the walls of our congregations, may be struggling to help their mentally challenged family member live at full capacity? Are you aware of the marvelous ministry taking place over Labor Day Weekend each year? Kingdom Kamp is a specially designed camp for mentally challenged adults ages 18 and older. Words to describe it are gentle, peaceful, simple. It has a relaxed pace. It’s ministry among kampers who would love to spend a wonderful weekend of sharing, fun, fellowship and learning at Mount Wesley Conference Center.
The 26th annual was just celebrated in a big way. Special thanks to parents, group homes and facilities that make every effort to get kampers registered and transported to Mount Wesley. Kingdom Kamp would not be possible without the love and support from volunteer staff. We were extremely fortunate this year to have such a large team under the leadership of the Rev. Dick West, dean of the camp, and Kamp Director Kay Grant, enabling us to serve a record 70 kampers.
 Bishop Jim Dorff visited the 70 campers who attended Kingdom Kamp this year. During the camp, mentally challenged adults get to swim, do crafts, worship and play sports. Leaders say it’s a fun, peaceful time.
Some kampers have attended for years and look forward to it each time. They are a delight and some of God’s special people. Camp curriculum includes swimming, crafts, a dance, worship and sharing the love of Christ through themes like Good Sports for God, You Are More Precious Than Silver, Life Under the C (nautical theme, “C” for Christ) and Jesus 4 A Cross. If you know someone who qualifies for Kingdom Kamp, please direct the family or care giver to www.umcswtx.org.
Kingdom Kamp is funded by gifts to Advance Special #2005. Each year camp scholarship needs exceed available funds. However, the kamp doesn’t just need monetary gifts; it needs you. If you can be a staff volunteer, we want to hear from you. Be warned: your heart just might be warmed! Kingdom Kamp’s 2010 Dean, the Rev. Patricia Herndon, is gathering another great team of willing servants to be a part of this incredible ministry. To serve, please contact Herndon at pastorpattiherndon@gmail.com or the Southwest Texas Conference Leadership Development Office.
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Kerrville District news
It just smells like Mount Wesley
I am so blessed to live less than one mile from Mount Wesley in Kerrville. My wife and I go for walks in these hills. The air is so fresh and clean in the hill country. We usually take our trek after dark so we might walk under the brilliant stars. For me there is nothing more inspirational than to stare up into the heavens and see God’s grand design. It is usually on these walks or sitting on our back deck that my wife and I express to one another: “gosh, it smells like Mount Wesley.” That may sound silly but the smell of the night air or the early morning always take us back to special days and nights spent at one of the greatest spiritual centers in all of United Methodism. It is amazing how certain smells can take you back to very special times and/or places in your life journey.
I am reminded of many foundational things from my boyhood. My mother saw to it that I was exposed to the camping program of the Methodist Church and I thank God for the many persons who gave so freely of their time so that I might know about the saving power of Jesus Christ. I remember sitting on the slab at Mount Wesley and learning the songs of the faith. I remember singing “Lord, I want to be like Jesus in my heart, in my heart” and the profound impact it had on my life. It was by no accident that I encountered Jesus Christ. Many persons methodically planned and carried out a program of delivering the Message especially designed for the sake for our exposure to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I remember our youth leaders unashamedly asking us about a personal relationship with and commitments to Jesus Christ. I still remain grateful to all those who were instrumental along my journey and helped to keep me on the path of faithfulness. For you see these men and women of the past taught me to how to be an agent of opening closed hearts, closed minds and closed doors. In life there are hearts that are open to some and closed to others. In life there are minds that are open to some and closed to others. In life there are doors open to some and closed to others. In life it should not be that way and in the Church it better not be that way. I was instructed that Christ doesn’t want us to settle for the status quo and that Jesus is the champion of creative change. Jesus teaches us be agents of change. I learned that under the shadow of a Bolivian Cross. I remain grateful for all those who continue in this tradition of planned encounters for those coming to Mount Wesley and other centers of spiritual enlightenment. For this is where the songs of the faith are imprinted upon young hearts and minds. Devotions are given and words sink into hungry and eager persons who long for a word of hope and grace. I believe that hearts and minds are shaped into the image of Christ in many different settings. I just happen to prefer a starry night that smells like Mount Wesley.
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Worship Reflections: Surrender in worship
By Robert Molder
District Lay Leader
“I want men to pray with holy hands lifted to God,” the apostle Paul writes in his first letter to Timothy (2:8). His words appear to be more of a command than encouragement, yet we seldom take them as such. “There’s nothing wrong with lifting your hands – it’s just not my style of worship,” we say. And we keep our hands in our lap and our emotions in check, never once feeling guilty or disobedient. I was raised in a conservative church and was well into my thirties before I ever saw people lift their hands to God in worship or prayer. I remember feeling uncomfortable the first time I sat in a service where the worship was free and expressive. It was an awkward experience. I’ve since come to completely embrace the joy and freedom of singing and praying to God with abandon. I no longer feel the need to remain staid and serious when expressing my love for Jesus. I no longer worry about what those around me might think. I’ve come to understand the beauty of Paul’s command to Timothy and the reason he told his young protégé to have everyone lift holy hands to God when they pray.
It takes tremendous humility to open your arms in reverence. It takes courage to surrender yourself so openly to God’s majesty and authority over your life. When you open your hands before Him, you are saying, “Here I am Lord! I stand before you in complete and total surrender. My heart and life belong completely to you. I hold nothing back. I’m not embarrassed to submit myself to your glory.” David understood that when you hold back your emotions, you hold back a critical part of your life and spirit. David wasn’t afraid to dance and sing before God, no matter who might be watching, and we should have that same attitude. We should be willing to worship God with all our heart, mind, strength….and body.
Reflection: How have you let others set the tone for how you worship? Do you have the courage and humility to prayer with open hands and bended knee before God? From your heart, give God your praise. For His blessings all your days; Lift your voice to God above –God of mercy, God of love. --- Hess
Praise is the overflow of a joyful heart.
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District happenings
First UMC, Bertram collected school supplies raised over $500 for Bertram Elementary School to begin the school year during its Third Annual Community Hamburger Dinner and School Supply Drive. The school has been appreciative of our efforts these past three years. Not only do the school supplies help each student get a good start to the school year, the money is used throughout the year to help pay for eyeglasses, clothing needs, and other essential items for the students.
 Leaders hold a ground breaking ceremony where the new parsonage will be built for First UMC, Pearsall.
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Corpus Christi District news
The time for rejoicing is right now!
The time is right for rejoicing. Recent rains have reminded us in the Corpus Christi District of God’s outpouring of love and grace. Oh, how we rejoice, as we see God at work in our midst.
God is at work in our midst through the churches, the people and through the various events that are scheduled for the upcoming month. Excitement is building as we prepare to learn, to share, and to celebrate.
On Sept. 24 the Leadership Development Team for the district hosted a meeting at Yorktown UMC from 10 a.m.-noon to talk and listen to the laity and clergy members of the Brush Country. We hoped to find out what you want and need to help the ministry in your church and throughout the Brush Country. We talked about future workshops, where they should be held and other ways to help your church bring Christ to others.
Oct. 1 there will be a Grant Writing Seminar at the District Office from 6pm -9pm. This workshop put on by Variak Khus, of Methodist Healthcare Ministries will use the Logic Method. This new method is an innovative communication and planning tool that can be used in Grant Writing or in helping to design and develop programs and ministries within the Church. You will be shown all the good things you can do with it. This is a wonderful FREE workshop open to laity and clergy. Space is limited so call the District office and leave you name and what church you are with before Sept. 28.
Special workshops are scheduled for Small Membership Churches the first week of October. These workshops are by Julia Kuhn-Wallace. There are two offered that can be easily accessed from the Corpus Christi District. They are: Oct 3, 2009 10am-4pm at John Wesley UMC, Victoria OR Thursday Oct. 8, 2009 10am – 4pm at First UMC, Kingsville. Lunch will be provided at each workshop. This is also a FREE seminar, BUT you must register through the Conference office.
Older adult workshop to be Oct. 3 at 9 a.m.
 Older adults participate in “Body Recall” exercise program at First UMC, Corpus Christi.
Transformation gala to be Oct. 24
Through out the past three years our district has been in the midst of Transformation as Don Nations has coached us to look at who we are and where we need to go. On October 24, 2009 we will CELEBRATE the journey and look towards the future at the TRANSFORMATION GALA at St. John’s UMC. The day will be from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. as we experience our final time with Don Nations, have a wonderful meal together, and celebrate our churches work. This day is open to all the churches of the district whether they have been in the transformation process or not and there will be no cost. Bring a group and join us for this exciting day of celebration. To prepare we ask that you call Sheila at the District office by October 14th to give her the number of people coming from your church.
50 people attend clergy picnic Aug. 20
The Corpus Christi Annual District Clergy Family Picnic was held at Ingleside UMC on Aug. 20. Some members of the congregation served a barbeque meal. Fifty people attended.
Lay Speaker training to be Oct. 16
Lay Speakers are a vital part of ministry throughout our district. We rely upon them to help lead worship, to preach when needed, and to help teach, train, and care for others. The Lay Speaking team has planned training for both Basic Lay Speakers and Advanced Lay Speakers at Portland First UMC on the weekend of October 16 -17. To register for these classes contact the District office (361) 852-8268 or Sharon Cooke (361) 643-6113.
McAllen District news
Renewed, refreshed and affirmed
“A child who gathers in summer is prudent, but a child who sleeps in harvest brings shame.” -- Proverbs 10:5 (NRSV)
We were “gathering” not “sleeping” this summer in the McAllen District. Gathered into the district are five new clergy and one lay minister. Rev. Pam Kilpatrick comes from Gonzales FUMC to serve Brownsville FUMC as Senior Pastor. Pam brings her mother Janie to live with her in the Valley. Rev. Paul Allan comes to the Freer/Bruni UMCs to serve as Pastor. His wife Tess and his two sons Joel and Caleb come to enjoy the cowboy life of the northern part of our district. Rev. Harold Dailey comes with his spouse Mary Kay to serve as Pastor at First UMC LaFeria. Harold previously pastored the Kyle UMC. Rev. Ricky Sanderford comes from Sierra Vista UMC in San Angelo to be the Senior Pastor at FUMC McAllen. Kay, Ricky’s wife, and Sam, his son, will continue to live in San Angelo until Sam graduates from high school. Rev. David Sanchez becomes the Pastor at St. John UMC Rio Grande City. David comes to us from the Church of God of Cleveland, Tennessee but wants to transfer his ministerial credentials to our conference. Finally, Carole Lahti comes to the Santa Rosa UMC as Lay Minister. She continues to serve the Pharr UMC as a Lay Minister along with her work at Santa Rosa. Dale Lahti is her spouse. We welcome all of these church leaders that God has gather into our district and look forward to the positive leadership which they will render for Christ.
I gathered myself together during my get away time this summer. For seven weeks I read and contemplated the writings of a wide variety of inspirational authors from Augustine to Bonhoffer. I went away in need of renewing and I came back with renewed affirmations about the Christian life. It was good to get away for that time. Here are just a few of the affirmations that I made during my time away.
1) The Bible is crucially important. (You are not surprised that I would say that.) In my reading I rediscovered how important the Bible has been throughout the history of the Christian Church for bringing an inspirational corrective back to the Christian life. When the Church became too uniform or too staid (and thus the Christian life became the same), God inspired creative and committed persons to rediscover the passion and the mission of the Bible. These persons sought to reemphasize the message and ministry of Jesus revealed in the Bible and in so doing brought a new vitality to the Church. Maybe we need more and livelier Bible studies in our churches today.
2) The tension between whether we get “pure” in order to approach God or we approach God to get “pure” has been with the Church since its earliest days. I like the way John Wesley saw that issue. He said we get right with God by trusting in God’s grace as demonstrated by Jesus and then we grow into perfection in love as we live under and out of that grace. Therefore, anyone can approach God, not just the right or the pure. But, when anyone sincerely trusts in the love and grace of God, he or she is regenerated (born anew) with the potential in their being and the power of God’s being to become perfected (pure) in love. Wow! That’s good news that the world needs to hear.
3) Leadership is crucial for forward movement in the Christian life. We need persons who will lead us by modeling devotion to God and by championing the cause of Christ while leaning humbly upon the Spirit. I reaffirmed this summer that the time I spend in recruiting, supporting, and appointing pastors who can lead is crucial. Also, the time that I give to encouraging and sponsoring training for lay leaders is crucial. Who in your congregation is God calling to lead out in service to Jesus? Is it you? God has gathered you into the Church of Jesus Christ. The power of God’s gracious Spirit can be found there and transmitted to any and all. But, sleeping can also be found there…and it too can be contagious. Which do you want to discover and pass on?
How stealing taught me about God’s love for us
By Rev. Daniel Longoria
First UMC, San Benito
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” - John 3:16
I was recently reminded of a mistake that I had made when I was 14 years old – a mistake that got me in big-time-trouble with the law! Yes, Rev. Daniel Longoria (for those who know me) in trouble. Don’t struggle too hard with the idea, I still find myself getting in trouble today – mainly with my wife though! One Friday night I found myself in the Fremont Police Station arrested for stealing the Rick James “Super Freak” cassette (go ahead and laugh!). I was sitting in the cell waiting to be picked up by my father; and waiting to be spanked by his belt. To my surprise though, my father picked me up and did not say one word to me. Actually, my father didn’t speak to me for two whole weeks. Since I was under age, my father had to go to court with me and answer to the judge for what I had done. The judge gave me two months in the detention center; however, he waived his sentence. Instead, the judge put me on two years probation and told me that if I got in trouble again, I would pay the price for whatever crime I did then and would have to pay for this one also.
That was the last time I ever stole. Do you want know what kept me from ever stealing again? Although I did not want to spend two months of my life in a detention center, that was not what kept me from stealing. What kept me from ever stealing again was the two weeks of silence of my father not speaking to me. Also, I refrained from stealing ever again because I could never forget the look of sadness on his face and the hurt in his eyes from the embarrassment that I had caused him. Why was he sad? Why was he hurt? Why was he embarrassed? Because I was his son and because he loved me! It was because of my father’s love that I never stole again. He loved me so much that I never wanted to cause him that pain again, and I never wanted that separation from him ever again. Of course I was afraid of the going to the detention center, but that’s not what kept me straight, it was the love of my father. Are people afraid of going to hell? Well, the answer is simple isn’t it? Nobody really wants to go to hell; we all want to go to heaven. But what is it that has brought us into this relationship with Jesus Christ? Is it because he is our get-out-of-jail-free card? Or, is it because of his eternal love for us and, although we don’t deserve it, we have accepted God’s gift? As a pastor and preacher of the Gospel, I am called to preach the Good News. The Good News is that Jesus loves us! All of us! That is why we should want to be in relationship with him, not out of fear but out of love. I pray that as a church and community, we can experience the fullness of joy and love that we can only experience through Jesus Christ! I pray that everything we do for the Lord be done out of our love for him and his love for us, not out of fear!
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