Recent connections

DISTRICT COUNCIL: It was great to see many of you at District Council at Victory Life Church in Fruita, CO, April 27-29. The Lord gave us an enriching time of worship, ministry, fellowship, and business. I am humbled by the Council’s decision to return me to the office of Superintendent for the upcoming term. I came into this Council having served in this role for almost 2 years and am honored you would ask me to continue.

Recordings of the messages in all the District Council services and workshops are available on our website, www.rmdc.org, currently under Upcoming Events and later will be listed under Resources. I encourage you to take in the wonderful preaching and teaching provided. Special thanks to Dr. James Bradford for his messages in the night services and thanks to all our workshop presenters. Also, in our Missions Service Tuesday evening we took an offering for Missionary Chad Phillips’ ministry to missionary kids. I also want to thank Pastor Ted and Tami Miller and Victory Life Church for hosting this Council. In our RMDC Connection publication this month Virgil Illum gives a full report on the actions taken at District Council. This publication is posted on our web site.

LIVING IN GOD’S FAVOR: At District Council I shared a message on Kingdom Growth. My first point in the message is “Kingdom Growth requires God’s Blessing”. This includes God’s sovereign action and God’s favor, which relates to the condition of our hearts. I would like to expand on this point beyond what I shared in the message at Council to bring into focus the essential quality of integrity in a minister’s life.

When I was called to pastor a church several years ago I followed a Pastor who had to leave the church and the ministry due to a moral failure. I learned some things first-hand about the effect of a Pastor’s moral failure on a church. He served there for several years and engaged in a hidden extramarital affair for a period of time before his dismissal. When all this came to light the result was a Loss of people, heartache, confusion, and a loss of trust in the congregation.

One irony in the situation was that the Pastor, even while engaged in persistent sin, had an earnest desire to see the church grow. He worked hard employing normally effective ministries and methods in a church that had many excellent qualities already. However, in spite of his efforts the church began to decline. I had congregants tell me they knew something was wrong but they didn’t know what it was until the affair was exposed. God didn’t leave His people during this time, but it appears He did lift His favor from the work of the church. After the Pastor left and we arrived God’s favor returned and the church began to immediately grow without changing any methods or ministries. I know there are cases were a church grows even when a Pastor is engaged in immorality, but sooner or later God disciplines and things change.

As ministers we have an obligation to God and an obligation to the body of Christ to live our lives above reproach. No doubt, we enter God’s family solely on the basis of His grace and the finished work of Christ on the cross. We do not gain or retain salvation by our works. But, having received His forgiveness and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, God sets us on a needed journey of transformation for “we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” Credentialed ministers should be well on their way in this journey of transformation; living overcoming lives that present a Christ-like example to the flock of God free from behaviors that can be stumbling blocks to the weak.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Ephesians 12:1. Such a life invites the favor of God and no amount of work can substitute for His favor.

RECENT CONNECTIONS: Since my last ebulletin I have had the privilege of worshipping with Pastor Keith and Julie Boyer of Crossroads Community Church in Commerce City, CO. This is an exciting growing church ministering in partnership with five other campuses. I also celebrated the 10th anniversary of Pastor Charles and Stacie Stoumbaugh with the congregation of Cornerstone Church in Buena Vista, CO. This too is an exciting growing church with two Sunday a.m. services. Congratulations Charlie and Stacey on ten years of ministry in Buena Vista!

Returning from District Council I ministered at Living Hope Church in Colorado Springs, CO where Pastor Phillip and Heather Steiger serve. The church in partnership with Focus on the Family had just completed a successful marriage seminar for the community. On Mother’s Day Loretta spoke at Parker Christian Center where Pastor David and Kathy Goerzen minister. They have grown to two Sunday morning services and the joy of the Lord is evident in this body of believers.

May 14 – 16 was our Honor Bound Men’s Retreat at Keystone, CO. Jeff Lucas’ ministry was outstanding and I believe all in attendance received something fresh from God. Thanks Dave Argue for a challenging message Sunday a.m., also. We are transitioning our District Men’s retreats as we move forward. In 2011 we plan to have regional retreats with a Friday night through Saturday afternoon schedule to make the retreats more accessible to the AG men of Utah and Colorado. More information will be forthcoming as we solidify plans.