RECENT CONNECTIONS

ROCKY MOUNTAIN MINISTRIES CONFERENCE:

August 24-25 we conducted the Rocky Mountain Ministries Conference on the West Slope of Colorado at Victory Life Church in Fruita, CO.  One hundred ninety five (195) ministry leaders and workers from 39 churches attended.  It was an exciting event with helpful workshops and encouraging interaction.  Most of the workshop audio recordings are now posted on our district web site at www.rmdc.org.  You may find these workshops helpful for your workers and I encourage you to check them out.

I want to thank all our district department leaders and workshop presenters for making this a beneficial conference for every church involved.  Also, thanks to Victory Life Church, outgoing Pastor Ted Miller, and incoming Pastor Bob Cook for hosting this conference.

RECENT CONNECTIONS:

On Sunday, August 26^th Loretta and I visited Steamboat Christian Center in Steamboat, CO.  Pastor Troy Lewis is doing a great job leading this church.  The church has Saturday night and Sunday morning services.  The sanctuary was packed Sunday morning when we were present.  The atmosphere of the church was joyous, exciting, and faith-filled.  With several hundred people coming and a clear vision for future ministry they are in the stewardship phase of preparations to build additional facilities.  God bless you Pastor Troy and Julie Lewis.

Wednesday night, August 29^th Loretta and I attended the water baptism of two of our grandchildren at Restoration Church in Fountain, CO.  As you might imagine we are thankful for the faith of our grandchildren and for a healthy thriving church ministering to their young hearts.  Thirty seven people were baptized that night and now over 100 people have been baptized in 2012 at Restoration Church!  God bless you Pastor Paul and Melanie Aragon as you continue to lead this dynamic church.

NEW CHURCHES:

Sunday, September 9^th Loretta and I attended the opening service of Connection Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado.  Pastor Shawn Reine is the founding campus pastor of this new work.  Shawn most recently served as Youth Pastor at Dakota Ridge Assembly with Pastor Paul Church and has a great heart for the Denver area.  Connection Church is a Parent Affiliated Church of Crossroads Church in Lafayette, Louisiana a large church where Shawn served as Youth Pastor in years past. 

This church plant is the product of cooperation between the Louisiana District, the Rocky Mountain District, Dakota Ridge Assembly, and Crossroads Church.  Pastor Paul Church and Dakota Ridge Assembly in Littleton, CO have been instrumental in blessing and releasing the establishment of this church.  There were 157 people in attendance and 4 salvations at the launch service.  God bless you Shawn and Amy as you establish this needed church.

I spoke with Buddy Bishop in early September.  Buddy and Cecily started a new church in Dove Creek, CO about three months ago using the facilities of the church we closed a few years ago.  This marks a new beginning of ministry in the Dove Creek area.  Crossroads Victory Worship Center under the leadership of Pastor Chris Peterson provided a team to help prepare the building for the launch of this church. 

Buddy has knocked on half the doors in Dove Creek to date (a community of 800 people) and there are 25 to 30 people now attending this new church.  Buddy’s goal is to establish a viable flourishing church and locate a young pastor called by God to come and lead the church into sustained effective ministry.  In the long history of Assemblies of God ministry in Dove Creek, prior to closing the previous church, many came to Christ and several were called into ministry.  God bless you, Pastor Buddy and Cecily in this important work.

So far in 2012 eleven new churches have been set in order in the Rocky Mountain District (RMD).  Ten of those are Parent Affiliated Churches (PACs).  Two have been in existence as satellite ministries for a few years, and one is an independent church in Washington, UT coming into the AG as a PAC of Westview Christian Center, Cedar City, UT under the Pastoral leadership of Gerald Van Iwaarden.  The other PACs have been established in the last one to three years and chartered this year.  A quick calculation indicates there are well over one thousand people in attendance in these new churches already – PTL!

In addition we have partnered with two other districts to see the establishment of two churches in the geographical region of the RMD; they will technically be part of other districts but in fellowship and partnership with the RMD.  They are Urban Outreach Denver, inner city Denver, CO, Pastor Isaac Olivarez, Central District and Connections Church, Highlands Ranch, CO, Pastor Shawn Reine, Louisiana District.

We anticipate setting in order a new church in Mancos, CO under the leadership of Pastor Paul Houston soon and there are other satellites under way that may become PACs in the future.  I thank God for each new church.  Churches planting churches is the best way to start and sustain churches.  The PAC concept opens the door wider for pastors and churches to prayerfully consider reaching more people for Christ by establishing multiple campus churches.

Our Executive Presbytery meets this week, September 13-14 in Delta CO.  We have a great team serving on this executive board.  We will visit Camp Cedaredge, and Director Lee Terry and Renae Terry who provides excellent administration for the camp.  Camp Cedaredge is thriving in ministry and financial viability.  We will also visit House of Promise and Director Vicki Proffit.  House of Promise is an arm of Teen Challenge with an outstanding ministry to single moms in need.  Thank you, Lee, Renae, and Vicki for your leadership in these ministries.

TEEN CHALLENGE:

Ken Summers is the Executive Director of Teen Challenge Rocky Mountains.  May God continue to bless and use all three Teen Challenge centers – 180 Ministries men’s center in Denver, CO, New Hope House for teen age girls in Toele, Utah, and House of Promise for single moms in Olathe, CO.  You can learn more about these strategic ministries at teenchallengerockymountains.com.

September 15-19 Loretta and I travel to Sedona, AZ for our annual Southwest Region Superintendents meeting.  It is refreshing and instructive to spend time with these leaders.