CONNECTIONS
News from Converge
MidAtlantic
July 2009 - Vol 3, Issue
4
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| Greetings!
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 Thanks for your interest and
partnership in Converge MidAtlantic. May God
richly bless you in your ministry as the summer
season comes to a close. In Christ, Dan
Peterson | | |
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ReTooling Ministry
Expanding
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The Converge ReTooling ministry of helping to
"revisionize" your church's leadership for greater health and
growth, is expanding in our district. Two of our district's
congregations are halfway through this challenging two-year
process, and three churches are planning to launch a
"retooling" process this fall. Every church across our
movement that has been involved in "retooling" has testified
to the fantastic benefit to their church. Churches are
discovering new ways to serve their community. Healthier
leadership teams are emerging. Increased spiritual vitality
across the congregation is being felt. Expanded mission
involvement regionally and globally is
happening. This summer two new coaches have been
added to our team of ReTool Kit trainers that are prepared to
serve Converge MidAtlantic churches in the mobilization
process. If your church's vision needs attention please
contact Gary Schroeder. We're prepared to meet with your
leadership team, and to talk together about what this process
might look like in your church. The "retooling"
consultation process is a big part of what Converge is
about. Let us know how we can help.  In Christ, Dan
Peterson, Executive Minister Gary Schroeder, Associate
Minister |
Ukraine
Blessings
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God has
again richly blessed the Love Lift Ukraine summer teams who
have served Jesus in Ukraine! Teams from nine of our District
churches witnessed the Holy Spirit move in powerful  ways through a variety of ministries
including English camps, children's Adventure Camps, Youth
ministry camps, ministry to orphans and to poor families, drug
and alcohol rehabilitation training, evangelism and preaching
ministries, leadership development, training of pastors, and
much more. Churches from Converge MidAtlantic involved this
summer included: Berean (Mansfield, OH), Fite Memorial
(Marion, OH), Mentor (Mentor, OH), Old North (Canfield, OH),
Lakeshore (Rochester, NY), Christ Community (Fredonia, NY),
First Baptist, Glenarden (Landover, MD), First Baptist New
Castle (New Castle, PA), and Evergreen (Charlottesville,
VA).
Tanya Martin from First Baptist, Glenarden
is living full time in Ukraine now, learning the language, and
preparing to become involved in discipleship ministries,
leadership development, and serving in orphanages and other
institutions. Natasha Parker, from New Vision Church in Bowie,
MD, is also making plans to serve in Ukraine as a career
servant of Christ.
Plans are also being developed for
spring and summer trips in 2010. Next year, Converge
MidAtlantic, and the Ukraine Baptist Conference of Rivne, will
be celebrating ten years of shared ministry together! A major
celebration is being planned for the summer of 2010 there in
Ukraine.
If your church has an interest in
exploring this sister church partnership movement in Ukraine,
please contact Dan or Anna anytime. We'd be glad to help
others experience the blessing of this very special mission
ministry.
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Seed Money Offerings Are Coming in
for Church Planting
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During
the months of August through October, Seed Money offerings are
being received across our Converge MidAtlantic District for
church planting expansion. Five of ten lead churches have
already given to this year's offering, and other churches
across the CMA region are planning to participate by the end
of this offering campaign.
Together, we are trusting God
for a total offering of $100,000 to help support 7 church
planter couples that are currently on the field, and then to
help deploy up to 3 new church planters, as God provides. One
of the leaders we are seeking to support is Pastor Nhan Phan,
pictured here. Pastor Phan leads our Vietnamese church plant
in the Fairfax, VA area. Pray for him and for each of our
planters serving in this crucial Kingdom expansion ministry.
If you have not committed to participating
in this year's offering, you still can share in the blessing.
Contact Anna at: Anna@convergemidatlantic.com and she will
help you to make all of the necessary arrangements. Pray with
us for God's richest provision as we seek to take new ground
in needy communities for Jesus.
Please click on the
link below to view a short video and find out more about our
2009 Seed Money Offering:
2009 Seed Money
Offering
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Generosity Summit Coming in
September
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It's not too late to bring a team of
leaders to our Converge Generosity Summit, planned
for Tuesday-Wednesday,
September 22-23 at First Baptist Church of Glenarden.
This will be the third Generosity Summit hosted in our
District over the past two years. What an awesome opportunity
to explore with your leaders and with leaders of other
churches the meaning and practice of generosity as followers
of Christ.
Speakers involved in the summit
include Andy Stanley, Dave Ramsey, and others via DVD, and
also Pastor John Jenkins, Jerry Sheveland, and Scott Ridout in
live venues. Lead Pastors need to attend, and are encouraged
to bring a team of up to eight leaders from your church. Cost
for the entire team is $199. To sign up for this event,
contact Gary at the CMA office (gary@convergemidatlantic.com) or sfleming@fbcglenarden.org, or log on to our
website at: www.convergemidatlantic.com.
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News from our
churches
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Lakeshore (Rochester, NY)
breaks ground for Community Life Center - On Sunday,
June 7th, Lakeshore Community Church of Rochester, NY broke
ground for a new community life center that will add
significant new ministry space to the church's growing campus
facility. As work continues through the summer and into the
fall, exciting progress is being made.  Here is an update from Pastor
Vince DiPaola:
"We're
over half way through the construction process and many great
developments are happening with the Lakeshore Community Center
(LC2). With great weather, all the concrete floors have been
poured and finished. The Multipurpose Area has nearly three of
the four sides of the block walls built up to their final
height of over 20 feet. Steel has been set for all the support
spaces (Atrium, Kitchen, Classrooms and Bathrooms) and the
metal studs are going up. The roof decking is finalized in
these areas as well. In addition to the main structure, the 40
× 40 foot storage building located behind the Multipurpose
Area has had its concrete floor poured. We will build this
building on our own later this year."
 Living
Hope Community Church (Conneautville, PA) plans
to launch a second campus for worship and ministry expansion
next month in Springboro, about three miles from their current
location. Under the leadership of Pastor Loren Little, Living
Hope Community Church will hold three preview services at the
Springboro Community Center (Aug. 23, Sept. 6 and Sept. 20)
before the official launch on October 4th. Baptisms at Terra Nova (Delaware,
OH) and New Hope (Loudonville, OH) -  On Sunday, August 9th, 12 new
believers were baptized at Terra Nova Community Church of
Delaware, OH. Under the leadership of Pastor Jason Allison,
Terra Nova rejoices in this milestone in the life of these
followers of Jesus! Click here to watch the
video. Also, on Sunday, Aug 23rd, New Hope,
Loudonville baptized 28. Earlier in the month on Aug. 16, New
Hope, Wooster also saw 18 follow Jesus in the waters of
baptism. What an awesome thing to celebrate as a
movement of churches!  |
Upcoming
Opportunities
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 First Steps Training Conference for
Church Planters planned for October 5-7 in Pittsburgh. If you
are a church planter, a leader interested in learning more
about church planting, a leader of a potential parent church,
or simply someone wanting to expand your horizons on what it
means to lead a missional church, First Steps may be for you.
Hosted at the Pittsburgh downtown Sheraton Hotel, our CMA
First Steps Training Conference offers proven principles for
planting and leading a missional church. Keynote teacher is
Gary Rohrmayer, Director of ConvergeUSA, our National church
planting organization. Here's an opportunity to connect up
with other church planters, with church planting coaches, and
with a facilitator who has had a lot of experience in starting
new Christ centered churches. Log on to our Converge
MidAtlantic website for more details or feel free to call Anna
at our CMA office.
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Mideast Baptist
Conference
20 E. McKinley Way, Poland,
Ohio 44514 · 330-757-7970 ·
convergemidatlantic.com
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