Victory by Submission

If you have cable or satellite tv, you have seen it, it is the fastest growing martial art sport in the United States. Cage Fighting is a blend of martial arts styles made popular by the tv show "Ultimate Fighting Championship." Doctors warn that this kind of Martial Art is very dangerous, could be fatal and fighters it should be careful.

One of the favorites martial art style used on cage fighting is called Jiu-jitsu.
Jiu-jitsu promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant using joint-locks(arm bar for example) and chokeholds to defeat an opponent. When one opponent is able to apply the joint lock or the chokehold successfully, the other taps the floor indicating that he can’t handle anymore. This kind of action applied by the winner is called “Victory by submission”.

In James 4:7 (NIV) says: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. God wants the oposite of forcing us to submission. He wants us to submitt ourselves to him. Forced submission is nothing different than law enforcement. Jesus said that we should love God and our neighbors as ourselves before anything else. Submission to Him is a volutary action and we do it because we love him.
In the same time, when our lives are submitted to God we can resist the devil and only then the devil will flee from us. Many want to have victory over satan, but they don’t want total submission to God and it can’t happen. (Acts 19:13-17)
Submission to God is an act of love. If we love him we obey him commandments.
May we submit to Him, after all the best and easy way is Victory by Submission.

Bishop David Roller’s Blog

Bishop Roller has his own Blog that he posts regularly even when he is away. The blog has many of his thoughts and messages that bring insight for the church. It contains not only messages in text, but also videos.
The blog content goes from tips for your next vacation to altar calls. Check it out at http://www.fmcna.typepad.com/roller/

Two churches pay off mortgages in November

Both Passaic First Spanish and Mountainview Community Church in White Haven, PA paid off their mortgages in November.

Mountainview has raised $100,000 in seventeen months to pay off their mortgage. Pastor Joe Shimko credits a spirit of prayer by the church, praying specifically for the mortgage to be paid off, and the generosity of many people. We rejoice with the people of Mountainview on achieving this significant milestone, and pray that God will direct the next step of their ministry.

I received a call from Pastor Hector Fernandez on Thanksgiving day to tell me that the leaders of his church presented him with a Thanksgiving gift by informing him that the church mortgage had been paid off. He said they told him that the leaders of the church have been working for three years to pay off the mortgage, and had planned to surprise him with that gift. Pray for Passaic church as they are looking for a building that will be able to seat 1000 people. It is very difficult to find this type of building in the downtown area of Passaic.

Diogenes Cezila Hired as Communication Specialist

David Harvey, Superintendent of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Free Methodist Church, is pleased to introduce a new staff member, Diogenes Cezila.
Diogenes has been employed to fill the role of Communications Specialist, effective November 24, 2008. In this role he will design and implement a comprehensive communication strategy for the Mid-Atlantic Region.
The impact of Diogenes’ work will be seen as there will be an increase of the steady flow of high quality communication from the conference office to pastors and churches. This communication, in multiple formats (including website, blog, e-mail, etc), will promote the purpose and vision of the MAR among pastors and churches and will provide information that will build a sense of belonging and team.
Let us tell you a bit about Diogenes. Born to Afonso and Fatima Cezila in the Brazilian city of Braganca Paulista (in the state of Sao Paulo); Diogenes is 26 years of age, has been married to Michelle for three years, and has a 19-year-old sister, Daiane (pronounced like the Anglo name Diane).
Diogenes is a gifted worship leader, a ministry he has pursued since he gave his life to Jesus at age 17. He has been a worship leader both in Brazil and in the United States, where he has lived since age 21.
By age 18 he had operated a bakery for four years, initially in partnership with his father, a church planting pastor. As the church grew and his father went to full-time ministry, Diogenes became the sole proprietor of the business, which he operated until age 18 when he became a Network Manager and Computer Tech for a company in Brazil.
Diogenes holds a technical degree in Computer Maintenance. He has earned a Church Planter degree from the Free Methodist Church’s seminary. Diogenes is currently working on a degree in Business Administration at the Community College of Baltimore County.
Currently Diogenes is involved with the ministry of the Baltimore Brazilian Church Planting Project and the Dundalk Free Methodist Church in Baltimore, MD. He is passionate about his faith in Jesus and very competent in using communications technology in service to the Kingdom of God.

Diogenes speaks English, Portuguese and Spanish and is available in the Mid-Atlantic Office on Mondays for those who may need to communicate to us in Spanish or Portuguese.
Join us in welcoming Diogenes to his part-time role (eight hours a week) in the Regional Office of the Maryland-Virginia and the New York Conferences. You may communicate with him directly by calling the office 410-297-8017 or e-mailing him at doc@midatlanticfmc.org.

News from Myrtle Beach Brazilian Church plant

Myrtle Beach Brazilian Church recently had their first graduation of leadership school. Of 10 graduates, 6 of them are teenagers and 4 adults. The leadership school prepares believers to serve as small group (cell groups) leaders and they are very excited to start reaching out the Brazilian community in Myrtle Beach SC.
The church plant started July/2007 since then, they baptized 10 new believers and had 6 weddings. The Church led by pastor Arimateia with the help of his wife, pastor Ismenia, and his son pastor Josafa have a Sunday attendance of 50 people and they have great expectations of growth with the new small groups.

Casa de Oracion Baptizes 14

Casa de Orcion church plant in Clifton, New Jersey recently had a celebration service in which they baptized 14 new believers and received six new members. The church is growing steadily and is led by pastor Camilo Mora. It is currently averaging over 60 people on a Sunday. Casa de Oracion was planted by Clifton Crossroads church which is led by pastors Willie and Daisy Kirchhofer.

Kevin Rollo Appointed Pastor at Windsor, NY

Pastor Kevin Rollo has been appointed as the pastor at Windsor , NY, beginning the first of September, 2008. Pastor Rollo has grown the nearby Occanum, NY, church from about six people to nearly 100 as a part-time pastor. Kevin will now be pastoring both churches in a full time position. Kevin takes over leadership from Bob Landau who has done excellent work as an interim pastor at Windsor.

Passaic First Spanish Baptizes 60

Last Sunday (August 31, 2008) Passaic First Spanish Church baptized sixty new converts. According to Pastor Hector Fernandez the day was a great day of celebration. Not only did they baptize 60 but another 15 people accepted Christ during the service. Pastor Hector also reported that on Sunday evening 13 people received Christ at a service at Pastor Oquin Rodriguez's church in West Orange, NJ.

August 23 Meeting of Burundian Free Methodists

On August 23, 2008, Bishop David Roller will be hosting a meeting of Burundian Free Methodists who are living in the U.S. This meeting will be held at the Layhill FMC. As you may know, Catholic Social Services has been bringing people from the Central Africa Refugee camps to the United States. Among these people are a number of Free Methodists. Groups of these Burundi Christians have been settled in several cities in the East, including a large group in Roanoke, VA.

A Call to Prayer

Dear Free Methodist Family,

Situations arise in the life of the church in which we feel compelled to call the entire body of Free Methodists to particular prayer. Paul admonishes the saints in Ephesus to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18 NIV). There is a pressing need for a great chorus of prayer from a people called Free Methodists.

At the end of August a delegation from the Free Methodist World Conference (Bishop Elie Buconyori - Burundi, Bishop David Kendall - North America, Bishop Keith Elford - Canada, and Superintendent Allan Ellershaw - United Kingdom) will be traveling to Rwanda to appeal for the release from prison of Rwandan Bishop Philemon Munyagisaka. We are calling on all Free Methodists everywhere to pray for the release of Bishop Philemon and for God's favor on the World Conference delegation.

Will you please join in fervent, concentrated prayer for this endeavor?

Karin Conner, on behalf of the Board of Bishops
Free Methodist Church of North America

Bishop David W. Kendall
Bishop David T. Roller
Bishop Matthew A. Thomas

2007 Libro de Disciplina Now Available

The most recent volume of the Free Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline is a must have resource for all Free Methodists in leadership.
The 2007 Book of Discipline reflects the changes from the 2007 General Conference. Significant updates to chapter 3 "The Christian Journey" and the final version of chapter 7 "Church Order" were made.

Dark blue cover, 293 pages , Perfect Bound (paperback) $14.95 plus shipping and handling

WESLEYAN PUBLISHING HOUSE
1-800-493-7539
www.parable.com/wph/
SERVING THE DISTRIBUTION AND CUSTOMER SERVICE
NEEDS OF LIGHT AND LIFE COMMUNICATIONS

Myrtle Beach Church Plant Celebrates First Anniversary

On July 19, 2008 Myrtle Beach Brazilian church plant celebrated their first anniversary. 127 people gathered for the service at which I was privileged to preach. God is blessing this church through the ministries of Pastor Arimateia and his wife Ismenia, and their son Josefa. The church is currently averaging in the mid-sixties and is able to pay Pastor Arimateia a full time salary and Pastor Josefa a part time salary. The church is growing steadily. They have had a number of baptisms, have recently started a 5:30 a.m. prayer service that is averaging in the 20's, and they have about 10 American adults attending who do not speak Portuguese. They use a wireless transmitter to translate the service into English. This church makes extensive use of small group discipleship.

The Five Actions of Rapid Expansion

What are the actions that will take the church to Rapid Expansion? At annual conferences this year we asked each church to do five things in the coming year. These five actions are the key actions necessary to move the church from addition to multiplication.

These actions are:
I. Teach Submission - Submission is the one human action that brings the life of God into the human heart and into the church (Hebrews 12:9). Rapid Expansion can only happen when the life of God is flowing in the world.

II. Offer Grace - The only thing the church really has to offer is Grace. We try far too hard to "sell" Jesus as a benefit. But in fact, it is the story of Jesus that is compelling. Offer the Grace of forgiveness, of the nearness and the goodness of God that is available to us by the act of Jesus lived out in his life, death, and resurrection.

III. Dispense Grace - Assist believers interact with other people in a way that lives out the compassion of Jesus. We are to dispense the grace of God into the world everywhere we go. "Christian" is a synonym for "gracious person."

IV. Speak the Name - Jesus IS part of our story. We all tell our story every day. We do not have to struggle to "witness", we just have normal conversations in which we honestly tell our story, and include Jesus as part of our story. Every time you tell your story and make Jesus part of you story, the Holy Spirit uses that as an invitation to believe.

V. Start a New Group - The church spread in New Testament times by the creation of new groups. The church has always spread by the creation of new groups. The purpose of every group (read: congregation, home group, Sunday School class, small group) is to create links into the world to create new groups. Ask God what your group needs to do to start a new group in the next twelve months!

2007 Book of Discipline

now available 

The most recent volume of the Free Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline is a must have resource for all Free Methodists in leadership. 

The 2007 Book of Discipline reflects the changes from the 2007 General Conference. Significant updates to chapter 3 “The Christian Journey” and the final version of chapter 7 “Church Order” were made. 

Dark blue cover, 296 pages 

Perfect bound (paperback) — $12.95 

Smyth sewn (hardback) — $14.95 

CD — $8.00 

(plus shipping and handling) 

Available later this year: 2007 Libro de Disciplina. 

2007 BOOK OF DISCIPLINE FREE METHODIST CHURCH 

WESLEYAN PUBLISHING HOUSE 

1-800-493-7539 

www.parable.com/wph/ 

SERVING THE WAREHOUSING AND CUSTOMER SERVICE 

NEEDS OF LIGHT AND LIFE COMMUNICATIONS 

New Teaching Conference Available - Good Price

I received this note from Dwight Mason, who pastors one of the largest Free Methodist Churches in the country. He has designed a conference to teach what they are doing. For more information contact Dwight.


Dwight Mason
Lead Pastor
NewPointe Community Church
330-602-5600
www.newpointe.org
www.dwightmason.com


I wanted to share an opportunity with you. Here at NewPointe ( Formerly Sugarcreek Free Methodist ) we have just finished 15 months in our new relocation . We are experiencing a great wave of people’s lives being change. God is doing some pretty incredible stuff. Because we are getting a lot of request and feel we have a unique story of being in a smaller community than a metro area. We offering a conference called NewPointe unfiltered. It is a day and half conference, that gives pastors, staff and leaders a personal up close view of what we do here and why. I believe it has the potential to really challenge and encourage, pastors, staff , leaders and churches who really want to touch their cities for God . We are launching our first April 26 & 27 .

I would like to know if you would do me a favor and share this with your churches. It believe it would be a great experience for them seeing a Free Methodist Church doing it. We are not advertising out side of just a few conferences right now and are limiting the registration to 75. In the fall we will begin to broaden our reach to outside the Free Methodist Church . We are making it very affordable at $59 .

Free Methodist "Flashpoints!" Available

Here is a new resource from the FMC available for free.

You can now download the April 2008 issue of FM Flashpoints! Make as many copies as you like in either color or black and white. These high-resolution PDFs are formatted on two 8.5 x 11" sheets of paper, with front on one sheet and back on another. Simply print a two-sided copy, then cut in half and it is ready to stuff in your Sunday-morning bulletin. This monthly, FREE resource is a replacement for Free Methodist Ministries Today (formerly a subscription-based bulletin insert mailed to churches from the FM World Ministries Center).

You can also download FM Flashpoints as a PowerPoint presentation that is graphic rich with additional pictures relating to the news stories. Pick and choose which stories you want to feature on different weeks as announcement slides in your multimedia shows.

Urban Intern Summer Stipends Available

I received this e-mail from Helen Kaufmann regarding the availability of money for summer urban internships. If you are interested please follow the contact directions below.

Dear Superintendent Harvey,

Free Methodist Urban Fellowship would like to encourage urban ministry by awarding stipends of up to $600 each to several young people who have chosen to do a summer internship in a city church or church plant.Perhaps you know of churches in your conference which could profit from the help of a summer intern if they had a little additional funding. If so, please encourage them to apply and to contact FMUF as soon as possible. (Pastor Rose Brewer at 503.358.5774, email: PastorRoseBrewer@gmail.com or Helen Kaufmann 217.328.1770, email helen.kaufmann@yahoo.com)

The responsibility to find an intern rests with the church. Both the church and the intern should submit an application form, which may be found on line at http://www.fmuf.freemethodistchurch.org/

Please note that the announced application deadline, April 10, is being extended.

Thanks so much for your help!
Helen Kaufmann
Communications CoordinatorFree Methodist Urban Fellowship

A new book by Bishop Emeritus Donald Bastian

I received an e-mail from Bishop Emeritus Donald Bastian regarding a new book he has published. Here is a brief description of the book and a link to purchase it.

"I've called it GOD'S HOUSE RULES, SEVEN BIBLICAL TRUTHS TO TRANSFORM AND ENRICH YOUR FAMILY LIFE. It's just what its title says it is -- an effort to identify and explain the meaning of seven truths by means of biblical exposition and contemporary illustrations. I have distributed it here at our location in Florida quite broadly and some grandparents have bought it, read it, and then come back for several copies to send to children and grandchildren. "

http://www.amazon.com/Gods-House-Rules-Biblical-Transform/dp/097844020X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206989973&sr=8-1

Maryland Virginia Missions Giving Doubles Goal

Here is a copy of a letter I received from Art Brown. Thanks to all those churches that gave so generously, and thanks to Keith Hulton our Missions Promoter.


Dear David,
Thank you for the tremendous support of the New York and Maryland-Virginia Conferences for our 2007 UMC budget. We just received the final figures and I was especially blessed to see that Maryland-Virginia had raised $79,957 or over 105% of your UMC goal. Wow! Praise the Lord!
I believe that this is a great victory for you and your team. FMWM transition issues have challenged all of us. Your team has addressed the challenge -- including those aspects that were confusing and frustrating -- and made a very large statement of support for the Lord and his international kingdom.
Thank you for your personal support. It wouldn't have happened otherwise.
You'll also be pleased to know that although FMWM raised only 97.79% percent of the total UMC goal, expenditure cuts should make up much of the difference. Also, because we received much more in estate gifts than our budget called for we may even be able to replenish some of the reserves that have become so seriously depleted.
Praise the Lord
For Jesus and His Kingdom,
Art
Arthur Brown
Executive Director
Free Methodist World Missions

New Milestones Reached...

Storehouse Church has broken through the 300 barrier in 2008. Pastor JR Rushik reports that Storehouse has been consistently averaging over 300 in Sunday attendance for the first time. January was the first month that Storehouse averaged over 300 without any special "Reach Sundays."

Haven Community Church, the church plant in Northeast, MD, had over 100 people in attendance last week, the fourth Sunday that they have met. They had 65 on their first Sunday and attendance has increased every Sunday. Haven is led by Pastor Jack Cohen.

Maryland-Virginia Fellowship Day

Dear Pastors,

The Peach Orchard Christian Retreat Center Board,
in appreciation of our Pastors and spouses,
would like to invite you for a fellowship time with
Bishop David Roller and Yvonne
and Superintendent David Harvey and Dawn.

The event will be held on Saturday April 26th.

At 9 AM, a continental breakfast will be served,
followed by songs, notes of praise,
and getting to know our MD/VA conference leaders.

A hot lunch will be served at 12:30 before dismissal.
Please RSVP For Meals

Directions and contact info are available at: www.peachorchardretreat.org
MDVARETREATCTR@AOL.COM
Phone: 301-384-3305

For those travelling a long distance, overnight accommodations
at the Retreat Center will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
Please call to make a reservation.

Buck Township placed under Pastor Joe Shimko

Buck Township church in Pennsylvania had been placed under the leadership of Pastor Joe Shimko who pastors Mountainview Community Church in White Haven, PA. Pastor Joe has been appointed the pastor and will take administrative leadership of the church. Most of the preaching and pastoral care work will be done by people who assist Joe at White Haven. Buck Twp. is 11 miles from White Haven.

Thanks to Pastor Don Vanderhoof and Roe for their good leadership over the last 16 years.

Northeast, MD church plant has 54 at first meeting

Haven Community Church, our newest church plant, met last Sunday for the first time at the home of Pastor Jack and Melissa Cohen. They had 54 people attend (34 adults, 3 teens, 17 kids). Melissa had a Sunday School with the children. Haven is still looking for a place to rent and hopes to have a grand opening on Easter Sunday. Keep this plant and Pastor Jack and Melissa in your prayers.

Denny Wayman's pastoral counseling course

Denny Wayman is offering his pastoral counseling course again this summer. Here is the information:


This summer I am offering my pastoral counseling class once more. Please forward this email to people in your conferences, districts and churches who may be interested. The course is designed to provide the skills and practice for direct use in church ministry. The information attached explains the reading and the two paths of CEU or MDiv credits (through Haggard School of Theology.)

When: July 21 at 1:00 to July 25 at 12:00 noon
Where: Santa Barbara, CA at the Free Methodist Church, 1435 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara, CA (Housing and meals are not provided).
Who: Pastors and those providing pastoral care in a congregation (i.e. parish health, youth leaders, group leaders, etc.)
Costs: $300 per person (includes syllabus) with a $100 non-refundable deposit.

The class is limited so it will be a "first come - first served" situation with the deposit reserving your place.

Denny Wayman
http://fmcsb.org/staff.html

Conference Merger Task Force Meets

The Conference Merger Task Force had its first meeting Wednesday evening at the regional office in Aberdeen, Md. This task force was formed by action of both conferences after an ad-hoc merger committee recommended that both conferences continue to consider the possibility of merger.

In its first meeting the task force began to lay out a plan to guide its work. It's purpose is to decide whether or not to bring a recommendation to each conference to merge, and if it decides to make that recommendation, then to lay out a process by which merger may take place. The task force is seeking to discern if merging the conferences will enable us to achieve our goal of creating a culture of rapid multiplication of the Kingdom more efficiently.

The task force is discussing the pros and cons of merger as well as discussing what is the role of a conference and what is the role of a superintendent in creating this culture of multiplication.

Please keep this task force in your prayers. Their next meeting is in early February.

Reports Due

This is the time of year when annual reports are submitted. There is always some confusion about these reports. Here is a brief explanation of these reports.

There are two types of reports. One is the Annual Statistical Report which is submitted on line. If you are not sure how to submit this, please contact Kerrie at the conference office and she will guide you through the process. This is due NO LATER than January 31, 2008. Pastors are responsible for seeing that this report is submitted on time.

The second type of report is a confidential report that is filled out by both the pastor and the delegate of each church. These reports have been mailed to pastors and delegates and are to be returned to the conference office.