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Shepherd's House - 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

5/27/2016

This Sunday will begin a summer long look into the history of the Hebrew people in 1 and 2 Kings, Amos, Hosea, and Isaiah. This is usually called the Deuteronomistic History by some scholars that begins with Deuteronomy, continues through 1 &2 Samuel, 1& 2 Kings, and ends with the prophets Amos, Hosea, Micah and the first chapters of Isaiah. It carries several common themes of retribution and redemption important to the people of God between the Exodus and Exile.

Looking forward to hearing about Elijah's clash with the prophets of Ba'al on Mount Carmel. Side note: Faith Lutheran Church in Mount Vernon has a block of stone from Mount Carmel in their Stone Garden (170 Mansfield Rd). (map)

It was good to have Dan and Coralee with us on Sunday after their return from the Philippines. I was able to brag about them a little bit while in Kansas City this week.

Last Week's Travel to KC
On Tuesday night to Thursday morning, I was at meetings with World Mission personnel Marty Hoskins, Grant Christy, Jenna Stout and Verne Ward as well as eight Nazarene missions professors from the US/Canada universities and seminary.

I was also able to meet with eight MVNU graduates attending seminary. I also ran into Mikey McPherson staying with his family until his assignment begins next week at Indianapolis Shepherd Community as well as another student of mine on an internship with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries.

I was a little proud, I admit, to hear that Kelly Vargo, one of my ICS students, wrote a paper that won an award and will be presenting it during the Compassion Conference in July held at Olivet Nazarene University (it's the same week as our district assembly or I'd be there!).

It was a long 72 hours but it was good to be back in Knox County when I pulled this Friday morning at 4:00 a.m.

PALCON
Next week is PALCON (Pastors and Leaders Conference) being hosted on MVNU campus. There are plenary sessions in the evenings starting at 6:30 p.m. with Dr David Graves on Tuesday evening, Dr Dan Boone on Wednesday, and Dr Scott Daniels on Thursday. (I'm not sure you can come without registering but I'm not sure anyone will turn you away at the door!)

I will be conducting a seminar on hard to reach people on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. in the Campus Center 244.

Organic Church Network
On Friday morning, June 3, I will be part of the team putting together the Nazarene Organic Church post-conference Meeting. We have 30 registrants including some DSs, pastors, and lay leaders from across the country. It will start at 8:30 a.m. in the Jetter Business Center round room. Howie Shute, Bill Wiesman, Mark Montegomery and myself will be the speakers. We will also have a significant time of prayer and brainstorming on how to reach the Great Lakes megaregion through church multiplication.

Notes from Sunday
Last Sunday
Sunday Word & Table in Apple Valley
Attendance: 30
Giving: $900

This Sunday at Church
Worship at 10am in Apple Valley
Home Group at 6pm (meeting at church)

Readings for the 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Call to Worship: Psalm 96:1-9
Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 19:20-21 (22-29), 30-39
Epistle Reading: Galatians 1:1-12
Gospel Reading: Luke 7:11-17

Coming Up
June 5 -- Jon Gerlach, our summer and youth intern will be preaching on this morning. I will be at Fostoria OH Church of the Nazarene preaching on how to reach the Great Lakes megaregion at the invitation of Pastor Bernie Dickson.

June 12 -- Sundays at 5pm Word & Table in Downtown Mt Vernon starting summer practice services again and meeting every other week.

June 19 -- Missionary Speakers
Bernie and Rhonda Slingerland are Global missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene serving in the Mesoamerica Region overseeing the work in 31 countries in Mexico, Central America, Panama and the Caribbean. The MAR Regional Office is in Panama City, Panama. They have served in missionary assignments in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela. They have served as missionaries since 1995.
Their daughters Hannah and Abigail are students at MVNU.

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Shepherd's House - Trinity Sunday Year C 2016

5/20/2016

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Annual Meeting

It was great to hear the reports during the annual meeting for Shepherd's House this past Sunday.

The meeting was held appropriately this year on Pentecost Sunday, the day Christians celebrate the Spirit-infused initation into being sent into all the diversity of this world with the verity of the Good News.

Among the highlights was a report on the house churches from Rev. Hank Spaulding, a district licensed minister and leader of the MVNU house churches. The first group of 24 crammed into the living area of the on-campus apartment of Phil and Lauren Lanz. The group fixed a meal, spoke honestly about their lives, prayed for each other, read the week's lectionary passages, and celebrated the Lord's Supper. Eight months later, there are now six groups with almost 60 meeting every week some place on campus. Next year a couple of the groups plan to expand off campus.

This year we also sent Dave and Coralee Behr to Asia-Pacific Nazarene Seminary to serve in the communications department. They will return this week on their half-time APNTS & MVNU assignment with World Mission as part of the Global Faculty.

Elections were held. Dave Arnold is the lay delegate to the District Assembly, Alice Williams is the at large delegate to SDMI and NMI convention. Deb Minard will continue as missions (NMI) president, and Phil Lanz will serve as SDMI president (home discipleship groups) since Jacob Hale, the current SDMI president, will be moving to Columbus at the end of the summer. The church also gave a vote of affirmation to the appointment of Matt Price as the regular pastor.

The financial report given by treasurer Dave Arnold reported $67,000 total giving for the year. The giving included all connectional interests to the North Central Ohio district, MVNU, and the World Evangelism. Next year, we were reminded that we needed $1300 per week to maintain the ministry focus of our local church in our current location.

Notes from Sunday

Last Sunday
Sunday Word & Table in Apple Valley
Attendance: 35
Giving: $1438

This Sunday at Church
Worship at 10am in Apple Valley
Home Group at 6pm (meeting at church)

Readings for Trinity Sunday
Call to Worship: Psalm 8
Old Testament Reading: Prov. 8:1-4, 22-31
Epistle Reading: Romans 5:1-5
Gospel Reading: John 16:12-15

Coming Up
June 12 -- Sundays at 5pm Word & Table in Downtown Mt Vernon starting summer practice services again and meeting every other week.

June 19 -- Missionary Speakers
Bernie and Rhonda Slingerland are Global missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene serving in the Mesoamerica Region overseeing the work in 31 countries in Mexico, Central America, Panama and the Caribbean. The MAR Regional Office is in Panama City, Panama. They have served in missionary assignments in Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela. They have served as missionaries since 1995.
Their daughters Hannah and Abigail are students at MVNU.

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Early Summer Reading List 2016

5/12/2016

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Here are a few of the books on my short reading list for this summer:

The Fellowship: The Literary Lives of the Inklings by Philip and Carol Zaleski (2015)

The Lost World of Genesis One by John H. Walton (2009)

Rendevous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke (1973)

American Nations: A History of Eleven Rival Regional Cultures in North America by Colin Woodard (2012)

True Confections: A Novel by Katherine Weber (2010)

You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James K. A. Smith (2016)

Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture, and Create Movement by Will Mancini (2008)

The Gospel and Pluralism Today: Reassessing Lesslie Newbigin in the 21st Centuryby Scott Sunquist and Amos Yong (2015)

This reading is hopeful. We'll see just how far I get.

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Shepherd's House - 2nd Sunday after Pentecost

Shepherd's House - Trinity Sunday Year C 2016

Annual Meeting

Notes from Sunday

Early Summer Reading List 2016

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