2008 Nazarene Pastor’s Conference, San Diego, California
Though we stopped in Lubbock for several days on our way and again for almost a week in Edgewood, NM. on our return our first trip of the year was really about going to San Diego, California for the 2008 Nazarene Pastor’s Conference. We weren’t sure what to expect since this was the first Nazarene Pastor’s Conference. For several years we have started our year in San Diego doing K-Church Conferences for the Church of the Nazarene though that series has run it’s course.
This Nazarene Pastor’s Conference was one of the best conferences we have had the privilege to record. Kerry Willis, Reggie McNeal and Dan Spaite all presented excellent messages but Kerry’s message really stood out to us. Pastor of the Harrisonburg Church of the Nazarene, Kerry said his job description was, “Vision Pastor – to help others minimize future regrets.” He started things off with one of the best messages for pastors I have ever heard. In his two-part “The Ears-Wide-Open Encourager” Kerry said “Churches need a pastor who will be God’s friend on their behalf.” Another of Kerry’s “eye openers” was, “We are tempted to forfeit His Holy presence for our human performance.” We feel every pastor should hear this message.
Reggie McNeal’s humor filled presentation at the M7 Conference in February of 2007 was one of our most popular recordings ever. Reggie’s four Pastor’s Conference sessions were titled “Extraordinary Spiritual Leaders” and were presented as only Reggie can do. “You’re the one who decides whether you will achieve greatness as a pastor” was Reggie’s lead-in to seven different areas for growth presented in this, as he put it, “drive-by shooting.”
Dr. Dan Spaite, Spiritual Formation Director and Executive Pastor for Discipleship at Crossroads Nazarene of Chandler, Arizona is also an emergency physician and a tenured professor of emergency medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Dan spoke on issues that are related to health and balance in the context of being called to be a missional leader. One of Dan’s wakeup calls was, “We always think that if I take a sabbatical or a day off the church is missing the benefit of having my strength. Did you know that while the church is missing your strength they are also gaining a reprieve from your weaknesses?”
Tom Nees reported that, “In the corporate world if you’re not benchmarking for best practices you’re likely to go bankrupt.” in his presentation “Best Practices of Growing Churches.”
Around January 5th
Well 2008 is now underway. We started with a trip to Lubbock on January third for a dental appointment. Sharon had been having a problem with a tooth that had already had a root canal. Due to complications Dr. Gregory had referred Sharon to a specialist. The finding was that the tooth needed to be removed so Dr. Gregory will see to that when we return to Lubbock.
While in Lubbock we were able to visit Dean and Mary Newsom. Our first evening with them we went out for dinner and while returning Sharon mentioned her blood pressure had been up. When she mentioned that it had been 157 the last time she had checked it I noticed we were about a block from Dr. Pena’s office, our family doctor for around 20 years. I thought we should have her checked out so we just did it.
Dean and Mary went home and prayed and called Greg and Martha White and they prayed.
Dr. Pena was not in but we were able to get right in to the doctor on call. Sharon’s pressure when they checked it was over 190. The clinic staff was noticeably concerned. The doctor provided samples of a new medication and recommended we return in the morning for a blood test and EKG.
In the morning Dr. Pena authorized the tests and recommended another medication in addition to Sharon’s original prescription. The EKG was good and they said they would notify us of any problems with the blood test. No news is good news!
Since the morning after Sharon began taking the new medication her blood pressure has been NORMAL! Any time she has checked it has not been over 130. Thank God for His answer to prayer.
We were also privileged to attend the wedding of Dale McJunkin and Jean Teeter. Dale and his family have been dear friends for many years. Dale, Jean, Phillip, Hunter and Zachery may the Lord bless and keep you, may He make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, may He lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.
Also while visiting Lubbock we spent some time with Greg and Martha White. Greg mentioned he and a group of other ministry leaders from the Lubbock area were going to Honduras and Guatemala January 31 – February 8. I said if they needed someone to go along and document their trip I might be interested. Greg spoke to Mike Holly of Unchained Life Ministries the local coordinator and he invited me to go along.
I thank the Lord for my first opportunity to serve this type of ministry outside the US. It is my prayer that my service to this ministry will prove to be valuable and that all our efforts will be blessing to the Kingdom.
2007 in Review
If you received our year end letter this is the long version.
Wow, another year is almost past and another Christmas is just a few days away. I guess I’ve always measured my years by Christmases. I think that is a good thing. Christmas is such a wonderful time with family, friends and all kinds of excitement…and the gifts! Could there be a better gift than a newborn baby? The innocence of a newborn is so refreshing. Being around a baby lets us re-experience new life. Our Savior’s birth was the beginning of new life for us all. Oh, what a blessing! Remembering our Savior and His birth, could there be a better way to keep track of the years?
Just to be different this year started out with cancellations of our first two events but we still got off to a good start with Waiting School III for Elaine Pettit the 12th of January in Syracuse, Indiana.
Returning from the Waiting School, having driven in the rain all day, we began to lose power traveling into Nashville. One of the three shops we visited found that our air filter had collapsed and blocked the air intake! Once the filter was replaced the power lose was not corrected and no other problem was found. After two nights and a day and $1200 deeper in debt we left Nashville with the problem unsolved. We were able to reach the speed limit when not hindered but not hold it on inclines. On that long drive back to Ft. Worth it occurred to me that part of the defective air filter may have gone through the turbo charger and been shredded and then blocked the air charge cooler. (A large aluminum radiator used to cool the air exiting the red-hot turbo charger prior to entering the engine –cool air makes more horsepower) After about two months, many visits to shops and over $10,000 spent the problem was solved. A defective air filter was the cause of much stress.
On Monday February 5th we received a call from the staff of the Lillenas Music and Drama Conference to be held at College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas beginning that Thursday. The recording group they were using dropped them and they needed someone to record three days later. Sharon and I both had the flu but we really needed the work so we said yes. Becky, our daughter, realizing how sick we both were took off work and she and Jacob, our grandson (4 then) went along to help. Their help was priceless and the conference was a blessing.
One week later we were back in Kansas City for the M7 Conference of the Church of the Nazarene. Katherine, Maggie and Christie Derbyshire from Wichita Falls, Texas and Darin Scholl and Eldon Asher from the Nazarene Seminary in KC. were excellent help recording over 130 sessions in three days.
Due to the engine rebuild and new floor coverings “again” we were out of the coach two weeks in March. You might think, “So…”well imagine having to move out of your home for a week and just about the time you get settled back in you have to do it again.
We had the carpeting replaced in November of 2005 while visiting Pat, Sharon’s sister, a SBC missionary living in Jordan. Within just a couple of months we noticed the new carpet was wearing poorly in high traffic areas, almost all areas are high traffic in a 320 sq. ft. motorhome. It was March before we could be out of the coach long enough to replace it again. This time we decided to put all wood in the front half instead of just the kitchen. We like it!
While the floors were being done Sharon and Tigger stayed with Becky, Robbie and the boys. I rode our bike to Illinois for a video editing conference. I spent a night with my Dad just south of Ft. Smith, Ar. on the way. We are busiest during warm weather so I seldom have opportunity for long rides. I really enjoyed the trip.
We were at Ridge Crest a large Baptist conference center, near Ashville, NC. in June and again in October for Nazarene conferences. Pigeon Forge, the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Dragon’s Tail (Hwy US 129, 318 curves in 11 miles), were all near by so we got in some really good day rides.
Some other highlights of our year were:
The New Mexico Campmeeting, we rode almost every afternoon with John Donnerberg, our pastor at Lubbock First Nazarene when we were there. Claude and Ilene Marsh and Mike and Susan Howe also rode with us. We got wet almost every time we rode but I think everyone enjoyed themselves.
After campmeeting was over we stayed over for a three day trip to Silver City, NM with Claude and Ilene. It was another new location for us and we had a great ride. I think the thunderstorm we drove through the first afternoon may have been the wettest Sharon and I have ever been while riding with rain gear.
We were able to spend several days with Arnie and Lana Leidy at their home in Edgewood, New Mexico in August. Arnie and Lana have opened a gym in an unused building on the Moriarty,NM Church of the Nazarene campus. They are staying pretty busy getting their new endevor underway but we did manage to get them to take off one Saturday for a ride to Santa Fe. Arnie even managed to get me to help him assemble two new pieces of workout equipment.
Greg and Martha White mentioned they were visiting Branson around the first of November and since we were passing by on our way to Elaine Pettit’s Waiting School Five we were able to spend three days enjoying Branson attractions with them.
Taking Josh and Jake, and their parents to see “Walking with Dinosaurs” at the American Airlines Center in Dallas was even more entertaining than expected.
Tony Davis of Los Alamos, NM, a previous soundman at Lubbock First Nazarene, was in town to judge a robot competition at the coliseum while we visited Lubbock friends the last week of November. We had dinner one night and caught up on each other’s lives. After hearing about the “Texas Best” robot competition from Tony we decided to attend and had a great time.
Becky and Robbie and the boys, Joshua and Jacob, are still in Richland Hills, Texas (northeast Ft. Worth). Robbie leads worship at Euless First Nazarene and also works for the Freeman Co. (same company new name), a supplier of audiovisual presentation technology. His company lost their contract with the DFW Hyatt Hotel where Robbie has worked several years (effective mid-December). Though not losing his job, as several have, it is changing so Robbie is trying to make the necessary adjustments. Becky continues to teach at Angel Land preschool two days a week and stays actively involved at Euless First Church. Joshua is attending Richland Hills Elementary, just finished his fall soccer season and is looking forward to Upward basketball in January. Jacob is attending preschool at Angel Land and is currently attending gymnastics classes.
Steve
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