M3 Manager

A few days ago, the WPA District announced the development of a new leadership position within the Missional Multiplication Movement: M3 Manager (you can read a copy of that announcement here). I am honored and excited to step into this tactical leadership role in support of the M3 in WPA by serving our church planters, Church Multiplication Task Force, parent & partner churches, District leaders and the many other groups, organizations, and individuals who are part of this growing movement. 

I can't be certain of what questions there may be regarding this exciting move by our District Leadership to make greater investments to see believers, leaders, and churches multiplied, but as we pursue a missional movement with an even greater footprint, there are a couple of answers to questions you might be asking:

Is this just a 'church planting' thing?

The short answer is: no.

The longer answer is:

The M3 Manager will be responsible for many things which includes working closely with church planters.  As the M3 Manager, it will be my privilege to help different parties engage in productive dialogue, creating consistent channels for communication. 

More than this, the Manager will help make sure high-quality training events are provided for a wide spectrum of our pastors and leaders, including our planters. In order for a Missional Multiplication Movement to have sustainability, providing opportunities for leaders of established and new churches to learn, grow, be impassioned by God's Spirit and engage with different ideas is essential.

For the Movement, it is our belief that this role will help bring us to new levels of efficacy in how we do what we do. Not only by helping to provide learning opportunities and exposure to best-practices, but by streamlining process, procedure, and communication.

How does this effect our church planters?

One of the greatest benefits for our church planters will be having a dedicated point-of-contact as they work through the planting process and engage with the CMTF and our District & General Church leaders. Additionally, I will be implementing various strategic initiatives as the CMTF and DBA move and develop them. Having an M3 Manager means our planters will be able to progress by engaging with our process early and often; by having someone dedicated to helping them step through the exciting and work-intensive process of church planting in WPA, we all have a clearer sense of how, when, and where to move.

I will also get to check in on our planters and discover ways they can be better served and specific ways we can pray for them. Church planting can sometimes feel very, very isolated for planters and partner churches, even in the midst of seeing God do the impossible; having someone like the M3 manager who is able to give dedicated chunks of time and energy to our planters and their partners means the potential for healthier community.

What this doesn't mean:

• An extra layer of insulation: The M3 Manager doesn't serve to distance anyone from our strategic leaders or the District--I'm not a red-tape dispenser, but someone to help people navigate our processes and engage with the M3 in Western PA at an increased level of activity and efficiency.

• Anyone is leaving their current role: Rev. Shawn Cossin will still be the chairperson of our CMTF and our District Evangelism & Church Growth Director; our Church Multiplication Task Force will still function in much the same way it has thus far; and I will report directly to Rev. Cossin, the Task Force, and the District Superintendent. The desire for the M3 Manager position is that by implementing something like this, each element in our M3 can play to its strengths resulting in greater momentum and reach.

If you have questions about any of this, you're invited to connect with me, Rev. Cossin, or Rev. Swink. 

Thanks for your continued partnership in seeing many come to know Jesus and grow to maturity in him!



Grace & Peace,
Jeremiah X. Gomez
WPA M3 Manager

Bridge Family Fun Day

Dear Friends of The Bridge,

Thank you so much for praying. We had our Family Fun Day this past Sat. and when much of the country was being hit by Hurricane Irene we had an absolutely beautiful day. An hour away they were getting rain. I believe God was smiling down on our day.

We prayed that our volunteers would be bold in sharing their faith and we had one young man pray to get saved. Please pray for this young man who comes with a lot of hurt in his life. Pray that we will be able to effectively disciple him and help him in his new walk. Many of our volunteers had many good conversations with people. Pray that the seed that was planted will bring forth fruit.

We had 6 young mothers want to be a part of our MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, group and others expressed an interest in coming. Help us pray for this group. God is using it. The Bridge's very first convert was one of our MOPS moms and there are others in the group who are close to the kingdom. Help us pray that God will send us older ladies who will help us with childcare.

We had 400+/- people come to Family Fun Day, and we made many new connections. This morning there were new people in church because of the event and they all said they would be back. There are others in our community who are showing an interest in our church but haven't made that step in coming yet. Help us pray for these people.

A big shout out goes to all our volunteers. Again we were overwhelmed and blessed by the show of support from our district. We were praying for 75 volunteers and even though we didn't get an exact count we know it was over 100. We couldn't have done it without these people. Our Bridge people were so blessed that so many would come and help us out in this way. Then we were so proud of the people who are coming to The Bridge. Nearly everyone who calls The Bridge home was there working. What a blessing.

We had 24 area businesses who either donated or came and took part in the day.

God continues to move in our community and is using The Bridge to make an impact.

Thank you for praying.

Rick and Eunice

The Bridge

P.S. The picture is part of our awesome group of volunteers. Overwhelming!!!

The Bridge Family Fun Day Prayer

Dear Friends of The Bridge,

We are needing your prayers. Our second Family Fun Day is Saturday, August 27th. Last year God gave us a wonderful day. This morning the Lord reminded me that we can't run today on the Lord's past blessings. We need God to show up in a fresh new way, but we must call out to Him and ask him to come. We are asking you to hold us up in prayer over the next 10 days.

Pray Requests:

When people drive into the park they would feel the Lord's presence.

(We prayed this prayer last year and we actually had a lady tell us on the way out. "You all must be praying people for I felt the Lord's presence when I came into the park. We want this again this year.)

Most of our Bridge congregation are helping this year.

Pray that God will give them a boldness when talking to people. That they would be

sensitive when people are hungry and will share their faith.

This year we have 3 bands and a drama team performing.

Pray that God will use them to speak to hearts.

Pray that people will have the courage to stop by our prayer tent for prayer and that

God will give wisdom to those working there.

Pray that we will have the number of volunteers we need.

Pray that we will see new people coming to The Bridge through this event and ultimately coming to know Christ.

Pray that we will have good weather as we don't have a back up plan.

If you are able to come on the 27th please do. If you are not able to attend, would you consider praying for us between 1-4 pm on the 27th?

Let's unite our hearts together and believe the hand of God to move!

Rick and Eunice

The Bridge

PS. Please pass this on to your praying friends.

2011 District Conference Update Video

Three years ago, we publically launched into a process of developing a Missional Multiplication Movement in Western PA, and it is amazing to see it happening!

I love what God is doing in Western Pennsylvania!

As part of our 4th district conference, we were able to celebrate the following highlights:

:: 2 new church plants [The Well & The Bridge].

:: 9 decisions for Jesus in the new churches

:: 2 Parent/Daughtering Churches [Hyde Wesleyan & Collin Creek Community]

:: 2 new church planting couples [Dan & Wendy Bach, Richard & Tonya Cox]

:: 1 additional couple in process

God has done so much. Its amazing, but we're not done.

There is more to come! In fact, the best is yet to come!!

Thank you for you ongoing support!

Here’s the update video if you missed it.

Wesleyan Church Planting Path

Courtesy of the Evangelism & Church Growth Department of The Wesleyan Church

Here's a different way of looking at the church planting process within The Wesleyan Church, courtesy of our denominational headquarters--it's a good reminder that seeing new churches come to fruition is a continuous journey and an adventure.

Is God speaking to your heart about walking this path as a church planter? If you'd like to know more about how God might be able to use you, contact us.

You can download a copy the Wesleyan Church Planting Path as a .pdf here.

Observations from CPAC Canada

This past week, I spent several days with pastors from across the Central Canada District of the Wesleyan Church. I was invited up there to help them assesses a group of potential church planters who are seeking to plant in various regions across all of Canada.

It was a great week!

I love meeting with passionate leaders who are facilitating missional Church Planting movements, and these leaders are doing it in Canada! The leadership has an incredible vision that reaches across the nation from one coast to the other!

Here are a few observations from my time with our Northern Brothers & Sisters:

- Great movements require great vision and these leaders have it!

- They also have a community marked by genuine unity and love, which will serve them well. [ref. John 13:35]

- Reaching all of Canada for Jesus is a Big Hairy Audacious Goal [BHAG]...and I love it!

- There’s nothing quite like being in a place of obedience where if God doesn’t show up…we will fail. There is no better place to be.

- When Canadians decide to do something, they’re ALL IN! I believe that pleases the heart of God. [ref. Revelation 3:15-16]

- The men & women I journeyed with this week are pioneers...in every sense of the word. They are blazing trails for Jesus into new places...dark places...places ready for harvest.

I invite you to join me in praying for us and them as we all continue to take the Good News of Jesus to the ends of the earth.

I never grow tired of seeing God raise up men & women to advance His Kingdom. He's doing it in Canada, and He's doing it in Western PA! It’s exciting to see it!

I love that we serve a Global God.

It Doesn't Have To Be This Way.

On Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, the WPA District hosted a special guest, Rev. Phil Struckmeyer, for a couple days of training and equipping. Over twenty pastors, local church leaders, and district personnel were present on Tuesday for ENGAGE, where they were given opportunity to discover the next-steps to take in their own ministry environments.

One of the most powerful elements of ENGAGE was the reality-check of the state of the Church in North America (these bullet points can be found in the video linked here):

• Only 18% of Americans attend church on any given Sunday
• There are over 200,000,000 non-churched people in America
• America is one of the top three largest unreached nations in the world
• North America is the only continent where Christianity is not growing
• Not a single county in America has a greater churched population than it did ten years ago
• 4/5 of all churches in America are plateaued or declining in growth

But it doesn't have to be this way, and we don't have to be okay with these facts. The reality is each local church has the call and the resources to engage their community in a powerful way that sees people entering into the hope of life in Jesus. Those in attendance at ENGAGE were sent out encouraged, impassioned, and with the Scriptural mandate to take next steps in changing the above realities in their communities & spheres of influence.

If you'd like to learn more about how you can take your next steps in the movement, contact Shawn Cossin (click on the link to send an e-mail) to find out where you can discover tools and resources available to you.

Thanks to those of you who attended; we invite your feedback on  the event and would love to hear how you're taking next steps to engage in the mission! Send your thoughts to Jeremiah Gomez (click on the link to send an e-mail).

5 Axioms

Five Axioms from Rev. Phil Stevenson, Director of Church Multiplication & Leadership Development, Pacific-Southwest District, Wesleyan Church and former General Director of the Evangelism & Church Growth Department of the Wesleyan Church.

1. No one church can do everything.

2. What a church can do it should do intentionally.

3. Seek God for what your church ought to do.

4. Intentionally do what God has called your church to be about doing.

5. It is not about the everything, but the few things God has called you to do.

A few don'ts from Wesleyan Church planters

Church planting is a dynamic ministry environment often maintains an element of unpredictability. As my veteran church planter friend, Wayne Otto, puts it, "Usually what we expect is not what we get, and what we get is not usually what we expect."

In light of that reality, here a few “don’ts” from Church Planters at the recent Church Planter Assessment Center.

“Don’t put your office in your home.” - Jerolyn Bogear

“Don’t assume.” - Kevin O’Conner

“Don’t enter into church planting spiritually unprepared.” - Jesse Pratt

“Don’t shortchange your own spiritual growth.” - Jim Bogear

“Don’t be afraid to make ‘the ask.’” [spiritual decision/partnership] - Wayne Otto

“Don’t stop.” - Jim Bowen

“Don’t go in without definition of success.” – Duane Brown

The Bridge Grand Opening

The following is a note Rick Cox recently sent out in connection the Grand Opening of The Bridge on January 30th:

Rick delivering the Bridge's Grand Opening message

Special Visitors for our Grand Opening

The grand opening of The Bridge was held in the Grand Ballroom of the 3 Lakes Golf Course on January 30, 2011. A group of 65 braved the cold, snowy morning to be a part of the launch of a brand new Wesleyan Church. Excitement was in the air as we greeted visitors from the community; Bridge 'regulars' who had been attending our monthly preview services; visitors from our sister Wesleyan churches around us: our district superintendent and his wife, Randy & Gayle Swink; and one very special visitor, Dr. Thomas Armiger who serves as our General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church. Each of our visitors gave us a confirmation that our dream was becoming a reality. We sense in a very real way that God's blessing is on The Bridge. Continue to pray for us as we move forward. We not only want to build on the relationships we have in our community, but we also want to continue to find ways of connecting with new families around us who have no church home. 

Blanket Distribution 

We were able to do another blanket distribution in January. This time we were joined by a gentleman from the community that we met at the first distribution.  We were glad to have him helping us. We also received a call from a lady  from the community. She had a box of items she was wanting to bring to us for the distribution.    As she dropped them off another lady entered the YMCA, who was on the phone and was quite distressed. We found out that she had just received  word that her neighbors house had burnt to the ground.   We were able to give her a whole box of items that the other lady had dropped off. The box contained sheets and different kinds of bedding items.  God had it all planned out before we even got there.   We gave away over 50 more blankets along with hats and gloves. 

Wind Shield Washer Top Off

January is not an easy month to get out in your community and meet people, but God has helped us find some creative ways to do just that.   One way has been the wind shield washer fluid top off. Our volunteers were out on  three different Saturdays at several gas stations around our community filling peoples wind shield washer fluid for FREE which ended up being the question of the day,  "You mean it's really FREE!?". Our answer was yes!   This act of kindness not only allowed us to be a blessing to many people in our community, but it also gave us a chance to promote our new church plant. 

"Engage" with Phil Struckmeyer

The CMTF if excited about the upcoming Spring events. They are going to be great "value adding" events for those already engaged or ready to engage in the Missional Multiplication Movement.

We are thrilled to host Phil Struckmeyer for this event. He is a great guy and a proven practitioner.

We hope you are able to make the most of this opportunity.

Click here to register or copy and past the following link: http://www.wpadistrict.org/engage/

Click on the event picture below for the details.

Lawn Sprinklers and the Church

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” [John 4:13-14]

I’m no expert, but I recently did some research on lawn irrigation systems. (i.e. lawn sprinklers) It may be an obvious principle, but to effectively irrigate a lawn, a homeowner needs to distribute water to every area of the lawn. Seems simple, right?

The reality is that each sprinkler has a limited range, and cannot reach every area. With only one sprinkler, we will end up with beautiful, lush grass in one area; but the rest of the yard will be brown and dead in no time.

As a result, its essential to install multiple spigots in a pattern that sufficiently covers the lawn. It’s not the most complicated principle, but I share this because there is a similar reality when it comes to church impact and effectiveness.

Each church has a limited reach. Even the most effective and vibrant churches have a limited reach based on a number of factors [i.e. people, geography, etc.] Even with a lot of people and resources, they can only reach so far from one location before issues of distance, culture, etc. become a limiting factor.

That’s why intentionally seeking to multiply believers, leaders and churches is so important!

If we are going to follow Jesus, we will obey what he commands, which means we will seek to fulfill the Great Commission. [ref. Matthew 28:18- 20] In order to do that, we must work to intentionally multiply believers, leaders and churches.

That being said…What is one thing you can do or start doing this weekend to move towards a lifestyle of multiplication?

- Regularly pray for a friend or neighbor who doesn’t know Jesus

- Give financially above and beyond a tithe to support the work of multiplication

- Invite a family from the neighborhood to dinner

- Initiate a spiritual conversation with a friend or co-worker

- Perform a random act of kindness

- Support a new church plant or planter in process

“If you love me, you will obey what I command.” – Jesus, John 14:15

Launch of The Bridge!!

Once again as a district, we have the awesome privilege of celebrating the launch of another new church! I love it!!!

The Bridge Launched yesterday in the Penn Hills, and I can't wait to see what the Lord is going to do in and through them as they advance the Kingdom of God in Pittsburgh.

Take a moment today to praise our God for His faithfulness in this process.

Psalm 150

1 Praise the LORD.

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens.

2 Praise him for his acts of power;

praise him for his surpassing greatness.

3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,

praise him with the harp and lyre,

4 praise him with tambourine and dancing,

praise him with the strings and flute,

5 praise him with the clash of cymbals,

praise him with resounding cymbals.

6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.

Praise the LORD.

January @ The Bridge

The rest of this month is going to be pretty busy as we prepare for our official launch/"Grand Opening" of The Bridge and spend time serving our community.  We will be hosting preview services, topping-off washer fluid for motorists at local gas stations, hosting a blanket giveaway, and, of course, launching!  In between we'll be canvassing neighborhoods, inviting friends and neighbors, sending out postcards, and doing whatever else we can to get the word out to the community.

We have seen the Holy Spirit go before us in amazing ways, and in the next post, I'll share some of the highlights of how he's shown us his favor (it's probably going to leave you speechless). In the meantime, we are asking you to keep the following events as points of serious prayer throughout the month:

• Saturday, January 15 -- Washer Fluid Top-Off (Exxon @ 7409 Saltsburg Rd, Penn Hills -- click for map) from 10 am - 1 pm
• Sunday, January 16 -- 10:30 am preview service in our new meeting location (Grand Ballroom of 3 Lakes Golf Course)
• Saturday, January 22 -- Washer Fluid Top-Off (Sunoco @ 280 Hulton Rd, Verona -- click for map) from 10 am-1 pm
• Sunday, January 23
  - Final preview service (10:30am @ 3 Lakes Golf Course)
  - "Commissioning service" at Sandy Lake Wesleyan Church
• Saturday, January 29
  - Washer FluidTop-Off (Sunoco @ 6500 Saltsburg Rd, Penn Hills -- click for map) from 10 am-1 pm
  -  Blanket, Scarf, Glove & Hat Giveaway (@ Penn Hills YMCA -- click for map) from 10 am - 1pm
• Sunday, January 30th -- LAUNCH SUNDAY! (1o:3o am @ 3 Lakes Golf Course Grand Ballroom, 6700 Saltsburg Rd, Penn Hills (click for map)).

Thanks for praying.  And thanks to to our committed launch team members who are taking an active role in seeing Greater Things coming to Pittsburgh.  This wouldn't be happening without you

--
This post is also published at www.jxgomez.com/blog