55.5 Square Miles

Within an area of 55.5 square miles, not very far from where I write these words, is a community home to fortune 500

companies, seats of commerce, houses of industry and institutions of innovation and education. Within those 55.5 square miles, hundreds of thousands work, live, and build relationships. Millions more live just outside the area.

The community found within that tract of land is known for an uncanny ability to reinvent itself; so resilient are these people that the recent G-20 Summit was hosted there to showcase one city’s ability to not only weather but grow stronger through economic crises and global storms.

Within those 55.5 square miles, you will find incredible fusions of old and new, stayed and untried. You will also find 455 bridges, 712 public stairways, 8 tunnels, 90 distinctive neighborhoods, and 140 separately identifiable ethnic groups.

But you won’t find a single Wesleyan Church.

In fact, you won’t find a Wesleyan church within what is considered ‘reasonable driving distance’ of those 55.5 square miles.

I’m sharing about the city of Pittsburgh, where “95 percent of the local population has no recognizable, identifiable relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Sarah and I, partnering with the Cox family (Rick, Eunice, and Trevor), and, hopefully, partnering with you, are working to change at lease one of those statistics. The Coxes and Gomezes have joyfully accepted the call to church planting in the Pittsburgh region and are growing in passion for what we sense as God's desire in the area.

Our heart’s passion is to see a multiethnic, multicultural church right in the ‘Burgh. We sense God’s leadership in developing a relevant, engaging hub of ministry to people from a variety of cultural, economic, and spiritual backgrounds--where once steel was forged, now lives are fused with the Spirit of God, strengthened and engaged as members of His Body. What we can see is a multiplication center working within the heart of the city where countless individuals are sent out as missionaries to the communities of Pittsburgh, the surrounding areas, throughout the region and around the world. In fact, God is already drawing people to be part of this great work and we believe His dreams are far bigger than ours.

Does any of this stir your heart with excitement and passion? If so, remain on the lookout because in a few days, we’ll be sending you more information on how you can be involved in this Great Pittsburgh Adventure.

A Christmas Message from the DS

The mission of Christmas was defined by the divine angelic announcement. “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.”(Luke 2:11) During these days of reflection upon and celebration of Christmas, it is my desire that a sincere understanding of the mission of Christmas will result in an increased urgency of partnering in the missional multiplication movement among the pastors and laity of the Western Pennsylvania District.

God and He alone is to be praised for the tremendous momentum that this movement has experienced in 2009. Revs. Karen & Doug Rhone are aggressively pursuing the planting of “The Well” in Philipsburg as Hyde Wesleyan prepares to give birth to this daughter church. Rev. Rick & Eunice Cox, along with Rev. Jeremiah & Sarah Gomez are passionately pursing the planting of a Wesleyan Church in Pittsburgh. GOD IS DOING AN AMAZING WORK IN WPA…I TRUST YOU ARE CATCHING THE VISION! O’ by the way pastor, if you have not yet been in contact with Karen, Rick, and Jeremiah about coming to your church to present their need for prayer and financial partners in this evangelistic mission of reaching the lost for Jesus, please extend that invitation soon!

Walking through the threshold of 2010 is only a few days away; with that in mind, be sure to keep the Missional Multiplication Movement’s “5 P’s” a priority for your personal ministry and the local congregation you shepherd. Our district goal has been that by this coming New Year, 100% of the District Churches would be committed to:PROMOTION, PUBLIC AFFIRMATION and PRAYER. In addition, 20 of our District Churches would be committed to: PROVISION and PERMISSION. Join with me in praying that literally thousands of lost people will come to know Christ and be effectively discipled in His Lordship, in Western PA. http://www.theydidwewill.org/blogspot.com

Merry Christmas to you and your family! May the Spirit of the mission of Christmas be evident in 2010 in WPA as together we fulfill the Great Commission in the spirit of the Great Commandment by multiplying believer, leaders, and churches.

EXPERIENCE AND ENJOY THE MISSION OF CHRISTMAS BECAUSE…

“THEY DID…WE WILL” in 2010

Harvesters together,

Randy A. Swink

District Superintendent

Spring Event

LOCATION CHANGE: This event will be held at the Hoss's Restaurant in DuBois, PA.

[Click Picture to see a larger version]

"Becoming a prevailing church" with Chris Conrad on March 23rd.

To register contact Jeremiah Gomez at jxgomez@gmail.com.

Update on “The Well”

Here is an update from Karen that was sent yesterday:

Just wanted to give you our update. As you know we finished our time line. We have a few tweaks to it as we do our budget. We hope to have our budget done by Jan. 4th. We are meeting the borough manager and his wife of Philipsburg for supper tonight. We are hoping that we are building a friendship with them. I've contacted the school about rental, talked with the movie theater and started registration of the plant with the General Secretary. So much to do and it can be very overwhelming. I went to my oncologist on Friday and my blood work was good and the mammogram was clear. Praise God!! I see my surgeon tomorrow - then the doctor visits will be over for a while. :O)

Prayer requests:

- Pray that God gives us peace as we walk this road and not become overwhelmed with all the things we have to do.

- Pray that He would continue to help us find the keys to unlock the community.

- Pray for the lost and broken that we will be able to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

- Pray God would work in hearts to be a part of the launch team.

Have a great week. Christmas is coming! Merry Christmas!

Karen

The Well Website

Doug & Karen continue to make great progress as they work with the Hyde Wesleyan Church and move toward the launch of "The Well."

They have launched a new website that you may want to check out. [http://thewellphilipsburg.org/]

Keep praying!

Prayer this week

Please pray for all three of our church planting couples this week as they each spend time with Chris Conrad and complete very specific training and planning related to their individual church plants.

Chris will be working with the Philipsburg Plant [The Well] Monday to Wednesday lunch, and we will be working with the Pittsburgh Plant Wednesday afternoon into Friday.

Thanks for your continued intercession.

Pittsburgh Plant Update

Things continue to progress for the Pittsburgh church plant. Here an update from Rick and some specific ways to pray:

Recent Happenings

Our proposal for a multi-church plant endeavor was accepted and approved by the district CMTF on Nov. 10th!

We took an exploratory trip to Pittsburgh with the Gomez's, and together we came away with such a strong feeling of confirmation that we are where God wants us to be.

Our coaching contract has been signed. It is official. Dr. Blair Ritchey is our coach.

Upcoming

We will be developing a strategic action plan for Pittsburgh with Chris Conrad on December 2-4.

Prayer

- Pray for our support letter that has been sent to our donor base.

- Pray for us as we schedule services within the district where we will be sharing our vision for Pittsburgh.

- Pray for us as we look for the "right place" to live. The selection of our home is very strategic. We need a home that will be central to our ministry, that will have space large enough for entertaining/ministry, as well as a home that is in a "safe" community.