Around West Texas
Prayer Needs
Jessica Coleman is in need of a healing miracle in
her body. Jannetta Fairbanks needs prayer for a
complete healing from a lumpectomy and is awaiting
lab reports for results. Aarone McLendon needs
prayer for recovery from hysterectomy.
West Texas District Council of the Assemblies of God
TIDINGS
JANUARY 2011
From the Heart of the Superintendent
Scholarships for High School Seniors
High school seniors planning to attend one of the 19
Assemblies of God endorsed colleges or universities
(list at: www.colleges.ag.org) may be eligible to apply for a scholarship from the Riggs Scholarship
Fund. The 2011 scholarship winners will be named
in April 2011. To download the application form, go
to www.agtrust.org. The application submission
deadline is February 15, 2011.
Glenn & Betty Beaver
Superintendent
Interruptions
The beginning of a new year is a
wonderful time to consider our
need to take another look at the
interruptions in life. Dr. George
O. Wood has written a new book
entitled Road Trip Leadership
which is to be released in the
spring of 2011. I have had the
privilege of reading the first two
chapters of the book. (By the
way, it is recommended reading.) In chapter 2, Bro. Wood
offers, “Ministry 8 Milepost:
No one but you can make
sure you do the right thing
each day. The freedom to set
your own schedule brings with it
the same thing all freedoms do:
responsibility. Managing yourself
well is the first major step toward managing your church effectively.” He says that we must
coordinate three components of
our lives, which he calls,
“Three-part Harmony:
The unexpected;
The unpredictable;
And the unplanned.”
He suggests that we need to
allow the interruptions of our
daily schedule be the agenda the
Spirit of the Lord has for us for
that day. Have you ever noticed
that the days you seem to have
the greatest numbers of things
to do are the days you get the
most interruptions? I like to create a “things to do” list, then
mark them off as they are accomplished. But there are many
days when the interruptions take
Three-part Harmony:
The unexpected
The unpredictable
And the unplanned
up most of my time. Often the
interruptions are much more important matters than items on
my list. Interruptions may include: words of encouragement
to others given during phone
calls; letters to write that were
not planned; or visits that were
unexpected, but directed by
God‟s appointment schedule. I
must view these interruptions as
the guiding of the Spirit for my
life. The life of Jesus is a good
example of a life filled with interruptions. Mark 5 records that
Jesus was on His way to the
home of Jairus because his
daughter was dying. He is interrupted by the woman who had
VOLUME LXV, NUMBER 1
by Glenn R. Beaver
an issue of blood for twelve
years. Jesus has Jairus‟ interruption interrupted by this
woman. Two great miracles
happened that day: the woman
is healed of her sickness and
Jairus‟ daughter is healed as
well. Neither of these events
were on Jesus‟ “things to do”
list for that day. However, I am
confident that Jairus and the
sick woman would agree that
they met Jesus that day by divine appointment. Bro. Wood
gives this as “Ministry 9 Milepost: „Expect the unexpected‟ is as applicable to
ministry as it is to driving.
You can resent interruptions in
your plans or changes to your
agenda, but you may find yourself „kicking against the goads.‟
Be alert for God‟s hand at work
in the events, visits, phone
calls, or other spontaneous outbreaks of opportunity that you
didn‟t count on.” Let me encourage you to join me, as we
begin this year, by making intentional adjustments in how
we view the interruptions in
life. Let‟s be more sensitive to
the Holy Spirit as He directs our
days through our interruptions.
Thanks so much
for all the gifts
this Christmas
Season!
—District
Leadership
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
5504 Wayne Avenue
P.O. Box 64778
Lubbock, TX 79464-4778
WEST TEXAS DISTRICT COUNCIL
OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
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Announcements
District Administration
Agents Of Change in 2011
Some years ago when Apple Computer fell on hard times, Apple‟s co-founder and chairman, Steven Jobs, went from
California to New York City. His purpose was to convince PepsiCo‟s John Sculley to move west and run his struggling company. As the two men overlooked the Manhattan skyline from Sculley‟s penthouse office, the Pepsi executive started to
decline Jobs‟ offer. “Financially,” Sculley said, “you‟d have to give me a million-dollar salary, a million-dollar bonus, and a
million-dollar severance.” Flabbergasted, Jobs gulped and agreed—if Sculley would move to California. But Sculley would
commit only to being a consultant from New York. At that, Jobs issued a challenge to Sculley, “Do you want to spend the
rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want to change the world?” In his autobiography, Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple . . . .a Journey of Adventure, Ideas & the Future , Sculley admits Jobs‟ challenge “knocked the wind out of me.” He
admits to becoming so caught up in his future at Pepsi, his pension, and whether his family could adapt to life in California,
that an opportunity to “change the world” nearly passed him by. Instead, he put his life in perspective and went to Apple.
Billy & Bettye
If anything describes life it is change, both good and bad. While every change is not an improvement, every improveNickell
Secretary/Treasurer ment comes about by change. As believers, we can clutch the past so tightly to our chest that it leaves our arms too full to
embrace the present. God has called us to be agents of change, as demonstrated by the Lord. From Genesis to Revelation
we see God orchestrating people, things, and situations for the purpose of bringing about positive and productive change for His glory and our
good. Genesis 1 opens with light and life entering a dark and deluged planet, while Revelation 22 concludes by telling of a time when “there will
be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light.” Acts 10:38 is one of many
verses in Scripture that shows how Jesus understood His calling and ministry as an agent of change: “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him.” (KJV)
This can be the church‟s greatest year as Christians understand that God-ordained change is both possible and profitable, which sometimes
require finding solutions that are uncomfortable, instead of staying with problems we understand. Never forget . . . you have been brought to the
Kingdom for such a time as this . . . . to be an agent of change.
Minister & Church Updates
Transferred In:
Douglas Simms (CM) Tennessee
Megan Henderson (CM) Mississippi
Dalton Froman (O) North Texas
Transferred Out:
Timothy McMorris (CM) North Texas
Credential Changes:
Karel Cantrell, License
Joseph Shryack, License
Nickolas Hanges, License
Timothy McMorris, Certified Minister
Newly Credentialed:
Sara Day, License
Cindy Davis, Certified Minister
Donnye Richardson, Certified Minister
Rey Rodriguez, Certified Minister
Brent Scoggins, Certified Minister
Heather Scoggins, Certified Minister
Danny Brown, Certified Minister
Brian Glosson, Provisional CM
New Pastor:
Lubbock, Church of the Harvest Pastor Robert Slaton
Tracy & Cara Lynn McWilliams
Director of Church Ministries
[email protected]
WEST TEXAS DISTRICT COUNCIL
OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD
TIDINGS
Tracy McWilliams, Editor
Available for Ministry
Gene Benningfield
Simon Beteta
Kelly Breckenridge
Terry Callis
Harry Coons
Paul DeWolfe
Larry Elder
Dale Griswold
Jack Hargrave
Bob & Doris McCutchen
Rick & Tori Mitchell
Z.A. Myers
J.C. Owen
Forest Srader
Todd & Angela Starnes
Marcus Tanner
Kevin Vander-Plas
806.456.2029
432.889.2179
806.787.0355
806.418.3861
432.955.0697
806.934.2082
432.853.9591
806.566.9993
806.747.6715
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806.241.1259
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432.550.5804
505.628.8650
806.771.8887
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West Texas Assemblies of God
5504 Wayne Avenue
P.O. Box 64778, Lubbock, TX 79464
Phone: 806.792.5835
Please notify editor of any change
of address.
Third class postage paid at Lubbock, TX.
Published monthly.
DISTRICT OFFICIARY
Glenn R. Beaver
Superintendent
[email protected]
Tom Lakey
Assistant Superintendent
[email protected]
Billy D. Nickell
Secretary/Treasurer
[email protected]
SECTIONAL PRESBYTERS
Cliff Houghton, Danny Williams,
Neil Unwin, John Murdoch
Randall McDonald, Ben Hodge, III
Web site: wtaog.org
Women’s Ministries
The 2011 theme, “Quiet Influence,” and the verse,
“Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that
God delights in”, (1 Peter 3:4, The Message), speaks to
each woman who wants to be an “influencer” in the
lives of those around her. Carol Kent, author of the
theme message, and theme book, Becoming a Woman
of Influence, says, “Our lives produce a type of fragrance that lingers with others, even after a brief encounter. What would happen if we decided to quietly
Becky Nenstiel
influence lives on purpose? Not because we have to,
Women’s Director but because we want to. Not because it’s our Christian
obligation, but because it brings great meaning and joy to our lives. Not
because of duty, but because of love.”
Equip Conference
Ministering to Today’s Woman
Saturday, March 12
District Auditorium
Topics include: Meaningful Mentoring, Successful
Small Groups, Building on Big Events, Growing My
Heart, Building Your Ministry Team and Ministering
to All Generations.
Save the date, and watch for your detailed mailing.
Men’s Ministries
Light for the Lost Banquet Tour
February 28 - March 8
Speaker
Roger Kuykendall
High Altitude Retreat III
February 24-26, 2011
Cook Canyon Ranch
Ruidoso, New Mexico
Mark Stripling
Men’s Director
The Cause
SPEED THE LIGHT BANQUET
DATES AND LOCATIONS:
Special
CHRIS & CAREY
MURDOCH
DISTRICT YOUTH &
CE DIRECTORS
Speakers:
EMAIL:
[email protected]
FACEBOOK:
CHRIS MURDOCH
WWW.WTCAUSE.COM
Terry Allen
Roger Kuykendall
Tennessee DYD
Missionary
January 10th - East Plains, Trinity Assembly,
Floydada
January 11th - North Plains, San Jacinto, Amarillo
January 13th - West Plains, Christian Life, Lubbock
January 14th - South Plains, First Assembly, Lamesa
January 17th - El Paso, Harvest Christian Center
January 18th - Pecos, First Assembly, Odessa
Banquet starts at 7pm, all locations
Youth
From the Field...
Sheri, Kaylee and I would like to express our sincere
appreciation to the West Texas Youth for the incredible new
Convention
pickup. It is already a blessing to our ministry and will
continue to be in the days and years ahead. It is a real
blessing to have reliable transportation...
The timing of this vehicle was just right!
I was totally surprised, even stunned that you actually had
& Fine Arts
March 17-19
the vehicle there on-site ready to present to us!
From the beginning of our missions ministry, the youth of our
district have always been a blessing to us. To them we say,
“Thank you.”
Sincerely,
Steve Woodward
Amigo Ministries