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Rocky
Mountain District
Christian & Missionary Alliance
News
2011
Church Planting Update
Gary Burdick
January 12, 2011
We are going through the Gospel of John on Sundays. Recently we studied the story of the crossing of the stormy sea. Jesus spoke to the disciples and said It is I; dont be afraid. We are learning in the midst of change to not be afraid, but like Peter, sometimes our gaze goes to the wind and waves.
Praises:
The Boise Sojourn mini boot camp went very well. We had a great time and the group continued to grow together and in their understanding of the mission and their part in living that mission out.
Boise Sojourn has become the first contact for the local elementary schools. They have been actively serving the school community and demonstrating the love of Jesus in that context.
Billings Grace Alliance had two very good outreach events. Our caroling went well and connected with a number of our neighbors. We had 21 adults come to our New Years Eve Murder Mystery. It was great fun and a great opportunity to interact. Unfortunately Sherlock Tracy (aka Don Dillavou) did not survive the night!
Jeff, Danae and our granddaughter Makenna were delayed 3 days by the bad weather but we still had a great visit with them.
We have a new short-term boarder. Seongsuk Yun is from Korea and is here doing a 1 month practicum for her English emersion training. Weve been having a lot of fun with her and learning about Korea!
Prayer Requests:
New Church Possibility:Ryan and Dawn Kenneda have recently moved with the Wyoming Game and Fish to Elk Mountain, WY. They are very interested in helping get an Alliance church started there. This very rural area is in dire need of an evangelical church. Please pray for a core group to come together and if God enables that to happen, for us to find a church planter. Any ideas?
Billings Grace Alliance:Please pray for an expanded core group of Christians willing to be mission minded and excited about impacting Billings.
All our Plants:For Boise Sojourn, Missoula Downtown, Manhattan Daily Alliance and BillingsGrace Alliance please pray for:
Openness to engage contacts in spiritual conversations.
Transition people from being connections to connected into small groups and worship services.
Pray for outreach events (Super Bowl Parties etc.) to help facilitate more connections.
Please pray for wisdom that we would be investing our time where God is moving.
Thanks for praying,
Gary & Kim
Superintendent Update
Tim Owen
January 5, 2011
Okay, here are some "housekeeping" things to brief you on:
1. You should receive your license this week, each of you. Some of them have a different look due to the changes National Office has made in the licensing policies. There are new license categories and therefore new titles. Mary sent your wallet license and an explanation of the changes I referred to. Please read those comments and get to know the new license categories so you can navigate in the Alliance and help others who are seeking licensure in the Alliance. It is all a part of "empowering for service."
2. You senior/solo pastors should have received an e-mail from the National Office asking you to submit your annual report to the President along with instructions on how to do it online. Please find that e-mail and go to work on it.
I hope you make it your goal to get that project completed ASAP. It is a help to the leaders of the Alliance both in the National Office and the District Office. It is my main tool to discern how the RMD is doing overall. Unlike you I don't get to see my congregation every week so I don't have data coming in constantly. I have to wait until I receive a summary of the annual reports of RMD churches.
In between annual report summaries I visit you and visit congregations and get a sense of how those I am with are doing, but not the RMD overall. So thanks for completing this report. It helps.
3. Please put the dates of 2011 Council and TLC on your calendars. If you are to come to the LOCC School in March, put that on your calendar as well.
Now for the news!
Progress on the first District Sponsored Conflict Coaching and Mediation training event is going well. We have a good group already registered and more indicating their intention to register. I am delighted that some of the registrants are from the Alliance outside the District! The Southwestern District is sending one and Intercultural Ministries is sending four. So join me in thanking God for the RMD to be able to serve other groups in the Alliance.
Another CCM (Conflict Coaching and Mediation) event is scheduled to happen in Casper in May and another in Kalispell next fall. My goal is to provide that training in each PGG area, if each group respectively wants it. The National Office wants to know when and where each of these is offered so they can let other Districts send people for the training. We'll see what God does!
I am praying for each of you and the churches and communities you serve, that God will give you every grace to do his will for his glory and the salvation of the nations.
Grace and peace,
Gary Burdick Update
December 1, 2010
As you look forward to
remembering the birth of our Savior we hope you have a great Christ
honoring and Christ focused celebration.
Here are some updates on what is happening in the Rocky Mountain
District church plants!
Missoula: Gary enjoyed connecting with some of the leaders at
Downtown Alliance and Zootown Brew. As things often go these days a
couple of the leaders could not be there. Isn’t it amazing how busy
people seem to be? Still, we had a great evaluation and planning
time. I continue to be impressed by the dedication of the young
group of leaders in this church plant. Please continue to pray for
connections for them and opportunity to make Jesus’ name famous in
Missoula’s downtown.
Manhattan: On my way to Missoula I did get to visit Merlin Bylsma
and saw the spot where “Daily Alliance” is meeting. It is a pleasant
location with a nice atmosphere. Please pray for the permit so they
can open for business. Please also pray for ministry direction and
vision.
Boise: December 10-12 Kim and I will join Sojourn Alliance’s launch
team for a mini Bootcamp in McCall, ID. This should be great fun.
I’m looking forward to helping them chart the course forward. They
have some great ministry ideas and a great team. Pray for
vision
clarity and well thought out plans. Their outreach activities in the
community have been going well. The Benners have cleared a
couple more hurdles in the adoption process with the Ethiopian
government. Now they are praying for a court date to be set
hopefully by or in February.
Grace Alliance Billings: We
have a couple of serving and outreach events planned for December.
Please pray for great connections to be made. We are in the process
of evaluating what would be good next steps for us to take as to
meeting location and reaching additional contacts. Pray for wisdom.
Personal: Kim and Shannon had a great trip to Minnesota. We look
forward to a visit from Danae and family beginning Dec. 31st for a
week! As always,
Thanks for praying,
Gary & Kim
November 23, 2010
Tim Owen, Superintendent
Ministry Update
Some of you have asked for a Church Membership Curriculum. Well, the National Office has developed the first of a two or three part series that is designed for that purpose. It is called “C&MA/DNA” It is a five week DVD and workbook study called which presents the four fold gospel with a workbook and study guide. (The presentation is made by Vice President John Soper.) Power point presentations and notes are included for those not wanting to use the DVD but wanting to teach the material themselves. This is an excellent resource for New Membership classes and teaching C&MA doctrine. This resource can be ordered online: http://www.cmalliance.org/
November 11, 2010
Chinook Alliance Church
Mission Ministry Trip to New Orleans
From: Pastor Dennis Findorff, Chinook,
Montana
Re: New Orleans Short-term Mission Trip Summary
Chinook Alliance Church recently sent a ten-member team (two men, five women, three teenage girls; age range 13-76) to New Hope Church in Gretna, Louisiana for a ten-day mission trip. This was in response to a plea made by the Southern District about 18 months ago. We anticipated that we would be primarily involved with the reconstruction of a home or homes ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and subsequent flooding in 2005. It turned out that God had a different plan.
Looking back it is easy to see that God sent us for the primary task of ministering to the pastor of New Hope Church and his wife. Pastor Donald and Joyce Smith have been at New Hope Church for about 2.5 years. Pastor Smith serves bi-vocationally and receives little or no financial support from the church. He is a full-time employee of Home Depot. Their only son (they have two daughters) died nearly one year ago. Joyce lost a nephew to pancreatic cancer while we were there. These along with other challenges have left them weary. They were greatly encouraged by our presence.
Beyond encouraging Pastor Donald we were tasked with renovating space in the current church facility to make it suitable for ministry. The back third of their facility had served as a dorm for housing teams that came to help with reconstruction following Hurricane Katrina. Since the need for such teams has decreased the space is being refurbished into a fellowship hall and two classrooms. We were involved with framing walls, hanging sheetrock, mudding, taping, texturing, painting, floor tile removal and other tasks associated with the renovation.
We also cleaned significant portions of the church facility and helped to organize blankets, clothes, towels, kitchen supplies, and food stores. We repaired a clothes dryer and assisted with outdoor landscape maintenance. Literally thousands of adhesive "New Hope Church" labels were applied to a wide variety of tracts.
We did complete one project off-site: a ramp for an elderly lady who is legally blind. Her home had been raised three-feet to prevent future flooding. While this will keep her dry it also created a challenge to accessing her home with her wheeled cargo cart. We constructed a wood ramp from her back door to the driveway. She was very grateful for the ramp--and we were blessed to get to know her.
During our sightseeing tour of the city of New Orleans we witnessed hundreds of people who were searching for meaning in life in the French Quarter. These are people who are in need of Jesus our Savior; they are the target of New Hope Church. Our work in New Orleans was not primarily 'front line' work; rather, it was support work for those who are engaged in front-line work on a regular basis.
Our efforts encouraged these workers and prepared their facility in
support of the vision that God has given them for New Orleans. In
these ways we were part of completing the Great Commission in New
Orleans. Things didn't go exactly as we had planned, but God was
using us for His plan. That is humbling to consider.
November 5, 2010
Church Planting Update
Gary Burdick
Let me give you an update about what is happening with us.
We began a study of John’s Gospel. Early on John records Jesus telling his disciples his plan – “destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (2:19). His plan is to die. We talked about the importance of communicating vision persistently. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard that in church planter training. I guess Jesus must have been to that church planter training too! J
Vision: Now that I (Gary) am one month into this new ministry endeavor I’m focusing on making connections. I’ve joined a Toastmaster’s group, I’m attending InterVarsity at the local state University (MSUB), and I’m helping coordinate a program called Be a Foreign Friend at MSUB, all with the hope of crossing paths with a lot of people some of whom don’t yet have a personal relationship with Jesus. I hope to make a lot of friends and introduce them to my friend Jesus. I’m trying to keep it simple. We as a church are trying to keep it simple. As a matter of fact, that is our church’s byline – Grace Alliance – Simple Church. Please pray that 1) we’ll make some great connections, 2) that we will bring a great conversation into those connections that effectively point people to Jesus. Thus far things are going well – but hey – we’ve only been at this one month. Pray that I’ll learn to be a good friend.
Regarding our other church plants let me give you an update:
Missoula: on Friday the 5th I head to visit with the leaders and folks at Downtown Alliance. The Advisory Team and I will be doing a mini retreat to talk about how the project is going and what are the highs and lows. We will also begin talking about how they will organize themselves once they are ready to become an accredited church. How will they self-govern etc? Please pray for an effective and engaging time together. I’ll stay around and visit the church and get to see again how good Scott’s preaching is. It sure is fun to be a part of developing young guys and watching their work progress.
Boise: Sojourn Alliance Church continues to cultivate connections in their community. They are particularly involved at the local school serving and helping with events. They have also been having a number of neighborhood BBQ’s while the weather holds out. They finally got a bank account open – thanks for praying for those details. They have had to navigate some delicate relationship issues and are doing well at giving leadership there. The Benners are in the final stages of a long adoption process with the Ethiopian government. Please pray for that to become final and the child to come ‘home’.
Manhattan: On my way to Missoula Friday I plan to stop by and see Merlin & Holly Bylsma and the spot where “Daily Alliance” is meeting. Please pray for good community connections for them and that they would get a permit to open for business.
Personal: Kim and our son Shannon are in Minnesota getting time with Kim’s parents and then some time with Jeff and Danae and our granddaughter Makenna. Please pray for safe travels for them. We had a great Yellowstone Park backpack and Gary got in some elk hunting last month. Those were some fun getaways. As always,
Thanks for praying,
Gary & Kim
November 1, 2010
Superintendent's Update
Tim Owen,
Superintendent
I hope you are all enjoying life and ministry in Christ as we approach the holiday season!
Thank you for giving to the Lord through DOB! Andy just gave me the October report of DOB giving and it is encouraging. First of all, 94% of you gave during the month of October. Usually that percentage number is in the 80's. Some churches send in their contributions every other month or quarterly. Over the year 100% contribute. Total involvement is so encouraging because it says we are unified and member churches and their leaders are engaged in the mission of the District. I hear other superintendents report that their districts have churches that have not sent in contributions to their district in years even though their bylaws and policies call for it. We are so blessed to be part of the RMD!
Giving totals are at 104% of budget! PTL! Projected income in the budget was the same as actual giving in 2009. We hope that the increased DOB giving reflects increased giving in your churches and faithfulness on the part of your people.
I do appreciate it when a church decides they need to reduce their percentage contribution to DOB, calls me and discusses the matter with me. Of course we do not want churches suffering from giving to DOB and we appreciate knowing they are suffering financially and that they care about being faithful in giving 10% of their operating fund offerings. It is a practical way of being unified and submitting to constituted authority. It is a joy to superintend a faithful group of pastors and churches!
Please thank your church boards and congregations for contributing to the mission of the RMD. Tell them we are a Community on a Mission. We plant churches, we nurture churches, we redevelop churches and mobilize churches to love God, each other and accomplish the Great Commission here, there, and everywhere.
Grace and peace,
Tim Owen
October 26, 2010
Superintendent's Update
Tim Owen,
Superintendent
There is good news and challenges concerning Crown College. Enrollment for the Fall is down a bit on the undergraduate level, but up for the Adult Graduate Studies and Online students resulting in an enrollment of the same as last year. We anticipate a 5% increase for the Fall of 2011 due to the fact that we now have in place a new Vice President of Enrollment and a full complement of support staff in that office to recruit new students. Pray that God would send us students. Crown College is funded mostly by tuition paid by students. Our goal is to have 2016 students by the centennial year of 2016!
Financially the college is doing well. The Endowment fund that fell precipitously in the recession is rebounding and though still not up to pre-recession levels is on track to recover all the losses realized and even show increase. Costs have been kept in budgetary bounds and contributions have come in sufficient to show a good reserve fund balance.
The Board of Trustees voted to approve the Vision 2016 statement:
"Christians prepared to serve and influence the world."
They also adopted the Values statement:
* Christ-centered
* Academically-excellent
* Globally-connected
* Additional Planning Values include:
* Financially affordable
* Academically accessible
* Professional Programs
This vision and these values have all been spelled out in specific metrics to which the Board will hold the President and his staff accountable, as they have requested. The Board of Trustees invites all those in our District churches to pray for and find ways to bless Crown College by sending students and donors to them.
The spiritual life of the college is very high. As president Mann says, "At Crown, Jesus is the big deal!"
Respectfully submitted,
Tim Owen,
RMD Representative to Crown Board of Trustees
September 22, 2010
Superintendent's Update
Tim Owen,
Superintendent
The Lewistown, Cody and Casper churches are in pastor search mode. Please pray for God to guide and provide for them.
The reports from National Office of RMD church and individual giving to the Great Commission Ministries show a significant reduction from a year ago. Whereas we used to lead the nation among districts in increasing giving to the GCF and other Alliance Great Commission entities (CAMA Services, Approved Specials, etc) now we are dead last. We have given less each month this year than in 2009. Seventeen of our churches have increased their giving to the GCF and other CMA missions ministries. Please pray that God will move us and our people to give generously to his mission through the C&MA. Also, please talk to your leaders and ask them what their explanation is of this decline. Of course ask this without putting guilt on them, but in the spirit of trying to reach understanding so we can pray, plan and work towards turning the giving of this District around. Thank you for your prayers and help on this matter.
September 1, 2010
Burdick’s Prayer Update
Gary Burdick, Assistant to the
Superintendent
August is over? Wow! It
has been a full, wild and tumultuous month for us. Let me update
you. First, our vacation was great fun. We did canoe 302 miles of
the Yellowstone River. The first 3 days Shannon came along. That
equates to about 8 hours on the river each of the 8 days. While
tiring it was also awesome. Shannon’s eye continues to improve but
he is still doing drops, hopefully just 2 more weeks.
The Billings church plant has been the primary up and down for us.
First Alliance here in Billings felt the plant needed to be a
District plant and not a daughter plant. Then one of the core group
families accepted a job in PA and is moving there September first.
Thus the District Executive Committee (DEXCOM) decided at its August
meeting not to approve the church plant. DEXCOM also decided, and
both my D.S. Tim Owen and I agree, that we are not interested in
continuing my present fulltime position. So a ministry search
ensued. After ascertaining that the primary church planting
opportunities available are ‘parachute drops’ (little or no already
established contacts in the town or area) we decided we could try
that right here in Billings where we already live. So presently, we
are exploring that option and are planning to revisit the idea both
with First Alliance and with DEXCOM. Please pray for wisdom and
direction. This has not been easy. We really do want to be of
service to Christ, His church and the District / C&MA. We need
wisdom.
On a different note, Kim and I have just returned from Boise / Nampa
where we led The Rock church in Nampa in launching a core group to
begin a work in Boise. The Rock determined to move forward in faith
even though they did not have a senior pastor at the time. What a
step of faith. The families to the right have chosen to join this
faith venture, and all but one is already moved into the
neighborhood in Boise. God has really met them and they are an
excited, dedicated and motivated group. Please continue to pray for
them and for The Rock.
By the way, the Rock has called David Underwood
to be their pastor and he is due to begin October 1. What an
encouragement to see this 7 year old congregation give birth to
their first daughter church. I hope you caught that – their first
daughter. This congregation is looking to trust God for more
daughter churches and before very long their first granddaughter
church launched from the Boise church. Please pray that these faith
filled visions will be exceeded beyond their imaginations.
Thanks so much for praying for these requests and for
your regular encouragement to us. We really do appreciate you.
Blessings,
Gary and Kim
August 30, 2010
District Update
Tim Owen - Superintendent
Greetings! We are all
wrapping up summer and preparing for fall ministries. May God bring
all those people back to church! I trust God is inspiring you for
the new school year ministry cycle.
Things are happening in the District for you
to know about and that will inform your prayers and interests.
Paul Sponheim has accepted the call to become
pastor of the Richey Alliance Church. He is already there and
preached yesterday! Paul most recently served as an associate pastor
in Ottumwa, Iowa. He is a native of Fairview, Montana, growing up on
a farm near there in North Dakota. Welcome Paul and Cindy and their
three children!
Dave Underwood has accepted the call to be the
next pastor of The Rock Church of the C&MA in Nampa, Idaho beginning
October 1. Dave served as associate pastor in an independent church
in Portland, Oregon for several years and then as senior pastor of
the Kent Alliance Church, in Kent, Washington. He is married and has
three children. Welcome Underwoods!
Shane Haynes was recently accredited, licensed
and appointed to serve as Associate Pastor of Youth Ministries of
the Neighborhood Alliance Church in Riverton, Wyoming, serving with
pastor Kurt Niemeyer, who began his ministry as senior pastor there
this summer. Shane served as youth director as a lay volunteer and
then part time staff and is now full time. He is married to Nina and
they have 3 children. Welcome Haynes'!
Churches in various stages of search for their
next pastor are Lewistown, Ronan, Cody and Casper. Please be praying
for God to provide each with his choice. Pray that God give each
search committee, candidate and me wisdom, and discernment.
Team Leadership Conference (TLC) plans are
progressing well. We have planned for shorter meetings, more free
time, some meals at the church, one lunch where you are on your own
among all the great restaurants of Billings, and a concluding fine
dining experience at Briarwood Country Club on Wednesday evening.
Briarwood has a great menu and beautiful views of the golf course,
city of Billings and mountains. Bring some nice clothes for that
event. Also we have asked Eric Engerbretson to provide some fun and
inspiring music. You won't want to miss him and his ministry.
Here is a report from Dave and Marcia Nagel. Let us continue to pray for
them as they serve in Indonesia. They are two of our RMD International Workers.
Dave has attended several meetings in Bali this summer since
our time at FF. A meeting of 80 Mission Organization reps in Indonesia
attended a consultation hosted by the Dept of
Religion.
A week later we were host to the Alliance Pacific
Region meeting. Alliance Church Presidents and other leaders from ten Asian
countries were represented during this week of
meetings.
The Alliance World Fellowship President, Arie Verdyn, as
well as the former APAC regional president spoke as
well.
Michelle has had a good start to her job teaching at CB school here in Bandung. Bill
and Courtney Miller are
adjusting well as Bill teaches at CB school in
Bandung. Their
two kids, Quinn and Zoe are learning to enjoy all
that Indonesia has to offer! Both the Millers and
Michelle are applying to Marketplace Ministries
(Formerly IFAP).
August 1, 2010
District Update
Tim Owen - Superintendent
District Family,
Howdy! I hope you are all doing well this summer.
I hear reports that some of you are experiencing "summer slump."
That is a hard summer reality as the church faces the stiff
competition of the out of doors, sports and recreation. May God make
his people faithful. Meanwhile, I join you in prayer and
faithfulness in serving. One old Christian leader told me early in
my ministry to "save the best sermons, worship services, etc. for
the smallest crowds. Reward them for their faithfulness. Don't
punish them by letting down your standards of sermon prep and
delivery and ministry in general just because the crowd is low in
number. May we celebrate the "Audience of One, Jesus.
District News:
Adriaan Overbeeke has accepted a call to be pastor
of the Crossroads Alliance Church in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
beginning September 15. Let us join in prayer for the Cody, and
Crossroads church and the Overbeekes as they make this transition.
Adriaan has had a wonderful ministry in Cody and the Rocky Mountain
District. He has served on DEXCOM and led the 24.14 Missions
Mobilization Team. He will be sorely missed.
Kenny White has accepted a call from the
Mid-America District to restart a church in St. Peters, MO, a suburb
of St. Louis beginning October 1. Let us join in prayer for all
involved in this transition, including the Casper Alliance Church,
the Whites and the church in Missouri.
The Rock Church in Nampa is hearing a candidate
soon. Other churches in search mode include Richey, Lewistown, and
Ronan, Mt. and Cody and Casper, Wy. Pray that God will provide
godly, qualified candidates for these churches. Pray that these
churches prosper during the transition.
Giving to DOB is strong this year so far. Though
contributions for July are down, at about 88% of budget, the year
to date level of giving is at 103%. In our budget preparations
for 2010 we reduced our expense projections significantly, and on
the spending side of the budget we have held those expenses to about
87% of the projection. The costs of District support for LIFE
2010 and for the Nampa Idaho property have run slightly less than
projected year to date. This has been accomplished by the
shared effort of all concerned. Let us thank God for his provision for his ministry in
and through the RMD.
RMD giving to the GCF
is very low this year. June giving was at 64% of 2009 and year to
date at 74%. How are we to interpret this dramatic decline in giving
to GCF? Please send me your answer to that question by e-mail. I
need to hear why our churches are not giving to GCF at levels
previously experienced. We need to find out what is going on so we
can respond. Thanks for your help. Please reply.
August 1, 2010
Burdick’s Prayer Update
Gary Burdick, Assistant to the
Superintendent
Kim and I leave for a week
of vacation on Friday. We plan to canoe about 300 miles of the
Yellowstone River. The first 3 days Shannon will join us. It should
be fun! We want to get this letter out to you before we head out
since it will be well into August (already) before we get back. Here
are some quick updates.
Mio is back from a nice visit to Japan and is
healing very well. Shannon too is healing, although he continues to
have to put eye drops in. Hopefully he will get released from
Doctor’s care on Monday the 2nd.
The Billings church plant core group held an
outreach picnic that was fun and had 4 visitors. Please continue to
pray for decisions related to the possibility of this launch. The
District Executive Committee will address Gary’s proposal on August
9 or 10. The proposal is to do three part-time jobs, District Church
Planting Director, Church Planter and some secular work.
Missoula Downtown Church continues to make good
progress and have lots of great conversations with new attenders who
are formerly unchurched folks. Please continue to uphold this
project.
The Boise church plant is progressing. The Rock
at Nampa (the mother church) will be hearing a pastoral candidate
shortly. Please pray for wisdom in that process. The selection of a
senior pastor there will clear the way for Dusty Benner to move on
to the church plant.
The time at Dickey Lake Camp went well and the
time with Gary’s Dad was a real blessing. Thanks for praying for
that opportunity.
As always we really appreciate your faithful
prayerful support. Keep up the good work.
Blessings,
Gary & Kim
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