Hope you are having a good week so far! If you’re like me, you’ve asked yourself, “What does the Conference do?” More specifically, “What does the Conference Superintendent do?”

LET’S TALK…

When I was elected Superintendent last summer, Linda and I prayed that we could be used by God to make a difference in our local churches. The Conference exists for the local church, not vice versa. That’s why our new mission statements says “The Pacific Conference helps build healthy local churches!” How do we do that? That’s where these three priorities come into play. (The following was also published in the OnMIssion news.)

The first area of focus is Pastoral and leadership development. I am encouraging every pastor in the conference to take time this year to attend some sort of training to sharpen their pastoral and leadership skills. I know some pastors who do this continually. Others haven’t attended any sort of development program in years. To help, the Pacific Conference has partnered with the Willow Creek Leadership Summit to secure a site license to view these sessions over the internet at the Conference Office. And we have set funds aside to help pastors in smaller churches attend this or other training.

Additionally, we are beginning a coaching ministry. I’m deeply passionate about this because my participation in a coaching ministry over a period of years has been an essential and invaluable part of my own growth. The accountability and encouragement that comes from meeting regularly with a coach helps us pay attention to our life and ministry from season to season. Only a small group of individuals will be involved at first, they will be trained to become trainers, with a potential for exponential growth in the future.

The second area of focus is the concept of TurnAround pastors and churches. This is training for pastors and congregations who are looking for a fresh vision for their local church. We are actively searching for churches and pastors who want to engage with the TurnAround process. If you are interested, there are more specifics on here:TurnAround Commitment-Pastor and Church. Contact the Conference Office to sign up.

Church Planting is a third area of focus. We know there are people who need Jesus who won’t walk in the doors of a traditional church building. They will, however, meet with a gathering of believers in a school or an office park. We intend to be strategic about the location for each church plant and the individuals involved and are asking each of our churches to consider how they will be involved in their communities: thru prayer and resourcing, by collaborating with other local churches, or in a more traditional mother-daughter church-plant relationship.

BEFORE YOU GO…

As the Conference Superintendent my heart is for the pastors and our local churches. My time is being spent in Board Meetings, conducting our Local Conference Gatherings Local Conference Schedule) and personally contacting our pastors. Please continue to pray for the Conference and each local church. It’s His church and we want to be used by Him to build his kingdom! Amen!!

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