NEWSLETTER.

As the month of October rolls around each year, we are reminded of the gift that our pastors are to each of us. They pray for us, administer the sacraments to us, preach Good News to us, officiate at weddings, funerals, and baptisms, care for us in times of crisis, and call us to a missional vision for our communities and the world. I have been blessed by the ministry of some fine shepherds over my lifetime.  John Lawwill, T. James Boshell, O. C. Rushing, Robert Atkinson, Leroy Hostutler, Forest Harvey, Everett Clay, Jack Archer, and Keith Wright pastored churches…

Dear Friends: It is so wonderful to be writing you from Ohio! Diane and I are looking forward to serving the South-Central Ohio District and to getting to know you. Our call to serve here has been confirmed over and over again, and we are most grateful for the ways the Lord has led. This weekend we will join our Nazarene sisters and brothers in South Texas at their District Ministry Team Retreat and look forward to joining our pastors and spouses at Easton next weekend for our own Pastors and Spouses Retreat. Dan and Denise Boone will be joining…

Dear South Central Ohio Nazarenes: Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Diane and I are looking forward to our arrival in Ohio. These have been busy days as we’ve been preparing for our move, saying goodbye to pastors and congregations we have come to love, and walking with the Kansas City District during these days of transition. At the same time, our excitement and anticipation to serve South Central Ohio is growing daily. I had forgotten what it is like to move—selecting a realtor, marketing a home, getting quotes from movers, arranging travel, etc. This…

Dear Friends: Greetings from Kansas City, where Diane and I are endeavoring to end strong even while our hearts are turning toward South-Central Ohio. We are looking forward to arriving in Columbus on Monday, September 30.  Coincidentally, the DSAC (District Superintendent’s Advisory Council for the USA/Canada) has meetings planned at Easton on September 31 – October 2 that we are participating in, then we look forward to joining you for the Pastor and Spouse Retreat on October4-6 at the Easton Town Center Hilton. I know there are a lot of changes happening this year – new location, new DS, new…

Greetings from sultry Kansas City! I’ve begun my new role with Global NDI, but I wanted to continue to communicate with you as your interim DS. I can’t tell you how excited I am for Dr. Eddie and Diane Estep to be your new DS! You are literally getting the best in the business! Dr. Eddie is the trainer for all new DS’s in the United States and Canada. Every time I am with Dr. Eddie, I learn something — be it a meeting, over a meal, a training, or a worship service. Always have something ready to jot down…

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart…” Paul’s letter to Philippi brims with affection and appreciation. Probably written near the end of his Roman imprisonment, Paul reflects…

ReTool Road Trips: Detour Ahead” I drive a lot as a superintendent and one of the most frustrating signs I encounter is, “Detour Ahead.” Sometimes my GPS alerts me in advance. Other times I have to figure it out on my own. If you know me and my sense of direction, you’re probably laughing at the prospect of me finding my own detour. A week ago I let you know of my recent election as Director of NDI for our denomination. If you were making plans for the “ReTool Road Trips” announced at district assembly, you might be expecting that…

Dear SCO Family, I’m writing today to make you aware of something very unexpected that has happened in our lives. Pentecost weekend the Board of General Superintendents (BGS) phoned me and asked me to seek the Lord regarding serving as the next Global NDI Director (Nazarene Discipleship International), a post recently vacated by Dr. Scott Rainey. We had no idea that this request was coming. We agreed to talk it over, spend some time in prayer and then speak again with the BGS. In full transparency, this request has upended our lives for the last few weeks. I did what…

Have you ever had a conversation with someone where they did all the talking? It’s not much of a conversation, right? In fact, a few minutes of that verbal barrage and I’m looking for a polite way to exit the chat. Conversation is a two-way street, so to speak. This week I’ll be sharing at a local church a few thoughts entitled, “The Other Half of Prayer.” The idea stems from healthy interpersonal communication. In a healthy interaction, there is both speaking and listening. I contend that prayer is exactly the same. I further contend that the listening “half” of…

I’ve been studying Ezekiel 37 and Acts 2 this first week of the Season of Pentecost. I’ve read these texts many times, but I’m not sure I’ve read them with one another. In my journal I’ve begun to list all the things that jump off the page as I read. Do you journal? I’ve found joy in it over the years once I decided that I would journal in a way that suited me and not get hung up over “doing it correctly.” I’m intrigued by the gift of the “breath” to the re-assembled dry bones in Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel…