"Live" Broadcasting of the 2010 Mission Mid-Atlantic Annual Conference

We will use Livestream to broadcast our conference on April 23, 24. We want to thank Jim D'Amico and Lifewalk Church for the use of their equipment to Livestream our conference via the internet. If you cannot attend the conference, but would still like to view the sessions, point your browser to this address: www.livestream.com/missionmidatlantic. Here is the schedule of events that will we will broadcast live.

Friday Night

7:00 PM Pre-Conference Session: New Beginnings Christian Life Fellowship and Dr. E. Glenn Wagner

Saturday

10:00 AM First Session: Robert and Joyce Hayes and Dr. E. Glenn Wagner

2:00 PM Second Session: Robert and Joyce Hayes and Dr. E. Glenn Wagner

3:00 PM Mission Mid-Atlantic Business/Vision Session

There is also a chat room included in the Livestream technology so that you can interact with us. Someone will monitor the chat room so feel free to enter and share your thoughts during the sessions.

~ Jim

Call For Decency

My wife tells me that I often act like my Father. I admit that I struggle with a lot that I see and hear today because things are not like they used to be. A visit to a convenience store this morning explains why I am fighting the changes.

I stopped on my way to the office today to purchase some gum. As I waited to pay, I noticed a man in front of me wearing his jeans like a lot of young men do today. There is even a song written about the trend called “Pants on the Ground.” I relate to what that guy was trying to say and think he was right on.

I didn’t think much of it until the man bent over to pick up a little girl beside him. To my surprise, his boxers had also dropped to where his jeans were and his buttocks were exposed. TOTALLY. I wanted to say something but didn’t trust what I might have said. Instead, to my shame, I looked away.

Very carefully, I looked back a minute or so later and it appeared that he finally pulled something up, although I am not sure if it was the boxers ONLY or the boxers AND the jeans. It didn’t matter as long as he was covered up.

He finally paid his bill and walked away, apparently happy with his purchase but saying nothing to us behind him who saw his behind.

What I saw in the convenience store this morning was a revelation to me. This trend is like alot of changes that we are seeing in our culture today. It is not about cultural changes or even personal preferences. Instead, it is about decency and a departure from Biblical values.

This rant is not over. More to come later!

~Jim

2010 Mission Mid-Atlantic Pre-Conference Information

The 2010 Mission Mid-Atlantic Annual Conference begins on the evening of April 23 with a time of worship and inspiration at Grace Baptist Church in Lancaster, PA starting at 7:00 PM. Worship will be led by New Beginnings Christian Life Fellowship, Mission Mid-Atlantic's newest Affiliated Church. New Beginnings Christian Life Fellowship is a new church plant in Reading, PA. Pastor Raymond Bland and his congregation are an energetic group and we are sure this evening of worship will be a blessing to all who attend. Dr. E. Glenn Wagner will also share some words of encouragement related to Transformational Leadership, our theme for the weekend. There is still time to register for this weekend of fellowship and renewal. Visit our website at www.missionmid-atlantic.org to learn more.

~ Jim

Dr. E. Glenn Wagner, Keynote Speaker

Our Keynote Speaker for our 2010 Conference is Dr. E. Glenn Wagner. Glenn is a dynamic, innovative leader and pastor with more than 30 years of ministerial leadership demonstrating a heart for God’s people and a passion for Kingdom growth. Having served as senior pastor to four congregations, he has become a catalyst for multicultural worship, church vision, health and growth, debt elimination, and ministry development and implementation.

His passion for the training and development of people, especially pastors, has made him an influential and well sought-after speaker for a variety of settings and conferences throughout the country and abroad. Over the course of his career, Dr. Wagner has served as an adjunct professor or lecturer at six universities and seminaries including Philadelphia Biblical University, Western Seminary and Oxford Graduate School. He is a founding board member and former vice president of Promise Keepers, Inc., where he led the national and international expansion efforts, helping the organization attain double-digit growth for six straight years. As a result of his extensive experience, he now specializes in helping struggling churches achieve aggressive growth and health.

Dr. Wagner is not only a teacher, but also a powerful visionary and author. As founder and current president of FutureLead, http://www.futurelead.org/ he helps pastors, executives and organizations reverse the negative trends of leadership by teaching them how to lead with purpose and passion. He has written and contributed to more than nine books including: The Church You’ve Always Wanted, Escape From Church, Inc., The Heart of a Godly Man, God: An Honest Conversation For The Undecided and Fire In Your Bones. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in religion and society and a Doctor of Literature in advanced research from Oxford Graduate School. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry from Northwest Graduate School.

Dr. Wagner currently serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Leadership Development and Deployment at University Park Baptist Church under the direction of Bishop Claude R. Alexander, Jr. He and his wife Susan have two grown children and live near Charlotte, North Carolina.

Visit our website at http://www.missionmid-atlantic.org/ for registration information. We look forward to seeing you in Lancaster on April 23, 24!

Two weeks to go till Re:Light the Flame!

We are counting down the days will we meet in Lancaster for our Annual Conference on April 23, 24 at Grace Baptist Church in Lancaster, PA. We anticipate an awesome time of fellowship, inspiration and refreshment. Beginning Monday, I plan to post something here each day about our time together. Posts will include more information about our keynote sessions, breakout topics, etc. In the meantime, you are welcome to visit our website for registration information and more at www.missionmid-atlantic.org.

~Jim

Davisville Church Hosting Best-Selling Missions Author

On Saturday, May 1, 2010, Davisville Church, Southampton, PA will be hosting Dr. Paul Borthwick, author of the best-selling book, How to be a World Class Christian. All Mission Mid-Atlantic Churches are invited and encouraged to send representatives to this free program. Dr. Borthwick will be speaking on the topic, Equipping and Mobilizing Your Church for Missions in the 21st Century. The training will begin at 10:00 AM and conclude at 11:45 AM. Directions to Davisville Church can be found at www.davisville.org. Information about Dr. Borthwick and his other ministry activities can be found at www.borthwicks.org. Hope to see you on May 1!

~Paul Mathewson

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:5).

As this weekend approaches we are reminded of Gospel events that changed everything. The Passion of Christ, which includes both the cross and His Resurrection, provided the basis upon which we can have the assurance of eternal life.

We pray that each of the events that are held at your church this weekend will point men and women, boys and girls, to the Gospel and call them to place their faith and trust in Christ as their Savior. We also pray that each of us may once again be reminded of Paul’s words in Philippians 2:5, where he challenged the members of the church at Philippi to have the mind of Christ. In other words, as we remember the events surrounding His Passion, we are called to humility.

As I attend the Good Friday Service at Stagecoach Road Christian Fellowship tomorrow night, I will reflect on Christ’s death on the Cross, how He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. (Philippians 2:8)

I am reminded of the words of Jeff Vanderstelt, pastor of Soma, who noted the following during a keynote address at the recent CBNorthwest Annual Enrichment Conference: The Gospel informs everything we do.

As we gather this weekend to remember the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, let us reflect on how these Gospel truths inform everything we do. How does the Passion inform my heart and spirit. Have I humbled myself to the point of death, dying to self? How am I seeing the power of Christ’s Resurrection empower your heart and spirit? How is the power of the Gospel informing every aspect of my church?

May God bless you in a mighty way during this Resurrection weekend.

~Jim