The Southern California District Church of the Nazarene of Temecula, California, United States for Rodney Kilgore for Sunday, 1 October 2017 "SoCal District: October Newsletter"

 The Southern California District Church of the Nazarene of Temecula, California, United States for Rodney Kilgore for Sunday, 1 October 2017 "SoCal District: October Newsletter"

THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE CHILDREN OF GOD (ROMANS 8:16)

OCTOBER DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
Choosing Devin (even if it costs us the game)
It goes without saying that Jr. High is tremendously awkward for most kids. It's this weird hodge-podge of developmental stages and life experiences. Some boys have already been shaving for a year while others are still wetting the bed at night. A few are doing both. Girls are a good foot taller than the guys and several have deeper voices than them; until some Thursday in October when in about the span of an hour you simultaneously become a baritone and your face turns into a braille instruction manual. It's nature's white-elephant-gift exchange, with no swaps allowed. To make matters worse, there's always at least one kid who it seems never got the puberty memo. While everyone else's body is plunging headlong into a pool of hormones and embarrassment, they're sitting on the sidelines in this weird, extended childhood, usually forming the standard fare for the bully in its natural habitat: P.E. class.
Our puberty hold-out was named Devin. He was every bully's dream come true. A grade or two ahead of his age group, he was incredibly slight-of-stature, even for his age. To make matters worse, he was also one of the most vocal kids about anything that wasn't fair, especially in regards to himself, and would regularly spend his P.E. class crying at the P.E. teacher's side. Unfortunately, all the standard small-kid-at-recess cliches applied to him: picked last for every sport, if at all; singled out for humiliation during the games, teased the most if his team lost, etc.
To be fair, kids at our school generally did a pretty good job protecting him from the worst of any bullying. We were a small private Christian school comprised mostly of good, Christian kids from strong families who were looking to follow Christ to the best of their abilities. But, even in that environment... Jr. High often still happens – even if it's to a more sanitized, censored script.
Occasionally, a spirit of conviction would descend upon the participants of Mr. Minor's afternoon P.E. class, and, in a show a solidarity with the least-of-these, the regular team leaders would decide to pick the worst players first. I always enjoyed seeing that happen and hoped it was an encouragement to those kids who regularly were picked last.**
Daily, I'm reminded of just how up-lifting it can be to be chosen, and, conversely, how devastating it can be to be rejected. Many of us work our entire lives to be chosen: chosen for a promotion, chosen for a home loan, chosen as a friend or as a spouse, chosen as the pretty, funny, or the smart one - or even the Christ-like one. We all enjoy the ego boost that come with a compliment over our looks or an acknowledgment of our achievements. But, what happens when our skin sags and our hair greys, when we get let go from a job and have to start over, or when a relationship ends in rejection. The fallout from being un-chosen can often persist for a lifetime.
In Romans 8:15-16, Paul declares triumphantly, “you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God [...]"
Paul offers here a beautiful picture of undeserved favor. In the ancient Greco-Roman world, those individuals who didn't have an heir could adopt someone, perhaps a relative or a household slave, to become their son and, thus, heir to their property. The adopted one would take on the status and honor of their adopted father and had all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a natural born son. Being chosen as adopted son was completely transformational to the identity of the new heir. And so it is for us.
In a world of shifting valuations and positional jockeying, Paul reminds us today of the steadfast, transformative nature of our chosen-ness. Through our faith and Christ's faithfulness, we have been grafted in to the olive tree of God's chosen people, not dependent upon our ability to offer anything in return, but, purely because of the love of God for each one of us. We have been adopted as sons – with all the full rights and privileges sonship affords. And, further, this is a sonship in which we approach our loving Father boldly through His Spirit. When we encounter circumstances which make us doubt our worth or find ourselves in a caustic back-and-forth of endless comparison, Christ calls us back to reality: our identity as beloved sons of God, chosen in the midst of our own brokenness and sin.
May we live and act in reflection of the reality of our chosen-ness, both to encourage those within the body and to direct the lost sons of God home.
Your District Administration
**In retrospect, I'm not sure how encouraging picking the least desirable players first actually was - it's really just the same process of pointing out the worst participants, except in reverse order. But, I also don't imagine that many 7th graders analyze the potential emotional experience of various team-picking philosophies. ...We may never know...
WOMEN'S RETREAT
Our annual district Women's Retreat will be held March 16 to 18, 2018 at the Town & Country Resort in San Diego. Our guest speaker this year will be Tara Beth Leach, lead pastor at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene. This year's theme is "Anchored," using Hebrews 6:19-20 as our key passage. Please mark your calendars accordingly and make plans to join us in this district-wide celebration. Registration is soon coming.
CRISIS CARE KITS: UPDATE

Thanks to your efforts, 846 Crisis Care Kits (CCKs) were delivered to the Sacramento distribution center this past week. The effort was in response to the hurricanes, earthquake, and other recent disasters around the world. Churches from the SoCal district created the kits to specification, packed 6 kits in each banana box and took them to a nearby church for pickup. Steve Gilbert along with his daughter Natalie and Tom Ritchie picked up these boxes in a rented U-Haul truck and headed up to Sacramento. 

They were met by Compassionate Ministry staff who helped unload the boxes and even provided a place to stay for the night. Likely, the SoCal CCKs are headed to Puerto Rico or Mexico. Please be in prayer that God will use these to minister to the needs of those devastated by the recent hurricanes and earthquake.
PUERTO RICO HURRICANE UPDATE
Most of you are aware of the intense damage that the recent hurricanes have wreaked on the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Our latest information regarding the Nazarene church in PR is as follows:

• 15 of 25 churches have been contacted (communication is impossible with others) - property damage is common, but, no loss of life has been reported.
• Travel is extremely limited. Because of the travel limitations, churches are not able yet to receive volunteers. We will communicate when that changes and will be providing volunteer information when it becomes available.
• Overall Situation: Flooding is widespread and the loss of power is life-threatening for those vulnerable due to medical needs. 60% of people still don't have water, many roads are impassable, and ATMs are running out of cash.

For more complete information on the situation from NCM and the D.S. of Puerto Rico, please click HERE.
MINISTER'S GETAWAY 2017
All Lead and Staff Pastors, Remember! The Minister’s Getaway (Leadership Retreat) is October 6-8 at the SpringHill Suites in Oceanside - Keynote speaker: Stan Toler. Those who have registered, please remember to mark your calendars. Thanks!
RENEWAL CONFERENCE
December 9th, Murrieta Gateway Church of the Nazarene will be hosting a day-long (8:30AM - 2PM) conference concerning church planting, evangelism, and church renewal. The conference is open to all, whether clergy or laity, and will feature Mark Bane, Director of Church Planting, Evangelism, and Church Renewal for the Nazarene Church; Bill Wiesman, USA World Zone Leader for Dynamic Church Planting International; and Kevin McDonald, senior pastor at Gateway Nazarene. There is no cost for the conference and lunch will be provided. Registration will be open soon; make sure you save the date on your calendars.
For more information please contact Kevin McDonald at kmcdonald@gatewwaynaz.org
MEN'S RETREAT UPDATEMore than 140 men from the SoCal district gathered for a time of spiritual renewal and fellowship this past September. Looking ahead, save these dates for next year's men's retreat: Sept. 14-16, 2018.
SOCAL DISTRICT COMPASS INITIATIVEPastors, are you a part of the COMPASS financial program? The COMPASS Initiative is a Nazarene initiative to address our U.S. ministers’ most pressing financial difficulties. The COMPASS Initiative utilizes a financial literacy, management, and well-being program to equip ministers in personal and church financial matters. Additionally, COMPASS has programs for the local church and a retreat to learn how to better manage financial matters dealing with the local church. For more information, visit COMPASS Initiative and stay tuned for SoCal district specific information.
YOUTH WORKER TRAINING EVENTWe are hosting a youth worker training event at PLNU on March 16 (Cost is $15 per person). Brad Griffin will be training on the new "Growing Young" research that Fuller Institute has been conducting. Some of our own Nazarene ministers are a part of this initiative, including Marcos Canales and Keegan Lenker. Click on the link for more information: fulleryouthinstitute.org
Stay tuned for registration information.
FRESH START: MARK THE DATE

Feb. 24, 2018 at The Bridge Church, international speakers Gary and Cherisse Zelesky will be joining us as keynote speakers for our annual Fresh Start conference. The couple has a powerful story of restoration and Gary speaks regularly on the area of passion. Make plans now to join us this upcoming February. Registration is coming soon.
DISTRICT OFFICE ASSISTANT LEAVINGExecutive Assistant Bettina Powell has officially retired as of September 28th. She served the SoCal District from 2014 to 2017 and was responsible for event-planning, property management, processing legal documents for the church, state, and federal government. She assisted in the transition between District secretaries, processed district allocations, managed Facebook, and the day-to-day matters of the office. We kept her busy and will miss her personality and passion for God and His Church. Thank you, Bettina, and may God bless you and Larry's retirement years! You are loved by all of us.
D.S. Tom Taylor
LOCAL CHURCH TREASURERSYou can find the link to the district online payment site for paying district allocations HERE. Please familiarize yourself with this webpage and the process for making regular payments. Thank you
SOCAL NMI NEWSPlease keep the district NMI in your prayers as they begin the search for a new president. After 14 years, Dennis Bentley stepped down as head of the SoCal NMI. His passion and persistence for Nazarene Missions was always evident, demonstrated in some unique district projects, especially in Haiti, Cuba, and Baja Mexico. He loved missions and it showed. Thank you, Dennis, for your service.
SOCAL CHILDREN'S QUIZZING SCHEDULEBelow is the schedule for the children's quizzing through next year's regional quiz in May. Please update your calendars accordingly.

• Invitational Quiz #1: October 14, 2017 Host: Escondido
• Invitational Quiz #2: December 2, 2016 Host: Gateway
• Invitational Quiz #3: January 20, 2018 Host: El Cajon
• Invitational Quiz #4: March 10th, 2018 Host: Parkway
• District Quiz: April 14, 2018 Host: Mission
• Regional Quiz at PLNU: May 12, 2018 (for those who qualify) 

A PLAIN ACCOUNT: WESLEYAN RESOURCESCheck out the "Wesleyan-perspectived" commentary based on the Revised Common Lectionary. If you are a pastor or a lay-person interested in following lectionary readings throughout the year, we recommend visiting aplainaccount.com for more information. Nazarene ministers and scholars from all over the globe are participating in this project. We would love to have you be a part of this work, supporting it in any way you can.
OPEN DISTRICT ADMIN. POSITIONIn light of Bettina's retirement, we have attached a job description for the new open position of district administrator. If you have skills in the associated areas and are looking for a position, or know of someone who is, please contact the district office. Thank you
CHURCH REPORTINGYou may have heard - there has been a massive round of layoffs at the district office this past month. Apparently, when normally-mild-mannered G.S. Eugenio Duarte heard about our poor record of local church reporting, he flew into a rage, knocking over entire cubicles and landing several blows on USA/Canada director Bob Broadbooks before being brought down by a handful of tranquilizer darts from recently installed NCM director and guerrilla-tactics expert Nell Becker-Sweeden. In order to pay for the associated damages and increase to insurance premiums, the general church has doubled our expected financial obligation. Thus, all but D.S. Taylor has been let go, and the district office has been sublet to a local carniceria to increase district revenue. Tom himself has even taken a side-job selling popcorn and peanuts for the local Lake Elsinore Storm on game days.
In order to show our support for Lake Elsinore's newest snack vendor and to keep incredible-hulk-of-a-man Dr. Duarte from another destructive episode, please click HERE to make your monthly church reports.
Upcoming Events

• Minister's Getaway: October 6-8
• PLNU - Seminar By The Sea: October 23-27
• Renewal Conference: December 9
• Fresh Start: February 24
• Youth Worker's Training Event: March 16
• Women's Retreat: March 16-18
• Men's Retreat: September 14-16, 2018

For a more detailed record of these and otherupcoming district events please visit the district calendar, or www.socalnaz.org/events/calendar
For a printable version of this newsletter (abbreviated) for use as a bulletin insert or wall posting, please click HERE. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kyf93zmXifFUD6MWbXF6bQZXYf-xC-Jx21Yq__gSupw/edit?usp=sharing)
Our mailing address:
28465 Old Town Front Street#313
Temecula, California 92590, United States
3 Attachments

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title: District Administrator

Job Status: Full-time, Exempt

Reports to: District Superintendent, Southern California District Church of the Nazarene

Purpose: Provide program coordination and administrative support to the District Superintendent and Southern California District Church of the Nazarene.

Compensation: $46,000/year (90-day probationary period)

Responsibilities:

Assist in the planning, coordination, and execution of So Cal District events including Continuing Education opportunities for pastors, Pastor’s Forums, District Assembly, and all other training events.

Promote and market programs and events offered by the So Cal District.

Research, compile, and analyze data to assist the So Cal District in developing new programs and procedures. 

Coordinate office operations for the So Cal District, along with the supervision of and collaboration with other office/district personnel (SDMI Chair, District NYI and SDMI Presidents, treasurer, Ministerial Studies Chair, Camp Directors, District Advisory Board, District Secretary, etc.)

Maintain and update the So Cal District’s online website.

Maintain and update the So Cal District’s database.

Maintain, update and distribute the So Cal District’s monthly newsletter.

Maintain and set up online registration for So Cal District events (Women’s Retreat, Men’s Retreat, Camps, Fresh Start, etc.)

Track district ministry budgets.  Process invoices and expense reports.  Create and maintain event budgets.  Process honorariums. Process credit card charges.

   Provide general administrative support to the District Superintendent, So Cal District.

   Coordinate and schedule district leadership meetings as directed by the DS.   

Create form letters for typical approval processes created and processed when necessary (i.e approval of loan, lease, sell, etc).

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 3 years of administrative experience with programs.  Master’s degree and program development experience preferred.

Proficiency with software such as Word, Windows, and Excel required. Proficiency with registration software, database management preferred.  Ability to type 50 wpm.  

Understanding of and commitment to the spiritual mission of the Church of the Nazarene.

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

Accuracy and attention to detail.  Ability to maintain confidentiality.

Strong organization skills and the ability to use independent judgment in prioritizing tasks while experiencing frequent interruptions.

Ability to communicate and exercise effective interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships within the So Cal District and general public.

Interested applicants should email the following documents to socalnazareneapplications@gmail.com.

Cover letter.

Resume.

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DS Brothers,

Please see below the note sent by Nell Becker Sweeden, our NCM director, to one of our district superintendents concerning how we can help Puerto Rico and other hurricane victims.  I thought it was particularly helpful.  Also you will note a letter from our district superintendent in Puerto Rico.  Please pray for our brothers and sisters and ask the Lord for direction on how you and your churches can assist.  Thanks for your continued concern.

Bob

Dear…………

We have done an initial damage assessment on both Puerto Rican districts (see below), and have received an initial plan from the east district for food/water distribution through local purchase. Additionally, we are coordinating with partners to get a shipment of relief supplies sent immediately by air cargo. Right now the district requests are very specific and focused on immediate food relief, water, specific hygiene items, etc.

At this time, the best way for us to facilitate the relief is through the ongoing support from our churches via monetary donations. It is logistically very difficult to coordinate other types of gifts-in-kind donations raised at the district level. I wish that were different because I know we have very compassionate and active churches standing by to help gather materials. But, at this time, mobilizing exactly what is needed in a most timely way is critical.

We are still coordinating with leaders about the possibility of receiving teams an volunteers. I expect this will be a need in the next stage, but it is too soon to estimate a timeline.

Below is some of the most up to date information we have specifically on Puerto Rico.

PUERTO RICO UPDATE - 26 Sept.

- 15 of 25 churches have been contacted (communications is impossible with others); property damage is common, but no loss of life has been reported.

- OVERALL SITUATION: The situation is still critical in Puerto Rico: Flooding is widespread; the loss of power is life-threatening for those who are vulnerable due to medical needs; 60% of people still don’t have water; many roads are impassable; and ATMs are running out of cash.

- TRAVEL:  Travel is extremely limited.  Due to the limited signal range of the traffic control center tower, there are only 10 flights allowed per day at the Luis Munoz Marin Airport and these are primarily for first responders and aid.  No international flights are permitted. There is a standby list of over 20,000 people.  Ponce and Aguadilla airports are only for some commercial, but mostly military cargo.  Ceiba is only receiving military cargo.

Because of the limited travel, churches are not yet able to receive volunteers. We will communicate when that changes and we will provide a volunteer information form in the same way we have for other disasters.

- COMMUNICATIONS: Cell service is still down in a majority of the island; only about 25% has been restored.

- For those seeking information about loved ones in Puerto Rico:

The Puerto Rican Federal Affairs Administration (PRFAA) has urged anyone seeking “general information or assistance” to email their office at maria1@prfaa.pr.gov.

The American Red Cross has also encouraged people to use its "Safe and Well" online tracker to either search for loved ones or mark themselves as safe following the disaster.

English: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php

Espanol: https://safeandwell-es.communityos.org/zf/safe/add

Those with critical cases, such as medical, can also call 800-RedCross.

If we have extremely urgent cases of church members needing to locate or communicate with loved ones, the women who lead the Red Cross’s reunification efforts in Puerto Rico has offered to provide her cell number. Please  contact our office if that is the case.

Dominica update (brief) — may know more as soon as tomorrow

We are in contact with church leaders in Dominica through various channels, but they are still gathering information about specific needs, as well as a more comprehensive assessment of damage. There are reports of extensive church damage and many homes but not all churches have been reached. Food and fuel (and I would imagine water) are reported as critical needs. We are working through partners to prepare a shipment of relief supplies as soon as we can complete the assessment and have a better grasp of immediate needs.

Thank you, thank you for your prayers and support for the church during this time.

Grace and peace,

Nell

Rev. Nell Becker Sweeden, Ph.D.

Director | Nazarene Compassionate Ministries

17001 Prairie Star Parkway

Lenexa, KS 66220

Mobile: 503-310-9866

ncm.org

Beth Clayton Luthye posted a comment about this message on Basecamp.

Re: PUERTO RICO UPDATE - 26 Sept.

This is the latest from Andres Hernandez (DS, West district of Puerto Rico):

A week after Hurricane Maria we are grateful for all of the churches, our Nazarene brothers and sisters from different countries, who have communicated with us and have shared their support during this moment of crisis. Thank you for your prayers and willingness to help us.

Today I was finally able to communicate with Rev. Ramón Sierra, district superintendent of the West District. He is OK, but he is lacking communication and gasoline.

Sadly, with every day that passes, the crisis is worsening. The help coming from outside is being controlled by FEMA. That is why we understand that it would be best to wait before sending any material help, at least until we know they will arrive to where they are intended.

A lot of the positive news that is being heard outside of Puerto Rico about the situation getting better is not our daily reality. One week later the lines to obtain gasoline are even longer. People have spent up to 12 hours waiting to obtain a limited amount since gasoline is being rationed and one cannot buy all that is needed. It is being informed that diesel is available, but it is not being transported to the areas that need it.

The small number of businesses that are selling food and needed supplies have been closing since they cannot maintain their daily operations because of the lack of fuel for their generators. Even hospitals are reducing the amount of services they offer because they do not have access to fuel, water, or food to maintain their normal operations.

There is no electricity. More than 50% of the population does not have water service and communications are weak.

Continue to pray for God to strengthen the Church of Nazarene to be a blessing and serve those in need during this difficult time, even with our limitations. God is our refuge and strength, our ready help in tribulation. "The LORD gives his people strength. The LORD blesses them with peace" (Psalm 29:11).

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Choosing Devin

It goes without saying that Jr. High is tremendously awkward for most kids. It's this weird hodge-podge of developmental stages and life experiences. Some boys have already been shaving for a year while others are still wetting the bed at night. A few are doing both. Girls are a good foot taller than the guys and several have deeper voices than them. Until some Thursday in October when in about the span of an hour you simultaneously become a baritone and your face turns into a braille instruction manual. It's nature's white-elephant-gift exchange, with no swaps allowed. To make matters worse, there's always at least one kid who it seems never got the puberty memo. While everyone else's body is plunging headlong into a pool of hormones and embarrassment, they're sitting on the sidelines in this weird, extended childhood, usually forming the standard fare for the bully in its natural habitat: P.E. class.

Our puberty hold-out was named Devin. He was every bully's dream come true. A grade or two ahead of his age group, he was incredibly slight-of-stature, even for his age. To make matters worse, he was also one of the most vocal kids about anything that wasn't fair, especially in regards to himself, and would regularly spend his P.E. class crying at the P.E. teacher's side. Unfortunately, all the standard small-kid-at-recess cliches applied to him: picked last for every sport, if at all; singled out for humiliation during the games, teased the most if his team lost, etc.

To be fair, kids at our school generally did a pretty good job protecting him from the worst of any bullying. We were a small private Christian school comprised mostly of good, Christian kids from strong families who were looking to follow Christ to the best of their abilities. But, even in that environment... Jr. High often still happens – even if it's to a more sanitized, censored script.

Occasionally, a spirit of conviction would descend upon the participants of Mr. Minor's afternoon P.E. class, and, in a show a solidarity with the least-of-these, the regular team leaders would decide to pick the worst players first. I always enjoyed seeing that happen and hoped it was an encouragement to those kids who regularly were picked last.**

Daily, I'm reminded of just how up-lifting it can be to be chosen, and, conversely, how devastating it can be to be rejected. Many of us work our entire lives to be chosen: chosen for a promotion, chosen for a home loan, chosen as a friend or as a spouse, chosen as the pretty, funny, or the smart one - or even the Christlike one. We all enjoy the ego boost that come with a compliment over our looks or an acknowledgment of our achievements. But, what happens when our skin sags and our hair greys, when we get let go from a job and have to start over, or when a relationship ends in rejection. The fallout from being un-chosen can often persist for a lifetime.

In Romans 8:15-16, Paul declares triumphantly, “you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God [...]"

Paul offers here a beautiful picture of undeserved favor. In the ancient Greco-Roman world, those individuals who didn't have an heir could adopt someone, perhaps a relative or a household slave, to become their son and, thus, heir to their property. The adopted one would take on the status and honor of their adopted father and had all the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of a natural born son. Being chosen as adopted son was completely transformational to the identity of the new heir. And so it is for us.

In a world of shifting valuations and positional jockeying, Paul encourages the Church at Rome and reminds us today of the steadfast nature of our chosen-ness. Through our faith and Christ's faithfulness, we have been grafted into the olive tree of God's chosen people, not dependent upon our ability to offer anything in return, but, purely because of the love of God for each one of us. We have been adopted as sons – with all the full rights and privileges sonship affords. And, further, this is a sonship in which we approach our loving Father boldly through His Spirit. When we encounter circumstances which make us doubt our worth or find ourselves in a caustic back-and-forth of endless comparison, Christ calls us back to reality: our identity as beloved sons of God, chosen in the midst of our own brokenness and sin.

May we live and act in reflection of the reality of our chosen-ness, both to encourage those within the body and to direct the lost sons of God home.

Your District Administration

**In retrospect, I'm not sure how encouraging picking the least desirable players first actually was - it's really just the same process of pointing out the worst participants, except in reverse order. But, I also don't imagine that many 7th graders analyze the potential emotional experience of various team-picking philosophies. ...We may never know...

Women's Retreat

Our annual district Women's Retreat will be held March 16 to 18, 2018 at the Town & Country Resort in San Diego. Our guest speaker this year will be Tara Beth Leach, lead pastor at Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene. This year's theme is "Anchored," using Hebrews 6:19-20 as our key passage. Please mark your calendars accordingly and make plans to join us in this district-wide celebration. Registration is soon coming.

Crisis Care Kits: Update

Thanks to your efforts, 846 Crisis Care Kits (CCKs) were delivered to the Sacramento distribution center this past week. The effort was in response to the hurricanes, earthquake, and other recent disasters around the world. Churches from the SoCal district created the kits to specification, packed 6 kits in each banana box and took them to a nearby church for pickup. Steve Gilbert along with his daughter Natalie and Tom Ritchie picked up these boxes in a rented U-Haul truck and headed up to Sacramento.They were met by Compassionate Ministry staff who helped unload the boxes and even provided a place to stay for the night. Likely, the SoCal CCKs are headed to Puerto Rico or Mexico. Be in prayer that God will use these to minister to the needs of those devastated by the recent natural disasters.

Renewal Conference

December 9th, Murrieta Gateway Church of the Nazarene will be hosting a day-long (8:30AM - 2PM) conference concerning church planting, evangelism, and church renewal. The conference is open to all, whether clergy or laity, and will feature Mark Bane, Director of Church Planting, Evangelism, and Church Renewal for the Nazarene Church; Bill Wiesman, USA World Zone Leader for Dynamic Church Planting International; and Kevin McDonald, senior pastor at Gateway Nazarene. There is no cost for the conference and lunch will be provided. Registration will be open soon; make sure you save the date on your calendars.

For more information please contact Kevin McDonald at kmcdonald@gatewwaynaz.org

 Fresh Start: Mark the Date

Feb. 24, 2018 at The Bridge Church, international speakers Gary and Cherisse Zelesky will be joining us as keynote speakers for our annual Fresh Start conference. The couple has a powerful story of restoration and Gary speaks regularly on the area of passion. Make plans now to join us this upcoming February. Registration is coming soon.

District Office Assistant Leaving

Executive Assistant Bettina Powell has officially retired as of September 28th. She served the SoCal District from 2014 to 2017 and was responsible for event-planning, property management, processing legal documents for the church, state, and federal government. She assisted in the transition between District secretaries, processed district allocations, managed Facebook, and the day-to-day matters of the office. We kept her busy and will miss her personality and passion for God and His Church. Thank you, Bettina, and may God bless you and Larry's retirement years! You are loved by all of us.

D.S. Tom Taylor

SoCal NMI News

Please keep the district NMI in your prayers as they begin the search for a new president. After 14 years, Dennis Bentley stepped down as head of the SoCal NMI. His passion and persistence for Nazarene Missions was always evident, demonstrated in some unique district projects, especially in Haiti, Cuba, and Baja Mexico. He loved missions and it showed. Thank you, Dennis, for your service.  

SoCal Children's Quizzing Schedule

Below is the schedule for the children's quizzing through next year's regional quiz in May. Please update your calendars accordingly.

• Invitational Quiz #1: October 14, 2017  Host: Escondido
• Invitational Quiz #2: December 2, 2016  Host: Gateway
• Invitational Quiz #3: January 20, 2018  Host: El Cajon
• Invitational Quiz #4:  March 10th, 2018  Host: Parkway
• District Quiz: April 14, 2018  Host: Mission
• Regional Quiz at PLNU: May 12, 2018 (for those who qualify)

 A Plain Account: Wesleyan Resources

Check out the "Wesleyan-perspectived" commentary based on the Revised Common Lectionary. If you are a pastor or a lay-person interested in following lectionary readings throughout the year, we recommend visiting aplainaccount.com for more information. Nazarene ministers and scholars from all over the globe are participating in this project. We would love to have you be a part of this work, supporting it in any way you can.

Open District Admin. Position

In light of Bettina's retirement, we have attached a job description for the new open position of district administrator. If you have skills in the associated areas and are looking for a position, or know of someone who is, please contact the district office. Thank you

Upcoming Events

• Minister's Getaway: October 6-8
• Renewal Conference: December 9
• Fresh Start: February 24
• Youth Worker's Training Event: March 16
• Women's Retreat: March 16-18
• Men's Retreat: September 14-16, 2018

For a more detailed record of these and other upcoming district events please visit the district calendar, or www.socalnaz.org/events/calendar

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