Stacey Wheeler | EFC-MAYM Director of Communications and Church Planting Support
In November, Thayne Thompson and Tony and Stacey Wheeler attended EFM missionary meetings in Oregon and church planting meetings in California with Friends Church Yorba Linda. While waiting for their food at an In-N-Out fast-food restaurant, surfers from the Huntington Beach High School Surfing team walked up and ordered food, and then sat outside and ate together. With wet, sun bleached hair and long surfing jackets, they exemplified the image you might picture for a high school surfing team from California. Within the Midwest, we don’t have the privilege of enjoying the pastime of surfing! Waves are needed, like the big waves in California or Hawaii. Surfers cannot control or create the waves, but they can sure try to catch them. As pastors and churches prepare for the remaining 2024 Leadership Retreats on February 3rd at Friends University, February 24th at Bethel Friends, and March 2nd at Friendswood Friends, our hope is that church teams will observe the wave of God within their churches and communities and catch that wave.
The cost for the retreat day is $25 per person. Lunch is provided. Please contact Janet Penna to sign up with the names of those attending from your church: 316-267-0391.
The 2024 leadership retreats will look a little different this year as Lead Superintendent Thayne Thompson and Superintendent of Pastoral and Church Health Tony Wheeler have invited pastors, clerks, and church leadership teams to gather before the retreats and engage in a set time of prayer and a set time for discussion about the potential areas where the team can see new vision the Holy Spirit might be desiring within the church body and where they can observe God already at work. Then church teams are invited to attend one of the leadership retreats where time will be given to continue discussing current and new vision God might be bringing.
Thayne sent out Nine preparation questions to help provide a springboard into seeing new works strengthened and begun within our churches in 2024 and beyond. When you look at the different activities within your church and community, where can you see God at work? Where is the “wave” happening already from God? Maybe you have a lot of young couples with babies and toddlers, or a lot of elderly people. Maybe single moms need a day of pampering once a quarter where they can bring in their cars to have their oil changed while they enjoy a cup of coffee and some cookies. Maybe someone in the body has a desire to start an Awana group or a Celebrate Recovery on Wednesday evenings. Every church is different with different talents and desires, but we know the Holy Spirit wants to bring light into a dark world and is always at work, inviting us to join in loving one another and those in our surrounding communities.
2024 LEADERSHIP RETREAT PREPARATION QUESTIONS FOR CHURCH TEAMS:
1. What are the strengths of your church?
2. What does your church do well?
3. What do you, as a church, want to do better?
4. What is most important to your church?
What are your top values?
5. What is Jesus excited about at your church?
6. What do you sense that Jesus is excited about accomplishing through your church in your community?7. What new area of ministry is there a growing passion and calling among those in your church?
8. What, if it were to happen, would bring great excitement in your church, and bring honor to Jesus in the next year, three years, five years?
9. What is your vision for the future of your church (picture of a preferred future)? Write a paragraph describing that picture of your church 5 years from now which would be worth investing your time and resources.
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