Stacey D. Wheeler, M.A. | EFC-MAYM Director of Communications and Church Planting Support
The vision statement for EFC-MAYM is “To encourage, equip, and empower the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world in Jesus’ name through the ministries of EFC-MAYM” (Acts 2:17-21; Matt. 28:18-20). They say a vision in ministry should be so big that you cannot achieve it without God. This is certainly the case for us within the yearly meeting. We can do nothing of eternal value without the power of God and the power of the Holy Spirit at work within us. In order to “empower the whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world in Jesus’ name,” we must intentionally equip people to know how to share their faith in Christ with others and gain new vision in understanding the calling to go into all the world and preach the gospel.
On June 1st, 2024, I completed my first year in a new role as Director of Communications and Church Planting Support. In the area of Church Planting, we continue to cast vision for the importance of starting new churches. Statistics have proven that new churches reach people for Christ and bring a renewed passion for evangelism and discipleship to those involved.
Last March, Thayne, Tony and I were encouraged by attending Exponential, a conference in Orlando, Florida for church planting and discipleship growth with a sold-out crowd of 5,000, along with 9 other people from EFC-MAYM. This conference provided a way for us to learn from the global body of Christ and discover new ways leaders and churches are gathering people to better know and seek God. Two areas in church planting being encouraged at the conference were microchurches and developing women in leadership as church planters.
Dave Ferguson, the President of Exponential, will be one of the keynote speakers for the upcoming International Friends Church Multiplication Conference (IFCMC). You will not want to miss this amazing conference, held November 13-15, 2024 online and onsite at three college campuses in America: at Barclay College, Malone University, and George Fox University on the campus of Portland Seminary. Register and use Coupon Code MAYM24 for a discount of $35. All students are free!
There is momentum building for church planting across the country for Evangelical Friends! We’re encouraged by the work Randy Littlefield has done in this area for EFC-MAYM. He is retiring this year, and a reception was held in his honor at Ministry Conference to celebrate and recognize his passion and hard work in church planting. We appreciate him and Charlene and their love for God and people.
We’re also encouraged at the synergy surrounding church planting on a national scale. Eight regions across the country are regularly represented during the online EFCP task force board meetings. At the last one, Jim Le Shana presented updates concerning the upcoming International Friends Church Multiplication Conference, and in a recent EFCP task force board meeting we discussed potential speakers and workshops for both the online and in-person versions of the conference being considered for November.
On June 15th, 2024 the EFCP task force meeting was represented by the following people and regions:
● Jim Le Shana – Northwest
● Elizabeth Licon – Northwest
● Lisa Garon – Northwest
● Tom Palmer – Iowa
● Robert Radcliff – Iowa
● Joshua Cortez – Indiana
● Brian Donahue – Eastern Region
● Stacey Wheeler – Mid America
● Nick Shaffer – Mid America
● Becky Towne – Rocky Mountain
● Rusty Savage – Eastern Region
We’re also excited about the new grant from Lilly for the Friends Preaching Initiative that we pray will help those who desire to learn how to use their voices to preach and to tell people about Jesus! Katy Moran is the Program Director for this new initiative.
It will take new vision, prayer, resources, and passionate believers in Christ to fulfill the calling for EFC-MAYM. We know we serve a God who can do more than we could ever ask or imagine. God is doing a new thing in EFC-MAYM! As a leadership team our desire is to seek and know God’s heart for his people and to continue to trust in God’s divine leadership to lead us into all truth. God’s love, faith, and hope for us will never fail. Romans 10:14-15, in the Amplified Version, reminds us of the importance of evangelism, church planting, and GOING: “But how will people call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher (messenger)? And how will they preach unless they are commissioned and sent [for that purpose]? Just as it is written and forever remains written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
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