The Southeast Leaders Retreat for International Churches of Christ in the Carolinas, Georgia and the Mid-South was held June 13-15 at Ridgecrest Conference Center in Black Mountain, North Carolina. With the theme, "Pass it On." Sunday night featured an an extended period of fellowship, followed by a time of worship and prayer, and then news from around the Southeast. Here are some of the exciting things reported:
1. The North River Church had 125 campus students attend their two-week intern program
2. In one year the new planting at Clemson led by Jarrod and Staci Robinson, formerly in Birmingham, has seen the number of students in their campus ministry grow from 1 to the 27 they will have this fall.
3. 19 teens and adult chaperons are going from the Athens Church to conduct a camp for kids in the churches in Jamaica.
4. The Fayetteville, NC, church with 120 members gave $93,000 today for their special missions contribution!
5.Several churches reported starting new Hispanic ministries.
6. Damien Charley reported from Nashville on the efforts that have been made to reach out to that city in the aftermath of the flood. Eight have been baptized in the last 28 days!
RETREAT--DAY 2
At the morning session of the Southeast Leaders Retreat Tim Kidwell and Damien Charley presented a slide show about the Nashville Flood and told other churches how they could be involved in assisting our relief efforts.
The Athens Church presented plans to host the 2011 International Campus Ministry Conference for the Eastern U.S. The tentative date is the week of July 7.
The Athens Church shared about their work in Kingston, Jamaica (see yesterday's report) and Tim from Nashville presented a slide show on the work in South America supported by Mid-South Churches and by Louisville. A brother from Durbin, South Africa, shared about the support of the Fayetteville NC church and the great relationship the two churches have built.
The afternoon sessions were divided into groups for elders & teachers, evangelists, and women's leaders. At the evening session Tom Jones and Sam Laing both addressed the importance of the leader's persoanal walk with God.
The night ended with the selection of delegates from the Southeast for the upcoming meeting in Miami in September of all delegates from churches pledged to cooperation.
RETREAT -- DAY 3
On Tuesday Tom Jones announced the launching of a new Web presence for the SE Churches. The address will be made public soon.
The morning message was given by Don Burroughs, evangelist in Savannah, GA, and a licensed counselor. He spoke on the importance of helping the weak, the timid and the idle. He put great emphasis on the need for leaders to become great listeners.
The final message was by Jeff Hickman, co-evangelist from the North River congregation in Marietta. Speaking on the retreat theme, "Pass It On," Jeff emphasized pouring ourselves out for people, especially new disciples. His final charge was for all churches to realize what an incredible resource our single disciples are and to give as much emphasis to this ministry as to the others we have convictions about. He announced a meeting for single leaders in Marietta September 10.
Churches who are have affirmed the cooperation agreement selected JP Tynes, Scott Kirkpatrick, and Damien Charley to be the three delegates from the Southeast at this year's ILC in Miami.
At one point in the retreat, Kevin Thompson from Athens led the song "There's a Sweet Sweet Spirit in this Place." That sums up the retreat in Black Mountain. There is a sweet spirit flowing through the churches of the Southeast. We are in a great family.
for more stories see: sechurches.blogspot.com