PACESETTERS FOR 2008 NUMERICAL INCREASE Carmi 45 Urbana Lighthouse 44 Beardstown Liberty 21 Olivet 18 Salem 18 Belleville First 16 Auburn 15 Springfield First 14 Carlinville 13 Arcola Spanish 12 PERCENTAGE INCREASE Beardstown Liberty 150 Rush Memorial 120 Urbana Lighthouse 118 Carmi 107 Carlinville 54 Barry 50 MonticelloAuburn 37 Olivet 33 Arcola Spanish 28 Decatur Oak Grove 21

Changing Times

     Our thanks is extended to Joe and Janet Thomas for six years of faithful service as managers of Nazarene Acre! As nearly everyone knows by now, the Thomas’s were offered a similar position on the West Texas District a few weeks ago and will move sometime after September 1^st. 

     Joe and Janet did incredible work, putting in very long hours and offering a variety of skills and services that made our experience there all that it was.  People are paid for their service, but they are loved and valued for their ministry.  For the Thomas’s, Nazarene Acres was a ministry.

     Because their departure coincides with the district advisory board’s evaluation of the future of our camp, the Board of Directors has determined to hire an interim camp manager on a temporary basis for the time being.  All signed contracts will be honored.

     The district advisory board is weighing its various options, and, with the Board of Directors, will assure continued management of the facility.  At the present time we project that we will hold youth and children’s camps, conventions, assembly and camp meeting at the Acres next summer (2009).  If the land is sold prior to next summer the plan is that we would negotiate with the purchaser to rent the facility for the summer events.  Camp directors and auxiliary chairmen are fully aware of the uncertainty of our longer future at the Acres and are considering options for 2010.

     Once again, on behalf of everyone, I am grateful for the Christlike manner in which assembly delegates dealt with the issue of giving the advisory board permission to determine the future ownership of this important property. 

                                 --Jim Spruce

CHRISMAN 6-24-08
These are good days at Chrisman Church of the Nazarene.  Sunday evening June 22^nd Marge Lewsader, Wyatt Humrichous, and Anna Humrichous shared their testimonies before being baptized.  And then Monday morning we loaded up 18 teens and sent them to camp.  We are praising the Lord for His goodness and His presence.  - Pastor Chris Hughes

 7-1-08
Junior High and High School camp was a great time for our Church.  Eighteen teens made their way to Nazarene Acres and the Sunday they returned it was obvious God had worked in a special way.  All of them were impacted in some way several saved for the first time.  We praise the Lord for what he is doing in the lives of our teens.
       Pastor Chris Hughes
       Chrisman Church of the Nazarene

OLIVET 7-30-08

Rev. Haynes,
Just dropping you a note to let you know that the Olivet church board met on Sunday afternoon and we had a very good board meeting.  The church board approved a raise of $20 per week which represents a 5.4% cost of living raise.  The board also voted on where we think our new ramp should be placed so that we could get a drawing and then an estimate on what the cost would be.   

These are exciting times for the Olivet Church.  We are seeing more new faces coming to church and the Spirit of the Lord can be felt in every service.  We at the Olivet Church love and appreciate everything Pastor Blue and Chris do in the church as well as in the surrounding community. 

Just thought you would like to know.

JaNell Stark
Church Board Secretary

2009 General SDMI Convention Delegates

Jim Blue, Chairman; Jerome Williams, Adult Ministries; Amy Holman, Children’s Ministries; Chris Blue, Judi Roarick and David Sorensen

SUNDAY SCHOOL GROWTH AWARDS 2008

HONOR SCHOOLS:  5-24% increase 
Anna, Belleville Emmanuel, Belleville First, Du Quoin, Godfrey, Mt. Carmel, Mt. Erie, Murphysboro, Ogden, Olney, Omaha and Springfield First.      
SUPERIOR SCHOOLS;25-49% increase  Arcola Spanish, Auburn, Carlinville and Carmi                                
EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOLS; 50% and up Beardstown Liberty and Urbana Lighthouse
2008 SUNDAY SCHOOLS OF THE YEAR: 
Urbana Light House:  +62 Responsibility List   +44 Attendance    
Beardstown Liberty: + 145 % Responsibility List +150 % Attendance

        THANK YOU!!!!

…to the many volunteers who worked our first Combined Children’s Camp this year.  Red Nose Ministry did a fantastic job ministering to our children and staff.  141 children attended camp this year.  The date for next year’s camp will be JULY 27 – 31.

Alabaster Offering

History of AlabasterFollowing World War II, the critical need for buildings and land in the world mission areas of the Church of the Nazarene was presented to the General NMI Council. The Council asked Rev. Elizabeth Roby Vennum, a member of the group, to submit a plan that would generate giving for this need.

Rev. Vennum knew if God wanted those buildings, He would provide the plan. On the return trip from Kansas City, God gave her His plan of giving "love" gifts. It was modeled after the sacrifice of the woman who anointed Jesus' head with expensive perfume poured from an alabaster jar (Matthew 26:6-13).

The General NMI Council unanimously adopted the plan, and the first offering was received in 1949. Now, more than 50 years later, more than 7,300 projects have been purchased or built with more than $79 million.

What is Alabaster
The Alabaster Offering provides funds for property and buildings around the world. It gives a sense of permanence, the attitude that the Church of the Nazarene intends to "put down roots." Eighty percent of the money is used in world mission areas, and twenty percent goes to multicultural congregations in the United States and Canada. Alabaster funds help provide land for most Work & Witness projects. The entire offering goes toward the construction of churches, schools, medical facilities, and homes for missionaries and national workers.

Alabaster should be well-publicized. All ages are encouraged to participate with leaders educating local churches as to the need for centers of holiness evangelism around the world.

Time to Pray

Jesus told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. – Luke 10:02

 The mission of the Illinois District is challenging to say the least.  In a postmodern culture where morality is up for grabs, pastors are discouraged, and many churches are in decline -- we have been called to “develop healthy, holiness pastors and churches that multiply.”  To do so, we will have to overcome not only the gravity of our past ways of doing things, but also about a quarter century of “consumer Christianity” -- which has produced sanctuaries full of religious clients, but hardly a handful of disciples.  There is then not only a culture outside our churches that must be redeemed, but a culture among our churches that must be transformed.  I believe Christ wants to accomplish his mission among us with “Pentecostal effectiveness” – a spiritual movement which will result in the revival of congregations and the multiplication of new churches across our District.  A generation will be changed by this movement.  Children, families, and communities wait to be transformed by the power of Christ.  Isn’t that the vision of Jesus?  He always sees a harvest field that is plentiful.

I’m not sure I know the path to get there, but I know where the journey begins.  It begins with prayer.  When Jesus was getting ready to send his disciples into the villages of his home district, he called them to take the first step on their knees.  “Ask the Lord of the harvest,” he says, “to send out workers into his harvest field.”

This has become my daily prayer as I consider the mission of our District – your mission and mine.  That God – who rules over the harvest – will raise up, and send forth workers to accomplish this mission, and fulfill his vision.  I pray this prayer several times daily, but I consistently pray it at 10:02am, which reminds me of Jesus words in Luke 10:02.  I do this by setting my cellphone alarm to ring at 10:02am. 

Now there are mighty prayers that once prayed are instantly answered with obvious results.  I’m sure you’ve witnessed some of those.  But there are also small prayers, that are mighty nonetheless.  I call them “snowflake prayers.”  Nothing seems as small and fragile as a snowflake – catch one on your finger or tongue, and it will disappear immediately.  But let them pile up and they will stop the school busses for the day.  Let them pile up some more and you may get an avalanche that can bury a village. 

What if hundreds of us across the Illinois District all bowed our heads daily at 10:02am to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into our District’s harvest field?  I believe such a small act of prayer, multiplied many times, might cover our District with the glory of God, and prepare the way for the workers that Christ is already preparing to send.

Would you join me in this ministry of prayer? Set your alarm clock, your watch, or cellphone for 10:02am, and when it sounds, hear it as a call to prayer.  These prayers will unite us in our mission, open the doors for new workers, and prepare each of us to do our part in the harvest as well. 

Tomorrow morning and each day following, I hope you hear the Spirit’s voice whisper, “It’s 10:02am. Do you know where the workers are?” 

 -  Mark Copley
District Missionary

Our Fall Deputation Tour will be held October 8, 2008 to October 21, 2008 with the Utter’s.  The schedule is being completed and is not available at the time of publication.  We had a great time with them at our NMI Convention.  Since the convention ended, there have been some exciting changes in their World assignment.  You will want to hear what is going on so don’t miss this opportunity and attend the deputation service in your area!  It turned out that Jacob broke his arm while at Nazarene Acres.  You will want to hear his story.  All I will tell you is it was not on his bicycle.