• From the District Superintendent
• News from Around the District
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From the District Superintendent

In these frustrating economic times, there is rarely a day that goes by that I don’t talk with a pastor on the phone or in person about the troubling economic condition of their church. One Nazarene Layman said “I’ve been downsized, right sized, out sourced, and finally dismissed”. Many are leaving the area to follow jobs that have moved to warmer and richer climates. The fallout from all of this is a much leaner economic condition in our churches. Most Church Boards are looking at mid year budget adjustments in order to retain staff and still pay the bills. Many pastors have seen their benefits and salaries cut while still others have left the “fulltime” pastoral status and taken supplemental secular employment.

Many years ago I was pastoring Metropolitan Church during the recession of the 1980’s. Unemployment was high and interest rates were even higher. I had asked the church board not to increase my salary and as memory serves me, I took a cut that year in order to keep our staff. Marilyn and I along with our daughters were getting ready to go on vacation when the board invited me into a meeting they had (illegally) called. They presented me with about $250 for us to use on our vacation. They indicated they appreciated me so much and wanted to help us as we had helped them. That money is long gone but my memory of their generosity lingers to this day. Their kind words and gesture mean much more to me today than the money they gave us then.

October is Pastor Appreciation Month and I am encouraging each of our congregations to honor your pastor this month. Let’s set aside all the doom and gloom and find ways to recognize all of these faithful servants who give their all to Christ and His Church. I guarantee your ministers will not forget your kindness and generosity.

District Superintendent

Donald Miller, author of A Million Miles In A Thousand Years, will be here at Central Church of the Nazarene on Monday evening, October 26th at 7 PM. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Tickets available through the church office or through iTickets.com. For more information contact the church office at 810-235-5671.

All Michigan HOLINESS SUMMIT is coming
A Holiness Summit sponsored by all three Michigan Districts will be held Sunday evening and Monday, March 14 & 15, 2010 at the Saginaw Valey Church of the Nazarene. Special speakers for the Summit include, Rev. Susie Shellenberger, Rev. Bret Rickey, Dr. Mark Quanstrom, and Dan Bohi. The event is for both clergy and laymen. Please mark your calendars now for this special event.

Congratulations to Rev. W. Glen Gardner
At the recent meeting of the Board of Trustees at Olivet Nazarene University, Rev. W. Glen Gardner was unanimously selected to receive the Doctor of Divinity Degree at the May 2010 commencement. Congratulations Rev. (Dr.) Gardner on this special honor.

Pastoral Reviews Conducted - Congratulations to the following pastors for successful Pastoral Reviews:

• Dr. Ronald Blake, Detroit First Church – his call has been extended through September 2013. The church board has extended a 1 month sabbatical to Dr. Blake in the next year.
• Rev. Jeff Crowder, Chelsea Church – his call has been extended through July of 2013.
  Rev. Tim Heaney, Colling Church – his call has been extended through September of 2013
• Rev. Ronald Sharpe, II, East Flint Church – his call has been extended through June of 2013. The church board has extended a 1 month sabbatical to Rev. Sharpe in the next year.
• Rev. Ben Walls, Gagetown – his call has been extended through July 2013

Wards move from Ann Arbor First
Revs Darold and Patti Ward have resigned as co-pastors at Ann Arbor First Church. Patti has become the new Children’s Pastor at Holly Church. Darold has continued on at AA 1st through Sunday, October 25th.

Ann Arbor First Church Calls New Pastor
Rev. Ann Slayer has been appointed as Senior Pastor at AA 1st Church. Ann has been serving on staff at Chelsea Church and last year did an outreach ministry through Chelsea Church on the West side of Ann Arbor. Her first Sunday will be November 1.

Condolences

• Wilson, Flora B. - Of Flushing, age 84, died Sunday, October 11, 2009 at her residence. Funeral services were held Thursday, October 15, 2009 at the First Church of the Nazarene. Pastor Steve Hittle officiated. Flora was born in Monticello, MN on October 26, 1924, the daughter of George and Minnie (Sample) Widger. She married the Rev. Stanley Wilson in Minneapolis, MN on July 19, 1945. Flora graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 1952, receiving a Bachelors Degree in Education. She served for 27 years in the Philippines with her husband as a missionary. Flora was a member of the First Church of the Nazarene in Flint. She is survived by: husband, Rev. Stanley Wilson of Flushing; five children, Barbara and husband Dennis Reddick of Oklahoma, Becky and husband Darcy Sorensen of Fowlerville, Byron and wife Vera Wilson of Columbiaville, Bethany and husband Bill Shackelford of Ohio, Brenda and husband Gary Sharpe of Arizona; 13 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; brother, Freeman Widger of MN; many nieces and nephews.
  
  
• Alice A. Hall, mother of Rev. Fred Hall, pastor of Plymouth Church. Age 89. September 21, 2009 of Allen Park. Beloved wife of 73 years to Richard. Loving mom of Fred (Linda), Carol (Tom) Welch and Debbie (Peter) Major. Grandmother of 9. Great grandmother of 15. Great great grandmother of 1. Mother-In-Law of Janine Hall. Preceded in death by 1 son Richard, 2 daughters Shirley and Nancy, 2 brothers Jimmy and Bob Prince and 1 sister Thelma Gruswitz.
  
  
• Jack Junior Craddock, 81, passed away October 4, 2009.
  Jack was born November 28, 1927 in the Humble Coal Mining town of Ramage, West Virginia. He moved to Allen Park, Michigan in 1951 to become a truck driver. He then fell in love with a young and beautiful Janet Mullen of Trenton, Michigan. They married on September 17, 1955. He was the father of 3 children: Leslie Somerville, Doug Craddock, and Joetta Moulding. He will be most affectionately remembered for the "projects" we shared together, and is fondly adored by his eight grandchildren.
  
  Jack was a passionate lover of our Lord Jesus Christ. He could hit the ball a country mile. He was a wonderful husband and a lover, a fantastic father, brother, teacher and friend.
  
  In 1981 he moved to Mission, Texas and managed Rollin Home Mobile Park, previously owned by his in-laws Walter and Lola Mullen. He was loved for his years of service within Allen Park Nazarene Church.
  
  Jack battled cancer in the end. He breathed his last on October 4, 2009 at 3:37 am. He lives again in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ, singing like he has never sung before. "Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air" Amen
  
  
• Timothy Paul Mellish gloriously rose to meet his precious Lord and Savior as his name was called. No more pain from the cruel and elusive lymphoma that plagued his body. Tim rose on eagle's wings. Mellish was born on December 2, 1953, in Owosso, Michigan, to Rev. John and Joyce Mellish. At age 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and proudly served four years. He graduated from Southern Nazarene University (SNU) in 1981 and settled in the Oklahoma City area. He spent all of his professional career as a salesman; 23 years in the sale of paper goods. His favorite greeting was, "Hi, I'm Tim. I sell toilet paper." While at SNU, he met and married Nona-Sue White. On June 30, they celebrated 30 years of true wedded bliss. Mellish loved being Dad to John, now married to Amy; and Jamie, now married to David Graham. Jamie and David are expecting their first child in mid-September. Mellish was brother to Sandi Comfort, John Mellish, Teri Pouliot, and Deb Hazzard, and is cherished by a large extended family and numerous friends. Mellish had the amazing ability to make anyone laugh in any situation. He enjoyed golfing, antique shopping with his wife, being a greeter at church, was quite the prankster, and absolutely loved haggling for a good bargain.
  

Commission Unto Mexico
Commission Unto Mexico Dec 26, 2009 to Jan 4, 2010 - Join Lake Louise Church and students from Southern Nazarene University with Dr. Howard Culbertson this year for a week in Mexico for ONLY $509 on a journey that will change your life!

What does $509 cover from El Paso, TX?

• All your meals in Mexico
• Your Hotel Room
• Daily transportation in Chihuahua from the hotel to the job site and back
• Your transportation from the border to Chihuahua and back
• Accident Insurance
• All the purified water you can drink
• Some of the construction materials and medical supplies we will use
• Costs to set up and administer the trip

CONTACT INFORMATION -
Pastor Eriks Mezsets 248.705.0404 or pastoreriks@llcn.org, Mission web site - www.snu.edu/mexico

If you are interested in helping serve the Thanksgiving meal, please note that we only need about 25 volunteers, so please call 810-767-5312 to sign up!  The meal will be served from 11 am - 12:30 pm on Thanksgiving Day.  Volunteers will need to be there by 10:30 am.

Also coming up very quickly is the Christmas Celebration Dinner on Saturday, December 19th.  Times are the same as the Thanksgiving meal.  Please call to sign up to help serve.  We need to start collecting with gifts for men, women, boys, and girls for Christmas.  All gift donations need to be new and unwrapped. 

Please keep in mind that as the temps drop we will be in greater need of blankets, socks, mittens, hats, coats, and other warm items. 

The weekly food trucks hosted by St. Mary's has been a big blessing to the community.  On average, 200 people come out for food each week.  If you'd like to help with this, the food truck is open from 9-11am on Wednesdays, at St. Mary's parking lot (across Franklin from Eastside Mission).

We are in the process of acquiring the old Brown Funeral Home.  Please pray that if it's God's will, this opportunity will continue on the track that it is on.  This will not only give us much needed space, but it will also make us handicapped accessible. 

God bless!
Sammi Justice
Director of Publicity

www.flinteastsidemission.org

• November 14, 2009, Richfield Church of the Nazarene (studies 1-7)
• January 20, 2010, Metropolitan Church of the Nazarene (studies 1-10)
• March 6, 2010, Rochester Church of the Nazarene, (studies 1-15)
• April 17, 2010, Zone Quiz Meet, various locations, (BLUE LEVEL ONLY, studies 1-20)
• April 24, 2010, District Quiz Meet, Detroit First Church of the Nazarene (studies 1-20)
• June 4-5, 2010, Regional Quiz Meet, Olivet Nazarene University (studies 1-20)

October Monthly Emphasis:
October’s emphasis is Mission Award. Take the time to review your goals for Mission Priority One Status. These goals are in your E-Book that you received at District Assembly. During your next council meeting you should begin discussing plans for your Thanksgiving Offering.

Missionaries on our District:
The following missionaries are on our district this month. Please take the opportunity to hear them speak.

Larry and Phyllis West:
• Wednesday October 7th Morenci @ 7:00
• Thursday October 8th Adrian Madison @ 7:00
• Friday October 9th OPEN
• Saturday October 10th Madison Heights @ 7:00
• Sunday October 11th AM Bedford @ 10:00
• Sunday October 11th PM Tecumseh @ 6:00
• Monday October 12th Merritt Rd. @ 7:00
• Tuesday October 13th Warren Woods @ 7:00
• Wednesday October 14th Port Huron @ 7:00
• Thursday October 15th Chelsea @ 7:00
• Friday October 16th Holly @ 7:00
• Saturday October 17th Southwest @ 7:00
• Sunday October 18th AM Southwest @ 11:00
• Sunday October 18th PM Plymouth @ 6:00

David and Lisa Johnson:
• Wednesday October 21st Lapeer @ 6:30
• Thursday October 22nd Ridgeway @ 7:00
• Friday October 23rd Ellington @ 7:00
• Saturday October 24th Highland @ 7:00
• Sunday October 25th AM Detroit First Church @ 11:00
• Sunday October 25th PM Swartz Creek @ 6:00
• Monday October 26th Hazel Park @ 7:00
• Tuesday October 27th Union Lake @ 7:00
• Wednesday October 28th Adrian First Church @ 7:00
• Thursday October 29th Rochester First Church
• Friday October 30th Silver Lake @ 7:00
• Saturday October 31st OPEN
• Sunday November 1st AM Fowlerville @ 11:00
• Sunday November 1st PM Caro – Thumb Zone @ 6:00

Cindy Wine had the opportunity to meet Harmon and Cindy Schmelzenbach and their children when they recently visited the Eastern Michigan District. What an opportunity to meet them in person.

Harmon and Cindy Schmelzenbach are fourth generation global missionaries with the Church of the Nazarene and are currently serving in Papua New Guinea.

Operation Warm Baby
Over 800 babies are delivered every year at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital in Papua New Guinea. Many mothers, because of poverty, come without any clothes or supplies for their new babies. Take the opportunity to use operation warm baby as a compassionate ministries project at your church.

Place inside one-gallon Ziploc bag:

2 cloth diapers 2 diaper pins
1 sleeper (newborn) 1 hat
1 onesie (newborn) 1 baby washcloth
1 pair of socks 1 receiving blanket
1 gentle or baby soap bar

You can put as many as you want into a box (no size in particular). Send them to Todd Winter (address below). His mother is actually the founder of this ministry. You are also to send an email to: Judy Bennett at hospitallinks@reachone.com when you send a box to Todd so they know a shipment is coming. It is not required but if you would like you may send Todd Winter a check to help with the shipping of the packets. No specific amount has been requested at this time.

Address:
Dr. Todd Winter
Operation Warm Baby
555 Black Oak Drive Suite 100
Medford, OR 97504

Christian Literature for Africa:
CLA is now preparing to send a consignment of Bibles and books to Ghana. From there the books will be distributed to 10-12 countries in West Africa, including Nigeria, where Christians are being severely persecuted at this time. Bibles and Christian books are needed now! If you can donate or would like more information contact Charlene at clafrica7@verizon.net or Edna at ezlochner1@juno.com.

Beanie Babies for Crisis Care Kits:
If you need Beanie Babies for your crisis care kits contact Lisa Jolly from Lapeer Church of the Nazarene at thejollys@charter.net a person in the community donated several hundred beanie babies. It will be on a first come first serve basis.

eTidings is the email newsletter of the Eastern Michigan District Church of the Nazarene. For more information about our District, visit our website at www.emdnaz.org. You are receiving eTidings because you have subscribed to it either through our website or through a district function. If you would like to unsubscribe, please reply to this email or send a new email to etidings@emdnaz.org with the words "Unsubscribe eTidings" at the top of the message.