5906 Harbour Park Drive, Midlothian, VA 23112 | phone: 804.739.4884 | fax: 804.739.6868 | email: inf o@v anaz. org | www.vanaz.org May 20, 2018
Dear Pastors, Staff Members, District Advisory Board, Retired Ministers, and Spouses,
Ministry really IS A WONDERFUL LIFE. Yes! It is. We may have challenges. God is with us. We may have struggles. Our God is greater than whatever is the matter. We may feel alone. God never forsakes us. It is a wonderful life!
The wonderful life of ministry comes through our life lived out together in community. As ministers of the Gospel we share a special bond. Come to the Ministry Team Retreat this year to renew your connection to others with a shared calling, to pray together, to worship together, and to learn together. Fellowship of course will be in plenty supply.
Every minister of the Church of the Nazarene on the Virginia District is invited and expected. Come celebrate our WONDERFUL LIFE Of ministry together.
Enclosed you will find all the information you need to prepare for the 2014 Ministry Team Retreat. We call it the Ministry Team Retreat because it is especially designed for you and the other pastors on the Virginia District serving in the great ministry of the gospel. It is called the Ministry Team Retreat because we are a team of pastors here in Virginia, all sharing the same mission. As a team we give to one another through encouragement and mutual care. And if you serve with staff pastors, this is an excellent opportunity to get your "team" together for a few days of renewal. And we call it the Ministry Team Retreat because we’ve designed it with the best of what a retreat can be. We intentionally do not over-schedule the event with lots of promotion or business. We intentionally focus on worship, fun, and fellowship. We have designed this retreat so you can break free from the routine, especially after a season of intense giving to others. Even Jesus took retreat. Read about one of his in Mark 6.
Location: The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center - Double Tree by Hilton 110 Shenandoah Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24016, 540.985.5900 Dates: February 25-27, 2014 Special Guests: Dr. Ron & Suzanne Blake (speaker) and Brian Arner (worship) Cost: Double Room $370.00 + parking Single Room $275.00 + parking * Price includes a Buffet Dinner on Tuesday and a Breakfast Buffet on Wednesday and Thursday morning. The Hospitality Suite will also be available. Ron Blake was born in Fort Wayne Indiana; he graduated from Northrop high school. He is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and Nazarene Theological Seminary. In 2001, ONU conferred upon him an honorary doctoral degree. He went to Olivet as a History major. He received his call to preach while a student at Olivet. He met his wife Susanne White at ONU. They were married in 1980. They have one son, Bennett, a 2008 graduate of ONU living in Chicago. Upon graduating from seminary in 1981 the Blakes started the Flour Bluff Church of the Nazarene in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1984 they moved to Syracuse, Ind. and restarted the Nazarene church in that community. They have pastored in Kalamazoo, Mich, Huntington, Ind. (First), and Indianapolis, Ind (Westside).
Dr. Blake was appointed the Director of Clergy Development at the Global Ministry Center in 2000. In this position he was responsible for the Preacher’s Magazine, the Course of Study for the entire denomination, and church growth strategies. He oversaw the evangelists and chaplains, and tracked the continuing education for all clergy in the United States and Canada.
In 2003, he was elected Sr. Pastor of the First Church of the Nazarene in Detroit, Mich. He served there for eight years until he was elected District Superintendent of the Indianapolis District on August 1, 2011.
Susanne is also an ordained elder and has served as Sr. Adult Director and assimilation director of a local Church of the Nazarene. She has taken Chaplaincy courses at the Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Mich.
He has been a member of the board of trustees at Olivet for many years. He was a member of the Eastern Michigan Advisory Board. He also served as chairman of the Credentials board of the Eastern Michigan district. Ron loves to read, loves baseball, and loves people.
When he knelt at the altar as a boy and gave his heart and life to the Lord, Brian Arner had no idea that God had gifted him with an incredible ability to sing. Although he was exposed to music as he grew up in the church, it was not until he was twenty-three that his voice was revealed. Since that time, Brian has been singing from his heart the praises of Jesus Christ.
A great deal has happened since that time. Brian has emerged as one of the finest voices in inspirational Christian music. His dramatic solo interpretations thrill, inspire and move his listeners. Whether Brian is ministering in his hometown church, or sharing in the national ministries of Youth for Christ, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, In Touch Ministries, Love Worth Finding, Turning Point Ministries or others, Brian's vocal quality is matched only by depth and sincerity of his spirit. His genuine love for God, his family and those around him is evident in all that he does.
Since beginning his full-time ministry 22 years ago, Brian has completed seven solo recordings. These recordings minister to the hearts and souls of all who hear them and have been played across the country on numerous radio stations. Although Brian is skilled musician, he is first and foremost a music minister. Nearly every week of the year Brian can be found leading worship and offering solo concerts and special music across the country. Brian believes "authentic worship and praise is an expression of what Christ is doing in your heart". "We can do that through old songs and new songs".
Totally committed to spreading the gospel, his daily goal is to encourage others, through music, to make Jesus Christ the center of their lives.
Truly Brian Arner personifies Exodus 15:2:
"THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH AND MY SONG."
A separate letter is being sent to your Church Board secretary to encourage your church family to provide for your full participation in this official district event.
Cheryl and I look forward to welcoming you to the Hotel Roanoke.
In Jesus' Strong Hands,
Dr. J. Phillip Fuller District Superintendent
C Church Board Secretary MTR 2014 CHECK LIST Please ensure that you have placed Tuesday, February 25, through Thursday, February 27, clearly on your personal and church calendars. Complete the registration form today. Request a check from your treasurer to cover the expenses. Mail the check and registration form to the DRC at 5906 Harbour Park Drive, Midlothian, VA 23112. Mail your payment/registration in time for it to be received in the DRC by Friday, January 10, 2014. Make arrangements for childcare (as necessary). Let us know if we can help in any way on this matter. If financial issues are a consideration, please contact George or Glorice Stevenson, myself, or any district staff member. We want to help make it possible for everyone to attend, and we d o not w a nt fi n a n c ia l c ons id er ati ons t o l i m i t y our p a r ti c i p ati o n . Increase the fellowship by car-pooling to the retreat. Review the website www.visitroanokeva.com/things-to-do/ for places you may wish to visit during your free time. If you have questions, feel free to call us at 804.739.4884. We will be glad to help you any way we can. A personal note from the DS: “Please let me know if there is anything specific I can do to help you attend this important event.” Where
are me
meeting?
We are meeting at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center, 110 Shenandoah Avenue, Roanoke, VA 24016, 540-985-5900. The retreat will last from Tuesday through Thursday, February 25-27, 2014. The retreat will begin with dinner at 6:00pm on Tuesday, February 25.
Who can attend? All pastors (senior and staff) and spouses, retired ministers and spouses, district advisory board members and spouses, district staff and spouses, and all licensed ministers and spouses are invited to attend this encouraging, equipping, and vision expanding event. Phil and Cheryl Fuller along with George and Glorice Stevenson will serve as your hosts.
How do I register? Use the enclosed registration form. Register as early as possible, but no later than Friday, January 10, 2014
How much does the retreat cost? Double Room $370.00 + parking Single Room $275.00 + parking Plus the cost of transportation and two meals on-your-own (Wednesday lunch and dinner)
What meals are included in the cost? The prices above include a buffet dinner on Tuesday and a breakfast buffet on Wednesday and Thursday morning. The Hospitality Suite will also be available. The only meals not covered are Wednesday's lunch and dinner, for which you will need to make arrangements.
Where do I send money? Please send a check made out to Virginia District Church of the Nazarene marked “Ministry Team Retreat” with your reservation. Send to the check and registration form to the District Resource Center, 5906 Harbour Park Drive, Midlothian, VA 23112. Ministry Team Retreat FAQs Continued...
Who is the speaker? Dr. Ron Blake, District Superintendent, Indianapolis District Church of the Nazarene
Who is leading worship? Brian Arner, Brian Arner Ministries, A Heart Full of Praise
What time should I arrive? ThePlan retreat to arrive will n obegin earlier with th andinner 3:00p atm 6:00pm on Tue sonda Tuesday,y, Februa ryFebruary 25. 25.
Does the retreat have a dress code? The retreat is entirely casual.
How many CEU credits can I earn? You may earn up to 0.5 CEU credits for your participation and attendance at the Ministry Team Retreat.
Will there be any free time? The retreat has been designed to include free time on Wednesday afternoon. No lunch or dinner will be provided on Wednesday.
Will there be a Hospitality Suite? A complimentary Hospitality Suite will be available again this year. George and Glorice Stevenson have agreed to return as our hosts. The conference center has a large, beautiful room that we can use for a hospitality suite. It will be stocked with beverages and snacks, and there will be plenty of room for fellowship. You are encouraged to take advantage of the Hospitality Suite.
Will there be Spanish translation provided? Translation of the four sessions into Spanish will be provided by our Hispanic ministries director, Rigoberto Acosta and his team of translators. Equipment for translation services has been provided. Praise the Lord.
What is the benefit of this event? This retreat is designed to bring about personal spiritual renewal, specific time for recreation, encourage ministers and their spouses, stretch our vision for ministry, and strengthen the Virginia District ministry team. Please return this form by mail, email, or fax to the District Resource Center
Mail: District Resource Center 5906 Harbour Park Drive Midlothian, VA 23112
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 804.739.6868
Please include the names of everyone attending from your church. Pastors, this information has not been mailed to your staff. We ask that you share it with them. Please do not contact the Hotel Roanoke directly.
Registration is due by January 10, 2014.
Name/Couple:
Church Name:
Telephone:
E-mail:
Special Needs:
Total Attending: Payment Amount Mailed: * Please mail a check payment to the DRC marked for the "Ministry Team Retreat."