1 December 2011CHOGnews

December 2011

In this issueChrist’s Birthday Observance

2011: It’s Not Too Late!, 1

Carols of a Reformation, 2

Christmas in Bulgaria, 3

The Church ¡En Fuego!, 4

Historical Society Releases Groundbreaking Book, 5

Local Churches Reach Out for Thanksgiving, 6

Run for Your Life!, 7

Angels in Disguise, 8

CGM and 14 Other Groups Take Stock of Discipleship, 9

For Leaven’s Sake, 10

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Welcome” was not what the inn-keeper said to Mary and Joseph two thousand years ago. Luke’s

gospel recorded for us the regrettable message that there was no room for them in the inn.

Making room for Jesus has been the prima-ry focus of the Christ’s Birthday Observance celebration for more than sixty years. Chris-tian Women Connection, formerly Women of the Church of God, has appropriately developed their theme this year to call our attention to the choices that we have to make this Christmas. Will you make room for this global celebration of Christ’s birthday in your schedule? In your congregation? In your fam-ily? In your budget?

Judy Weeks, pastor of Northside Church of God in Jacksonville, Florida, shared an idea that congregations may find helpful in their planning for collecting Christ’s Birth-day Observance offerings. They started a Christ’s Birthday Observance offering “club” to collect money throughout the year for this special offering. Similar to a savings plan at a bank, this program allows givers to set aside a desired amount for Christ’s Birthday Observance during the year. At the end of the year, the gifts are totaled and sent to Christian Women Connection.

Pastor Judy also challenges her congrega-tion to make their gift to Christ’s Birthday Observance equal to that of the most expen-sive Christmas gift they purchase for their family. Both initiatives have caused North-side’s offerings to increase.

Bill Bridgman, pastor of Fairhill Commu-nity Church of God in Fairbanks, Alaska, has witnessed God bless this special offering, and also bless his congregation for their participa-tion. He has compiled some tips for a successful Christ’s Birthday Observance offering:

• pray,• plan early,• communicate, communicate, communicate,• utilize the available materials and graphics

from CWC, and,• encourage your pastors to promote Christ’s

Birthday Observance in your church.

The Christ’s Birthday Observance offer-ing gives us the opportunity to contribute a special offering for kingdom ministry out-reach that touches lives and changes hearts for eternity. Would you consider making room in your Christmas planning to partner with a thousand-plus other congregations of the Church of God family? You can visit the Christian Women Connection website (www.wchog.org) to order your free Christ’s Birth-day Observance materials.

Participating in the Christ’s Birthday Observance illustrates an outward-focused philosophy of ministry. Your church’s contri-bution will join with others’ contributions to support the life-changing ministries of Chris-tian Women Connection, and the dynamic ministries funded by the General Assembly as facilitated by Church of God Ministries.

Last year, Church of God congregations gave $1,038,382.54 for Christ’s Birthday

continued on page 9

Christ’s Birthday Observance: It’s Not Too Late!

2 December 2011CHOGnews

a song titled “The Star of Bethlehem.” Compiled in the songbook Youthful Praise (1903), the chorus of the carol supports the title of the songbook: “O Star, bright, beautiful Star, shine on us from the blue, and guide our little pilgrim feet our risen Lord to view” (emphasis added).

In 1947, Dr. Paul Bre-itweiser, the one-time piano teacher of Robert Reardon and Bill Gaither, secured the copyright for a Christmas hymn he had written titled “O Gracious Jesus, Child Divine.” As the direc-tor of the Park Place Church of God choir during the 1940s, and a longtime Anderson College music professor, Dr. Paul Breitweiser composed this hymn as part of a Christmas cantata that he called “The Gift of Life.” Just six years later, “O Gracious Jesus, Child Divine” garnered a place in the Hymnal of the Church of God. To learn more about Bre-itweiser’s Christmas cantata, contact Mary at 425-313-0254, or e-mail her at mbmcwhirter@msn.com.

Of the early Church of God carols, perhaps the one that survived the lon-gest was Andrew L. Byer’s melody of the popular Methodist text “There’s a Song in the Air.” First published in the 1930 Warner Press songbook Hymns and Spiri-tual Songs, this melody was reprinted in 1953 Hymnal of the Church of God and again in the 1971 Hymnal of the Church of God. Several saints have considered this melody more singable than its popular counterpart. Mike Parks, of the Maiden Lane Church of God in Springfield, Ohio, commented on Facebook regard-ing the subject: “I love Byers’ version of ‘There’s a Song in the Air!’ I like the

melody better than Harrington’s origi-nal (and it’s easier to sing, too).”

The contribution the Church of God has made to Christmas music has con-tinued to this day. The 1989 Worship the Lord hymnal included two of Bill Gaither’s Christmas carols: “Glory in the Highest” and “He Started the Whole World Singing.” Curt Ferrell, associate pastor of worship at South Memorial Drive Church of God in New Castle, Indiana, has written three carols, includ-ing “Come,” “Heaven and Nature Sing,” and “Then the Star Stopped.” Songs from the Heart, a songwriting contest held at the North American Conven-tion in 2001, resulted in the writing of the following Christmas songs: “Let Us Adore Him,” by David Coplin; “Who Will Come?” and “Joy to the World,” by Gerald Fercho; “Come, Dear Savior,” by Nicole Yerden Wells; and “Heaven’s Promise,” by Tami Byrd.

No doubt, there are many more Christmas songs that were written by saints in the Church of God. May the songs keep coming!

This article, republished by popular demand, was originally published in December 2010 on the Church of God website. Visit www.chog.org/carols-reformation to download the sheet music of five heritage carols!

Carols of a ReformationBy Carl Stagner

The Church of God is known for its singing. Early pioneers of the reformation movement

expressed their joy in the Lord through the writing and singing of songs, such as “I’m Redeemed,” “A Child of God,” and “I Will Praise Him, Hallelujah!” Many of the heritage songs of the Church of God are still being sung today. But did you know that these heritage composers wrote Christmas carols?

Research conducted in the Church of God Ministries library suggests that the first Christmas carol written by a Church of God pioneer was “While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks,” not to be confused with Handel’s well-known classic. The words, penned by Joseph C. Fisher in the 1885 songbook Songs of Victory, were set to a tune com-posed by H. R. Jeffrey. Fisher’s more popular songs, also printed in this song-book, “I’m Redeemed” and “I Ought to Love My Savior” can be found in the most recent hymnal of the Church of God, Worship the Lord (1989).

Barney E. Warren, the most prolific of the early Church of God songwriters, composed the melody and the lyrics of “A Child of God.” He also wrote “Glory to God in the Highest,” published by the Gospel Trumpet Publishing Company at Moundsville, West Virginia, in the 1897 songbook Songs of the Evening Light. The lyrics, in addition to describing the story of the nativity and sharing the gospel message, include early Church of God doctrine in the last verse: “Glory to God in the highest! For this wondrous plan of pardon thro’ his blood; How glad to know his forgiveness, Granting full salvation thro’ the grace of God” (emphasis added).

D. Otis Teasley, who wrote sev-eral popular songs, including “I Will Praise Him, Hallelujah!,” also wrote

Dr. Paul Breitweiser

3 December 2011CHOGnews

Do you ever wonder how Christ-mas is celebrated in other parts of the world? While material-

ism has not completely taken over this annual event, Bulgarians are increas-ingly adopting the secular trappings of Christmas from Western nations. The change has been rapid since Bulgaria’s admission to the European Union in 2007. In December 2005, we saw haphaz-ardly decorated evergreen trees outside two or three foreign-owned hotels. Three Bulgarian letters were displayed in neon lights, billboards, and cards. Our friends explained that the letters weren’t related to Christmas; they were the abbreviation for Happy New Year—the massive winter festivity during the com-munist era. By 2010, shopping centers and public places displayed Christmas trees and giant snowf lakes. Many apartment windows were adorned with strings of lights, but the New Year continues to be the most vigorously cel-ebrated holiday of the year.

We asked friends to describe Christ-mas experiences from their childhoods during the Soviet years. One woman

Christmas in BulgariaBy Kathy Simpson

explained that her parents were believ-ers, and they secretly marked “the holy day” in their home, without any deco-rations. They knew a few Christmas carols, and they sang them quietly together. A man related that December 25 was just a normal day for work and school when he was a boy, but excite-ment would be rising for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day—huge celebrations with parties, dinners, and fireworks. All the children would be awaiting “Grand-father Frost.” The answer from Svetlana, who is from Ukraine, stunned us: “I never heard of Christmas when I was a child. There was no celebration.”

Today in Bulgaria, 13 percent of the citizens are Muslims and they don’t observe Christ’s birth at all. They disdain Christmas as a time of drunken revelry for “Christians.” Bulgarian Orthodoxy is the official religion of the country, and 85 percent of the people are nominal members of the church. Traditional cel-ebrations include a Christmas Eve meal with twelve different foods to represent the twelve disciples. Priests bless apples and people eat them in remembrance of the “fruit of Mary.” Among most of the population, there is little spiritual depth in the celebration of Christmas.

Before we began working with the congregation in Plovdiv, there was no concept of an Advent season. They knew three Christmas carols. They sang a translation of “Silent Night” on Christ-mas Eve, and “Joy to the World” and a Slavic song on Christmas morning. That was the entire celebration of the Lord’s birth! Among our church people, very few have decorations in their homes. If they do have a tree, it would be a small, tabletop version, and not decorated until December 24.

And gift-giving is more symbolic, not lavish. A family once invited us to their home after church on Christmas

Eve. They presented us with a tangerine (a traditional holiday treat, sold only in December and January), chocolate, and deodorant. (The final gift, by the way, was not a hint about our hygiene—it is customary to give something sweet-smelling for Christmas.)

We find it a blessing that the culture has not yet completely succumbed to the materialistic version of this holy event. Celebration of Christmas is primarily in the church, with a Communion service on Christmas Eve and a worship service at 10:00 on Christmas morning. How many American Christians will attend church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? In this way, our Bulgarian broth-ers and sisters outshine our American church family in honoring our Lord at Christmas. The focus is on Emmanuel and not on presents and festivities. In this way, we learn a lesson from the people we have been sent to teach.

Kenneth and Svetlana with their children.

Sveltana teaches her children about the birth of Jesus.

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Visitwww.chogfoundation.org

to learn how!

CHOG Fast Fact

4 December 2011CHOGnews

Call 9-1-1! A church is on fire—for Jesus Christ. In Spanish, en fuego para Cristo. The passion

for Christ and his kingdom has never been stronger among the Hispanic con-gregations of the Church of God. Our Spanish-speaking churches are perhaps the fastest-growing in movement. For Jorge Palacios and the Iglésia de Dios (Church of God) Shalom in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, this is something to celebrate.

For Jorge Palacios, the Christian walk has long been about carrying out the Great Commission. As a youth in the Church of God in San Salvador, Palacios committed his life to the Lord. Under the tutelage of Tito Ayala—mis-sionary and pastor who planted more than eighty churches in El Salvador—Palacios developed a deep desire to see the expansion of the kingdom of God. Ayala encouraged and mentored young Palacios, while God prepared Palacios for a future in church planting.

After legally immigrating to the United States, and after serving the Iglésia de Dios in Washington, DC, the Hispanic Council (the Concilio) of the Church of God asked him to consider planting a church in the Bensalem area to the north of Philadelphia, Pennsyl-vania. About twelve years ago, Palacios accepted the call and the work began.

There were many tempting, empty storefronts in Bensalem available for rent, but in the Hispanic culture, the traditional church building is revered. There was another obstacle. No Church of God congregations were already established on the north side of Phila-delphia. The established congregations were too far away from their target com-munity to be practical. “So we knocked on the door of an Episcopal church,” Jim Johnman, Hispanic promoter for

Church of God Ministries explains. At that time there were more than fifty thousand Hispanics living in that com-munity, and the leaders of the Episcopal church replied, “Come on in! We’ve been wondering how we could reach the Hispanic families!”

The Episcopal church agreed to rent the building for only fifty dollars a week! Under the leadership of Palacios, the con-gregation outgrew the church building in only seven years. They rented a larger building and conducted a building fund campaign. In the end, they purchased that same Episcopal church (which had gone up for sale and was estimated to be worth more than six million dollars) for just one million dollars. How could a rapidly growing church fit in the build-ing they outgrew? The church now holds multiple services each weekend, and they plan to begin construction on the surrounding six acres of land. On Sun-day, November 6, they had their first worship service in their newly purchased facility.

Johnman believes that Iglésia de Dios Shalom has experienced so much growth because of Palacios’s passion for evangelism. “His desire was not to

build a church from other churches but to invite people to receive Christ. He also trained his leaders to win the lost to Christ. As a result, the church grew rapidly.”

Palacios’s passion is matched only by the community’s need for a His-panic outreach. The congregation intentionally reaches out to first-gener-ation Spanish-speaking families. These families understand very little English and desperately need to hear the gospel in their native language. In addition, many of these families have no connec-tion to their community other than the Spanish-speaking Church of God, in which they feel welcome.

Like Pastor Ayala in El Salvador, Pala-cios now mentors those God has called under his leadership. Seven of his asso-ciates have gone on to plant churches across the country. And his current asso-ciate, José Gomez, has accepted the call to plant a new Spanish-speaking church in the Columbus, Ohio, area.

This story is an example of Strate-gic Value One: Ignite! Revitalizing the Great Commission in the life of every individual, church, and agency (Matt 28:19–20).

The Church ¡En Fuego!By Carl Stagner

The women’s ministry at the new church.

5 December 2011CHOGnews

Did you know that women were instrumental in the beginnings of the Church of

God? Have you heard the story of the leaders who spread the doctrines of the Church of God before D. S. Warner? Eight years of research and compilation has culminated in the production of a groundbreaking book that may shake your understanding of our Church of God heritage. The advancement of technology has revealed insights that were formerly inaccessible. Released by the Historical Society of the Church of God, The Gospel Trumpet Years docu-ments the history of the Church of God reformation movement from its earliest days until the renaming of The Gospel Trumpet in 1961. Writers and compilers Dale E. Stultz and Douglas E. Welch rec-ommend this new book for every pastor and church library.

“Our establishment history has said everything began with Warner and The

Gospel Trumpet,” Dale Stultz explains. But the Historical Society has found that what they have known for so long is really only what they thought they knew. “We realized that, in the archives, there were enormous gaps in our documenta-tion of almost everything. As a society, we began to search widely. We made trips, visited key locations, and per-formed an archeological dig.” What the Historical Society discovered was both fascinating and unsettling.

“Warner wasn’t in anything original I could find,” Doug Welch says. What, then, was Warner’s role? Who, then, should we credit for getting The Gospel Trumpet off the ground? These ques-tions, and many more, are addressed in great detail in this 268-page, large-for-mat book, complete with detailed maps, charts, and never-before-published photos.

In a recent cleanup of the old Gospel Trumpet facility, the present-day Church of God Ministry Center, the autobiogra-phy of Allie Fisher was discovered. A dig at Grand Junction, Michigan, revealed ashes from an important historical building. Mary Cole’s book has also pro-vided clues into the Holiness Movement of the 1870s. These discoveries and more called for a revision of the history of the Church of God as we know it.

According to the new research, it was out of Mary Cole’s leadership in Oklaho-ma that the ministries of John Morrison, Dale Oldham, and others were born. When Warner reached these West-ern locales, he ministered in churches already established by the Coles. And in Michigan, Warner’s ministry touched congregations already active under the leadership of Joseph Fisher. Thus, the Historical Society has found that it was really the Coles who established the

Church of God in the West, and the Fish-ers who started the Church of God to the north. “Our roots are much broader than one person,” Stultz explains.

From the writings of A. L. Byers, we hear that Joseph Fisher was Warner’s useful assistant. Warner’s position was thereby elevated. But new research has indicated that, like many effective lead-ers who take control of an established operation, Warner took the lead of an established reformation. Byers’s Birth of a Reformation, the writers explain, is a theology book. And it leaves out key stories, such as that of Williamston, Michigan, and the full historical recol-lection of the impact of the Fishers. “The point,” Welch explains, “is that we are working with material, documentation, photographs, and maps that were simply not available to A. L. Byers.”

Dr. Merle Strege, president of the Historical Society of the Church of God, says, “The Historical Society is committed to the research and study of the history of the Church of God. This new book is groundbreaking for the new light it sheds on the movement’s origins. Some previously held notions about the early Church of God may very well need to be set aside as a result of the pains-taking research presented in The Gospel Trumpet Years.”

You can purchase a copy of The Gospel Trumpet Years. Send a check to the Histori-cal Society of the Church of God, PO Box 702, Anderson, IN 46015, e-mail sadieevens@hotmail.com, or call 765-643-3702. The cost of the book is $35, plus $6 shipping and handling. Contact the Historical Society for available discounts on bulk purchases.

Historical Society Releases Groundbreaking BookBy Carl Stagner

Looking at the newly-printed books.

6 December 2011CHOGnews

able task.” The congregation relied on God’s guidance, and now has a food pan-try that they plan to use for more than just holidays.

Beaver Valley Church contacted individuals who are active in social organizations and are aware of needy families in their community. It took nearly the entire congregation, working as a team, to develop the food pantry. Two men in the church personally deliv-ered the food to the families in need. “Our church family is very excited about this ministry,” Huselton explains. “We have the opportunity to show people that the church is not just a building; it is God’s people, and those people are called to be loving, relational, and gener-ous as he is. These gifts of food are just a small way of putting feet on godly love.”

Harrison emphasizes that this kind of community outreach is all about God’s love. “The main thing we want the community to experience is the wel-coming love of Jesus Christ. We want them to feel the warmth of Christ’s love in the warm welcome, the warm food, the warm building, and the warm fellowship!”

Local Churches Reach Out for ThanksgivingBy Carl Stagner

For the body of Christ, Thanks-giving isn’t about the food. It’s not about the football games or,

for many, the day off from work. It’s about giving thanks for what we have, and sharing what we have. Church of God congregations across the country celebrated Thanksgiving by feeding the hungry in their communities. Faith Place Church of God, in Oklahoma City, and Beaver Valley Church of God, in Beaver, Pennsylvania, were just two of the many local churches that reached out to their communities for Thanksgiving.

David Harrison, pastor of Faith Place Church of God, preached a sermon about enjoying the Living Water but not keeping it to ourselves. During that sermon, he challenged his congregation to plan and prepare a free Thanksgiv-ing dinner for the community. It was their third community Thanksgiving dinner, and each year, the church feeds more guests. After promotion on their marquee, through fliers passed around the neighborhood, and by word of mouth, this congregation of just sixty fed ninety-three.

“It takes our whole congregation to pull this event off,” Harrison explains. “We have a member of our church

who gets the turkeys donated. The rest of the food is supplied and prepared by members of the congregation. Just about everyone brings food and helps out at the event. I always love to see the whole body at work in this way!” On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the con-gregation opened up their facility to the com-munity, and the love of God was on full display.

Beaver Valley Church of God approached their outreach in a slightly different way. Their congregation had never before participated in an effort to feed needy families. But this congregation of only twenty to thirty attendees decided that they must not focus on their struggles but instead focus on the needs around them. “As we prayed, we began to real-ize that there are many things that we can do,” Pastor James Huselton explains. “Collecting food for a food pantry that could be available if people called with financial needs seemed like a very do-

Volunteers at Faith Place Church serve dinner.

Pastor Jim Huselton stands with food donations.

7 December 2011CHOGnews

Run for Your Life!By Carl Stagner

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witness-

es, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…” (Heb 12:1–2 niv 2011). This passage in Hebrews isn’t the only instance when life is compared to running a race. The Bible contains multiple references to running a race, and it’s no wonder—the number of parallels to the Christian life is stunning. Perhaps this is why Faith Community Church of God in Shawnee, Oklahoma, decided to start a ministry centered on the sport of running. The program is called Run for God, and the benefits of the ministry are both physical and spiritual.

As a result of the congregation’s par-ticipation in Focus 40 last spring, Keith Conaway and his wife were compelled to strengthen both their relationships with Christ and his church. Keith and his wife were interested in running a 5K race and knew that others in their con-gregation were interested in that same experience. After Keith saw an ad in a runner’s magazine promoting a small group curriculum for runners, he knew he could lead a ministry that would directly meet the needs and interests of the congregation.

The Run for God program, developed by Mitchell Hollis, seeks to direct a team of individuals toward Christ through preparation for a race. Keith organized the group at Faith Community to meet once a week to study the book, discuss the parallels of running and the life of a Christian, and practice for the race. Keith encouraged the group to run an additional two times between meetings

to continue to prepare for the upcoming race in Tulsa.

The ministry has been popular and rewarding. On average, more than thirty attended the weekly devotion-als and practice runs. The devotionals and group discussion sometimes took priority over the physical exercise. “We found ourselves discussing the walk of a Christian,” Keith explains, “and devo-tional times often lingered into the time we were supposed to be running!”

Like Focus 40, Run for God has enabled participants to fix their eyes on the ultimate goal and ignore dangerous distractions. “We found that like being a Christian, running a road race isn’t always easy. There are often obstacles

that get in your way that you sometimes have to navigate around. We found that the key to be a Christian, as well as run-ning a race, is to be persistent, to continue to participate, and to move forward.” The group also drew parallels to factors that can hinder and entangle the runner. “We found that complacent atti-tudes or laziness had dramatic

[negative] effects on our ultimate goal,” Keith adds.

Near the end of October, twenty-four participants in the Run for God ministry ran in what was called the Mission Run, sponsored by a local missions organiza-tion. The registrants from Run for God numbered the most of any group that entered the race, and their participation provided 250 meals for the poor and needy.

Keith and the members of the Run for God ministry look forward to preparing for their next race. In the meantime, they “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [them] heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:14 niv).

8 December 2011CHOGnews

All I could see was a pair of beady eyes peer-ing out at me…

It happened about seven years ago, but I will never forget it. Let me explain.

For a number of years it was my privilege to be a tour escort for a large travel company based in my hometown.

Angels in DisguiseBy Joyce Livingston Lewis

On one occasion, a twelve-day bus trip to the Southwest region of the United States, we ended up spending Thanks-giving Day in San Antonio, staying at a lovely hotel right on the river. With Christmas Day being just over four weeks away, both the city and the famous River Walk were decked out with some of the most amazing Christ-mas decorations we had ever seen. Since it was Thanksgiving Day, we were scheduled to have our Thanksgiving feast at a popular restaurant. And it was a feast! We had invited our driver to dine with us, but he had opted to stay in the bus and enjoy a peaceful nap.

After we had eaten our fill, my pas-sengers and I couldn’t get our driver off our minds, so I summoned the waiter and asked if he would fix a to-go box for him. The man went out of his way to prepare the most marvelous to-go dinner I had ever seen—right down to a huge slice of pumpkin pie with an oversized dollop of whipped cream. Anticipating the pleased look on our driver’s face, my group of forty passen-gers and I hurried out to the bus, eager to present our Thanksgiving offering.

Well, our plans didn’t go as we had expected. Instead of being grateful, our driver gave us an abrupt, “No, don’t want it,” and proceeded to tell us he’d decided to go get a hamburger and fries instead of taking a nap. He wasn’t even interested in taking a look at what we had brought.

Disappointed, we turned away from him. Now what? Here I had this beauti-ful dinner and no one to enjoy it. The restaurant wouldn’t want it back. I spotted a big trash can sitting along the curb and was on my way to dump my treasure into it when I noticed someone all wrapped up in a big dirty blanket on the bench next to it. Surely this was a

homeless person, I thought! I leaned toward the blanket and gently asked, “Are you hungry? I have a delicious hot meal I’d like to give you.” Slowly, the top of the blanket opened slightly and all I could see were two deep-set beady eyes staring up at me through the opening. “Yes,” came the weak voice of a thin, haggard woman who looked to be in her early seventies. “I haven’t had any-thing to eat for two days. You must be an angel sent from God!”

Me? An angel? I would never have thought of myself as an angel but, that night, with such a small act, I became someone’s angel, God’s angel in tour escort clothes.

How many seniors will spend their Thanksgiving or Christmas alone? Some in carehomes. Some in hospitals. Some in the loneliness of their own homes. Will you or your church be one of God’s angels and remember them with some act of kindness?

Joyce Livingston Lewis (author of more than fifty published inspirational novels) and her husband, Pastor Dale Lewis, are co-leaders of the senior ministry of Central Community Church in Wichita, Kansas.

9 December 2011CHOGnews

Fourteen church groups will join Church of God

Ministries, Inc. (CGM), to assess the discipleship ministries of their congregations in the coming

year. Partially funded by a $40,000 grant from the Protestant Church-O w ned P ubl i sher s Association (PCPA), the

study will be conducted by LifeWay Research of Nashville, Tennessee.

This effort grows out of a year-long consultation between CGM, the Nazarene Publishing House, and the Wesleyan Publishing House. Joe Allison, CGM coordinator of publishing, says it is an important step toward CGM’s goal of developing a new generation of disciple-ship resources for the Church of God.

“Sunday school curriculum is the largest component of our publishing ministry,” Allison says. “But congrega-

tions need to disciple people in many other ways. The study aims to answer this question,

How are churches helping people grow spiritually today? We want to find out what times, places, processes, programs, activities, and methods various congre-gations are using for discipleship.”

Each of the groups will survey a sam-ple of one thousand congregations from their constituency, but CGM is extend-ing the study to all Church of God congregations in North America. “We have such a diversity of congregations in the Church of God that we believe we should ask everyone to participate in the study.” A special bequest to CGM is underwriting the additional cost.

LifeWay Research, a division of Life-Way Christian Resources, will conduct the assessment online and by mail in February 2012. Results will be available in late April.

CGM and 14 Other Groups Take Stock of Discipleship

Observance. Would you help us exceed last year’s giving by encouraging your congregation to join us in this effort? The family of the Church of God needs your partnership to accomplish together what one congregation cannot do alone. Our strength resides in our unity! Please welcome this opportunity to share the good news with a world that is desper-ately in need of the Savior, who began his journey in this world from a manger, because there was no room for him in the inn.

Not Too Latecontinued from page 1

10 December 2011CHOGnews

Incessant Gratitude

In this season, smack-dab between Thanksgiving and Christmas, we are reminded to put thankfulness

on our calendars—as we might pencil in getting the accumulated moss scoured from our bicuspids and molars by a den-tal hygienist. If that sounds a little too schedule-focused and bloodless, it really shouldn’t. Giving thanks is as much an intentional faith practice as it is a spon-taneous emotional response to a blessing bonanza from God.

To be sure, there are times when life’s giant jug of jubilation pours into our lives until we are so full of felicitous feelings that thankfulness cascades over the sides, splashing onto the galoshes, wingtips, and stiletto heels of those around us. I recently had that kind of experience. In early September our son Jeff got married to a wonderful woman. On that occasion I felt a deluge, a surge, a flood of irre-pressible elation and delight that I could not have held back had I had the Grand Coulee Dam at my disposal.

But let’s face it—those experiences are often the exception rather than the rule. If that’s what it takes to make us express thanksgiving, then God is likely to hear from us about as often as a three-legged purple unicorn wins the Kentucky Derby.

Those who wrote the psalms seemed to understand this. Even a cursory skim-ming of the book of Psalms provides case after case in which utterances of thanksgiving are set side-by-side with expressions of fear, frailty, forsakenness, or even fierce anger.

In other words, it seems fairly obvi-ous that the psalm writers consciously chose to cultivate an attitude of gratitude regardless of whether they were body-

surfing on waves of euphoria or clinging to a splintery chunk of driftwood amid a stormy sea. These spiritually minded poets purposely tilted their souls toward God in order to give thanks in times of plenty and poverty, joy and sorrow, bub-bling bliss and dry-as-dust despair.

I’m sure that it pleases God when our good feelings are so strong that thanks-giving busts loose like a Brahma bull released from a rodeo gate. But perhaps it’s even more imperative that we learn to practice gratitude without the aid of an overpowering emotional stimulus.

We don’t wait to inhale until we feel a hyper-intense urge to breathe. If we did, all of us would be as blue as a family of Smurfs skinny dipping in the Arctic Ocean. We breathe with monotonous regularity because that’s what it takes to sustain physical existence. To nourish our spiritual lives in an atmosphere of God-consciousness, expressing gratitude must become similarly predictable and incessant.

The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Church of God Ministries or, at points, even the writer, but are written with tongue firmly planted in cheek to hope-fully provoke a leavening bit of laughter and a smidgen of thought.

By Sam Collins

STOP WAITING

STARTACTING

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©2011 Kevin Spear www.kevinspear.com kevin@kevinspear.com

“You seem obsessed with the naughty-or-nice thing.

Have you ever heard of grace?

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