George Reser Tees Off
Lowell Burrus presents awards
For more photos of the golfing tournament, go to www.cggc.org/golf.htm
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Greetings Everyone!
I send you greetings in the name of our blessed Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
I have a goal. I want to introduce you to yourself. Welcome to our first eNews!
Since starting as director in June I've been meeting CGGC people across our regional conferences. My desire is to meet and know our folks on a personal basis. You see I don’t believe you can really serve the Lord and the Church, let alone see kingdom growth, unless you know your people. It’s the model Jesus set (John 10). Anyway, I’ve already met so many wonderful brothers and sisters from around the world, and I look forward to getting to know more and more of you in the weeks, months and years ahead. However, I’ve noticed something about us as a Church. It appears to me that we don’t know ourselves very well. I mean folks in Oklahoma hardly know folks in Pennsylvania and vice versa, not to mention around the globe. You can substitute any place name you like and the fact will remain, more or less. As a family of churches I believe we need to know ourselves better, our victories and our challenges, our prayer needs and answers, etc. As a global church with a worldwide witness we need to become more local and to grow bigger we need to become smaller. Is this making sense? I puzzled over this for a time and prayed about how we could be more connected as a fellowship of believers.
Then, I heard from God. Seriously! There I was holding my Bible in my left hand while typing a document on my laptop. I came to that passage in Exodus where Moses is trying to talk God out of sending him back to Egypt. (Exodus 3/4) He doesn’t want to do what God wants him to do, or at best he’s uncertain of himself. Ever been there? Me, too…bunches of times. Anyway, the voice of God jumped off the page and pounced on me. I found myself on the ground looking up (figuratively speaking). Aslan roared! (He knows I have selective hearing.) “What is that in your hand?” Nope, it didn’t turn into a snake, but I got the point. However in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “Okay, I realize the computer is a great leadership tool today, but this need for connectedness is really a recurrent problem with no permanent solution.” I’m trying to dodge the calling because I just plain don’t want what comes with accepting the challenge. Then, and this is really surreal, it’s not Aslan that speaks next in my head, but Grandma. No, I am not going crazy! She of sweet memory and to whom I could never say no says, “Yes, but if you don’t start with what you can do, you will never do what you can.” Where does this pithy wisdom come from when you need it or in my case when you’d rather not listen? So, that’s it! I must make a start.
Here's the plan. I will host a weekly eNews every Friday. Its purpose will be to bring our people together and keep them informed of happenings across our fellowship. I’m hoping it will contain lots of good stuff (CGGC and regional news, prayer lists, invitations, pictures, clips, resources, links, classifieds, dream on and on). The point is this: We will make a start and see what develops. Rachel Foreman will serve as our general editor and Mike Martin as our tech support. The directors of ministry (including moi) as well as regional offices, local churches and pastors will help provide copy. Just send what you want posted to Rachel at communications@cggc.org. She’ll vet and edit as needed. I visualize that eventually we’ll need associate editors to oversee special aspects like prayer requests, youth happenings, etc. Let’s use what’s in our hand to magnify Jesus and to send praise across the Church. In the process I believe the community of believers will grow closer, stronger and more effective.
Yours with Christian affection,
Ed
Golfing for Missions
This past Monday Pastor Lowell Burrus and the Olive Branch congregation in Indiana sponsored their annual golf scramble. When I asked Lowell how many years he'd been putting this together, he didn't know for sure. "Twenty-some," he said. "I just wanted to provide a day out for pastors, but it's grown beyond that now." This year there were thirty-five teams of four or 140 participants, quite a crowd of guys and gals including a number of pastors. The tournament is also designed to raise funds for various "mee-shins" [as Lowell would say it] supported by the Olive Branch Church. I didn't ask Lowell how much they raised, but over the years it would be significant.
At the conclusion of the 18 holes of golf everybody gathered under the tent for the traditional steak dinner consisting this year of New York strip, salad, green beans, the best "cheesy potatoes" you'll ever eat and pie. Lowell presented various awards including one for the highest score and one for the lowest. My team almost got the first one. Only the pro drives and putts of George Reser and Bob Eatherton kept our number down. Since this was my first ever play and Dave Green's second, we did okay. We'll say no more, other than that the fellowship was great and the day perfect. I enjoyed the experience immensely, as it seemed everyone did.
I'm thinking that such an event could be replicated by any church across the CGGC as a means of outreach and mission fund raising. I'm certian Lowell would love to share his wisdom on "how to" if anyone asks. Good job, Lowell and Olive Branch Church! I don't know if I'll ever play again, but this was worth getting up at 4:30 a.m., riding 2.5 hours one way and enduring Dave Draper's "far side" humor both ways.
Ed Rosenberry
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