We Don’t Know That We Don’t Know

[Brenda White (cbwhite69]

Title: MidTexas Update: February 18, 2023

This from GMC.  Good Stuff!!

Chuck & Brenda White
cbwhite69 [at] aol.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Mid-Texas Annual Conference <communications [at] midtexasgmc.org>
To: cbwhite69 [at] aol.com
Sent: Sat, Feb 18, 2023 6:59 am
Subject: MidTexas Update: February 18, 2023

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Update: February 18, 2023

We Don’t Know That We Don’t Know

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

Acts 2:12-15

When my daughter Caroline was in 2nd grade, she struggled with reading. One day her teacher called to say Caroline was super bright and creative, but that she was not reading at grade level. Her teacher explained that Caroline would sit down with a book and look at the picture and make up the most amazing stories. Caroline thought this was reading. The teacher said one of the most striking things to me, “she doesn’t know, she doesn’t know how to read.”

After a lifetime of going to church, my best assessment is “I simply didn’t know that I didn’t know.” Amazed and perplexed…. This would describe my thoughts of worship over the past month. Throughout my life, I have passionately worshiped in traditional and high church settings as well as more contemporary and free settings. I have learned over the years that the worship style is not nearly as important as the heart that comes to that worship. I have experienced God in all these settings. Yet in the last month, born out of deep prayer, not just by me but many, I experienced deep and intense worship like never before. The MidTexas Annual Awakening, a trip to worship with congregations in Costa Rica, and now the outpouring going on at Asbury University, has challenged my understanding and experience of worship.

The words from the beloved hymn “Blessed Assurance,” ring in my ears “O what a foretaste of Glory divine.” As heaven has been opening with that foretaste, I have not been comfortable with everything that I have experienced. There have been moments when I have wanted the Holy Spirit to dial it back a bit and at the very same time, my heart desires more. I am not sure why this deep worship has surprised me. Jesus told the woman at the well, “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” Lord, I didn’t know I didn’t know… make me a pure worshiper.

May we have worship that makes us uncomfortable. I am not talking about changing worship styles, radical displays or emotional responses (although that might be part of it). I am talking about an indwelling of the Holy Spirit that moves us out of our own preferences and desires into a closer relationship with Him. I am talking about a movement of the Holy Spirit that pierces us to the heart and makes us more Christ-like. May we know true worship of God, and may we know we know.

Blessings,

Rev. Dr. Leah Hidde-Gregory

President, Pro-tem

MidTexas Provisional Annual Conference

Wall Shaker Prayer Worksh0p

Does your church have a desire to go deeper in prayer? Pastor Lauren Green Yates, Director of Prayer and Congregational Care, is traveling the MidTex Region to conduct private (tailored to your church) or public prayer workshops. In these workshops, your church will learn how to go beyond the prayer chain and bulletins and form intentional prayer teams, taking your individual and corporate prayer life from passive to active. Workshops are offered on Saturdays and last approximately two hours. Please contact Pastor Lauren at laurengreenyates [at] gmail.com for more information.

Abide! Celebration National Conference

National Conference is for women between the ages of 15 and 115 and includes messages from our speakers, powerful praise and worship, a reflective prayer room, all Saturday meals and breakfast on Sunday. The conference is March 3-5, 2023 in Houston, TX. Additional information and registration is at celebrationministries.org/nc23

Opportunity to Help Minority Congregations

God is making a way, when it seemed there was no way! We received the most amazing news this week! A congregation in the MidTexas Conference has generously given an initial gift of $75,000 to assist Hispanic Congregations (especially those in the Valley) with disaffiliation costs. Grants will be made available directly to these congregations through the MidTexas Conference.

Many of the churches in the Rio Grande Valley hearts align with the Global Methodist Church, but the cost of disaffiliation is so high it jeopardizes their ability to be in ministry. MidTexas is so grateful for this lead gift, which will help these congregations to faithfully discern without financial roadblocks.

We have established a designated fund to assist any minority congregations wishing to affiliate with the Global Methodist Church. If you would like to donate to this fund, please send checks to:

Melodie Trimble, Financial Secretary

MidTexas Provisional Conference

4901 Cobbs Drive

Waco, TX 76710

We give God thanks for this generous congregation and for the congregations this grant will assist.

Beyond These Walls 2023!

We want to personally invite you to join us for an exciting event that will help you effectively mobilize your congregation to go and make disciples of all nations. Get ready to be inspired at Beyond These Walls to make the most impact with your church through missions and outreach! Take advantage of Early Bird Registration now through December 31st.

Register for Beyond These Walls

The Jesus Formula: A Divine Plan for Evangelism

Want to learn more about practical evangelism? Join us this Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 pm, for the first installment of The Jesus Formula: A Divine Plan for Evangelism, a four-part Zoom series. Rev. Mark Winter, chairperson of the Mid-Tex Evangelism Team, will be your host, teaching from Luke 10:1-8 and interviewing some incredible guests at every session. First up will be Rev. Amy Anderson, the dynamic pastor of First Methodist Church in Mart, TX, near Waco. Rev. Amy has grown her church with a variety of powerful ministries, including the twice-weekly J.A.M. children's program that includes worship, mentoring, and recreation. Check out the Mart Methodist website at www.fmcmart.org.

Click here for the Zoom link

Welcome Home

We have over 150 churches in the MidTexas area voting on disaffiliation and prayerfully considering their affiliation this Spring. Please join us in prayer for all of these congregations.

If your church has voted and you do not see your name on the list, please email communications [at] midtexasgmc.org

Congregations that have voted to Join the GMC awaiting Ratification by UMC Annual Conference

Kingsbury Methodist Church, Kingsbury

Callisburg Methodist Church,

Chico Methodist Church

Sunrise Methodist Church

Oak Island Methodist Church, San Antonio

Holliday Methodist Church, Holliday

First Methodist, Irving

First Methodist, Ponder

First Bridgeport, Bridgeport

First Seagoville, Seagoville

First Methodist, Forney

Morris Memorial Church, North Texas

First Methodist, Bowie

First Methodist, Lampasas

Korean Central, Irving

First Methodist, Mabank

First Methodist, Pearsall

New Fountain, Hondo

Dilley Methodist, Dilley

Art Methodist, Art

First Methodist, Carrollton

First Methodist, Goldthwaite

Britton, Mansfield

Pawnee Methodist Church

First Methodist, Seguin

First Methodist, Nixon

King Memorial, Whitney

First Methodist, Hillsboro

First Methodist, Schulenberg

New Churches

Living Hope, Wylie

New Life, Salado

McKinney Global Methodist, McKinney

Kerrville Global Methodist, Kerrville

Grace, Hamilton

Grace, Sulphur Springs

The Foundry, Georgetown

Resurrection, Arlington

Fellowships that are Forming (to become new churches)

Granbury Fellowship

San Antonio Fellowship

Killeen Fellowship

Fort Worth Fellowship

Dallas Fellowship

Austin Fellowship

Port Lavaca

Congregations that have voted to Disaffiliate, but are prayerfully discerning affiliation

White's Chapel, Southlake

First Methodist, Mansfield

First Methodist, Midlothian

First Methodist, Weatherford

Smithfield Methodist Church

First Methodist, Joshua

First Methodist, Azle

Silver Creek Methodist

First Methodist, Maypearl

Tongan First Methodist, Euless

Acton Methodist Church, Acton

Valley Mills Methodist, Valley Mills

Cayote Methodist, Cayote

First Methodist, Ennis

Bardwell Methodist, Bardwell

Leonard Methodist Church, Leonard

Tyler Street Methodist Church, Dallas

First Methodist, Palmer

El Campo Methodist Church, El Campo

John Wesley, Victoria

Justin Methodist Church, Justin

Howe Methodist Church, Howe

Oak Grove Methodist, Little Elm

First Methodist, Royce City

If your church has voted and you do not see your name on the list, please email communications [at] midtexasgmc.org.

Upcoming Events

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Mid-Texas Annual Conference

4901 Cobbs Drive, Waco, Texas, 76710.

info [at] midtexasgmc.org

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