Voice of Hope

Now that our Tennessee State Convention is over, there are a few things that I would like to update all of you on. 1. During our vision casting session, I shared that we are going to work toward a "team" focus on two particular areas....harvest and discipleship. It seems to me that anything outside of these areas will take us away from the primacy of the great commission given by Jesus in Matthew 28. Please watch this blog for updated ideas. 2. During the appointment updates, there were several churches listed as training centers and others listed as "to be announced." Also watch here as we update the current list. I will be updating the church list on the website, but it will take a few days before I can get to it. You can see the list when it is updated by going to the state website ( http://tncogop.org ) and clicking on the "resource" list. 3. There will also be an updated list of committees, and their particular area of focus as we move on. Fin...

I am posting this as a favor to Pastor Vernon Caruthers at the Campaign church. 2002 Chev. Van Express -- for sale 15 passenger --- like new, only 18,000 miles power everything, front and rear air Price $11, 500 ---- a great price! For further information, contact Pastor Caruthers at: vlccogop@blomand.net

As I write tonight, I want to thank everyone who made our state convention a great success. The Lord blessed in each of the sessions, and His mercies were well evident to me. At appointment time, I inadvertently left out Joe and Barbara Watson who have been laboring in a new field work at Henderson, Tennessee. This was totally my fault, and I apologize for missing that line on my worksheets. I will be posting an updated listing later here and on our website. I really need a day or two to decompress. Thank you for your prayers and loving support.

As many of you already know, the convention is upon us. Our state staff has been working diligently to make the necessary preparations for a successful meeting this weekend. I am deeply grateful for those helping us with logistics and other preparations. The first open service will be at 7:00 p.m. on Friday night and the weekend meetings should end somewhere between 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at the convention, and I am hoping for a mighty move of the Holy Ghost! Please join me in prayer. God bless.

In the service last night, the Lord was gracious as the altar was filled with people seeking the Lord for their particular needs. I am so thankful for the liberty to preach as the power of God moved through the Lakeland Convention Center. Tonight, the Lord once again moved during the healing service as people proceeded through the prayer lines to have their needs met. Thank God for his miraculous power! I am now looking forward to our convention next week, expecting an outpouring of God's power!

State Convention Ladies Luncheon Saturday - July 28th 12:30 p.m. Chattanooga Convention Center It is NOT too late to register for the luncheon. Cost is $12.00 and ALL ladies are invited. If you would like to attend, email londajoy@aol.com or phone the state office (615-824-3563) and let us know your intentions. We will hold the ticket/s for you to pick up at the luncheon and payment can be made there. Please remember we will be charged for the number we submit to the catering service. That number will be submitted Tuesday morning. Thank you for responding TODAY. We are anticipating a great time and want YOU to be there. We appreciate all those who have already requested tickets! Londa J. Richardson, Director "Women of Grace"

Dear Folks, Lately we've been so tied up with preparations for convention that I didn't realize until just a little bit ago that I haven't posted in some time.  On Monday, I had to attend a General Assembly Task Force meeting in Cleveland, and then I flew out early Wednesday morning for Tampa, Florida.  Debra and I are attending the Florida State Convention in Lakeland, where I will be preaching on Thursday night.  Of course, the Bishop of Florida, Larry Dotson will be preaching at our convention next week. I do hope you will be able to join us for our Bi-Annual State Convention, July 27-29, 2007 at the Chattanooga Convention and Trade Center on Carter Plaza in Chattanooga, Tennessee.   We appreciate your prayers as we prepare for a great gathering of the laity and ministry of the Church of God of Prophecy in Tennessee.  God bless! p.s.  I snapped a picture of Debra after dinner tonight with someone famous...do you know who this might be?

Bro. McKinley, Could you please make a quick note on your blog to help remind everyone of some youth dates in the next week. Registration for Teen Talent 2007 is due by next Friday- July 13th. You may send it via email or snail mail (please have post marked by July 13th). The application is located on www.TennesseeYouth.org (follow the link to Teen Talent), you will also find the flyer and the guidelines. Next Saturday!-- Middle Tennessee After Youth Camp Blast!! July 14th- 11 AM to 3 PM Bellshire Church (Nashville) Come ready for some fun- just to relax before summer is over- one last day of “Camp Like Fun”- games, food, friends- what else could you want! More information on all activities go to the Tennessee Church of God of Prophecy's Youth Ministries website www.TennesseeYouth.org If you have any questions please let me know. God Bless, Joshua Lynn 865.567.2753 jlynn@tennesseeyouth.org www.TennesseeYouth.org

Recently I posted a link to download a pdf copy of our state convention program. While some have told me that they have downloaded a copy, others have had some difficulty. I am just writing to let you know that a copy of the program was mailed to each pastor today, and should arrive before week's end. If you would still like to download a pdf copy CLICK HERE

CHATTANOOGA FREE PRESS - HICKORY VALLEY This article appeared in the Chattanooga Free Press on July 4, 2007.  It concerns an outreach effort by our Hickory Valley Community Church in Chattanooga.  You may download by "right click" and "save as" feature in your browser, or you can simply click on the photo to see it in your browser. Congratulations to Bishop Duke Stone and the congregation.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the 2007 Tennessee State Convention program. The convention starts at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 27 2007. We look forward to seeing you there!

This morning Debra and I traveled to Chapel Hill for a special service to honor the pastor Keith Tucker. I was so happy to be invited to preach at the church as we honored Brother Tucker, who served as youth pastor for seven of the years that I was the pastor at Columbia. At the service there were a lot of "old" friends who came to honor Keith and Vickie, and to show appreciation for their years of service.

Today, Debra and I joined a host of people at a reception for Bishop Eugene Weakley, former Tennessee Overseer. Today is his 80th birthday and we were thrilled to be a part of such a special occasion. Brother and Sister Weakley are like mom and dad to many of the leaders in Tennessee and other states. Their daughter, Dr. Regina Cassidy did a great job of keeping the secret. Happy birthday Brother Weakley!

Registration for Teen Talent 2007 is due by next Friday- July 13th. You may send it via email or snail mail (please have post marked by July 13th). The application is located on www.TennesseeYouth.org (follow the link to Teen Talent), you will also find the flyer and the guidelines. Next Saturday!-- Middle Tennessee After Youth Camp Blast!! July 14th- 11 AM to 3 PM Bellshire Church (Nashville) Come ready for some fun- just to relax before summer is over- one last day of “Camp Like Fun”- games, food, friends- what else could you want! More information on all activities go to the Tennessee Church of God of Prophecy's Youth Ministries website www.TennesseeYouth.org

Today, our family gathered together for a cookout at our son, Shaun's house. It was a great time, as some of Stephanie's family joined us. Later in the evening, the plans are to attend a local church sponsored evening of fellowship, fireworks and fun. We trust that each of you had the same type of opportunity as we did, and that you can rest some. Let's not forget the sacrifice made by our nation's military to keep us free! Let's continue to pray for our troops on the field of battle today. God bless America.

State Convention Ladies Luncheon All ladies are invited to the bi-annual Ladies Luncheon to be held Saturday - July 28th during the State Convention and Camp Meeting at 12:30 p.m. in Rooms 13 & 14 of the convention center complex. Guest speaker will be Lana Whisman , President and Founder of "Dreamers Unite", a healing and teaching ministry. Ms. Whisman worked in the mental health field for over thirty years, serving as Director of both inpatient and outpatient facilities. She taught at Lee University thirteen years, and served as a full-time counselor and life coach in private practice for many years. She is a gifted communicator and enthusiastic Christian. There will be special music, delicious food, and 'surprises'. Cost is $12.00 Due to catering requirements, tickets must be purchased IN ADVANCE. Order forms are available on the Women's Ministry website www.tnwomenofgrace.com , or you may contact the local women's ministries director or pasto...

July 2007 Dear Children’s Ministry Director, The 2008 Institute of Children’s Ministry is past. We had the largest attendance ever—128. After reviewing every evaluation I can thankfully say that this year’s Institute was an effective tool in leadership development. As I was reviewing the financial statement for ICM I noted something that is very encouraging. Registration and housing fees for 76 of the ICM participants were paid either by the local church or the regional office. What does this say to me? The leadership of our local churches and regional offices want children’s ministers to be well trained and fully equipped as children’s ministry leaders. What does it say concerning building up attendance in the coming year? Why not talk with pastors and regional leadership about setting aside funds NOW for children’s ministers in your region to attend the 2008 Institute? Another trend that I noted with joy was that leaders were bringing their teams—children’s ministers who s...