Voice of Hope

Every year the Church of God of Prophecy in Tennessee offers an excellent series of summer youth camps. This year is not exception. With recent renovations to the gymnasium and upgrading of our pool, Camp Hickory Hills will offer a wonderful opportunity for fun and fellowship. The camps are broken down by age-appropriate camps. Here is the information to help you decide which camp is best for your needs: Encounter Age 19+ May 30-June 1 Kim Batson 615-604-7484 kbatson@mhc-tn.org Senior Age 15-18 June 8-13 Victor & Renee Rodriguez 423-544-4604 renee@cogop.org Teen Age 12-14 June 28-July 3 Paul & Carol Shull 423-478-4756 pdshull@charter.net Pre-Teen Age 10-12 June 14-19 Terry & Heather Swaw 615-789-3775 swawtees@aol.com Junior Age 8-10 June 21-26 Phyllis Cannon 423-478-0453 marybethcannon@yahoo.com and Cynthia Minnick 931-645-768...

This morning, Debra and I were privileged to worship with our congregation in Clarksville. As always, we were given a warm and cordial welcome from the congregation. Pastor Bob and Barbara Creasy are always such a blessing to us personally, and we are uplifted by their fellowship. We appreciate all they are doing.

The phone rings at 4:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning...one of the members of the congregation is near death. The pastor answers the phone and within moments is on the way to the hospital. After realizing the church member is stable, the pastor notices its almost 9:30 a.m. Just enough time to get to the church. Standing at the front door, the pastor welcomes everyone as they enter, while looking out the door to see where everyone else is at. The services get started and the deacon pulls the pastor aside to share that something must be wrong with the heat/air unit, there have been complaints about the temperature. As the pastor goes to check on the heat/air unit, the treasurer hands the pastor a note to remind the moderator of the service that the insurance payment is going to be due next month, and the church really needs to take up a good offering today. Just as the worship service is ready to start, one of the older members catches the pastor in the aisle of the sanctuary to complain...

Sis Irene Metaxas, wife of Bro Michael Metaxas passed away Thursday afternoon. Their son Tassos pastored Union Grove at one time. She was a wonderful prayer warrior for Union Grove and we will miss her dearly. They are from Cyprus and have a long story of how God protected them and brought them to the USA Pastor Gene Dasher

As we close the month of March, my thoughts go to the tradition of World Missions in our church. For many years, the months of March and October have been designated for outreach to the world. Today, I received a copy of a report from the National Overseer of DRC to his General Presbyter. What stood out to me was the amazing fact that there are now 503,000 members in that one nation alone! God is moving among our church and I am happy to share it with you. Because it is a large PDF file, I cannot post it on this site, but I've put a link for you to download, read/print at your leisure. Let's remember to give God the glory! To see/download the file, CLICK HERE

The date is quickly approaching for Tennessee Ladies Day scheduled for April 25th & 26th at Camp Hickory Hills. Guest speaker will be Sylvia Staten from South Carolina. We anticipate powerful worship, great fellowship, one on one ministry, and anointed presentations. (plus some surprises) Applications are arriving daily with reports of many new ladies attending. Anyone needing additional applications may secure them on line at the women’s ministries website. ( www.tnwomenofgrace.com ) The deadline for “early bird” registration is April 5th. We hope to hear from you soon! Come expecting to experience the GLORY of the Lord! Londa Richardson, Ladies Day Director

Institute of Children’s Ministry May 21-24, 2008 Cleveland, Tennessee “and we are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory” 2 Corinthians 3:18 Does your ministry to kids seem routine, ordinary, ho-hum, and perhaps even stagnant? If so, it’s time for a change that’s from the inside out, a change that will inspire, encourage, compel and transform the lives of the kids you serve. At the 2008 Institute of Children ’s Ministry you will… · experience personal transformation · develop ministry and leadership skills that will enable you to bring transformation to the ministry you lead · be prepared to motivate and equip children to pursue transforming intimacy with their heavenly Father …so that the children, families, congregations, and communities you serve will be changed! Join us at the 2008 Institute of Children’s Ministry where together we will pursue transformation. Kathy Creasy Institute Coordina...

Our youth camps are just around the corner, and I wanted to post some helpful information. In a previous newsletter, we inadvertently put the wrong date for Big Shot Camp. The correct date should be June 3-7, 2008. I apologize for any difficulty this may have created, it was MY fault, I should have caught it. In the next day or two, I hope to post more information regarding the camps, but we are looking forward to them with great anticipation!

This morning, I was privileged to attend worship services with my entire family in Cleveland. The choir did an excellent job, and the pastor's message was great. Once again, I was reminded that the empty tomb is the heart of Christianity...all that we are, and all that we do, are the direct results of a risen Savior! I trust this was an excellent day for you too! God bless.

Noun 1. desperation - a state in which all hope is lost or absent; "in the depths of despair"; "they were rescued from despair at the last minute"; "courage born of desperation" It was the first day after the crucifixion of Jesus the Christ. Many of the followers, in fact, most of them had deserted Him. One actually called curses down from heaven as he denied knowing Him. It seems as if the same people who filled the streets with palm leaves for His entrance into the city, had only a few days later cried, "crucify Him." The movement that had seen blind eyes opened, the deaf hear, the lame to leap and the lepers to be cleansed had been stricken right at the heart; the itinerant preacher who had taught them so much, and who had stood up to corrupt authorities, was now lain in the tomb of Joseph. I guess there is not a more compelling picture of what desperation really is. It's easy to see why so many in today's world feel the desperat...

Imagine what it must have been like to be an observer at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ on Good Friday. What would it have been like to see the suffering, to watch as a spear pierced His side? What would you have thought when the sky became completely dark, or to hear Him cry out "My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Or when He utter the words "tetelestai," or "Paid in Full." Would you have wondered just what He was talking about? What about those throngs of people following Him who were no where to be found at this darkest hour? At the end of the day, He was taken from the cross and put into a borrowed tomb. Borrowed, because He wouldn't need it long! Thank God! I'm thankful today for that cross, and for the sacrifice Christ made on it so that you and I could have life, and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) I look forward to this Sunday, when we will celebrate the victorious resurrection of our Lord!

This post is a friendly reminder to our pastors to make sure that the Proxy Pre-Registration form is in my office by the deadline of March 31, 2008. If a local church does not participate in the proxy registration, they will not be able to participate in giving their expression in the business proceedings of the upcoming General Assembly. While they may be able to make comments during the discussion, ONLY those individuals selected by their local church will be allowed to vote. PLEASE make sure your voice is heard.

Received this notice from District Presbyter Freddie Harding. Note this was sent yesterday. Greetings. Wilma Douglas, Former Clerk & Treasurer at Pikeville passed away 9AM this morning at Pikeville Hospital. Viewing will be 5PM at Putnam Reed Funeral Home (Pikeville) and the Funeral is 2PM Wednesday. Freddie Harding Acting Pastor

Yesterday morning, I was blessed to minister at the Oliver Springs church in Eastern Tennessee. Pastor and Sister Roy Massengale gave me such a warm welcome, and the people were so kind and loving. It was such an honor to visit with and minister to this special group of people. I left from Oliver Springs and stopped for lunch with the pastor's family at Cracker Barrel in Harriman (thank God for Sunday Style Chicken) and then was off on a cross-state trek for the final of our District Meetings at the Tullahoma church. All of our pastors in the district attended and their churches were well represented. Special thanks to Bishop A.J. and Norma Coalter for their moderation and serving the people of the district so well. We also thank Brother and Sister William Pritchett and the congregation of the Tullahoma church for allowing us to meet there. Finally, I thank all the pastors, leadership and membership of the local churches in Tennessee for the kind attention and attendance at the...

I am saddened to report the passing of two of our senior Deacons in the past few days. Gideon Schuerer Brother Schuerer has only been in Tennessee a few years, after moving to the Memphis area to live with his family. I have known Brother Schuerer since my days as the overseer of North Dakota, where he was a member of the Golden Valley church. He has been attending the Abundant Grace Church in Memphis since moving here. His services are Thursday in Golden Valley, ND. Morris Gregory Brother Gregory is no stranger to the people of Tennessee, as he has served faithfully for many years. My personal knowledge of Brother Gregory is that he was a great encourager to me and to others who knew him. His services are tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. in Portland, TN. Will you please join me in prayer for the family? God bless.

The 8th and final District Leadership meeting is scheduled for this coming Sunday night at the Tullahoma church. All pastors and leaders are expected to attend, as this is the annual vision-casting meeting, however, everyone is invited. There has been a change in the format this year, as the state workers will have handouts available, and it will be more like a worship service than seminar. The State Overseer will be preaching in the evening service, and everyone is invited to attend. The church is located at: 2362 N Jackson St Normandy, TN 37360 (931) 393-6005 We do hope you can join us for this final meeting of 2008, as it will be a great opportunity to worship, fellowship and enjoy the Presence of the Lord. We look forward to seeing you there!

This phrase first came to my knowlege a few-years-ago, when my son Shaun was attending Montana State University. He shared it with me when describing a situation in the political world. The thought never left me. A few-nights-ago, I came in late and caught the tail end of a newsmagazine (I think it was on ABC) that brought this phrase to mind again. Again, without seeing all of the report, I saw enough to understand the following. 1. People were told the story of the Good Samaritan from the New Testament. 2. They were sent (in a rush) to audition for a job. 3. The researchers put someone (an actor) on their path who was feigning distress. It appeared to me that the researchers were putting people to the test, immediately after hearing the story of the Good Samaritan. The bad news is the many of them did not stop; but the good news is that many did. What came to my mind (and has been there ever since) is if I personally am going so many directions, trying to get so much done, being so i...

Saturday, March 15th at Curtis Hill Church: 1642 Curtis Hill Rd: near Selmer, Tennessee. Please bring your children from your local church to enjoy food, fun, fellowship, and worship. Worship begins at 6pm. For further information, please contact Kim Batson at 615-604-7484 or kim.batson@comcast.net . I look forward to seeing you there.

Our final District Meeting for 2008 is scheduled for this coming Sunday night at the Tullahoma church. The services will begin at 6:00 p.m. If you have not been able to attend one of our previous meetings, I am confident you will be blessed in this area-wide meeting.

Today, I attended the funeral services of Eunice Moore Pennington at the Peerless Road Church in Cleveland. Sister Pennington, as many of you will know served alongside her husband, C.S. Pennington for many years in the ministry, most notably under general appointment. My recollection of C.S. Pennington (preceded Sister Pennington) was the time that he served as the General Secretary of the C.P.M.A., now known as Heritage Ministries. Please join me in prayer for the family.

From Pastor Milton Gordon's blog: http://eagleflight777@blogspot.com Prayer request was made for Bishop James Manus a week or so ago. Initially a doctor had reported that he had an aneurysm in his side. Today he went to a specialist in Nashville who examined him and could find no aneurysm anywhere and told him all his tests look okay. The specialist told him to come back in year for follow-up. Thank God!

Just a quick note to let you know that the Men's Day for 2008 will be rescheduled to a later date. I will post the particulars here. God bless

Hi friends. It looks like we have finally had a significant snowfall in the Nashville area. No, its not like the snow in Montana, but it did lift Debra's spirits to see (and walk) in it. I have to be honest, palm trees are more to my liking. It appears that the storm and its effects will be completely moved out of the way by tomorrow afternoon, with highs in the 50's, my guess is that the roads will be fine, and we will look forward to meeting at the McMinnville (North Hills) church for our district meeting. After this meeting, there is only one more of these gatherings, which will be next Sunday night in Tullahoma. I do hope you can join me at one of these two meetings, if you have not attended one already. In this meeting, we are involved in vision-casting, and the fellowship is always rich. I look forward to seeing you there, the service will start at 6:00 p.m. God bless.

On Sunday night, March 9, 2008, our area wide meeting for the McMinnville area is planned, and we are hoping to see all of our churches attending. If you have not attending one of these vision-casting meetings yet, we hope you will be able to make this one. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m. at the McMinnville, North Hills church. As you know, there is a storm watch/warning for most of Tennessee for tonight and tomorrow. I do not know how this will affect our meeting on Sunday night, but if something should happen to change the meeting, I will post it here and send an announcement to the email addresses I have. God bless.

Youth Conference Update Re:Generation Revolution Youth Conference is fast approaching. The dates are March 14-16, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Re:Generation Youth Conference is a forum for: authentic spirit-filled worship effective spiritual formation with dynamic preaching and small group teaching sessions open-minded dialogue and vulnerable sharing that are age specific and culturally relevant deeper learning, training and equipping of youth workers and other adult leaders unselfish giving in community outreach and compassion ministries to the community support and resources for parents of teenagers talented, anointed and passionate Youth IN Ministry endless diversity, unbridled passion, and authentic faith Click here to register you and your group for Re:Generation Youth Conference 2008.

I AM POSTING A NOTICE FROM PASTOR MILTON GORDON 'S BLOG Retired minister and pastor in the Church of God of Prophecy in Tennessee, Bishop James Manus, has been sick with pneumonia and also may need surgery for an aneurysm in his side. He may be having surgery at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville. More information will be posted as it comes in. Join me in prayer for this request.

Today, I participated in the funeral service for Bishop J.C. Palmer, a retired minister in our church. The funeral was conducted in Camden, with internment near Big Sandy. Bishops C.C. Winchester, Harold Batson, Clayton Mahan and Milton Gordon I all took part and I was very proud of the job each of these brethren did. Please join me in prayer for the Palmer family.

Good morning. Just wanted to give you a quick update on events happening over this past weekend. Debra and I were in Cleveland over the weekend to attend the funeral of Carol Howell, a member at the Keith Street church. She was obviously a real blessing to everyone around her, and we were happy to know her. There was a large crowd at the funeral, and according to Dan, the visitation was very large on Friday night. On Sunday we attended church with our son Shaun, and his family Stephanie, and our number one grandchild Reagan. As always we were blessed to be with them, but also the opportunity for me to attend church and not preach was a much needed rest. Pastor Tim Coalter preached a wonderful message, and the service was concluded with a "healing" line. On Sunday evening, we were blessed to attend, and I ministered during the District (Cleveland/Chattanooga area) ministers meeting. The service was hosted by the Hickory Valley church. Pastor Duke Stone and the congregat...

Brother McKinley, here are the arrangements for Bishop Palmer Visitation Monday March 3rd, at 6-9 pm Service Tuesday at 1:00pm Oakdale Funeral Home of Camden 401 Hwy 641 N Camden, TN 38320 731-584-4343 NOTE: Special thanks to Milton Gordon, Gary Evans and C.C. Winchester for providing this information.

I have received notice from several sources of the passing of J.C. Palmer, one of our retired ministers in Tennessee. I do not have any of the details at this moment, but will be posting details here once I receive them. Please join me in prayer for the family.

The Chattanooga/Cleveland area "Raising the Bar" meeting is scheduled for tomorrow night, March 2, 2008 at the Hickory Valley Church, located at 2201 Hickory Valley Road, Chattanooga, TN . You can find a map by CLICKING HERE . The service will begin at 6:00 p.m. We are looking forward to seeing you there.

Children's Training and Activities coming to West Tennessee Please bring your children and join me at Curtis Hill Church for fun, food, fellowship, and worship for Kids. Saturday, March 15th at 6pm. For further information please contact Kim Batson at 615-604-7484 or kim.batson@comcast.net. I am pleased to announce a wonderful Children's Ministry Training opportunity coming to your area. Kathy Creasy, International Children's Minister, will be at Abundant Grace Church in Colliersville, Tn on Saturday, April 19th. For a registration fee of $25, you will receive amazing training, food, and tons of free resources. Anyone who is currently working with children or has a heart for children would benefit from this day. I look forward to seeing your team of children's ministers there. I am excited about what God is doing in our Children's Ministry in Tennessee.