March 21-24 — New Church Leadership Training

As Church Administration & Development continues to train and equip congregations and ministers to fulfill our disciplemaking mission, we are glad to announce our first training program for current and emerging church planters. This four-day training event has been developed by WCG Church Multiplication Ministries. It an essential part of our WCG Next-level ministry strategy for fulfilling our vision to multiply new kinds of faith communities in all kinds of places and with all kinds of people groups. This training program is designed to equip church multiplication leaders with the key elements necessary for starting and sustaining healthy new congregations in the WCG. Dan Rogers

Location: Community of Faith (WCG), 3774 Raleigh-Millington Rd., Memphis, TN 38128.

To register, obtain a registration form from your senior pastor or congregational pastoral leader, or see www.wcg.org/events, or contact Randy Bloom, phone (901) 737-2720, email randy.bloom@wcg.org.

April 27-29 — Men's Ministry Retreat

You are cordially invited to attend the seventh annual Men’s Ministry Retreat at Living Hope Christian Fellowship (Atlanta, GA). The retreat will be held April 27–29, 2007. This year’s theme is “Slay the Giant Within You.” Cost of the retreat is $70, which includes all meals and lodging. To enroll or obtain further information, please contact Raymond Collier at 404-755-0687 or ray66mond@bellsouth.net.

April 28-29 — ACCM class in Spiritual Formation

The Florida district will be hosting an Ambassador College of Christian Ministry intensive course in Spiritual Formation over the weekend of April 28-29 in Gainesville, FL. Mike Feazell (D. Min.) from our headquarters staff and Randy Bloom (M. Div.) , one of our denominational Ministry Developers, will be the presenters. The goal of the course is to further equip students in the process of their spiritual formation in Christ. Among the many topics addressed are:

• Living a balanced spiritual life in a hurried world.

• Appropriately exercising the spiritual disciplines.

• Identifying and applying our spiritual gifts.

• Setting realistic goals and expectations.

This is a valuable course for all Christians and has the potential to be life-changing in your walk with the Lord. The contact person for general information is Paul Volpe, a co-pastor in Gainesville: Paul.volpe@wcg.org, home phone 352-335-6167, cell phone 352-283-2934. Information on hotels and restaurants can be provided.

June 14-18 — National Young Adults Retreat

Come and Experience the ROCK in the Rockies! Do you crave time away to be spiritually uplifted, meet friends, and experience new things in the beautiful Rocky Mountains? Then you are ready for the ROCK in the Rockies, National Young Adults Retreat 2007.

This year the retreat will be held in Money magazine's Number One Best Place to Live—Fort Collins, CO. Activities will include: Rappelling in stunning settings; the option of white-water rafting on Colorado’s only national “wild and scenic” river; a semi-formal dinner dance; “Amazing Race” Barbecue Dinner & Mixer; and much more….

This year’s seminar will be presented by special guest speaker Jeb Egbert. If you would like transportation to and from Denver International Airport, please make your flight arrangements to arrive before 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, and leave after 10:00 a.m. on Monday, June 18.

If you have questions, contact Katrina Weber, 970-377-2974, katrinaweber@hotmail.com, or Denise Fertig, 307-634-9203, sdfertig18@aol.com.
 

The graduating class of 1977, Ambassador College Big Sandy, is planning a 30-year reunion for Friday night, August 3 through Sunday noon, August 5 in Dallas, Texas. Plans are to hold the reunion at the Omni Dallas Hotel at Park West, pending a final contract. The graduating 1977 alumni and their spouses, as well as all who entered in the fall of 1973, spring of 1974 or were ever part of the class somewhere in between, are invited to attend.

Murdock “Doc” Gibbs will provide entertainment with a collection of music from the ’70s. An optional barbecue at Skip and Michelle (Bumpers) Quant’s ranch in Burleson, Texas (right) is planned for Sunday afternoon for those who can extend the weekend.

Details for the reunion are still being finalized, so class members are encouraged to check out the AC Reunion, Big Sandy Class of 1977 website at www.ACReunion.info for updated information. Please help us locate class members. Check the “Lost & Found” page on the website and send current contact information for anyone you know who is listed as “missing” to lostandfound@ACReunion.info.  Click here for the registration form.

Members of the Big Sandy 1977 Reunion Committee are Steve Schantz, Terry Willhoite, Debbie Wood, Jeff Wahlen, Michelle Quant, Charles Melear and Jacque Harvey Melear. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Wood at 903-939-1765 or email debbieawood@sbcglobal.net

Sept. & Oct. — WCG Fellowship Cruises

Caribbean: We are privileged again this year to sponsor two Worldwide Church of God Fellowship Cruises. For more than a decade, thousands of members have experienced the joy of cruising with fellow members while we enjoy the sights of many ports of call and are spiritually uplifted by worship services on selected days during each cruise.

For the second time, our affordable Caribbean Cruise will be on Princess Cruise Lines' Caribbean Princess. The itinerary this year is the Eastern Caribbean (last year our ports of call were in the Western Caribbean). This seven-day cruise departs Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, on Sept. 23 and returns on Sept. 30. Entry-level cabins for this seven-day adventure begin at only $599 per person. Because of such affordable pricing, our Caribbean cruises have been very popular.

On all of our fellowship cruises, inspiring messages are an important part of the spiritual component of the cruise. Uplifting worship music featuring a worship team and special music make these cruises more than just a few days at sea. Space tends to fill up on these cruises, so we encourage those of you who think you might be interested to call for an information and pricing packet. You can call John Siston at Travel Gallery/Cruising Holidays at 800-858-6999 or email him at john@travelgallery.com. John can provide information or make a reservation.

Those of you who are experienced cruisers know there is probably no greater way to spend a week or ten days—especially when you couple the cruising with fellowship and the spiritual inspiration of a WCG cruise. So call or email John and get your plans underway!

Mexico: The West Coast Mexican Riviera Cruise will offer a special attraction this year when Holland America’s MS Ryndam puts into the Mexican port of Topolobampo. Members can then board the Chihuahua-al-Pacifico Railway train for a spectacular day trip through the famous Copper Canyon. The railway passes through numerous tunnels and over breathtaking bridges into the canyons that are collectively some four times the size of the U.S. Grand Canyon. This is a ten-day cruise that departs from San Diego, CA, on October 11 and puts back into port on October 21.

If you are really hooked on cruising, the MS Ryndam actually begins this West Coast voyage in Vancouver, Canada, on October 7. This would make the entire cruise 14 days. Pricing for the additional four days starts as low as $369 per person. Members also have the choice of taking only this four-day cruise beginning in Vancouver and ending in San Diego. This might be especially attractive to someone who has never cruised before and would like to “test the waters.”

Australia: We are also offering a fellowship group tour to Australia. The dates for this trip down under will be Sept. 22 through Oct. 7. Interest is building for this tour. If you have always wanted to see Australia, join John and Pat Halford, who will host this trip of a lifetime. John Siston can also provide information for this trip.

We look forward to seeing many of you on one of the WCG fellowship activities that will take place in 2007. Ronald Kelly, WCG Group Tour Coordinator