Weekly Update - 12/07/06

Prayer Requests

• Pastor Terry Glover of FSBC Coalinga - Terry is in the hospital with severe back pain.
• Ron Climer - he will have surgery on Monday, Dec. 11
• Alan McWhorter
• Alan Greaves
• Pray for Ray and Penny Young, our IMB missionaries in Spain. Pray they will be abel to find ways to develop relationships with the Basque people.

Mission Mobilization

Can churches have a presence in public schools? Yes! Aaron Kellar of Grantland Avenue Baptist Church leads several Good News Clubs on school sites. He is available to show MV churches how they can start a Good News Club in their local schools. Contact Aaron at 276-0097 or at akredeemed@gmail.com

Liferock Baptist Church Parlier - Pray for Pastor George Sanchez and the leadership of Liferock Baptist Church in Parlier as they work to plant this new church. Liferock began meeting in the elementary school in Parlier in April. A cluster of churches support the new work: Annadale Baptist Sanger, FSBC Sanger, FSBC Reedley, and FSBC Selma.

Mid-Valley Missions Team Meeting - January 11, 2007, 6-8pm at Copper Springs Church, Clovis. This is open to all church mission leaders who want to connect with other church mission leaders to do mission more effectively together. Please bring a dish to share for dinner.

Juvenile Hall and Boot Camp Christmas Parties 2007 - God did a great work over the last three nights at Juvenile Hall and Boot Camp. Carol Climer reports the following totals for all three night:

• 17 Mid-Valley churches were involved
• 289 volunteers
• 472 youth minterested to
• 111 staff ministered to
• 177 professions of faith
• 105 rededications

Carol writes: "This is Amazing Grace!! Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for the troubled youth in Fresno County." Special thanks to Ron & Carol Climer for the countless hours of preparation, prayer, and coordination. Thanks also the team leaders and volunteers for loving threse youth enough to communicate Christ's love to them face to face. Finally, thanks to the staff at the institutions that literally open their doors to us for this ministry. The was the 33rd year that MV churches have led this high impact effort. See all the reports here .

Leadership Development

Lunchtime Leadership Series 2007
What: Willow creek Leadership Summit - DVD followed by group discussion.
Time: Thursday from 11:30 am - 1:15 pm
Place: Crosspoint Church, 2518 N. Cedar, Fresno (in the Green Room)
Registration: None required, bring own lunchWho: Pastors, staff, lay leaders will benefit
Dates:

• January 25, 2007: The Life Cycle of a Leader, by Bill Hybels
• February 8: Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars, by Patrick Lencioni
• February 22: Dead Leader Running, by Wayne Cordiero
• March 8: Focused Leadership - My Best Leadership Decision, by Andy Stanley
• March 22: Tribal Warfare, by Peg Neuhauser
• April 12: When Business Thinking Fails the Church, by Jim Collins

Series

Seminary Extension Classes for 2006-2007 -- Please call Rita at the MV office 297-5550 to register. Class fees are due on the first day of class.

1. Baptist History: Jan. 23 - March 20, 2007. Teacher: Wendell Foss
2. Book of Acts: March 27 - May 22, 2007. Teacher: Pastor Jeb Bonine

Equip Bible Institute Classes

1. New Testament Survey 104 Mondays: 6:30 pm, begins Jan 8, 200710 sessionsInstructor: Sean PeiferLocation Grace Community Church, Madera.
2. Theology and Life 107 Mondays, 6:30 pm, begins Jan. 8, 200710 sessionsInstructor: Tom SimsLocation: Baptist Temple, Fresno.
3. Tentative Course, Spanish Speaking, Old or New Testament Survey call Philip Aaron at 646-0228 for more information.

Fellowship/Networking

Minister's Breakfast Next Week.... Each Tuesday morning at Country Waffle, Blackstone & Dakota, 8:00 - 9:30 am. the speaker on Tuesday, Dec. 12 will be Richard Vera. Topic: Multi ethnic evangelism.

Pastors Prayer Cluster - All Mid-Valley pastors are invited to a weekly Pastors Prayer Cluster. We meet every Thursday at 10:00 am, Crosspoint Church. Join us as we pray for our churches and community. For further information, please contact Pastor Johnny Mendez at 227-5366 or 824-4821.

Tsunami Student Conference, Long Beach, December 28-30, 2006.Tsunami is a statewide 3-day student event that focuses on growing as Christians and learning how to tell others about Jesus. This is a high energy, high impact event that challenges every student to make life-changing commitments. As of this week over 2,500 are registered. Hotel rooms are still available. Reserve your room here.

Childrens Camp 2007 - New format, new activities, exciting music, challenging recreation, mission project, reduced price!!! Two great camping opportunities for 2007:

1. 6th through 8th Grade Camp - June 17-20, 2007 - God's Purpose, Plan, and People
2. 3rd through 5th Grade Camp June 20-23, 2007 - Bible Bee: Discovering God's Word in God's Creation Location: Camp Sierra.Lee Yarbrough, Camp Director.

Check here for updates, program collaboration, and fund-raising ideas to send kids to camp.
Church News

The Temple Skate ChurchSundays, 3:00 pm at Baptist Temple, 4141 N. Fresno Street, Fresno. Check it out here.

Looking for a Popcorn machine? Call Herman Christensen at Woodward Park Baptist Church, 298-7087. This is a commercial size machine. WPBC will give it free to a church who can use it. Please call before Dec. 20th.

Cornelia Avenue Baptist Church reached around the world with 102 Operation Christmas Shoeboxes that were mailed to boys and girls in countries like the Sudan. Many volunteers from Cornelia also participate in the Juvenile Hall/Boot Camp Christmas parties.