Volume 71, Number 3 Jul-Aug-Sept 2011

Inside this issue:

2011 Annual Meeting & Conference Whats Up? Dr. Larry Taylor Winning on Purpose Chris Conrad Bio Accountable Leadership News from Pueblo and Vista Grande Annual Meeting Christian Women Connection Summer Retreat Upcoming Events This page 2 3 3 4

2011
ANNUAL MEETING & CONFERENCE
SEPTEMBER 23 & 24 Vista Grande Church

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A Passionate Pursuit
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus Philippians 3:14

Chris Conrad Special Speaker for 2011 Annual Meeting & Conference
(See bio on p. 3 and schedule on p. 5.)

Accommodations:
Microtel Inn & Suites 7265 Commerce Center Drive Colorado Springs, CO 80919 (800) 964-8396 or (719) 598-7500

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Whats Up?
In a previous issue of the Chronicles, I wrote that "ministry today is defined by networking." I truly believe that networking is a key component to effective ministry. A recent example of this occurred during a conversation with the psychologist who has an office across the hall from ours. During one of our regular "good morning" greetings, he asked how my summer has been. I told him that it has gone by much too quickly. I also shared how my parents used to tell me as a young man that time goes much faster when you get older. I assured him that my parents had been correct, but I didn't understand why that could be as time is time! He quickly countered and said, "That is not true. The older you get, the broader your perspective is because of Dr. Larry and Bonnie Taylor the longevity of life and its experiences. Thus, each day is a shorter segment of your life narrative. Thus, time truly does go by faster." He is right! It is amazing that the 2011 Annual Meeting is this month (September 23-24, Vista Grande Church of God). It is also amazing to me as the state minister that we have come to a point of decision regarding the governance of our Conference by assessing the value of the Leadership Accountability model. Leadership within the Conference, including the Ministries Council, the Church Health Board, and me as state minister recognize that what we are currently trying to accomplish under the dictates of the adopted 2006 Bylaws simply "is not working." Thus, much work has gone into exploring, discussing, and processing the opportunity to make "deep change" (Robert E. Quinn) and realign our structure in a way to more effectively minister as a Conference in rapidly changing times. Yes, time does go by faster as we get older! John E. Kaiser's book Winning On Purpose (see the review written by Dan Decker in this edition of the Chronicles) is the model being proposed for our consideration. The Ministries Council tasked the Church Health Board to serve as a "Transition Team" to spearhead the process of exploring Leadership Accountability. The persons who have served on that "team" have worked tirelessly and objectively to explore, process, and strategize the possibilities of this model for the Conference. Linda Turner, as chair of the Church Health Board, has done an exemplary job of leading the team in this effort. The team members, Mike Schneider, Michael Mattocks, Jesse Hill, Ruth Hency, John Shue, Rene Runge, and I have been encouraged and challenged as work regarding this effort has been ongoing. Now the decision whether to adopt the model is for the General Assembly during the Annual Meeting. Please be in prayer for this effort that God's will shall be done as we network together as the Church of God Colorado Conference. May His blessings continue to be upon us as we move forward to accomplish the mission of "facilitating healthy new and existing churches to advance the love, acceptance, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ." To Him be the glory,
State Minister

Dr. Larry C. Taylor

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WINNING ON PURPOSE

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WINNING ON PURPOSE: How to Organize Congregations to Succeed in Their Mission by John Edmund Kaiser, foreword by Paul D. Borden, edited by Tom Bandy and Bill Easum 2006. Abingdon Press, 201 Eighth Avenue South, P.O. Box 801, Nashville, TN 37202-0801 184 pages ISBN 978 -00-687-49502-3 At this year's Annual Meeting, the leadership of the Church of God Colorado Conference is asking the voting members to make a decision on the Leadership Accountability model of governance for the Conference. A resource for this model is the book written by John E. Kaiser titled Winning On Purpose and has been reviewed by Dan Decker (Cloverdale Church of God).

the Accountable Leadership strategy. This model of leadership brings together standards for mission, boundaries, and accountability, and then shows how these standards come to life through the performance of four key players: the board, the pastor, the staff, and the congregation. Praise for this book includes this from Dr. Paul Borden, author of Hit the Bullseye: On rare occasions there are a few books that must be published and definitely should be read. Winning on Purpose provides a new theoretical and practical framework based upon extensive experience for fixing broken congregations and denominations. This book is highly recommended for all of us in the Colorado Conference to read, not just pastors. May all of us do our part in becoming more intentional and effective in furthering the kingdom through our own congregations and in our state conference by not doing things the same old way. John Kaiser is President of the Fellowship of Evangelical Baptist Churches in Canada. He developed and directed a movement for growing healthy congregations, started by the American Baptist Churches of the West. He provides consultation and training to churches on growth, reinventing their leadership structure, and reproducing new congregations. -Submitted by Dan Decker

Winning on Purpose offers leaders a way to organize congregations for success by creating structures that enable church life and health. It poses these questions: Do we really want the mission to succeed? Are we ready to live within clear boundaries? Are we ready to align ourselves with a greater purpose? and Do we have what it takes? This book is not easy reading, but with careful and prayerful reading it has treasures such as the following paragraph from chapter two, The First Step is to Stop Defeating Ourselves, which certainly speaks to the Church of God movement that has a tradition of not trusting central authority: Its hard to win if no one is sure whos picking the plays. Structure in the congregation often gets bad press from those who feel it is antithetical to spirituality. The church is an organism, not an organization, right? The church is described in the New Testament as an army, a building, a field, a temple, a bride, a body, a flock, a family, a people, a vineyard, a priesthood, a letter, and an olive tree, among other things. Each of these images captures part of the essence of the church. From time to time there are movements seeking to point us back to New Testament Christianity in a way that casts suspicion on formal organization. When this impulse is carried too far, it creates a particular set of obstacles for a congregation trying to achieve its mission. Winning on Purpose appears to be designed for church committees and leaders to use in formulating strategies for creating healthy congregations and effective outreach. Though difficult to read in places, it is worth the effort because the author has an impressive record of success in using the organizational methods carefully outlined in this book. It appears to be applicable in churches of any tradition, not only the Baptist churches with which the author is affiliated. As a comprehensive and powerful application of the biblical call to mission, Winning on Purpose sets forth

Chris Conrad Bio

Chris Conrad grew up in San Diego, CA where he attended Skyline Wesleyan under the leadership of Orval Butcher and John Maxwell. In 1988, Chris served as assistant pastor of a one-year old church plant in Tucson, AZ. In 1993 Chris and his wife Mary, along with a launch team of 13 adults, planted Countryside Community Church in South Dakota. The church grew in six years to averaging 360 under his leadership, and in 2007-2008 the church averaged 917 in attendance. In 2000, Chris and Mary moved to Madison, WI where they planted Lakeshore Community Church which continues to reach the unchurched people of that area. In January 2006, after these three church planting experiences, Chris became the Director of Church Planter Development for The Wesleyan Church. Also, in 2006, Chris and Mary adopted two beautiful girls from Ukraine, Juliya and Nataliya. In 2007, Chris first book, Five Things Anyone Can Do to Introduce Others to Jesus was published, and in 2009 his DVD teaching series on lifestyle evangelism, entitled The Perfect Blend was released. Chris latest book, Your Church Can Win!, was based on a study of the most successful churches in his denomination and filled with suggestions and working strategies for churches to maximize their Kingdom impact. In July of 2010, Chris was elected to be the District Superintendent of the West Michigan District of the Wesleyan Church the largest district of the denomination. Chris has a passion to see all churches reach their full redemptive potential.

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ACCOUNTABLE LEADERSHIP Questions and Answers

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ministries of the Conference and provides avenues of accountability to insure the mission is being accomplished in a timely and Godly manner.

There has been a lot of talk within the Church of God Colorado Conference lately about Accountable Leadership. You may have even attended the Town Hall Meeting at the Summer Retreat to learn about it. At the Annual Business Meeting on September 24th,it will be on the ballot. The Transition Team hopes the following questions and answers will help everyone have a better understanding of why the Church Health Board and the Ministries Council are recommending this form of governance for the Conference.

Why is the State Pastor a member of the Governance Board?

Together the State Pastor and Governance Board compose a team dedicated to accomplishing the mission of the Conference. It is important that the State Pastor serves and is recognized as the visionary leader, not only for the churches and his Staff, but also for the Board.

What is Accountable Leadership?

Accountable Leadership is the model that the Ministry Council is recommending for a three-year trial period by the Church of God Colorado Conference. The proposed system of Accountable Leadership is made up of a Board that governs, the State Pastor who leads and a Staff (paid and unpaid) to do the ministry. It is a system with clearly defined Guiding Principles under which the State Pastor is empowered to develop and oversee the Staff. Accountability is maintained by a Governance Board who ensures that the State Pastor adheres to the Guiding Principles and is accomplishing the mission of the Conference.

Will the State Pastor be a voting member of the board?

No. Some groups using the Accountable Leadership Structure give the pastor a vote; others do not. Because of concerns voiced at the Town Hall Meeting, our State Pastor will not be a voting member of the Board.

Who will laypeople be able to approach with ideas and concerns related to the Conference?
Accountable Leadership encourages individuals to take their concerns to the Governance Board. Once Staff members are in place, there will have even more opportunities to communicate with the Conference.

Is the Ministries Council suggesting that churches adopt the Accountable Leadership model?
No. This is only a recommendation for the governance of the Conference.

Will any committees be retained in the Accountable Leadership Structure?

The Credentials Board will function under the Governance Board and a Nominations Committee will be named by the Governance Board each year.

Why does the Ministries Council feel there is a need to change the way they function?
The reason for changing from our current governance system is that it is not producing the desired results. This system, a council made up of chairpersons from the various boards, is more reactive than proactive, slow to respond, often vague about lines of authority, and lacks accountability. In addition, it has become increasingly harder to find qualified people who are willing to commit 3 to 5 years to serve as one of the 30 board members required by the current bylaws.

What if our church is interested in adopting the Accountable Leadership Structure?

If your church is interested in adopting this model, contact the Church Health Board to request a coach who can help assess your present situation and assist in implementation. There will be very little time for discussion at the Annual Business meeting so I invite you to contact me with questions or comments as soon as possible. I welcome the opportunity to talk with you.

How does Accountable Leadership differ from the Conferences current form of governance?
The current system operates with a number of boards who are responsible for various ministries. The chairperson from each board and the executive officers make up the Ministries Council who meets quarterly to review and plan. In contrast, Accountable Leadership empowers the State Minister to develop and lead a Staff to carry out the

Linda Turner, Chairperson Transition Team lingeomail@gmail.com (970) 243-7260

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News From Across Colorado

PUEBLO CHURCH NEWS
The Men and Boys of the church, led by Don Fletcher, took a fishing trip to Blue Lake near Cuchara in July; after fishing together, the group then drove back to La Veta and had a picnic at the park; the group was able to see a 1912 Steam Locomotive and some were able to get on board and tour it. All in all, it was a great day; the boys enjoyed catching more fish than the adults. July 25-29, 2011 was Vacation Bible School, directed by Naomi Bryant; all of the volunteers who helped ensured that the week went well. Neighborhood children come every year and eventually grow up to become VBS helpers. On August 18, 2011, the women and girls of the church led by Lynda Shue spent the day at Jan Lucero's home swimming, eating and having a manicure and pedicure party. It was such a good time to bond with the girls and help them prepare for the start of school. August 20, 2011, School-A-Palooza, directed by Bryan Kelsen, had a day of activities at the church where backpacks filled with school supplies were handed out, pizza supplied by Dave Feamster of Little Caesars was enjoyed, and the children enjoyed the bouncy houses, games, prizes, and CSU-Pueblo Football Thunderwolves Mascot, Tundra. Thanks to all who volunteered to help and also contributed money to ensure that the children of our adopted school, Carlile Elementary, had the school supplies needed and that their parents felt our love and support.

VISTA GRANDE LIVING OUT MISSIONAL CALLING!

The Vista Grande congregation in Colorado Springs continues their commitment of being a missional focused church. The last week of July the church sent a team of 19 persons on a mission work camp to the Navajo Nation in New Mexico. The missional team made up of a mixture of youth and adults worked with Pastor Leroy and Rhonda Benally who pastor a church out in the desert regions of Besti, New Mexico. The team was able to help severely poverty stricken families with home projects such as painting, repair work, and digging holes for outhouses. The V.G.C. missional team also did much repair work and new construction around the church. The youth who went on the work camp held a daily Kids Club for the Navajo children who were picked up and brought to the church site. The mission trip was an awesome and life changing experience for all 19 persons committed to going on the trip. They are so grateful for the new relationships formed with the Navajo families and the pastor, his wife and children!
More missional work by Vista Grande will be featured in the next issue of the Chronicles.Editor

Schedule for Annual Meeting

Friday: 2pm 5pm-7pm 7pm-9pm 9pm Saturday: 8am-10am Chris Conrad Break (dinner on your own) Worship with Chris Conrad as keynote speaker Refreshments/Fellowship Annual Meeting

News from Summer Retreat

The 2011 Colorado Church of God Summer Retreat was a large success. We returned for our third year at Glen Eyrie Conference Center in Colorado Springs, CO. We saw an increase of about 20% in attendance. Those who attended were able to participate in seminar sessions with topics from music and worship, global missions, and Church of God heritage and future. Our keynote speaker was Roger Chamberlain, the area overseer for Central California. His messages made us look at the journey God takes us through in life and how we may impact one another. We examined how sometimes God takes us through difficult circumstances only to find out later that it was shaping us for the next step in our journey with Him. Lastly, we learned the lesson of how Gods timing is always perfect timing. In addition, we were richly blessed by during the worship times each evening that were led by Cindy Magsig of San Antonio, TX. There were many highlights throughout the weekend. The ability to fellowship with old and new friends from around the state made for big smiles and lasting relationships.

10am-12pm Chris Conrad

"Come to The Holy Lands- Fall Gatherings", sponsored by Colorado Christian Women Connection Theme: "Walking Where Jesus Walked" Speaker: Pebble Pearl Locations: Sloan's Lake Church Pueblo Church September 10, 2011 October 8, 2011

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UPCOMING EVENTS
September 23-24 November 18-20 July 4-7, 2012

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Annual Meeting of the Colorado Conference, Colorado Springs, CO Youth Fall Retreat, Camp Timberline International Youth Convention, Denver, CO

YOUTH FALL RETREAT

The Fall Youth Retreat will be Nov. 18th - 20th, 2011 at Camp Timberline (www.camptimberline.com). The students will arrive on Friday evening and the Retreat will end Sunday at noon. Registration forms and more information will be posted on our website, facebook**, and mailed to each church. For fun, there will be activities such as a Zip Line, the Gut Check, Double Leap of Faith from the Mountain Adventure Packages.

Theme: Road Trip: A Life Journey with Jesus

Verse: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. **We now have a Face Book page. http://www.facebook.com/search.php? q=church+of+god+colorado+conference&init=spell&tas=search_preload&search_first_focus&sc_oq=Curch+of+God+Colorado+Conference& sc_h=112407644&sc_a=cs&ab=X&sc_r=1#!/pages/Church-of-God-Colorado-Conference/273433612668012

Colorado Conference of the Church of God PO Box 26179 Colorado Springs, CO 80936-6179 (719) 5971818
Email: coconfcog@aol.com Dr. Larry Taylor, State Minister Check out our website:

WWW.COGCC.ORG
WITH MANY THANKS TO LAURA NONTE.

The Colorado Chronicles is published quarterly for the Colorado Conference of the Church of God. Mail pertaining to this publication, please address to Debbie Mahuron, 6430 W. 82nd Drive, Arvada, CO 80003 or email: mahuron1@yahoo.com. Deadline for next issue: November 30, 2011.

Dated Material