Notes From Our
Director of Missions
One of our pastors last week shared an article on Social Media about the dangers of isolation in ministry. The author was Chuck Lawless, and he shared that while isolation is a practical reality for many in ministry, it is also a serious danger emotionally and Spiritually. Some of the dangers he shared to the isolated pastor are:
* Lack of accountability - isolation leads to laziness and misfocus.
* The danger of being overburdened by failure to share the load with others.
* Discouragement because there is no one there to lift us up and help us through failures and disappointment.
There are other dangers that Lawless describes. Read the entire article here.
While the dangers of isolation are real, none of us need to fall victim to it. That is one of the reasons we have planned the Fall Pastor's Retreat in a couple of weeks. We also have monthly pastor/wife fellowships, Zoom conversations, and individual meetings to avoid the perils of standing alone. The tragedy of isolation is that it is often self-inflicted. Don't let yourself serve alone. Join us for our associational activities or reach out to me for help. Don't be a lone-ranger.
We are just a couple of weeks away from our Fall Pastor's Retreat with Dr. Richard Blackaby. Parkland Baptist is hosting us for this time of fellowship and encouragement on Saturday, September 12. As of Monday, August 31, we have more than 20 folks registered for the event. If you have not registered yet, please go ahead and sign up so we can begin preparing for lunch. Recently Dr. Blackaby sent a video sharing his excitement about being with us. Here is the link to see the video:
Retreat Video
Our Area Missionary from the BCNM Mario Navarro will be there to translate for our Spanish speaking pastors. We have door prizes and other fun things planned. Some of our pastors are bringing a key leader or person in their church that they are encouraging to understand a call to church ministry. Take a few moments to register for the retreat today!
Retreat Registration
If anyone is going to Albuquerque this week I would appreciate it if you would let me know. We need to get the translation equipment from the state office in advance of the retreat. Reach out to me via text or email if you can help with this.
Next Tuesday we will have another Zoom Kingdom Conversation for pastors. This month we will be joined by Dag Sewell for an update on the ministries of the Christian Challenge program at Eastern New Mexico University. The meeting will start at 10 am and we will be done in an hour. Here is the link to join:
September 8 Kingdom Conversation
Join us on September 8 for a great time of encouragement, information and inspiration about what the Lord is doing at Eastern and in our churches.
We are just weeks away from the One Day Evangelism Event in Roswell. The Baptist Convention of New Mexico is working to have over 2000 Christians mobilized to share the Gospel through a variety of mission projects in two locations in the state.
Begin now PRAYING for One Day. If you have not already done so, make your PLANS to attend. REGISTER the group from your church. We expect many lives to be impacted for the Kingdom of God through this ministry.
One Day Registration in English; Spanish registration
One Day Events and FAQ in English; Spanish version
Last week, through the generosity of our churches, we completed the purchase of our ministry vehicle. A team of members of the executive board is working on the procedures and policies for using the truck. It has already been put to use retrieving our Disaster Recovery skid steer from deployment in Colorado. It will be in use at the DR state meeting in Ruidoso next week. As funds continue to come in, we have several projects planned to get it completely equipped for DR use. If your church has a ministry project planned where it could be used, reach out to me and get it reserved. Thank you to every church and individual who made this project possible. We know it is going to be used by the Lord to impact lives in ways we never could have before.
Bonnie and I were blessed to be at First Baptist Fort Sumner this past Sunday for Bible Study and Worship. The Lord is doing a great work there under the leadership of Dr. Joe Bunce. After many weeks of waiting and working, a foundation for a new worship facility has been poured. I was blessed to preach there and we enjoyed an Italian-themed pot luck lunch.
It was a great day and I appreciate the invitation to share.
With the Pastor's Retreat and the State Disaster Recovery meeting, I need to reschedule some of our monthly Pastor/Wife fellowships. Here are the dates I am working on right now:
* Fort Sumner pastors will meet on September 8 (Tuesday) at noon at Esthers.
* Portales Pastors/Wives will meet at 6 pm on MONDAY, September 14 at the Courthouse Cafe.
* Clovis area Pastors/Wives will meet at 6 pm Thursday, September 17 at Juanito's.
* Hispanic Pastors/Wives will meet at 5 pm SATURDAY, September 19 at the Pearce's house, 1212 Rosewood in Clovis.
* Tucumcari area Pastors/Wives will meet at 6 pm Monday, September 21 at LaCita's in Tucumcari.
Some of these dates, times and locations are different than usual. Mark your calendars and plan on joining us to fellowship together and encourage each other.
We are in the planning process for our 2026 Tri-Area Baptist Association Annual Meeting, scheduled for Saturday, October 24 at Melrose Baptist Church. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for details as we plan a great time of worship and celebration of our Associational team.
Thank you for your ministry in the Association. Please contact me if I can serve you in any way.
Damon
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