Team Wisconsin Update

Sunday morning I found myself, along with Reenie, in Mukwonago, a beautiful bedroom community southwest of Milwaukee. It was their annual outdoor service and picnic. New assistant Pastor Stevan Sheets preached a good message challenging us to “stand out” as believers. Stevan, Jessica and their daughter just moved from northern Indiana about a month ago to lead the student ministries. Steven also has the distinction of being a roommate of our son Brent at IWU and one of the five ‘compadres’. It was a great day, even though the strong storms blew the tent (and it wasn’t a little one) down the night before. Pastor Gerry and Wenda Krupp, along with Pastor Stevan and the leadership team are excited about the future and working hard to make it happen.

Saturday evening Reenie and I had dinner with Jason and Alya Butler at their home and caught up on the good things that are happening with the preliminary work for a new church plant in north Milwaukee – Transformation City Church. Check out their new website at http://www.transformationcity.org/. Perhaps you would like to get involved by becoming a member of the launch team, pray for them, or give to the ministry. It was an excellent Russian (Alya is from Russia) meal and an encouraging visit.

The Leadership Summit at Willow was an excellent time of training and encouragement on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There were 15 that attended the one in Chicago and others that attended other satellite sites. Among the speakers were Colin Powell, former president Jimmy Carter, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina and British Filmmaker Richard Curtis. John Ortberg, author and pastor from California, hit a home run when he talked about the leader’s great fear – the temptation to give into a substitute or ‘shadow’ mission that will sidetrack the main mission that God has called us to. Each year we give Eagle awards at district conference and this year it was a scholarship to attend the leadership summit.

News and Notes

Pastor Jim Maness has announced his resignation from Sand Lake this past week to his board and congregation. He and Teri and family will be moving to Michigan to take a pastorate there. The move will take place the first of October. Please pray for the Maness family and the congregation during this time of transition. The Manesses have been there for 15 years and were only the 3rd pastor in the church’s 25 years.

Please continue to pray for Bessie Winterberg, Pastor Dwayne Winterberg’s mother. She still has many health complications.

Dates for your Information

August 19 Parkway visit
August 26 Janesville visit

September 1-4 South Carolina
September 5-13 Nicaragua Medical Team trip
September 9 Woodland visit
September 16 Washington, MI
September 25-27 District Flame Extension Class (Intro. to OT)
September 26 Nicaragua Partnership Committee
September 30 Safe Harbor visit