Gulf States Conference hosted the annual elders, deacons, and deaconesses retreat from December 8 to 10, 2023, with the theme, “Evangelism: Life of the Church.” Josh Murillo, Conference ministerial director, explained the spiritual growth the attendees experienced during the weekend, saying, “Here we are at Camp Alamisco having a great time, enjoying cool, beautiful weather. We are happy to report we have over 100 people — elders, deacons, deaconesses — who registered to attend this training event that serves as an inspiration and provides the tools for them to serve at a local church.”
Murillo continued, “The guest speaker for the weekend, Richie Halversen, Southern Union church growth director, talked about rebuilding — rebuilding our churches and rebuilding our faith.
“The first night Halversen talked about rebuilding during difficult times. He utilized the story of Nehemiah and the challenges he faced. He made a beautiful comparison between Nehemiah and Jesus. On the following day he focused on how Jesus built the church and repaired people’s hearts, and how we are called to do the same for guests who come to our churches, as well as for members. We are very excited to be part of this. This is such a blessing.”
The event was impactful for those who attended. Samuel Cardoso, local church pastor, expressed, “The blessing to be here is that the elders’ retreat gives us the possibility to re-evaluate our mindset, the way we do things, and the way we have done things in the past. [It gives us] the right approach for today — the reality that we have in the church.”
Similarly, local church member, William Mann, from Coleman, Ala., also shared the blessing of the event saying, “It’s been amazing. So far, we have been able to talk to other deacons and elders. The fellowship we have here is simply amazing. To meet people from so many different walks of life and aspects of life, and to all have the same goal — to all have the same light at the end of the tunnel that we’re looking to see — it’s spectacular to see. Helping with the prep and doing things and getting ready for the people — everyone is so humble, so forthcoming, and just here to help one another and to learn and to move forward with God.”
Understanding the importance of equipping local church leaders to minister to their local communities, Martin Fancher, Conference executive secretary, said, “What a privilege to be here at Camp Alamisco for the elders, deacons, and deaconesses’ leadership retreat. Elder Richie Halversen has been bringing the fire. The Holy Spirit is obviously present as we look at the topic of going into our community — going into the areas in which we live, in which we work, and sharing and showing the love of Jesus in a tangible way, [answering the question] ‘How do we build bridges to those who need Jesus?’ That’s the goal, and I think we are succeeding this weekend in finding and learning new ways to be better leaders in God’s Church.
Brian Danese, Conference president, echoed Martin’s sentiments, “It’s been a great time here at the elders’ retreat. Richie has done a great job just talking about how to practically grow your church. I hope everyone will plan on joining us next year. The theme next year will be about how to manage conflict in your church.”
Gulf States | March 2024
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