The convention room block in Raleigh is sold out, and we are anticipating a great crowd for the 2023 National Convention.
Additional hotels in the area (within close driving distance) have been listed on the convention webpage, along with ways that you can transfer a reservation (or look for an available one).
Pre-Registration is open until June 16, and the convention program will be made available online soon. For a preview of the convention, check out the April-May issue of ONE Magazine.
Greetings from the State Office and the Executive Board!
Summer is nearly upon us, and with it comes many activities to be aware of. First of all, this year’s State Meeting, the 109th Annual Session, is scheduled for June 7-8 at Connect Church in Montgomery. See the attachment for the formal announcement, program, hotel details, and more. Details will be also available on the State Association website at http://www.texasfwb.org.
The Christian Education Board is also gearing up for this year’s Texas FWB Youth Retreat, ALIVE!, which will be held shortly after the State Meeting, June 15-17 at Messiah’s Ranch outside Bryan. If you are planning to attend the conference, please see this ALIVE! flyer for registration information.
In July, many of us are planning to attend this year’s National Association of Free Will Baptists in Raleigh, NC. Details can be found in ONE Magazine and on the convention website; conference pre-registration is available online now, and hotel reservations can be made beginning Monday, May 8.
Finally, summer also includes youth camps, Vacation Bible Schools, and numerous other activities organized by your churches and districts. As these events occur, please take some time to take some pictures and write a short recap of your event to use in the Texas Challenge. We want to know and share all of the great events that our churches are involved in! For more information, or to submit write-ups and photos, contact Kyle Howell at fwbtexaschallenge@gmail.com.
As a reminder, please visit the State Association website at http://www.texasfwb.org and review your district’s and church’s information in the directory. We want to make sure that the contact information is all up to date. If you see any information that needs to be changed, please send updates and corrections to me at the State Office.
We appreciate all that you do for Texas Free Will Baptists and for the work of God. As always, you can contact us with any questions at stateoffice@texasfwb.org.
“Registration is now open for the Alive Youth Conference!! Please see the attached flyer and the registration link is inside the flyer. REGISTER TODAY TO GET THE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!! Early Bird special ENDS May 15, 2023. Payment is not required until the day of conference so get that early bird special and register today! Only four days left!! Let me know if you have any questions and don’t let your youth miss out!!!” Teressa Voltz
“One of my favorite yearly ministry opportunities is going to church camp alongside kids from other evangelical churches in Bulgaria, including several of our New Life Churches. And one of my favorite new ministries of 2023 is going every week and having a Bible club with about 12 kids who live in a children’s home in a little town about twenty minutes from Shumen called Kaspichan. I recently returned home from Kaspichan, where I sat down and talked with the director for about an hour. After that fruitful conversation, I can officially announce that these two favorite ministries will be coming together. That’s right, the twelve kids from Kaspichan will be trekking across Bulgaria and going to church camp with us!
So, first and foremost: please start praying for these kids. Some of them are coming from Muslim backgrounds. All of them are coming from difficult family situations. These week of church camp would be life-changing for them!
Also, I am looking for 15 people (for up to 13 campers and 2 workers) who will be willing to partner in this outreach by donating $110 (~$105 for the camp fee and ~$5 for pocket money). If you decide to give, please let me know, so that I can send you the name and age of the child you are sending, with the hopes that you will be a prayer warrior on their behalf.
Feel like God is leading you to partner with me in this really cool opportunity? Click the link below. Select “Give One Time”. The fund is “Provow, Josh – Bulgaria”. And in the memo line put “Sending a kid to church camp!” https://ppay.co/36zi-O8q6tI
I hope you are rejoicing with me at this exciting news!” (photo attached)
April 30, 2023 Greetings from the State Office and the Executive Board! Summer is nearly upon us, and with it comes many activities to be aware of. First of all, this year’s State Meeting, the 109th Annual Session, is scheduled for June 7-8 at Connect Church in Montgomery. See the attachment for the formal announcement, program, hotel details, and more. Details will be also available on the State Association website at http://www.texasfwb.org.
The Christian Education Board is also gearing up for this year’s Texas FWB Youth Retreat, ALIVE!, which will be held shortly after the State Meeting, June 15-17 at Messiah’s Ranch outside Bryan. If you are planning to attend the conference, please see the attached ALIVE! flyer for registration information.
In July, many of us are planning to attend this year’s National Association of Free Will Baptists in Raleigh, NC. Details can be found in ONE Magazine and on the convention website (http://nafwb.org/convention); conference pre-registration is available online now, and hotel reservations can be made beginning Monday, May 8.
Finally, summer also includes youth camps, Vacation Bible Schools, and numerous other activities organized by your churches and districts. As these events occur, please take some time to take some pictures and write a short recap of your event to use in the Texas Challenge (https://texaschallenge.net/). We want to know and share all of the great events that our churches are involved in! For more information, or to submit write-ups and photos, contact Kyle Howell at fwbtexaschallenge@gmail.com. (A recent example is the garage sale that Faith FWB Church in Lubbock used to raise funds for FWB International Missions. You can find the write-up and photos here:
As a reminder, please visit the State Association website at http://www.texasfwb.org and review your district’s and church’s information in the directory. We want to make sure that the contact information is all up to date. If you see any information that needs to be changed, please send updates and corrections to me at the State Office.
We appreciate all that you do for Texas Free Will Baptists and for the work of God. As always, you can contact us with any questions at stateoffice@texasfwb.org.
Marcus A. Brewer – Moderator/State Office Coordinator P.O. Box 2716 – Bryan, TX 77805-2716
Registration is now open for the Alive Youth Conference!! Please see the attached flyer and the registration link is inside the flyer. REGISTER TODAY TO GET THE EARLY BIRD SPECIAL!! Early Bird special ENDS May 15, 2023. Let me know if you have any questions and don’t let your youth miss out!!! Teressa Voltz
I never had any desire to live in another country until God spoke to me about missions in my last year of nursing school. I enjoyed going on short-term trips while I was in high school, but I thought long-term just wasn’t for me. But God, in His perfect timing, had other plans for me and I am so thankful.
You may not feel like you’re called to missions either, and that’s okay! I didn’t!
God has you where you’re at right now for a reason. He has given you your talents and passions on purpose. Keep pursuing what you believe God wants you to do. However, keep your heart open to the possibility that He might change your plans and send you somewhere you’ve never imagined going one day.
Matt Price, a missionary to France, said one thing that has stuck with me for the last five years. He said, “If you tell God that you are willing to do anything for Him, but you won’t even consider going to another country, then are you actually willing to do anything? Or just what makes you comfortable?” That doesn’t necessarily mean He will call you to another country, He just wants you to be willing to go if He does ask you to.
If you ever start to question whether or not that’s a possibility, start praying! Look for opportunities to go and see! He will open and close doors to show you the correct path. Pray and ask God how He wants you to share the gospel with the world. Maybe it’s praying for or financially supporting missionaries. Maybe it’s going on mission trips or one day moving to another country. God will let you know if you seek and ask.
So…go on those short-term trips. Pray to God for understanding and clarity. See the need for the gospel in other cities and countries. After all, you’ll never know unless you ask and go!
About the Author: Abby Walker has been living in Tokyo for the past year and working with the Hope Alive Team. Before that, she worked as an orthopedic nurse for 2 years. She enjoys playing basketball, reading, and a good iced café latte!
If you’re a pastor, and you have a member in your church that is planning to relocate to Lubbock, Texas to attend one of our colleges (Texas Tech, Lubbock Christian University, etc.); we would love for you to send them our way for them to get connected with us at Faith Free Will Baptist Church during their education. We are located at 607 Inler Ave, Lubbock Texas 79416. You can also visit our website at faithfwbchurchlubbock.com for more details pertaining to our church.
Also, feel free to call Pastor Mike Grant at his personal cell phone number of 1 (734) 635 -7878 to inform us that you have a student from your church that is coming out this way for education that may be interested in getting connected with our church.
“Texas FWB’s have proved valuable to our children both in Virginia and Mexico. I am personally grateful for your support both in prayer and finances. Many Texas FWB churches and individuals support one or both of our homes and again, it’s greatly appreciated. You have helped us close a huge gap at the end of each year, and it has not gone unnoticed.
We have been asked to ask our supporters if they would consider helping us in a huge way by giving a one time gift of $1,000.00 to help pay off our mortgage at the Virginia property.”
“CTS entry forms deadline is quickly approaching!!!
CTS Ministry Expo is soon! The date for the district competition (if it is needed) is Saturday, May 6, 2023, at Connect Church beginning at 1:00 pm. If you have students who will be competing in CTS Ministry Expo this year, please fill out the correct forms and send them to Teressa Voltz, mtvoltz@consolidated.net. The deadline to register the students and receive the forms is Wednesday, April 26, 2023. Payment can be made on the day of the competition. If you need information or the proper forms, follow these steps: verticalthree.com Click on Ministries Click on CTS Click on Free CTS Resources Click on Event Entry Forms
If you would like to purchase the Guidelines book, click on CTS Store, then CTS Ministry Expo Guidelines.
Going forward, the CTS Ministry Expo district competition will always be held the first Saturday in May each year.
Questions? Feel free to email Teressa Voltz or call 832-647-3458.”
texaschallenge.net 