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Greater Huntsville Pastors Prayer Summit
Monthly Mini-Summit!


Greater Huntsville Pastors Prayer Summit

Monthly Mini-Summit
October 2006
Mini-Summit Time

Mini-Summits occur the 2nd Thursday of each month.

October Mini-Summit

Thursday October 12th

Please note that the mini-summit for the month of October will be hosted by Chase Valley United Methodist Church and Pastor Paul Lawler. The location and directions are included.

Meet and Greet: 10:00am
Prayer: 10:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm
Mini-Summit Location


Chase Valley United Methodist Church
1635 Winchester Rd Ne
Huntsville, AL 35811
Phone: (256) 859-1853
www.ChaseValleyChurch.org

Map and Directions

Steering Team

Please note there will also be a meeting of the Servant Leadership Team at 8:30am in the same location.
Host Possibilities? If your church or ministry would be willing to host a mini-summit one month, or you would like to recommend a location that may be a strategic site for a future month, please let us know! Email: Host Possibility

Host Ministry Highlight
Chase Valley Church

LOCATION

Chase Valley United Methodist Church
1635 Winchester Rd Ne
Huntsville, AL 35811
Phone: (256) 859-1853
Email: cvcoffice@chasevalleychurch.org
Web: www.ChaseValleyChurch.org

Chase Valley Church

Chase Valley Church was birthed in 1992 through the leadership of our founding pastor, Paul Lawler. The church met in an expanding set of storefronts until moving onto its present 28 acre site on Winchester Road in northeast Huntsville in the year 2,000.

With a pulsating passion for God; the life found in His Word; the forgiveness of sin found in Jesus Christ; and the continual thirst for the reverberating power of the Holy Spirit, we seek to live out our life’s purpose of “glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.” We grow as learners of Jesus as we gather in small groups, equipping classes, step out of our comfort zones and into mission opportunities locally and around the world, and as we gather weekly for corporate worship on Sundays.

With people attending from all over the greater Huntsville area and southern Tennessee, Chase Valley is committed to living out its mission statement, “To allow God to lead us out of our comfort zones in order to reach, free, and grow people for Jesus Christ.” Over the last several years, Chase Valley has been involved in planting over 20 new churches in five different countries. The majority of these churches involved reaching un-reached people groups, and over 5,000 persons praying to receive Jesus Christ. We are abandoned to what some may call the “crazy notion” of the “The spiritual awakening of all peoples.” We say with John Wesley, “The world is my parish.” We joyously seek to follow the words of Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20, and His words in Acts 1:8.


Paul Lawler, Senior Pastor of Chase Valley Church, also serves as the Torchbearer of the Greater Huntsville Pastors Prayer Summit, and helps provide leadership to Mission: Huntsville.

Global Impact Church Facilities Available

Dear Pastors & Ministers,

 
Greetings in Christ! 
 
Our church, Global Impact Church, is in a position of downsizing.  We're looking for other churches to possibly share our leased store front facilities of approximately 4000 square feet. We are located at 8210 Stephanie Dr, Suites F, G, H and I, directly off of Lily Flagg Road in South Huntsville.  Our seating will accommodate approximately 100 people.
 
We would like to offer the advantage of this furnished space at a reduced monthly rent by maximizing the facilities use through schedule collaboration.  This is especially helpful for new church startups and those who also find themselves downsizing or needing to upgrade without the high costs of getting established in a new location.
 
If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible.  If you do not need space but know someone else who does, please forward this email or give them my contact info.  Thanks!
 
 
Miracles & Favor!

Bret
 
Bret A. Wade, Sr Pastor
877.886.6889 x701
www.bretwade.com


JOURNEY TO SPIRITUAL REALITY
Blog
www.bretwade.typepad.com
TIMES & SEASONS Prophetic Letter
www.timesandseasons.info
APOSTLES-TODAY Discussion Forum
www.apostles-today.net
GLOBAL IMPACT CHURCH Huntsville, Alabama
www.globalimpactchurch.com


GHIMF City-Wide Revival - October 23rd-26th, 2006

Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship

Greater Huntsville Interdenominational
Ministerial Fellowship (GHIMF)

City-Wide Revival

October 23rd-26th, 2006

7pm Service Times

Host Location:
First Missionary Baptist Church
3509 Blue Spring Road, NW
Huntsville, AL 35810
(256) 852-6665
Dr. Julius R. Scruggs, Pastor

City-Wide Revival - Online Printable Flyer (PDF)

www.GHIMF.org


Special Guest Evangelist:
The Reverend Charles E. Nesbitt, Jr., Pastor
Providence Baptist Church
College Park, GA
www.providencebc.com

Personal Background and Bio (PDF)


Greater Huntsville Interdenominational Ministerial Fellowship (GHIMF)
Dr. Oscar Montgomery, President

2006 Officers * 2006 Calendar * 2003 Handbook (PDF)

 


Marriage Savers Initiative - Community Marriage Covenant!

MCCHM
Marriage Savers Greater Huntsville!
October 20th-21st

Madison County divorce rate is more than 50% higher than the U.S. average, which is 500 divorces per 1000 marriages. We have 771 divorces per 1000 marriages, a divorce rate of 77.1%. The Marriage Savers (www.marriagesavers.org) strategy has been instituted in over 200 communities in the past 10 years and has significantly enriched marriages and prevented divorces in these communities (see website above for more information).

According to the Heritage Foundation, “A well executed community marriage covenant can save up to 80% of marriages headed for divorce, reconcile more than 50% of separate couples, enable 80% of step families to be successful parents and marriage partners”

Clergy Letter of Invitation (PDF)

Covenant Signing Ceremony
1pm Fri, Oct 20th
Steps of the Madison County Courthouse
Community Marriage Covenant (PDF)

Marriage Savers Training
Fri: 6:30pm - 10:00pm
Sat: 8:30am - 5:00pm
Faith Presbyterian Church
5003 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville, Alabama
Training Information (PDF)



Marriage Savers Initiative
Coming to Huntsville!

The highly successful Marriage Savers Initiative (www.MarriageSavers.org), instituted in over 200 communities throughout the United States in the past 10 years with profound impact, is coming to the Madison County-Greater Huntsville community October 20-21, 2006. Mike McManus, the founder and director of the Marriage Saver ministry, and his wife will lead the day and half training to clergy and other marriage ministries in our area. This event is being sponsored by the Madison County Coalition for Healthy Marriages (www.mcchm.org) and will be held in conjunction with the signing of a Community Marriage Covenant (CMC) by many local clergy who want are willing to join this area-wide effort to strengthen marriages and reverse the devastating trends of divorce in our community.

There are three primary activities of the Madison County Coalition for Healthy Marriages before the October 20-21 training occurs.

1.) Inform the Madison County clergy of the Marriage Savers initiative and the clergy Community Marriage Covenant (CMC) proposed.

2.) Solicit the over 450 churches and clergy of Madison County to commit to the Community Marriage Covenant (CMC) and have their commitment publicized to the community in a media event scheduled for October 20, 1:00 PM at the Madison County courthouse.

Clergy willing to commit to the Community Marriage Covenant (CMC), who we do not already have confirmed, please contact:

Pastor Kenny Mitchell
Marriage Savers Pastoral Steering Committee Chairman
kenny_mitchell@bellsouth.net
256-859-4444 (home)
256-783-9425 (cell)

Note the Marriage Savers Pastoral Steering Team co-chairmen are Kenny Mitchell, Senior Pastor Covenant of Peace Church, and Garry Jordan, Senior Pastor Jackson Way Baptist Church.

3.) Register clergy and marriage ministry leadership couples for the October 20/21 training to implement the Marriage Savers initiative in our community. The schedule for this training as well as the location and cost of training are all defined below.

Schedule: Starting on Friday October 20 at 1:00 pm, a Community Marriage Covenant (CMC) SIGNING CEREMONY will take place at the Madison County courthouse to announce the new initiative to our community. Clergy committed to the Community Marriage Covenant are encouraged to attend this ceremony to sign publicly. The Marriage Savers initiative TRAINING will take place from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM on Friday (Oct 20), and Saturday (Oct 21), from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.

Training Location: The host church for this training will be Faith Presbyterian Church located at the intersection of Whitesburg Drive and Airport Road in Huntsville. This church is dedicated to implementing the principles of the Marriage Savers program in our community.

Training Cost: There is no cost to sign the covenant, but is some associated with the training (primarily for materials). Sponsorship is also being raised so cost will not be a hindrance to any who would desire to be part of this strategic time and training. Please see following links for addtional details.

Letter to Clergy (PDF) * Additional Information (PDF)


The Madison County Clergy
Community Marriage Covenant (CMC)


Community Marriage Covenant
Madison County, Alabama

This covenant expresses the common bond of clergy in our community to establish healthy marriages and strengthen existing marital relationships for the welfare of our homes, families, and greater community.1

We believe

  • God has established the sanctity and companionship of marriage in scripture (Gen 2:24).
  • God intends the marriage bond between husband and wife to last for a lifetime (Mal 2:16, Matt 19:5-6).
  • As clergy we have a responsibility before God to establish a standard for marriage preparation, enrichment of existing marital relationships, and restoration of couples in need (1 Pet 5:2-3).

Therefore, we commit to

  • Encourage a courtship of at least one year.
  • Promote sexual abstinence outside of marriage, while affirming fidelity in the marital relationship.
  • Identify, inspire, and train couples with strong marriages to serve as mentor couples for engaged couples, newlywed couples, couples experiencing marital difficulties, or couples wishing to strengthen their relationship.
  • Support a minimum premarital preparation process of four to six months, which includes six premarital counseling/mentoring sessions providing spiritual guidance, the use of an effective premarital inventory, and marriage education.
  • Supportenrichment opportunities for established marriages such as classes, seminars, and retreats.
  • Supportstepfamily groups to help parents of stepchildren learn how to be successful parents and partners.
  • Provide intervention for marriages in crisis.
  • Cooperate with other congregations and organizations by sharing resources for the purpose of building and promoting healthy marriages in our community.

Signed _________________________ Date: _________________

Print name/church_______________________________________

1 Note: This is not intended as a legally binding agreement, but a public commitment. Specific matters are subject to individual clergy judgment with liberty to pursue what may be done in faith and good conscience.

Community Marriage Covenant (PDF)


The Devastating Trend ... The Incredible Possibility


National Marriage Facts and Statistics

The Problem – A Devastating Marriage Crisis

The four primary elements of the marriage crisis:

Marriage - The marriage rate has plunged 43% since 1970. If the same percentage of couples were marrying now as in 1970, there would be a million more marriages a year.

Divorce - Half of all new marriages still end in divorce. There have been 38 million divorces since 1970, impacting 35 million children. Children of divorce are three times as likely to be expelled or to have a baby as a teenager, five times as likely to live in poverty, and 12 times more likely to be incarcerated according to the Heritage Foundation. Even worse, when children of divorce become adults, only 60% marry, they are more likely to divorce, and divorced men die 10 years sooner than married men.

Cohabitation - The number of unmarried couples living together has soared 12-fold from 430,000 in 1960 to 5 million. There are only 2.2 million marriages a year. Cohabitation has become the dominant way male-female unions are formed. However, those who marry after living together are 50% more likely to divorce.

Unwed births - The percentage of children born out-of-wedlock rose again in 2003 to a stunning 35%. Cohabiting couples are as likely to have children as married couples.

The Possibility – Community Marriage Policies (CMP)

According to the Heritage Foundation, “A well executed community marriage covenant can save up to 80% of marriages headed for divorce, reconcile more than 50% of separate couples, enable 80% of step families to be successful parents and marriage partners”

A community marriage policy (CMP) consists of a signed pledge by a coalition of clergy representing a diverse cross-section of congregations in the community to make marriage a priority in their church. Specifics vary by city, but the CMP core ingredients include: 1.) minimum time of marriage preparation, 2.) require anyone getting married to take a premarital inventory, and 3.) train older couples in good marriages to mentor other couples (in different stages).

The Impact – Community Marriage Policies (CMP)

Modesto, CA - divorce dropped 57%, new marriage increased 11%, teen pregnancy decreased 30%, school dropouts decreased 20%, cohabitation decreased 14% (while increased 20-30% nationwide)

Tallahassee, FL - Live the Life Ministries has pushed down Tallahassee’s divorce rate by 23% and has built a CMP with a budget of $600,000 raised locally.

Dalton, GA - From 2003 to 2005 the number of divorces fell from 1,050 to 789, a 24% drop. Judges who perform civil weddings were also encouraged to require premarital couples to take an inventory.

Austin, TX - After 252 pastors signed its Community Marriage Policy in 1996, the average number of divorces fell to 2,319 in 1999-2000, a steep 29% drop in the divorce rate.

Kansas City, KS - In Johnson County, a suburb of Kansas City, the divorce rate fell 65.9% while it rose by 11.2% in comparable counties.

Shreveport, LA - Shreveport slashed its divorce rate by 31% in its first year after a CMP signing.