May 2009

Did you know that our church is committed to the AMiA vision of church planting? We were planted in 2000 and we planted All Saints in Chapel Hill in 2005. We are part of a group of Anglican churches in the Triangle made up of Apostles, All Saints Chapel Hill, Resurrection in Fuquay-Varina, and Holy Trinity Anglican, Raleigh, who are committed to the idea of planting churches around our region.

We are meeting with this regional group in early June to seek the Lord’s vision and plan for church planting. Would you pray for us as we seek Him so that we might know when, where, with whom, and how to plant? Your prayers make all the difference!

Also, a number of people have been under the impression that Nathan is going to lead that plant. However, the Lord has made it clear to Nathan that he is not to be our lead planter at this time. Another possibility has presented itself recently and we are currently in discussion with a church planting candidate. Please pray that we have true clarity as we seek to assess his potential and get to know his heart, experience and calling.

Your brother in Christ,
Patrick

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March 2009

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Emil Bruner, author and theologian once said that “the church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.” How true this is. It is so important that we understand mission at Apostles and how we go about mission. So I am writing to you today about our mission team and an important development in how they function in the life of Apostles.

The Mission Team
The mission team is made up of a few individuals in our church who have a passion and desire for seeing the Lord raise up awareness, support and opportunity for mission. We have decided that the Lord would have us go deep with a few mission ventures and ministries rather than respond to every opportunity that comes our way. As such we have designated three levels of mission partnerships.

1st Level Partners
Our Sister Church in Rwanda, Life Care Ministries, and Neighbor to Neighbor

These partners will be funded at the highest level of our ability as a congregation through a multi-year commitment. In addition, we will seek to involve our congregation in these ministries through special giving and serving opportunities throughout the year. In order for a ministry to be considered as a 1st level partner they must have a proven track record of fruitful ministry, significant relational ties with a number of our members and staff, and a demonstrated commitment to keeping us informed on their progress.

2nd Level Partners
Bethlehem Bible College, Beyond Imagination, Community of Hope, International Friends, Sonrise Orphanage, Women’s Prison Ministry

These partners will also receive significant funding and multi-year commitment. They should have significant relational ties with our congregation. They may not qualify for 1st level if they are not structured in a way as to facilitate serving opportunities for our congregation.

3rd Level Partners
Jobs For Life, Open Door, Raleigh Rescue Mission

These partners represent both short term and long term opportunities that are new to us. The relational ties may be few. They would be funded on a one time basis and would need to reapply for the next year. If they can demonstrate a growing relationship with our church, good communication, and fruitful ministry, they may qualify for 2nd level partnership.

What can you do?
I invite you to consider joining our mission team to help us achieve our goal of passing on the fire of mission into the hearts of every member of Apostles. Even if you are not called onto this team, would you please remember to pray for the mission team and the spreading of mission at Apostles?

Trip to Rwanda
I also want to take this time to let you know that a trip to Rwanda will be taking place on July 21st-31st. We are going to establish a relationship with our sister church at the request of Archbishop Emmanuel Kolini. He desires that these relationships be formed first and foremost on prayer. As we go, we are not planning any projects, but rather to go and get to know our brothers and sisters in Rwanda. The team will consist of me and my wife Susan, Corey and Marilee Vana, Lindsay Roux, Andy Alspaugh, and Joey Menendez. Please begin to pray for us as we meet, pray and plan for this upcoming trip.

Lord Jesus may we, your church, burn for mission.

In His name,
Patrick

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February 2009

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Last month I encouraged many of you to attend the opening ceremony of the AMiA conference. What a joy it was to see a whole busload of Apostles people in attendance! It was a great night of worship and inspiration and I am sure it has helped several more of us to catch the vision for what God is doing in the AMiA.

Still, as I attended the rest of the conference I found myself wishing people in our church could have heard the many interesting speakers and wonderful ways God intends to use his church. So, I thought I might fill you in on a couple of highlights from the conference.

The AMiA and the ACNA
The formation of a new Anglican province in North America, called the Anglican Church of North America, is in the works with several Anglican entities coming together. The big question is “how will it work?” As many of you know, AMiA was one of the first groups to officially form when The Episcopal Church made it clear that they had no intention of departing from their current course of biblical revisionism. AMiA has some clearly established governing practices and principles and is under the authority of The Anglican Church of Rwanda. Bishop Murphy has made it clear that we are very much involved and in support of the ACNA but will remain under the authority of Rwanda. How that will impact the relationship we have with ACNA and our participation in the formation and guiding principles will be worked out over time. The main thing Bishop Murphy stressed is that AMiA will continue to pursue mission.

Several people had questions about AMiA’s policy on women’s ordination as there were a few women priests who took part in the opening ceremonies. AMIA’s policy continues to be that women may serve in the role of deacon but not priest. However, AMiA has another jurisdiction entitled the Anglican Mission in the Americas, which makes provision for some Anglican churches in Canada and the US who have previously practiced women’s ordination and will continue to do so. Archbishop Kolini of Rwanda asked that this provision be made. For an AMiA church to practice women’s ordination it would have to resign membership in the AMiA and enter the provisional jurisdiction. Apostles continues to ascribe to the original AMiA policy on women’s ordination.

For a thorough treatment of the topic you may visit AMiA’s website and read the pdf
http://theamia.org/assets/AMiA-Womens-Ordination-Study-Aug-03.pdf

Our Sister Church
While I was at the conference I had the joy of meeting with the Director of the Shogwey Diocese of Rwanda, the Reverend Emmanuel Gasana. He is a wonderful Christian man who has suffered much personal loss in the genocide of Rwanda. He was so gracious and humble in our meeting and is delighted that we are entering a sister church relationship with one of his parishes, called Gikomero. Gikomero parish has seven churches which are led by The Rev. Martin Murengera. We hope to take a small team to visit in June as we begin to get to know them, their needs and what they have to offer and teach us as well.

Please join me in prayer for our sister parish and churches and their leaders Emmanuel and Martin.

With you in Jesus,
Patrick

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January 2009

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

I want you to be aware of an important event coming at the end of this month. The Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) is having its annual conference in Greensboro. This presents us with a unique opportunity that I would like you to consider. We have chartered a bus for the opening ceremony and are offering a free ride to and from Greensboro on Wednesday, January 28th. There are several good reasons for you to consider going.

• To gain Vision and Understanding.

Chuck Murphy our Bishop and chairman of the AMiA is a man of extraordinary vision and courage. He gives the key note address at the opening ceremony and it is always inspiring. You will gain insight into the vision and heartbeat of AMiA and understanding for why God chose to raise up this mission for such a time as this. He will also be speaking about the formation of the new North American Anglican Province and AMiA’s role and participation in the new province.

• To Connect with the Wider Mission.

It is awe inspiring to worship with so many likeminded brothers and sisters in Christ who have been called by God into the mission of the AMiA. You will hear from the Archbishop of Rwanda, Emmanuel Kolini, and see many of our African brothers and sisters who stood with us in the formation of the AMiA. The AMiA has grown to over 150 churches since its small beginnings in 2000, half of which are new church plants. I can’t tell you how encouraging it is to worship with them and see the Lord’s blessing upon this mission.

• To Enjoy Fellowship with One Another.

Finally, this is a great opportunity to deepen relationship with the people of Apostles as you travel together and enjoy each other’s company. The experience of gaining vision, insight, and connection with the mission will also serve to further deepen our commitment to one another as we carry out God’s mission and vision for us to be a people who “seek the lost, build up the found and transform the city for Jesus Christ.” I do hope you will consider taking the time to join us. The bus will leave from Church of the Apostles’ parking lot at 4:00 on Wednesday the 28th and return by midnight. Please call in or email to reserve your spot today.
919-782-0550
info@apostles-raleigh.org

Hoping to see you there,

In The Mission of our Lord,
Patrick

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