Author: Shannon Elder

Inspiration and Information from the
National Association of Wesleyan Evangelicals

Your NAWE Companion

‘N AWE
A Different Season
Janet Smith, Pataskala, OH

October—November 2013

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)
Driving to work on country roads at 6:30 in the morning in August is vastly different from doing so in October. In August, sunrises create spectacles of color across the sky. Houses with manicured lawns add beauty to the scenery. Farm animals grazing in pastures create a serene landscape. Acres of crops in the field speak of God’s provision. It is nearly impossible to not be inspired by all there is to see.
In October, however, the beautiful sunrises are yet to come. Hidden are the houses with their manicured lawns. Farm animals become distracting shadows. The acres of corn stalks are cloaked in darkness. It is the same landscape that it was two months before. It’s just no longer visible. There is nothing wrong. It is just a different season.
Don’t we want every day to be like those drives in August? We remember those days when it seemed that God not only answered every prayer, but He also guided us through every decision. We were inspired by the circumstances of life. We saw God’s hand of provision in everything. But, there are often days like the drive in October. It’s dark, and the wonders that inspired us not long before are, at best, shifting shadows.
It’s a different season. It’s a season not of sight, but of trust. Trust that God is still answering prayer and is involved in every decision. That His hand of provision is just as near as it’s always been. We just can’t see it.
God’s Word promises that Jesus never changes. He is the same loving Savior when we are awe-inspired as He is when we can’t see a thing. The seasons may change, but He never will.

Praise & Prayer

Larry and Sandie Shreiner recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Pray for those traveling to the National Conference on Christian Apologetics. Pray that the conference will be helpful and the fellowship will be a blessing.
Pray for churches that are considering becoming part of the NAWE.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU
Hal Lovett
Thomas Bormann, Stuttgart, AR

Colonel Hal Lovett, retired, is a member of the Grand Prairie Church in Stuttgart, Arkansas. He served many tours of duty in the army – Puerto Rico, Colorado, Alaska, and bases in the southeast such as Atlanta, Georgia. His last assignment before retiring was in the Inspector General’s office in Washington D.C.
Hal is also a member of The Gideons International, often speaking in churches in behalf of that organization. He teaches the adult Sunday School class in his church and is currently chairman of the church board. In whatever he does, Hal is someone who can be counted on “to get the job done.”
His wife, who was from Stuttgart, was killed in an automobile accident last summer, only a few miles from home and church. They have two children and four grandchildren in the Little Rock area.
Hal is helping us grow the NAWE as he serves as the chairman of the Executive Committee. Please pray for Hal’s comfort and guidance as he seeks to lead our churches to new levels of service.

ASSOCIATION NEWS—Course of Study
A Student’s Perspective
Tommy Crisp, Conyers, GA

Is God calling you to be a pastor or deacon? That is the first question to answer, and it can be the hardest. It can be the most important calling of your life. It certainly has changed my life, even at a little church in Rockdale County, Georgia. Once you do take the call, what’s next? For me it was education. I looked at seminaries and Bible colleges. I looked at the online ones too. Unfortunately none were going to work. I am too old, too busy; and they are expensive and it would take years of commitment. Yet education is important. There must be something out there.
NAWE has something for people just like you and me. It is a free course of study that has been laid out by elders and educators. It is a comprehensive course offered completely online. Some of the things you will learn are: Doctrine of God, Old and New Testament Studies, Wesley and Methodism, Spiritual Gifts, Missions and much more. For me it was challenging but not overwhelming. There is a balance. There were times I easily understood the course and was able to lean on my experiences. However there were also readings that challenged me. That’s okay, because NAWE has provided us with teachers who do know the answers and are prompt to help you with anything.
For me the NAWE Course of Study has opened my eyes. It has given me the ability to ask the right questions, to figure out how to find the answers, and has challenged me to be a better Christian and minister. The course of study has equipped me to take on God’s calling. Not only have I benefited from it, but my church has too.
For more information on the Course of Study, contact Dr. Richard Smith at smithpetro@aol.com

Calendar

Oct. 11-12—National Conference on Christian Apologetics in Charlotte, NC (the NAWE will reimburse the amount of the registration fee for ministerial members who attend the conference)
Visit us at www.theNAWE.com

Representatives of the NAWE celebrating Ed Flowers’ ordination at Gospel Lighthouse Church in Waycross, GA