Dear Friends,
While being you Director of Missions we have seen churches planted, ministries strengthened and pastors refreshed in the ministry. None of these achievements would have been possible without your support. It has been a wonderful time of growth. While the current economic situation has brought some challenges to each of us, Father has proven faithful to bring us this far. In this past 5+ years we have seen a church planting fund established in August of 2007 with $1,000 increase to over $50,000. Our balance in the checking account back in 2006 was just over $13,000 and now has $71,000. This streamlining and saving has made us a trim machine when it comes to doing ministry in the High Desert.
He has guided us this far, and He will also be faithful to guide us in our future. I believe that the future of the High Desert Baptist Association will be greater than any of us can imagine, especially if we will partner together, and care for each other as I believe the Lord intends. As you know, new seasons come with change. If the HDBA is to meet the future that God intends, then I believe that it must look differently tomorrow than it does today. If you are wondering where all this is leading, it is leading to this: There is a new season before each of us. Father has opened an opportunity for me to expand my reach. Many of you know that our national agencies are undergoing a radical restructuring, and in that process, I have been asked to help design how that process will look.
The North American Mission Board has asked me to oversee all of its work in the western states. I have accepted this offer. I will be NAMB’s Regional Mobilizer. I will be in charge of the 13 western states, Guam and American Samoa, leading 4,465 churches to fulfilling God’s will for them with my key duties centering around planting new churches. I will have the privilege of being the go-to guy for State Conventions, Directors of Missions and Local Churches to mobilize toward church planting in the west. I will be directly accountable to NAMB VP Steve Bass. Under NAMB’s new structure there will be five Regional VP’s, one for each region. Each of those VP’s have one Mobilzer which will serve as the regional coordinator for all activities. I will oversee what are to be called Send City Coordinators and the Church Planter Catalysts that they will lead.
For more information on my territory, please see the link below.
http://www.namb.net/regions/
While I have now been appointed as your Mobilizer, NAMB has been very gracious in allowing for a transition time. A time where I can work with you to put everything in place to face the future. I am allowing up to March 31 for this, although that is not a hard date. The good news (personally) is that I do not have to move immediately (or at all if I choose). However, with the heavy travel that will be involved with this position, I imagine that in the coming years I will need to find myself closer to an airport. Those decisions will be made in the future. For now, I will be working with each of you on the transition plans for the association. When the time is right, I will pull back and leave the details to the fine pastors of the HDBA. Meanwhile, I am praying for the transitional time. Alma is not going anywhere, she will still be the associational administrator and be a valuable asset during this transition. Her future will be at the discretion of the incoming DoM or future plans for the association.
There is so much to say, but I must restrain myself. I will be sending out frequent updates during these next few months. Feel free to call me with any questions that you may have. You are, and always will be considered, my family!
You can follow the progress on my new blog at: http://mobilizewest.blogspot.com/
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Twitter: @nambwest
Incidentally, the February fellowship meals will serve as a time for Q&A and a time to discuss our transitional steps. Please make it a point to come to either the dinner in Ridgecrest or the COMBINED Breakfast in Palmdale. You will receive an email shortly with the dates, places, and times of the meals. FOR THIS MONTH ONLY, we are consolidating the Hesperia Breakfast and the Palmdale Lunch to a 9:00am Breakfast at Greenhouse Cafe in the Palmdale Mall. PLEASE MAKE ONE OF THESE MEETINGS.
Sincerely Yours,
Rick Curtis
