The past 80 days have reminded me that I have limitations. Major limitations.

So do you. You're good, but you're not that good.

It's tough to admit when we are weak. Remember your first job? At mine, I’d been hired to throw square bales of hay into a barn.  I weighed 145 lbs and, most of the time, was the smallest worker my age. No matter how many different techniques I tried, I could not throw the bales to the top of the barn. I had to admit my limitations.

Perhaps you have a similar memory.  Addressing moments like these demands courage.  Consider these moments where courage is demanded. 

The courage to accept your limitations.

It's tough to admit when we are weak, but that is where we find our strength. Courageous leadership first requires that you are a courageous follower. Submission (humility) is at the core of the followership that God wants from you. Arrogance closes your eyes to the truth.  Find the courage to accept your limitations.

"Faith never denies reality but leaves room for God to grant a new reality."

― Jim Cymbala

The courage to face current reality.

Many years ago, the lady cutting my hair stated that I was wasting my money, that I should stop paying her to cut my hair and shave my head. Ouch.

Every time I looked in the mirror, I faced a reality. Reality can be discouraging. But while followers make excuses, leaders face reality. If you don't define and face reality, you can't change reality.

"A leader's first responsibility is to define reality."

— Max De Pree

The courage to stand alone.

What does that look like? 

• making tough decisions

• saying no

My refusal to say no eventually robs me of the ability to lead successfully from my sweet spot.  Don't let the “good opportunity” rob you of the “God opportunity” that holds the greatest potential. Remember, a core value of the AGK is that we would Seize Spirit-Led Opportunities. 

The courage to never give up.

All of us are waiting on a prayer or God's timing. Don't give up... it's worth it. 

The courage to take risks for the sake of progress.

God doesn't ask us to take foolish risks but thought-through and prayed-through risks. Courage turns dreams into reality.

"The ultimate measure of a person is not where they stand in moments of comfort and convenience, but where they stand at times of challenge and controversy.

 — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

What step does God want you to take?
 

Fear is conquered when you take the first step.

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Courage is not the absence of fear.
Courage is not reserved for the highly gifted and talented. 
Courage turns dreams into reality.
Courage is found in everyday matters, not only in the heroic moments.

Bravely Onward,
Superintendent Nathan L. Sheridan

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Few states in the union have the geographical diversity of Kansas, from the dry, wide-open spaces in the west, to the rivers and lakes in the center of our state, to the Flint Hills, trees, and ridges in the east. This is a beautiful state.

Traveling across Kansas, I felt a growing excitement in my heart that we were starting with prayer. Since then, the need for the altar—both corporate and personal—has continued to stir in my heart.  It seems that, as much as it may have benefitted anyone else, these days may have been for me in this new leadership season. Though I love the promises of prayer, I sometimes need to be more committed to the process of prayer.  Though prayer is sometimes work, the tour reminded me again that prayer is powerful and significant.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the great British preacher, stated in a sermon almost a century ago: "The condition of the church may be very accurately gauged by its prayer meetings. So is the prayer meeting a grace-ometer, and from it we may judge of the amount of divine working among a people. If God be near a church, it must pray. And if he be not there, one of the first tokens of his absence will be a slothfulness in prayer."

Let's pray for the next generation.  Across our state, hundreds of thousands of Kansans have returned to schools, community colleges, and universities, and campuses are bustling with students from around the world.  In our homes, Amber and I hold a firm belief that the greatest gift we can offer our kids is the gift of prayer.  We faithfully lift our kids in prayer, covering them in different areas of their lives:

- Protection: We pray for their safety and that He would shield them from harm.

- Consecration: We pray for their hearts to be set apart for God's purposes. 

- Health: We seek God's blessing for their physical and emotional well-being.

- God's Will: We pray that they will walk in alignment with God's will for their lives.

- Their Future and Future Spouse: We ask for God's guidance and blessings over their future, including their eventual spouse.

This prayer tour has reinforced my commitment to these prayers, and we are excited to see how God will work in our state.

Fervently praying,
Superintendent Nathan L. Sheridan

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The AGK’s Illuminate Fireworks (I.F.) was created with the goal of enhancing AGK ministries and growing the kingdom of God. More specifically I.F. allows the Kansas Ministry Network to increase missions giving and support district and national missions projects.

I.F. was created with the goal of enhancing AGK ministries and growing the kingdom of God.

In 2022, Illuminate Fireworks started with one tent in Haysville. That first year, having rasied $27,000 for missional support, I.F. was “able to make Faith Promises to all KS Chi Alpha Missionaries” and gift donations to several U.S. missions accounts.

In I.F’s second year they were able to add two additional tents and continue the faith promises of the previous year, while supporting projects for BGMC and Project Rescue on the national level. In addition, funds were set aside to help pastors’ kids & missionaries’ kids go on missions trips.

2024 saw the addition of three more tents and additional ministry involvement, including Hope Fostered and New Life Assembly of God, Newton. This year, I.F. generated over $67,000 for BGMC projects, Freedom Challenge, and Project Rescue as well as the ongoing monthly support of district missionaries and AGK ministries.

Beyond the monetary support raised, the variety of ministries and the growth in volunteerism from local churches working side by side (including volunteer high school & college students, church staff, Bible Quiz teams, and the new local Adult & Teen Challenge of Kansas) is a beautiful testimony of the body of Christ coming together to strengthen and establish effective Pentecostal ministry across Kansas and the world.

New Life Assembly of God of Newton was the first church to manage a tent. Pastor Cy Ricker stated in an email, “Well, we did it here in Newton! After a lot of ibuprofen, ice packs, and thousands of bottles of water we made it all work!...we were able to reach hundreds of people in our community through this opportunity. Our presence in Newton is becoming more and more noticeable.” The funds raised from their tent provided backpacks and supplies for Harvey County families through the first Convoy of Hope mission in Harvey County, where they reached over 1,000 people.

This coming year, Illuminate Fireworks will be looking at other locations for churches and ministries to join the team and make ministry and missions a priority. Opportunities may be available in your local area, so give the AGK office a call or email Marc Marcelo at marc@agkansas.com.

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Election season brings up important legal considerations for churches engaging in political activities. We’re excited to share a resource that can help you navigate this season, Church Politics: A Legal Guide for Churches on Faithful Political Engagement.

The resource addresses five questions:

• What is my church’s view on political engagement?

• Can my church support or oppose candidates?

• Can my church be involved in lobbying?

• Can my church host election candidates?

• Can a pastor speak about politics in his personal capacity?

Our hope is that this resource helps you think deeply about the mission to which God has called your church and helps you navigate the legal realities that inevitably come into play for American churches.

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This year, 21 students and leaders from 17 different AGK churches traveled to Arizona to serve the people in the Navajo Nation. Our team was blessed to be able to work in the community of Shonto, helping the church remodel their fellowship hall, organize classrooms, assist an elderly church member with yard work, and lead several evening services as well. Shonto is a small community of a few thousand people, but we are praying that their church will continue to make a big impact. We are so proud of this team and how they represented Jesus and Kansas in Arizona! 

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This year at camp we encouraged every student to commit to share Jesus with others in their community. See You at the Pole is a great way for them to step out and fulfill that commitment! On September 25th, you can encourage your students to join in the global day of student prayer at the schools across your community. Even if a student is homeschooled or attends virtual school, we encourage them to join with friends and pray for others to come to faith! The theme for this year's SYATP is 1 Timothy 2:1, which says, "I urge you, first of all, to pray." As the school year begins, let's make prayer a priority in the lives of our students. Our public school system is one of the biggest mission fields in our country and we need to provide our students with opportunities to pray publicly and boldly. Let's also give our students the opportunity to share their faith that day and then immediately be able to invite a friend to come to church with them that evening! Many youth groups will make SYATP day a big outreach/invite night to make it easy for students to invite their friends to service. We are praying that God will move powerfully on this day across Kansas and our nation! For more information and resources, please visit the SYATP website: https://syatp.com.

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