The Wesleyan Church has been ministering in Haiti for 80 years with a ministry influence of some 40,000. However, all seven of the Wesleyan churches in Port-au-Prince have been destroyed, and some Wesleyans are still unaccounted for. We continue to pray frequently for our Christian brothers and sisters in this troubled country and recently contributed toward relief efforts. We encourage you to join us in prayer and support of the needs. Dr. JoAnne Lyon is the founder and past president of World Hope International and currently our region's General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church. This video provides an update of Wesleyan responses and needs in Haiti, along with a first-hand view of one of the leading congregations in Port-au-Prince.
New Worship Service Option is a Success!
On Sept. 13th, Hall Wesleyan began a new Sunday evening worship service geared toward the younger generations, and the response has been great! "The Alternative" is only a month old and already its attendance now exceeds that of Sunday mornings and draws in new families that we've enjoyed getting to know. Now you can take your pick! If you prefer hymns & organ music and a traditional worship format, Sunday mornings at 11:00 is just right for you. If you like modern instruments (drums & guitars) and an upbeat style, Sunday nights at 7:00 pm is the service for you:
[Started Sept. 13th]
Every generation has a unique style, and its music expresses its heartcry. “The Alternative” will feature passion-filled worship that resonates with reality...no pretenses, no second-guessing. This casual, come-as-you-are service ~ geared toward those in their 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s ~ will use a variety of instruments, video, and multi-media to connect seeking hearts with God. Sunday NIGHTS at 7:00 pm.
Style and substance...that’s the nature of traditional worship that transcends lifestyles. “Our Heritage” features uplifting worship and classic hymns, played with dedication by talented pianists and organists. This service ~ catering to seasoned saints ~ aims to communicate the doctrinal truths of ages past, using the rich vibrant sounds of piano, organ, & vocal music. Sunday Mornings at 11:00 am.
Same message, same location, but a style that fits YOU.
Out of the Comfort Zone: Wichita Hispanic Outreach
The Hispanic community in Wichita is growing, but there aren’t enough Spanish-speaking churches to reach them! So Hall Wesleyan
Church recently spent a Saturday in
a Hispanic neighborhood of Wichita,
preparing the way for a new Spanish-speaking church.
When Co-Pastors David
& Jessica Swisher heard that experienced church planter Reynaldo Morales
had been sent to Kansas to help start a
Hispanic congregation in Wichita ,
they were pretty excited. “Both of us have a heart for Latin
America and a love for Spanish-speaking people, but wondered if that was
going to be possible in Delphos ,
Kansas ,” explains Pastor
David. “After all, most of us around here are about as white as
they get and know no other language but English.”
So the Swishers
immediately set to work planning a trip and invited anyone from the
congregation who could to come. Hall Wesleyan regularly supports 4
career missionaries overseas and has a pretty solid track record of
supporting missions through financial giving, but it has been a long time
since anyone from the church has been personally involved in going.
The new Hispanic
church in Wichita is going to be called
“Iglesia Luz y Vida” (“Light and Life
Church ”) and a former church
building near the Friends
University campus has
been renovated to house the developing congregation. Bruce Campbell, a
lay leader at Hall Wesleyan who went on the missions outreach, was surprised
at “how much the community has changed since graduating from Friends
University in that
general area 43 years ago.”
According to the
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, there are over 70,000 Hispanic persons
currently living in Wichita
(population 344,284). However, Pastor Rey found only 20
Spanish-speaking congregations of, all relatively small (40-50), and learned
from their pastors that less than 5% of the Hispanic population there
regularly attends church. Seven people from the
Hall church made the trek: Bruce & Darlene Campbell (Delphos), Julie
Gavin (Miltonvale), Nolan Crosson (Concordia), Pastors David & Jessica
Swisher (Delphos), and Lydia Swisher (Delphos). The Hall team met up
with a group from Plains Church
(the Argonia Wesleyan Church) and from Hutchinson
Wesleyan Church
to form a 56-person survey crew canvassing a predominantly Hispanic
neighborhood. Crews of 4 went door-to-door down each street, asking those
they met what they felt were the biggest needs in the Hispanic community,
whether they attended church and if so where, why they think most Hispanics
don’t attend church, and what things the new church and its minister
could do to make a difference in their community and attract their friends
and family.
“This is the
kind of information a church planter needs to really get to know the
heartbeat of his community and the people he is trying to reach” said
Pastor David, who along with his wife has been a church planter himself and
been a part of three other successful church plants. The combined
churches passed out over 400 invitations to the church’s pre-launch
service, took several hundred surveys (compiling 126 names & addresses),
found 56 people who desired a pastoral visit, and put in over 400
man-hours. Pastor Reynaldo was very greatful: “If that had been
just my wife and I doing that, it would have taken months.” A
Spanish-speaking Wesleyan church from Topeka ,
Iglesia Principe de Paz ("Prince of Peace Church") followed up the
following week, culminating in a first-night crowd of over 80 for the Wichita
congregation’s first preview service.
“I think the
trip was valuable for us gringo’s because of the teamwork with other
churches. We got a lot of attention in the all-Hispanic
neighborhood. It was a little strange being the minority for the day,
but it was a blessing to be able to help,” said Pastor Jessica.
Lack of familiarity with Spanish was only a minor issue. Several of the
team’s leaders and participants spoke Spanish and the team of five
pastors paired people together so that communication and teamwork went well.
Almost every household had at least one person there who could speak
English. Bruce Campbell reflects, “I was fortunate to have a
Spanish speaking youth with me that could help me with the survey when we
encountered a home that didn’t have any English speaking
residents”.
“We look forward
to exciting days to come for both the Wichita
congregation and Hall Wesleyan as a result of this outreach,” concludes
Pastor David. To see and hear Pastor Rey and Pastor David's heart, watch this short video:
Group photo of the Pastors who coordinated the Wichita missions outreach. Pictured (L > R): David Norman (Plains Church - Argonia, KS), Nick Huck (Hutchinson Wesleyan Church), Sylvia Moreno (Iglesia Luz y Vida - Wichita), Reynaldo Moreno (Iglesia Luz y Vida - Wichita), David Swisher (Hall Wesleyan Church), Jessica Swisher (Hall Wesleyan Church).
If you missed any of our "Fireproof Your Life" messages, they are now available in the Sermon Media Player ~ to view or listen, click on "Sermons & Teachings."
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