SUMMER CAMPS June and July is the time of year in

which our youth get involved in

summer camps. This is a great op-

portunity for them to have time to

develop relationships and renew

friendships with other youth from

across the district. It is also a great

time for them to renew their rela-

tionship with the Lord and allow the

Holy Spirit to deepen their walk

with God.

Youth camps are designed to help

our young people enjoy physical

activities and be blessed by great

times around the altars. For many

years Betty and I made it a practice

to attend camp with our girls and the

children from the churches we pas-

tored. In more recent years, we have

made every effort to attend at least

one night of camp each week. The

highlight for me is to have the op-

portunity to pray with the young

people around the altars. What a

blessing it is to see them pour out

their souls to the Lord. What a

blessing it is to see God touch their

lives, to see them dedicate them-

selves to the Lord, and to pray with

them as they experience the bap-

tism in the Holy Spirit for the first

time. I have also experienced the

privilege of praying with them as

they are refilled with the Holy

Spirit and as they answer a call of

God on their lives.

Many of these same young people

go to college or begin taking Bible

courses through Global University.

Some of these youths, in which

you and I have invested in through

the years, later apply for creden-

tials and are now district leaders,

lead pastors, missionaries, youth

pastors, deacons and workers in

their local church. What a blessing

to know that we can speak into the

lives of those who are now in lead-

ership positions across our district.

When I think about the future my

heart swells with joy because I

know that there are people working

the front lines of kingdom ministry

who have grown up attending our

summer camps.

Let me encourage you to continue

to invest time and finances in the

youth of our district. Ask the Lord

to direct you as you pray for our

summer camps. Pray specifically

for Chris and Carey Murdoch as

they lead our camping ministry this

summer, pray for the staff who will

work with them, and pray for the

youth that their experience with the

Lord will grow deeper. Then con-

sider investing financially by

providing funds for a young person

from your church or community to

attend camp. It is an eternal invest-

From the Heart of the Superintendent Glenn R. Beaver

ment! There is coming a day, if

the Lord doesn’t return before

then, when everyone of mature

age will be replaced by the young

people who are walking in our

footsteps. I would like to help in-

sure that they have the best foun-

dation possible on which to build.

That foundation is none other than

a solid relationship with Christ.

Some of them will have that rela-

tionship strengthened this summer

during camp. Join me in praying

more earnestly for our youth.

I am highlighting the summer

camps this month because I do not

want what happened to Israel to

happen in West Texas. I’m specif-

ically referring to Judges 2. Israel

had inherited the Promised Land.

Joshua had died along with all the

elders who had seen the great

works of the Lord. Then a sad

statement is recorded in verse 10,

“and there arose another gener-

ation after them, which knew

not the Lord, nor the works

which he had done for Israel.” As we invest in our youth during

summer camps, they will know the

Lord and the works which He will

do among them. So Let It Be!

Thank you for praying and invest-

ing in the youth of West Texas!

TIDINGS JUNE 2013 VOLUME LXVII NUMBER 6

Glenn & Betty Beaver Superintendent

District Secretary/Treasurer

It has been estimated that the average

person speaks around 18,000 words a

day, with some having gusts up to

25,000. Figuring from the daily basis

of 18,000 words, that’s enough talk

to fill a fifty-four page book. Over a

year that accumulates to sixty-six volumes, each with 800

pages! Those who study human behavior have found that

people spend up to one-fifth of their life talking. That’s a lot

of talk every day that either helps or hurts. The Creator in His

infinite wisdom designed the human head to have seven

openings, the number in Scripture that often denotes com-

pleteness. We are blessed with two eyes, two ears, and two

nostrils, leaving the seventh orifice a single opening, the

mouth, the instrument that is addressed most in the Bible of

the seven. Using the various synonyms in Scripture, such as

mouth, lips, tongue, talk, speech, words, and others, literally

hundreds of verses address this very important aspect of the

believer’s life. It has been noted that the mouth is the gro-

cer’s friend, the orator’s pride, the fool’s trap, and the den-

tist’s salvation. However, the Bible goes much farther, show-

ing the importance and the influence of the words which are

articulated by the tongue and dispensed from the mouth. The

writer of Proverbs often addresses this topic with directives

that show the triumphs and the tragedy that result from the

tongue. One of the more familiar is Proverbs18:21 which

states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and

those who love it will eat its fruit.” The Message renders that

passage as, “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison

or fruit - you choose.”

Each of us are aware of those who take to extreme what

Scripture says concerning the subject of the tongue. It is im-

perative that we in Pentecostal and Evangelical circles do not

err while attempting to bring balance to this biblical truth.

Scripture is clear on The Prominence of the Tongue. The

tongue and the mouth are prominently associated with every

aspect of a believer’s life, which explains the abundance of

verses on this matter. Our relationships with others and God

are characterized by that which comes from the tongue.

While life is made up of many activities and assignments,

what we say and how we say it often carries the greatest per-

suasion and provides the clearest revelation of what is in the

heart. Jesus says in Matthew 12:34b, “For out of the abun-

dance of the heart the mouth speaks” (NKJV).

Billy & Bettye Nickell

Scripture also speaks concerning The Power of the Tongue.

Much like a thermostat which can alter the influence of sur-

rounding conditions, the tongue can change the atmosphere,

with others, in a worship setting, and even with ourselves.

Words rule our lives! They define our conduct and they deter-

mine our actions. While we cannot touch or weigh a word, nor

measure that which is spoken using a yardstick or a tape

measure, words transcend in importance all material things!

Words are sharper than the sword and swifter than an arrow.

Words can stir us into action or goad us to despair. They can

sooth like a tender caress or sting like a fiery dart! Words can

excite every passion in the human heart - love, hate, joy, an-

guish, faith, or hopelessness! Solomon writes in Proverbs

15:1, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs

up anger.”

A third matter addressed in Scripture is The Pronouncement

of the Tongue. A warning that is seldom taught or preached

comes from the mouth of Jesus. “And I tell you this, you must

give an account on judgment day for every idle word you

speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn

you” (Matthew 12:36-37 NLT). There will be a pronounce-

ment - a verdict given when each of us stand before the Lord.

Because this truth has not been given adequate emphasis in

many pulpits and classrooms, matters of the mouth such as

excessive talking (Proverbs 10:19), unprofitable or useless

words (Matthew 12:36), gossip (Leviticus 19:16), flattery

(Psalm 12:1-3), and hastiness of speech (Proverbs 29:20), are

not viewed with concern as needed. Each of us have been giv-

en astounding input and influence regarding our present and

our future, which will be determined by what we speak, death

or life.

The Power of the Tongue - Death or Life

Proverbs 18:21

WEST TEXAS ASSEMBLIES OF GOD DISTRICT OFFICIARY

Glenn R. Beaver Superintendent

grbeaver@sbcglobal.net Tom Lakey

Assistant Superintendent tlakey@lubbockag.org

Billy D. Nickell Secretary/Treasurer

fantastic1316@gmail.com

SECTIONAL PRESBYTERS Cliff Houghton, Danny Williams, Freddy Weaver, Robert Burns

Mike Hanks, Eddie Lee Web site: wtaog.org TRACY MCWILLIAMS

TIDINGS EDITOR

tracy.mcwilliams@sbcglobal.net 5504 Wayne Avenue, P.O. Box 64778, Lubbock,

TX, 79464, Phone: 806.792.5835 Please notify editor of any change of address.

Third class postage paid at Lubbock, TX. Published monthly.

Director of Church Ministries

Transferred In:

Joe Robinson (O) New Mexico

Newly Credentialed: Shane Jobe (CM)

Leslie Stewart (L)

New Pastors: Pampa, Calvary AG

Kerry & Reva Tilley

Gene Benningfield 806.456.2029 Danny Bisbee 432.559.4742 Larry Boyd 806.778.7677 Kelly Breckenridge 806.787.0355 Manny Castro 806.401.3071 Larry Elder 432.853.9591 Jannetta Fairbanks 806.698.1140 Charlie Garcia 325.207.1976 Dale Griswold 806.566.9993 Jack Hargrave 806.747.6715 Byron Jones 432.258.3873 Tracy McWilliams 806.790.9377 Vance Mitchell 806.781.9795 Z.A. Myers 806.216.0252 J.C. Owen 432.550.5804 Joe Robinson 806.300.7906 Forest Srader 575.361.0650 Todd & Angela Starnes 806.786.4750 Mark Stripling 806.281.3768 Marcus Tanner 903.330.1560 Kevin Vander-Plas 806.797.5972 George VanHoose 806.777.8888

your friends. I am here to tell all of you that

being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to

tell you a story.” Kyle related the story of how he had met his best friend. He

told how he had actually planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked

of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it

later. He looked hard at the audience and then he turned to his friend and

said, “Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeak-

able!” We may never know the impact that we can have on someone’s life

simply by delivering one single act of kindness. In the words of the famous

Glenn Campbell song we need to Try A Little Kindness!

Tracy & Cara Lynn McWilliams

Available for Ministry

friends. Kyle had filled out and had actually

become a great looking kid. Kyle was also

the valedictorian of his class and had been

accepted to Georgetown University. As

Kyle started his speech, he cleared his throat

and began, “Graduation is a time to thank

those who helped you make it through those

tough years. Your parents, your teachers,

your siblings, maybe a coach, but mostly

Ephesians 4:32 states, “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiv-

ing one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.” If there was ever a

day when we needed more seeds of kindness to be sown it is now. We are

living in a society in which kindness is becoming an increasingly rare com-

modity. Someone has observed, “We have become a society in which the

milk of human kindness has curdled.” An overwhelming majority of Ameri-

cans, 89% in a U.S. News & World Report poll, think incivility is a serious

problem. Mark Twain once observed, “Kindness is a language which the deaf

can hear and the blind can see.” A simple definition of kindness is treating

others the way God has treated you.

Years ago, a story appeared in Dear Abby that shows how one simple act of

kindness can change a person’s life. One day a freshman was driving home

from school when he noticed a young man walking down the street carrying

an armload full of books. His name was Kyle. He also witnessed a group of

kids running towards him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping

him so he landed in the dirt. When this young man looked up there was a

terrible sadness in his eyes. The freshman pulled his car over and helped Kyle

pick up his books and offered to give him a ride home. He invited Kyle to

come over to his house for the weekend and play football with some of his

friends. Over the next few years, these two young men became the best of

Try a Little Kindness

Ministers & Churches

BIBLE INSTITUTE of WEST TEXAS Courses for July 20

Certified Level

Local Church in Evangelism License Level

Eschatology Ordained Level

Church Admin, Law, & Finance

Courses for June 8

Certified Level Introduction to Hermeneutics

License Level Introduction to Homiletics

Ordained Level Preaching in Contemporary World

Announcements

Celebration 2013

June 10-13 Combined 83rd District Council & Camp Meeting

Glenn R. Beaver Superintendent

Randy Ruiz Evangelist

Schedule Monday

7:00 pm Celebration Service - Randy Ruiz

Tuesday

9:00 am Prayer

10:00 am Memorial Service - Glenn Beaver

2:00 pm District Council Business Session

7:00 pm Ordination Celebration - Randy Ruiz

Wednesday

9:00 am Prayer

10:00 am Women’s Ministries Service

2:00 pm Session Speaker - Ezequiel Pecina

7:00 pm Missions Celebration - Randy Ruiz

Thursday

9:00 am Fellowship Activities for

Men, Women, Teens, & Children

5:00 pm Fellowship Dinner

7:00 pm Celebration Service - Randy Ruiz

Ezequiel & Carolyn Pecina Superintendent West Texas & Plains District

5917 66th Street Lubbock, Texas

Hosted by Christian Life Assembly of God

Men’s Ministries

Billy & Robin Snider

Men’s Director WEST TEXAS MEN’S MINISTRY SPOTLIGHT

Women’s Ministries

Becky & Joe Nenstiel

Women’s Director

WEST TEXAS WOMEN’S MINISTRIES

CONNECT SERVICE

Proclaim It! “I have redeemed you...you are mine.”

Isaiah 43:1 NIV

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

10:00 AM

CHRISTIAN LIFE - LUBBOCK

Sandi Hanks

Speaker

April Riley

Worship Leader

CONNECT OFFERING GOAL $8,000.00

BUDGET OFFERING NEEDED $1,600.00

Youth Ministries

Around West Texas

WEST TEXAS DISTRICT COUNCIL OF THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD 5504 Wayne Avenue P.O. Box 64778 Lubbock, TX 79464-4778

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID LUBBOCK, TX

PERMIT NO. 138

With Christ: We extend our sympathy to the families of Gwen Gip-

son, Virginia Smith, and Alene Esch. Gwen Gipson, wife of the

late Reed Gipson, stepped into heaven on April 21. Virginia Smith,

wife of the late Forrest Smith, passed away on April 22. Alene Esch,

wife of Walter Esch (Sr Retired Ordained, Alpine) was ushered into

the presence of God on May 21. These ladies, along with their

spouses, served as pastors and evangelist in the West Texas for many

years. We deeply appreciate their dedication to see lost souls saved

for His kingdom.

Gwen Reeves, mother of Jerlene Teague, (wife of Willard Teague,

World Missionaries), passed into life eternal on April 18 having just

celebrated her 100th birthday. Though she now resides in Heaven,

she left an heritage that will have eternal rewards.

Please keep these families in your prayers as they adjust to the loss of

a loved one.

Prayer Requests: Freddy Weaver, (Jayton, First AG), complete

healing from cancer, and Ozella Hager (Sr Retired Licensed, Lub-

bock) as she recovers from heart procedures.

High School Graduates: Destry McWilliams, (son of Tracy and

Cara Lynn McWilliams, District Church Ministries Director) gradu-

ated from Frenship High School on May 25. Tanner Richardson,

(son of Donnye & Roxanne Richardson, Co-Pastors Morton First

AG), will graduate from Whiteface High School on May 31.

College Graduates: Angela Lozano, (Certified, Spearman) graduat-

ed from SAGU with an Associate Degree in Psychology; Stephen

Williamson, (Certified, Midland), graduated from Midland College

with an Associate Degree in General Studies; Kristen Vander-Plas,

(daughter of Kevin and Twila Vander-Plas, Lubbock), graduated

from Lubbock Christian University with a Bachelor Degree in Hu-

manities with a Specialization in Political Science; and Felicia Mid-

daugh, (wife of Jerad Middaugh, Lead Pastor Amarillo, Southlawn

and daughter of Billy & Bettye Nickell who serve as the District Sec-

retary/Treasurer), graduated from West Texas A&M University with

a Bachelor Degree in Applied Arts & Sciences with a focus in Edu-

cation.

Please pray for these graduates as they follow the path God has

planned for their lives.

Our sincere thanks! How blessed and surprised we have been at

the outpouring of love, financial support and physical labor given to

this harvest field. Special thanks to Bro. Lakey and the Church Plant-

ing and Revitalization Committee for the bountiful gift; Bro. Snider

and Amarillo, San Jacinto AG for finances and leadership; David

Morgan, North Plains Men’s Ministries Rep; Daniel Spitler and Am-

arillo Life challenge; and many others. God’s very best to all!

Pastor Doris McCutchen and First AG, Shamrock