Network Fall 2018 all pages low res

FALL 2018 | USPS 165-700 

I love 

my team! 

I feel 

appreciated. 

We enjoy 

working 

together. 

Our voices 

matter. 

We pray & do 

life together.

Don & Robin Immel 

MEET OUR 

NEWEST 

TEAM 

LEADERS 

Cathy & Jeff Marshall 

An interview with District 

Superintendent DON IMMEL 

What do you think has prepared you the most for 

this next step? 

I see it as a lifetime of saying yes. Denny Sproull asked me 

to be the CE rep for our section. I was pastoring a very small 

church at that time, and I said, “Yes.” 

A couple of years later I said, “Yes” to being on the sectional 

committee. This was a role reversal, because at one time the 

sectional committee was my board. Now I had the opportunity 

to serve and help home missions’ churches. That was followed 

by a “Yes” to being secretary of the section. 

So, what’s prepared me the most? Serving as a presbyter 

prepared me to serve as Secretary-Treasurer, and serving as 

Secretary-Treasurer combined with Presbytery, along with pastoring 

churches, have all helped to prepare me for what God 

has called me to today. 

Tell us about your family. 

We have 3 children – Benjamin, Rebecca and Donnie. Ben 

and Emily live in Pittsburgh and work for UPMC; Ben in the 

IT security area and Emily as an OB nurse. Becca, who is due 

to have a baby in August, and Nathan, a dentist, live in Fort 

Worth, Texas. Donnie and Kylie, along with Kaedence our first 

grandchild, live in Monroeville, PA, where Donnie is a youth 

pastor and Kylie has a photography business. 

Our empty nest is not what we thought it would be. We knew 

that one day our kids would be well-functioning adults. They 

are, but we miss them terribly and pine for the connectedness 

of having our family close by. 

What are you looking forward to the most with 

your new position? 

First is mentoring young ministers and helping them to achieve 

their dreams of kingdom effectiveness. That is something that I 

am anxious to engage in with them. 

On the other end, it is caring in a pastoral sense for our 

credential holders. The ministry can be, and often is, traumatic. 

I’m absolutely sure that post-traumatic stress (not disorder, but 

post-traumatic stress) is part of our reality and it has largely 

gone unaddressed. We want to care for our ministers and their 

families as well as our churches. 

An interview with Secretary-Treasurer 

JEFF MARSHALL 

What do you think has prepared you the most for 

this new step? 

I think it’s been a combination of my ministry experience of 

thirty-four years, which included planting New Day Assembly 

of God. Previous to that I was a school administrator for twelve 

years, and served as presbyter of the Southwest Metro section 

in Pittsburgh. 

How would you describe your leadership style? 

I’ve always believed in being a servant leader, recognizing what 

needs done and doing it, whatever the task, nothing is too 

small or too big. I like to work as a team. I believe in working 

with people instead of over people. 

What are your core values? 

My core values? First, my personal relationship with Christ. 

Family is so very important to me. I love being a husband, a 

father and especially a grandfather. I am a husband to Cathy, 

the father of four children (Katie, Micah, Eden and Shuyler) and 

a grandfather to Selah and Gideon. “And if I would have known 

being a grandfather was so much fun, I woulda’ did it first.” 

That’s actually a quote from Robert Owen, but I use it all the 

time. 

What are you looking forward to the most with 

your new position? 

Supporting Pastor Don in his leadership and being available to 

pastors and churches to help as much as I can with credentials 

and transitions. When I was a presbyter that’s one thing that I 

always enjoyed…working with pastors. That’s what I’m looking 

forward to the most. 

What is a message that you hope to inspire leaders 

and churches with? 

I’m Pentecostal – that’s my DNA and I believe in it. I trust in the 

Spirit of God to lead me and guide me. I believe that if you 

look in the New Testament, the reason the church grew was 

because of the power of the Holy Spirit; that’s what’s going to 

make the church grow again.

SUPERINTENDENT 

Donald J. Immel 

717.795.5921 

don@penndel.org 

Although the term “team” may not be found in 

the Bible, the concept is consistently 

exemplified. 

• Jesus assembled a team and called them disciples. 

• Peter assembled a team and called them deacons. 

• Paul assembled a team and carried the gospel to the 

corners of the Roman empire. 

Every good leader knows that if they want to 

have maximum effectiveness, they will have to 

assemble or develop a team. 

• In Good to Great, researcher Jim Collins spends an 

entire chapter discussing leadership. In the very next 

chapter he discusses assembling the right team. 

• Ed Stetzer (Comeback Churches) noted the major 

habits of churches that were able to make a comeback 

after experiencing plateau or decline. One of the key 

characteristics identified was they “launched a teamoriented 

vision; implemented team strategy in 

everything.” Stetzer went on to say, “The study made it 

clear—you cannot turn around a church alone. It takes 

a team effort.” 

Whether we are building a church or a ministry, 

to be effective we need a team. 

This afternoon I watched the men’s final at Wimbledon. 

In what seems to be a highly individualistic sporting match, 

both the winner (Novak Djokovic) and the runner-up 

(Kevin Anderson) thanked their teams. No matter what 

discipline you explore, whether sports, military, corporations 

or education, you will likely find that success involves more 

than one particularly gifted leader or intellectual. Sustained 

effectiveness almost always involves a team. 

One of the most impactful events that I’ve ever attended 

was Tommy Barnett’s “Pastor’s School.” Although Barnett 

had both the finances and relational connections to bring in 

any top-tier speakers to inspire participants, he did 

something quite different. He allowed us to benefit from his 

ministry team. We were able to hear their stories, benefit 

from their experience(s), and see their context. I was so 

inspired at Pastor’s School that I returned three more times, 

often with my pastoral staff and deacons. Our team grew in 

vision, passion, and our church grew in ministry 

effectiveness. 

How are you doing as a team leader, member, 

or developer? 

This year at Ministers’ Enrichment we are asking our 

Network ministry team to share inspiration and information 

that we pray will enhance and enlarge your vision for 

effective ministry. Although it’s not possible for every team 

leader to speak, we have asked several of our full-time staff 

to speak broadly enough to include everyone present, yet 

specifically enough to represent the focus of ministry which 

they lead. 

We are excited for OUR TEAM to encourage YOUR TEAM – together, 

we’re one team with one goal: glorify God and accomplish His kingdom 

purposes through our lives and ministries. 

Network connexions | Fall 2018 | 3

TAILGATE DINNER: 

MONDAY 4:30-6:00 PM 

Ribs, Chicken and all the Fixins! 

Wear your favorite team jersey! 

WINGFEST 

MONDAY 8:30 PM 

PIE NIGHT 

TUESDAY 9:00 PM 

ALL THREE WORSHOPS INCLUDED: 

• HELPING PEOPLE, CHANGING LIVES 

• PAIN IS RELEVANT: BRINGING COMPASSION 

TO POINTS OF PAIN IN YOUR COMMUNITY 

• CARING FOR THE CAREGIVER: 

MINISTRY STRESSES & SUGGESTIONS 

COST: 

FREE (pizza lunch included) 

BONGIORNO CONFERENCE CENTER 

REGISTER: 

penndel.org or 717-795-5921 

4 | Network connexions | Fall 2018

ONE TEAM, 

ONE VISION 

ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT 

Bryan Koch 

610.678.0266 ext. 224 

bryankoch@gtaog.org 

Imagine a baseball team where the players don’t share a 

unified vision of winning games. They don’t listen to the 

coach and each individual thinks he knows best what will win 

the game. That’s probably not going to be the best strategy. A 

strong, successful team is a team with one unified vision, and the 

coach is the one who needs to inspire the players to share that 

vision. Church leaders often function in a coaching role for the 

staff and volunteers that they lead by inspiring a shared vision 

that keeps everyone working together in the same direction. If a 

clear vision isn’t articulated, you will find that there can be many 

visions often competing for time, energy and attention. 

In order to inspire a shared vision, there are two critical components 

– inspiration and vision. To inspire means to guide or affect by 

divine influence, to fill someone with the urge or ability to do or 

feel something, to breathe into. I pray that as leaders, we are being 

inspired by the Holy Spirit on a daily basis. We also need to be 

inspiring others and there are several ways that we can do that: 

• Through our words: the words of a leader are powerful, 

whether for good or bad. 

• Through our stories: getting to know each other. 

• Through our attitude and enthusiasm: this applies to all 

personality types; even quieter people can be inspiring. 

• Through our actions: people will watch what you do more 

than listen to what you say. 

Vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with wisdom, 

a mental image of what the future will or could be like. We need 

to be seeking God’s wisdom and allow Him to direct our plans 

and thoughts when it comes to the future of our churches. But 

even if you have the greatest of visions for your church, you 

won’t get too far if you aren’t clearly casting that vision to those 

you lead. Casting vision is a lot like fishing. You have to watch 

that the line doesn’t get tangled when you cast; you have to 

have clear and straightforward communication when sharing 

vision with people. You also have to do it over and over again. 

Vision leaks over time and people need to be reminded of the 

future they are working towards. Even if you think you’re overcommunicating, 

do it more! 

We also need to make sure that the vision we are casting is an 

inspiring one. What makes an inspiring vision? It should paint 

an exciting and clear picture of the future, compel and motivate 

people to get on board, move people to action, engage the 

heart, tell the story of impact, and be forward looking with a 

sense of direction. Most importantly, it needs to be based on 

the Bible. 

Habakkuk 2:2-3 says, “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Write my 

answer plainly on tablets, so that a runner can carry the correct 

message to others. This vision is for a future time. It describes 

the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait 

patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.” 

The Lord also used tablets for sharing the Ten Commandments 

– clear communication that shared the vision He had for His 

people. To truly be one team, we need to have one vision, 

clearly communicated and inspiring us to action. 


SECRETARY/TREASURER 

Jeff Marshall 

717.795.5921 

jeff@penndel.org 

About Churches: 

District Affiliated: 

Navigate Church, Fairless Hills, PA 

Stephen Giunta, Lead Pastor 

Pastoral Transitions: 

FALL 2018 

Locations & Offerings 

Bethlehem: 1st Saturday 

Central AG 

(Certified) 

Monroeville: 2nd Saturday 

Monroeville AG 

(Certified, Licensed, Ordained) 

Camp Hill: 3rd Saturday 

Christian Life Assembly 

(Certified, Licensed) 

Parent Affiliated: 

Michael Goodling, Mountainside AG, Coal Township 

Kirk Nagel, Parsonville AG, Houtzdale 

Alan Reiman, Cross Valley AG, Forty Fort 

Seth Booher, New Day AG, Upper St Clair 

James Dinger, First AG, New Castle 

Keith Applegarth, Evangel AG, Norristown 

Damian Schoonmaker, New Hope AG, Elizabeth 

Chris Light, Living Waters Chapel, Lebanon 

Travis Kiger, Apollo AG 

With The Lord: 

Allison Park Church, Mt Nebo 

Campus, Sewickley, PA 

Jeff Leake, PAC Lead Pastor 

Chris Griffin, Campus Pastor 

Elsie Hays, 79, passed away on March 26. She served as lead pastor’s wife at 

Delta AG, Palmyra AG and was the Assistant Day Care Director at Palmyra. Elsie 

was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years, James Hays. 

Terry Bidwell, 66 passed away on April 20. He is survived by his wife, Diane. Terry 

was lead pastor at the following PennDel Churches: Union City and Titusville. 

Jack J and Lois Bremigen: Jack, 91, passed away on April 25 and Lois, 90, 

passed away on May 1. Jack and Lois were the lead pastors at Hammersley 

Fork, Slate Run, Shamokin, Clearfield, Montoursville, Milesburg and a staff 

pastor at Clearfield. 

CLASSES MEET AT: 

Central AG 

1300 Eaton Ave 

Bethlehem, PA 18018 

Monroeville AG 

4561 Old Wm Penn Hwy 

Monroeville, PA 15146 

Christian Life Assembly 

2645 Lisburn Rd. 

Camp Hill, PA 17011 

CONTACT: 

724-212-7975 (Bob Lecocq) • PDSOM website: penndelsom.org 

About People: 

Ministers Transferring In: 

Bowers, Christian (Licensed) from South Carolina 

Brummett, Doyle G (Ordained) 

Michaux, Bruce T (Ordained) 

Pierce, J Dewayne (Licensed) 

Schoonmaker, Damian (Ordained) 

Schreck, Philip (Licensed) 

New and Upgraded Credentials: 

New: 

Bailey, John (Licensed) 

Beem, Kevin, (Licensed) 

Brown, Dara B (Licensed) 

Brown, Mason M (Licensed) 

Campbell, Melissa A (Licensed) 

Cook, Caleb M (Licensed) 

Erickson, Margaret T (Licensed) 

Erickson, Stephan D (Licensed) 

Galbraith, Stephan (Licensed) 

Galbraith, Tara (Licensed) 

Golden, Melissa M (Licensed) 

Grosvenor, Victoria (Licensed) 

Henry, Brian J (Licensed) 

Jaimes, Eusebio I (Licensed) 

Knorr Jr, Brian (Licensed) 

Knorr, Megan (Licensed) 

Leake, Joshua T (Licensed) 

Martinez, Josue (Certified) 

McKinney Jr, Michael (Licensed) 

Ottaway, Rebecca C (Licensed) 

Ramsay, David (Certified) 

Rhodes, Justin M (Licensed) 

Rhodes, Tabitha M (Licensed) 

Ricci, James (Licensed) 

Troutman, Sheree L (Licensed) 

Walsh, Jacob (Licensed) 

Weaver, Jason (Certified) 

Upgraded: 

Licensed: 

Bard, Rodney 

Brown, Michael 

Lindow, Cindy 

from Oklahoma 

from Potomac 

from South Texas 

from Wisconsin/N Michigan 

from Alaska 

Ministers Transferring Out: 

Chow Juan, (Ordained) 

to North Carolina 

Crutchfield, Eddie (Ordained) 

Daugherty, Jennifer (Licensed) 

Davis, Cassie A (Certified) 

Day, Daniel R (Ordained) 

Day, Sara L (Ordained) 

Dennard, Robert W (Odained) 

Gobbins, John V (Ordained) 

Olsen, Shaun (Certified) 

Pagano, Lou (Ordained) 

to Alabama 

to New Jersey 

to Potomac 

to PenFlorida 

to PenFlorida 

to South Texas 

to Potomac 

to South Carolina 

to Southern Missouri 

Ordained: 

Anderson, Amanda C 

Baumgartner, Judith L 

Beitzel, Timothy R 

Blankenbiller, Devin 

Duff, Gretchen J 

Evans, Keith 

Fowler, Christa J 

Garman, Linn P 

Grogan, Denise K 

Grogan, Mark R 

Jones, Jessica L 

Jones, Ronald M 

Kromer, Steven J 

O’Neil, Daniel B 

Oritz, Rico 

Piraino, Laura M 

Rivera, Kristi M 

Rosendale, Jo Anna 

Schubert, Valerie G (Ordained) 

Schuele, Peggy A 

Sebastian, Jamie A 

Tarnowski, Joshua P 

Thoma, Robert V 

Thomas, Delena G 

Uhler, John K 

Van-Evera, Micaiah J 

Varghese, Saji 

Reinstated: 

Adams, Troy B (Ordained) 

DeCarvalho, Fernando (Licensed) 

Konteh, Samuel Y (Ordained) 

Strickland, Michael (Certified) 


WORLD MISSIONS 


717.795.5921 

don@penndel.org 

2018 World Missions Project: Resourcing World Changers for Christ! 

Fares for Missions provides financial underwriting for outbound airfare to our career missionaries departing for their field of service. 

Additionally, Fares for Missions infuses $5K into a newly appointed missionary’s account, expediting their departure for the field. 

MA2GO Fund resources Missionary Associates, giving some the ‘final boost’ of encouragement and support. Almost 50% of our 

career missionary applicants last year came through the MA program! 

THANK YOU for your prayerful consideration of these two missions’ projects for 2018! 

Opportunities to contribute: 

Online giving: www.penndel.org – myPennDel account 

Send check(s) to: PennDel Ministry Network, 4651 Westport Drive, Mechanicsburg PA,17055 

(please indicate on the check: Fares for Missions or MA2GO) 

PennDel Missionaries Currently Itinerating: 

New Missionaries: 

Kevin & Wendy Beery (Europe) 

Zach Wable (Africa) 

Veteran Missionaries: 

Ana & Mike Dascalescu (Europe) 

Leah & Ethan White (Sensitive) 

Sam & Naomi Brelo (CTS, Brussels, Belgium) 

Jeff Zito (Israel) 

Missionary Commissioning, Springfield, MO 

Bi-Annual Missions Leadership Team Training Event 

This is a FREE training provided for all PennDel World 

Missions Directors, Missions Teams & Lead Pastors. 

DATE & TIME: Saturday, September 8, 2018. 

9:30AM – 2:15PM 

PLACE: Glad Tidings AG, 190 Fulling Mill Road, 

Middletown, PA 

THEME: Europe 

GUEST SPEAKER: Paul Trementozzi, AGWM Regional 

Director for Europe 

TOPIC: Secularism in Europe 

FOCUS: Love Mercy: Engaging the Secularized 

European Continental Breakfast provided as well as a 

packet of helpful information 

OPTIONAL: $10 European lunch (on site) 

RSVP REQUESTED: Rhonda@penndel.org by 

August 30, 2018 

3 Breakout Sessions: 

» What Every Missionary Wished He Could Say 

Steve Potutschnig & Mike Hampton, former PennDel 

World Missionaries 

» An Excellent Missions Convention in any size Context 

Jim & Holly Pentz, Presbyter/Lead Pastor and wife, 

New Covenant AG, Montgomery 

» Creating a Missional Culture 

Pastor Don Immel, PennDel Superintendent & World 

Missions Director 

Paul Trementozzi will present a very relevant teaching to 

us on secularization in Europe. There is a very important 

connection between secularization in Europe and 

secularization in the United States. It is my hope that Paul’s 

message will not only inspire us with missions interest, 

but also give us perspective on how to move forward with 

ministry here at home! 


GREAT WAYS TO INVE 

In July we surveyed our PennDel Team Members “What makes 

you feel most appreciated as part of a team?” and got some great 

responses that we used both on the cover and in this article! 

So what does make a good team? What allows many unique 

individuals to work well together to achieve a common goal? 

How about investing in relationships? There are a lot of 

components that allow a team to thrive, but one of the most 

important aspects is connecting with others and investing in 

each valuable member. With this easy to remember T.E.A.M. 

acronym, let’s explore four ways people have invested in others, 

or have felt appreciated as part of a team: 

T 

Time 

Well 

Spent 

I used to meet weekly with 

younger male college students 

or new believers, 2-3 different 

students at a time. It produced 

growth in both me and the 

person I was discipling. It also 

helped prepare me for my 

pastoral ministry as well as 

provided an opportunity for 

those I was discipling to ask 

questions and seek answers to 

things they would have never 

felt comfortable talking about in 

a larger setting. 

— Brandon Petras 

Lead Pastor 

Butler City Church 

Butler, PA 

8 | Network connexions | Fall 2018 

One of the best teams I've 

ever worked with was the 

UVF Camp Creation Team. 

Every night we set aside 

time to meet and encourage 

one another. What started 

off as empty compliments 

turned into people breathing 

life back into pastors 

and leaders. That kind of 

encouragement has carried 

me to where I am today. I'm 

so thankful that our leader 

encouraged and invested in 

each of us, and encouraged 

us to do the same with each 

other. 

— Carrie Knorr 

Youth Pastor 

New Covenant AG 

Montgomery, PA 

“I have previously spent 

time with team members in 

a non-work-related setting 

to grow our relationship. You 

don't have to try very hard. 

Just enjoy whatever you're 

doing with them! Also, I have 

had the privilege of joining 

my previous employer for 

time together in his home 

with other friends on a 

weekly basis. This lasted 

over 1.5 years. The time I 

experienced eating, praying, 

and worshipping together 

was invaluable.” 

— Tim Pollick 

Missionary Associate 

Surabaya, Indonesia 

I spent time with someone 

encouraging them over 

a meal and games at my 

house. I told them what gifts 

I saw in them and how they 

could try to see God use 

those gifts in their workplace. 

It launched our relationship 

into a new space where 

they knew they could trust 

me and we could have real 

conversation instead of 

surface-level conversation. 

— Craig Dunaway 

Associate/Children's Pastor 

Trinity AG 

West Chester, PA

ST WITH YOUR TEAM! 

E 

Encouraging 

Others 

Acts of 

AService 

Motivational 

MGifts 

When I came to our 

church, First Assembly in 

Punxsutawney, the first thing 

I did was give the janitor the 

week off. I did the janitorial 

duties for the church to show 

them, and usually the most 

underappreciated employee, 

that everyone is important 

and that I would never ask 

them to do anything I was 

not willing to do. 

— Devin Wintermyer 

Lead Pastor 

First AG 

Punxsutawney, PA 

"There was a time when I had 

invested in a team member 

by giving them gift cards 

when I knew they were in 

need; it was a way for me to 

bless them and help them. I 

have also bought someone 

lunch and just spent time 

connecting wit them and 

catching up." 

— Margaret Erickson 

Youth Ministry 

Crossroads Family 

Worship Center 

Wellsboro, PA 

“I had a leader of one church 

invest in me by listening to 

me when I was new to the 

area and going through 

a difficult time. She even 

recommended me for a 

position at the church. I 

applied and got it, and as 

a result of that, I am now 

licensed and working with 

children who I can influence!” 

— Brinda VanLeuven 

Children's Pastor 

Abundant Life Church 

Birdsboro, PA 

Office/Pastoral Manager 

GT Church 

Reading, PA 

It was such a gift to me 

when a few of the female 

team members took my 

wife out and made her feel 

supported. Supporting my 

wife is a great support to me 

and the family because she 

is the hardest worker and the 

glue that holds me and my 

family together! 

— Finney Kuruvilla 

Campus Pastor 

Resurrection Life Church 

North Philadelphia, PA 


2018 PENNDEL DISTRICT COUNCIL 

MAY • 7-9 • 2018 

GT CHURCH • READING, PA 

Congratulations to the Ordiantion Class of 2018! 

2018 Jubilarians 

50 Years of Ordained Ministry 

Jubilarians: Elmer Kipe, Albert Pundt Jr., Otto Wegner 

Consecration of new 

District Superintendent, 



Amanda & Tim 

Anderson 

Judith Baumgartner 

Melody & Timothy 

Beitzel 

Jessandra & Devin 

Blankenbiller 

Gretchen & Gregory 

Duff 

Jennifer & Keith Evans 

Christa & Joshua Fowler 

Susan & Linn Garman 

Denise & Mark Grogan 

Jessica Jones 

Amy & Ronald Jones 

Rebecca & Steven 

Kromer 

Linda & Daniel O'Neil 

Mirna & Rico Ortiz 

Laura & Daniel Piraino 

Kristi & Benjamin Rivera 

Joy Rosendale 

Valerie & Keith Schubert 

Peggy & Richard 

Schuele 

Jamie & Anthony 

Sebastian 

Amber & Nikolai 

Stevenson 

Joshua Tarnowski 

Amber & Robert 

Thoma 

Delena & James 

Thomas 

Cherry & John Uhler 

Lydia & Micaiah 

Van Evera 

Saji & Girija Varghese 


TWO 

CONGREGATIONS 

(DOS CONGREGACIONES) 

ONE TEAM 

(UN SOLO EQUIPO) 

Pastor Kurt Jenkins (Central AG of Houston) 

praying for Pastor Francisco Teodoro 

(Iglesia Cristiana Central). 

Written by Courtney Rees DiTrolio 

HEART LANGUAGE / 

IDIOMA DEL CORAZÓN 

Many of us have the opportunity to come to church on a weekly basis 

and worship in our native tongue, English. We are able to worship in 

our “heart language,” the language that we were spoken to as a child, 

the language that we pray in, and the language that connects with our 

soul. But there was a growing Hispanic community around Houston, 

Pennsylvania, who did not have a place of worship, simply because they 

were not English-speaking. 

Four years ago that changed when Pastor Francisco Teodoro and the 

leadership of Central Assembly of God teamed up to answer God’s call to 

minister to the Hispanic community in the Houston area, located outside 

of Pittsburgh. With a joined mission, Central Assembly of God launched 

a Parent-Affiliated Church, Iglesia Cristiana Central, that specifically 

ministered to the Spanish-speaking community. 


HOME MISSIONS 

Tom Rees 

717.795.5921 

tom@penndel.org 

THE MINISTRY / 

EL MINISTERIO 

Central AG provides the resources, the 

building space and support system for 

Pastor Francisco and Pastor Kurt Jenkins 

to partner together so the ministry can 

thrive! Pastor Francisco leads Spanishspeaking 

worship services on Sunday 

mornings at “The Rock,” which is the 

student center. Throughout the week, he 

also leads a Bible study in a mobile home 

community, discipleship classes, a weekly 

prayer service, as well as an alternate 

Friday service for those who cannot attend 

on Sunday mornings. 

When Pastor Francisco began this ministry, 

he didn’t wait for the Hispanic community 

to find the church. He sought them out 

and formed relationships by visiting the 

mobile home community and apartment 

buildings which were largely populated 

by Hispanics. He posted road signs 

and banners. He visited local Mexican 

restaurants and met the owners and 

workers, offering to pray with them. He 

went to Walmart and formed relationships 

with the Hispanic employees. Pastor 

Francisco simply started making friends for 

Jesus in the community, and he showed 

them his “authentic invitation” in his 

words. He shared, “My purpose, the Godpurpose 

in my life, is that God created 

me for this time to preach the Gospel. My 

blessing is changing lives.” 

Central AG’s Hispanic ministry extends 

beyond the walls of their community, and 

people travel from all over the region to 

join his congregation. Pastor Francisco 

leads a weekly online prayer meeting, 

which is broadcast to Mexico, and usually 

has about 100 people tuned in for prayer. 

He also mentors 6 pastors from different 

parts of the world via skype, pastors from 

Cuba, Mexico, and his home country, El 

Salvador. 

AN ISLAND FOREVER 

CHANGED / 

UNA ISLA PARA 

SIEMPRE CAMBIADA 

Long before coming on staff at Central 

AG, Pastor Francisco ministered from 

a distance to his home country of El 

Salvador. He would preach on the radio to 

a little island called Isla Tasajera with only 

1,500 occupants. The island had only dirt 

and sand roads and three vehicles, but 

they had a great love for Pastor Francisco 

and his ministry, so much so that they 

started inviting him to visit them and 

preach the Gospel, and even honored him 

by giving him a piece of property. 

When Pastor Francisco came to Central 

AG, the church adopted the island as 

a focused project, under the direction 

of Missions‘ Pastor Vicki Barton, and 

continued to invest by raising $50,000 

to build concrete fish tanks for tilapia 

harvesting on the property that was 

originally donated to Pastor Francisco. 

Through this investment, they are teaching 

those on the island how to fish and 

become entrepreneurs! Central AG has 

also entered a spiritual covenant with 

the main church on the island, and it was 

renamed, “Central AG of Isla Tasajera.” 

Already this year, Central has made 

numerous trips to the island to teach 

spiritual leadership, kingdom lifestyle, 

business and finances. They also hired an 

El Salvadorian professional who is training 

a few church members on a weekly basis 

about how to care for the fish and tanks. 

It is amazing to see how God has used this 

ministry model to reach the unreached 

and unite the Spanish- and Englishspeaking 

congregations of Central AG! 

Pastor Kurt emphasized that that they 

operate as, “two congregations, but one 

church family,” and this model works 

because “the leadership of the church 

really embraced it.” 

Missions is not just overseas; sometimes 

it’s reaching out to the immigrants, the 

undocumented, the non-English speakers 

in our communities and creating a space 

for people to grow in their faith and 

in their heart language, whether that 

is Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic or 

Vietnamese. Although launching a ministry 

in a second language and dealing with 

language barriers and cultural differences 

is not always an easy feat, because of this 

Hispanic ministry, now a church in western 

Pennsylvania has had a profound impact 

on a tiny island in El Salvador! Now that is 

a picture of God’s mission for the world. 



YOUTH ALIVE 

MISSIONARY 

Lee Rogers 

717.795.9780 

lee@reachtheschool.com 

One of the most vivid memories of my childhood is when 

my older brother and sister would pack their coolers, 

sunscreen, and instruments and head off to band camp. 

They enjoyed being a part of a team and working towards a 

common goaI, while I enjoyed having the house to myself! As 

the twilight of summer vacation sets in, students all across 

our nation join with their classmates for long summer days of 

practice and preparation at band camps, football camps, soccer 

camps, cross-country camps, etc. They are all preparing for the 

same thing—victory. Whether it’s a game, a competition, or a 

meet, every team is working towards a win. 

As the Body of Christ we are also a team, and we have also 

been to camp this summer. Youth camp, kidsʼ camp, bible quiz 

camp—hopefully you were able to join us for one of those! We 

have a lot of fun, but we also engage in a lot of preparation. 

We are not preparing for a temporary earthly victory; we are 

working towards a win that has eternal value! We are partnered 

with God to achieve His mission – to seek and to save the lost. 

This is the win, the goal, the prize for which God has called us 

heavenward in Christ Jesus. 

It was Juma Ikangaa who said, “The will to win means nothing 

without the will to prepare.” He won the New York City 

Marathon in 1989, and he keenly understood the value of 

thorough preparation. We are also in a marathon; a race for 

eternity. As summer comes to a close and students return to 

school, they are engaging in that race amidst the greatest 

mission field of our time and culture. Are they prepared to run 

the race? Are they prepared to proclaim the Faith fearlessly? 

Join us for this premier one-day conference designed to 

prepare students to share their faith, serve others, and fearlessly 

proclaim the Gospel. Join us for Fearless: One Day to Make a 

Difference! One conference, one day, three regionally strategic 

locations. Join the team as we prepare, through the power of 

the Holy Spirit, to make a difference that will last for eternity! 

DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE 

FOR HIS GLORY 

AT THE 

UNIVERSITY OF VALLEY FORGE 

for more information go to 

go.valleyforge.edu 


CHRISTIAN EDUCATION 

George Krebs 

717.795.5921 

george@penndel.org 

OUR 

TEAM, 

NOT MY 

TEAM 

Every time he saw me, a recently hired 16 year old (Bongiorno Conference Center 

kitchen employee) he would say, “Hey boss, what’s up?” After a half dozen 

comments, I told him, “I’m not the boss; I’m the team leader.” The look on his face 

said it all. His next question was, “What’s a team leader?” 

This made me think; we talk team all the time. Team building is the hot topic in 

business, church, education and sports. Everybody wants to build a great team. But 

what lies at the core of a team? 

If you Google team building you will get hundreds, if not thousands, of sites for 

books, seminars, trainings, podcasts, YouTube videos and much, much more. 

I’ve built several teams in my lifetime; some were super effective and some not so 

effective—so what’s the difference? 

With a team, all members share input as well as all sharing in the outcome. 

Everyone owns it. Everyone has a vested interest in winning. 

HOW DOES ONE DEVELOP GOOD TEAM MEMBERS? 

PRAY 

I pray for God to send me and surround 

me with the right people. Jesus said in 

Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but 

the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the 

harvest, therefore, to send out workers 

into his harvest field.” 

It is rare that God ever sends us plugand-play, 

ready-to-go phenomenal team 

members. I believe He sends us good 

people and wants us to develop them. 

SERVE THEM 

I treat people the way I want to be 

treated. Be kind, generous, and genuine. 

I determine to go the second mile in 

serving those God sends me. 

ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR 

STRENGTHS 

I look at their strengths (Strengths Finder 2) 

and try to place them in areas that maximize 

their strengths. People who serve in their 

strengths seem to maximize their service. 

I strive to know them and understand 

them. We look at all of the team’s 

personality/temperaments (Personality 

Plus). I hope to help them understand 

who they are and how they are wired. 

This helps us know each other better. 

As a team we begin to understand the 

strengths and weaknesses of every 

personality and how we function 

emotionally, as a parent, at work, as a 

friend and as a team member. As we begin 

to know team members, we begin to build 

trust with one another. 

SHARE THE WINS 

I try to help each team member 

understand they are making a difference, 

and together we make a tremendous 

difference in the lives of people. When 

people know their work on a team really 

counts, they will have a tendency to make 

their commitment to the team count even 

more. 

HELP THEM SUCCEED 

I try to give my team members certain 

markers they can use to measure their 

success. They need to know they’re doing 

a better job today than they did yesterday. 

There is a sense of engagement when you 

can measure your success. 

WELCOME HEALTHY 

CONFLICT 

As our appreciation of one another grows 

through knowing and understanding team 

members, our trust also grows. I welcome 

healthy conflict. Healthy conflict is not to 

be taken personally; it’s not about team 

members, it’s about building a better 

outcome and team purpose. 

True teams share decisions. There is 

always a team leader who is responsible, 

but the pressure of leadership is easier to 

bear when there is a collective of leaders 

reaching those decisions. 

THE WISDOM OF TEAMS: 

In a true team, when one wins, we all win. Allow team members to make mistakes without consequences, just don’t let them make the 

same mistake twice (then they haven’t learned). When team members step it up and fail, I take the blame if they succeed, I give them 

the credit. I’ve said it before, one is too small of a number to make a great difference. Our team will always accomplish greater feats 

than I ever could alone. I am indebted to them. 


TEAMWORK 

Your Team + Our Team = One Team. 

That’s not a complicated mathematical 

equation. You didn’t have to have 

taken algebra, geometry, calculus, or 

linear algebra and differential equations to 

figure out the solution. In the real world 1 + 

1 = 2, but not in this case. More + more = 

one, or is it really twice as much? Perhaps 

it is exponentially more. None of this really 

matters. All we have to realize is that if we 

all work together, more gets done and more 

gets accomplished. If I’ve learned one thing 

during the last 13 years as District Director 

of our ministry, it is that no one person can 

do it all. It takes a team. Not just a team of 

individuals with the same personality and 

talents, but a team with diversity and multiple 

talents. Take our human body for instance. 

Each part has a specific function and each 

helps us to complete various tasks to function 

properly. Take one or more parts away and 

we find ourself at a deficit, not functioning as 

efficiently. Sometimes I often think if I could 

clone myself I could get so much more done; 

however, since I have not been blessed with 

all the God given talents, I doubt that would 

be very productive or beneficial. We still need 

the diversity that a team provides. Each of 

the ministries we are involved in has a specific 

function and meets a specific need. Add one 

or more teams together and you get one 

team with much more diversity and even more 

potential. Often we are reluctant to join forces 

because we do things one way and others do 

things another way, but aren’t we really looking 

to accomplish the same thing? Building the 

kingdom of God? A ministry benefits most 

when everyone is working together and 

smoothly as a team. To be most efficient the 

body has to work together as a team and not 

as separate entities. Collaborating together 

as we focus on a common team goal helps 

maximize our effectiveness. Let’s team up and 

be the best version of a team we can be. The 

benefits add up to infinity. 

ROYAL RANGERS 

Greg Scott 

302.697.2313 

gscott@pdrangers.org 

www.pdrangers.org 

Coming Events 

in 2018: 

West Division Fall 

Camporee 

Camp Seph Mack 

Penn Run, PA 

September 7-9 

George Washington 

Chapter FCF Fall Trace 

PDRR Camp Berry 

Honey Grove, PA 

October 5-7 

East Division Fall 

Camporee and 

Outreach Rally 

Calvary Temple 

Philadelphia, PA 

October 26-27 


GIRLS MINISTRIES 

Sharon Poole 

sharonp@pdgirlsministries.com 

penndel.org/girls 

PENNDEL GM LEADERSHIP 

“May the God who gives endurance and 

encouragement give you the same attitude of mind 

toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with 

one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and 

Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, 

then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring 

praise to God.” ROMANS 15:5-7 

In ministry it is easy to think that the only way is “my way.” 

And, of course, “my way” is what God wants. After all, He 

blessed me with these great ideas. But God’s Word tells us to 

have the same attitude of Christ and have one mind AND one 

voice. In spite of our differences, we should prefer or honor 

one another for the glory of God. In other words, giving glory 

to God is much more important than getting my way. 

In Girls Ministries, that is one principle we try to mentor our 

girls. It is not just about getting along. It is ultimately about 

bringing glory to God. Throughout your ministry, pray to 

have the mind of Christ; to prefer one another to advance the 

Kingdom of God. 

SUMMER/FALL REGIONAL TRAINING 

The PennDel Girls Ministries is offering Regional Trainings to 

the local church. Each Training Day will include all four levels of 

training (Basic, Education, Community and Personal Growth). 

The cost per person is $30 and includes: All training 

materials, continental breakfast and lunch. To register, send 

the Registration Form and the registration fee to: Cheryl 

Golembiowski, Training Assistant 1245 Lombard Road, Red 

Lion, PA 17356 

When: 

Where: 

When: 

Where: 

September 15 • 9 am - 4 pm 

Calvary Church 

1141 E Lebanon Road • Dover, DE 

October 6 • 9 am - 4 pm 

First Assembly of God 

2785 Walston Road • Punxsutawney, PA 


For more info: penndel.org 

AROUND THE NETWORK 

Pennsylvania-Delaware Ministry Network 

4651 Westport Drive • Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 

Read online: penndel.org/connexions 

Editor: 

Managing Editor: 

Executive Presbytery 

Superintendent 


Assistant Superintendent Bryan Koch 

Secretary/Treasurer 


Timothy Bunney Southwest Suburban - SWS 

Christopher Clark North Central West - NCW 

Roland Coon Delaware - DEL 

Steven DeFrain East Central - EC 

Wayne Jackson Southwest Metro - SWM 

Dwan Newsome South Central - SC 

Robert Novak Greater Philadelphia Area - GPA 

James Pentz North Central - NC 

Randall Rhoads South Central East - SCE 

Walter Smith South Central West - SCW 

Allan Thorpe Northwest - NW 

David Twiss Northeast - NE 

General Presbyters 



Bryan Koch 


Carole Bongiorno 

Honorary General Presbyter 

Philip Bongiorno 

PennDel Superintendent Emeritus 

Volume 64 Number 3 - (USPS 165-700) is the official periodical published 

quarterly by the Pennsylvaina-Delaware District Council of the Assemblies 

of God. Periodical postage paid at Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Circulation Stands at Approximately 7,500. POSTMASTER, Send address 

changes to: Pennsylvania-Delaware District Council, 4651 Westport Drive, 

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-4887 

Credential Presentation 

Rodney Bard (wife is Cindy) 

Evangel AG 

Ephrata, PA 

Credential: License 

Pastoral Commissioning 

Pastor Seth & Katie Booher 

New Day AG, 

Upper Saint Clair, PA 

Jeff Marshall, former 

pastor of New Day and our 

new Secretary/Treasurer, 

conducted the service. 

Pastoral Commissioning 

Pastor Michael & Darlene Goodling 

Mountainside AG 

Coal Township, PA

Pennsylvania-Delaware Ministry Network 

4651 Westport Drive 

Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 

Find us online: penndel.org 

Follow us on Facebook: PennDel Ministry Network 

Follow us on Twitter: #penndelag 

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