MIRIAM GRIER
Girl’s Ministries Director
Director
HONORARY
PRESBYTERS
Marcus McClain
David Vistine
PRESBYTERS
Dustin Woodward
David Iglesias
Ruben Guajardo III
NETWORK PASTOR NetCon25
In just a few weeks, we’ll be coming together from across our Network for NetCon25 at Citizen Church, Albuquerque. We are so looking forward to seeing all of our ministers and church leaders at this event.
NetCon25 promises to be incredible as we have our AG General Superintendent Doug Clay for our guest speaker! Under Doug’s leadership, our fellowship is taking steps forward as never before as we continue to see God’s blessings on our churches across the nation and around the world. I know you’ll be blessed and encouraged by his ministry as well as the powerful worship times, breakout sessions, celebration moments, etc. that are being planned!
Whatever you do, don’t miss one minute of NetCon25! It will undoubtedly be a bit different than past years since I announced a few months ago that Becky and I would be stepping down from the role of Network Pastors. So, during the opening day, we’ll be having our Business Meeting and electing our new Network Pastor.
If you haven’t already registered, click HERE to register! I really encourage you to register as soon as possible because there are components of the conference that are expected to push the limits on capacity…so don’t wait to register. When you register, you’ll see information provided about hotels in close proximity to Citizen Church that you may want to consider. And, you’ll certainly want to register no later than March 25 in order to get the Early Bird pricing!
As we count down the days to NetCon25, I ask you to join us in daily prayer for this conference, and for the significant decisions that we will make concerning our future leadership. Thank you for your involvement in our nomination process; we received a record number of nomination forms!
We know that God has great plans for the future of our Network, and He will direct our steps as we position ourselves in prayer to discover His will. I’ve been praying daily for some time now, and I’m confident that, if we will do our part in prayer ahead of this meeting, not only will God meet with us in powerful ways, but He will order our steps with the elections. So as we pray, let’s ask God to unify our hearts so that as these elections take place, we will all know without a doubt that we have made decisions in agreement with the heart of God and our new leadership can step into their roles knowing that God has provided a clear path to the future.
Pastors, bring your team and let’s encourage everyone we know to join us for NetCon25. Becky and I can’t wait to see you all and we’ll be praying with you that this year’s meeting will be amazing!
We love you all and hope to see you on April 8 here in Albuquerque!
Pastor Mike Dickenson
CELEBRATIONS ACROSS NEW MEXICO
NEW CHURCH JOINING OUR NETWORK
Earl & Christy McQuitty Farmington
Liberty Christian Fellowship with Mike Dickenson, Network Pastor 12/8/24
PASTOR INSTALLATION
Jerran & Celeste Duty
Portales
Trinity Family Church with Dereck & Gail Owen, Assistant Network Pastor 2/23/25
Pastor John Goldshot
A BULLPEN STRATEGY
A baseball team relies on a diverse group of pitchers—starters for endurance, relievers for adaptability, and closers for precision—just as a leader depends on a range of experts to navigate different challenges. Financial advisors provide long-term strategy like starting pitchers, mentors offer timely guidance like relievers, and closers step in to seal the deal. No single pitcher is expected to have all the skills and techniques to lead the team to a successful season. Instead, a team thrives by leveraging each pitcher’s unique strengths. Likewise, a leader succeeds by assembling a well-rounded bullpen of advisors and resources for every situation.
I would like to encourage you to develop your bullpen as well. One such reliever would be a resource that I highly recommend for every church and board is a subscription to Church Law and Tax. It is an incredible resource that leverages the expertise of countless authorities on legal issues, finance, human resources and so much more.
Here are some things I’ve read recently:
• “Church salaries can typically be around 35 percent of the operating budget but can rise as high as 55 percent.”
• "Salaries and debt should not exceed 65 percent of total income.”
• “Maintaining flexibility in your budget is key for long-term financial health.”
Full article: https://www.churchlawandtax.com/human-resources/compensation/churchbudget-balancing-salaries-and-expenses-effectively/
Another article gave strategies to reverse a downward giving trend which included:
• “Emphasize generosity, not just giving.”
• “Teach them how the church is funded.”
• "Hold special giving celebrations.”
Full article: https://www.churchlawandtax.com/manage-finances/charitable-contributions/9ways-to-reverse-a-downward-giving-trend/
Other articles that have captured my attention:
• “Effective church budgeting, strategies for achieving your mission.”
• “Building a strong church cash reserves strategy for financial health.”
• “10 Key Tax Developments for Pastors and Churches.”
• “Is my housing allowance considered earned income?”
• “A church leader's guide to socially responsible investing.”
• "The Tax Implications of Churches and political involvement.”
Other articles dive deep into tax laws, employment laws, budgeting, legal issues and more. Check it out! At only $129/year it’s a valuable tool!
https://www.churchlawandtax.com/membership/
Pastor Dereck Owen
CREDENTIAL UPDATES
NEWLY CREDENTIALED:
Murilo De Souza, Certified, Clovis
Jerran Duty, Licensed, Portales
TRANSFERRED OUT:
Forrest Pasquier (C), S. TX
Jeremy Lance (L), IL
Steve Funston (O), AZ
Rudy Martinez (O), AZ
RESIGNED:
Shea Hoffman
DECEASED:
J. Mack Barnard, Ordained
Gary Dorsey, Ordained
Donald MacPherson, Ordained
Lin Hall, Ordained
LAPSED: CERTIFIED
Ivonne Antillon
Kelly Arias
Phillip Finley
Steven Harper
Jennifer Morales
Jamin Murphy
LAPSED: LICENSED
Darla Fields
LAPSED: ORDAINED
Todd Carter
Ramon Garcia
Michelle Redhouse
Zac Zimmerman
UPCOMING EVENTS
APRIL 26, 2025
GM BASICS TRAINING
ABQ REVIVAL CHURCH
REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 15
COST $10 PER PERSON
RSVP: mgrier@nmministry.net
NO LATER THAN APRIL 19
Miriam Grier, GM Director
MEN’S MINISTRIES
MEN’S MINISTRIES
