Summer 2012 at The Citadel

Citadel cordially invites you to join us at any of our events and special services this summer.

JUNE

Saturday, June 9 | 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM  Community Fish Fry

Sunday, June 10 | 5:00 PM  Impact Missions Sunday – A special service of commissioning and financial support for short-term missions trip to Guyana South America. Pastor Emmanuel John, a missions organizer and humanitarian, will be our guest speaker.

 

Friday, June 15 | 7:00 PM  LPC Choir Reunion Concert – A memorial concert of the Let Praise Continue community choir founded by Citadel’s former Minister of Music of 20 years, the late Elder William E. Rimson. He passed away in March 2012.

Monday-Wednesday, June 18-20 | 7:30 PM 

Rehoboth District Annual Conference – 3 nights of uplifting worship and inspiring Word.

Dr. Elijah Hankerson (Senior Pastor, Life Center Int’l COGIC - St. Louis, MO) will be guest speaker Monday night.

Dr. Elijah H. Hankerson ministers at West Angeles COGIC,

 Los Angeles, CA - COGIC Presiding Bishop Charles Blake, Pastor.

 Dr. Hankerson preaching during the 104th COGIC Int'l. Holy Convocation, St. Louis, MO

November 2011

Tuesday is Women's Night. Wednesday is Official Night. Bishop Donald L. Alford, Sr., Prelate of the Indiana North Central Jurisdiction COGIC, will be a special guest on Wednesday.

Friday-Saturday, June 29-30 | Summer Youth Summit – An empowerment and educational conference for Generation Z (youth ages 12-19). Elder Eric Taylor, Youth Pastor at Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC (Detroit, MI - Bishop J. Drew Sheard, Pastor) will be our special guest.

Year End at the Citadel

A winter chill has hit Indianapolis at the end of November. As a matter of fact, an early snowfall graced us today (and it's not officially winter). Yet the chill hasn't quenched the fire that's been falling at the Citadel of Faith Church of God in Christ. I just want to share what's happening in the last month of 2011 at the Citadel.

It's hard to believe, but this year marked my 27th year in pastoral ministry. Citadel will celebrate this milestone December 3 - 6, 2011.


The people that make up Citadel are the most generous and encouraging you'll find anywhere. It's been a distinct honor and godly pleasure to serve this congregation. Thanks Citadel for being a great church!

If you happen to be in the Indianapolis area this weekend, please be my special guest and enjoy the celebration with Pastor John C. Robinson, Sr. and Bible Way COGIC (Louisville, KY), Dr. William Adams of Greater Emmanuel Institutional COGIC (Detroit, MI), and Bishop Alan Gregory Porter of Greater Salem Church (Charlotte, NC).

Move When God Says, "Move!"

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Hebrews 11:8 ESV

 
WOW, what a year! It has been an adventurous year of faith for the Citadel of Faith Church Of God In Christ (COGIC) throughout the process of acquiring, relocating, and transitioning from the place of preparation to a place of promise.
 

Praise is due to God, who in His grace has brought the Citadel of Faith Church to a wealthy, spacious place! From our church’s inception out of the womb of very small COGIC church, to an incubator at the home of charter members, to a crib in a classroom at an old elementary school, to a laboratory in a 2,500 square foot building on less than an acre of land, God has now blessed us with a 25,000 square foot facility on 5+ acres of land in a strategic spot to do greater works for the Kingdom. God has prepared us through years of testing and learning in the laboratory at our old church location for entering into a new phase of ministry in our new church location to bring into fruition His promise and plan.

You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.

 Psalms 66:12 ESV

This time last year, I couldn’t have told you with confidence that we would be in a facility one year later like we are today. We knew it was necessary for us to either expand the building we were occupying, or relocate to a larger facility (God confirmed in 2008 to relocate). Either way would require reassessing and planning out a financial strategy and campaign for at least another two years. Then in January of this year, God spoke to my heart that it was time to move, to relocate the church saying “give Me something to work with.” I looked at our needs and what we had (I think you know what that means)…it didn’t add up on paper. The only thing I had to give God to work with was the bit of finances we had and a whole lot of faith. Needless to say, GOD DID IT! It’s amazing what God can do when He’s ready to move (there are plenty of biblical stories and personal testimonies confirming that).

One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are they for so many?”

 John 6:7-9 ESV

One of the adventurous and confounding aspects early on in this process was having our hearts set on a property we felt adequately met our needs and would allow for growth, but from the beginning of negotiations in the spring-time, everything always ended in a stalemate. We were yet encouraged with our facility having a buyer within 30 days of being on the market in June. Then in August, we became aware of the property we closed on December 1^st. The ironic thing with that is it was the very first property we viewed when we started looking at properties over two years ago when the economic market had hit rock bottom. The property had been taken off the market for sometime and was put back on the market this summer. God providentially orchestrated that, knowing exactly what we really needed. Most amazing is that we purchased the property for only 35% of what its list price was when we first viewed it! We held our first service in our new facility this past Sunday, December 12^th. We're celebrating the Christmas Holiday season in a great gift provided by the hand of God.

Whatever God may be challenging you with, if He says go, do, or move...act in faith. It's amazing what God can do when He's ready to move!

I invite you whenever in the Indianapolis area to visit the Citadel of Faith Church of God in Christ (COGIC) where we are endeavoring to transform and empower lives through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We're  located at 7676 E. 38th Street, between Shadeland Avenue and Frankiln Road at the I-465 overpass (Exit 42 off I-465). We'd love to have you worship with us! Please feel free to become a Facebook fan as well.


Copyright © 2010 Johnson Beaven III. All Rights Reserved.

Johnson Beaven is pastor of Citadel of Faith Church of God in Christ (COGIC). He serves as a district superintendent and Episcopal assistant in the COGIC Indiana North Central Jurisdiction; human resources director for the COGIC International Department of Evangelism. He is the Indianapolis site coordinator and an instructor for the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) Certificate in Theology Program, and a religion columnist for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. His Twitter account is @jbeaven.

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"Listen Up Preacher!" -- My Best Advice to Preachers

Use me, O God, not because it's the hour for the message, but because you've given me a message for the hour. -Ed Towne

This past Saturday I spent most of the day doing what I truly love—teaching. I enjoy every opportunity to teach and engage with persons in learning, preparing, and improving themselves to better serve the Lord and His Church in ministry. This was the final session of a homiletics course at a C. H. Mason Jurisdictional Institute of the Church of God in Christ (COGIC) denomination with persons preparing for the ordination process. The emphasis of this course was in expository preaching, which is becoming a preferred method among Pentecostal preachers.

One typical method of classroom learning is reading textbooks written by experts and professionals, in this case professors of preaching and famous preachers because we suppose those in the halls of academia and mega-church pulpits can offer the best advice for preaching. One such book, Best Advice for Preaching (1998) edited by John S. McClure, offers as the title presumes some great wisdom on the greatest endeavor persons like me have ever been allowed to engage for the eternal benefit of others.

It is not necessary for a preacher to express all his thoughts in one sermon. -Martin Luther

I thought for this course to include an added perspective. So I posted on Twitter and Facebook, “What would be your best advice to preachers?” I just want to share some of the replies with you.