samsnews

SAM Family News
This spot is like a community bulletin board for singles ministers/leaders. You may use it to post noteworthy items of interest to the singles leadership community. Send it to us via email as you would want it shown on this Internet site. If it fits, we'll post it. The type of news items could vary widely from awards and accolades to the more sad and somber things that would prompt us to be in prayer. You may send us news about yourself or a friend in singles ministry. This is your spot, so use it to share the news of what's going on in the leadership family. Email that information to Don Davidson at the SinglesMall and we'll upload it to this page. Also, if you're at a new position, please see instructions at the bottom of the page on how we can share that news with others involved in single adult ministry.

Dennis Franck Leaves National SAM Post with A/G, Starts New Company. As of July 1, 2014, the Single Adult Ministries office with the Assemblies of God Headquarters (Springfield, MO) is in transition. His new company, “FRANCK INSIGHTS,” is a premier coaching, consulting and speaking service to leaders, churches and other ministries to assist them in attracting and discipling single adults and single-parent families in their church and community. Dennis Franck has been a speaker, author and ministry director in single adult ministries for the Assemblies of God since 2000, and uses his three-plus decades of experience (21 years singles’ pastor, 14 years AG national director) to help leaders like you! You may conact him at his new emails address: franckinsights@gmail.com or by phone 417.849.2027. (Posted June 2014)

COR Singles Minister Moves to New Position. Chris Holliday, Minister to Single Adults at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection (COR), Leawood, KS, recently announced that he is changing positions within the church. Here is the official announcement of his transition:
     "Since October of 2009, I have been privileged and blessed to hear your stories, serve alongside you, and walk life's journey with you as the Minister to Single Adults. I am writing to tell you that God is now leading me to a new ministry position. On June 1, I will become the Associate Minister at our Resurrection West campus in Olathe, KS. Thank you for all your encouragement and support along the way. It has truly been an honor to serve with you.”
    Chris previously served as Pastor of Music and Worship at Prairie Baptist Church, Prairie Village, KS. He was there 6 years before joining the COR staff as Minister to Single Adults in the fall of 2009. The church, the largest UM church in the US, and is in the process of interviewing candidates for the vacancy. (posted May 2012)

Rich Avila, Long Time Singles Adult Pastor, Stepping Down: Rich Avila, Singles Pastor at Sheffield Family Life Center in Kansas City, Missouri, will be stepping down from his position after 15 years of successful ministry, effective September 30, 2011. Rich will continue to serve as the Assemblies of God, Southern Missouri District, Single Adult Ministry (SAM) coordinator. In addition, he will stay on as one of the A/G's SAM national team members. He founded the KC Metro Christian Singles in 2005, and will remain active in SAM in Kansas City.
    Rich is currently working on developing a not-for-profit organization that will provide college scholarships to deserving KC Metro students. His educational goals are to pursue a PhD and to teach at the college/university level. He and his wife Dana would covet your prayers as they pursue God's will for their future. Ed. note: If you'd like to send Rich and Dana a farewell blessing and/or stay in touch with them, his new email address is richavila@gotinspiration.net (posted May '12)

SAM Journal Now Extinct: After 23 years of print and/or web publication, the final issue of SAM Journal was published in the Spring of 2007 and is now posted on www.SAMJournal.com. Past issues of the electronic version will continue to reside on the website, accessible to anyone at any time at no cost. (posted Mar. 08)

Living Solo Magazine Is Back! Sometimes in life and in business, God allows things to come to a halt in order to work in our lives. The publishing of Living Solo magazine provided such a halt for the owner/publisher Alan Corry. Never wanting to give up on the vision of providing a resource for Christian single adults, Alan had to suspend operations for a period in order to reorganize. Although it has taken a while to work though some publishing issues, Living Solo magazine is now back in business at www.singleadultministry.com and can be downloaded as a PDF file.
    Living Solo magazine is an non-denominational periodical for both Christian single adults and church leaders. Living Solo targets Christian singles from ages 30 to 65
and it does not carry personal ads. Each issue has something for every single life situation - with topics like Living Solo, Relationships, Missions & Ministry, Single-Parent Families, and Leadership. Most the articles are written in the first person and are about real life circumstances. To learn how to receive your free download or to support the publishing of the magazine - go to www.singleadultministry.com. (posted Feb. 2007)

SAM Convention Temporarily Suspended: After 14 consecutive years of SAM conventions, 2007 will mark the first year since 1992 without this inter-denominational gathering of single adult ministry leaders from across the country. Cook Communications Ministries, the sponsor of the SAM and FutureGen national conventions, is in the midst of major, strategic reorganization -- including nearly all new senior leadership. The SAM/FutureGen organizers are spending 2007 as a year of research and evaluation to align future endeavors with Cook's priority to "do the right things and do them right." Susan Tjaden, the director of SAM and FutureGen conventions, wants to emphasize that this decision should not be interpreted that single adult ministry and young adult ministry are declining in importance or significance in the country, but rather that Cook is evaluating their own core competencies and ministry focus. Determinations of future conventions are expected to be announced by early 2007.
    SAM conventions were started by Singles Ministry Resources (SMR). Jerry Jones founded SMR in 1982 as a way to develop resources to equip, train and educate the church to effectively reach single adults for Christ. SMR initially consisted of the national SALT (Single Adult Leadership Training) convention and a SALT newsletter. The SALT convention became inactive in 1983 and was reborn as the SAM Convention ten years later, and has been held annually since that time.The SALT newsletter later evolved into the SAM Journal print magazine. SAM Journal became a free, electronic web-zine in 2003 (www.SAMJournal.com). Cook Communications Ministries, who purchased SMR from founder Jerry Jones in 1993, will continue to publish the SAM Journal online magazine. (posted August 2006)

SAM Journal Now Online: "Wow, SAM Journal has changed! Instead of being a printed magazine, it's now on the World Wide Web! Same great content you've grown to love, now in a format for the 21st century! So, you might be asking, "What is an online magazine?" Well, let us tell you. Instead of being printed, SAM Journal now makes its home on a website (www.samjournal.com). Just as before, there will be six issues per year. Only, instead of mailing you a printed copy, we're going to e-mail you to let you know the new edition is online (or you can just go to the website any time you want and view the current issue!). It still has the look and feel of a magazine, we've even incorporated "print this page" links so you can print it out and take it with you. You will notice some improvements which would never have been possible with a printed magazine. Thanks to the wonder of hyperlinks, you can check out information much easier than before! You'll find the Websites/Networks features incredibly convenient now. Interested in a book in the Recommended Reading section? You're a click away from being able to get more information or even purchasing it! E-mail article authors, check out their websites--there's so much you can do!
    "Be the first to know when the latest edition comes online! We're going to be sending out notifications via e-mail every-other-month as the new editions of SAM Journal come online. If you'd like to be included in these e-mails, then drop us a line at samresources@cookministries.org and tell us to add you to the list."
(Submitted by Susan [Goter] Tjaden, SAM/FutureGen Coordinator, Cook Communications Ministries, Sept. 24, 2003)

At a New Position? If you're involved in singles ministry and at a new position, we invite you to email us that information and we'll post it here as a way of informing other singles leaders of your new position. Please include previous position and location along with your new title, church/address/phone/email, and effective date for new position. Thanks!!!

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