[ag-news] AG NEWS #1796: March 29, 2010

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AG-NEWS: Monday, March 29, 2010 
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**Joseph R. Flower passes

Joseph R. Flower, long-time minister and former executive
officer with the Assemblies of God, passed away Monday. He was
97. Friends may call Wednesday, March 31 at Greenlawn Funeral
Home North from 6-7 for visitation. Visitation will also be at
Central Assembly of God, 1301 North Boonville, from 10-11 a.m.
Thursday, April 1 with memorial services to follow at 11. An
interview from Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center with Joseph
Flower can be found at: http://agtv.ag.org/Flower1980.


**Voluntourism: Churches and ministries reap the benefits from
family volunteer vacations

More and more families embracing "voluntourism" where portions
of vacation time spent volunteering. Opportunities abound,
including with AG U.S. Missions. U.S. MAPS coordinates
volunteers to assist churches and institutions with
construction and evangelism projects. Article shares several
examples. For more information, contact U.S. Missions office at
(417) 862-2781, extension 3060. Learn more about U.S. MAPS at
http://USMAPS.ag.org.


**This week in AG history -- March 30, 1929

Featured in this week's issue of the "Pentecostal Evangel" are
articles by Ernest S. Williams, N. E. Gustafson, P. C. Nelson,
and others! Click here to read this issue now:
http://s2.ag.org/mar301929
 

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link).
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**JOSEPH R. FLOWER PASSES

The Rev. Joseph Reynolds Flower, 97, long-time minister and former
executive officer with the Assemblies of God, entered the presence
of the Lord, Monday, March 29. He was born in Indianapolis in 1913
and observed his 97th birthday on March 1.

Assemblies of God General Superintendent Dr. George O. Wood said,
"For 44 years of our 96 year history, a Flower served as general
secretary of the Assemblies of God. J. Roswell and Alice Reynolds
Flower were part of a small company that helped found the church. J.
Roswell served altogether 26 years as general secretary. Their son,
Joseph R. Flower, was elected general secretary in 1975 and served
until his retirement in 1993. It was my great privilege to succeed
him in office. Brother Flower served our Fellowship with passion and
excellence. He was a joy to be around. His wit and humor
complemented his wisdom and godliness. The Assemblies of God is
richer because of the contribution of this true Pentecostal
statesman. He has now joined his dear wife, Mary Jane, in that
heavenly host of witnesses. As a Fellowship, we are deeply indebted
to them and their family for laying strong foundations that support
today the world-wide outreach and growth of the Assemblies of God."

Joseph Flower was a year old in 1914 when his father and mother, J.
Roswell and Alice Reynolds Flower made a decision that was to change
the destiny of the Flower family. His minister father attended the
organizational meeting of the Assemblies of God in Hot Springs,
Arkansas, and was elected general secretary of the new organization.
Joseph's parents transferred ownership of their Christian Evangel
magazine (now the Pentecostal Evangel) to the Assemblies of God.

When the Assemblies of God moved its offices and printing equipment
from Findlay, Ohio, to St. Louis, in 1915, the Flower couple moved
with their two children, 2-year-old Joseph and baby Adele.

In 1918, when Joseph was 5, his parents moved with the Assemblies of
God headquarters to Springfield, Missouri, where they helped set up
the new offices and Gospel Publishing House at 434 W. Pacific Ave.
Joseph attended Weaver Elementary, Pipkin Jr. High, and later
Central Bible College. His other schooling included Jr. high and
high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Franklin Marshall College
in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

He was preparing for a teaching career when he attended a camp
meeting in western New York. He said later, "It seems that God dealt
with me in a special way at that camp meeting to go into the
ministry."  In 1932 he returned to Springfield and enrolled in
Central Bible College to prepare for the ministry, graduating in
1934.

His ministry with the Assemblies of God from 1934-1954 included
pastorates in Pennsylvania, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York. The
New York District of the Assemblies of God elected him as
superintendent in 1953, a position he held until 1975 when he was
elected to the national office as the general secretary, which
brought him back to Springfield after an absence of more than 40
years. He held the general secretary's position until retiring in
1993 at the age of 80. During his long ministry, he wrote numerous
articles for Assemblies of God periodicals and served on various
administrative committees, and boards ? including the boards of
Central Bible College, Evangel University and the Assemblies of God
Theological Seminary.

Joseph married Mary Jane Carpenter, an evangelist, in 1940. She
preceded him in death in 2000. Their three children survive: Joseph,
Jr., Mary Alice, and Paul. He has 6 grandchildren and 3
great-grandchildren. Also surviving are his brother, the Rev. David
Flower, Springfield; a sister, the Rev. Suzanne Earle, Limington,
Maine; and a sister-in-law, Verna Flower, of Arlington, Virginia.
Siblings who preceded him in death were Roswell, George, and Adele.

Five of the Flower children ? Joseph, Adele, Suzanne, George, and
David ? received ministerial ordination with the Assemblies of God.
Another child, Roswell, was preparing for the ministry at Central
Bible College at the time of his death. The other three sons  ?
Joseph, George, and David ? followed their father as Assemblies of
God district superintendents.  Inspired by their parents' Christian
devotion and hope for life beyond this life, the children's positive
greeting was the familiar "Maranatha, our Lord cometh."

When the Assemblies of God established the archives and visitors'
center in 1999, the executive officers honored the family by naming
it the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center. Their family photos,
videos, and memorabilia are among the many historical items on
display.

Joseph was a member of Central Assembly, Springfield, Missouri,
where he succeeded his mother as teacher of the Homemakers Sunday
School class. He was a familiar figure at basketball and football
games and other activities at Central Bible College and Evangel
University.

In looking back over his life  ? through some difficult times  ?
Joseph once said, "I always felt that God was there behind the
scenes controlling my destiny and being in charge of all the
circumstances."   And he often quoted Philippians 1:6, "Being
confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry
it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (NIV).
"Maranatha, our Lord cometh."

Friends may call Wednesday, March 31 at Greenlawn Funeral Home North
from 6-7 for visitation. There will also be a visitation at Central
Assembly of God, 1301 North Boonville, from 10-11 a.m. Thursday,
April 1 with memorial services to follow at 11.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that in Joseph Flower's
memory contributions be made to the Flower Pentecostal Heritage
Center at the Assemblies of God headquarters.

An interview from the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center with Joseph
Flower can be found at: http://agtv.ag.org/Flower1980.

--AG News


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**VOLUNTOURISM: CHURCHES AND MINISTRIES REAP THE BENEFITS FROM
FAMILY VOLUNTEER VACATIONS

When family vacation time rolls around this year, a growing
percentage of Americans plan to volunteer at least some of their
time off. The trend, commonly known as "voluntourism," combines
vacation travel with volunteering at the destination visited.

Proponents of voluntourism say it meets the needs of busy people who
want to volunteer and travel; when well-managed, volunteers can be
very productive; and positive experiences can lead to more sustained
service.

About 40 percent of Americans say they're willing to spend several
weeks on vacations that involve volunteer service, with another 13
percent desiring to spend an entire year, according to a 2008
University of California-San Diego survey.

Opportunities abound all over the world. And while several
organizations and Web sites (some more trustworthy than others) have
sprouted up to help "voluntourists" find the right fit for them,
Assemblies of God ministries have been matching volunteers with
service projects since long before the trend gained national
attention.

Volunteers are welcome to serve rural communities, urban
populations, Native American Indian reservations, children with
special needs, youth, AG missionaries, churches needing repair or
construction and more.

"With construction projects, we always welcome skilled people such
as plumbers, electricians and carpenters," says Zollie Smith,
executive director of Assemblies of God U.S. Missions. "In most
cases, we have those individuals. But we never have enough volunteer
laborers who can come alongside to enable the trained to move
quickly and accomplish more. We are looking for anyone who has the
heart and will to work."

Shae and Sheri Smith along with their six children regularly serve
with U.S. MAPS (Mission America Placement Service), a branch of AG
U.S. Missions, which coordinates volunteers to assist churches and
institutions with construction and evangelism projects.

Many volunteers who serve with U.S. MAPS are retired, but Sheri
Smith and her husband, Shae, want to instill a sense of service in
their children (ranging in age from 10 months to 17 years old) now.
Shae works remotely as an engineer so they can travel wherever the
need is and homeschool their children along the way. Even 2-year-old
Josephine helps sweep.

"It has to start when they're small," Sheri says. "I don't start
teaching kids about the Lord when they're 15. It's the same for
serving. You've got to teach kids to think about others. That starts
in their hearts at a very young age."

On a recent project, Sheri and Shae's 17-year-old son did drywall
for 30 hours a week, working with and learning from godly men in
their 70s. Sheri encourages families with kids of any age to
volunteer and serve.

"We teach our children to see windows that need to be washed,
garbage to be picked up off the ground," she says. "We can't help
everyone all of the time, but the Lord will show you what you are to
do."

Several families have told U.S. MAPS Director Jerry Bell that
volunteering has made their family ties stronger.

"They're working toward a common goal," Bell says. "Families that
still have children at home are teaching them the value of giving
back, and the recipients of that help are amazed at the quality of
work our people can produce."

Currently there are more than 90 MAPS construction projects under
way. In the past two years, more than 220,000 volunteer hours were
donated and more than 100 projects completed, including some
projects for Refuge Church, an AG congregation in Perry, Georgia.

"Building a new facility seemed only a dream that was so far out of
reach that it was fading quickly," says Refuge Pastor Billy Thomas.
"But God used the MAPS volunteers to help us complete two projects,
and now we are in our third project building a new sanctuary. One of
the greatest joys we have had is watching the children learn
ministry by becoming involved in the work that is taking place. The
kids see ministry and become involved when we show the importance of
ministry in our own lives."

Pastor Tim Broiher says Liberty Worship Center in Edwardsville,
Illinois, saved $250,000 by using U.S. MAPS volunteers on a building
project.

"I'm thinking about dedicating one week of my vacation time to U.S.
MAPS now, too," Broiher says. "It's better than going somewhere,
spending a lot of money and lying around."

While U.S. MAPS projects require travel, other AG missions
ministries can make use of shorter spans of time in an area close to
home.

Jeremy Dickson, a student at Evangel University in Springfield,
Missouri, volunteers with Rural Compassion.

"I have been asked if I could spare just 10 minutes to locate a home
that Rural Compassion was to work with in the near future," says
Dickson. "Because I volunteered 10 short minutes, the other
volunteers were able to find the house without trouble."

He has also spent an entire day volunteering with them to provide
free firewood to those who could not otherwise afford it.

"Since I began volunteering, I have realized that I obtain a larger
amount of happiness knowing that I am part of something that is
bigger than I am," he says.

To find out more about AG volunteering opportunities, call the U.S.
Missions office in Springfield at (417) 862-2781, extension 3060.

"We always welcome volunteers even if it is just for a couple of
days," Zollie Smith says. "We thank God for those volunteers who
sacrifice their time and energy to advance the kingdom of God."

For more information about U.S. MAPS, see http://USMAPS.ag.org.

--Jocelyn Green, Pentecostal Evangel


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**THIS WEEK IN AG HISTORY -- MARCH 30, 1929

Is a Christian's suffering without purpose? Former General
Superintendent Ernest S. Williams, in 1929, wrote: "There is no
Pentecost without its Calvary; no permanent anointing of the Spirit
apart from a holy heart; no glorious, blissful, full devoted life
without its cross. The risen life and the cross cannot be separated.
They are each parts of one whole. You may avoid the cross of actual
experience and be a powerless professor of Christianity, but to be
an overcoming Christian there must be a crucifixion."

Read the entire article, "The Relation of the Cross and the
Resurrection to Experimental Holiness," in the March 30, 1929, issue
of the "Pentecostal Evangel."
 
Also featured in this issue:
* "The Risen Christ," by N. E. Gustafson
* "The Empty Tomb and the Easter Faith"
* "Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?" by P. C. Nelson

And much more! Click here to read this issue now:
http://s2.ag.org/mar301929

"Pentecostal Evangel" archived editions courtesy of Flower
Pentecostal Heritage Center (http://iFPHC.org). For current editions
of the "Evangel", click here: http://pe.ag.org.







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