January 24, 2020 Newsletter

January 24, 2020 Newsletter

We are Engaging + Developing + Empowering
Leaders for Kingdom Movement!

Cultivate Tiny Habits

Effectiveness in life and ministry can be linked directly to the daily habits in your life. At the start of this year, I realized that to make progress in the areas of my spiritual, physical, mental and emotional health, I need to cultivate healthy habits. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying to link new habits with many of the routine aspects of my life. Here are some examples:

+ After I get out of bed in the morning, I say, “What a great day!”

+ After I drink my first sip of coffee, I open my spiritual journal.

+ After I brush my teeth, I floss my teeth too.

+ After I am offered dessert, I will decline.

+ After I work out, I will text the results to my family.

I realize some of these are super simple habits. But for a long time, I’ve wanted to floss my teeth every day and I haven’t done it. Linking this in my mind to be the next thing I do after brushing my teeth has helped me to develop a new habit of flossing.

There are dozens of areas in our lives where we want to see growth and change. Taking a simple step in the right direction by linking the behavior to your normal routine can make it easier to remember to do even a tiny habit.

What’s an area where you want to learn and grow?

How can you break the process forward into tiny steps? How can you link those tiny steps to your current routine?

My football coach in high school used to remind us each day: “Every day in every way we get a little better – hey!” This will only happen when we are consistent in little steps or habits that move us forward.

Prayerfully consider what tiny steps (habits) you can cultivate this week. And then celebrate your progress.

*****

This newsletter has some important information that you will want to read about California AB-5, which impacts all of our churches.

Plus recent news from Commission Church in Windsor, CO, a book recommendation, and more.

One last thing I don’t want you to miss – if you haven’t registered yet for our 2020 Regional Conference in May – you still have one week to take advantage of our never-before-offered Super Early Bird Discount. Register here.

We are committed to help you grow as a leader and to help you grow leaders around you!

For Kingdom Movement,

Dave DeVries
Regional Director
Missionary Church Western Region
[email protected]
(661) 312-1203 – Mobile | (805) 523-9085 – Work
www.mcwesternregion.org

AB-5 Subcontractor Versus Employee
Suggested Guidelines

As many of you know, California AB-5 went into effect on January 1, 2020. Below is an article from our HR resource, ManagEase, which includes the ABC test that the state of California recommends you use to determine if you should designate a worker as an employee or a subcontractor. Unfortunately, it is not 100 percent clear, especially when we think about how it applies to churches.

Based on input from our HR resources here are a few guidelines that might help. We want to emphasize that it is important to get information from your labor law attorney before making any final decision. If you need one, we have a recommendation. Please contact us at [email protected].

  1. If the worker is performing any role that is part of the normal activities of your church, they should be an employee. It doesn’t matter how many hours a month they work. (i.e. worship band members, a pastor that is a regular part of your teaching team, etc.)
  2. If a worker comes to your facility to fix something like a hole in a wall, they can be a subcontractor.
  3. Anyone you hire as a subcontractor should give proof of their business. Some churches are requiring them to be an LLC type business. This means the subcontractor is not using their social security number as their business identification.

AB-5 Guidelines In 2018, in Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court (Lee), the California Supreme Court set forth an ABC test for determining when an individual is an independent contractor rather than an employee for wage and hour-related claims. Specifically, the Court stated that a worker is presumed to be an employee unless the business proves:

(A) the worker is free from control and direction of the hirer in connection with the performance of the work, based in contract and in fact;

(B) the worker performs work that is outside the usual course of the hiring entity’s business;

(C) the worker is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, or business of the same nature as the work performed for the hiring entity. The previous Borello standard was left in place for determining independent contractor status for non-wage and hour claims.

For more information, click here.

Windsor Prayer Night

For months and months, our church body (Commission Church) has been praying for a gathering of believers from around our town of Windsor to pray. We think that it is time for the gospel-preaching, Word of God teaching churches in Windsor to set aside the preferences and denominational differences that separate us and gather in that name that unifies us: the name of Jesus!

And the purpose of this gathering is — in His name, we will cry out for boldness and courage to speak the gospel, and ask the Lord for an inheritance of souls in Windsor and Northern Colorado.

For the past two months, we have been meeting with local church pastors and leaders, including the pastor of a new satellite church in Windsor that has a large facility. We finally put a date down on the calendar to begin a monthly city-wide church prayer gathering…and that date was Tuesday (January 21).

Roughly 50 people showed up for this first gathering and it was amazing! There is nothing quite like believers gathering together to pray for souls. And the fact that at least 5 local churches were represented made it extra sweet.

We are praying and hoping for at least double that number of people and churches at our next gathering, which is scheduled for Tuesday, February 18. We will be working hard to connect with more local pastors and believers in the coming days/weeks, but Jesus will lead this and take it where He wants it to go. We envision one of these gospel church-wide monthly prayer nights being held in all of the towns in Northern Colorado. We see believers in Windsor, Greeley, Eaton, Johnstown/Milliken, Ft. Collins, Severance, etc. each holding monthly times of crying out for the salvation of souls.

What will God do with such cries? I suspect great things!

Pastor Willie O’Burke

“None can believe how powerful prayer is, and what it is able to affect but those who have learned it by experience.” – Martin Luther

We believe in the power of prayer! We want you to join our MCWR Prayer Team. If you’d commit to pray each week for our pastors and churches – sign up here and we will send you a weekly text or email with updated requests.

Book Review

The Mentoring Church

by Phil A Newton

A few years ago, I could not shake these three questions, “Who am I training? Who am I discipling? Who am I mentoring?” When I read The Mentoring Church, it gave me clear models to follow in order to begin pouring into those God has placed around me.

The Mentoring Church not only gives insight into how Jesus and Paul raised up disciples. It also gives example of what pastors of the past as well as the present have done to model and mentor those God has called. I highly recommend it.

– Pastor Kevin Moore

Upcoming Events

MCWR Regional Leadership Conference 2020

Register before February 1st to get the Super Early Bird price – $199. On February 1st the registration price goes up to $229. Don’t miss out!

When: May 19-20

Where: Calvary Community Church | Westlake Village, CA

Click here for more information