Bishop James King has asked all of us to make a covenant with him to practice the "10 Timeless Values" of the Christian life, as listed below. These are "holy habits" (acts of discipline) that will help us all grow in our relationship with God and people. This is all about grace, and not legalism or guilt. Even though we fall short of perfectly keeping all these "10 Timeless Values," they keep us focused on Christ and daily growing in Him. As the Corbin District Superintendent, this is our personal "Covenant Plan" as we walk with Christ every day, and we are asking you to form your own personal "Covenant Plan" around these "10 Timeless Values."

1. PRAYER

"Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, Jesus went out and departed to a solitary place, and there He prayed"
Mark 1:35.

"My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning, I will direct my voice to You and I will look up"
Psalm 5:3.

Plan: Every morning, I meet God in my "Prayer Room" at the "Corbin District Altar". On the "prayer wall" above the altar, is a map of the Corbin District will all 63 churches listed. I pray (direct my voice to God) for every church and pastor/family by name, and also pray for the Cabinet/Spouses as calling cards are in the form of a cross. At breakfast each morning, Judy and I share "The Upper Room" with prayer time for our family and others.

Results: Begin every morning with God in prayer.
Indicators: Prayer Room, Altar, Wall.
Actions: Set the Alarm Clock for at least 6:30 a.m. every morning.

• Read and pray aloud hymns from 1849 ME Church Hymnal.
• Pray for all those "on the wall," and others that God brings to my mind.
• Pray with Judy at breakfast (Upper Room).

2. SCRIPTURE

"Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth"
II Timothy 2:15.

"Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee"
Psalm 119:11.

Plan: Since I no longer have the "forced" discipline of weekly sermon preparation, I must be more intentional about my reading and studying of the Bible. Reading Eugene Peterson's The Message daily.

Results: Begin every morning with God in reading the Bible.
Indicators: Desk in Church Office/Study.
Actions: After time in Prayer Room, move to Office/Study for Scripture reading. Bible reading with Judy at breakfast (Upper Room), and Dr. Dennis Kinlaw's devotional book, (This Day with the Master).

3. THE LORD'S SUPPER

"Jesus took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me'"
Luke 22:19.

Plan: Since I no longer have a "Communion Steward," and lead in the celebration on the first Sunday of each month, I must plan and prepare with more intention. Weekly celebration with Judy in the parsonage, and open opportunities in the district.

Results: Weekly Celebration of The Lord's Supper
Indicators: Make our Kitchen Table "The Lord's Table"
Actions: Every Friday Morning at Breakfast will also be "Holy Communion".
Also in Churches across the Corbin District, Cabinet, and Emmaus.

4. FASTING

"But you, when you fast…"
Matthew 6:17.

Plan: I have "fought weight" my entire life, and because of the extra weight, I am plagued with high blood pressure and Type II Diabetes. My weight had climbed to 259 pounds, and my goal is to be down to 220 pounds by Annual Conference 2004, not by diet but by balanced eating and exercise.

Results: Weigh 220 pounds by Annual Conference (June, 2004)
Indicators: Balanced Eating and Exercise.
Actions: Eating - no sugar, no snacks, diet softdrinks. Exercise - Walking, Biking, Tennis, Baptist Fitness Center (at least one of these four daily)

5. CHRISTIAN CONFERENCING (FELLOWSHIP)

"God is faithful, Who has called you into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord"
I Corinthians 1:9.

"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…"
Hebrews 10:25.

Plan: There is a "loneliness" in being a D.S., as you belong to the Church, but not to a local church family. I'm joining an Emmaus Reunion Group, and as active as I can be in the Corbin First UMC.

Results: Scheduled "fellowship" time with Christian sisters and brothers.
Indicators: Groups in the Community and District.

Actions:

Friday Noon Emmaus Reunion Group in Corbin. The District Teams with whom I meet on a continuous basis Cabinet Meetings.
Programs at Corbin First UMC (Our "home" Church)
Constantly updating our Corbin District Web Site
Keeping in touch with plenty of e-mails, cards, letters, phone calls

6. BAPTISM

"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism"
Ephesians 4:5.

Plan: To assist in all the Baptisms that I can.
Alert the pastors to this desire to be there and sharing in the joy.

Results: Sharing in Baptisms.
Indicators: Local Churches across the Corbin District.
Actions: Asking Pastors to invite me to come for Baptisms.

7. WITNESS

"…you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth"
Acts 1:8.

Plan: To know and love the people in my neighborhood, by inviting them over to our house for food and fellowship. Sharing the "wooden crosses" across the district, and in personal witnessing as a daily lifestyle.

Results: Sharing Christ with our neighbors.
Indicators: Meeting and Knowing People.
Actions: Neighbors in our home every "Spring/Fall" for Fish Fry.
Wearing the "wooden cross" every day, and giving it away.

8. JUSTICE MINISTRY (WORKS OF MERCY)

"What does the Lord require of you:
Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God"
Micah 6:8.

Plan: Work with Henderson Settlement and the Bennett Center.

Results: Reaching out to people beyond my neighborhood.
Indicators: Going beyond the city limits of Corbin.
Actions: Serving on the Boards at Henderson Settlement and the Bennett Center.

9. SABBATH - The Hebrew word for "Rest"

"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while"
Mark 6:31.

Plan: Intentional "time off" and "time away".
Workouts with Judy at the "Baptist Family Fitness Center".
Avocation - Fishing!
Trips to visit our children and grandchildren.

Results: Daily and Weekly times for "R&R"
Indicators: Quality time "away/off" from the District Office.
Actions: See the "exercise program".

10. STEWARDSHIP

"The earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein"
Psalm 24:1.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father…"
James 1:17.

Plan: There is no Hebrew verb "to have"…it is all simply given "to me". All of life (health, family, sense, things) is from God's grace, and keep that point focal by constant and habitual giving: + 10% of our income to the churches across the district. $150 weekly to a different local church in the Corbin District for ministry with Children and Youth, except on the first Sunday. $150 on the first Sunday of each month for our Corbin District Web Site

$25 weekly to the Corbin First UMC, where Judy is a member. $30 monthly to Randall and Kim Davenport, who are the Directors of Campus Crusade for Christ at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Ky.

Our personal wills are up-to-date, and we have named Covenant UMC in La Grange, Ky. to receive 10% of our total estate after Judy and I have passed on to heaven, and all expenses have been paid. This is under the direction of the Permanent Endowment Fund Team at Covenant UMC.

Results Conscious and alert every day that every thing is a gift from God.
Indicators: Giving to God and to people.
Actions: Weekly tithing to the Churches across the Corbin District.
Special Offerings beyond the tithe.