Iowa Baptist Conference
eNewsletter |
|
|
|
Dear Friends,
This eNewsletter comes to you from the
district office of the Iowa Baptist
Conference... keeping pastors and
leaders informed of activities across
the state... and opportunities and
resources available through the IBC &
the BGC.
If you are NOT viewing this in HTML
format... you are missing a LOT!
|
|
aNEWthing! |
|
---Isaiah
43:18-19
We continue
to be guided by Isaiah 43:18-19! God is
creating aNEWthing! for
Iowa!
"Roadways through wilderness and rivers
flowing through deserts!"
How?
We don't know. To God, it is His
plan. To us it is a
puzzle! |
|
FIRST PUZZLE PIECE
COMPLETED! |
|
---IBC Profile Published! 
In mid-June... the IBC PROFILE was
completed... and published on the website!
On June 23, it was placed in the hands of
Iowa's four neighboring district executive
ministers--Heartland, Minnesota,
Great Lakes, and MidAmerica!
Creating the profile was a rigorous
collaboration!
Several IBC lay persons, pastors, and staff
members contributed content, counsel, and
corrections to the final document! Together
they accomplished a task you will be proud
of! Together they "laid on the table" IBC's
first major piece of the puzzle revealing
aNEWthing!--that
picture of what God wants to accomplish in
Iowa this coming year!
Check it out for yourself on the
website. |
|
|
|
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? |
|
---Over
the next few months...
SIX groups will create six more puzzle
pieces.
A. FOUR
NEIGHBORING BGC DISTRICTS
- After neighboring
districts have examined IBC's profile, they will
determine whether there is any interest in
proceeding any further with the IBC. If there
is no interest in proceeding further, they will
simply inform us.
- If there is
interest... initial meetings will be scheduled
with IBC's Director of Transition (and others)
for face-to-face discussion.
- If further interest
develops, IBC will request a written
PROPOSAL-describing that district's
"best case" scenario for inviting ~forty
churches, and/or a camp, into their district...
or whatever portion in which they have
interest.
- Their PROPOSAL
would include:
- A brief district
history
- The overall
philosophy and operation of their district
ministry-specifically their district's
philosophy of Mobilization, Multiplication,
and Christian camping.
- Services--the
services their district currently
supports/provides its churches and pastors.
- Finances--the
current financial condition of their
district.
- The type of
"merge," and timeline, they would
propose--Complete, Attach, or Divide.
- Staffing--the
method by which they would staff the
district to accommodate additional churches
and/or a camp.
- Four Issues--the
responses they would propose to the four
issues that emerged through IBC's SWOT
analysis. (See "Key Areas of Focus"
below.)
- Negotiables--the
factors they would consider negotiable or
non-negotiable.
-
Appendix--reference documents, links to
web-based resources, etc.
B.
TWO IOWA WORK GROUPS
Two highly respected and
trusted IBC'ers will lead work groups focused on
specific subjects within Iowa-Restart and Pine Lake
Camp.
- RESTART
(Continued Autonomy) - Union Park pastor,
Frank Cook, has volunteered to
lead a group to examine and report on all the
issues related to "restarting" IBC, or
continuing as an autonomous district.
- PINE LAKE
CHRISTIAN CAMP - Longtime camp
advocate, Janet Taylor, has
volunteered to lead a group to examine and
report on all the issues related to Pine Lake
Christian Camp. Each work groups will have:
- Full empowerment
to create and present their "best case"
scenario and future financial support plan.
- Full support and
resources available from the IBC staff.
Over the summer, as these
FOUR BGC districts and
TWO IBC work groups are
creating six more pieces of the puzzle. No group
will know exactly what the other groups are
thinking, doing, or saying.
Sound confusing???...
complicated??? Good. This is one of those moments
where Christ-followers, walking by faith not sight,
live best! This is where God doing his amazing
work, can work best! Why?
 God
is not confused. Our puzzle isn't complicated
to Him. God knows what good plan, what
beautiful picture, He has in mind for us. He
knows how to make roadways through wilderness
and rivers through deserts! As each of the
puzzle piece makers follow Him, He will be
leading their hearts and minds... and shaping
their piece according to His purposes.
By fall, when the other
puzzle pieces begin to be laid on the table next
to the IBC profile... everyone will begin to see
what God is revealing!
That will be very
exciting!
|
|
SWOT ANALYSIS
COMPLETED |
|
---IBC
Board of Overseers' Input
On June 6-7, the Board of Overseers met with BGC
Executive Vice President and Director of
Mobilization, Ray Swatkowski, (and Gary
Harrison, Pinnacle Ministries), to do a
Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats (SWOT) analysis of the IBC.
The following results
provide insight and self-awareness for the reader:
- STRENGTHS
- The strong bonds
and relationships developed through LEAD
teams!
- The district is
debt free!
- The district has a
vibrant camping ministry!
- The district
maintains the momentum of a "Turn-around
District"!
- WEAKNESSES
- Weak sense of
"community"/accountability/commitment to IBC
- Too few churches
to support a "healthy" district
- Weak sense of
"trust" or confidence in elected district
leadership
- OPPORTUNITIES
- The opportunity
and ability for IBC churches to choose their
own future!
- Excellent growth
potential through unsaved, un-churched and
unaffiliated churches!
- Good relationship
with strong resources--BGC and neighboring
districts!
- Excellent
Next-Generation growth potential--children
and youth!
- THREATS
- Consumer mindset
and competition for time, resources, and
energy
- Imminent fiscal
ill-health/aging camp-facility needs
- Fear of
change/apathy/ignorance/division & strife!
|
|
WEBSITE COMMUNICATION |
|
|
Don't forget to check the
IBC Website
for the latest updates regarding
process and progress...
As
we seek God's direction for
"aNEWthing!'
|
|
CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
|
 Looking
Ahead...
- June 24-27 - BGC Annual Meeting - Bethel
University, St Paul
-
-
-
July 8 - IBC Board of Overseers Meeting - Ph
Conf
-
-
-
-
August 12 - IBC Board of Overseers Meeting -
Ph Conf
-
August 23 - SONICFLOOd Concert - Jesup Bible
Fellowship
-
September 19-21 IBC Men's Retreat at PLCC
-
September 20 - IBC Board of Overseers
Meeting - Eldora
-
Septermber 26-28 - IBC Women's Retreat at
PLCC
-
October 21 - IBC Board of Overseers - Ph
Conf
-
October 31-November 2 - Breakaway in Des
Moines
-
November 15 - Mid-Year District Meeting -
Eldora
|
|
MINISTRY
RESOURCES |
|
|
Following are brief summaries of
some GREAT ministry tools.
You can check out additional
resources at the IBC website in
regard to:
-
RETOOL KIT
is a BGC resource
designed to help churches become
all that God wants for them. It
is not a program... it is a
pathway... guided by a trained
Mobilization Coach who helps the
church discover and develop
healthy leaders, a biblical
community, and a clear vision
for the future.
-
 One
of the the end results is a
clearer vision for ministry,
along with a three year future
plan. Additional outcomes are
the changing of the church's
DNA, spiritual growth, (both
personally and corporately),
stronger community, and more
effective Kingdom impact.
For more information, contact
Pastor Jeff Scherer,
IBC Director of Mobilization
at: 319-290-6874 or
jeffscherer6@msn.com
-
SHALOM HOUSE is
a pastoral retreat center in New
London, WI
 -
facilitated by Pinnacle
Ministries and providing a
comfortable, safe place for rest,
refreshment and renewal for those in
ministry - based on the philosophy
that the health of our
churches, and ultimately our
communities, rests in the strength
and refreshment of our pastors.
Pinnacle Ministries
offers three levels of services...
from just "hanging out" to
professional counseling services.
Shalom House can
also be utilized for church
board and leadership retreats,
church staff training, missionaries
and their families, and pastoral
sabbaticals.
If your pastor doesn't know about
Shalom, please tell him or her about
it - better yet, send them
for a refreshing, relaxing break to
recharge their batteries for future
ministry!
For more information, go to:
www.theshalomhouse.org
-
QUIET WATERS MINISTRIES -
offers a FREE,
24 hour a day, 7 days a week,
confidential phone consulting
resource for BGC pastors and home
assignment missionaries called
CARELINE -
funded jointly by IBC & BGC
 Call
866.526.2222 to be
put in touch with a licensed doctor
or master's level counselor from
Quiet Waters Ministries
to talk about EITHER
personal OR congregational
matters.
Services are available for up to 3 hrs
of assessment and consultation via
telephone per isolated incident per
year.
All communication with the
denomination, regarding these
services is consistent with
confidentiality laws and
requirements, and with BGC's
policies and guidelines.
For more information about
Quiet Waters, go to:
www.qwaters.org
-
BGC CORNERSTONE FUND
is a ministry
of the Baptist General Conference
with a mission
 to
extend BGC ministries - by providing
loans for building/remodeling
projects within our conference
churches and ministry centers.
Our ministry is possible because of
the support of our investors, who
receive competitive rates compared
to like term investments and have
the satisfaction of knowing that
their investment is being used to
help expand ministries of the BGC.
For more information, go to:
www.bgccornerstonefund.org
-
CHRISTIAN LIBRARY
INTERNATIONAL
is a Raleigh, NC, based ministry
that distributes
 used
Christian books (fiction and
non-fiction), Christian music tapes,
Sermon tapes, CDs, DVDs, video
tapes, bible study materials, and
tracts to prisons, shelters and
international missions free of
charge.
What a
great way to "recycle" those dust
collecting books! For more
information, to to:
www.cli-nc.org
-
CHERISH CENTER
is a ministry of Shepherd's
Fold - providing housing,
counseling, nurturing, training, and
spiritual guidance to young ladies
experiencing the crisis of an
unplanned pregnancy. They have the
capacity to care for six girls at a
time for a period of 3-6 months.
And because they are supported by
individuals and churches, they have
the freedom to make Christ central
in the home and in the training.
The Executive Director, Jan
Turner, is a member of the
Milford Baptist Church
and is also their worship
director. She has seen this project
through the from the very beginnings
- property purchase, building
construction and equipping, and
staffing. In their first year of
operation they served eight girls.
Shepherd's Fold
Ministries, Inc., is a
local, interdenominational,
non-profit corporation working
to provide a home and a
hope for young mothers in
need, located in northwest
Iowa.
|
|
 IOWA
BAPTIST CONFERENCE
Magnifying God by Mobilizing &
Multiplying a Growing Family of Healthy Churches! |
|
|
|
|
Iowa Baptist Conference | 32203 - 230th Street | Eldora | IA |
50627
|
|
