Iowa Baptist Conference
eNewsletter |
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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 &
Converge Worldwide (BGC).
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PUZZLE PIECES COMING TOGETHER!
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Merger Update...
At
its July meeting, the IBC
Board of Overseers voted
unanimously to recommend the
proposed merger of the IBC and
the MBC... and to present the
Plan of Merger and
the Articles of
Incorporation & Bylaws
for a new
Minnesota-Iowa Baptist
Conference, to our
IBC delegates for their vote on
November 7th.
The two legal documents will
be provided to our churches and
delegates the first week of
September, (60 days prior to the
November meeting.)
Additionally, the
Transition Team has nearly
completed their work... and will
also be providing a document, the
Plan of Integration,
addressing issues
relating to the integration of
services. The puzzle is nearing
completion! :)
REMEMBER...
all delegates to the May 1-2, 2009,
IBC Annual Meeting will continue to
represent their churches when the
IBC Annual Meeting is resumed on
November 7, 2009...
AND
again on February 6, 2010!
Mark these dates on
your calendars, blackberries, etc...
and keep them free! THESE will be
historic dates in the history of the
Iowa Baptist Conference!!!
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PINE LAKE MISSION TRIP |
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Look
What's Going Up! ...by
Roger Sutton,
Director of Pine Lake Christian Camp
There
are many opportunities to take mission's
trips. A poll of our churches would result
in a list that literally goes around the
world. From Chicago and Nashville to New
Orleans to Africa and beyond, many are
serving in near and far away places,
learning about God's work in strange and new
cultures, while offering "sweat equity" to
build and repair things that are so
desperately needed.
This week, our friends from
First Baptist in
Muscatine, have made a
trek to Pine Lake on a "mission's trip."
Work being accomplished ranges from erecting
our new small equipment shop to scraping and
painting several buildings. The list of
projects is long. The biggest challenge for
me has been keeping everyone productive and
supplied with the materials and plans! But
that is good. When the week ends, a great
number of those "nagging" projects will be
marked off. God provides...
The gifts that made the shop project a
reality have come from many places over the
last several years, including the
2007 & 2008 IBC Men's Retreats
and First Baptist,
Forest City. Thank you all for
being willing givers in so many ways. What
a blessing, personally and corporately.
--Roger
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STATS FOR THE CURIOUS |
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2009 Summer Camping Season 
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Total Number of Summer
Campers (6 Camps)-
574
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Total Number of Paying
Campers - 315
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104 Paying Campers came from non-IBC
Churches
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Total Number of TimeShare
Campers - 228
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10 of 41 IBC Churches participate in TS
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24% of IBC Churches send 40% of the campers
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Total Number of Pastor's
Kids (no charge) -
26
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Total Number of Complimentary
Campers - 5
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Total Number of 1st Time
Decisions for Jesus - 43
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Total Number of 1st Time Campers
to Pine Lake - 179
Even more curious???
Then...
Click here to compare stats for the past 8
years!
One
camper's personal testimony, as told by her
mom...
Thank you so much for giving her an
unforgettable GODLY experience- she just
fell in love with her counselor- and my
daughter is one that doesn't open up to
anyone and she usually is a worry bug. She
won't even have sleep over because of
separation anxiety-
However at camp she said that she didn't
even miss us- so that is good in many ways-
Thank you guys for all the love and
compassion you show to kids like my daughter
that you don't even know-- that helps prove
the fact that God does exist- she even came
home full of stories about the bible. I am
so thrilled to be part of your ministries.
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MORE STATS...
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IBC Income & Expense Update
Estimating
the year-end, (let alone monthly), income &
expenses for a non-profit corporation, (the
Iowa Baptist Conference), especially in this
current period of economic recession, is
really a step of faith!
Having said that, however... our
April-July financial report finds us
with a fairly balanced budget!
Overall income from
donations was slightly lower than what
was projected, while income from the
camp operation was significantly
higher. Higher than projected expenses,
however, offset the income... which left
us with a four-month net income of only
-$50!
Interested
in seeing more stats??? Then...
Click here to view IBC Church giving report,
(current as of August 5, 2009)
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IBC MEN'S FALL RETREAT |
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Only ONE Month Away! 
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WHEN: September
18-20 at Pine Lake
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Check-in:
5:00-7:00 pm
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Friday Supper:
5:30-6:30 pm
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THEME: Walk...
Run... Fly... (Is. 40:20-31)
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SPEAKER: Dr Lou Petrie...
serves as VP of Church Relations, Converge
Worldwide (BGC). His background includes life
experiences as a prison guard, firefighter,
constable in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,
and the pastor of three local churches which
were revitalized in their ministries under his
leadership.
People enjoy his interactive and engaging style
of ministry as he presents God's truth in a
relevant & revealing way!
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IBC WOMEN'S FALL RETREAT |
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Follows
on the Heals of the Men's Retreat!
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WHEN: September 25-27 at Pine
Lake
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Check-in:
5:00-7:00 pm
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Friday Supper:
5:30-6:30 pm
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HOST: New Covenant Church,
Knoxville
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THEME: "Go Light Your World" -
"Let your light so shine before men..."
Matt. 5:16a (KJV)
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SPEAKER: Susan Lawrence,
Christian speaker, author, storyteller, and
IBCer! After a 33 year career as a teacher of
special needs children, Susan hung up her
chalkboard to pursue writing and speaking full
time.... Storytelling and drama are intermingled
with teaching, in presenting Biblical principles
to her audience.
Susan is the author of two published
devotionals: "A Family Garden of Christian
Virtues" and "A Young Child's Garden of
Christian Virtues", plus articles for numerous
Christian publications.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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 Looking
Ahead...
2009
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August 7-9 - PLCC Homecoming Weekend
(Pine Lake)
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September 1 - IBC Board of Overseers
Phone Conf
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September 18-20 - IBC Men's Retreat
(Pine Lake)
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September 25-27 - IBC Women's
Retreat (Pine Lake)
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October 6 - IBC Board of Overseers
Phone Conference
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October 9-11 - IBC Scrapbooking
Weekend (Pine lake)
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November 3 - IBC Board of Overseers
Phone Conference
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November 7 - IBC Prayer Summit - (Pine
Lake - 9:00 am)
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November 7 - IBC 2009 Annual Meeting,
Resumed - (Pine Lake -11:00 am)
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December 1 - IBC Board of Overseers
Phone Conference
2010
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January 5 - IBC Board of Overseers
Phone Conference
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January 15-17 - Sr High Winter
Retreat (9th-12th)
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January 22-24 - Juniors Winter
Retreat (2nd-5th)
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February 6 - IBC 2009 Annual Meeting,
Resumed
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February 19-21 - Jr High Winter
Retreat (6th-8th)
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MINISTRY
RESOURCES |
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Following are brief summaries of
some GREAT ministry tools.
You can check out additional
resources at the IBC website in
regard to:
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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.
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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
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SHALOM HOUSE is
a pastoral retreat center in New
London, WI
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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 IOWA
BAPTIST CONFERENCE
Magnifying God by Mobilizing &
Multiplying a Growing Family of Healthy Churches! |
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