EmailUpdate(Feb)

This news update 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!

2008 IBC Annual Meeting

Special in many ways!

SPECIAL TOPIC: This will not be a business-as-usual meeting, but a NEW thing!
SPECIAL SPEAKER: BGC President Jerry Sheveland is aware of IBC's discussion moving us toward some kind of transition. He has told me he really cares about Iowa. He wants to support us with his presence during our discussion!
SPECIAL MESSAGE: Jerry is looking forward to sharing his heart from Isaiah 43:18-19 on Friday and Saturday
SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Every church needs to be sure to elect their delegates... and be sure the IBC office has their email contact information A.S.A.P.! Did you catch that??? A.S.A.P.
SPECIAL COMMUNICATION: Over the coming weeks, we will be specifically keeping your delegates updated, to assist their preparation for making spiritually-mature and well-informed contributions to the process.
SPECIAL DISCUSSION/VOTE: It is essential that we gain broadly-based and well-considered participation during the discussion.
SPECIAL PRAYER: The BOO and Staff are prayerfully focused, and hopeful for a strong supportive vote, affirming the Board of Overseer's recommendation proposing a year of transition--a NEW thing!

TRANSITION YEAR PROCESS & PROGRESS!

Website location for information & answers...

A new YELLOW BUTTON is now located prominently on IBC's homepage!

The button points you to a new site dedicated to everything you might want to know about the proposed Transition Year... a NEW thing!

You will be able to see the entire process plan At-A-Glance, a Progress Chart Detail, Frequently Asked Questions, and other supporting documents.

From now forward, in every update, we will be reminding you to please check the website and hit the YELLOW BUTTON!!!

CHANGE ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL!

President's Leadership Briefing with Jerry Sheveland, January 2008

I want to share an exciting development that we believe will advance our vision to impact lives and communities through movements of reproducing churches around the world.

We have embarked on an amazing opportunity to launch a training and ministry center in Orlando, Florida. Several years ago the BGC birthed a church planting effort in Florida that has grown in scope, targeting cities around the world. The organization, now called Vision 360, is lead by Al Weiss, president of Disney Theme Parks worldwide, and Steve Johnson, former BGC pastor and church planting leader. Under Al and Steve's leadership, a 60,000-sq.-ft. training center is being constructed on a 40-acre site directly across the street from the headquarters of Wycliffe International and Campus Crusade for Christ. The training center is a combined effort of Crusade and Vision 360, who have invited the BGC to join their effort.

Here is where we stand with this project. Our BGC board of overseers unanimously voted to proceed on a plan to purchase 5000 sq. ft. of space in what is going to be named "The Bill and Vonette Bright Training Center." The overseers also authorized me to develop a staffing plan for a multiple-site approach for our BGC ministries. We will keep an operational center in the Chicago area, where most of our staff will continue to work. A smaller team of ministry leaders will relocate to the Orlando center to oversee our ministry partnerships and provide leadership for training and connecting events.

Click here... for the rest of the Jerry's article!

PASTORAL REFOCUSING

Peer-Facilitated Retreat for Pastoral Couples

by Marie Harrison, January 2008

WHY the need???

Pinnacle Ministries has observed several recurring themes as the causes of clergy in crisis. One is the level of expectation a church has of its pastor; this level is often unrealistic, and is frequently coupled with inadequate compensation packages. It assumes pastors are effective change agents, skilled counselors, dynamic preachers, superior fundraisers, and leadership dynamos. Churches set up the mutually exclusive goals of "help us grow" and "don't rock the boat". Unfortunately, pastors often try to accomplish both, to their growing frustration and exhaustion. Those are some of the reasons we feel pastoral refocusing is necessary.

Focus on the Family estimates that 1500 pastors a month are leaving the ministry permanently due to unrealistic expectations, personal hurt or disillusionment.
Dr. C. Wickman, president of Pastors in Residence, says that at any given time, one in eight pastors are right now thinking about resigning, even though they have no other pastoral position available. In fact, he says that out of 375,000 clergy in the US, 17%, or a staggering 63,750 pastors, are either in, or have been in, burn out.
Dr. Archibald Hart of Fuller Seminary relates that 75% of those surveyed in his work say they have a significant crisis due to stress at least once every five years, and 70% report having a lower self-image after they've pastored than before.

Pinnacle Ministries has recently begun to offer "Pastoral Refocusing", a three or four day, peer-facilitated retreat for a pastoral couple, conducted at Shalom House, to reflect on their call to ministry, and to prepare them for future chapters of ministry service.

Click here... to learn more about Pastoral Refocusing.

PINE LAKE WINTER UPDATE

Great Turnout for Winter Retreats! 2008 Winter Retreats

SENIOR HIGH - 60 kids, 11 Volunteer Counselors
JUNIOR HIGH - 109 kids, 20 Volunteer Counselors (up from 62 kids last year!)
JUNIORS - 57 kids, 8 Volunteer Counselors (up from 36 kids last year!)

Jr & Sr retreats were challenged to live for Jesus "Right Now"... by Steve Good, Youth Pastor at The River Community in Iowa City... and were led in worship by Mike Mentzer, Youth Minister & Worship Leader at The River's Edge in Iowa Falls.

Juanita Stevens from First Baptist in Forest City taught the Juniors about the power of prayer, while Julie Elsberry from Union Park Baptist in Des Moines, led worship for the weekend.

Despite COLD weather... a LOT of snow... and RESCHEDULING the Jr High weekend... ALL THREE retreats had a SIGNIFICANT impact on a LOT of kids! A number of campers indicated they made either a first-time commitment to Jesus or rededicated their life to Him!

So... what's next???? That would be SUMMER CAMPS! (Yes... the snow will melt... and the temperature will warm up!)

GOIN' ON A LION HUNT!

Invitation to 2008 Summer Camps... by Roger Sutton, Camp Director

Going on a lion hunt. Got me a gun. I'm not afraid. Look, what's up ahead... a gate... tall grass... a river... a tree... quicksand... a mountain... a cave. Can't go over it... can't go under it... can't go around it... gotta go through it.

So goes the chant that many Boy Scouts have learned around the campfire.

This summer our campers are "Goin' on a lion hunt." But, you say, "There aren't any lions around Pine Lake!" I've never seen any. At the same time, the world we live in is a jungle. The trees are thick, the river's deep, the grass is tall, there's danger everywhere.

I Peter 5:8 tells us, "Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." We hear the lion roar. We see the lion's shadow, but we do not have to fear. For fear would be our first response. We do not have to run or hide.

There is another lion. Rev. 5:5 says, "See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed." We don't have to fear. That Great Lion of Judah. Jesus, the Aslan figure from Chronicles of Narnia is with us. We don't have to fear.

Come to Pine Lake this summer. Learn more about the great God who loves us and wants us to live a life that doesn't have to fear what Satan and the world throw at us. Make friends with staff and other campers who love you and will walk through the jungle with you. We don't have to go it alone.

So... gather up your gear. Bring your friends. We're "Goin' on a lion hunt"

Click here... for complete calendar of events.

YOUR STORIES

ENCOURAGING ONE ANOTHER!

An Email dialogue... between an "Established Church Pastor" & a "Church Planting Pastor"... LEAD Team Colleagues! (Printed with permission.)

Pastor Dave Koenigsberg, Faith Baptist, Hampton

Carlton,

Your report was good. Keep up the good work. I know how discouraging ministry can become when the newness wears off and the"labor" of love becomes pure labor. I am not sure if you are there, but I wanted to tell you to keep on working for the kingdom. You are making a difference. Be encouraged brother.

Serving Together, Dave

Thank you, Dave. I appreciate your email!

Want to know the best of all? Last night, at the college age Bible study in the boy's dorm, one of the guys stayed afterward saying, "I didn't know really what to think about this religious stuff", and he shared his life struggles with tears, and I had the wonderful privilege of sharing the Romans road with him, and he prayed the most wonderful prayer asking God to be His Lord I've heard in a long time. Big strapping football player in tears before his Savior.

That's why we're doing it here - and why you're doing what you do there in Hampton! God is good! His Spirit is working and what a joy to have Him use our hands as His own.

Praying His blessing on you & the Faith family,Carlton

Dave

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Looking Ahead...

March 7-8 - Dynamic Worship Seminar at PLCC
March 28-30 - IBC Spring Scrapbooking at PLCC
May 1-2 - IBC State-wide LEAD Team at Cedar Rapids
May 2-3 - IBC Annual Meeting at Cedar Rapids
May 23-26 - "Memorial Day" Family Retreat (on-line registration)
June 15-20 - Juniors Camp
June 22-27 - Sixers Camp
June 29-July 2 - Base Camp
July 3-6 - "4th of July" Family Retreat (on-line registration)
July 6-11 - Jr High Camp
July 13-18 - Sr High Camp
August 1-3 - PLCC Homecoming Retreat Weekend (on-line registration)

IOWA BAPTIST CONFERENCE

Magnifying God by Mobilizing & Multiplying a Growing Family of Healthy Churches!