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 &
Converge Worldwide (BGC).
|
|
ALMOST THERE!
|
|
Final Vote... February 6, 2010! .jpg)
It's been a long
road--two and a half years--since we
first began exploring potential options
for the future of the Iowa Baptist
Conference... but... we're almost
there!
On Saturday, November 7th, the
delegates and pastors overwhelmingly
voted to place the proposed
Plan of Merger and
the Amended Articles of
Incorporation and Bylaws
on the agenda for the February 6th
meeting. This will be the 2nd
continuation of the 126th IBC Annual
Meeting, initially held on May 1-2,
2009.
(Click here to read the minutes.)
And...
REMEMBER...
all delegates to the May 1-2, 2009, IBC
Annual Meeting continued to represent their
churches at the November 7th meeting...
AND...
will again at the final continuation of this
meeting on February 6, 2010!
The February meeting will be hosted by
Olivet Baptist Church in Urbandale...
and will include a
"Celebration of the Past"...
and a "Look to the Future"!
Plan now to attend!
|
|
|
|
MINNESOTA ALSO VOTES! |
|
MBC Delegates
Embrace a Merger with Iowa ...by Sue Shaw, IBC
Administrator 
The Iowa Baptist Conference
began the process of searching for
aNEWthing! about a year and half
ahead of the Minnesota Baptist
Conference, (as we were the ones
looking for
aNEWthing!)
Along the way, however, the MBC became a part of
that process... and here's a synopsis of
their journey...
In September, 2008, at our
invitation, the Minnesota Baptist Conference,
(along with three other neighboring
districts), presented a proposal to the IBC
Board of Overseers. The MBC proposal was for a
complete merger of the IBC, including our 41
churches and Pine Lake Camp, into the MBC.
In November, 2008, an initial
presentation of the proposed merger was made to
the MBC Delegates at their 2008 Annual Meeting.
Throughout the spring of 2009,
details and legalities were worked out, and,
subsequently, the
MBC Board of Stewards
voted unanimously to recommend the proposed
Plan of Merger to their
delegates at their 2009 Annual Meeting.
On November 7, 2009, the MBC
delegates overwhelming voted to continue to
pursue the proposed merger with Iowa... and
their 2009 Annual Meeting was continued until
February 6, 2010, when the
final vote will be taken!
If these last two dates sound familiar... it's
because they are! IBC's fiscal year starts in
April, and MBC's starts in October. So, because
we were ahead of Minnesota in this process,
we continued our May meeting to November 7, the
same day as MN's initial 2009 Annual Meeting.
 On
November 7th, both Districts voted to move ahead
with the merger process... and both then
continued their November meetings until February
6, 2010, at which time the final votes will be
taken. All of these continuations have been in
accordance with state laws and constitutional
requirements in regard to corporate mergers.
Despite the apparent sluggishness of the
process... the wheels ARE turning... and we are
now MORE than just on the down-hill side!
Details are already being worked out for the
anticipated merger, sometime next spring!
Despite a little angst in regard to the
enlarging geographical boundaries... both
districts are looking forward to becoming ONE...
and to seeing what great things God will lead us
to accomplish together for His Kingdom in the
years ahead!
|
|
PINE LAKE UPDATE |
|
|
On the Road with Jon Wicklund... & More ...by Roger Sutton, PLC Director
 The
last three days have been spent traveling back and
forth across the state with Jon Wicklund,
Executive Director of Trout Lake Camps. We
have met with Pastors in Lead Teams and dinner
meetings with friends of Pine Lake. What an
exciting and encouraging time! We've learned a
lot. We've quickly realized that the process, the
job, the responsibility of bringing our two camping
ministries together is a monumental task! Wick has
turned to me several times and said, "What are
we doing?" Just as I was writing this, his
statement was, "The beauty of this is... it's
all in God's hands!" What else could we ask
for? In the days ahead, we will continue to connect
and desire to understand what the future of the
ministry of Pine Lake needs to be, and we journey
together.
While we've been on the road, the recovery from the
hail storm three months ago continues. We've been
blessed with good and prompt insurance coverage.
Windows have been repaired and replaced and we are
over half way through replacing all the shingles on
all the buildings. Give the guys a couple more good
days and every building on the property will have a
new roof! It will be a blessing to not have to
consider that piece in our future budgets and
calendars for a long time!
A quick look at the calendar and I have to realize
that it's mid-November. The days have passed
quickly, but then they always do. As we personally
and corporately look forward to time with family and
friends around Thanksgiving, I must say thank you to
many people for many things.
 Staff,
volunteers, donors and guests have blessed us
through their presence, talents, service and gifts.
We could not possibly begin to serve through this
place, Pine Lake Christian Camp without you all.
Thank you for being faithful friends and testimonies
of the great love and faithfulness of our Great God.
Roger, Cathy, Andrew and Nathan |
|
OOPS... MY ERROR!
|
|
New Church Plant... Rhythm Church,
Mason City
Last month I introduced you to Nathan &
Elizabeth Gann... church planters for a
church plant in... "Fort Dodge"! Oops...
WRONG!
I meant... MASON
CITY!
At our
November 7th Annual Meeting, Nathan shared his
first impression of the IBC. It was one where
he saw leaders willing to be transparent... a
family he became excited to be a part of!
Here's more info on the Ganns and their
leadership team:
Nathan is the lead pastor
of Rhythm Church. He graduated
from the University of Kansas in architecture, and
Talbot Seminary in Los Angeles. After seminary he
worked on the leadership team at Word of Life
Church in St. Joseph, MO. His wife, Elizabeth, who
grew up in Forest City, also worked on staff at Word
of Life.
They moved to Mason City in 2009, knowing
God wanted them to start a church. Currently Nathan
works at Bergland + Cram Architects, and Elizabeth
works at Jitters Coffee Shop. Their son, Silas, is
two, and he likes Elmo's World.
Thaddeus
Seydel is the Music & Arts
Director at Rhythm Church.
He is passionate about God and loves to
express it through music and hard work.
Currently he works for Lahner Electric in Clear
Lake as an electrician. Thaddeus is originally
from West Liberty, Iowa, but spent 5 years in
Ames attending Iowa State University and serving
on staff at Cornerstone Church in the music
ministry.
While in Ames he married Michelle,
and after having two sons, Gunnar and
Conrad, they began seeking God's
direction about starting a church. There
was a strong desire to take what they
learned and experienced at Cornerstone
Church somewhere new, and God led them to
Mason City. Following the move to Mason
City they had their daughter Bennett,
and look forward to raising their family
here.
Here's a taste of what this new church is
all about... taken from The Message, Matt
11:28-30:
Are you tired?
Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to
me. Get away with me and you'll recover
your life. I'll show you how to take a real
rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch
how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of
grace. I won't lay anything heavy or
ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me
and you'll learn to live freely and
lightly.
|
|
CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
|
 Looking
Ahead...
2009
2010
-
January 5 - IBC Board of Overseers
Phone Conference
-
January 15-17 - Sr High Winter
Retreat (9th-12th)
-
January 22-24 - Juniors Winter
Retreat (2nd-5th)
-
February 6 - IBC 2009 Annual Meeting,
Resumed from November 7th (Olivet,
Urbandale)
-
February 19-21 - Jr High Winter
Retreat (6th-8th)
-
March 26-28 - IBC Spring
Scrapbooking Weekend (Pine Lake)
|
|
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
provides 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
New Journey Community 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! |
|
|
