August 2010

The Evangel
Volume 3, Issue 3
Continuing the Conversation of a Church Covenant
Happening this
month:

Pastor Dale C McIntire
Fishrman’s
Picnic August 6-8

Waterfront
Worship
August 8

Care Center
15

Church Picnic August
15

August 2010
August
Hispanic Family Camp
August
26-28
Inside this issue:
Events
3
Missions
Monthly
4
CCC Board
Minutes
6
It seems premature at
this point to call this a
“conversation” when so far
all we’ve done in relation
to this idea of a church
covenant is announce an
interest in researching it
and write an introductory
article in last month’s
Evangel (see Opening the
Conversation of a Church
Covenant, July 2010.)
Still, if this is ever going to
turn into a full-fledged
conversation among us
(which I think it must), we
need to get the basic ideas
and principles on the table
for discussion, so, let’s take
another step forward.
Mark Dever, pastor of
Capitol Hill Baptist
Church, in Washington
DC, has this to say about
church covenants in his
The Deliberate
Church, “We are trying to
book,
figure out how to go about
building a healthy church .
. . . So what we are
interested in here is
preserving the regeneracy
of local church
membership, and thereby
preserving the corporate
testimony of the local
church in the surrounding
community.” Essentially,
Dr. Dever identifies the
church covenant as a tool
to help ensure that
members of a local church
are actually born-again
Christians (regenerate)
who live together in such a
way that the gospel is not
damaged in the community
by the church’s practice of
faith. It is, after all, easier
to write a godly and good
reputation in the
community than repair a
bad one.
A church covenant
does not outline what a
church believes. An
affirmation or statement of
faith fulfills that function.
A church covenant answers
the question, how do we
commit to living together
given what we believe? We
say that there are certain
things that we believe. We
assert to hold the Bible as
our final standard for faith
and practice. But how do
we interpret and apply
what we believe the Bible
Continued Pg. 2
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Page 2
The Evangel
Continuing the Conversation of a Church Covenant
“A church
covenant can
help us to express
to one another
and to the
surrounding
community that
we, member of
Cornerstone,
expect ourselves
and one another
to not only
believe our
statement of
faith, but to live it
out.”
to say and mean? How do
we understand the Bible in
regards to life in the Body
of Christ, and what do we
do about what we
understand? This ethical
“doing” of faith is the
realm of the church
covenant.
Here’s an example: a
couple years ago we began
a discussion about alcohol
usage among Christians,
and
among
the
membership
at
Cornerstone in particular.
Two facts emerged from
that initial discussion: 1)
not every one at
Cornerstone shares the
same conclusions about
public and private alcohol
usage, and 2) no corporate
statement exists that helps
us
know
what
commitments we’ve made
to each other as fellow
believers and members of
Cornerstone Community
Church in this regard. We
have, it seems to me,
settled into an unspoken,
“don’t ask, don’t tell”
policy that is simply not
helpful to anyone’s
spiritual growth, and does
nothing to advance the
witness of Christ among
those who ask questions
about where we stand as a
church. We have not sat
down together and
worked
out
an
understanding of these
matters that we can agree
on and commit to, so we
have no corporate answer
to those who question us.
A church covenant,
worked through, written,
and committed to, can
help us shape our identity
together under the word
of God and the working
of His Spirit.
A church covenant
can help us express to one
another and to the
surrounding community
that we, members of
Cornerstone, expect
ourselves and one another
to not only believe our
statement of faith, but to
live it out. And, a church
covenant will help us
explain clearly how we
expect ourselves and one
another to live out our
statement of faith. A
church covenant will
finely explain what we
mean when we say, in
Article IV of our church
constitution, “The
membership of this
church shall consist of
such persons who confess
faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ as personal savior
and, as believers, have
been baptized by
immersion, who give
evidence of regeneration
by living consistent with
their profession of faith,
who take the Bible as their
rule of faith and practice,
and who agree to be
governed by this
constitution and bylaws.”
What is the evidence of
regeneration that
Cornerstone considers
“living consistent with
their profession of faith?”
What does that mean,
practically? Functionally?
Realistically? A church
covenant helps answer
that question.
We have a good deal
more information to
gather in regards to a
church covenant, but we
are not in a hurry. I
believe the issue is
important enough to
pursue diligently and too
important to compromise
with haste. In the end, if a
church covenant is to be
adopted by Cornerstone,
each member will need to
make the commitment it
describes. The church
covenant, then, must
reflect the principles of
God’s word, first and
foremost, and without
adding to them, but it
must also reflect the heart
of this congregation for
Christ, for as we commit
to one another and our
corporate life together, we
commit ultimately to
Christ and to being a
member of His Body for
His glory, for joy in the
Body, and for witness to
the world. That is
something we should take
seriously and do well.
Page 3
VVolume 3, Issue 3
2nd Half for Him Upcoming Events
2nd Half for Him is MIBC’s ministry for the retired
Annual “2nd Half for Him” Pig Roast
*Oak Haven Church,
1555 Constance Blvd. NE,
Ham Lake, MN 55304
An Educational & Recreational Retreat
At Shalom House
Trout Lake Camp
Tuesday, Sept. 14 - Thursday, Sept. 16
Thursday, August 19, 2010
11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.,

This year’s program is a “not-to-miss” event! The
Gambles, Jeremiah and Vanessa, will be there to share
their witty, musical charm. That wonderful charm
includes great spiritual truths - you will be laughing one 
minute and brushing back a tear the next! They will be
presenting, “My Name is Daniel”, a musical based on
the life of that biblical character.
Cost: $10 per person.
Speaker/Teacher: Dr. Gordon Johnson
Professor and Dean of Bethel Seminary for
20 years. Dr. Johnson has also been a pastor,
teacher, role model and friend to many.
His Topic: “My Hot Buttons:
*Making Decisions Wisely
*Coping with Suffering Wholesomely
*Facing Death Trustingly
*Oak Haven is located 1/4 mile east of Highway 65 on
Constance Blvd.—13 miles north of 694 and 20 miles
south of Cambridge.

Pre-registration is requested for both events.
Send name, address, phone number of those attending
and note of which event your are registering for to
MN/Iowa Baptist Conference,
1901 County Road E-2 West
St. Paul, MN 55112
Attn: Shirley Erickson (for Pig Roast)
Attn: 2nd Half for Him (for Dr. Johnson Retreat)
Make your check payable to MIBC.
Hosted by your ROUTE 66 Team: Fred
Tuma, Dwaine Lind, Sandy McMaken, Elaine
Nelson, and Randy Berg
Music by: Pastor Randy Berg
Join us for an adventure-filled midweek
retreat including activities such as: golfing, biking,
hiking, shopping, antiquing,
fishing, boating and
photography.
Cost: $145 per person
Please Join Us!
Shepherd’s Crook at the Overlook
Prayer is the key to unlocking our community for Christ.
Join us each Wednesday at 6:30 PM at the Pincushion
Overlook to pray for the people of our county.
(In case of rain we’ll meet at the church.)
People of all ages are welcome!
Chris and Faith Creech
Chris is a professor of Biblical Theology at East Asia School of
Theology. Faith works with the wives of the students there and with
teachers in the public school system.They also mentor students,
many of whom have already been evangelists, pastors and
missionaries in countries such as China, India and Thailand, who are
looking for further education and Bible Training.
Dear Friends and Loved Ones,
This month I am highlighting my (Faith’s) ministry here in
Singapore. My ministry is quite varied and one which I dearly
love. Though I loved teaching children in the past, I find this
present ministry much more fulfilling. I love helping Asian
women. They have such interesting and varied backgrounds. I
love their heart for God. I appreciate the ways they have
suffered, ways we can’t imagine in the West. They suffer
without complaint and they open up to me and respond to me
in surprising ways.
One of my responsibilities is mentoring a group of
seminary wives. We meet regularly, individually and in groups,
for prayer and fellowship. We discuss the things the Lord has
taught us through the Bible and through our work. I love
drawing close to these women, one on one. I’m able to help
them with their personal problems including parenting and
adjusting to ministry with their husbands. I have been teaching
my group and all of the seminary wives in the Partners in
Ministry Program. This is a program for the wives to be able to
earn a certificate along with their husbands. This past year I
helped to teach New Testament survey. The first picture
shows three of the wives I mentor. They are from three Asian
countries. I can’t give their names or their home countries.
Collectively they have eight children. One of these wives is in
danger when she returns to her home country because the
government of her country does not allow more than one
child per family. Pray for these wives as they will all be
ministering in dangerous situations.
Another ministry I have is my family group which consists
of many female students at East Asia School of Theology. Most
of these women are quite experienced in ministry, having
served as missionaries in Asian and other countries. We meet
regularly for prayer and fellowship. Most of these girls are
single One of the struggles of these single girls is that they
would like to marry but the opportunities to meet Christian
men are limited on the mission field. You might be praying for
these girls with this need. I enjoy these girls tremendously and
we have a lot of fun together. They also have a very deep
spiritual life. The second picture shows my family group. They
represent five different countries. This mentoring program is
very important. Asian women will rarely share about their
problems, particularly in group settings. However, in a one on
one setting they will frequently share. As a result, problems
with depression, child rearing, and relationships with husbands
and others can be addressed. Some problems can be
addressed which are very unique in an Asian context. As an
example, Christians in a large Asian country, a country which
41 Hume Ave #09-04
•
Singapore 598738
[email protected]
supported us in the past will be able to begin again in
the future. Please pray that God will continue to
provide in His way.
Once again if we do not have your email address,
you are missing our bi-monthly email updates. You
are only receiving our quarterly prayer letter. Even if
you don’t have an email address, perhaps a friend or
family member wouldn’t mind passing on our email
updates.
Have
them
contact
us
at
[email protected]
Thank you for your constant love, prayers and
support.
All our love in Jesus,
Faith (and Chris)
P.S. Many of you have wondered about how Chris is
doing. In case you are unaware, Chris had a bad fall,
severely breaking his right wrist and arm in several
places. He has had surgery, complete with metal pins
and braces. He has also had a difficult recovery due to
reactions to some of the drugs he was given. He has
been told that his healing time will be twelve weeks,
but full use of his right arm and hand may require a
full year. Please continue to pray for his healing. He is
still typing with one finger. His arm was in a cast until
a few days ago. His right arm is now in a removable
splint so that he can exercise his hand and arm, but
he is a long way from being able to function normally.
Missions Monthly
allows only one child per couple, regard
obedience to the government as a
Biblical requirement, mandating only
one child per couple. Sometimes,
women from this country with more
than one child are rejected by
Christians from their own culture. How
does a woman deal with this problem?
As another example, in some Asian
cultures the adoption of children is not
acceptable. This cultural factor does
affect Christians within this culture.
How does a woman from this culture
deal with rejection from Christians
when she and her husband regard the
adoption of unwanted children as a part
of their ministry? Many other problems,
some too sensitive to describe in this
prayer letter, can also be addressed in a
one on one mentoring situation.
My ministry will be expanding dramatically in the
coming year. One of the staff missionaries is leaving
the field due to lack of financial support. Another is
leaving due to family matters and third one is leaving
for sabbatical training in the U.S. This means there
will be three less women doing ministry for seminary
wives and female students. I have been asked to
double the number of groups I will be leading and the
number of women I will be mentoring. I’ve also been
asked to co-lead the entire seminary wives program
and the staff wives group. The time requirements will
be significantly increased. Please pray that I will be
able to prioritize my time when necessary.
“Older women likewise are to be reverent in their
behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much
wine, teaching what is good, that they may encourage the
young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject
to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be
dishonored.” Titus 2:3-5
We want to thank those of you who are
supporting us. These are hard times for missionaries
due to the US economy. We know of several US
missionaries who have had to leave the field because
of finances. Many of our supporters, individual
churches, have had to cease their support for financial
and other reasons. Some of you have increased your
support and some have made surprise contributions.
For this reason our account remains in balance. We
want to give you our deepest gratitude! This is
evidence of God’s constant blessing on our ministry
and on you. Please pray that those who have
•
Page 6
The Evangel
CCC Board Minutes - July 20, 2010
Joann Mattson, Church Clerk
Present: Linda McIntire,
Larry Gamer, Pastor Dale
McIntire, Andrew Warren,
Mary Hay, John Hay,
Valerie Gustafson, Joel
Pike, and JoAnn Mattson.
Absent: Sharron McCann
Chairman John Hay called
the meeting to order and
opened with prayer.
“Prayer at the
Overlook will
begin next
Wednesday at
6:30. It will be
held at the
church if it
rains.”
JoAnn Mattson read the
minutes from the June 15,
2010 board meeting. M/S
by Mary Hay, Valerie
Gustafson to approve the
minutes as read; motion
carried.
Andrew Warren distributed
the treasurer’s report. The
general fund balance is
$20,724.25 and the balance
for
all
funds
is
($113,464.31). Year to date
giving (week #7) is
($2,237.48) under budget.
M/S by Joel Pike, Mary Hay
to approve the report as
presented; motion carried.
Board reports
CE Ministry Board –
Mary Hay
 Se v er al k ids
are
attending camp.
 VBS was held last
week.
 Board is working on
b a c k gr o u n d c h ec k
forms.
Elder Ministry Board – John
Hay
 Appr oved Pas tor’s
vacation. Joel Pike and
Greg Loper provided
pulpit supply in his
absence.

Board continues to meet
for prayer.
Hospitality Ministry Board –
no report
Mission Ministry Board –
Joel Pike
 Hispanic Family Camp
organizational meeting
next Tuesday for all
volunteers. Should we
provide background/
informational forms from
all volunteers to the
leadership of the camp?
Outreach & Evangelism
Ministry
Board
–
Linda McIntire
 Prayer at the Overlook
will
begin
next
Wednesday at 6:30. It
will be held at the church
if it rains.
 Is this financially a good
time to do The Book? A
time of prayer for God’s
guidance.
Service Ministry Board –
Valerie Gustafson
 The usher/greeter list for
August through October
is completed - need
more volunteers. Still
planning a training
session for this fall.
Trustee Ministry Board –
Larry Gamer
 Met for a time of prayer.
 Finished
several
projects around the
building.
 Planning an outdoor
clean up around the
building for this fall.
 Need for additional
trustees.
M/S by Andrew Warren,
Valerie G us taf s on to
approve the board reports
as given; motion carried.
Pastor’s report
Planning worship
sermons.
service
Old business: none
New business:
$100 camp scholarships per
child.
Adjourn.
Volume 3, Issue 3
Page 7
Volunteer Drivers Needed!
If you like helping people in your community and enjoy
driving your vehicle while earning mileage reimbursement,
this may be the perfect opportunity for you!
Rural Rides is AEOA’s work related transportation program
which has been helping low-income individuals in Cook County
with rides to and from their jobs, interviews, or job training.
This program has been providing temporary support for people
who qualify and who have struggled finding rides for work,
helping them to become self-sufficient in their own
transportation to and from work.
Because of the large area that Rural Rides covers, this program
relies on volunteer drivers to provide many of these rides. As a
volunteer driver, you would be offering an important service to
others within Cook County while receiving mileage
reimbursement at the current rate of $.50/mile as you drive
your vehicle.
For more information, please contact Katy @ AEOA
800-223-1850 ext. 112 or at [email protected]
*This is our ad in
the locally
published North
Shore Highway 61
magazine.
Please
Note
Care Center Service
Sunday, August 15th
2:00 - 2:30
1 Cedar Grove Lane
PO Box 662
Grand Marais, MN 55604
www.cscchurch.com