September - East Central Baptist Association
Transcription
September - East Central Baptist Association
Volume 25, Issue 9 This month’s events: September 1, 11:30 a.m.—Pastor & Staff Luncheon, North Delaware Baptist Church, Muncie September 16, 6:00 pm—ECBA Ministry Team Meetings, Calvary BC, Alexandria September 16, 6:30 pm—ECBA Executive Council Meeting, Calvary BC, Alexandria September 16, 7:00 pm—ECBA Annual Meeting, Calvary BC, Alexandria September 24. 11:00—4:00 pm — Association Day Picnic, Highland Lakes Baptist Camp The Communicator September 2011 Migrant Ministry Shares God’s Love and Sees Lives Changed Contributed by DeAnna Downey Again this year the ECBA Migrant Ministry partnered with the Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida (New Life Baptist Church) from Texas to minister at the migrant camps in our area. The group was able to serve at the Red Gold Plant in Orestes and the Harvest Camp, just north of Orestes. Because of the weather earlier in the season, Red Gold was late getting started; in fact, it was the latest that they have started in 25 years. They also had new personnel in charge of the camp and it took a while to get things straightened out. The Migrant Ministry Team was able to be there on Monday and Friday. On Friday, they passed out backpacks for secondary and primary school levels children. The group was at the Harvest Camp every night and was able to spend more quality time with them this year. They held Vacation Bible School with classes for ladies and for each age level, the young people played soccer with the kids, and they saw several salvations during the week. They were especially blessed to have the manager’s wife, Silvia, and her daughter, Jennifer, accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. This had been a prayer request for many years now. God certainly does hear and answer prayers. They passed out 120 backpacks in all. They also were able to give the ladies of Harvest Camp a special Bible with pictures so they could look at the pictures and the children could read the English and translate God's Word for them. They do not read English, Spanish, or their own Indian dialect, so this has been a challenge in sharing Christ with them over the years. The team is looking forward to next year when they, again, will be able to reach out to this special people group who work in our state each year. Keep this ministry in your prayers as we go and share God's love with them. Also pray about volunteering to serve in this vital ministry next year. We want to express our appreciation to the following people and groups: Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida (New Life Baptist Church) for sending their mission team to our area again, Kerry and Charlotte Jones for supplying the backpacks this year, Redeemer Baptist Church for providing a place to stay for the mission team of 45 people from Iglesia Bautista Nueva Vida (New Life Baptist Church), El Divino Redentor church for sharing their worship services with us, the BCM at Ball State for going weekly to share with the Red Gold Camp while the migrants are here in our area, and Pastor Bob Allen of Montpelier for getting involved in and supporting this ministry. May God especially bless each of you for your part in this ministry. Inside This Issue ClearN the Err 2 MTI 2 Birthdays and Anniversaries 2 BCM 2 Old Town Hill Youth Ministry 3 Montpelier Mission Trip 4 Evangelism 4 State Missions Offering 4 July Profit & Loss Statement 5 V O L U M E 2 5 , IS S U E 9 Page 2 "ClearN the Err" Pastors & Staff Luncheon (A feature dealing with passages or teachings that have been greatly misunderstood) By Dr. Ron Ross Differences of opinion have been the hallmark of humanity, and the church is no exception. Some Christians and some churches stand on the truth of the Bible, while others complicate the Word of God with the inclusion of other concepts. Such an experience was true in Ephesus, as gleaned from Paul's remarks to Timothy - "They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths" 1 Timothy 4.4, HCSB). The picture is clear - people will not listen to the teaching of God's Word; instead, they will pursue false doctrine...that was yesteryears and is certainly today. The important truth contained in this verse is technical, but describes the process involved in such a practice. The words "turn away" describe an action of volition (active voice -one makes a conscious decision) to disregard the teaching of Scripture, while the words "turn aside" describes the passive voice whereby the individual falls into situations without the need for a conscious decision to be made in the matter. Such a practice is dangerous, and such practices are being made by church members, which may account for the many problems in most Baptist churches. It is time for pastors to be concerned for the well being of their flock instead of the business affairs of a denomination. It is time for church members to demand that their pastor spend time with the Lord in prayer and study as well as time with them to grasp where they really are in the growth process, so that his messages, studies, and counsel will enable them to grow in a mature relationship with Jesus Christ. Something to consider as we engage in ClearN the Err. This article was written and submitted by Dr. Ron Ross in hopes of generating critical thought and intelligent practice. Please pray for our pastors and their wives on these special occasions. Birthdays September 12 - Nancy Williams September 16 - Joe Dodridge September 21 - Melissa Reynolds September 23 - Eric Reynolds Anniversaries September 30 - Chris & Paula Kellermeyer Pastor-Church Anniversary September - Eric Lambert, Eastside Baptist Church, Muncie, 6 years Dr. Ron Ross is available for pulpit supply and special study emphasis such as the Winter Bible Study, Baptist Doctrine Study, and Christian Home Week Study. He is also available to lead biblical studies on spiritual giftedness, finances, as well as studies on the Church. He encourages those who know him to pray with him regarding a return to the pastorate or an associate pastorate and he expresses his appreciation to those who join him in that support. He can be reached at 286-8146 or by email at [email protected]. Thursday, September 1 11:30 am North Delaware Baptist Church 809 E Royerton Road #500 N, Muncie IN 47303 (765) 289-4644 Sally Harker , Director of the Victim Advocate Program in Muncie will be sharing some information that pastors and church leadership need to be familiar with regarding the legality of certain matters that they may experience in the future in dealing with the general public . M.T.I. Fall Semester Begins M.T.I.'s Fall semester began last week in the facilities of the Old Town Hill Baptist Church. Five students from three ECBA churches are taking OLD TESTAMENT HISTORY & LITERATURE, and excitement has mounted in the process. This class was selected in order to adequately prepare the student for the Spring semester when NEW TESTAMENT HISTORY & LITERATURE will be offered. As a prayer request, we have been notified that tuition costs will be increasing in the future; such an increase could greatly affect MTI here in our association. Your prayer support is greatly appreciated as we endeavor to increase M.T.I.'s student body. Great Start to a New School Year By Joe Dodridge, BCE Students are back to Ball State for the fall and BCM is off to an awesome start. We had our first weekly worship meeting on Tuesday, August 23 and saw 49 students attend! We were excited that had 32 returning students and 17 new students. Now the task we have is to connect with those new students and get them involved so that they will keep coming back. We also sent out our first team to work at the migrant camps at Red Gold and had 11 students participate in that! You can pray for us as we build relationships with new students and look for opportunities to share the Gospel with them. We are also kicking off five Bible studies the second week of classes, so please pray that those will go well. V O L U M E 2 5 , IS S U E 9 Page 3 Old Town Hill Youth Become J-Walkers By Jason Adams In continuing to build the youth ministry at Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church, we decided up front that our focus would be two-fold. First, we’re going to focus on Jesus – knowing Him, loving Him, and serving Him. The second focus is on the students. The students’ input is valued, and even required. In that mindset, the ―board‖ was opened for 3 weeks for students to write down names and associated Scripture references for a name for the ministry (the one guideline was that the ministry name MUST be Scriptural in some way), and the final vote was taken after the OTH Ice Cream Social. The winning name was ―JWalker Student Ministries.‖ It is based on John 8:12 (“Then Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.’" HCS) – it’s about us no longer walking in darkness, but walking with Jesus as the light of our lives. Congrats to Mr. Dustin Reynolds for the submission!! Once the name was selected, it was then charged to a few of our artists in the ministry to come up with some designs that could be submitted and ―tweaked‖ by a graphic designer (www.uthstuph.com) before being printed on t-shirts, hoodies, and bandanas – I must say the design is VERY cool – and I believe the students are really liking it. A BIG ―THANK YOU‖ to Kelsey Mahoney, Tabs Conner, and Nici Adams for their help in designing the logo!!! We just completed our big ―kick-off‖ event, in which we had jousting and bungee-run inflatables, ultimate games, car races, pizza, live music, door prizes (including iTunes gift cards and the big prize being two 4th-row seats to the Skillet concert in October). But most of all, we had a time to talk about what being a ―J-Walker‖ was really all about – it was a challenge from John 8:12 that finally asked the students if they were ―ALL IN.‖ There was a great time of fun, fellowship, and communitybuilding that the Lord blessed. The structure of the student ministry will be like this – Sunday mornings will be focused on education (thus, the term ―Sunday SCHOOL‖). We’re currently working through a series on the BIBLICAL account of Creation and the Flood. We need to base our knowledge and worldviews on the WORD OF GOD, and education is one way to have a sound doctrine when faced with all the ―other views‖ the world will throw at us. Sunday evenings will be centered around the Gospel – the main question we will most always get back to is ―what are you doing with Jesus?‖ We are currently preaching through the Gospel of John so we can see time after time who Jesus is and what He did, and IS DOING, for us. Wednesday nights are a time of ―deep dives.‖ We’re exploring how to make this faith our own, and how to apply it directly to our own lives from our thoughts, to our emotions, and to our actions. Right now, we just began a study of the book ―Forgotten God: Reversing the Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit‖ by Francis Chan. It’s an amazing read, and I highly recommend it to one and ALL. As we move forward in the work God has called us all to do, I ask that you keep these students in your prayers – include their families and friends as well. You have NO IDEA of the situations they’re faced with on a daily basis that provides every opportunity for them to turn aside from the faith. Pray that they STAND STRONG in the face of adversity – as they continue to be a ―J-Walker‖ in their communities. Pray also for staff and families that our own walks stay close to Jesus – for, we can’t lead students to what we’re not doing ourselves. Pray that our marriages stay strong and get even stronger to provide examples of a solid Christian man and woman to our own children and also to the students in the ministry… and pray for our community – pray that God will work on and soften the hearts of those in our community so that they are primed and ready to hear the Gospel when we deliver the Good News of Jesus to them!!!! P AG E 4 V O L U M E 2 5 , IS S U E 9 Montpelier Baptist Church Take Mission Trip to Appalachia Contributed by Pastor Bob Allen Pastor Bob Allen, along with 12 youth and leaders from First Baptist Church Montpelier, traveled to a small community in the foothills of the Appalachians in northwestern West Virginia. This is a mission trip that the church youth have gone on for several years in a row. From June 12-18, they ministered to the people in this area. They cut 45 pickup loads of firewood, split it, and hauled it to the homes, as many in this poverty-stricken area rely on the firewood to heat their homes during the winter. They also worked with local missionary, Clark Ramsey, to build bridges with the community so he can share the gospel. Clark Ramsey (right), missionary from West Virginia, operating hydraulic splitter with Alisha Sills, youth chaperone from Montpelier (left). Youth group member from Montpelier, Andrew Mc Namara, cutting firewood. Youth leaders, Jerry Ickes (left) and Les Vance (right), working on chain saw. September is State Missions Offering Month Associational Goal $3,088 Downloadable resources are available at: http://www.scbi.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=70&Itemid=103 Evangelism Training Begins September 14 at Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church East Central Baptist Association Evangelism Coordinator, Sharon Marshall, will be teaching ―Share Jesus Without Fear‖ at Old Town Hill Southern Baptist Church beginning September 14. The class will begin at 6:00 p.m. each Wednesday and is expected to run for five weeks. The training does exactly as the title states and will help participants learn how to evangelistically share the plan of salvation without fear. This class is open to all who would like to attend. 163.55 $ Funds Temporarily Restricted $ 10,913.31 101.68 $ Funds Temporarily Restricted $ 15,371.38 Church Planting and Health Fund Total $ 20,371.38 $ 30,748.59 $ (536.10) Net Income $ 489.60 $ 140.80 $ 348.80 $ 850.00 $ 200.00 $ 2,077.44 $ 2,613.54 $ 140.80 $ 348.80 - $ 1,073.94 $ $ 2,077.44 Total Expense Total 75000 · Trustee Total 75200 · Mission Building 75210 · Utilities Total 75100 · BCM House $ 550.00 $ 300.00 $ 200.00 $ 105.00 $ 561.43 $ 77.86 $ 23.44 July 2011 Profit & Loss Statement IBF Total $ 5,000.00 Church Planting and Health Principal Old National Checking Total - $ $ 1,307.84 On Mission Celebration Funds Permanently Restricted $ 7,522.89 Church Planting and Health Fund 75130 · Utilities 500.00 $ Mission Building Capital Fund 230.16 Total 74000 · Baptist Collegiate Ministry 103.71 $ Disaster Relief $ 74200 · Program 441.55 $ Deacon Retreat 74100 · Personnel 576.25 $ BCM Capital Fund Total 72000 · Church Planting 72100 · New Work Total 70000 · Administrative Ministry Expense Total Income Total 5000 · BCM Rental Income Total 4000 · Church Receipts 4190 · First - Montpelier BCM Rent Deposit General Fund $ 10,377.21 $ (536.10) Net Income Ending Balance $ 31,284.69 $ 20,371.38 Total $ (406.87) $ 15,371.38 Church Planting and Health Fund IBF Total $ 5,000.00 Church Planting and Health Principal Old National Checking Total - 4180 · Redeemer - Anderson $ 1,307.84 $ 4170 · Old Town Hill - Muncie On Mission Celebration Funds Permanently Restricted 4120 · Halteman - Muncie $ 7,522.89 Church Planting and Health Fund 230.16 4090 · First - Portland 500.00 $ Mission Building Capital Fund $ $ 646.39 4070 · First - Eaton 103.71 $ Disaster Relief Deacon Retreat $ 264.15 4060 · Family Life - Pendleton 441.55 $ BCM Capital Fund $ 268.41 $ 75.76 576.25 $ BCM Rent Deposit $ 55.00 4025 · The Compass 67.36 Income 4010 · Calvary - Alexandria $ General Fund Beginning Balance V O L U M E 2 5 , IS S U E 9 Page 5 E a s t C e n t r a l B a p t i s t As s o c i a t i o n 2004 W Euclid Muncie, IN 47304 Phone: 765-289-6592 Email: [email protected] www.theecba.org Follow us Don’t Miss It!!! ECBA Association Day Saturday, September 24, 2011 Schedule 11:00 AM Registration 12:00 PM Lunch 1:00 PM Fellowship, Games, and Recreation 3:00 PM Worship 4:00 PM Families welcome to stay as long as they wish Pastors! Don’t forget to register for the Indiana Shepherds’ Conference at Highland Lakes Baptist Camp on October 21-22. Direct link to register online is: http://www.formstack.com/forms/?1025185-TuGV2OCSy9 For more information visit www.scbi.org. Learn more at www.SCBI.org