Dec 2011 - Bible Study Fellowship

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A Word From Susie
“After we had torn ourselves away from them, we
put out to sea and sailed…” — Acts 21:1
“Permanent whitewater.” Thatʼs how one Christian
leader describes our current culture. Economic,
technological, political whitewater. Personal whitewater — loss of employment, trouble at home.
Whitewater even at BSF.
Last winter we lost Dr. Chuck Musfeldt to a tragic
and untimely death. This month our beloved Jane
Roach retires after 26 faithful years at headquarters.
Meanwhile, new staff members are answering
Godʼs call at great personal sacrifice to help BSF
meet the challenges and opportunities its current
growth presents.
So much whitewater, in so many areas of our lives.
How do we navigate it all?
First, through prayer. Mine is that the Lord will help
me steer BSF through the rapids of cultural and organizational change. And that He will empower all of
us to preserve BSFʼs strong biblical culture in the
midst of the currents.
Second, through faithfulness. God is faithful
to give ear to my
prayers, answers to my
questions, and guidance for my leadership.
BSF, too, has been
faithful. For more than
50 years, God has honored our commitment
by using BSF to transform lives through disciplined, committed,
rigorous Bible study.
The truth and authority of the Bible
The power of the Cross of Christ to deliver from
sin and death
The fullness of the Holy Spirit as we die to self
The sufficiency of Godʼs love
The abundance of Godʼs grace
I BSF December 2011
Teaching the Bible is our mission.
Jesus Christ and His gospel are our passion.
Reaching the next generation is our
responsibility.
Supporting the Church is our purpose.
Prayer is our approach.
Love, unity and compassionate care for one
another are not options; they are Godʼs
command — and our calling.
On page 7 and 8 youʼll find pictures of new BSF
leaders who bring to us a variety of special gifts and
promising new ideas. In the coming years you can
expect measured
change in the tools we
use to study the Bible,
communicate our message, and train our leaders. These are tools, and
tools change with the
times.
Susie at the Wailing Wall, praying for BSF, during a trip to Israel in April.
Since its beginning, BSF has been committed to:
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Our vision, purpose, and core beliefs are a compass
that shows us the right direction and a rudder that
keeps us on course. They continuously remind us
that:
But two things will always
remain constant: The
biblical principles that
guide the lives and direction of our entire staff;
and our reliance on our
steady, unchanging Lord.
Please join me in praying for the staff and board
members of BSF as we pursue rigorous biblical discipleship and compassionate demonstrations of
Christlike love through the ministry of Bible Study
Fellowship. We need your prayers and Godʼs
strength to navigate the waters.
“So neither he who plants nor he who waters is
anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”
— 1 Corinthians 3:7
For the Fame of Jesus Christ in the nations,
Susie Rowan
Exectutive Director
www.bsfinternational.org
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BSF suffered a significant loss on
March 14, when Dr. Chuck Musfeldt,
our director of international operations, died of injuries he suffered in a
car accident. During Dr. Chuckʼs
tenure at BSF headquarters, which
began in 2004, the organizationʼs
reach has extended deeper and
wider around the world. Classes outside North America have grown from
138 in 2004 to 198 today.
But more important than the numbers
are the transformed lives God has
reached through BSF and Dr.
Chuckʼs work.
Enrolling in BSF in Chicago in the
early 1990s, Dr. Chuck accepted the
call to become a discussion leader
and eventually the teaching leader of
The Legacy of Dr. Chuck Musfeldt
at the last minute under the dome
light in his car on class night, became
a disciple who dedicated himself to
studying his lesson each day, to a
shepherd of 15, to a teacher of
nearly 500, to a globe-traveling
statesman, encourager and class
planter for BSF.
The work of Dr. Chuck has reached
around the world.
the Overbrook, Ill., class, seeing his
class swell from 150 to 450 men in
five years. Dr. Chuck, a man who
once rushed to complete his lesson
“Chuck loved a good story,” said BSF
Executive Director Susie Rowan. “I
still expect him to walk into my office
with coffee in his hand, a grin on his
face, and a story to tell from one of
our international classes or friends.
Chuckʼs favorite stories were about
Godʼs transforming work in BSFersʼ
lives. He could draw Godʼs story out
of your heart and lips to the praise of
Godʼs glorious grace. I miss him!”
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BSF and China
Among Dr. Chuckʼs most significant work has been helping to build a bridge between BSF and China, where BSF founder
A. Wetherell Johnson served as a missionary in the 1940s before beginning her groundbreaking work in launching BSF in
the United States. Little did Miss Johnson know, during her days of internment in a Chinese concentration camp during
World War II, that God would plant her ministry there decades later. This year has seen significant progress in BSFʼs
relationship with China.
China Bible Ministry Exhibition
Dr. Chuck with Translation Coordinator Jolinda
Man, Translation Project Manager Phoebe Lam,
and Administrative Assistant for Global
Development Linda Whittom.
Translation Project
Today, BSF has eight classes in mainland China – four in Beijing and four
in Shanghai. While those classes are
taught in English, BSF will be opening
two classes in Beijing that will be
taught completely in Chinese and
hosted in Chinese churches. BSF
currently has a team of dozens of
translators who are busy translating
all of BSFʼs materials before these
Chinese-language pilot classes
become full-fledged classes in the fall
of 2012.
(More Chinese translators and
editors are needed. Contact
[email protected] or
[email protected].)
BSF was privileged to co-host and
participate in the China Bible Ministry
Exhibition from Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 in
Dallas. The CBME sought to share
with Americans an understanding of
how the Bible was introduced to the
people of China, as well as how it is
translated, published, distributed and
loved there. The exhibition included
Chinese artists who gave the audience a sense of Chinese traditional
culture and indigenous Chinese
Christianity.
The exhibition was part of a four-city
U.S. tour. During a break in the tour,
more than 20 Chinese officials and
exhibitors spent several days at BSF
headquarters in San Antonio. Dozens
of members of BSF headquarters
staff traveled from San Antonio to
Dallas for the exhibitionʼs opening
ceremonies.
www.bsfinternational.org
Pastor Training
Director of Training Jane Roach,
Childrenʼs Division Director Barbara
Reaoch and BSF Board Member
Dr. Garth Bolinder accepted an invitation to lead the First Beijing Pastor
Seminar at Yanjing Theological
Seminary in March.
Ten Chinese pastors attended the
seminar as a part of their sabbatical,
continuing their theological education
and thesis work.
Dr. Bolinder taught about the mission,
methods and message of Jesus
from the Gospel of Mark, highlighting
practical concepts and application to
pastors out of the management model
of Jesus.
Jane led a seminar on the techniques
of homiletics for Bible study and sermon preparation.
Barbara taught biblical parenting and
an interactive approach to encouraging training of parents in churches.
“For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ʻI have made you a light
for the Gentiles, that you may bring
salvation to the ends of the earth.ʼ ”
– Acts 13:47
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BSF Travel Connection
BSF Goes to the Holy Land
The BSF Travel Connection hosted its first
tour to Israel in April with Dr. Walt Kaiser
as the spiritual leader. It proved to be a
life-changing experience for 43 participants.
The tripʼs success solidified in the minds
of the Travel Connection Committee that
BSF should move ahead with plans for
two study tours each year to various
biblical sites.
The next trip, which also will be led by
Dr. Kaiser, will be in March 2012. A third
trip is planned for October 2012.
If you want a taste of BSFʼs Pilgrimage to
the Holy Land, check out a video of the
April trip and the itinerary for the March
2012 trip at www.bsfinternational.org.
Information for the October 2012 trip
also will be posted there when plans
are finalized.
The Garden of Gethsemane.
Forty-three pe
A PILGRIMʼS PROGRESS BY JAY SANDERS
This April, I joined BSF on its inaugural Pilgrimage to the Holy Land. It was an honor to spend 10 days in Israel in the
company of Susie Rowan and other key BSF leaders, not to mention my wife and parents. It was also truly enlightening to have the Holy Land brought to life through the wise commentary of Dr. Walter Kaiser and the insights of our
learned, and very entertaining, local guide, Andre. If youʼre blessed with the opportunity to go on this trip, take it. Your
life will be richer and your faith deeper as a result. Oh, and bring your walking shoes. Youʼll need them.
“Now come with me,” Jesus says,
“and fish for something really
worthwhile.”
They do — and haul in so many
fish they almost swamp themselves.
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I BSF December 2011
www.bsfinternational.org
Iʼve stood by the Sea at Galilee
and gazed at the green hills on the
opposite shore. Iʼve felt the cool
breeze that comes off the water
at night.
Near the end of his public ministry, Jesus enters Jerusalem
riding on a donkey. The people
A Jerusalem cross atop one of the tour stops.
ople went on BSF's first trip to the Holy Land. Two trips are planned for 2012.
greet him with loud hosannas and
lay palm branches and cloaks in
his path. The road He traveled is
walled, steep, and narrow.
Be sure to hug the wall tightly as
you walk it; today cars travel it, too.
In the final week of his life, Jesus
does many things. He weeps for
Jerusalem. Teaches daily in the
temple. Casts out the moneychangers. Debates the Sadducees. Walks on the Mount of
Olives. Prays in the Garden of
Gethsemane. And is crucified
outside the city on a hill called
Golgotha.
Jerusalem has long since engulfed
Golgotha. Thereʼs a large bus station at its foot. But when you look at
the hill, especially from the vantage
point of a perch high on the walls
of the Old City, you can see the
distinctive features in the rock that
inspired its name: the Place of the
Skull.
After his death, Jesus is placed in
a garden tomb — a cave, really —
and a large stone is rolled across
its mouth.
Iʼve stood in such a tomb. Seen
where the body was placed. Seen
the channel outside the door where
the stone sits.
Today, the tomb is empty.
My journey to Easter was different
this year. Having listened to the familiar names of places in the story, I
can now add my own mental pictures to them. The experience was
incredibly fulfilling. Iʼve long known,
in my heart and my head, that the
www.bsfinternational.org
story of Easter is true. Iʼve bet my
eternal destiny on its truth. But after
visiting Israel in person, it didnʼt just
feel true. It felt real.
With all of our appropriate emphasis
on studying Godʼs Word and spending time in prayer, itʼs easy to overlook the sheer physicality of the
Incarnation. God — the eternal,
omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent Creator — puts on flesh,
comes to earth, and dwells among
us in the person of his Son, Jesus
Christ.
When you walk where He walked,
you appreciate that core truth of
Christianity in a life-changing
new way.
“The Word became flesh and
made his dwelling among us.” —
John 1:14
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Jane Roach Retires
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;
and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.” — Acts 1:8
4,087
TLs and STLs
trained through
orientation
111
Leaders retreats
attended
37
Years involved
in BSF
6
Continents
traveled
1
God
worshipped
6
I BSF December 2011
Whether youʼve been involved in Bible Study
Fellowship for a week or for decades, your life
has been touched by the work of Jane Roach.
In her 26 years of faithful service to the Lord
on the staff of BSF, Jane has edited your
notes, trained your teaching leader, developed your seminars, organized your leadersʼ
workshops, and lifted you in prayer.
Jane, BSFʼs director of training, is retiring at
the end of 2011.
seemed to write Acts 1:8 on my mind as a
special word from Him.” Nine years later, as
director of training and a member of the BSF
headquartersʼ retreat team, Janeʼs duties
took her to retreat sites that spanned the
United States and the world, including such
countries as Wales, England, Scotland, Italy,
France, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary,
Kenya, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand,
Singapore, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong,
Malaysia and India.
A San Antonio native, Jane joined the BSF
staff in 1985 in the part“I have been privileged to
time role of director of
be part of the headquarnew class development. Jane, BSFʼs director of ters staff under three execIn her current role as ditraining, is retiring at utive directors: Rosemary
rector of training, Jane is
Jensen, Jean Nystrand,
the end of 2011.
primarily responsible for
and Susie Rowan,” Jane
training leaders and editsaid. “Each director has
ing all of BSFʼs material, including questions,
brought new ideas and different perspectives,
notes, and manuals.
and I have enjoyed working with each.”
Nearly every current teaching leader in the
world has been trained by Jane.
“Janeʼs love for, submission to, and dependence on God resulted in spiritual power to
transform ordinary jars of clay into vessels
that radiate Godʼs glory,” said BSF Executive
Director Susie Rowan. “We are the fruit of
her life.”
Jane first enrolled in BSF in February 1974
but dropped out within a month after the birth
of her second child. She started again in September 1974 and has been hooked ever
since. Jane says BSF gave her a “paradigm
shift of whoʼs in charge of my life: Itʼs God and
not me.”
Jane answered Godʼs call to be a discussion
leader in 1975, was trained by BSF founder
A. Wetherell Johnson to be a teaching leader
in 1978, and joined Executive Director Rosemary Jensenʼs headquarters staff in 1985.
“My first lecture as a teaching leader was a
glimpse into the future, although I did not
realize it at the moment,” Jane said. “God
www.bsfinternational.org
Janeʼs legacy includes helping develop new
studies – The Life of Moses, Romans, and
Acts of the Apostles, initiated by Rosemary;
a pilot study of Ruth, introduced by Jean; and
Isaiah, brought forth by Susie.
Amid all the change, Jane said, BSF has remained committed to “teaching Godʼs Word
with emphasis on the apostlesʼ doctrine and
application to life, and training leaders for the
cause of Christ in the world.”
The hallmarks of BSF are among those that
mark Jane Roach: She is a woman with a
passion for God and the truth of His Word.
Throughout her tenure at BSF, she has understood, believed in, and shared the importance of studying, understanding, and
embracing biblical teaching to point others to
the Lord Jesus Christ and live for Him.
“Life is not all about us,” Jane said. “We are
called to glorify and enjoy God and to further
His cause by serving others for their eternal
good with what God has given us—passionately, without reservation, no matter the cost
to ourselves.”
Melinda is taking over one-half
of Jane Roachʼs duties as our
new director of training.
Melinda, a North Carolina Tar
Heels fan, has served 16 years
as a BSF foreign resident
ambassador in Jos, Nigeria,
and Bangkok, Thailand.
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Melinda Burnette
It Takes Two Divisions Now
Todd Wethall
Todd is responsible for the
other half of Janeʼs job as our
new director of materials
development. Todd, a Wisconsin native, served the past nine
years as a teaching leader in
Lexington, Ky.
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Recommended Books
In honor of Jane Roachʼs retirement, we asked her to share her favorite books.
These are among the books and authors that helped shape Janeʼs beliefs and life.
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES / BIOGRAPHIES
Created for Commitment by A. Wetherell Johnson,
Tyndale House Publishers, 1982. ISBN–10: 0842304436.
ISBN–13: 978–0842304436.
Evidence Not Seen: A Womanʼs Miraculous Faith
in the Jungles of World War II, by Darlene Deibler
Rose, Harper & Row; 1st edition (1990). ISBN–10:
0060670207. ISBN–13: 978–0060670207.
George Müller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and
Faith by T. Pierson, Kregel Classics; 2nd edition
(December 9, 1999). ISBN–10: 0825434645.
ISBN–13: 978–0825434648.
The Message of the Sermon on the Mount by John
R. W. Stott, IVP Academic, 1985. ISBN–10:
0877842965. ISBN–13: 978–0877842965.
No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to
Evangelical Theology? by David Wells, William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994. ISBN–10:
080280747X. ISBN–13: 978–0802807472.
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
by Timothy Keller, Dutton Adult; (Reprint) 2008.
ISBN–10: 0525950494. ISBN–13: 978–0525950483.
CHRISTIAN LIVING / DEVOTIONAL
The Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther, Revell, 1999.
ISBN–10: 0800753429. ISBN–13: 978–0800753429.
Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist
by John Piper, Multnomah Books; (Revised expanded
edition) 2003. ISBN–10: 1590521196V. ISBN–13:
978–1590521199.
The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by
D. A. Carson, Crossway Books, 1999.
ISBN–10: 1581341261. ISBN–13: 978–1581341263
The One Year Christian History by E. Michael
Rusten and Sharon Rusten, Tyndale House
Publishers, 2003. ISBN–10: 0842355073.
ISBN–13: 978–0842355070.
DOCTRINE / THEOLOGY
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of
the American Church by Michael Horton, Baker
Books, (Reprint) 2008. ISBN–10: 0801013186.
ISBN–13: 978-0801013188.
Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility:
Biblical Perspective in Tension by D. A. Carson, Wipf
& Stock Publishers, 2002. ISBN–10: 9781579108595.
ISBN–13: 978–1579108595. ASIN: 1579108598.
Foundations of the Christian Faith by James
Montgomery Boice, IVP Academic, 1986. ISBN–10:
9780877849919. ISBN–13: 978–0877849919.
ASIN: 0877849919.
God is the Gospel by John Piper, Crossway Books,
(Reprint) 2011. ISBN–10: 1433520494.
ISBN–13: 978–1433520495.
The Holiness of God by R. C. Sproul, Tyndale House
Publishers, 2000. ISBN–10: 0842339655.
ISBN–13: 978–0842339650.
Knowing God by J. I. Packer, InterVarsity Press, 1993.
ISBN–10: 083081650X. ISBN–13: 978–0830816507.
Discipline: The Glad Surrender by Elisabeth Elliot,
Revell, 2006. ISBN–10: 080073131X. ISBN–13:
978–0800731311.
Praying the Attributes of God: A Guide to Personal
Worship through Prayer by Rosemary Jensen,
Kregel Publications, 2002. ISBN–10: 0825429420.
ISBN–13: 978–0825429422.
The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer, Christian Publications, Inc., 1982. Tribeca Books, 2011. ISBN–10:
0875093663. ISBN–13: 978–087509366.
Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers
and Devotions, Edited by Arthur Bennett, The Banner
of Truth Trust, 2003. ISBN–10: 0851518214. ISBN–13:
978–0851518213.
JANEʼS FAVORITE AUTHORS
James Montgomery Boice, D. A. Carson, Elisabeth
Elliot, John Hannah, Michael Horton, Martin Luther,
John Piper, R. C. Sproul, A. W. Tozer, David Wells
The suggested books may be purchased from your local bookstore or directly from the publisher. BSF does not have books for sale.
If any of these books is out of print, we suggest that you look in a library or resale bookstore.
www.bsfinternational.org
BSF December 2011
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Whoʼs New at Headquarters
Lisa Dudley
Lisa is our newest ambassador and will serve as a
teaching leader in the
United States and abroad,
as the need arises. Lisa is
from Atlanta, Ga., where she
served as a group leader
and childrenʼs leader.
Phoebe Lam
Phoebe, who has served
as a childrenʼs leader and
group leader, has answered
Godʼs call to move with her
family from Singapore to
San Antonio, where she
serves as our project manager for BSFʼs Chinese
translation project.
Debbie Young
Debbie comes to headquarters from Cape Girardeau,
Mo., having served nine
years as an area advisor
and 10 as a teaching leader.
Debbie is assuming the new
position of chief class officer
and will work with the
childrenʼs, menʼs, North
American, and class administration divisions.
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More Developments
A New Web Site
Our web site, www.bsfinternational.org, is going through a major overhaul. It will provide “one-stop browsing” for all your
BSF needs – finding a class, downloading questions, posting prayers, giving, FRA newsletters, headquarters news, and
much more. The web site consolidates features and functions that were previously available across separate BSF web sites
and will make access to BSF news, tools, and information much easier.
BSF Connection
The new web site will also include a link to www.bsfconnection.org, making that site even more accessible. If you havenʼt
checked it out, youʼre missing the latest news from BSF classes around the world, testimonies of fellow BSFers, opportunities to pray for fellow BSFers, trips to the Holy Land, and more. The site is updated nearly every day and is linked to
Facebook. If you want to stay connected with whatʼs going on at BSF today, www.bsfconnection.org is the place to go.
A New Look
Be on the lookout for a new look and feel of BSF materials. It wonʼt all come at once, and it wonʼt change the mission of BSF
to deliver an in-depth Bible study that God uses to transforms lives. But the look of our materials is getting a makeover that
will be more appealing and more inviting to a wider range of people looking for a relationship with Jesus Christ through the
study of His Word.
INTERNATIONAL
Published and copyrighted by BSF International, 2011 • International Headquarters: 19001 Huebner Road, San Antonio, Texas 78258-4019, U.S.A.
®