North Star Update A PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION Inside This Issue: Fellowship Foundations
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Ladies Fellowship
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Volume IV, Issue 7
December 26, 2010
Meditation on Getting the “Wrong” Gift Dr. Robert Fuller, Jr.
Calendar January 24: 10 AM, MBA Executive Committee 1 PM, MBA Full Board January 28-29: Parent-Teen Conference at First Calvary, Inver Grove Heights, “Digging Deeper” March 18-19: State Ladies Meeting, Camp Friendship April 4-5: State Pastors’ & Wives’ Retreat in Baxter June 24-25: MBA Annual Meeting in St. Francis
Dreams – not the mindbending experiences of our sleep, but our hopes and aspirations for the future. One of the hardest things a person can do is turn his back on his dreams, his expectations for the future. Our dreams for the future can be nearly as dear to us as our children and giving up a dream like turning our back on our child. At Christmas children know what they want, and they dream of getting it. What we all learn early is that those dreams, regardless of our age, may or may not happen. For the child of God, the difficulty is that our dreams may come in conflict with God’s plans, or God’s gifts. Dreams tend to define expectations. At first a dream may be an amorphous “Someday I would like to/will do this or that.” We can have these dreams about our mates, our children, our jobs, our schools, even our politics. Then, our dreams be-
come plans. We might call them “planning ahead.” Plans are things we think we can get done, or are controlled by things that we never think will change. This leads to a potential danger. Dreams easily become standards of evaluation. We have a dream, and we strive to see it realized. If it is not, then we start looking for reasons why. We do not like facing the fact that they are the product of planning on possibilities that are often outside of our control. Sometimes we think that we can control enough to make something happen. When it does not we might ask, “Is this all there is?”. We may blame others or ourselves, and maybe even God. Either way, we open ourselves to frustration and bitterness. Regardless of where we put the blame, it is evident that we have invested a lot of our well-being in the fulfillment of our dream. This happens because
dreams can get in the way of rejoicing in reality. When we compare “what is” with what we had hoped “might be,” “what is” may pale to shades of gray. What we had hoped “would be” still has all the glitter and brightness of its inception, yet it remains elusive, unattained – a dream, still. So which do we yearn for? Which are we Continued on Page 2
Grotzkes 20th Year at Baxter On Sunday, October 3, the congregation at First Baptist Church of Baxter joined in celebrating Pastor Dave and Cindy Grotzke’s twenty years of ministry at First Baptist. As a special surprise, the Grotzke’s son Seth came home to preach. He challenged the congregation to honor God and give God the praise for all things.
The Grotzkes were thrilled to have all their children home for the day as well as some extended family. Several special musical offerings were presented, and a sweet time of testimonies reminiscing on the last twenty years was shared. Continued on page 3
A delicious carry-in dinner was served followed by an afternoon service.
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North Star Update
Fellowship Foundations By: Rev. Robert These fall months, September, October, and November have gone by swiftly. My previous report ended with August 29. This Update report will advance from there. September 5 – Calvary Baptist, Pengilly. Pastor Bart Goetz (Carol) had to be away, and he invited me to teach Sunday School and preach the Morning Service. I also presented an update on the Pillsbury College Campus sale, and reported on the happenings in the MBA. The friendliness of the people there and their delicious “Baptist Buffet” are a blessing. September 17 – I attended the MBA Executive Committee and Full Board Meetings held at Camp Friendship in Annandale. The Trustees are to be commended for their sacrifice of time, and for the input/decisions that they needed to make. September 24 – I attended a Meeting of the Pillsbury Finance Committee that had been called to discuss the progress of the sale of Pillsbury Campus. October 3 – I was privileged to attend and participate some in the special 25th anniversary service of Lighthouse Baptist in Cottage Grove, Pastor Loren Bjokne (LaVonne). I recalled to those in attendance of a “next town outreach” canvassing endeavor held for the church 25 plus years previously. I had the privilege of participating in the effort to seek out prospective attendees
Fuller, Sr. Interim State Missionary
for the church. A delicious meal was served to all and many old friends were there for celebration and fellowship. October 17 – At the invitation of Pastor Tim Barr (Elayna) of First Baptist in Adrian, we visited and I preached at the Harvest Sunday event. It is always a blessing to be with the Barr family and to fellowship with the people of that church. It was wonderful to think of the history of the church, and to recognize that any celebration of the present has been conditioned by the past, and is a preparation for the future. They have made some great improvements on the interior and exterior of their building. October 31 – We took the occasion to visit Faith Baptist in Hinckley, Pastor Reed Owens (Pat), and our friends there. Pastor Reed allowed me time to give an update to the church on Pillsbury College sale progress, and recent MBA happenings. It is always a blessing to attend Faith Baptist. November 4 – As Interim State Missionary, my wife (Rhoda) and I attended the 25th anniversary celebration of the Metro Women’s Center (crisis pregnancy center). The former long time Chairman of the Board, Pastor Max Day, was guest speaker, along with others who gave testimonies. What a great work for God is being accomplished by Director Colleen Tronson and her co-
laborers at MWC! November 19 – Attended the Pillsbury Trustees Board Meeting held at New Prague. As you know now, prayer is greatly needed for the sale of the Campus. November 28 – We visited the Bible Baptist church, Crosby, pastor Gerald Fisher (Maxine). Pastor Fisher allowed me time to present an update regarding the MBA and Pillsbury College. It is always an inspiration to visit our churches that are away from the metropolitan areas, and to see them continuing a great testimony. December 2 - Attended a Meeting of the Planting and Watering Committee chaired by Pastor Doug Roman. The Committee is fine tuning their report to the MBA Executive and Full Board Committees at their next gathering. Good progress has been made to get our Association on track for church planting. December 7 - Besides being Pearl Harbor Day, it was a privilege to attend a Meeting of the Pillslbury Baptist Bible College Board of trustees chaired by Dr. Bob Fuller, Jr. Prayer is yet needed in great concourse for the sale of the Campus. December 19— I will be preaching at First Baptist Int'l Falls. That church has called Ted Clarke to be their pastor beginning in January. If I can be of any assistance to you or your church, please contact me.
The “Wrong” Gift, from page 1 tempted to desire? The dream. And in so doing, we ignore that which God has already given us. We diminish His present grace – His gift – and we artificially enhance the gift we did not receive. In the end, when dreams
have woven their subtle web around us they interfere with moving forward. For thousands of years, men and women have dreamed of being able to elevate themselves to attain God’s approval, or at least their own. But that dream has remained
outside of our individual, and collective, ability. That is why at just the right time, God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4). I do not know all God envisioned in this gift, but I do Continued on Page 4
Volume IV, Issue 7
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Date: March 18-19th Location: Friendship Camp is located on Clearwater Lake, 60 miles northwest of the Twin Cities, near Annandale. Cost: $75 per person Cost includes: 1 night stay at the camp + 3 meals = $55 Registration = $20 Speaker: Sarah Zakariasen missionary to Africa Theme: “Mission Possible,� from Romans 1:16
Grotzke, continued from page 1 In the afternoon service, the ladies of the church presented Mrs. Grotzke with a beautiful book of memories, and the church gave Pastor and Mrs. Grotzke a love offering in appreciation for their ministry. The lives and ministry of Pastor and Mrs. Grotzke could be summed up into two words, humble servants. They are willing to do whatever God leads them to do, and they always want to reflect the praise back to God. They lead by example
as they point others to Christ. They are not the ones trying to gain the attention of others. In fact, if they had it their way, their ministry anniversary would have quietly passed with a regular Sunday service doing the same things they do every Sunday! God has truly blessed First Baptist Church with the ministry of the Grotzkes, and the church is looking forward to the next twenty years!
A PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA BAPTIST ASSOCIATION PO Box 527 Willmar, MN 56201-0527
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MBA Contacts Minnesota Baptist Association
The “Wrong” Gift, from page 2
Rev. Gerald Stephens, President Community Baptist Church PO Box 212 New Prague, MN 56071 (952) 758-3287 pastor@npcbc.org Interim State Missionary Rev. Robert Fuller, Sr. 1549 118th Lane NW Coon Rapids, MN 55448 (763) 568-4078 rjfsr4@juno.com MBA Office contact@mbaoc.org Minnesota Baptist Association PO Box 527 Willmar, MN 56201-0527 Send Contributions to: Mr. Brian Veth, MBA Treasurer c/o Coon Rapids Baptist Church 11164 Hanson Blvd. Coon Rapids, MN 55433 Send Update Articles and Pictures to: drjfjr@comcast.net North Star Update Editor 315 S. Payne St. New Ulm, MN 56073 (507) 354-3323
know that it is far better, far more effective, infinitely more glorious, and finally, the only hope that we really have. It becomes a template for us to evaluate all of our dreams. Let us not be blinded to God’s grace by looking only at what we thought we should have had. Let us rejoice in what God has given. He gave His Son, and in His Son the Father has bestowed every spiritual blessing. “Is this all there is?” Oh, how small those words are. How majestic! “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.”