ESSENCE OF WORSHIP
2019 GARBC Conference • Des Moines, Iowa
“worship in spirit and truth” John 4:24
GARBC Conference June 25–28, 2019 Des Moines, Iowa www.garbcConference.org 19_GARBC ConfBk_CVR.indd 1
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Welcome
to the GARBC Conference June 25–28, 2019 | Des Moines, Iowa Schedule of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Location of Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Conference Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Facility Layout and Map . . . . . . . . . . 9 Conference Extras . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 (Luncheons, Dinners, Receptions)
Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Go Digital . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Speakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Exhibitors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Passport to Prizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Grand Prizes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Council of 18 Election. . . . . . . . . . . 21 Module Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sermon Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Annual Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
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Schedule of Events Tuesday Noon
Module: Chaplaincy
1:45 p.m. Modules
• Developing an Evangelistic Environment
• Breathing New Life into Your Church
3:30 p.m. Registration Opens 7:00 p.m. General Session (Speaker: Mike Hess) 8:30 p.m. Reception: Bob Jones University Wednesday 8:15 a.m. Prayer 9:00 a.m. General Session (Speaker: Ross Shannon) 10:30 a.m. General Session (Speaker: Mike Augsburger) 11:45 a.m. Regular Baptist Builders Club Luncheon 1:45 p.m. Modules
• Unpacking the Forgiveness Debate
• Big Little Church: Small Church Ministry
• Burdens & Blessings of a Larger Church
3:30 p.m. Modules
• Putting Together a Worship Service
• The DNA of a Healthy Tech Ministry
• Abounding Belief Influences Deeper Empathy
5:15 p.m. Dinners
• Revitalization Dinner (See Clare Jewel at Regular Baptist Builders Club exhibit.)
• OARBC Dinner (Spaghetti Works, 310 Court Ave., Des Moines)
7:00 p.m. General Session (Speaker: Mark Vroegop) 8:30 p.m. Receptions: Faith Baptist Bible College and Clarks Summit University Thursday 8:15 a.m. Prayer 9:00 a.m. General Session (Speaker: Mark Vroegop) 10:30 a.m. Speakers Panel 2 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 2
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11:45 a.m. 1:45 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m.
Regular Baptist International Luncheon Business Meeting General Session (Speaker: Mark Vroegop) Reception: Cedarville University
Friday 8:15 a.m. Prayer 9:00 a.m. Grand Prize Drawing 9:30 a.m. General Session (Speaker: Jon Jenks)
Location of Events General Sessions—Iowa A Nursery—Rooms 158/160 Preschool—Room 397 Children’s Program—Westview (2nd Floor) Students Alive!—Soteria Church (Shuttle leaves from Ballroom Foyer.) Modules—Iowa A, Iowa E, Ballroom North/Central, Ballroom South Exhibit Hall—Iowa B, C, D Prayer Meetings—Iowa E Luncheons—Ballroom South Receptions—Ballroom North/Central, Ballroom South Business Meeting—Iowa A RBP Bookstore—Des Moines Grand Prize Drawing—Ballroom Foyer Conference Office / Media Room—175
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Conference Tuesday
Wednesday
8:15 a.m.
Prayer
9:00 a.m.
General Session Speaker: Ross Shannon General Session Speaker: Mike Augsburger
10:30 a.m.
11:45 a.m.
1:45 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
Preconference Module • Chaplaincy (Noon) Preconference Modules • Developing an Evangelistic Environment • Breathing New Life into Your Church
Conference Registration Opens
5:15 p.m.
Regular Baptist Builders Club Luncheon Modules • Unpacking the Forgiveness Debate • Big Little Church • Burdens & Blessings of a Larger Church Modules • Putting together a Worship Service • The DNA of a Healthy Tech Ministry • Abounding Belief Influences Deeper Empathy Dinners • Revitalization Dinner • OARBC Dinner
7:00 p.m.
General Session Speaker: Mike Hess
General Session Speaker: Mark Vroegop
8:30 p.m..
Reception Bob Jones University
Receptions • Faith Baptist Bible College • Clarks Summit University
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Schedule Thursday
Friday
Prayer
Prayer
8:15 a.m
General Session Speaker: Mark Vroegop
Grand Prize Drawing General Session (9:30 a.m.) Speaker: Jon Jenks
9:00 a.m.
Speakers Panel
10:30 a.m.
International Luncheon
11:45 a.m.
Business Meeting
1:45 p.m.
3:30 p.m.
Dinner
5:15 p.m.
General Session Speaker: Mark Vroegop
7:00 p.m.
Reception Cedarville University
8:30 p.m..
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Facility
Layout and Map FIRST FLOOR MEETING ROOMS Ballroom
175 to nursery
158/160
Central South
Men’s
Exhibit Hall
Ballroom Foyer
elevator to 2nd/3rd floors
Iowa E
Iowa B, C, D
Front Desk
Hotel Lobby
Women’s Family
Des Moines
Entrances
Entrance
Iowa Foyer
298
THIRD FLOOR MEETING ROOMS 394
Elevator
Restrooms
292
Children's Program
396
397 Preschool
398
Elevator
Stairway Stairway
Iowa Iowa E
Men’s
Ballroom Foyer
Iowa A General Session
Iowa B, C, D Exhibit Hall
Entrances
Entrance
298
Children's Program
THIRD FLOOR MEETING ROOMS 394
Restrooms
Westview
Hotel Lobby
Family
Des Moines
SECOND FLOOR MEETING ROOMS 292
Front Desk
Women’s
Iowa Foyer
Entrances
Restrooms
158/160
elevator to 2nd/3rd floors
Ballroom North
Iowa Iowa A General Session
Westview
Elevator
Restrooms
FIRST FLOOR MEETING ROOMS
Entrances
SECOND FLOOR MEETING ROOMS Restrooms
to nursery
Central South
North Restrooms
175
396
397 Preschool
398
Elevator
Stairway Stairway ®
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Lifeline Family Center
Southwest Florida’s unique residential rehabilitation program for young pregnant women ages 16-25.
Life Skills Classes Character Classes Counseling Education Career Training Adoption Option and so much more! mo
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Conference Extras LUNCHEONS Builders Club Luncheon Wednesday, June 26, 11:45 a.m. Room: Ballroom South Regular Baptist Builders Club awarded a record number of grants this year. Two new programs saw their first participants. Hear how God is at work! Cost: FREE International Luncheon Thursday, June 27, 11:45 a.m. Room: Ballroom South Reignite your passion for evangelism and outreach! Come hear what God is doing around the world, as international guests share their ministry stories. Cost: $15. (No offering will be taken.)
DINNERS Revitalization Dinner Wednesday, June 26, 5:15 p.m. Are you serious about revitalizing your church? Have dinner with Clare Jewell, director of Regular Baptist Builders Club, and a team of professional consultants to find out how you can get the process going! Stop by the Regular Baptist Builders Club booth to sign up.
OARBC Dinner Wednesday, June 26, 5:15 p.m. The Ohio Association of Regular Baptist Churches will have a casual dinner and fellowship. All conference attendees from Ohio are invited to attend. Dinner will take place at Spaghetti Works (310 Court Ave., Des Moines). See Chuck or Linda Pausley for more details.
RECEPTIONS Alumni and friends of our exhibiting schools are invited to attend evening receptions to find out the great things God is doing at these academic institutions. Bob Jones University Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. Ballroom South Faith Baptist Bible College Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Ballroom North/Central Clarks Summit University Wednesday, 8:30 p.m. Ballroom South Cedarville University Thursday, 8:30 p.m. Ballroom North/Central
!
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Modules PRECONFERENCE MODULES Developing an Evangelistic Environment in the Local Church Leaders: Pat Nemmers, lead pastor, Saylorville Church, Des Moines, Iowa; Chuck De Cleene, pastor of evangelism and outreach, New City Church, Ankeny, Iowa Room: Ballroom North/Central A respected preacher declared, “Your time spent in prayer is your belief in prayer.” This led to a pastor’s thought that his time spent evangelizing is his belief in evangelism. Does that statement ring true to you? Not one Regular Baptist pastor would deny the importance of evangelizing the lost in our communities. But acknowledging a need and command and being obedient to that need and command are two different things. In this module Pat Nemmers and Chuck De Cleene team up to encourage you not only to become obedient in the area of soul-winning but to give you practical advice, guidance, and a blueprint to help you and your church become effective in winning the lost to Christ.
Chaplaincy Host: Manning Brown, director of the Regular Baptist Chaplaincy, with Andy Bittle, pastor of counseling ministries, Living Waters Fellowship, Des Moines, Iowa Room: Ballroom South Being a chaplain puts you in the foxhole, in the squad car, in hospitals, and in situations where comfort, counsel, and care are critical needs. Be part of a practical time of training geared at equipping you while you serve as a chaplain to effectively reach your community where doors are often closed to the general public and to the gospel!
WEDNESDAY 1:45 P.M. MODULES Unpacking the Forgiveness Debate Leader:
Chris Brauns, pastor, The Red Brick Church, Stillman Valley, Illinois Room: Ballroom North/Central In our fallen world, living out the Biblical Breathing New Life into Your Church teaching about forgiveness is foundational to a joyful Christian life. Yet questions abound: Host: Clare Jewell, director of the Regular Should we forgive everyone? What if the Baptist Builders Club and coordinator of offender is not repentant? What is the best Regular Baptist Church Planting strategy to stop thinking about wounds reRoom: Iowa E Over the life of a local church there are times ceived? Should I forgive myself? Is it legitimate when the ministry becomes stagnant. The fervor to forgive God? Sadly, Christians do not hear consistent and energy for Christ and serving the local comBiblical answers to such questions. Even the munity have been zapped, and the leadership opinions of conservative Christian leaders realizes that it is time to reenergize the church. sometimes differ. This session will help particiJoin with Clare Jewell and a panel of leading church consultants as they lay out practical steps pants understand current forgiveness debates and will offer practical, pastoral guidelines for for revitalizing the local church. moving forward. 12 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 12
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Big Little Church: The Joys, Challenges, and Strengths of Small Church Ministry Leader: Tom Robbins, pastor, Faith Baptist Church, Camp Point, Illinois Room: Iowa A Statistically a large percentage of churches in America are small churches. Almost half are fewer than 100. Often pastors of small churches spend much time and effort trying to make their small church a bigger church. While numerical growth is important, God wants us to strive to be a better church, not simply a bigger church. In this module you will be encouraged to recognize and be thankful for the joys of small church ministry, recognize and embrace the challenges of small church ministry, and recognize and build on the strengths of your small church ministry. The goal is to be a big little church, doing big things for God and having a big impact on those whom God puts in your ministry.
The Burdens and Blessings of a Larger Church: Learning and Growing Together Leader: Scott Poling, pastor, Harvest New Beginnings, Oswego, Illinois Room: Iowa E Join us for an interactive session designed for those who pastor larger churches, as well as those whose churches are growing and becoming larger churches. You will discuss pertinent topics with peers who understand and appreciate the challenges that are faced in a larger church setting, and you will have the opportunity to brainstorm creative solutions. We will determine the agenda based on the needs and interests of the group, so come with your questions, concerns, and ideas— anything and everything from A to Z.
WEDNESDAY 3:30 P.M. MODULES The DNA of a Healthy Tech Ministry Leader: Daniel Chin, systems administrator, Regular Baptist Ministries, Arlington Heights, Illinois Room: Iowa E Is technology in your church lacking? Do you ever ask, “What is all this gear for?” Does your church have frequent “technical difficulties”? Do you as a pastor find yourself wondering, “What is going on back there?” When is it time to call for help? When do you as a pastor step in to a technical situation? Is your tech team working as a team? Does your team work effectively? Dan Chin and Rich Fuchs, President of Ministry Tech, LLC, have more than 50 years combined experience in technical ministry. They want to answer your questions and help equip you to better serve your ministry. In this session, they will explore the D (Diagnostics) N (Nuts and Bolts) A (Ask) of your church’s technology. Whether you are a “techy kind of pastor” or “not so much,” this session will help you improve the technology in your ministry.
A.B.I.D.E.: Abounding Belief in Jesus Influences Deeper Empathy with Others Leader: Diane Scallon, pastor’s wife, Grace Baptist Church, Laurel, Maryland Room: Ballroom South Authentic relationships have become a struggle, especially with the façade of social media. In return, loneliness has rapidly increased over the last decade. Growing in Christ, however, is not done in isolation but rather with community. Therefore, we need to rise from the comfort of our independence and step into the lives of others. We should rely on one another, but how do we do that? How can we be better lovers of Jesus? How (continued)
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(continued) can we be better friends to one another? In this module we will answer these questions from John 15, the “abide” passage. We will discover how our vertical relationship with God directly influences our horizontal relationships with people. Our goal is to learn how our Abounding Belief in Jesus Influences Deeper Empathy with others. Putting Together a Worship Service Leader: Dan Parker, associate pastor of music and worship, First Baptist Church, Elyria, Ohio Room: Ballroom North/Central
“We have little musical talent in our church. What can I do?” “We have no one who can accompany our worship time. What can I do?” Come to this module to get some practical help. You will learn about the many tools available today to make your worship/ music time effective. Whether you serve in a larger church or a smaller church, as a staff member or a volunteer, this module will help you put together a meaningful and effective worship service.
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Go Digital • Visit garbcConference.org for photos and audio from this year’s conference. • Tweeting? Use the #EssenceofWorship and #GARBC19 hashtags.
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• Interact on the GARBC social media pages: -- Facebook: GARBC -- Twitter: @RegularBaptist -- Instagram: @RegularBaptist • Download a digital version of the conference notebook at garbcConference.org/digital-notebook.
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Speakers Mike Hess National Representative Regular Baptist Churches Arlington Heights, Illinois
Mike Augsburger Lead Pastor Soteria Des Moines West Des Moines, Iowa
Ross Shannon Senior Pastor First Baptist Church Lapeer, Michigan
Jon Jenks Vice President of Training Baptist Church Planters State Representative WARBC Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin
Mark Vroegop Lead Pastor College Park Church Indianapolis, Indiana
Sessions Day/Time Tuesday, 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. Thursday, 9:00 a.m. Thursday, 10:30 a.m. Thursday, 7:00 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m.
Speaker Mike Hess Ross Shannon Mike Augsburger Mark Vroegop Mark Vroegop Various Mark Vroegop Jon Jenks
Message How the Holiness of God Fuels our Worship Worship as Giving Yourself to God True Worshipers The Purpose of Worship The Harmony of Worship Speakers Panel The Minor-Key of Worship The Clarity of the Throne
Page
31 33 35 37 39 41 43 45
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Exhibitors ABWE—19
Faith Baptist Mission—4
Advance the Gospel—18
Faith Church—32
Appalachian Bible College—25
Friendship Center—12
Baptist Children’s Home—22
IARBC—35
Baptist Church Planters—16
Maranatha Baptist University—28
Baptist Mid-Missions—31 Baptist Network Northwest—13 Bible Prayer Fellowship/Paradigm One—14 Bibles International—10
Maranatha Village—17 Missionary Acres—3 Ministry Tech, LLC—36
Bob Jones University—1, 2
National Association of Regular Baptist Camps—5
Brotherhood Mutual—11
New Day Network—15
Capital Management—43
North India Baptist Seminary—8
Cedarville University—33, 34
Overseas Instruction in Counseling—6
Central Baptist Theological Seminary—26
Slingshot Consultants—7
Chambers College—9
The Unstuck Group—42
ChristWay Ministries—40
Virginia Beach Theological Seminary—20
Clarks Summit University—23 Continental Baptist Missions—27
Regular Baptist Ministries
Copy Systems, Inc.—37
RBP Bookstore—Des Moines Room (44)
CV Ministries—30 Dale R. Whiting & Associates—24
Regular Baptist Builders Club / Church Planting—41
Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary—29
Regular Baptist Chaplaincy—38
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary—21
Regular Baptist International—39
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Passport to Prizes
Name ____________________________________________________________________________ Address ___________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip ______________________________________________________________________ Email ______________________________________ Phone ________________________________
Several exhibitors are offering grand prizes this year. (See page 20.) To be eligible to win one of these prizes, you must • secure a signature from the 25 exhibitors listed below, • be an adult to secure signatures from exhibitors, • put your completed passport of signatures in the container on the registration desk before 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 28, • be in the Ballroom Foyer for the drawing at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, June 28, and • be present to win.
1.
7.
9.
13.
14.
15.
17.
18.
20.
21.
22.
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24.
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27.
29.
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38.
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44.
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Grand Prizes The following exhibitors donated items as part of the grand prize drawing. Be sure to stop by their exhibits, say thank you, and find out more about their ministries! Advance the Gospel | tri-city.org | Kansas City BBQ sauce package Baptist Children’s Home | baptistchildrenshome.org | $50 VISA gift card Baptist Mid-Misisons | bmm.org | $100 VISA gift card Baptist Network Northwest | baptistnetworknw.org | Northwest gift basket Bible Prayer Fellowship/Paradigm One | praywithchrist.org | Keurig and supplies, books Bob Jones University | bju.edu | BMW i8; two tickets to any 2019–20 BJU Artist Series event Cedarville University | cedarville.edu | The Jeremiah Study Bible Central Baptist Theological Seminary | centralseminary.edu | iPad Chambers College | chamberscollege.com | Antiquarian book ChristWay Ministries | christwayministries.us | Resources for deacon care ministries and apprenticeship/internship training Clarks Summit University | clarkssummitu.edu | Two free online courses Continental Baptist Missions | gocbm.org | Commemorative CBM buck-hunting knife CV Ministries | cv-ministries.com | Five training DVDs and three books Dale R. Whiting & Associates | dalerwhiting.com | $25 RBP gift certificate Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary | dbts.edu | Three-volume set of Rolland McCune’s Systematic Theology; David Doran’s book For the Sake of His Name Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | faith.edu | Free Jump Start course for 2020, free seminary class, free registration for 2020 Refresh Conference Faith Church | faithlafayette.org | Book Maranatha Village | maranathavillage.org | Thirsting for Authenticity by Doug McLachlan and A Soldier Looks at Spiritual Warfare by Clifford Owens New Day Network | newdaynetwork.org | Set of books by Dan Johnson Slingshot Consultants | slingshotconsultants.org | Three $100 VISA gift cards Virginia Beach Theological Seminary | vbts.edu | Free seminary class
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Council of 18 Election
The Council of Eighteen election will take place on Thursday, June 27, at the 1:45 p.m. business meeting. Two messengers from each church in the GARBC fellowship may vote in the Council of Eighteen election. Church plant/mission status churches in the GARBC fellowship do not have voting privileges. Voting messengers must be registered for the conference. Ballots will be distributed at the business meeting. A total of six nominees will be elected. Mike Augsburger, Lead Pastor Dave Fox, Pastor Soteria: A Baptist Church | West Des Moines, IA Grace Church | Springfield, IL David Burman Sr., Pastor Berean Baptist Church | New Castle, DE
Nathan Gast, Pastor Urbandale Baptist Church | Urbandale, IA
Brian Cederquist, Pastor Good News Baptist Church | Grand Rapids, MI
Michael Myers, Pastor Faith Baptist Church | Winfield, IL
Doug Crawford, Elder/Teacher West Cannon Baptist Church | Belmont, MI
Jeremy Penrod, Pastor Temple Baptist Church | Lincoln, NE
Sam Farlow, Pastor South Holly Baptist Church | Centennial, CO
Ken Spink, Pastor Berea Baptist Church | Berea, OH
Doug Farrell, Pastor Calvary Baptist Church | Forest City, IA
David Strope, Pastor Ankeny Baptist Church | Ankeny, IA
The following men are currently serving on the council with time remaining on their terms. Tom Alexander, Pastor First Baptist Church | Wellington, OH Nigel Black, Pastor Winslow Baptist Church | Sicklerville, NJ David Burman Jr., Pastor First Baptist Church | Niles, OH Tim Capon, Representative Iowa Assoc. of Reg. Bapt. Churches Ankeny, IA Ken Floyd, Representative Michigan Assoc. of Reg. Bapt. Churches Grand Rapids, MI Will Hatfield, Pastor CrossRoad Baptist Church | Ames, IA
Jonathan Jenks, Representative Wisconsin Assoc. of Reg. Bapt. Churches Wisconsin Rapids, WI David King, Pastor CrossPoint Fellowship Church | Jasper, IN Greg Linscott, Pastor Brown Street Baptist Church | Alton, IL Timothy Moore, Pastor Faith Baptist Church | Mason City, IA Patrick Odle, Pastor First Baptist Church | Elyria, OH Scott Poling, Pastor Harvest New Beginnings | Oswego, IL
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Module Notes Preconference
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Module Notes Wednesday, 1:45 p.m.
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Module Notes Wednesday, 3:30 p.m.
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Visit mbu.edu or talk with us at 800.622.2947 today to learn more. Maranatha Baptist University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. www.hlcommission.com | 312.263.0456 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 30
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How the Holiness of God Fuels Our Worship Isaiah 6:1–13 Mike Hess Tuesday, 7:00 p.m.
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A plan you can trust.
®
Build Lives. Grow Churches. StrongCurriculum.com 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 32
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Worship as Giving Yourself to God Romans 12:1–2 Ross Shannon Wednesday, 9:00 a.m.
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Growth you can measure.
®
Build Lives. Grow Churches. StrongCurriculum.com 34 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 34
6/6/2019 3:11:37 PM
True Worshipers John 4:1–21 Mike Augsburger Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
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Results that last forever.
®
Build Lives. Grow Churches. StrongCurriculum.com
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6/6/2019 3:11:40 PM
The Purpose of Worship Hebrews 10:19–25 Mark Vroegop Wednesday, 7:00 p.m.
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A Sunday School curriculum you can recommend with confidence.
®
Build Lives. Grow Churches. StrongCurriculum.com
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6/6/2019 3:11:40 PM
The Harmony of Worship Colossians 3:11–17 Mark Vroegop Thursday, 9:00 a.m.
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Don’t leave your pastor’s retirement to chance! Introducing a 403(b) plan for your church staff. It is flexible to meet individual church needs. Use it to supplement current savings and improve retirement readiness. The plan will give your church the following: • • • • • •
optional retirement housing allowance flexible and high-quality investment options no front- or back-end loads, keeping costs low no transfer fees guidance from experienced investment professionals individual account ownership, always 100% vested
Stop by the Capital Management exhibit (43) in the ballroom foyer to find out more. 40 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 40
Additional information also available at retirement.GARBC.org. 6/6/2019 3:11:42 PM
Speakers Panel Thursday, 10:30 a.m.
t
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You get over one flood and another hits. Life is full of struggles, but God is full of grace. How do believers grasp that grace? And what about God’s promise to give greater grace? This study of James 4:5–10 helps believers discover how to experience God’s grace in its fullness.
Available in the RBP Bookstore.
BUILD AND MEASURE MATURE DISCIPLES
Learn to understand and assess spiritual maturity in your church and make plans to effectively build believers. Available in the RBP Bookstore. 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 42
6/6/2019 3:11:51 PM
The Minor-Key of Worship
d
Psalm 13 Mark Vroegop Thursday, 7:00 p.m.
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CURRENT TOPICS A Regular Baptist Perspective
Join hosts Mike Hess (national representative of the GARBC) and David Gunn (director of RBP) as they discuss theology, ministry, and discipleship with ministry leaders and experts. The Baptist Bulletin podcast is dedicated to advocating for a Biblical worldview by encouraging Christian growth and ministry from a Biblical perspective. Episodes are posted to GARBC.org, and you can subscribe via iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play.
GARBC.org/podcast 44 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 44
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The Clarity of the Throne Revelation 4:1–11 Jon Jenks Friday, 9:30 a.m. SETTING THE SCENE Of the audience today Of John’s writing and audience
Revelation 1–3
Of the throne room
Revelation 4
ENTERING THE THRONE ROOM CLARIFIES THE HOLINESS Of the invite Of place Of His ________ Of His ____________ Of His majesty Of position Of necessary, ____________ response
Of the worship gifts
ABSORBING THE CRESCENDO OF THE THRONE ROOM
Revelation 5
RESPONDING TO WHO HE IS AND WHAT HE HAS DONE ________ – Honor – ________ –
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Promote spiritual growth now in grades 1–6! Younger, older, and combined-group options to fit your church. Download a complete lesson at RegularBaptistPress.org/IGTsample.
®
L fo ba im cu
RBP AD
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in
Expository Preaching
FALL 2020 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 46
www.vbts.edu 6/6/2019 3:12:02 PM
Reach hundreds with the gospel!
®
Let us help you formulate a sportsman’s banquet ministry or improve upon your current sportsmen ministry.
DIAL IN ON OUTREACH
SportsmenMinistry.com Steve Rockey 313.580.9503 founder/president and seminar speaker
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6/6/2019 3:12:06 PM
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Advancing God’s Church
providing Biblical resources
partnering to reach the world
Lend Your Support to One of These Projects: • • • •
IPFBM Church Planting Fund International Travel Fund Motorcycles for National Pastors Rwanda Adopt-a-Church
• • • •
RBP Int’l Operations Expenses Rwanda Adopt-a-Pastor Compassion Assistance Translation Work
GARBCinternational.org 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 50
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2019 ANNUAL REPORT GARBC.org 51 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 51
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REGULAR BAPTIST MINISTRIES Mike Hess, National Representative GARBC.org
It was a year ago that the messengers at the national conference entrusted me with the stewardship of leading the GARBC. Christina and I consider it a blessing and privilege to serve our fellowship in this capacity. Traveling to churches, conferences, colleges/seminaries, and camps, as well as other ministry opportunities, has given me even more reason to be fired up about the future of the GARBC. Many of you have asked how this transition has gone. Thank you for your prayers and faithful encouragement! By God’s grace, we have absolutely loved serving in this role. The Resource Center staff is a highly competent and enjoyable group to serve with. In this report you will be brought up to speed on several other areas of encouragement, where God is blessing the GARBC and RBP. I’m blessed to serve with a great team of ministry leaders. • Under David Gunn’s capable leadership, RBP continues to expand and grow in sales. It’s a joy to work closely with him. He is one of the most theologically articulate voices in our circles. • You’ll notice our international partnerships continue to grow. Much of this is due to Chris and Deb Hindal’s indefatigable schedule as they travel around the world visiting current and potential partners. • Mark Johnson has done a splendid job preparing the retirement program. The finances of RBM are served well with Mark’s financial integrity and expertise. • Manning Brown’s report reflects growth in the chaplaincy ministry. Much of this is due to his burden and passion for this ministry. I’m excited about his goals for the upcoming year. • Clare Jewell is capably serving one of the most crucial components of GARBC ministries— church planting and revitalization. Many of you
have commented to me how his ministry has helped your church see the need for revitalization. He has worked tirelessly to help churches with this endeavor. This past year has been one of major transitions for Christina and me—Iowa to Illinois, pastoral ministry to NR of the GARBC, weekly preaching ministry in the same local church to itinerant ministry, having children at home to becoming empty nesters. But through it all God’s gracious and faithful character remains our anchor. We rejoice that His grace has proven sufficient in this transition. This map illustrates the many places we’ve been blessed to serve in over the past 12 months. We are truly humbled and grateful for each of these opportunities. I have observed that momentum and enthusiasm for the GARBC is building. A special thank you to those who have given me the opportunity to preach the Word at your church or ministry. We give God all the glory!
Looking ahead, God has placed on my heart several initiatives to keep in front of you: Retirement. The GARBC retirement program for pastors is now open for enrollment!
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Pastoral Soul-Care. This ministry provides pastors and wives a Biblical, compassionate, and hopeful venue to get help with ministry struggles they may be facing. Church Revitalization. After traveling tens of thousands of miles and visiting dozens of churches, I’m convinced that local churches’ greatest need is revitalization. This is crucial to the future of our fellowship.
Pastoral Referrals. I recently wrote about this growing concern. Please pray with me that God would raise up qualified men with a desire to serve in pastoral ministry.
I’m convinced that local churches’ greatest need is revitalization. Church Recruitment. We plan on utilizing every resource at our disposal to get the word out to churches who doctrinally align with us. It would be great to see the GARBC continue to expand into fast-growing states, urban and inner-city settings, and other unchurched areas in need of the gospel. Churches are not better off going it alone. An interdependent fellowship such as ours can play a significant role in helping other churches make disciples for God’s glory. I need your help with this. Let’s get the word out about this great fellowship of ours.
Mike Hess shares the Word with future pastors at Faith Baptist Bible College. I’m very encouraged by what the Lord has done in the past year. More importantly, I’m eager to see what He will do as we press forward to “Make Disciples through Healthy Local Churches.”
The GARBC Resource Center Staff, 2019.
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6/6/2019 3:13:03 PM
TREASURER’S REPORT Mark Johnson
It has been an exciting year for our ministries as several important projects were completed and others began to take shape. On the financial front, we maintained our goal of a break-even operating budget across our ministries for the third consecutive year. RBP is seeing increases in sales of curriculum, VBS, and Kids4Truth Clubs products, and $200,000 has been invested so far in a complete revision of our Sunday School curriculum. The retirement of our independent RBP distributor in Canada this year led us to bring on a new distributor and even more opportunities for growth in that country. We continued to improve our work and reduce costs through technology. We rejoice in the progress God has given our ministries this year, and we are looking forward to the coming year being transformative for how our ministry serves churches. Here are three of the most significant updates on the horizon.
A new national retirement plan will enroll its first participants this summer, marking the beginning of a new journey toward longterm financial security. 1. A new national retirement plan will enroll its first participants this summer, marking the beginning of a new journey by pastors and ministry workers toward long-term financial security. This new program fills an immense void in church finances by providing easy access to a group retirement plan specifically designed for vocational Christian workers. It also strengthens our fellowship by creating a direct, personal connection between the GARBC and the individuals it serves. For more information, we invite you to visit garbc .org/retirement, or send us a note at retirement@ garbc.org.
2. We have committed to an expert and thorough evaluation of our fundraising model to identify areas of untapped potential and to create a strategic plan around them. Our supporting base is strong, with more than 700 unique donors having given to our ministries in 2018. Though we remain diversified in our donor base, we see the long-term importance of further diversifying the ways we acquire new donors and offering more ways in which individuals, churches, and like-minded foundations can support the Regular Baptist Ministries. Keep an eye on your mailbox later this year for information on new programs and new ways that you can become involved.
A thorough, expert evaluation of the fundraising model will identify areas of untapped potential and create a strategic plan around them.
3. Continued investment in the RBP product line and strategy is planned for the coming year. As treasurer, I aim to manage funds in a way that provides for the ministries’ daily needs while planning for the most effective future opportunities. Join me in prayerfully seeking God’s wisdom and blessing on the stewardship of His resources.
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Financial Results for 2018-2019 GARBC General Fund Income Contributions Investment & Other Conferences Total Income
Expenses Staffing & Benefits General Operations Facilities & Equipment Grants & Assistance Total Expenses
$
$
$
$
Next Year’s Need
147,560 202,322 39,175 389,057
$
250,937 120,918 15,356 1,846 389,057
$
-
Net Difference $
R e g u l a r B a p t i s t Chaplaincy International Builders’ Ministry Ministry Club
300,000
Regular Baptist Press
56,768 56,768
$
$
$
61,982 14,486 2,350 181 78,999
$ $
$
$
142,394 19,554 1,000 162,948
$
$
$
90,935 44,768 135,703
$
72,765 54,785 1,490 65,054 194,094
$
56,716 41,992 3,575 113,361 215,644
(22,231)
$
(31,146)
$
(79,941)
51,000
$
155,000
$
184,000
Highlights
Income Sales - Curriculum Sales - VBS Sales - Books & Other Sales - Kids4Truth Baptist Bulletin Investment & Other Contributions Total Income
$ 3,315,805 1,375,755 241,959 167,694 105,454 92,184 17,412 $ 5,316,262
Financial support received:
Expenses Staffing & Benefits Inventory Cost General Operations Fulfillment & Shipping Marketing Facilities & Equipment Total Expenses
$ 2,195,038 1,680,126 452,367 382,971 224,039 198,909 $ 5,133,450
Donor-funded grants:
Net Difference
$
363 churches 385 individuals Regular Baptist Press: 29,532 orders filled
$ 113,000 Baptist Builder’s Club $ 65,000 Regular Baptist Int’l
182,812 55
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6/6/2019 3:13:13 PM
REGULAR BAPTIST CHAPLAINCY Manning Brown
RegularBaptistChaplaincy.org Looking back at the previous year, it is amazing to see God’s hand working in and through the chaplaincy ministry. • Ch. (CAPT) Tom Webber retired from the US Navy. • New chaplains include Gil Kerr and Jack Dowden, both involved with hospital chaplaincy. • Phil Zilinski and Caleb Reising are serving as police chaplains. • Roger Allen now serves as a chaplain with a prison ministry, and Tony Brown with an addiction recovery ministry. • Daryl Marco is a chaplain candidate with the Wisconsin Army National Guard, and Gibson Garwo and Bruce Morrow were selected for chaplaincy with the active duty Army. David Troyer also began service as an active duty chaplain, having transferred from the Reserves. • Mike Crawford was promoted to colonel, and Peter Klotzbach was promoted to major. Both serve as chaplains in the Army National Guard. It is great to see new chaplains start their ministry and see others recognized for their hard work. God continues to use our chaplains in incredible ways.
our chaplains and their families know they are being prayed for and, when necessary, intervening on their behalf. Encouragement comes through visits throughout the year and contact through email, telephone, and cards. Jennifer will be reaching out to spouses through cards and other personal contacts. My goal is to visit three chaplains a year. In April, Jennifer and I moved to Michigan, where I joined a church staff. It was an unexpected opportunity, but after several interviews and much prayer, it was clear that the Lord was leading us to take this step. Jennifer and I are grateful that I can continue in my role as the director and endorser of the chaplaincy ministry. Our new church has three GARBC-endorsed chaplains. My responsibilities with both the church and the Regular Baptist Churches complement each other, and I look forward to seeing what opportunities the Lord will open as a result of this change. Jennifer and I remain dedicated to chaplaincy ministry, as well as to our chaplains and their families, and we are humbled and grateful to be a part of the Regular Baptist Chaplaincy.
During the past year Jennifer and I visited many churches and many of our chaplains. Our travels took us to Tennessee, North Carolina, Maryland, Germany, and Hawaii. In addition to the GARBC annual conference, I was able to attend the Illinois/Missouri, Ohio, and Michigan state conferences. We presented the chaplaincy at churches in Michigan, Tennessee, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. We were warmly welcomed by all. Meeting with chaplains, their families, and our churches is truly a joy for Jennifer and me. Awareness, recruitment, and encouragement remain the focus of the Regular Baptist Chaplaincy. Awareness comes primarily through church visits, the website, and social media. My goal is to have at least two articles a year in the Baptist Bulletin that will highlight chaplains and their ministries, and to visit four churches a year. Awareness directly dovetails into recruitment, with leads coming from visits and posted stories. My goal is to endorse six new chaplains in the coming year. Encouragement is critical, as is ensuring
Major Peter Klotzbach leads a military Bible study.
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6/6/2019 3:13:18 PM
REGULAR BAPTIST PRESS David Gunn
RegularBaptistPress.org This year has been both challenging and rewarding for RBP. The work on the Strong Kids curriculum revision has occupied a great deal of energy and thought. As I write this report, we are just over halfway through it. Much work remains to be done, but we are encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive responses to the new material we have already witnessed, and we are grateful for the opportunity to work on this important project. Due to the revision, we have seen significant growth (around 15 percent) in curriculum sales this year.
by Dorothy Davis, Facing Your Fears with Faith by Juanita Purcell, God Gives More Grace by Tim Valiante, and a newly revised and expanded edition of Learning and Living God’s Word by Daniel Estes. With God’s provision we were able to meet our fundraising goal for the first three volumes of the forthcoming New Testament Exposition Commentary series. The commentary authors are hard at work, and we anticipate initiating preproduction on the first volume soon. A number of other book projects and educational resources are also being considered for publication in the near future. Major goals for the coming year include completing the children’s curriculum revision, beginning the youth curriculum revision, adding hand motion videos to our VBS offerings, launching a robust digital publishing strategy for our book product lines, improving our order fulfillment service, and leveraging marketing opportunities to continue increasing the customer bases for our major product lines. In collaboration with Mike Hess, I am also exploring the possibility of launching regional conferences in the areas of worldview, apologetics, and Bible prophecy.
The need has never been greater for the church of Jesus Christ to proclaim resolutely the absolute, unchanging truths of Scripture. Kids4Truth Clubs continues to experience steady growth. We now estimate that around 520 churches are using our midweek material. This year also saw exceptionally strong sales for our Vacation Bible School program. This was the second year in a row that we met and exceeded our VBS sales goals. We are rejoicing over these gains and praying that the Lord will use them to impact many lives for eternity. Our book releases this year included King Over All
We are living in an age of widespread confusion and uncertainty. As our society continues to drift into moral and epistemological relativism, the need has never been greater for the church of Jesus Christ to proclaim resolutely the absolute, unchanging truths of Scripture. RBP exists to equip churches for that work, and we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to do so.
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BAPTIST BULLETIN David Gunn
BaptistBulletin.org Throughout the history of the Regular Baptist Churches, the Baptist Bulletin magazine has existed as a platform for promoting Regular Baptist thought, theology, and ministry. We have always been unashamedly countercultural on those points where our culture is in conflict with God’s revealed will, and we have been unswervingly committed to the inerrancy and authority of Scripture. Today we continue to advocate for a Christian faith and worldview from a Regular Baptist perspective. In 2018–19, the Bulletin engaged the following cultural and theological trends and issues from a Biblical worldview: • the importance of church revitalization and the various resources available for that task; • the ongoing debate between continuationists and cessationists over signs and wonders, dreams and visions, and Biblical sufficiency; • the alarming New Apostolic Reformation movement; • dealing with accusations Biblically; • gender roles and Biblical womanhood; • how Christians should prepare for the imminent return of Christ; • how a strong position on Biblical sufficiency should impact our views on counseling and wellness; • the importance of Biblical creationism for theology; and • how dispensationalist premillennialists should understand the church’s relationship to the Kingdom. We also reported on news stories and ministry issues of particular interest to Regular Baptists, such as
• the lives and ministries of Ralph Turk, Robert Lightner, and Warren Wiersbe; • John Greening’s retirement and Mike Hess’s installation as national representative of the GARBC; • various ongoing church planting and revitalization efforts in our association churches; • the growing crisis of pastoral shortages; • how to avoid ministry collapse; and • a forthcoming retirement plan for Regular Baptist pastors and ministry leaders. This year also saw the launch of the Baptist Bulletin podcast, an online program that I am privileged to cohost with Mike Hess. The Baptist Bulletin podcast is dedicated to advocating for a Biblical worldview by encouraging Christian growth and ministry from a Biblical perspective.
Mike Hess and David Gunn record a podcast for the Baptist Bulletin.
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REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTING Clare Jewell
rbChurchPlanting.org To facilitate church planting within the GARBC over the past year, I have focused on the following: 1. Continuing to offer $30,000 Start Up grants to qualified new churches. This has helped to bring a few church plants into our association. Our goal is to see three more church plants come into the GARBC by the annual meeting in 2020. Another goal is to communicate quarterly with several of the mission agencies with whom we have established relationships. I am seeking to expand existing connections with them in the hopes that we can see more new churches come into the GARBC while we help encourage and fund their efforts. I started this new communication in April 2019. 2. Developing a network of regional HUB churches to help develop lead church planters through one-year residency programs. Without qualified leaders who have been equipped to plant churches, we will not see any significant increase in church planting. We launched a Train Up grant program in 2018. One resident has completed six months with Involve Church in Nampa, Idaho. He hopes to plant a church when his residency is completed this fall. I keep in touch with him and the host church / coach on a regular basis. We just met in person last month to assess progress.
Our goal is to have at least three more residents in the program by the annual meeting in 2020. I would like to see that increase to five per year starting in 2020–21. Ten churches have committed to be HUB churches. The goal is to have 15 churches in place by June 2020. I have just initiated a quarterly contact system to help equip and inspire our HUB churches, and to connect them to each other so they can establish a peer group to encourage and coach one another. 3. Developing a church revitalization strategy. The majority of our churches are plateaued or in decline. As a result, they do not see themselves as being ready to engage in church planting. We need to continue to help churches move forward with a growth and reproduction mentality. We launched a Lift Up grant program in 2018 to help churches go through a revitalization process with an experienced consultant. The grant pays for 50 percent of the cost. To date, two churches are engaged in the revitalization process. Both are seeing significant progress. Both pastors will be our guests at the annual conference in June. Our goal is to have three more churches go through this revitalization process by the end of 2019, and then five per year starting with 2020. We have also been working with revitalization consultants to help provide resources to our churches. To accomplish that, we have the following processes in the works:
Grant recipients Branch Life Church, Pottstown, PA, held their launch service on April 28, 2019.
• Our consulting groups will be teaching a 3-hour module on church revitalization on Tuesday, June 25. • Our consulting groups are putting together a 12-month content strategy that will be delivered through email to pastors in our association who sign up. This will give pastors key information to help them take positive steps toward revitalization. • The consulting groups will also be helping us to encourage church revitalization through several articles and data points delivered via the Baptist Bulletin, our website (garbc.org/churchplanting), and social media. 59
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REGULAR BAPTIST BUILDERS CLUB Clare Jewell
BaptistBuildersClub.org 1. In 2018 the Regular Baptist Builders Club expanded its grant categories from three to five to better serve the needs of churches on our association. We initiated Lift Up grants to help churches walk through a revitalization process with experienced consulting groups. If approved, churches receive a grant for 50 percent of the cost of the consultation up to a maximum of $10,000. This grant is designed to encourage churches to move forward with the kind of outside help and perspective that many churches need to gain clarity and to become reengaged in God’s mission. We initiated Train Up grants to help attract and equip quality leaders who are called by God to lead church planting or church revitalization efforts within our association. If approved, we offer up to $1,000 per month for up to 12 months for a residency at one of our prequalified HUB churches. This grant program is designed to help deal with the shortage of leaders within our association. 2. To provide funding for the new and existing grant programs, we are in the process of developing a more complete process for raising funds. This includes the following: Evaluating the pattern of income and expenditures for the Regular Baptist Builders Club over the past 10 years. Mark Johnson has already supplied the data we need. Expanding our call letter base as a means of increasing income. Our constituency base has been declining due to aging. One of the ways we are seeking to expand this constituent base is to identify and connect with churches and individuals who benefited from RBBC grants in the past. Developing a promotional campaign across all our media outlets. Developing other fundraising efforts, which may include • seeking estate gifts, • seeking legacy gifts from churches that close, and • initiating fundraising events.
Our goal is to increase our annual income by 50 percent over the next five years. 3. We are also working on plans to better steward our resources in the following ways: • With Mark Johnson’s help, we have instituted a more formal and clear process for receiving payments on our no-interest loans. This is already in operation and has proven to be effective. • We have developed teams within the Regular Baptist Builders Club board that focus on specific grant requests by categories. These teams make recommendations to the full board based on more thorough research. • All grant requests are fully vetted and considered before the board votes on any of the requests. This allows us to better prioritize grant approvals. • We are also looking at possible caps on total grant approvals each year. Over the past year, I have been engaged with several churches in our association as well as speaking at various state and regional conferences. I was the keynote speaker for the Minnesota and Illinois/Missouri conferences. I also led workshops at the Ohio and Baptist Network Northwest conferences. Please know I am available and willing to come to your church or region to speak or share on topics of interest—especially church planting, church revitalization, outreach, discipleship, and leadership development. I have also led workshops on building healthy teams, doing a SWOT analysis, and various aspects of leadership. In addition, I have been connecting with various seminaries in hopes of opening up pipelines for church leaders and church planters to come into the GARBC. This included a visit with key leaders at Bob Jones University in the fall of 2018 and initial contacts with more than two dozen seminaries across the country. Please pray that these connections will bear fruit as we move forward. Thank you for the opportunity to serve this association! I believe God will do great things in our midst as we focus more and more on the mission for which Christ died.
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REGULAR BAPTIST INTERNATIONAL Chris Hindal
GARBCinternational.org
Regular Baptist International includes Regular Baptist Press International, which focuses on providing Biblical educational materials to national churches, and the International Partnership of Fundamental Baptist Ministries, a network of independent Baptist church associations worldwide. I am available to introduce or report on Regular Baptist International. Contact me at chindal@garbc.org. IPFBM This network of partners continues to expand in number and influence. Since last summer, seven associations were added to the partnership, bringing the total to 70 in 23 countries, representing 10,000 local churches. I visited 11 countries, conducted pastors training seminars, spoke in association meetings, led strategic planning consultations, and vetted new partners through personal on-site investigations. While two-thirds of the partners are in Asia, during the next 12 months, I will focus on Mexico, Central America, and South America. Currently the IPFBM includes two associations in the Caribbean and two in South America, but much work remains to be done in the Spanish-speaking world. Elsewhere, fundamentalist Muslims and radical Hindus gain political support in their countries. Courageous national pastors and church planters, though often threatened and even suffering physical abuse, labor tirelessly in the spread of the gospel.
International Standard Book Number for distributing the materials legally. Everyone involved covets much prayer for this work. RBPI India will publish RBP Vacation Bible School curriculum for the fourth year, but the goal for 2020 is to contextualize by inserting Indian photos and illustrations, thus increasing the effectiveness of the gospel presentation. A second year of RBP Primary Department Sunday School curriculum was translated this year and published in the Indian language of Telugu. Multiple teacher training seminars in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, have trained over 2,000 teachers. With added partners, RBPI will also increase distribution of RBP curriculum into more countries and more churches. We will also seek to create a secure website-based portal for internationals who can access broadband to download curriculum, which would eliminate shipping costs. Digital distribution will continue to expand.
RBPI Kids4Truth Clubs, an RBP children’s club that teaches systematic theology to kids, has recently been translated into Chinese. The goal is to edit the materials and have them reviewed by national pastors, provide graphics, and publish them in Mandarin Chinese, followed by Cantonese for Hong Kong. Due to increased persecution and scrutiny on the mainland, the goal will be to secure an
Chris Hindal shares the gospel with a community in Malawi. 61
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T
We He Em Ph
GL sio aff gen Bib ed
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NIBS is the first Baptist Seminary in North India! We are training Hindi speaking leaders to reach 500 million Hindi speaking people.
Teaching truth to live, love and lead. Web address: www.nibsindia.net Henry and Molly John Email: thejohns@johnsindia.org Phone: (515) 809-7048
Partner with us to train local leaders in North India. GLEAM ships Christian literature free to local missionaries and pastors in countries where they can not afford or obtain Christian material. We currently need gently used Bibles, and gently used recent VBS, and Bible study material. We also need books from accepted authors listed on our website.
Missionary Acres
Silva, Missouri
A community of retired Baptist pastors, missionaries, and career Christian workers
We chose Missionary Acres because it is in the Midwest and located in the beautiful Ozarks of Missouri. Our staff is very helpful, fellow retirees are friendly, and it is very affordable living. Joe & Jerry Sue Lantz Retired Missionaries—France
Stop by our table for a
Gift Card Giveaway
For more information, stop by our table or contact: Ken Moon, Administrator missionaryacres@semo.net (573) 224-3710 www.missionaryacres.com 63 19_GARBC ConfBk_Int.indd 63
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BG RBP’s
ENCOURAGE
A HEALTHY
SPIRITUAL LIFE
Hooked on God’s Mercy
Pick a Women’s Bible Study from RBP!
RBPstore.org/women
VBS 2020!
TheEvangelisticVBS.com
TM
Preorder at the Bookstore for $20 off!
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Available at the RBP Bookstore
®
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ESSENCE OF WORSHIP
2019 GARBC Conference • Des Moines, Iowa
“worship in spirit and truth” John 4:24
GARBC Conference June 25–28, 2019 Des Moines, Iowa www.garbcConference.org 19_GARBC ConfBk_CVR.indd 1
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