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aNEWthing!
TASK FORCE |
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IBC
Church Delegates... elected by your local
congregation!
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The
pastor and two of their best counselors
("P+2")... folks who are their church's best
decision makers, evaluators, and congregational
influencers... those people who, when they
speak, their congregation listens!
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The
Board of Overseers (BOO)
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IBC
Staff
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The
Director of Transition will lead and coordinate
the efforts of the Task Force.
---Task Force
Responsibility
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They
will engage and evaluate all of the information
IBC will be receiving from the neighboring
districts... as well as from the two IBC work
groups.
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They
will review written documents, reports, and
recommendations... make comments, suggestions,
and evaluations.
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They
will participate in "straw polls," on-line
surveys, etc.
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They
will participate in some on-line meetings and
conference phone calls.
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A
small number of participants may also choose to
meet together at other additional times.
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Mid-November - The entire Task Force will be
invited to participate in at least one physical
face-to-face working meeting... sort of a
large-group committee meeting! (The purpose of
this meeting will be to build unity in the
process of narrowing the funnel of focus... by
confirming the elimination of any lesser
promising recommendations... and directing the
forward focus and efforts toward more promising
avenues. )
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Travel (and time-commitment) will be kept at a
minimum! Most, if not all, communication will
be electronic, on-line, and web-based rather
than written snail mail or face-to-face
meetings.
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The
Task Force will have full authority to formulate
its recommendation which will be presented to
the Board of Overseers... no later than December
2008... and sooner if possible.
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The
Task Force will determine how, or if, any work
group or district recommendation fits into the
overall puzzle... and any place such
recommendation will or will not have in the
overall recommendation to the Board of
Overseers.
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The
Board of Overseers will evaluate the Task Force
recommendation, and determine the final proposal
to the constituents at the annual meeting in
2009.
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SPECIAL TASK
FORCE MEETING |
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---November 15 at Pine Lake
You are invited to watch the Task Force in
action!
This special mid-year "working" meeting for
the members of the aNEWthing!
Task Force will be your opportunity
to see a work of God's will... unfolding
before your very eyes!
The purpose of this meeting
will be for Task Force members to "narrow the
funnel" of aNEWthing! options...
determining what (if any) options may be "taken off
the table," and removed from further consideration.
The group's effectiveness
in accomplishing this crucial task... will be
established through each participant's prior
preparation. Throughout the summer and fall months
each Task Force member will be receiving and
evaluating materials generated by the work groups
and the neighboring districts.
NOTE:
Do not be confused! This meeting will not
be the same as a typical IBC annual meeting. It
will be more of a large-group committee
meeting. All interested IBC'ers are welcome to
attend and to observe the process!
Limited opportunity
for input from visitors/observers may be
provided. It is anticipated, however, that the
demands of the work-at-hand will not permit the
Task Force members to divert attention toward
visitors/observers who have not been involved in
the process up to that point.
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aNEWthing!
UPDATE |
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---Puzzle pieces are being carved out...
even as I write!
As IBC begins to receive them... the various
districts' written proposals and work group
proposals will be released to the members of the
Task Force for their evaluation. These
evaluations will become the basis for the
discussions and decisions made on November 15.
Here is an update of where we stand right now.
 RESTART
WORK GROUP has polled its first
survey among the P+2 group... with more than 50
participants in just three days! These are very
important voices! So if you are one of those
who has been contacted... please proactively
engage the process! Your
 voice
is essential! Of course, it remains too early
to begin drafting any Restart Work Group
Proposal at this time.
CAMP WORK GROUP has met
with Minnesota Baptist Conference... producing
some very optimistic results regarding camp
opportunities. A second meeting is scheduled
for September 28. No Camp Work Group Proposal
is being drafted yet.
 HEARTLAND
District expects to have its proposal
in our hands by September 1. At this early date, it
appears their proposal will be somewhat different
from the other districts' proposals.
GREAT LAKES District will
have its proposal written by early September. Dr.
Dwight Perry and his associates will be visiting our
offices on September 11 and meeting with IBC
representatives.
MINNESOTA District
representatives have met on-site with the IBC Camp
Work Group at Pine Lake and IBC Director of
Transition. They have scheduled a second meeting on
Sept 28, but have not yet provided a written
proposal at this time.
CONVERGE MID-AMERICA DEM,
Bernie Tanis, remains on Sabbatical through the end
of August. In addition, this week, Bernie's sister
in New Jersey died of cancer. So Bernie and other
representatives will be meeting with IBC
representatives on-site at Pine Lake on September
18-19. Their written proposal will be expected
shortly thereafter.
As you can see, at this time nothing "official"
has been reduced to writing... and not all the
necessary pieces are finalized. Even so, the
process is moving forward... even
accelerating... as the pieces of God's
aNEWthing! puzzle are being created by
each one involved. Once the proposals are
formulated, and finalized, we will flip them
over and begin to see what God is creating...
and how it all fits together!
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THE POWER OF PRAYER |
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---A
Special "Thank You" from
Pastor Craig Bex, Edgewood Family Fellowship,
Cedar Rapids
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
Words cannot express to you my sincere thanks for
the power of prayer that went out across the IBC for
me as I awaited my liver transplant. On July 14, I
was called to Iowa City, and by noon the next day
God had provided me with a brand new liver. The
story is far greater than just this, I am in the
process of writing how God has moved and worked in
my life throughout the last 18 months. I am humbled
to know that so many of you have held me in your
prayers for so long.
My liver was so badly diseased that the surgeon had
no idea how, except by the grace of God (his words!)
that I was able to get out of bed for the last six
months. But he allowed me to be active and in
church until the day before I went to Iowa City!
I received the liver of a lady who was a
marathon runner! Don't tell me God doesn't have
a sense of humor! I was released to come home
less than a week post-op, and am well on the
road to recovery, looking forward to being back
in full swing and in the pulpit again by the
first of September.
I finally asked my surgeon just a couple of days
ago when he called to check on me, if the
transplant had not happened, how long would I
have lasted? He told me that his best
estimation would have been that I would have
lived no more than two more months. But said
this liver should last me another 55 years
(ha-ha!).
Thank you again, there is no doubt that the
prayers of many people across the country,
friends, colleagues, relatives and scores of
people I have never had the privilege of
meeting, prayed me through to a glorious and
wonderful new beginning.
Please don't quit praying, the most critical
time has passed (the first two weeks when
rejection most often occurs), but the first year
still is a time of relying on Him to make sure
that He has all things in place and under
control.
By the way, do you want to know how wonderful
God can be? I have yet to take a pain pill
since surgery! Now tell me that isn't a God
thing!
Blessings to all of you, and thank you again,
Pastor Craig Bex
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SPEAKING OF PRAYER... |
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---IBC Fall Prayer
Summit
Praying for an outpouring of the Spirit during this
year of transition!
WHEN:
Saturday, October 18 - 10 am-12 pm (lunch will be
served)
WHERE: Pine Lake Camp
WHO: Everyone is welcome
REGISTRATION: Call
641.858.3284
THEME: "Seeking God's
Wisdom through Christ our Prophet"
FACILITATOR:
Pastor Paul Smalley, Faith Community,
Ida Grove
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OAK HILL BAPTIST BIKERS |
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 ---Something
New at Oak Hill...
This was our second outing and doubled the
attendance at this one. There were 10 bikers, 2
of which were GALS, who just got their license.
The gals made the trip without any problems and
kept up like veteran riders. They can't wait
until we ride again. We will be planning
another ride in early October.
We rode from Humboldt to Boone along scenic
countryside enjoying a tremendous day the Lord
gave to us.
This is just another tool the Lord gives us to
fellowship together and have fun at the same
time.
Mike Pedersen, Oak Hill, Humboldt
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WEBSITE COMMUNICATION |
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Don't forget to
check the IBC Website
for the latest updates regarding
process and progress...
As
we seek God's direction for
"aNEWthing!'
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS |
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 Looking
Ahead...
- September 19-21 IBC
Men's Retreat at PLCC
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September 20 - IBC Board of Overseers -
Meeting at Pine Lake
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September 19-20 - "Love & Respect"
Conference - Grace Community, Pleasant Hill
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October 20-November 1 - PLCC Work Days
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October 21 - IBC Board of Overseers - Ph
Conf
- October 31-November 2 - Breakaway in Des
Moines
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November 15 - IBC Task Force Meeting at Pine
Lake (see article above)
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November 24-December 3 -
Discover Israel w/Pastor Brian Spitzer,
Grandview, Davenport
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December 9 - IBC Board of Overseers - Ph
Conf
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January 17 - IBC Board of Overseers -
Meeting at Pine Lake
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MINISTRY
RESOURCES |
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Following are brief summaries of
some GREAT ministry tools.
You can check out additional
resources at the IBC website in
regard to:
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RETOOL KIT
is a BGC resource
designed to help churches become
all that God wants for them. It
is not a program... it is a
pathway... guided by a trained
Mobilization Coach who helps the
church discover and develop
healthy leaders, a biblical
community, and a clear vision
for the future.
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 One
of the the end results is a
clearer vision for ministry,
along with a three year future
plan. Additional outcomes are
the changing of the church's
DNA, spiritual growth, (both
personally and corporately),
stronger community, and more
effective Kingdom impact.
For more information, contact
Pastor Jeff Scherer,
IBC Director of Mobilization
at: 319-290-6874 or
jeffscherer6@msn.com
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SHALOM HOUSE is
a pastoral retreat center in New
London, WI
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facilitated by Pinnacle
Ministries and providing a
comfortable, safe place for rest,
refreshment and renewal for those in
ministry - based on the philosophy
that the health of our
churches, and ultimately our
communities, rests in the strength
and refreshment of our pastors.
Pinnacle Ministries
offers three levels of services...
from just "hanging out" to
professional counseling services.
Shalom House can
also be utilized for church
board and leadership retreats,
church staff training, missionaries
and their families, and pastoral
sabbaticals.
If your pastor doesn't know about
Shalom, please tell him or her about
it - better yet, send them
for a refreshing, relaxing break to
recharge their batteries for future
ministry!
For more information, go to:
www.theshalomhouse.org
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QUIET WATERS MINISTRIES -
offers a FREE,
24 hour a day, 7 days a week,
confidential phone consulting
resource for BGC pastors and home
assignment missionaries called
CARELINE -
funded jointly by IBC & BGC
 Call
866.526.2222 to be
put in touch with a licensed doctor
or master's level counselor from
Quiet Waters Ministries
to talk about EITHER
personal OR congregational
matters.
Services are available for up to 3 hrs
of assessment and consultation via
telephone per isolated incident per
year.
All communication with the
denomination, regarding these
services is consistent with
confidentiality laws and
requirements, and with BGC's
policies and guidelines.
For more information about
Quiet Waters, go to:
www.qwaters.org
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BGC CORNERSTONE FUND
is a ministry
of the Baptist General Conference
with a mission
 to
extend BGC ministries - by providing
loans for building/remodeling
projects within our conference
churches and ministry centers.
Our ministry is possible because of
the support of our investors, who
receive competitive rates compared
to like term investments and have
the satisfaction of knowing that
their investment is being used to
help expand ministries of the BGC.
For more information, go to:
www.bgccornerstonefund.org
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CHRISTIAN LIBRARY
INTERNATIONAL
is a Raleigh, NC, based ministry
that distributes
 used
Christian books (fiction and
non-fiction), Christian music tapes,
Sermon tapes, CDs, DVDs, video
tapes, bible study materials, and
tracts to prisons, shelters and
international missions free of
charge.
What a
great way to "recycle" those dust
collecting books! For more
information, to to:
www.cli-nc.org
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CHERISH CENTER
is a ministry of Shepherd's
Fold - providing housing,
counseling, nurturing, training, and
spiritual guidance to young ladies
experiencing the crisis of an
unplanned pregnancy. They have the
capacity to care for six girls at a
time for a period of 3-6 months.
And because they are supported by
individuals and churches, they have
the freedom to make Christ central
in the home and in the training.
The Executive Director, Jan
Turner, is a member of the
Milford Baptist Church
and is also their worship
director. She has seen this project
through the from the very beginnings
- property purchase, building
construction and equipping, and
staffing. In their first year of
operation they served eight girls.
Shepherd's Fold
Ministries, Inc., is a
local, interdenominational,
non-profit corporation working
to provide a home and a
hope for young mothers in
need, located in northwest
Iowa.
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IOWA
BAPTIST CONFERENCE
Magnifying God by Mobilizing &
Multiplying a Growing Family of Healthy Churches! |
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