The Mainstream
News of Ministry and Mission
American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region
November 2008 No.2 Email: grrabc@abcgrr.org web: www.abcgrr.org
GRR Calendar
2009 Theme -Plant the Harvest
2009 Theme - Plant the Harvest
January
January
16 - 19 -SKWIM at Green Lake
16 -19 -SKWIM at Green Lake
March
March
14 -Area V Annual Meeting,
14 - Area V Annual Meeting,
FBC Edwardsville IL
FBC Edwardsville IL
15 -Area II Annual Meeting
15 - Area II Annual Meeting
Jacksonville FBC
Jacksonville FBC
21 -Area IV Annual Meeting
21 - Area IV Annual Meeting
First Baptist Church, Benton IL
First Baptist Church, Benton IL
22 -Area I Annual Meeting
22 - Area I Annual Meeting
First Baptist Church, Ottawa IL
First Baptist Church, Ottawa IL
22 -Area III Annual Meeting
22 - Area III Annual Meeting
North Bridge Baptist Church
North Bridge Baptist Church
Normal, IL
Normal, IL
April
April
17 -18 -Clergy Spouse Retreat
17 - 18 - Clergy Spouse Retreat
Lake Springfield Camp
Lake Springfield Camp
2424 -25 -GRR Missions Conference- 25 - GRR Missions Conference
Cherry Hills Baptist
Cherry Hills Baptist
Church, Springfield, IL
Church, Springfield, IL
May
May
28 -28 -Church for All GenerationsChurch for All Generations
with Edward H. Hammett
with Edward H. Hammett
FBC Bloomington, IL
FBC Bloomington, IL
Consecration Sunday
Asking the question
of our Lord, “What
percentage of my
income would you
have me give?” has
prompted spiritual
revival in churches.
Their members have
found God really
answers this question.
God does guide and encourage
us to take steps of faith..
Consecration Sunday is a program, developed and refined by Herb Miller, that starts with a church prayerfully discerning if God is leading them to use this program. All GRR Staff ministers are trained in the program and are a great resource for guiding a church’s leadership in this discernment process. Should the church discern that God is leading the church to use this resource, each staff minister is available to serve as consultant and speaker in the process.
The GRR web site has several testimonies of pastors whose churches have used this discipleship program. Go to www.abcgrr/stewardship/.
The basic process: 1. Learning & Discerning whether to use the resource; 2. Church approval; 3. Invitation of outside consultant and speaker; 4. Doing it “by the book”; 5. Inviting all of the congregation to a catered Consecration Sunday Meal; 6. Leaders’ dinner one... (cont p. 2) week prior; 7. Consecration Sunday with outside speaker; 8. Presentation of members’ responses to God’s answer to the question What percentage of my income would you have me give?; 9. Celebration lunch
after worship to celebrate what God is doing through the church whose members commit to be in step with God’s leading. For more information call or e-mail the GRR
Associate Minister assigned to your Area.
Raritan Baptist Celebrates 150 Years of Worship & Mission
On Sunday, November 16, Raritan Baptist Church welcomed former members and pastors - and pastors’ children - as the church celebrated its 150 years.
FBC Jerseyville, IL Installs New Pastor
The congregation of First Baptist Church, Jerseyville, IL held the installation of their new pastor, Rev. Rick Church, on Sunday, November 16, 2008.
Dr. John Grisham, Regional Associate Minister serving Area II, preached the message in the morning worship service.
Following the service, a dinner and reception were held. Local pastors and community leaders brought greetings.
Rev. Church comes to Jerseyville from Santa Cruz, CA. He was ordained in 1992. Rev. Church received his masters degree from the American Baptist Seminary of the West in Berkley, CA and did additonal graduate work at Fuller and Golden Gate Baptist Seminaries. Rev. Church is currently enrolled in doctoral studies at Northern Baptist Seminary.
Rev. Church and his wife, Marilou are the parents of six daughters.
The church congregation and the new pastor are looking forward to ministry that emphasizes worship, discipleship, and developing a servant lifestyle in the lives of its members.
GREAT RIVERS REGIONAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
There are scholarship programs in the Great Rivers Region to assist young people who are members of Great Rivers Region American Baptist Churches to help with college and/or seminary education costs.
Scholarships for any college student (regardless of major) or seminary student are available from the Gernenz-Shurtleff / Wilcoxen Scholarship.
Ministerial students attending ABC-related schools and seminaries in preparation for ministry can also apply for the Harold O. Long Scholarship. All applications must be received in the GRR office by April 1, 2009.
To receive an application for these scholarships, write to: Scholarship Committee, Att: Sharon Downs, PO Box 3786, Springfield, IL 62708, phone: 217-726-7366; fax: 217-726
7566, or email: Sharon@
abcgrr.org
Harvest Grants
Harvest Grants are intended to empower and encourage churches to “open their eyes” to the fields all around them during 2009. These matching grants can be used by GRR churches for just about any evangelistic effort. Our operational definition of an “evangelistic effort” is any program, activity, or event
directed to those outside the church and including an intentional invitation to Christian discipleship.
To get a packet, including appli
2008-2009 Gernenz-Shurtleff & Wilcoxen ScholarshipRecipients
Chuck Bosworth, Brian Hodge, Brandon Rhea, Steven Lilja, Reid Ackerman, Rukiya Anthony, Daniel Baltz, Zachary Bansner, Amy Barringer, Whitney Benefiel, Ryan Bressner, Megan Brown, Angelica Bruce, Jan Byrd, Carol Byrd, Antoine Charlier, James Combs, Alicia Comfort, Clint Davis, Nathan Elder, Morgan Fulton, Katie Galle, Ryan Hagan, Elizabeth Harkness, Sarah Harkness, Amanda Harwood, Jordan Haycock, Cheryl Hodge, Chayla Hurd, Lindsey Hueter, Tyler Hyndman, Hayley Jackson, Jayme Karenko, Ashley Kaytor, Kyle Keever, Caitlyn Knight, Michelle Law, Jerika Long, Sentirenla Longkumer, Derek Maninfior, Jeremy Nelsen, Luke Nelsen, Sarah Olson, Sabrina Park, Katherine Parker, Victoria Poulter, Geoffrey Reiter, Karen Ricks, Nathaniel Rohrsen, Bethany Rollet, Clayton Smith, Rachel Street, Rebekah Street, Brooke Stull, Elizabeth Surbeck, Stephanie Swigert, Morgan Taylor, Kevin VanOs, Dustin Walker, Rikki Weger, Rebecca Wiegand, Brian Wilmert, Cynthia Winch, Russell Zehr, Krista Ziebarth
2008 – 2009 Harold O. LongScholarship Recipients
Wade Allen, Jonathan Foiles, David Rogers, and Paul Rollet
GRR Changes E-Mail and Web Addresses
The new general e-mail address for the GRR is grrabc@abcgrr.org. Those who have offices in the GRR Resource Center:
Dwight@abcgrr.org
John@abcgrr.org
Roland@abcgrr.org
Candy@abcgrr.org
Sharon@abcgrr.org
Debbie@abcgrr.org The 4 Regional Associates - Revs. Henson, Ricks, McNeely & Johnson have not changed their e-mail addresses.
The web site of the GRR is now www.abcgrr.org. Look familiar? It’s the same address, but with the hyphen (dash) removed.
E-mail and web sites are just two of the ways that the ABC GRR challenges, empowers, assists and represents American Baptist Churches in Illinois and Missouri. This publication -The Mainstream - as well as meetings by appointment with church leaders and pastoral staffs, telephone conversations, mail, and even fax are tools that the GRR Staff uses in these efforts.
The web site, www.abcgrr.org, is a place that our churches - pastors and church members - go to find News, Opportunities, Reflections, and Connections for Growing Healthy Churches. It functions as an online directory, calendar, file cabinet of resources (static and interactive), video library (interviews, sermons, and workshops), and event registration tool. Try it out. Be one of the 2,500 who will use it this month.
Our Great Rivers Region Family Is Growing!
First Baptist Church, Carbondale, IL Welcomes: Marcy Kerr and Nick Mitchell
First Baptist Church, East Moline, IL Welcomes: Dean Spillum and Katie Spillum
Second Baptist Church, Kansas City, MO Welcomes: Marcus Harris, Alexander Harris, Daniel Harris, Cheryl Harris, David Harris, Jayden Burkes, Gayle Gladney, Shawana Gladney, Akira Gladney, Crystal Davis, Sharon Cunningham, Earnest Campbell, Crystal Sanderson, Michelle Adkins, Leroy Huggins, Barbara Allen, Janice Rollins-Reed, Tiffany Diggs, Michelle Goudeau, Marva Thomas, Ayanna Gladney, Anthony Stillwell, Sarah Updyke, Paul Cowley, Gale Cowley, Zaria Cowley, Patricia Williams, Lee Stamps, III, Frances Howard, Sophia Howard, Vernon Howard, III, Jajuan Howard, Dwayne Lewis, Helen Lewis, Jimmiel Finley, Kenyetta Finley, Melissa Walton-Jones, Lester Jones, David Rentie, Lorraine Rentie, and Daina Rentie
Mainstream Contact Information
Send your stories of mission and ministry. Please also send the names of new members (fruit of this mission and ministry) to:
Linda Ricks 232 Devron Circle East Peoria, IL 61611
E-Mail: Ricks4Lr@comcast.net
The Mainstream is a twice-monthly publication of the American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region, 3940 Pintail Drive, Springfield IL 62711 Telephone: (217) 726-7366 Fax: (217) 726-7566 Email: grrabc@abc-grr.org Web: www.abc-grr.org