E-Link Online -- News of the American Baptist Churches of Michigan

Annual Equipping Event Reminder

Arrivals, Departures, Celebrations, Concerns

§ First Baptist Church, Ionia, has called the Rev. Dr. Don Ketcham to be their pastor. Ketcham was assigned as interim for the church with the option of being considered as a pastoral candidate. After looking over other candidates and a healthy interview process, the Search Committee felt that God was leading them to invite him to be their pastor. He has served ABC and Brethren churches in Texas and West Virginia before moving to Michigan. He is a graduate of Baptist Missionary Theological Seminary with an M.Div. and Baylor University with a Ph.D. in Religion. He and his wife Susan have three children. He begins his full time ministry there on October 1. Welcome Don to the ABC-MI family.

§ On September 24, the Rev. Paul Prochazka began his ministry as Interim Minister for First Baptist Church, Dearborn. He previously served at Walled Lake and most recently at Union Church in Quincy.

§ On September 16, the Rev. Tucker Gunneman completed his ministry as the interim at First Baptist Church, Alpena. The congregation had a candidating weekend September 22-23.

§ First Baptist Church, Muskegon welcomed Rev. Hagans, a retired United Methodist minister, as their interim pastor. Rev. Hagans began his ministry in August.

§ Union Church of Quincy has called the Rev. Dr. Scott Arnold as their new pastor. Arnold formerly served churches in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Illinois. He has also served Michigan churches at First Baptist Church, Battle Creek, and most recently at First Baptist Church, Grand Blanc. He earned his M.Div. from Northern Seminary and his Ph.D. from Luther Rice Seminary in Georgia. His wife Marilyn is a registered nurse, and they have three sons aged 15-22. Pastor Arnold began his ministry with Union Church on August 20. We are glad that Scott and his family are staying with us here in Michigan and look forward to his continued involvement in Region life.

Meet our 2007 Senior Adult Jamboree Pastors

By Dr. James Kent

This year's Senior Adult Jamboree at Camp Lake Louise had four pastors on the program staff serving our campers this year. They shared the duties of breakfast devotionals, morning Bible studies, evening Vespers, nightly campfires, and Candlelight Communion Service near the end of our week together. They helped with other activities during the week and were available to sit and converse and pray with campers.

Frank McAuley. Frank led three of our Vesper services and returned as Fox Man Frank at our annual talent show extravaganza. Frank and Sharon live in the Lansing area where he serves on the staff of a large United Methodist Church. Frank has helped at seniors' camp for years and it was very good to have him back.

Dennis Nostrant. Dennis helps us by picking up lots of our campers in the Alpha Baptist Church bus which he drives up to camp from Livonia. Dennis serves that church faithfully as youth minister. At camp he continues to help with transportation and prepares and leads our fabulous Candlelight Communion service on Thursday evenings.

Tom (Willie Vanilla) Roberts. This was Tom's first year on our pastoral team. He has just begun as Senior Pastor at the West Highland Baptist Church in Milford. Tom's dad, the Rev. Fred Roberts, was the camp director of the first Senior Adults' camp in 1982. Tom led the breakfast devotionals, one of the Vespers, and the campfires. He assisted Marge Ahrens in camp music with his guitar.

Jim Kent. For the 24th time in 26 Senior Adult camps, Kathy and Jim Kent were the directors. Kathy and Jim were responsible for putting our camp booklets and name tags together. Jim led the morning Bible studies and gave us Paul Blarney's take on the news every morning.

All four of our pastors have indicated that they have re-upped for next year and are looking forward to joining us August 18 - 22, 2008 at Camp Lake Louise!

American Baptist Student Foundation at MSU Makes New Beginning

The beginning of the 2007/2008 school year has brought change and challenge to the American Baptist Student Foundation (ABSF) at Michigan State University. It has also been a time of renewal and success. Following the retirement of Campus Minister Sharon McAuley, the group's executive board determined to restructure the group's leadership and hired Jeff Rector to fill the newly created position of Campus Ministry Coordinator. This new, part-time role has been designed to help streamline costs, maximize existing resources, and enhance the student ministry at MSU.

"I couldn't be more excited to have this opportunity," Jeff says. "As a recent alumnus of MSU and ABSF, I am just so happy that the Lord has given me the chance to give back to an organization that has given so much to me."

Students report that ABSF is off to a great start this year. Thanks to the efforts of an aggressive and intentional outreach plan, six new freshmen have come into the group and are already beginning to take an active, invested role in the organization. ABSF continues to have a strong core group to sustain student leadership in the months and years to come. "We want people to hear and share the success story that God is continuing to write here at MSU," Jeff said. "It's important that ABC-Michigan knows they have a ministry to be proud of here at State."

As the year continues, ABSF continues to ask for the support of the churches of ABC-Michigan and their members. Nothing is more important than your support in prayer. ABSF also invites you to consider assisting in any of the following ways:

1. Including a line-item for ABSF in your yearly missions budget
2. Sponsoring and/or serving one or more Sunday night meals ($50/meal)
3. Holding a fundraiser or designating an offering for ABSF
4. Serving as a member of the ABSF Executive Board, or as a liaison to churches in your area.

For more information about ABSF or to explore ways to get connected or involved, contact Jeff Rector by e-mail at rectorje@msu.edu.

Annual World Mission Offering

"Like living stones, let yourself be built into a spiritual house..." I Peter 2:5

The World Mission Offering gives your church an opportunity to partner with International Ministries to deeply touch the lives of thousands of people all over the world. Every gift given by your church to WMO goes 100% to help people come to Christ, grow in Christ and change their world with Christ. Those blessed by your generosity include Rosa: a 36-year-old widow and mother of six who lives in Pueblo Nuevo Sitala in Chiapas, Mexico. Sacrificially share your resources to be a blessing. Support the vital work of over 1800 missionaries and international partners of International Ministries around the world.

Live Generously!

"From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view..." -- 2 Corinthians 5:16

World Mission Offering Speakers Available

During the month of October as we support our annual World Mission Offering, we are privileged to host two International Missionaries in Michigan.

* Wendy Bernhard -- Teacher Democratic Republic of the Congo (Oct. 21-28)
* Lauran Bethell -- Global Consultant based in Prague, Czech Republic (During the week of Oct. 21st)

Please contact Debbie Hart, Mission Assistant at the ABC-MI Region Office, to reserve a time for one of these dynamic experienced missionaries to speak at your church of group by calling 800.632.2953 ext. 221 or dhart@abc-mi.org.

Church Health Initiative: Resources Review

By Ron Cary

Ask, Thank. Tell: Improving Stewardship Ministry in Your Congregation,
Charles R. Lane, Augsburg Fortress 2006

Although it may be too late to use in your fall stewardship campaign, Ask, Thank, Tell by Charles Lane would be a short, easy to read resource for your stewardship team or committee. Stressing as it does the need for a year-long stewardship emphasis, the book provides plenty of ideas for that, as well as the usual fall stewardship campaign that goes on in most churches.

Lane states the purpose of his book on the first page, "My hope in writing this book is to provide a way for all congregations to move to a healthier place, a place where stewardship is grounded in God's word, not simply in the needs of the congregation; a place where giving is an act of discipleship, not a duty of membership; a place where money is talked about openly and honestly; a place where faithful giving is an important part of faithful lives." In eleven short chapters he fleshes out his purpose with plenty of practical advice and ideas that may be new to your stewardship team.

Even though Christian stewardship is about raising disciples, not just raising dollars, both can be accomplished by following an annual theme of asking, thanking and telling. "Asking" describes the different ways people in your congregation are asked to consider the blessings God has entrusted to them. "Thanking" describes the ways your congregation acknowledges with appreciation the generous response of those who support the ministry of the church. "Telling" describes the many ways the congregation is made aware of the work you do together. These three themes, carried out all year long, then become the focus of the annual stewardship campaign. The focus becomes the giver's need to give rather than the church's need to receive.

Along the way, the book gives a concise portrait of a biblical giver, and speaks clearly about cultural and church taboos concerning money. Lane especially challenges pastors to break the "conspiracy of silence" by talking about money in the context of discipleship.

The book is a quick read. Most pastors will already be aware of the stewardship principles suggested by Lane. But many lay leaders may not be so aware. Give them this book as a basic resource and introduction to effective stewardship.

The 2008 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff by Richard Hammar

Every church and its employees want to feel confident that their compensation plan is reasonable and fair. Now you can know for sure by comparing your plan with those of thousands of other church workers nationwide. Based on a national survey, the 2008 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff provides reliable church employee compensation breakdowns by categories such as part-time, full-time, church size, income budget, and geographical setting. With this information, you can compare your plan to other churches that have similar positions and demographics. The handbook contains compensation level based on personnel characteristics including years employed, denomination, region, gender, and educational training, and applies this information to a wide range of church staff positions.

You may borrow the handbook from the ABCM region office by contacting Sheila Kaminski at skaminiski@abc-mi.org. If you would like to purchase your own copy of this resource, go to http://www.churchlawtodaystore.com/.

Worship Leaders! Pastors!

by Pat Hernandez

Have you ever wondered about questions like these?

¶  What different models are there for "blended worship"?
¶  Should we add a service in a new style?
¶  How should we structure our worship planning team?
¶  How do we find, keep, and train competent worship leaders?
¶  What is the role of the worship team?
¶  What can we do to make worship less boring?

Then you do not want to miss the Friday morning session of the Annual Equipping Event with Paul Ryan and Greg Scheer. Paul is the resource development specialist for worship teams for the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (www.calvin.edu/worship) and the coordinator for Christian Formation through Worship at Calvin College. Greg is an adjunct faculty member of the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship as well as the minister of music at Church of the Servant, Grand Rapids. He is also a published composer of music songs (www.gregsheer.com) and he keeps a music blog worth checking out (www.musicblog.gregscheer.com).

Friday morning will kick off with an energetic worship experience (8:45am) featuring Paul and Greg with students from the Worship Apprenticeship program at Calvin College. Following worship, Paul and Greg will lead an interactive workshop that will address topics from assembling a worship team to making music. This workshop is open to Pastors and Worship Leaders. You won't want to miss this!

Registration information and materials is available at www.abc-mi.org. If you have any questions, please contact Pat Hernandez (phernandez@abc-mi.org).

Worship is not just what pastors and musicians do; it is what God does in all of us through the work of the Holy Spirit, and by way of the lives and work of people, congregations, and organizations. --John Witvliet, Director of the Calvin Institute

Pastoral Relations Committee Training

Saturday, September 29, 2007
9:00 A.M. 2:30 P.M.
ABC/MI Region Office

Registration - $15 Per Church
Lunch - $8 Per Person

Pastoral/Staff Relations Committees can be a vital part of healthy relationships between pastor and congregation, or they can be just another committee in your church. The difference depends on how well the members of the PRC understand their role and are trained to carry it out well. In these days of electronic communication, busy schedules, and varied expectations of a pastor, it is critical that the pastor and congregation have a group that to facilitate positive communication, support for the pastor, and bridge building. The PRC can serve that role, helping to provide healthy relationships within the church. To this end the ABC/MI and the Consultant for Transitional Ministries, the Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman will be offering a training event for Pastoral Relations/Staff Committees of our ABC/MI churches.

Everyone is welcome to attend, whether you currently have a PRC, are considering establishing a PRC, or would like to know how your church can facilitate open communication and caring support between the pastor and the congregation.

Pastors are welcome and encouraged to attend either on their own or with the PRC.

Topics we will cover at this event include: Why have a PRC, Who should be on the PRC, the Four "C's" of a PRC (Care, Cooperation, Compensation, Conflict). Presenters will be: Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman Region Consultant for Transitional Ministry and Rev. Ron Cary Region Consultant for Congregational Health.

To Register contact: Debbie Hart at the Region Office 800.632.2953 ext 221, or email at dhart@abc-mi.org or Rev. Tucker J. Gunneman, ABC/MI Consultant for Transitional Ministry 219.586.3392 or email at tgunneman@abc-mi.org.

New Pastor Orientation

The ABC-MI will be sponsoring an Orientation for New Professional Church Leaders at the Region office in East Lansing on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. According to the Rev. Tucker Gunneman, ABC-MI Transitional Ministry Consultant, "This event will provide new pastors and associate pastors with an opportunity to meet the ABC-MI staff and also to learn about the exciting ministries the Region has to offer as we seek to fulfill our vision of Growing Healthy Churches. This will also be a great opportunity to become acquainted with other professional church leaders who also are new to their ministry settings." There is no cost for this event. If you would like to attend, please notify Debbie Hart at the Region office by phone at (800) 632-2953 x 221 or email dhart@abc-mi.org.

Short Notices

DOING EVANGELISM WITH STYLE CONFERENCE

Saturday, October 6
9 am. to 3 pm.
Covenant Baptist Church
5800 W. Maple Road
West Bloomfield, MI 48322
(co-sponsored by Crosspointe Meadows Church)
Cost: $20.00 By October 5
$25.00 At The Door
For Information/registration:
Call 248-855-9191
Email: churchoffice@covenant
baptistchurch.org

The conference leader is Dr. Jeffery Johnson, National Coordinator of Evangelism for National Ministries of the American Baptist Churches, USA. Dr. Johnson will present various personality styles of evangelism and conduct style-specific training through the use of Styles Assessment Tools. He will also offer practical ideas on how to use the assessment outcomes effectively with members of your church. This conference is for pastors and lay leaders who want to learn effective and engaging forms of faith sharing.

International Ministries missionary Dr. Bill Clemmer confronts Ebola virus outbreak in Congo: http://tinyurl.com/yqmxsh

International Ministries sends $50,000 for hurricane relief: http://tinyurl.com/ytbul2.

The church section of the Region Directory has been updated and posted to the website (http://abc-mi.org). The other directories are being updated as well. Please report any errors or corrections to Sheila Kaminski at the Region Office at skaminski@abc-mi.org or 800.632.2953 ext 231.

First Baptist Church, Birmingham will open its Sanctuary to the public on Wednesdays from 11:30 am to 1 pm through October 24. All are welcome to come to the FBCB Sanctuary for self-guided prayer and meditation in the Sanctuary and refreshments and fellowship in the Parlor. Suggested scripture and prayer will be made available to guide people through their time. People who do not like to attend formal church services on Sunday mornings may find this mid-week time more comfortable. It's a nice way to break up the week, too.

The Robert E. Webber Center for an Ancient Evangelical Future will host its 2007 conference on November 30 and December 1 at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. The theme this year is built around the first point of the Call: On the Primacy of the Biblical Narrative. More details at http://www.aefcenter.org/attend.html

The Fifth Annual Metro Detroit Fall Dinner for ABC Men and Women of Southeastern Michigan will be held Saturday, November 3, 2007. Details are in this flyer: http://abc-mi.org/elink/http://abc-mi.org/elink/mdafalldinner.pdf. For the latest Metro Update check here: http://abc-mi.org/elink/mdaseptupdate.pdf

First Baptist Church of Birmingham will host Lauran Bethell, ABC Global Consultant, at a special Mission Event Tuesday evening, October 23. She serves as a consultant to encourage and facilitate Christ-based ministries that address the exploitation and abuse of women and children. On July 30, 2005 she received the Human Rights Award at the Baptist World Alliance World Congress in Birmingham, England .Call the FBCB Church office at 248-644-0550 for further details on meal reservations.

The Ministers Council -- ABCUSA now has a monthly newsletter. Read it at http://abc-usa.org/documents/MC_newsltr.pdf.

Read the latest issue of International Ministries Prayer Call: http://abc-mi.org/elink/prayer-call.pdf.

The Friendship House Newsletter is now provided in both PDF and DOC formats. The DOC format is a much smaller file and will take much less time to acquire on slow dialup connections. Read it in PDF at http://abc-mi.org/elink/fh.pdf or in DOC format at http:abc-mi.org/fh.doc.

The latest Friendship House Virtual Family Shop newsletter is here: http://abc-mi.org/elink/vfssept.pdf.

The next issue of E-Link Online will be published on October 8. Please send news items and notices to the Editor (editor@abc-mi.org) by October 4.

Editor's Trips

Disclaimer: listing of these references does not imply endorsement of positions or policies advocated in them by either the American Baptist Churches of Michigan or the editor of E-Link Online. Caveat lector.

The Editor

§  Your Postman May Be a Pastor -- http://tinyurl.com/3a2skv
§  Freedom is Terrifying -- http://tinyurl.com/2mflgz
§  A Baptismal Sermon -- http://tinyurl.com/2jchdv (Disclosure: author is Editor's son)
§  How to Grow a Church With Fewer Than 500 in Worship -- http://tinyurl.com/32vkdp
§  What Makes People Happy -- http://tinyurl.com/yuyfvx
§  A Unique Way to Visualize Numbers -- http://tinyurl.com/2t7jz5
§  An Old Church Adapts to Demographic Shift -- http://tinyurl.com/yukfza (Video -- requires Flash Player)

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