In this Edition:
- Dr. Mac's Minute: Stay Ready
- 2023 DBC Annual Meeting Site Moved to Rapid City
- Annual Church Profiles Due
- Lottie Moon Resources Available to Dakota Baptist Churches
Around the Dakotas:
- Chanku Waste Ministry Hosts SBC Send Relief President
- Belfield Baptist Reports Baptism and Upgrades to Building
- Mobridge Church Hosts IMB Missionaries by Zoom
- South Africa Mission Team Trains Hundreds of Pastors and Leaders
Celebrating Church Planting... Dakotas Style:
- Celebrating what God is Doing in Bismarck
- Getting Involved in Church Planting
Around the SBC:
- A Message from Terry Sharp, IMB
- CP story: Jess & Wendy Jennings
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Stay Ready
Passage: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
Focus: “. . . keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v. 14)
No greater fear strikes the heart of a wife than for her husband to say: “Honey! I’ve invited company over. They’ll be here in an hour.” The whole family is called into active duty. “Tommy, clean the bathrooms! Julie, vacuum the floors! Jenny, get started on the dishes!” Sound familiar? And such “emergencies” always seem to come at times when the house is in the greatest state of chaos. That is because one of the hardest lessons to teach children is, it is easier to clean things if you keep them clean as you go.
Guess what! Someone IS coming! We don’t know for sure when. It may be today; it may be next year . . . but the word is, He’s coming soon. His name is Jesus.
As we celebrate the first coming of Jesus this month, it is a good time to remind ourselves that the return of Jesus is just as certain. For some it will be a time of panic. Jesus spoke of ten virgins waiting for the arrival of the bridegroom. Five were wise and trimmed their lamps with oil. The others were foolish and did not. As the wedding party approached, the unprepared guests scrambled to find oil—and missed the event.
For others, Christ’s return will be a time of great rejoicing. Like the wise virgins they will be prepared.
“Miz’ Suzy” was a godly, elderly Southern woman. One day some smart alecky boys tried to have fun at her expense. One of them said, “Miz’ Suzy, the preacher says Jesus is comin’ soon. You believe that?” She eyed the young man suspiciously and said, “I sure do. As sure as you’re standing there!” He laughed and said, “Well you better get home and get ready! He might be there right now.” Miz’ Suzy peered over her glasses and said, “I don’t have to get ready, young man; I stay ready!”
Paul told Timothy to stay ready. “Keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord, Jesus Christ” (1 Timothy 6:14). In a general sense, he meant all of God’s Word, but specifically it calls to mind the Great Commandment to, “love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.” And don’t forget the second one, “love your neighbor as yourself.” We are to keep it without stain or reproach. That is, guard your integrity until the appearing of Christ. In other words, it is easier if you keep your life clean as you go.
As you celebrate the birth of the baby in the manger, don’t forget that He is returning as a conquering King. Stay ready!
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2023 DBC Annual Meeting Site Moved to Rapid City
The 2023 annual meeting of the Dakota Baptist Convention was scheduled to be held in Williston, ND. The DBC Executive Board voted last month to move the meeting to Rapid City and move the upcoming schedule of meeting sites back a year.
The Board made this change for two reasons. First, the meeting will be the 40th annual meeting for the Dakota churches and second, Williston pastor, T. J. Green recently accepted the call to be senior pastor at a church in Texas.
In communicating this change to the DBC pastors, the Board wrote, “Making this change will hopefully enable more folks to attend the meeting as a time of “homecoming” and celebration. It will also take pressure off of our brothers and sisters in Williston at a time when they are in the middle of a pastor search (or in the early days of having a new pastor).”
South Canyon Baptist Church in Rapid City has agreed to serve as host for the 2023 annual meeting. They have a large facility that will enable the Convention to do everything needed for this event. James Proctor is the pastor at South Canyon.
The 2023 DBC annual meeting will be on October 5-6. Future meetings will be held in Williston in 2024, Brookings in 2025, and Fargo in 2026.
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Dakota Churches Approach 2022 Giving Goals
The churches of the Dakota Baptist Convention are drawing close to reaching their 2022 goals for the Cooperative Program and Baker State Mission Offering.
As of the end of November, CP gifts have totaled $395,336.88 towards a goal of $428,400. The Baker goal is $40,000. So far $36,373.49 has been given. DBC Executive Director Fred MacDonald said, “Once again the churches of the Dakotas have demonstrated their great commitment to the partnership that we have in fulfilling the Great Commission. The world’s greatest problem is lostness and our folks have an unrivaled passion to be part of God’s plan to overcome that lostness with the gospel.”
Since 1925 the Cooperative Program has been the strategy Southern Baptist churches have used to accomplish God’s work together. 75 percent of CP giving from Dakota Baptist churches stays in the Dakotas to take the name of Jesus to the lost across North and South Dakota. The other 25 percent is joined together with the giving of churches around the country to place and maintain thousands of missionaries and church planters on the field, train future generations of pastors and missionaries, and engage in other Kingdom efforts.
Named for the first executive director of the old Northern Plains Baptist Convention, John P. Baker and his wife Clide, the Baker State Mission Offering touches everything the churches of the Dakotas do. This year’s theme is, “Celebrate Intentionally. Together.” MacDonald said, “If the goal is reached, it will mark the third time in the last four years Dakota Baptists have surpassed their goal. It is definitely a time to celebrate.” The 2023 goal will be $45,000.
Gifts that are received through online giving or that are postmarked by December 31 will be included in the 2022 totals.
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Annual Church Profiles Due
Hey Dakota Baptist Pastors,
Just a friendly reminder, that Annual Church Profiles are due December 31. The holidays are fast approaching, and it is always a busy time. Please take time to fill out your report. If you need assistance, please email me and I will try to help you. My email is [email protected]. Thank you!
Karen Holmes, Dakota Baptist Convention, Annual Church Profile
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Lottie Moon Resources Available to Dakota Baptist Churches
Each church in the Dakota Baptist Convention received a packet with sample resources for the 2022 Lottie Moon Christmas Offering and Week of Prayer.
The annual offering and prayer week focuses attention on the Southern Baptist missionaries serving around the world with the International Mission Board (IMB). Through the Lottie Moon Offering and the Cooperative Program, Dakota Baptist churches are placing, supporting, and keeping thousands of missionaries on the field where they meet real life needs, share the gospel, and work with nationals to plant churches.
IMB president Dr. Paul Chitwood says that the world’s greatest problem is lostness. Southern Baptist missionaries are fighting this darkness with the good news of Jesus Christ. Chitwood will be a featured speaker at the 2023 Dakota Baptist annual meeting.
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Chanku Waste Ministry Hosts SBC Send Relief President
Bryant Wright, president of the Send Relief ministry of the North American Mission Board, recently visited the Chanku Waste Ranch on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Matt Hadden, director of Chanku Waste, said, “He came to visit our Send Relief ministry center and tour the Pine Ridge Reservation.” Wright also preached at Calvary Baptist Church in Rapid City on the qualities of a mission-minded church.
Chanku Waste Ranch is one of twenty Send Relief centers supported by NAMB around the nation. These centers focus on various compassion ministries that strengthen communities, care for refugees, protect children and families, fight human trafficking, and/or respond to crisis. If you are interested in more information on the ministries of Chanku Waste or how you can partner with them in their work, contact Hadden at [email protected].
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Belfield Baptist Reports Baptism and Upgrades to Building
Belfield Baptist Church (Belfield, ND) is planning to install a new heating system. The present boiler is around fifty years old and the new system will cost around $12,000.00 dollars. They hope to have it in place sometime in December. In his monthly newsletter, Belfield pastor Larry Vickery asked friends to “pray that it will be installed before extreme cold weather arrives.” The church also celebrated the baptism of a new believer, Hadley Tessier, last October.
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Mobridge Church Hosts IMB Missionaries by Zoom
Members of Cornerstone Community Church in Mobridge, SD, had the opportunity to meet two of their international missionaries. Tim and Iracema Kunkel, IMB missionaries joined the morning worship service by Zoom. A recording of the conversation can be found at https://cornerstonemobridge.org/sermons/missionary-visit/. Everett Hornbostel is the pastor at Cornerstone Church.
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South Africa Mission Team Trains Hundreds of Pastors and Leaders
Four Dakota Baptists traveled to South Africa last month to conduct a series of training and encouragement events for African pastors, pastor’s wives, and other ministry leaders.
The Dakota team included Paul Young (Dakota Baptist Church: Fort Totten, ND), Sean Donnelly (Whitewood Baptist Church: Whitewood, SD), Denise MacDonald (Hills of Grace Fellowship: Rapid City, SD) and DBC Executive Director Fred MacDonald. The team partnered with two South African pastors and their wives, Dr. Julius & Cintia Mbu and Pastor Segun and Funmi Adeyemo, in conducting the training.
A total of approximately 500 people attended three training events in Pretoria and Durban. The team also hosted six ministry couples at a one-day Shepherd’s Retreat. Young, Donnelly, and MacDonald each preached at two different churches on the Sundays they were there.
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“Celebrating Church Planting . . . Dakotas Style!” is a monthly celebration of what God is doing around the Dakotas through our new work. Each month’s feature will have two parts. The first is an article on one of the newer churches in the Dakotas. The second is one of the fourteen ways that you and your church can be involved in church planting along with an implementation suggestion. Help us celebrate the new things God is doing across North and South Dakota.
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1) Celebrating what God is doing in Bismarck
Hope City Church: Chris & Kristy Wallace
Chris and Kristy Wallace are church planters in Bismarck, ND at Hope City Church. They are originally from just outside of Memphis, TN. They have two children, Josiah and Lily, and also serve as foster parents.
In October of 2019 the Wallaces followed God’s call to start a new work in Bismarck. They moved their family across the country to pursue that. They arrived in North Dakota’s capitol city and began the process of building relationships and making disciples. Though the 2020 pandemic was a big surprise, God has continued to grow this new church.
After meeting for the past couple of years at the Bismarck Convention Center, Hope City recently purchased and renovated their first church building. It is located near the Bismarck airport.
God continues to bless this work in Bismarck as Hope City Church seeks to lead people to enjoy Jesus and multiply disciples in real life. Please pray for the Wallaces and Hope City as they labor to be a faithful, Christ-centered, disciple-making, kingdom-advancing church.
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2) 14 Ways to be Involved in Church Planting . . . Dakotas Style!
Way #10. Invite a church planter to share his vision with your church or your church leadership: This helps church planters clarify their vision and helps your church to understand what the planter is envisioning for his work.
Implementation Suggestion: Contact one of our church planters. Invite him to visit your church and share the vision that God has given him for reaching his community for Christ at a Sunday morning worship service. Arrange for a potluck meal after the service to give church members an opportunity for Q & A about the work he is doing and the community where he serves.
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“To see all 14 ways to be involved in church planting in the Dakotas, use this QR code or go to the DBC website and click on the Church Planting link in the Resources section.”
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A message from Terry Sharp, Director, Convention Relations & Diaspora Mobilization, IMB:
Our family loves to celebrate the birth of our Savior. We sing Christmas carols, spend time together, decorate the house and attend our Christmas Eve service. On Christmas morning, we read the Christmas story and open presents.
Join me this year in remembering that the greatest present ever is the gift of Jesus.
The greatest problem in the world is lostness. The only solution to this problem is the gospel. Together, Southern Baptists send International Mission Board missionaries to be steadfastly present among people and places where Jesus is not named or known.
The good news of Jesus Christ is truly the one thing that can bring hope, peace, joy and love to the world.
It is a joy for us to provide these Advent devotions to you again this year. I am grateful to Bill Langley and Jamie Work for their hard work and pray this resource will bless you during the Advent season. May this also be a reminder and encouragement to each of us to go and share the good news across the street — and around the world.
Prepare for a season of hope, peace, joy and love. Download your 2022 Advent Devotional from the International Mission Board.
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*click image above to link to CP story with powerpoint image download |
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DBC Monthly Newsletter, November 2022
Dr. Fred MacDonald, Editor
Alysia McCord, Managing Editor
Marissa Shimer, Print Editor
Dakota Baptist Convention
P.O. Box 549, Rapid City, SD 57709
605-716-0130
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