CHAPLAIN ALLIANCE TO ADDRESS MILITARY’S EMERGING TRANSGENDER POLICIES
Manning Brown, director of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy, will attend a meeting for the Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty (CALL) in Atlanta, Georgia, Dec. 5 and 6. Please pray for this meeting, as CALL will be addressing the emerging policy changes within the military regarding transgenderism and the protection of military chaplains. Pray that CALL leadership will continue to have a strong voice in Congress that is sympathetic toward protecting the rights of military chaplains.
The chaplaincy needs the continued support of churches and individuals. Donations enable Regular Baptist Chaplaincy to endorse, support, and encourage nearly 90 chaplains serving in the military, institutions, and community service. Won’t you consider giving an extra Christmas gift to support Regular Baptist Chaplaincy? You may mail your check to 3715 N. Ventura Dr., Arlington Heights, IL, 60004, or donate online.
GREAT NEWS FOR REGULAR BAPTIST CHURCH PLANTS!
Regular Baptist Builders Club wants to help church planters start new churches. To stay current and effective in every aspect of the ministry, the Regular Baptist Builders Club board and director review national averages and trends on a biannual basis. Several years ago, the board increased the Start Up fund grant from $15,000 to $25,000 and included services and support over a three-year period.
At its November 2016 meeting, the board looked at the national average across denominations that a church plant receives in financial support and realized that the current amount given by Regular Baptist Builders Club has been a little under that. To be more effective and consistent with national church planting efforts, the board unanimously voted to increase the grant amount to $30,000 and to continue the additional services and support over a three-year period.
COUNCIL OF EIGHTEEN NOVEMBER MEETING RECAP
Forty-eight hours from start to finish—that is the time the Council of Eighteen spent together talking out GARBC matters. There was plenty of good-natured banter between Cubs fans vs. Cleveland fans, but the meat of the meeting centered on important conference planning, policy evaluation, church planting structure and support, and administrative alignment. It all may sound ho-hum, but the meeting was anything but that. The council’s substantive discussion will affect the direction of the association for many years to come, and that is a good thing! Make plans now to get in on the 2017 GARBC Conference, June 27–30, in the beautiful Chesapeake Bay area, where much of the council’s discussion will be showcased and implemented.
ANNOUNCING SEMINARS BY REGULAR BAPTIST WEB COMMUNITY
Beginning in February, the following topics will be available to you and your church through the Regular Baptist Web Community.
- “Updating Your Church’s Articles of Faith” by Dr. David Mappes
- “Equipping Your Teachers to Teach Better” by Don Anderson
- “Effective Church Photography” by Darrell Goemaat
- “Basic Techniques for Website Refresh” by Andrea Gower
- “Adding Color to Plain Preaching” by John Greening
Enjoy valuable instruction in the comfort of your home or office. More information will be coming in January!
STATES PARTICIPATE IN “ON YOUR KNEES” PRAYER EFFORT
Individuals and churches from the East Coast to the West Coast participated in the 30-Day Prayer Challenge for church planting. The effort continues! You or your church might want to join this endeavor in celebration of Christmas, to start off the new year, to show the love of Christ’s church in the valentine month, or to show appreciation of Christ’s work on the cross in the month preceding Easter. Our desire is that the daily prayer topics will ignite a passion for the unsaved in each of our lives. Check out the individual prayer guide and the church prayer guide to see how the 30-Day Prayer Challenge can transform your church’s perspective and your personal life. You can join the effort anytime between now and Easter!
MARBC MEETS SIMULTANEOUSLY IN UPPER AND LOWER PENINSULAS
Michigan’s Regular Baptist churches gathered in two locations in real time for their annual conference: at Northeastern Baptist Church in Kalamazoo (lower peninsula) and at Northland Camp and Conference Center in Dunbar, Wisconsin (just across the upper peninsula border). Each site included worship followed by live streaming of the preaching sessions. The conference schedule accommodated sites located in both the eastern and central time zones, with Pastor Ben Marx of Bible Baptist Church, Ishpeming, Michigan, coordinating the upper peninsula venue and format. Main session speakers focused on various aspects of the conference’s “Invested” theme and the updated set of core values of the Michigan Association of Regular Baptist Churches. MARBC Executive Director Ken Floyd reflected upon these core values in the opening message of the conference, “Investing in Michigan.” Hear Ken’s message and more messages from Michigan pastors:
- 2016 MARBC Conference Messages
- Investing through Biblically Relevant Methodology – Pastor Doug Crawford
- Investing Creatively with Unbelievers – Pastor Nate Parsekian
- Investing in My Local Community – Pastor Jason LaFlamme
- Investing in Multiple Generations – Dr. George L. Coon
- Investing through the Gospel – Pastor Andrew Manwarren
- Investing in Michigan – Rev. Ken Floyd
Clare Jewell, national church planting coordinator for Regular Baptist Churches, presented church planting assistance opportunities in a Tuesday luncheon sponsored by Regular Baptist Church Planting. For more conference information, see MARBC conference highlights.
2016–17 CHURCH DIRECTORY IS READY FOR YOU!
Church info changes often. How old is your GARBC directory? Get the latest information. Order your copy of the new 2016–17 GARBC Church Directory. It’s also available for download as a digital edition.
REGULAR BAPTISTS AROUND THE COUNTRY
DECEMBER 2016
4: Southern California Sing, South Vermont Ave. Baptist Church, Gardena, California
4: Central California Christmas Hymn Sing, Community Baptist Church, San Luis Obispo, California
6: IL–MO central pastors’ fellowship, Riverside Baptist Church, Decatur, Illinois
7: OARBC Mid-Bethel meeting
8: IL–MO Blackhawk pastors’ fellowship, Crosstown Baptist Church, Silvis, Illinois
9: IL–MO Great River pastors’ holiday dinner, Bailey House, Camp Point, Illinois
28–30: BNN Teen Leadership Conference, Wildhorse Canyon, Antelope, Oregon
29, 30: Marriage Refresh, Radisson Hotel, Corning, New York
REGULAR BAPTIST MINISTRIES TEAM ITINERARIES
Gladly Serving Churches
DECEMBER 2016
John Greening
National Representative
Serving in home church, Grace Community Baptist Church, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
15: Consultation, Grace Baptist Church, Gary, Indiana
Manning Brown
Director of Regular Baptist Chaplaincy
2: Promotion ceremony (to colonel) for Army Ch. Jack Stumme, Washington, D.C.
5, 6: Chaplain Alliance for Religious Liberty meeting, Atlanta, Georgia
Chris Hindal
Director of Regular Baptist International
Representing Regular Baptist International at home and abroad
Clare Jewell
National Coordinator of Regular Baptist Church Planting
25: Steamtown Church, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Michael Nolan
Director of Regular Baptist Builders Club and Strategic Ministry Growth
3, 4: First Baptist Church, Elyria, Ohio
10, 11: Faith Baptist Church, Oxford, Ohio