"You can do it, how can we help?"
When I came to be the Executive Director/Treasurer of the Dakota Baptist Convention, one of the first actions I did was to call together a task force to develop a strategy and plan that would lead us to the year 2020.  The plan that was adopted is a part of this Constant Contact.  This plan was put together in the midst of a lot of changes that were happening in our partnership with the North American Mission Board and a lot of changes on the field.  These changes were good and we continue to enjoy a good, productive relationship with the North American Mission Board.  We have become more effective in church planting, our Cooperative Program giving from our churches has grown, we have started moving toward offering more support to existing churches and church planters, we have started the DBC Leadership Network, added a full-time state staff person for Church Health and Leadership and have been working toward discovering and implementing a church revitalization process for Dakota churches.  We have seen God work as churches have moved from conflict, crisis and sometimes chaos to health, growth and peace.  God has worked in undeniable ways and we have much to give thanks for.

In the midst of this, I believe that God is asking us this question: "Where to now?"  I would like to ask you, as the leaders of our churches and our convention to join me in prayer to find the answer to that question.  I am not asking for a task force to be formed or for us to get something on paper by a certain time.  I am asking that we take time and listen to God's voice.  Ask him to speak and lead.  In the mean time, we will continue to work on our 2020 goals, and seek God's fresh leading for the future.

As we pray and seek God, let me give you this foundational statement that David Platt shared recently at a meeting I was in.  He said what we have said to the churches, "We can do it, you can help."  We need to say, "You can do it, how can we help?"  I want us to be a convention that says to our churches, pastors, church planters and leaders, "You can do it, how can we help?"

In Prayer,

Garvon
Summary of Executive Board Meeting

The Dakota Baptist Executive Board met in Bismarck, ND, July 14 & 15 at the Kelly Inn.  Below is a summary of the actions and reports that were acted on during the meeting:
  1. They completed the yearly evaluation of the Executive Director.
  2. Reviewed the Nominating Committee report.
  3. Received the Tentative 2018 Calendar.
  4. Adopted and approved to send to the churches the 2018 budget.
  5. Approved financial reports.
  6. Approved Cooperative Giving repot.
  7. Heard staff reports.
  8. Approved Executive Board Meeting dates and places for 2018.
  9. Heard a report from the Strategic Impact Funds task force and voted to give $25,000 from the fund to the National Cooperative Program.
  10. Approved Christmas bonuses and housing forms for 2018.
  11. Approved designated account descriptions.
  12. Added money to the Capital Improvements grant funds.
  13. Received the DBC Foundation report along with a report on the Capital Improvements grant fund and the Continuing Education grant fund.
We are grateful to Paul Young and Chet Coolbaugh who are serving as chairman and vice chairman of the board and all the board members who give us their time to serve the Dakota Baptist Convention.

Anyone wishing to give a memorial gift in memory of James Boucher, grandson of Chet and Dianne Coolbaugh, who passed away from a car accident, can send the gift to:

Huron Baptist Church
955 Lincoln Ave SW
Huron, SD  57350
Memorial for James Boucher
Plan to Come!

We are in the middle of summer 2017, and my prayer is that all of you have seen God at work in your midst in ministry to your community this summer. I am happy to report that youth camp was fantastic this year. We had a much larger group than last year with 115 youth and adults in attendance at Crystal Springs. The theme this year was Consumed and students and leaders were challenged and encouraged by messages from Joe Ellyson and music led by Ashton Rone. Several youths made decisions for Christ and there were lots of great conversations and memories made during the week. I want to encourage all of you to begin to plan to be a part of camp next summer with us.

I also want to invite you to an opportunity for students to connect this fall. We will be hosting a retreat this October with the theme Faith That Works. We will be talking about how to live a life a faith in Jesus Christ every day and in every place. We will have worship and a concert from the band We Are Leo; and Sam Swann, director of student ministries for the Baptist Convention of New Mexico will be sharing challenging messages from God's Word. There will be good food, lots of fun and time to hang out with friends from around the Dakotas. The dates are October 19-21, 2017 and it will be at the 4H camp near Washburn, ND. This is the fall teacher's conference school break for all of North Dakota. We know that many of our South Dakota churches may not be able to participate due to the scheduling and location, but we are working to plan another event of this type to reach our South Dakota students as well.  

Please visit dakotabaptist.com to register for the event. Contact Jeff Musgrave at 701-818-8801 if you have questions or need more information.

I am excited to see God at work in the lives of our students and leaders across the Dakotas. Please pray and come and be a part of what He is doing in our midst.

Jeff Musgrave

TRAINING

August 18th & 19th in Fargo, ND