Your monthly news & updates
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- Taking a Stand Against Child Sexual Abuse
- SBC Ordination Survey
- Easter Code Books
- Annie Armstrong
- Discipleship Strategy Bootcamps
- Youth Camp 2019
- The Church Refocus Summit
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- Statement of Principles on Abuse
- CP supports seminaries video
- Coming to an End
- VBS Clinics
- First Nations Evangelism Conference
- Free Giveaways at Sunday School Director's Webinar
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Taking a Stand Against Child Sexual Abuse
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In this Constant Contact, you will find several documents or links to documents that relate to an issue of major concern in Southern Baptist life.
First, the issue of child sexual abuse that was brought to light by two newspapers in Texas is our uttermost concern. We, as Southern Baptists, must respond to this deplorable situation. One instance of child abuse is too many! So what will our response as the Dakota Baptist Convention be? Here is what we plan to do:
- We are joining together with the other state conventions in a statement of principles on abuse. Our plan is to move as a convention to offer training to our churches in preventing abuse and also in ministry to abuse victims. We will also be dedicating a page on our website to make resources and curriculum available for churches to use in their own church setting.
- We will also plan to provide a link from our website to the sexual offenders website so our church can monitor those in their own communities who are registered sexual offenders.
- We will dedicate a page on our website to offer resources and best practices in church ordination practices as well as best practices in pastor/search process to aid in preventing churches from calling or employing those who have been convicted of sexual crimes.
- We will require anyone who serves as a children's worker or a camp volunteer to have a background check regardless of whether they have had one by their local church.
- We will have an appropriate resolution presented and voted on declaring our intention to help our DBC churches continue to be a safe place of children and to do all we can to prevent child sexual abuse in our midst.
I would like to say that if you become aware of abuse taking place in your church, report it to the authorities, minister to the victim and take steps to protect children and families.
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SBC State Conventions: Statement of Principles on Abuse
The state conventions in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention are committed to partnering with the Sexual Abuse Presidential Study Group to equip churches and ministries in our respective states to engage the issue of abuse with...
Read more
erlc.com
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10 calls to action for Southern Baptists on sexual abuse
The Houston Chronicle recently published a series of articles related to sexual abuse and the Southern Baptist Convention. The stories included are heartbreaking. Part 1 brought to light over 380 Southern Baptist Church leaders or volunteers...
Read more
erlc.com
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SBC Ordination Practices Survey from IMB
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In light of the Houston Chronicle's recent reports regarding sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches, a significant discussion concerning SBC ordination practices has begun to take place. The following survey seeks to identify the ordination practices of Southern Baptist churches over the past 50 years in the hopes that the findings will create productive conversations moving forward. Thank you for taking the time to participate. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete.
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See how the Cooperative Program helps prepare pastors at our 6 seminaries
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Use the Easter Code to Reach Your community for Christ this Year!
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Thousands of churches used The Christmas Code to engage their members, their guests and their neighbors with the Gospel.
Now The Easter Code offers churches the same opportunity during the Lenten season!
How can you use it as an outreach tool?
- Place copies on every house in your community with an invitation to your Easter services and events inserted!
- Provide copies to members for church-wide family devotionals during the 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter!
- Give copies to visitors during February, March and April
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Orders must be received by March 5th.
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For the last 13 years the Dakota Baptist Convention has organized an evangelism ministry at the Sturgis motorcycle rally. At this rally we would train over 150 volunteers to share their testimony evangelistically in three minutes. We would rent a space on or near Main Street, purchase a Harley motorcycle and during the week would share our stories and give hearers the opportunity to sign up for a drawing for the bike at the end of the week and, more importantly, invite the hearers to receive Jesus. Over the 13 years we have shared with thousands; and hundreds of listeners have prayed to receive Christ. We have given away 13 motorcycles and provided housing for countless volunteers. It has truly been a transformational time for those who have prayed to receive Christ, a transforming experience for the volunteers from across the nation who shared and a blessing for our state staff to be a part of a ministry like this one.
For 13 years many associations, individuals, churches and state conventions have partnered with us financially. The North American Mission Board and the Georgia Baptist Convention have been significant financial partners. Our average yearly budget for this ministry has averaged $50,000 to $60,000 each year. Seeing what God has done over these last 13 years has been a blessing and highlight of my ministry here in the Dakotas.
With that being said, after much prayer and discussion with our staff we have come to the decision that this year will end the convention’s involvement in this ministry. We have made this decision based on the following reasons:
- While we are grateful to the North American Mission Board allowing us to use our evangelism money for this national evangelism ministry, we have come to the conclusion that these resources need to be invested in helping our local churches in doing evangelism in their local communities. We believe that these financial resources are needed to reach college students, assist churches in touching their own communities with the gospel and investing in language and ethnic evangelism – especially among our Native American populations.
- While the motorcycle ministry has been a national ministry with involvement from volunteers across the nation, the truth of the matter is that involvement from Dakotans has been minimal and the impact of this ministry on our own churches and their evangelism has been minimal as well. It is time to invest our resources in evangelism activity that will have a greater impact on reaching Dakotans for Christ and that will impact our local churches on a year-round basis.
- At the inception of this ministry, it has been an initiative of the state convention. It was birthed in the state office led by our state staff. It has been an all-hands-on-deck type of ministry. It has taken more time and more and more energy from our staff as our staff has decreased over the last 13 years with the work falling on less and less people. Though we are thankful for our volunteers who year after year have helped us greatly, it is time for our staff to focus our energy and time that has been devoted to the rally ministry to be focused on our churches, pastors and leaders in the Dakotas.
- We have said that as a Convention we believe that churches should initiate their work and the convention should be there to help them accomplish it. In other words, “You can do it… We can help.” As the rally stands today, we are saying to our churches “We can do it and you can help.” The latter statement goes against our philosophy of how to do state work.
Our desire is to have a successful, effective Sturgis Rally ministry in 2019. We want to celebrate what God has allowed us to do these last 13 years. We are willing to talk to anyone who would like to pick this ministry up and carry it on. If anyone out there would like to do so, we would be glad to help in any way. We are looking forward to what God is going to do to help us assist our churches in evangelism and discipleship and see the churches of the Dakotas grow.
So, to our Dakota churches, let’s revision how we can be more effective in reaching the Dakotas. Let’s give our energy, time and resources afresh and anew to reach Dakotans for the Kingdom. I look forward to what God is going to do in the future among us.
If you have any questions or concerns about this decision, feel free to call (817-716-0130) or email me (
garvon@dakotabaptist.com
) and I would be happy to engage with you in a conversation about this new direction.
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You can get resources for the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering, including videos, by visiting
anniearmstrong.com
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VBS Clinics Coming Soon!
Crossroads Baptist Church in Minot, North Dakota
March 16 from 9 am - 12:30 pm
Hills of Grace in Rapid City, South Dakota
March 30th from 9 am - 12:30 pm
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Discipleship Strategy Bootcamps coming your way!
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Strengthening churches by making disciples.
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We will look at the heart, head, and hands of how we can approach and accomplish discipleship strategies.
First Baptist Church Mandan
April 6, 2019
Prairie Lakes Baptist Church, Watertown
April 13, 2019
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First Nations Evangelism Conference
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Capitol Heights Baptist Church
Pierre, South Dakota
April 9 - April 11
There will be teaching by a variety of people, music by the Fraser Family and preaching from Vern Charette.
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Lifeway is offering a free two hour webinar entitled Sunday School as a Strategy hosted by Allen Taylor on Saturday, March 9 from 9-11 AM CST. There is be great content and some giveaways during the webcast on the 9
th
. Go to
live.groupministry.lifeway.com
to register for this free event. There are two alternate dates available for this content: March 16 from 9-11 AM CST and March 19 from 7-9 PM CST. The alternate times will not have giveaways. Details below
Description:
Every church has a mission – to fulfill the Great Commission; but every church doesn’t have a strategy to accomplish this mission. We will discuss why and how Sunday School should be your church’s strategy to accomplish the Great Commission.
Lesson Handout:
You will need a Lesson Handout for the webcast. When you register online (at the website listed above you) will receive an email with a PDF to download. If for some reason you did not receive a Lesson Handout or lost your Lesson Handout, contact Trish Holley at:
trish.holley@lifeway.com
Give-Aways:
During the webcast we will be giving away two “Sunday School Matters” DVD Training Kits. And two sets of Allan Taylor’s books, “The Six Core Values of Sunday School” and “Sunday School in HD.” The give-aways will be given at the conclusion of the webinar via the website Chat Box.
Only those who have registered are qualified to win!
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May 10 @ 5:30 pm - May 11 @ Noon, 2019
Quality Inn
Bismarck, North Dakota
- Identify ways to overcome barriers to church growth
- Breathe new life into their ministry and church
- Discover a path to strengthen your church
- Lead your church to growth and health
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