Annual Conference Recap

THE

CENTRAL CONNECTION

November 2019

"We are an organization of churches that is committed

to the mission of Christ to multiply disciple-making churches

through evangelism, leadership training, and connection with

other like-minded churches."

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FROM THE DIRECTOR

“Our Heart of Thankfulness”

"A famous British poet by the name of Rudyard Kipling made a great deal of money as a writer. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, “Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.” Mr. Kipling raised his eyebrows and said, “Really, I certainly wasn’t aware of that.” The reporter cynically reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your one-hundred-dollar words.” Rudyard Kipling looked at that piece of currency for a moment. He took it, folded it up and put it in his pocket. He said one word, “Thanks.”" Read More

Pat Phinney

CB North Central Regional Director

Our Update

"I cannot even tell you how many times people have said to me, “How do you guys handle or process this trial in your lives with cancer?” I have thought about this many times and here is my answer. God’s supernatural wisdom is our only source for understanding right now.

"Think about it. Wisdom has always been among the highest, most respected virtues believers can have. The Lord was pleased when Solomon asked for wisdom rather than riches or power. " Read More

Pat and Karen Phinney

CB North Central

Annual Conference/Meeting

THE RECAP

The 2019 Annual Conference was held at Calvary Baptist Church in Eau Claire, WI on October 18-19. It was a success. Before more is said, I want to thank Pastor John van Gorkom and his staff at Calvary for hosting the conference and making our time there so hospitable. You guys are the best and we were all blessed by how you served us.

Read More & View Recorded Sessions

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CLUSTER GROUP DIRECTOR

The Sin That Produces NO Enjoyment

"The recent CB North Central annual meetings in Eau Claire made an impact on of all of us. The messages by President David Whitaker reminded us of the importance of our mission. I especially was moved by his message on Saul and David from 1 Samuel. One statement has stood out to me: “There is one sin that produces no “enjoyment” in the present." Read More

Pastor Eldon Carlson

CBNC Regional Cluster Group Director

Gospel Hope

2020 Bethlehem Conference

for Pastors and Church Leaders

Monday, February 3 – Wednesday, February 5, 2020

Minneapolis Convention Center, Mpls, MN

INVITATION

The Bethlehem Conference has many very good speakers and offers an opportunity for you to get together with other Pastors and Church Leaders for a time of fellowship and learning. Check out the information here for the 2020 Conference-GOSPEL HOPE.

If you are interested in attending, Pastor Ben Killerlain from Calvary Church at Village Green in Moorhead, MN has experience attending this conference. If you would like to be part of a CB group planning to attend at a discount rate, please contact Pastor Killerlain at 218-233-3921 or email office@calvarychurchvg.com.

AROUND THE REGION

SPIRITUAL ETT (EXPLORING TRUTH TALKS): xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx No. 1

Unconditional Love

"We use this term, unconditional love, frequently and may seem to be perfectly clear to us but in our ever changing culture it may communicate something different. I had one person, who claimed to be a Christian use this concept to suggest that if God’s love is unconditional and He loves everyone, then He accepts everyone. But our verbiage can sometimes trap us. How should we understand unconditional love?" Read More

Brad Little

Board Chairman, CB North Central

Podunk Ponderings: Faith of Our Fathers xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx No. 4

"It takes about 5 minutes of watching the news to become concerned with the circumstances in our country. Farmers in this nation are facing historically difficult agricultural conditions. Political tensions between our major political parties grow greater with every passing day. Then we have foreign tensions. Fighting flaring in the Middle East. Trade wars with China. The winds of peace and prosperity that we have been breathing in the United States for the last 70 years seem to be changing. How should the Christian respond to this?" Read More from 'A Podunk Pastor'

"Will we show that our faith has been built on the Rock?"

-by Pastor Josh Emmel, Faith Baptist Church, Kenmare, ND

NEW CHURCH PLANT-

Gerad Hall is a pastor in the Quad Cities area (Iowa cities Davenport & Bettendorf; Illinois cities Rock Island, Moline & East Moline) who is planning a new church plant. For more information click here . If you would like to contact Pastor Hall you can email him at Gerad.hall@gmail.com .

A Living Sacrifice xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx No. 5

"Midwesterners are fans of the Fall season and there’s a variety of reasons as to why that is so. Some of the classic reasons are the football games, bon fires, sweatshirts, and foliage. My wife and I have tried for many years to take a trip to Galena during this season to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves. However, we’ve never done it perfectly. We’re always too early or too late. One year during our drive we saw a singular tree with fiery orange leaves and we pointed to it and said, “That’s the one...that’s why we did the trip.”

Pastor Gerad Hall

Quad Cities

CBAmerica Chaplaincy

" The Highs and the Lows "

"It’s surreal to be a Chaplain. To be paid to do what I’d do for free…so that some may come to know Christ! Please keep praying for Kingdom opportunities to avail."

- By Chaplain Roy Fondren, USN/USMC, Okinawa

Rev. Andy Meverden

Director of Chaplaincy

CBAmerica.org

3686 Stagecoach Rd, Unit F

Longmont, CO 80504

ChapAndy@cbamerica.org

Oak Hills Christian College

Certificate Program in

Rural Leadership and Ministry

This certificate program is designed to provide foundational preparation and in-ministry training and mentorship to current lay and church leaders who will provide pastoral leadership in rural town and country churches. For more information click here .

Questions? Contact the Oak Hills Church Ministries team! Jim Hodgson or Rick Weinert

1600 Oak Hills Road SW Bemidji, MN 56601

(218) 751-8670 www.oakhills.edu/churchministries RuralMinistry@OakHills.edu

PLEASE PRAY for the Following Churches in Transition

First Baptist Church - Colfax, IA

Oak Park Community Church - Blaine, MN

First Baptist Church - Detroit Lakes, MN

Faithbridge Church - Park Rapids, MN

Cavalier Baptist Church - Cavalier, ND

Faith Fellowship Church - Cincinnati, OH

First Baptist Church - Shelby, OH

Churches Extend Practical Grace By Buying Debt

"C hurches have been partnering with RIP Medical Debt , a non-profit on track to eliminate $1 billion of debt by year’s end. The latest, featured on NPR , involves a team of Chicago area congregations that’s raised $38,000 since summer—enough to wipe out $5.3 million in medical debt for almost 6,000 community members.

"The Rev. Traci Blackmon , an executive with the United Church of Christ who also has a nursing degree, helped jump-start the pre-holiday campaign. Congregants were especially excited “about the opportunity to bless someone anonymously,” she says. The hope is to create a “ripple effect,” with beneficiaries eventually giving to others. But zero strings are attached to the debt forgiveness . “It’s not a recruitment ploy,” Blackmon says. “It’s just what we believe it means to be church .”" Read More

-by Stephanie Martin, Churchleaders.com

When Kids Make Early Decisions for Christ

"What do we do when we tell children about Jesus and kids question their beliefs years later?" Read More

-by Jenny Funderburke Smith , Churchleaders.com

What Unforgiveness Does to Your Brain

"We’ve all been deeply hurt in some way … a betrayal by a spouse, a behind-your-back criticism from a friend, hateful judgment from someone at church, a false accusation by a co-worker, unfair treatment by a boss or a parent. And the deeper the hurt, the harder it is and the longer it takes us to forgive. But sometimes we simply don’t forgive. We harbor a grudge. Resentment builds in our hearts. We nurse the offense. As a result, we remain prisoner to our pain and we harm our brain."

Read More -by Charles Stone, Churchleaders.com