We Love the Conference So Much....

 The SDB General Council meets this Valentine's Day weekend at the SDB Center in Janesville, WI. We LOVE serving SDBs and the Kingdom this way.

Most of this meeting will be spent evaluating the programs of our boards and Allied Societies. 

If you have been praying for us, please continue. If you haven't been praying for us, it is never to late to start. We covet your prayers. 

 This weekend we will be:

-Planning for uninterrupted service through 2014 of the major services provided by our Director of Communications.

-Continuing to strive towards a longer term vision of SDBs, with a focus on church development.

-Ensuring transition between our boards and Allied Societies goes smoothly.

-Following up on action items from the 2013 General Conference sessions.

-Gauging the next steps in church development with the help of two task forces: one for church planting and one for church revitalization

-Starting a NEW budget process for the 2015 Denominational Budget

-Conducting the annual evaluation of the performance of our Executive Director, Rob Appel

-Praying for our churches, boards/allied societies, executives, and staff

-Discussing many more topics

I am reminded this weekend of love (by every commercial I see). May we always be reminded of God's everlasting love for us. 

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

Please lift our travels and meetings in your prayers, especially with bad storms in the east affecting travel. We will be praying for those impacted by the storm.

If you have anything that you would like the General Council to discuss, pray about, or hear about or if your church would be interested in hosting one of our meetings, please feel free to contact me at john.j.pethtel AT gmail DOT com.

Christ Can Find More Fault in My Church than I Can

I am a fan of Spurgeon (the sermons, the man, and the beard). This is quote that I ran across on the Gospel Coalition site that struck me today:

The church is not perfect, but woe to the man who finds pleasure in pointing out her imperfections! 

Christ loved his church, and let us do the same. 

I have no doubt that the Lord can see more fault in his church than I can; and I have equal confidence that he sees no fault at all. Because he covers her faults with his own love—that love which covers a multitude of sins; and he removes all her defilement with that precious blood which washes away all the transgressions of his people.

Jared Siebert plans to help SDBs "Be Witnesses"

     

     Along with others interested in the excitement that the Be Witnesses Church Planting Conference is bringing to SDBs, I had the opportunity to become acquainted with the trainer for the event, Jared Siebert.

     Jared is not only an “expert” in church planting in North America, having catalyzed well over 15 separate congregations for the Free Methodist Church in Canada; he is also a man seeking to create gospel embassies of the Kingdom (new churches) and partner with SDBs to see this happen.

     The first impression that I got from Jared was that he recognizes who really owns and is behind the work of church planting, Jesus, and is interested in making Him famous across North America.

As Jared answered our many questions for him on the conference call, the other characteristic that really stood out was his pastoral heart. He REALLY cares about the eternity of those who do not know Jesus as Savior and Lord and about those who are trying to reach them.

     Be Witnesses is for every SDB interested in the future of church planting and our denomination. If you are an established pastor or church, you should come to invest in the future of the Kingdom. Learn how you and your church can develop men and women to advance the Great Commission and how even small churches can purposefully contribute to the effort. If you even remotely sense a calling to a mission field, consider coming to see if North America might be the location God will be sending you. If you are currently or in the near future planning on planting a church or becoming part of a church plant, this is the training you have been seeking.

     Having been to many church planting conferences, you will not find a better setting become involved with the most effective gospel witness in our culture today. You will get to know other conference attenders, have others pray for you and what your next step in church planting may be, and have Jared help you (yes, you specifically) and your church participate in the multiplication of gospel-centered SDB churches all over North America. All of this coaching and camaraderie for only $75. Be there!