(If you got this as a result of a friend forwarding this newsletter to you, and you'd like to be added to our list for future newsletters, please send your request to me, Darrell Friar, at marbc@juno.com.)
ANNUAL MEETING REVIEW
Our Annual Meeting was held September 19-21 at First Baptist Church in Marshall. Our featured speaker was Rev.
Jim Tillotson, President, Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary (Ankeny, IA.). Mrs.
Joan Tillotson shared some thoughts in a ladies luncheon and a later workshop. Pastor
Dan Mead (Faribault, retired) led a workshop on church administration and Pastor
Ryan Martin (Granite Falls) gave insights on how to tackle the issue of marijuana in our society and in the church.
On Tuesday evening of the meetings, retired Pastor
Dan Mead was honored for his 27 years of faithful service to the MARBC and the camping ministry at Bass Lake.
Those serving on the Council of Seven for the next year will be Pastors
Greg Stevens (Hibbing, Chairman),
Nathan Hitz (Blaine, Treasurer),
Jake Heppner (Wadena, Secretary),
Derek Claypool (Bemidji, Northern Fellowship),
Greg Linscott (Marshall),
Logan Friess (Rochester, Youth Ministries),
Nathan Lobb (Gilbert, Burden Bearers).
Next year's meeting is scheduled for
October 2-4, 2017 at First Baptist Church in Hibbing. The date is a little later than usual in order to accommodate our speaker, Dr.
Vernon Rosenau, President, Baptist Mid-Missions.
OCTOBER IN THE OZARKS
The MARBC Fellowship Bus Trip took place October 17-22. Our trip ventured to Eureka Springs where we saw The Great Passion Play, a holy land tour (including a replica of the Tabernacle), a Bible museum and much more. While in Branson the venues included Moses (at the Sight and Sound Theater), Twice Adopted (gospel concert), the Titanic museum, Shepherd of the Hills, Presley's Country Jubilee Celebration and Branson Landing. On our way home we found time to stop in Kansas City to tour the WW 1 Museum.
Although the attractions were great, most everyone on our trip agrees that perhaps the most significant time is the fellowship and good times we have together as we travel along.
Why not join us for next year? We are planning to visit the Ark and Creation Museum near Cincinnati sometime in October. More details will be coming out around June.
YOUTH NEWS
Fall Out Retreat: October graced us with beautiful fall weather for our annual State Fall Out Retreat. Over 110 participants bumped us up considerably from attendance the last several years thanks to the marketing efforts of Faith Baptist Bible College and the involvement of some new churches. This was our first year partnering our efforts with FBBC. The goal was to avoid the competition of two activities that were taking place on the same weekend and to increase the awareness of students for their consideration toward Bible college. The FBBC team did an amazing job of being involved with the teens. It was a pleasure to become acquainted with some like-minded believers from MBA churches. Churches in attendance were: Moorhead, Rochester, New Prague, Montevideo, Brainerd (Faith and First), Hermantown, Sauk Centre, Marshall, Austin, Backus, Lakeland, and Fergus Falls. We anticipate this to be a growing event in the next few years, and a continued benefit to the MARBC. Thank you for sending your students!
Talents for Christ (TFC): As mentioned at our State Meetings, due to lack of involvement in the TFC program we are encouraging churches to pursue the involvement of their young people on an individual basis. You may contact Andrea Gower at the GARBC office: agower@garbc.org or 847-585-0837. They will handle the participants on a case by case basis. Students will either send their competition in via video or they will be channeled to another state competition. Either way, please contact Andrea with your questions.
- Youth report submitted by Pastor Logan Friess
BASS LAKE CAMPING NEWS
On November 14, a demolition team from Timm's Trucking (Morristown) came and razed the Old Main. The Lord gave four days of dry and mild weather to get the job done. The local media (TV crew from Mankato and journalists from Mankato and Blue Earth newspapers) covered the event. The TV report can be seen HERE and the Blue Earth paper is HERE. We had a crowd of fifty spectators which included about a half dozen from the community.
Progress has been made on our building projects. The pavilion (pictured) has pavers set in place and partial screening finished. The girl's showers in totally enclosed and ready for interior work to be finished rain or snow or shine. The Garage (office/canteen) has also been gutted on the interior and re-framed on the exterior. By next spring we will have a different looking camp!
The camp schedule is set for next summer. See the listing at the end of this newsletter. Pray with us as we finalize our speakers, missionaries and key program personnel. It looks to be another great summer at Bass Lake.
MARBC FINANCES (11/29/16)
We send our Christmas greeting to you! The glory of God Incarnate is difficult to fathom. The wonderful purpose for this event is summarized so well in Philippians 2:8, "And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." Scripture reveals to us that His death was for a purpose. When man receives this substitutionary sacrifice for his sin (1 Pet. 2:24; Is. 53:5), he is no longer a child of God's wrath (Eph. 2:1-3), but a child of God (John 1:12) who has been reconciled to Him (2 Cor. 5:18-21). Friend, if you have never received Christ as your Savior, take time to consider your eternal condition and how God can provide the pardon from sin that is only through Christ (Eph. 1:7).
