Please let the Region Office know of additional dates to add and any corrections to the dates listed.
(**) denotes new adds to the calendar since last edition
2019
**November 19 (Tue) Together in Ministry SE Iowa around 12:00 pm at Riverside Family Restaurant in Fairfield.
**November 25 - 29 (Mon - Fri) Region Office will be closed for Thanksgiving
**December 6 (Fri) Together in Ministry Des Moines area 6PM, annual Christmas Dinner at First Baptist Church Des Moines
**December 17 (Tue) Together in Ministry SE Iowa around 12:00 pm at Riverside Family Restaurant in Fairfield.
**December 23 - Jan 3 (Mon - Fri) Region Office will be closed for Christmas and New Years
2020
**January 7 (Tue) Women in Ministry New Year Gathering 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Carol Teare's home - Cedar Rapids
January 10-11 (Fri-Sat) - ABWM Wellness Weekend@ First Baptist -Church of the Brethren - Cedar Rapids
February 10 - 12 (Mon-Wed) MABC Ministers Council Retreat @ Dayton Oaks
March 28 (Sat) MABC Spring Region Board Meeting - - Forest Lake Camp
March 30 - April 1 (Mon-Wed) Prairie Pastors Conference - Omaha, NE.
You may register at this link: http://abc-dakotas.org/prairie-pastors-conference
April 17 (Fri) IA West ABWM Event
April 18 (Sat) IA East ABWM Event at Forest Lake
**April 30- May 2 (Thu-Sat) Quilters Retreat in Oelwein
May 1-2 (Fri-Sat) Forest Lake sponsored spiritual retreat for women
June 6 (Sat) Mid-America ABWM Event in Des Moines
June 16-19 (Tue- Fri) National ABWM Event at Green Lake
** July 24 -25 (Fri-Sat) Rhythms of the Spirit Retreat at FBC Des Moines
September 21 - 25 (Mon- Fri) ABHMS - Space for Grace - Kansas City
**September 25-27 (Fri- Sat) Dayton Oaks Men's Retreat - Dayton Oaks Camp
October 2 - 3 (Fri-Sat) - MABC 50th Anniversary Celebration and Biennial@ FBC Pella
**October 10 (Sat) Dayton Oaks Volunteer Appreciation Banquet - Dayton Oaks Camp
Congratulations Rev. Carla Nelson! Pastor at FBC Owatonna, MN
She began on November 1st and will be officially installed on Sunday, January 12th in Owatonna!
MABC says goodbye to Rev. Devin Wolters and his family;
his last Sunday will be Sunday, December 15th.
The short end of this story is that not only was there an ABC church in Spokane, WA, but they
were needing a pastor who was young and outgoing. We have been in prayer about this for
several months, seeking God’s guidance the whole way, and accepted a call to share the Gospel
to those in Spokane, WA, starting January 1, 2020.
Over the next two months my goal is to continue to love this congregation and set them up for
success as you partner with the Mid-ABC regional staff to continue the ministries God has called
this congregation to do. I will forever hold on to many fond memories and keep FBC in my
prayers. I am excited to see what God has instore for FBC and how God’s Church will continue
to grow, making an impact for God’s kingdom and changing the lives of those who live in
Greene County.
In Christ’s love and service,
Rev. Devin Wolters
(Excerpted from his October 15th resignation letter to the FBC Jefferson)
Blessings to Rev. Neil Ellingson, Pastor at United Church in Mapleton, MN and his expanding family!!!!
Moses Lee Ellingson was born November 11, 2019 at 9:33am.
We are overcome with joy at his arrival, and we wanted to share that with people we love and admire.
Thank you for all the ways you have blessed our family.
Love,
Allison, Neil, Hans, Glory, and Moses
Scenes from our annual Regional Youth Event aka - RYE
Special thanks to the churches that participated: Church on Northland, FBC Boone, Charles City, Clarks Grove, Davenport, Des Moines, Jefferson, Marion, Mt. Pleasant, Pella, Washington, and Waterloo
There were over 100 youth and adults who attended. Special thanks to the Church on Northland for their wonderful hospitality.
Did you know that when you shop for the holidays at smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0703272, AmazonSmile donates to Mid-American Baptist Churches?
Our beloved MABC quilters and some of their creativity on display at their fall retreat held at Dayton Oaks.
Their spring retreat will be April 30 - May 2, 2020 in Oelwein, IA.
New Year Gathering
Tuesday, January 7, 2020
9:30a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Book study leader- Rev. Ruth Yeaton
Host- Rev. Carol Teare, 1604 Audubon Dr. Waterloo, Iowa
Ruth invites you saying: The season between now and the end of the year is busy, and delightful, and stressful.
When January arrives Women in Ministry are invited to come together for a day of reconnection and reflection.
The book Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg and Adam Grant will be the focus of our discussion.
If you can read all or part of the book before January 7 that would be great but is not a prerequisite for attending.
I want to explore how ministry connects with adversity, resilience, and finding joy. Come expecting new insights.
Please rsvp to carol@mid-abc.org or call or text 319-231-4464 by Jan. 2nd. Lunch will be prepared.
FBC Fairfield's new and creative way to use an old church piano
Why not transform it into a Coffee Station in your Fellowship Hall?
Contact FBC Fairfield office@fffbc.org for the details.
A Message from our Nurturing Professional Leadership Ministry Team
At a dinner given in Jesus' honor, from the twelfth chapter of John, Mary washed the feet of Jesus using expensive perfume and her hair. Judas Iscariot, the one who would betray Jesus, was at the dinner party and criticized the giving and receiving of such an expensive gift. His criticism, the text highlights, was not born from his affection for the poor, but because he was a thief. Judas is an example of the truth that as church leaders, we can't give away that which we do not have within us. Jesus accepted this gift with humility, and in the process, he offered dignity to the gift giver. Demonstrating humility and offering dignity are relational traits inherent in Jesus. In the following chapter, at another dinner party, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, just as Mary washed his feet. Judas, the criticizer was again present, though he did not protest the washing of his own feet. Afterward, Jesus said:
"You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them." John 13:13-16
Jesus taught them with his words and actions. As ministry leaders, we are called to learn from and follow Jesus' example. The words of Jesus, "I have set you an example, that you also should do…" are not a burden, but a gift of grace from our savior who never desires to see us spiritually empty, as Judas was empty. Learning from Jesus, our Nurturing Professional Leadership Team is working to create opportunities for growth and camaraderie within the Mid-American Baptist Churches. Our goal is that none of our pastors or church leaders feel like they’ve been left alone on an island or that you are running on empty.
Our team works in numerous areas, such as advocating for women in ministry and equitable compensation for ministers. We also exist to help churches and pastors navigate violations to the Ministerial Code of Ethics. Moving forward, we also hope to provide relational and educational opportunities. We will have a table present at Prairie Pastors Conference in 2020 http://abc-dakotas.org/prairie-pastors-conference and would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you. Our team consists of: Rev. Janell Bloem, Rev. Devin Wolters, Rev. Dr. Mary Robinson, Ellen Allen, Rev. Jay Thornton, Rev. Shawn Geer, Rev. Benjaminsang Bawi.
