Please note we will only have one edition of the Body Builders in December due to the Christmas and New Years Holidays.
Body Builders will be distributed on December 15th.
We will resume two editions starting in January 2020
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 the last edition
2019
December 6 (Fri) Together in Ministry Des Moines area 6 PM, annual Christmas Dinner at First Baptist Church Des Moines
December 17 (Tue) Together in Ministry SE Iowa around noon 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) A 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- Sun) Dayton Oaks Men's Retreat - Dayton Oaks Camp
October 2 - 3 (Fri-Sat) - MABC 50th Anniversary Celebration and Biennial@ FBC Pella
**October 8 - 12 (Thu - Mon) ABW Cruise
October 10 (Sat) Dayton Oaks Volunteer Appreciation Banquet - Dayton Oaks Camp
Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering
Top 25 Giving Churches in 2018:
Congratulations to First Baptist Church of Greater Des Moines ranked #21!!!
Camp News!!!!
Paul Ostrander, at FBC Pella, was recognized for a decade of service at Forest Lake Camp and Conference Center during the Sunday morning worship service, November 17. A plaque was presented to him from the FLC Ministry Team for the “untold hours of service“ as creating the facilitator of the Maintenance Task Force. Paul was the steady hand that brought us through a challenging period of transition by making many trips, sometimes several times a week, responding to all sorts of situations. Pastor Kara Krohg and Sonja Van Dusseldorp made the presentation on behalf of the Ministry Team.
FBC Fort Dodge Presents A Quilt of Valor
Jan Condra (right) and Bev McCartney (left) representing the AB Women of First Baptist Church of Fort Dodge presented retired Rev. Percy Walley (center) with a quilt of valor from the women of First Baptist Church of Fort Dodge on Sunday, November 15th.
Rev. Walley was drafted in World War II and served in the south Pacific.
He served in the Navy.
In gratitude, Rev Walley sent a touching thank you note.
Retirement Savings Challenges for Women
Don't miss out on valuable information from MMBB Financial Services. Register now for our upcoming webinar:
Retirement Savings Challenges for Women
December 5, 2019
2:00 pm Eastern Time
Learn about how to overcome the unique financial challenges for women.
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Avenues to Wholeness: Mapping a Lifetime of Financial Wellness and Estate Planning Webinar
Thursday, December 5, 2019
9:00 PM Eastern/6:00 PM Pacific
This webinar will guide you through a lifetime of mapping your finances. You will learn to plan your future and become a woman that models generosity while maintaining security for your family and your retirement. The “MAP” will include how to:
- Manage present finances
- Anticipate future needs in retirement
- Provide for the transfer of your assets in a suitable estate plan (wills, trusts, and living wills)
Let’s share a “MAP” that gives direction for today and shows a pathway for generations to come! Free materials will be provided online with additional support from the American Baptist Foundation.
Register Now!
Click here to register for this one-hour, free webinar. Closer to the event, you'll receive information on how to join the webinar.
Did you know that when you shop for the holidays at smile.amazon.com/ch/42-0703272, AmazonSmile donates to Mid-American Baptist Churches?
Woods Elected as Acting General Secretary
of American Baptist Churches USA
At the November 2019 meeting of the Board of General Ministries, the Board voted to approve the nomination of Rev. Dr. C. Jeff Woods as Acting General Secretary of American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA).
Woods has served in the role of Associate General Secretary for Regional Ministries with ABCUSA since 2003. In this role, Woods is responsible for encouraging the health and vitality of the 33 regional judicatories coast to coast throughout the United States. He previously served as Acting General Secretary from September 2018 through February 2019.
ABCUSA President Josué D. Gómez-Menéndez said, "It is with much rejoicing and hope that we announce the appointment of Rev. Dr. C. Jeff Woods and we join in embracing him as a concrete expression of our commitment to walk together in solidarity in this new time. We have, in Jeff, a person of deep convictions, unquestionable talent, and love for our Baptist family and the gospel."
Learn more here.
ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary
Dedicates Robert A. Roblee Ministry Building
The American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) Robert A. Roblee Ministry Building was dedicated on Friday afternoon, November 8. An open house preceded the dedication and celebration service for attendees visiting the new home to the ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary and the American Baptist Historical Society (financial secretary's office), located at 1015 West Ninth Avenue, in King of Prussia, Pa.
Read more about the dedication and celebration service here.
You're Invited:
Minnesota Multifaith Network Launch
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Across Minnesota, people like you work every day toward a future in which our state is more healthy, compassionate, equitable, and inclusive. Religious groups are central to this work, which is often informed by deep personal spiritual convictions. Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, Indigenous People, Unitarian Universalists, Sikhs, Jains, and countless others are all working throughout Minnesota for the common good.
Too often, groups with shared aims and values work in isolation. This can result in communities of different identities having limited communication, as one group struggles to find resources while another has access to plenty, and deep misunderstandings and antipathies persist. Critical to the work of community is the work of connection. This is why we have formed the Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN). MnMN will help people and communities of faith create broader networks of support. At MnMN, we believe in the inherent power of connection to heal, grow, and build a more inclusive Minnesota.
The transformative work of collaborative religious communities has a long history, and Minnesota Multifaith Network is an organization seeking to ensure its continued longevity through our network approach. We believe connectivity is the crucial characteristic of assembling the resources necessary for multifaith work in our communities. To launch this vision, we are hosting a kick-off event on December 16th at Mount Zion in St. Paul.
MnMN has been meticulously crafted by many hands over the past two years. Our formative steering committee includes Indigenous, Buddhist, and Hindu members, as well as leaders representing the Minnesota Council of Churches, Minnesota Rabbinical Association, and Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Islamic Resource Group, and Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul.
How can you help?
As someone who understands the value of the multi-faith movement, we are asking for your help. Please celebrate with us at the Kick-Off Event on the evening of Monday, December 16th. The event will feature a reception, testimonies, and calls to action from our organizational partners, and a request: for you to consider a financial pledge to help us fully launch this organization. Right now, leaders from around the state are already considering their support for MnMN. Some gifts will be big, others small, and still many are planning to attend to learn more. We hope you are among them, and we hope you invite friends and colleagues who you believe would be interested in this cause.
What comes next?
Register here for the launch event. Mark your calendars for December 16th at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul. There will be a reception from 5:30–6:30 PM and a program from 6:30–8 PM. We also welcome you to invite your friends by forwarding this email to them and encouraging them to RSVP. Feel free to join us when you are able to that evening, and leave when you need to; the door to connection is always open. Please come help us celebrate this new chapter.
Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to connecting with you soon.
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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.
RSVP to carol@mid-abc.org or call or text 319-231-4464 by Jan. 2nd. Lunch will be prepared.
Information shared by Bruce Van Der Beek, our region's representative to the ABCUSA Board of General Ministries (BGM):
Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you!
VALLEY FORGE, PA (10/3/19)—The ABCUSA Office of the General Secretary invites participation in Golden Rule 2020: A Call for Dignity and Respect in Politics. On Sunday, November 3, 2019⸺exactly one year before the 2020 election⸺American Baptist Churches USA is joining with more than a dozen other denominations and faith-based groups from a broad theological spectrum to be a part of Golden Rule 2020.
Jesus commands us in Matthew 7:12, “So in everything, do to others, what you would have them do to you.” Golden Rule 2020 is about looking at how we may live out this Scripture in all aspects of our lives while elevating the discourse in our spheres of influence.
“Dr. King eloquently stated, ‘the church is not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.’ Our society needs relational transformation, and I believe American Baptists can lead in helping our nation live together more respectfully,” said Rev. Marsha Scipio, Associate General Secretary for Missional Initiatives and Partnerships.
On November 3, pastors and local congregations are invited to take a few minutes to 1) pray for the healing of divisions in our country and 2) promote the application of the Golden Rule to political discussions. We encourage you to set aside time for prayer, Scripture readings, and/or short statements of support during worship. Some churches may want to have Sunday School lessons or sermons about the relevance of the Golden Rule to our nation’s public life. There are many ways to participate. Resources for pastors and servant leaders may be found at www.revivecivility.org.
American Baptist Churches USA has long recognized the need to make space for productive, challenging conversations. After November 3, we encourage you to continue the conversations. During the course of the year, we will post Civil Discourse action steps and articles on our website for you to utilize with your congregation. You may also schedule a Civil Discourse workshop, which the Office of the General Secretary does in collaboration with the National Institute of Civil Discourse. Rev. Marsha Scipio will coordinate these training sessions and customize them to meet your needs. Topics range from Civility in Politics to Listening for Understanding to the Biblical and Theological case for Civility. These sessions are great for regional meetings and/or individual church gatherings. For more information, please email marsha.scipio@abc-usa.org.
We hope you will join us and hundreds of congregations on November 3rd to lift up the Golden Rule across this country. It is easy to get involved. See the Statement of Support below, and then click here. We encourage you to sign up on the NICD website to show your support and help us demonstrate that the Golden Rule still matters in 2020 to American Baptists.
American Baptist Churches USA is one of the most diverse Christian denominations today, with approximately 5,000 congregations comprised of 1.3 million members, across the United States and Puerto Rico, all engaged in God’s mission around the world.
Additional materials and link can be accessed HERE and HERE
ABWM: Sister's Seeking Wholeness Cruise
October 8-12, 2020
Royal Caribbean “Independence of the Seas”
Departing from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
- Relax together with your Christian sisters in friendship and fun.
- Relate to one another and to Jesus Christ through guided conversation, prayer experiences, worship, and Scripture.
- Renew yourself for the ministry to which God has called you.
Schedule
Thursday, October 8, Day 1: Bon Voyage!
Meet your Christian sisters in a welcome reception and gathering together to watch our ship pull away from shore.
Friday, October 9, Day 2: Nassau
Spend a day experiencing the beauty of Nassau, a blend of cultural influences from Haiti, England, West Africa, and many other places. Shop at the Straw Market, or eat fresh seafood in Arawak Cay; get some history by visiting Fort Charlotte or the 18th-century Balcony House, or play with dolphins on Blue Lagoon Island.
Saturday, October 10, Day 3: CocoCay
Spend the day in the surf and sand on Royal Caribbean’s private island: snorkeling, jet skis, kayaking, an aqua park, or just laying around on a beach chair or in a hammock. The level of excitement is up to you.
Sunday, October 11, Day 4: Day at Sea
Spend the day with American Baptist Women's Ministries, and be inspired through Scripture, meaningful worship, and spiritual growth!
Monday, October 12, Day 5: Heading Home
Pack your suitcase and all your great memories as you return home feeling relaxed and renewed by your new relationships.
Register by February 1, 2020, for the best rates!
