Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association

Blackabys are coming to Madison May 13-14

2011-03-24T21:02:00.001-05:00

Henry and Richard Blackaby will be with us in Madison the weekend of May 13-14. You can register online at www.wisconsinbaptist.org. We encourage you to make your reservation online and pay online so you can reserve your spot.

Please take a moment to register. We look forward to the weekend with you.

New E-mails and Web site

2011-01-24T13:42:00.001-06:00

We are officially moving to a new web site and to new e-mail addresses. Our new web site is www.wisconsinbaptist.org and our new e-mails will be mark@wisconsinbaptist.org to reach Mark and amanda@wisconsinbaptist.org to reach Amanda. Please make the changes in your address books to help us make the transition.

Join Us On January 22 at East Madison Baptist Church

2011-01-10T09:54:00.000-06:00

The Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association will conduct the first quarterly meeting of the year at East Madison Baptist Church on 4917 E. Milwaukee St. on Saturday, January 22. Pastors and lay leaders are invited to participate in the meeting. Refreshments and lunch will be provided by East Madison Baptist.

Leo Endel, Executive Director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, will be our guest speaker. Back in May of 2010, our pastors heard Leo share at our annual pastors' retreat. After hearing Leo share about the Cooperative Program and how missions works in churches and around the world, they asked Leo if he could return to share more about how our churches can be involved.

As we have prepared for this meeting here is what Leo shared in his own words with us about the content of the meeting:

"Last words are important. Jesus spent three years 'making his disciples' then he challenged his disciples to 'make disciples' among all peoples. They responded and changed the world. If they could do it then, imagine what the possibilities are today. Let's talk about the challenges and the possibilities of what we can do together. Let's embrace Jesus' command and find our place in His ongoing mission in your community, in Southern Wisconsin, in North America and in the world."

We encourage you to join us on Saturday, January 22 for this very important meeting to kick off the year in 2011. Here will be the schedule for the day:

9:00 a.m. - Refreshments, Registration, and Fellowship
10:00 a.m. - Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association Quarterly Meeting
12:00 p.m. - Lunch
1:00 p.m. - Dismiss

Happy New Year!!!

2011-01-05T11:16:00.000-06:00

We want to wish you a Happy New Year in 2011!!! God has much in store for us this year. Our name has officially changed to the Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association.

Even though our name has changed our mission continues to be the same, "Plant and develop prevailing churches." Our prayer is that the Lord will continue to bless our existing churches and that we will see new works get started to see lives transformed in Jesus' name.

May we all follow God's leadership this year as we walk with Jesus in our personal lives and as we worship Him in our churches and work collectively together as an association.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

2010-12-16T12:53:00.000-06:00

As we take a look at the year in review for the churches of the Central Baptist Association we are very grateful for the way the Lord has worked in 2010. We praise the Lord for the generosity and cooperation of our churches. This year all of our churches in the CBA have seen the Lord at work.

When a year comes to an end there comes a time to reflect on what has taken place. This year in 2010 we have seen four churches get started in the form of Red Village, Brotherly Love International, United Hmong, and Iglesia Hispana Madison. We have seen increases more than 300 volunteers come through our churches to serve in carrying out the Great Commission. We give God the credit for the increases in baptism, church giving, and worship attendance from the totals of our CBA churches in 2010.

One changed life that is represented from these numbers is Becky Strait-Campobello. Becky gave her testimony at our annual meeting in November and she shared with us how the Lord has changed her life. A little more than a year ago she was an alcoholic and without Christ. Through her church and her family she accepted the Lord Jesus as her Savior. She entered a treatment center and has given her life totally to the Lord. Becky shared with us how her teenage daughter has also come to Christ in 2010. Today she is leading a victorious life because God is working through the people who have surrounded her.

We rejoice with Becky and the many like her who now have different lives because of their salvation and discipleship experience in our churches. Yet we know that many are still in need of the Savior who came at Christmas and we look forward to how God is yet to work in 2011 and beyond. With that in mind we want to thank you as partners for being part of our mission to plant and develop prevailing churches.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!

CBA Name is Changing to Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association

2010-11-19T11:27:00.004-06:00

At the November 6 annual meeting the messengers of the Central Baptist Association voted unanimously on a new constitution and by-laws that also brings a name change. The name of the association will become the Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association officially as of January 1, 2011.

Why have a name change? That is a really good question that has been talked about the past two years. Back in 1967 when the CBA was first started the association was truly central as it was in the middle between the Lakeland Association of the Milwaukee area and the Northwoods Association which covered Minnesota. Since that time several more associations have been added and divided up the territory.

So with that in mind the new name of the Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association gives a more accurate description of the current geographical location. Many people here in Wisconsin and outside of our area ask, "Where is the Central Baptist Association?" Now our name will give people a much better idea.

There are currently at least 12 different associations in America called the Central Baptist Association. This name will help people know where we are and who we are just through the first mention of our name. People from inside our association and outside our association will identify much easier.

So with all that in mind, please begin sharing with church members and partners that we are making the name change. We will continue to be the same group of believers gathered together to plant and develop prevailing churches.

Preaching Workshop Covers Wisdom Literature

2010-11-11T21:08:00.003-06:00

A workshop on preaching on the wisdom literature books of the bible was conducted at East Madison Baptist Church from November 9 to 11. Pastor Mitch Freeman ( left in the picture) served as the host pastor. Mitch serves the Church Development Team Leader for the Central Baptist Association.

The two instructors for the event were Doug O'Donnell, middle, and Dr. Mike Graves (right). Doug is a pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, Illinois and Mike is a professor of Old Testament at Wheaton University.

More than 20 pastors and leaders were gathered for the event throughout the three days of teaching and interactive workshops. The books of Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon were the books addressed during the workshop time. Many insights were gleaned by all in attendance. Many thanks goes to Mitch and East Madison Baptist for hosting the event.

Annual Meeting Will Be Highlighted with Experiencing God Author

2010-10-08T13:54:00.004-05:00

This year our annual meeting of the Central Baptist Association on November 6 will be one to remember. We have a very special guest who will be with us for the day in Claude King. Claude is the co-author of Experiencing God and many other books. Claude will be sharing with us on the call to follow Christ and being consecrated before the Lord.

On the business side for the day, we will have some very important business items. We will be voting on a new constitution and by-laws. As we vote on that item, we will also be voting to change our name from the Central Baptist Association to the Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association. The purpose of the name change is to better identify our geographical location.

This year the annual meeting will take place at Transformation Church in Sun Prairie. The church is located at 2340 Manley Drive in Sun Prairie which is also home to the association office.

We encourage you to let us know if you are coming to the annual meeting by letting us know by October 29. You can e-mail Amanda in the office at amanda@cbaow.net or call in at 608-825-9946. We look forward to having you with us for a great meeting and day together.

Below is a detailed schedule for the day:

Schedule for November 6, 2011 CBA Annual Meeting

9:00 a.m. - Registration and Refreshments

10:00 a.m. - CBA Quarterly Business Meeting

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

1:00 p.m. - The Call To Follow Christ with Claude King

4:30 p.m. - Dismiss

A Great Weekend in Our Churches!!!

2010-10-04T13:19:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was a great time of spiritual refreshment in our churches in the Central Baptist Association. In seven of our churches we had weekends of Experiencing God and Fresh Encounter. These meetings went from Friday night through Sunday morning.

In the picture to the right you see attenders at Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah. Those who came heard testimonies, studied the Bible, and participated in small groups. For the next few months these churches will either be going through Experiencing God or Fresh Encounter.

Results that took place this weekend include people who have made a decision to follow Christ, rededicated their lives, and people who experienced God in fresh ways. We are thankful for the 90 plus people from 15 states who came to serve and to share in our churches. We are also grateful for the pastors and churches who allowed these teams to come in and allow God to work. We will be sharing with you more reports as we get them in the days and weeks to come.

Experiencing God and Fresh Encounter

2010-09-27T17:12:00.005-05:00

This weekend of October 1-3 we are very blessed to have 91 people from 15 states coming to lead 7 of our churches in the studies of Experiencing God and Fresh Encounter. There are seven churches from across the Central Baptist Association who have been preparing and praying for these weekends. The purpose of these weekends is meant to help churches hear from God and follow Him in obedience as individuals and as a church body.

Don Gibson of Blackaby Ministries and the Texas Baptist Men has been working all year to coordinate seven different teams who will be working with us. These teams will come prepared to pray, lead in Bible study, share testimonies, and serve in many different ways. Please be in prayer that God will use this weekend and the weeks following to stir the hearts of our people and draw us closer to Him.

Last year we had five churches go through Experiencing God. This year we have three churches going through Experiencing God, three using Fresh Encounter, and one is going through Experiencing God Together as a church. This past year we saw many results take place as lives were changed and churches were transformed.

Our prayer is that God will do a new work this year as this weekend approaches. Thank you for your faithfulness to pray for the churches of the CBA. May the Lord's hand be on the leaders, churches, and members as we go through this weekend together.

Thank You for Coming and for Your Prayers

2010-09-19T09:14:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we had our our Central Baptist Association quarterly business meeting and we had Day One of our two day On Mission Celebration. We want to thank all the people who came to the meeting and for the many people around the country praying for us. We would also like to thank Caryn Jette, our OMC coordinator, and River of Life Church for hosting us.

There are some important items of business that came about from the business meeting. The Administrative Team voted on the new constitution and by-laws to be approved. This approval is another step in the process so that they will now go to the messengers at our annual meeting on November 6 at Transformation Church in Sun Prairie.

What does this mean to change the constitution and by-laws? Well there are two major results. First, these documents of the CBA will now more accurately reflect the current practices. Second, the name of the CBA will change to Southern Baptist Wisconsin Association.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, November 6, at our annual meeting in Sun Prairie.

In the next few posts we will have more highlights and news from our OMC. Continue to be in prayer that God will mobilize us into missionaries for His gospel!!!

Why Should Someone Come to Our Meeting this Saturday at River of Life Church in Portage?

2010-09-15T07:51:00.004-05:00

As we get ready for our meeting this Saturday, September 18, I ask myself the question, "Why should someone come?" That is a really good question. We are asking people to invest most of the day on Saturday on travel and attending our meeting at River of Life Church in Portage.

Here are a few reasons that I would like to share with you who might be thinking about coming this Saturday or wonder if it is worth the effort. Because your time is valuable and there are many other things you could be doing.

First, we will start our time off in prayer. The churches who pray together stay together. We are having a prayer time at 7:30 a.m. that will be for each other and for God to be at work.

Second, this time together will help you get to know each other. We have several new pastors who plan on coming and we would like to introduce you. Because we live a good distance apart, this time when churches come together from several hours away is not very often. Yet we know that the friendships that exist among our pastors and members is important. This time of meeting together facilitates time together.

Third, God is at work around the world as the gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed to all nations. On Saturday you will have the opportunity to meet missionaries here in American and around the world who are sharing the gospel and making disciples. This type of opportunity has not been extended to the CBA since 1994.

So we encourage you to make the most of every opportunity by joining us this Saturday. We look forward to seeing you. Once again, here is the schedule for the meeting that will be held at River of Life Church which is located at 102 Franklin St. in Portage.

7:30 a.m. - Prayer

9:00 a.m. - Refreshments and Registration

10:00 a.m. - CBA Quarterly Business Meeting with Tom Canady, 30 year missionary to Honduras giving the keynote message

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

1:00 p.m. - Missions Fair and Breakout Sessions

4:00 p.m. - Dismiss

Experiencing God and Fresh Encounter Weekend - October 1-3

2010-09-08T04:15:00.004-05:00

This past year we have been very grateful for the way God has been at work among us. One example of a church that has had major impact is Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah. Waterbrook has seen people repent in their chuch and discover their need to be in a vital relationship with God. On the weekend of October 1-3 the Central Baptist Association will have 7 churches participating in a weekend on prayer, discipleship, repentance, and spiritual awakening.

Be in prayer that God will work through the 91 people coming form 15 states. In the picture in this post you see a portion of the people who will be coming. Pray that our churches will have a heart of gratitude and expectancy as these servants come to teach. Pray our churches will be open to having a fresh encounter with the Lord so God’s Holy Spirit can move in a mighty way. Here is more about the rationale for these weekends.

All Christians should be experiencing an intimate love relationship with God. The Lord expects spiritual growth in all those who truly follow Him. All Christians are expected to be on mission with God. All Churches are expected to be on mission with God.

BASIC RATIONALE FOR EXPERIENCING GOD WEEKEND EVENTS

Henry Blackaby's life message has impacted thousands and awakened them to join God in His eternal purposes.

God has blessed churches that have intentionally set their hearts together as they corporately study these timely messages to His Body.

Salvation is an ongoing spiritual process that leads to an enhanced love relationship, a transformed life, and an increased emphasis and involvement in being on mission with God.

All Christians should be experiencing an intimate love relationship with God.

The Lord expects spiritual growth in all those who truly follow Him.

All Christians are expected to be on mission with God.

All Churches are expected to be on mission with God.

Unfortunately, both individuals and churches can find themselves consumed by activity and needs, and depleted of spiritual perspective and energy. As such, Blackaby Ministries International coordinates weekend events designed to bring about spiritual renewal in the hearts of God's people.

A visiting team is invited to provide leadership for each Experiencing God Weekend event. Each weekend is designed to overview the basic life message found in the complete book that is to be used as a follow-up study. God will do His greatest work during the follow-up studies as He speaks to His whole Body simultaneously.

On Mission Celebration is September 18

2010-09-04T07:54:00.005-05:00

After many months of planning our On Mission Celebration will be here the weekend of September 18-19. We really want to encourage leaders from all of our churches to be present on Saturday, September 18. Missionaries from both the North American Mission Board and the International Mission Board will be with us to share about their work on the mission field.

What makes Southern Baptist churches so special is that we have the Coooperative Program which allows us to pool our money together among 48,000 churches. This money goes to help fund and resources more than 5,000 missionaries across North America and more than 5,000 missionaries in 180 countries of the world. This weekend is your opportunity to become more fully informed of how God is at work on the mission field.

Please e-mail the CBA office at amanda@cbaow.net to confirm your reservation by September 10 or call in at 608-825-9946. Here will be the schedule for the entire Saturday to be held at River of Life Church in Portage, 102 Franklin St:

7:30 a.m. - Prayer Time - All CBA leaders and friends are welcome

9:00 a.m. - Refreshments and Registration

10:00 a.m. - CBA Quarterly Business Meeting with Keynote Address being given by Tom Canady who served as a missionary to Honduras for 30 years.

12:00 p.m . - Lunch

1:00 p.m. - Missions fair and breakout sessions with missionaries

4:00 p.m. - Dismiss

United Hmong Baptist Open House

2010-09-04T07:43:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, August 22, more than 140 people from Hmong churches came to celebrate the beginning of United Hmong Baptist Church in Sun Prairie. First Hmong Milwaukee brought their choir, seen in this picture to the left, and many other people. Members also came from the Twin Cities and Appleton Hmong churches.

President Sam Vang of the Hmong National Baptist Association preached a sermon on unity. President Vang and his wife traveled from Dallas to be here for the special occasion. Words of greeting were brought by various leaders including Pastor Tongber Vang of First Hmong, Pastor Nengmay Vang of United Hmong, and Pastor John Goertz of host church Living Water.

Our prayer is that United Hmong Baptist will be a healthy, unified church that will reach many new Hmong people who are without Christ in the Sun Prairie and Madison area. Please pray for Pastor Nengmay Vang and the members of United Hmong that they would be agents of God to fulfill the Great Commission in the Hmong community.

Meeting Our Neighbors from Iowa

2010-09-02T14:04:00.002-05:00

Michael and Ginny Roberts, NAMB Director of Missions, Northeast Iowa

Mike and his wife, Ginny, are natives of southern Minnesota. Their ministries have always involved church planting or church-planting sponsorship. Ginny focuses her ministry on encouraging pastor’s wives and missions education.

Come hear how God is at work through church planting in Iowa!

Trey Turner from Wisconsin Rapids

2010-09-02T13:28:00.002-05:00

Trey and Leanne Turner, Church Planters Church at Wazeecha, Wisconsin Rapids, WI

Trey and his wife, Leanne, recently relocated to Wisconsin Rapids from Texas. Trey is developing a house church network, coming alongside Chris-

tians, calling people out from churches into people groups that need a witness for Christ. These people work to be an expression of Jesus Christ and to make disciples in their ordinary contexts instead of inviting them to a church or Christian meetings. This deliberate discipling process is intended to help people read the Divine Word for themselves for life transformation, live out the Christian life in the context of nurturing relationships and then empowers and equips each person for mission engagement through apostolic mission or being sent to new people groups.

Come hear how God is at work in Wisconsin Rapids!

Introducing Rick Seaton

2010-09-02T13:08:00.001-05:00

Rick Seaton, NAMB Missionary Missions & Evangelism Team Missouri Baptist Convention

Rick and his wife, Stacy, serve the Missouri

Baptist Convention. His ministry focus is Men’s Missions and Disaster Relief. He has previously served as pastor of various churches over a span of 22 years.

Come hear how God is at work through missions and disaster re- lief in Missouri and around the country!

Introducing Madison Church Planter James Lee

2010-09-02T10:19:00.004-05:00

James Woongki Lee, Nehemiah Church Planter, Madison, WI

James and his wife Lydia recently relo- cated to Madison to evangelize mainly international graduate students, scholars and professors. James received his PhD in Chemistry from UW Madison in 1994, and returned to work in Korea for a num- ber of years before sensing God’s call to vocational ministry.

Come hear how God is at work through international ministries!

Campus Ministry at UW-Madison with Lentz Upshaw

2010-08-12T16:24:00.002-05:00

Lentz and Amy Upshaw,

MSC Campus Ministries,

Madison, WI

Lentz and Amy Upshaw moved to Madison , WI in 2001 to help start a Southern Baptist Student ministry on the UW-Madison campus called Quest. They share the Gospel with students who are not believers and train students who are believers to reach out and make disciples themselves. They have a weekly Bible study where they consistently share the Gospel as well as address a variety of subjects Biblically. They’ve also taken missions trips to Liberia and Galveston, TX. Come hear how God is at work through Campus Ministries!

Introducing Terry McIlvain With Student Ministries

2010-08-09T07:34:00.003-05:00

Terry McIlvain, NAMB missionary

Director of Youth Ministries, Kansas

Terry McIlvain is affectionately known as TMac. TMac has been involved with youth ministries since 1970. His ministry vision is to train and equip youth leaders and parents to make disciples and to train students to be fully devoted Christ followers. This summer he led a team of youth to Tokyo for a missions trip and has been involved with several youth camps.

TMac works with the Kansas-Nebraska State Convention where he assists churches in those two states with student ministry. Come hear how God is at work through the ministry of TMac as he shares at our On Mission Celebration in September.

Prison Ministry with Kathy Diaz

2010-08-04T08:57:00.003-05:00

We have been able to know Kathy through a partnership with Bell Baptist Association. Kathy had a childhood that most people cannot imagine. Her mother was married and divorced seven times before she turned nine. She has nine younger brothers and all have different dads. Her mother went to prison when she was 11 years old. God took her childhood and her past and turned it into a ministry.

He gave her a heart for inmates and their children. She wants them to know that God loves them just the way they are, no matter what. Kathy is involved with prison ministries in the Belton, TX area. She leads multiple Bible studies, including one for inmates on death row. You can learn more about this ministry Discipleship Unlimited at their website: http://www.liferow.org/ Come hear how God is at work through prison ministries!

Introducing Our Missionaries to You

2010-08-04T08:18:00.005-05:00

As we approach our On Mission Celebration for the weekend of September 18-19 one goal we have is to introduce you to our missionaries who will be with us for the weekend. The first missionaries we would like to introduce to you are Tom and Susan Canady. Tom and Sue served in Honduras as church planting missionaries for 30 years.

As missionaries they saw the gospel spread in many ways during their 30 years of service. When they started Honduras had only about 20 churches relating to Southern Baptist work. Now the country of Honduras has about 400 Baptist churches.

Both Tom and Sue are gifted communicators. Tom will be our keynote speaker on Saturday morning at our Central Baptist Association Administrative Team meeting. Our CBA quarterly meeting is set for 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 18, at River of Life Church in Portage.

Be in prayer for Tom and Sue as they come our way to share with us about their lifetime of service. We are grateful the Lord is allowing them to come our way!!

On Mission Celebration Is September 18-19

2010-07-27T16:29:00.003-05:00

We are approaching another historic occasion in the Central Baptist Association. For the first time since 1994, our association is going to host a mission celebration that will invite both home and international missionaries to speak to us. This event is now called an On Mission Celebration (OMC) and the OMC provides us an opportunity to hear what God is doing at home and abroad. Here is the overall purpose of an OMC as noted by our planning guide.

An On Mission Celebration (OMC) will lead an association :

1. to celebrate God's activity and victories through leading Southern Baptists to be on mission with God.

2. to anticipate their role in mission.

3. to participate by committing to be on mission with the Lord Jesus.

The OMC introduces international and North American missionaries, state missionaries, and local on-mission Christians, and highlights continuing missions opportunities and needs. An OMC offers a festive and energetic atmosphere in which the Southern Baptist vision and commitment to missions is communicated in a clear and compelling manner and participants are encouraged to examine their personal commitments.

The weekend of September 18-19 has been set aside as our OMC Weekend. All the missionaries participating will be present on Saturday, September 18 at River of Life Church in Portage. Then on September 19 the missionaries will spread out among our churches across the Central Baptist Association to preach and speak in churches on Sunday morning and evening.

As we prepare for our large group meeting in Portage on September 18, we want to encourage you to register ahead of time by calling the office at 608-825-9946 or e-mailing us at amanda@cbaow.net to confirm your presence. There is no cost for the event but we do need to make preparations in advance. With this information in mind, please confirm if you will be attending by September 1 by calling or e-mailing us at the CBA office.

Here is the schedule for the day on September 18 at River of Life Church in Portage which is located at 102 Franklin St.:

7:30 a.m. - Prayer - All are welcome

9:00 a.m. - Refreshments

10:00 a.m. - CBA Quarterly Meeting

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

1:15 p.m. - Breakout Sessions

4:00 p.m - Dismiss

Throughout the day we will have a missions fair where our missionaries will have tables set up representing their mission field. We have both international and home missionaries who will be with us all day on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, Tom Canady, missionary to Honduras for 30 years, will be delivering our keynote address during our business meeting. We encourage everyone to be with us throughout the day.

Power Plant has come to Madison

2010-07-19T07:23:00.003-05:00

This week is an exciting one for church planting in Madison, Wisconsin. Power Plant, a camp designed for teenagers has come to help the church plants of Red Village Church and Brotherly Love International Church.

More than 50 people from three different youth groups are here to serve in Madison this week. In the morning students will also be taught about church planting from a local practitioner, Bob Turner. Bob has planted River of Life Church in Portage, Wisconsin and he is a native of Madison.

Aaron Jozwiak is the pastor of Red Village Church and is serving as the ministry coordinator. He has lined up numerous ministry projects the students will be engaged in during the afternoons and early evening times. Aaron is working with Pastor James Lee of Brotherly Love International Church to put together different ministry projects.

Please pray the Lord uses this week of Power Plant in mighty ways this week. Pray new people are reached for the kingdom of God. Pray also that God will raise up new laborers for the harvest by young people getting excited about church planting.

For more information on Power Plant go to http://powerplant.studentz.com.

Missions Training for Your Church Leaders

2010-07-09T06:08:00.004-05:00

Every church is to be a strategic global missions center. You can help your church take major steps to becoming more strategic through training that will be offered at Trinity Baptist Church in Reedsburg on Sunday, July 18 at 5:00 p.m. Here are the details for you to attend.

Date: Sunday July 18th, 2010

Time: 5-8 with a break for refreshments and a snack

Location: Trinity Baptist Church

Missions Champion Church Training is a great opportunity for your pastor, missions leadership and church to discover more of God’s heart for the Nations, and how YOU can join Him in THE TASK!

Discover how your church can:

· Adopt an Unreached People Group

· Partner strategically with an IMB Missions Team

· Practically equip your congregation to develop their God–given call to “Make His NameGreat Among the Nations!”

· Identify and access resources the IMB provides our Southern Baptist Mission Partners

· Understand more of what God is doing, and can do through you, as Southern Baptists/Great Commission Partners, to embrace God’s Heart for all the Peoples of the Earth

The Training will be led by:

Alan Duncan

Former IMB Missionary to Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Region 2 Missional Church Strategist – Serving Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa

Alan grew up as the son of IMB missionaries in Kenya, East Africa. He completed high school at Rift Valley Academy, a school for missionary kids in Kenya. He graduated from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he started for three years as the Placekicker for the Volunteers (1978 – 1980). Alan was drafted in 1981 in the 7th Round by the Philadelphia Eagles, and played for several years with the Memphis Showboats in the USFL. He was a teammate and close friend of Reggie White, both at Tennessee, and with the Memphis franchise.

Alan married Andrea Ogle from Greeneville, TN, and after receiving his Masters of Divinity from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1992, their family moved to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. They served in Student and Sports Evangelism, as well as planting and training pastors of new church starts. They served from 1992 – 2008 in Port Elizabeth, at which point Alan returned to serve the IMB as a representative for the IMB’s work in Sub-Saharan Africa. He assumed his current role with the IMB in March 2010.

Fomer UW Ph.D. Graduate Returns to Madison, Wisconsin to Plant a Church

2010-06-19T07:38:00.007-05:00

As summer has come to us in southern Wisconsin we are grateful for the laborers the Lord is sending to us. This article gives you highlights about what is taking place. We also want to share with you our vision for the future. One person we want to introduce to you is Woongki Lee.

On June 1, Woongki "James" Lee and his family moved to Madison, Wisconsin from Louisville, Kentucky. Woongki graduated with a Master of Divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville. In many ways, James is coming home as he graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1994 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

James vision is to plant Brotherly Love International Church. This church will be geared to reach international students, professors, faculty, and other professionals. In Louisville, James and his family attended Antioch Church where they were reaching internationals from across the world. In his short time since June 1, James has already been engaging people from many different countries. The area that James will be targeting is the 53705 zip code where people from more than 60 nations reside in Madison. We are grateful for the Lord Jesus calling James back to our area and we look forward to seeing what God is going to do through him in the years ahead.

Connectors Moving the Church to "The Tipping Point"

2010-05-25T05:18:00.003-05:00

Do you ever wonder why you want be around some people and avoid others? Malcolm Gladwell in his book The Tipping Point gives us a window into some of the reasons. Gladwell states that some people are connectors who know how to connect people.

I have become convinced that churches need connectors to reach the tipping point. So what is the tipping point? Here is a definition, "The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire." It seems to me that churches are all striving to move to the tipping point so the gospel of Jesus Christ spreads like wildfire.

So what is the difference between a connector and one who does not connect? An illustration is given of Paul Revere and the famous midnight ride. The same night Revere rode on his horse warning the British are coming another man took a very similar ride but with little impact. What was the difference? Revere had the relationships and the other man did not.

As the church in the 21st century I believe we need to learn the lesson of being connectors. If we have a church with no connectors, we can focus in on teaching how to build meaningful relationships. Now I realize that everyone is wired differently, but at the same time we know that we all have the capacity to relate to different with our own unique personalities.

So where are you and your church today? Have you reached "The Tipping Point?"

Highlights of CBA Pastors' Retreat

2010-05-21T04:53:00.004-05:00

This past week our Central Baptist Association pastors met at the Bethel Horizons Retreat Center just north of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. On the agenda this year for the meeting were two major items. The first two days were spent rewriting the constitution and by-laws and on the third day we heard from Leo Endel, our Executive Director.

The CBA Constitution Rewrite Team has been hard at work since February. Many thanks goes to Gary Ranum, member of Blue River Valley Church. The team put together a draft after several meetings and numerous edits. This draft was then sent to the pastors of the CBA for the May retreat in Dodgeville. Most pastors were present and gave their input over a two day period of time. So here is what will happen as we move forward.

The new draft of the constitution and by-laws will be sent to the pastors and they will then distribute the copies to their congregations. At the September 18 quarterly meeting at River of Life Church in Portage the Administrative Team will have the opportunity to discuss and vote on the constitution and by-laws. After the approval of the Admin Team in September, then the constitution and by-laws will go to a vote at the November 6 meeting at Transformation Church in Sun Prairie.

On the last day of our retreat, our Executive Director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, Leo Endel, came to speak with us. Leo shared with us his journey on how God has led him to become a candidate for president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Leo also discussed with us how we can work on becoming more self-sufficient as an association and as a state convention. We ended our time by having our pastors lay hands on Leo and the pastors prayed for him.

May the Lord be glorified in all we do as followers of Christ at the SBC in Orlando and our remaining meetings in the CBA in 2010!

Testimonies of Transformed Lives

2010-04-12T21:21:00.004-05:00

The three people in the picture to the left gave their testimonies of how God has been working in them through the study of Experiencing God. The three people pictured from left to right are Laura Wetley, Mike Bloom, and Jodi Shaw. All of them have gone through a 13 week course offered in the Fall of 2009 at their respective churches.

Back in September 2009, five of the Central Baptist Association churches had 78 people come from 13 states to lead Experiencing God Weekends. Through these weekends and the 13 week studies which took place, several of the churches have seen many lives change as a result of the weekends and the studies that have taken place.

At our meeting on Saturday, April 10, Laura Wetley and Jodi Shaw from Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah shared how the Lord has made dramatic changes in their lives and in the lives of their family members. Jodi teaches a children's class and she has experienced God in ways like never before. Laura shared a testimony how her sister has been freed from alcohol addiction. The Holy Spirit led her to intervene in her life.

Mike Bloom is a former Jehovah's Witness of 17 years. He became a Christian in the Spring of 2009. In September he came to Prairie Springs Church in Sun Prairie, now Transformation Church on the Sunday of the Experiencing God Weekend. Mike could tell that he did not come on an ordinary Sunday. He has grown dramatically in the Lord through the 13 week Experiencing God study in the Fall. Now in the Spring of 2010, he has just finished leading the 8 week study of Fresh Encounter as a small group leader at Transformation Church.

We thank the Lord for being at work in the lives of these three people and many more from our churches. God has done amazing things through prayer and Bible study in these different studies. Churches like Waterbrook Community Bible Church of Tomah and Transformation Church of Sun Prairie have seen much fruit. Praise the Lord for His goodness to us!!!

Would You Like to Teach English as a Second Language?

2010-04-12T09:31:00.004-05:00

English as a Second Language Workshop

Why: To equip believers to minister to internationals in their communities by teaching English as a Second Language and sharing the Gospel message as they do so!

Prerequisites: None! You do not need to be a professional teacher or speak a foreign language.

When: May 14 - 16, 2010 (Friday 6pm-8:30pm, Saturday 9am-5pm, Sunday 12:30pm-5:30pm)

Where: Door Creek Church, Madison

Cost: $30 (covers all materials and lunch on Saturday)

Questions? Contact Caryn Jette at cjette_esl@yahoo.com.

Please register at http://www.doorcreekchurch.org/event/2010-05-14-esl-certification-class/ by April 30th.

Pastors' Retreat Is Set for May 17-19

2010-04-11T06:30:00.003-05:00

The CBA Pastors' Retreat is now set for May 17-19 at Bethel Horizon Retreat Center in Dodgeville. This retreat is open to all pastors and staff members of local Central Baptist Association churches. The cost of the retreat this year is $125 which includes all the meals from Monday morning through Wednesday lunch. You can mail your check payable to the Central Baptist Association.

Here is the arrival and departure schedule for the three days:

Monday, May 17

9:30 a.m. - Arrival and Registration

10:30 a.m. - Retreat Begins with Worship and Prayer

Wednesday, May 19

12:00 p.m. - Last meal

Dismiss

Please note this meeting is very important for pastors who would like to share their input on the new constitution and by-laws. The rewrite team will be sharing their draft with the CBA pastors at this retreat. After this meeting, a final draft will then go to the Admin Team at our September 18 meeting to be voted on for approval before going to the annual meeting on November 6.

Look forward to the retreat with you.

Thank You New Hope Church in La Crosse

2010-04-11T06:24:00.002-05:00

On behalf of all the churches of the Central Baptist Association, we would like to thank the members of New Hope Church in La Crosse. Dr. John Chung and his congregation did a great job of hosting our event. We would also like to to thank John for giving his special presentation of being on mission in Korea.

John shared with us numerous mission trips he has made to Korea. He has met with pastors, presidents, the military, and been involved in many historic events. We are grateful that God allows John to serve with us in the CBA.

New Hope Korean Church in La Crosse Will Host April 10 Meeting

2010-02-25T18:18:00.006-06:00

Join us in beautiful La Crosse for the first Central Baptist Association meeting ever held at New Hope Korean Church. In this picture to the left you see they meet in the beautiful building they share with Asbury United Methodist Church. The meeting will be on Saturday, April 10 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. We are glad to have our first official CBA meeting in this beautiful location with these gracious people.

During the business meeting we will be hearing testimonies from individuals who have participated in the Experiencing God study. We pray this quarterly meeting time will be of great encouragement for all who attend.

In the afternoon we will hear from two of our own CBA pastors. Pastor Mike Lopp will be sharing with us about planning in leadership and Pastor Bob Turner will be talking with us about communication in the church. These two sessions will be of great value to all who come.

We are grateful for Dr. John Chung and New Hope Church hosting this event for us. You can find the location at 1818 Redfield St. in La Crosse. Here is the schedule for the day:

9:00 a.m. - Refreshments and Registration

10:00 a.m. - CBA Quarterly Business Meeting

12:00 p.m. - Lunch

1:00 p.m. - Leadership and Communication Workshops

4:00 p.m. - Dismiss

Youth Weekend Overnighter

2010-02-15T11:11:00.004-06:00

February 27-28, 2009

A small team from North Carolina, led by Wesley Smith, will be coming to Prairie Springs Church, to lead the youth in a day and night of discipleship. The youth will begin the conference at 9 am and finish after worship service on Sunday morning. The only cost will be for the afternoon activity, which is tentatively scheduled to be bowling.

Pre-register by contacting Amanda Miller, amanda@cbaow.net or 608.513.5016, by Friday, February 19 and to receive the release forms for the youth.

Saturday
8:30 am - Registration and Refreshments
9:00 am - Conference begins

Sunday
Approximately 11:15 am - Conference ends (after worship service)

BECOMING examines the transformation that Jesus Christ brought about in the life of the Apostle Paul. Paul was so changed by his encounter with Christ that this former Pharisee could say: “For me, to live is Christ."

Crescent Lake Bible Camp Invites CBA Churches

2010-01-28T09:11:00.005-06:00

Members from the leadership team of Crescent Lake Bible Camp came to our quarterly meeting to extend an invitation to CBA churches to attend camp. Many different types of camp are offered throughout the year at Crescent Lake. For more information on what camp you can attend, please go to http://www.clbc.net.

Workshops Bring Learning and Encouragement to Churches in the Central Association

2010-01-28T08:45:00.005-06:00

From January 23 to January 25 the churches of the Central Baptist Association in Wisconsin hosted three different workshops from Next Level Leadership. These workshops focused in on conflict, personality profiles, and mastering the art of communication. We are thankful for the churches who hosted these events and for Virgil Grant of Next Level and Clint Calvert of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention for helping us lead these seminars. Much was leaned throughout the three days from church leaders who came from all across the CBA.

"Transforming Conflict and Strife into Synergy" was the workshop that took place on Saturday at Campus Community Church. This workshop helps leaders to discover their own individual conflict profiles and there is also an inventory that helps churches to discover how they handle conflict as a team. Many comments were given at the end of the workshop how helpful this teaching has been for their churches.

One quote that came from the workbook said, "I have never learned anything from a person who did not disagree with me." The idea that conflict can be good and healthy is a principle that is taught in the material. The idea of teams and committees needing to disagree with divergent ideas is important. Then teams come converge with the plan that will move them forward. Campus Community Church hosted this event and 22 people from CBA churches participated in this one day workshop.

On Sunday the DISC personality profile was taught at Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah. Nineteen people from Waterbrook Church including the pastor John Schmidt participated in this three hour workshop. The people who attended discovered if they personality took on the tendency of being dominant, influential, steady, or conscientious. There was a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement throughout the afternoon as people find out about themselves and each other. We thank the Lord for being at work in the lives of the people at Waterbrook.

"Mastering the Art of Communication" was the Monday all day workshop attended by eleven people from CBA churches and a church who is part of the Madison African American Council of Churches. One of the great quotes from the book says, "The purpose of replacing sinful adn unwise habits of communication with biblical habits of communication is to glorify God and sanctify human relationships."

We thank the Lord for being able to bring these high quality workshops to the leaders of our churches. Many thanks goes to the leadership at the North American Mission Board. We also thank all the churches across the Southern Baptist Convention who give to the Cooperative Program. The estimated cost of the weekend was more than $2,500. Thank you for your gifts to the cause for Christ that goes beyond your own churches.

If you would like to bring a workshop to your church, please contact the CBA office at 608-825-9946. For a listing of all the workshops available you can find them online at http://www.nextlevelleadership.com.

Wisconsin Native Coming Back to Plant a Church

2009-11-20T09:59:00.004-06:00

This coming January the Central Baptist Association will be blessed to have Aaron Jozwiak (pronounced Joze-whack) and his family coming to Madison to plant a campus church. Campus Community Church in Madison will be the mother church for this church plant. Aaron will be coming to us as a Nehemiah Church Planter approved missionary of the North American Mission Board. Aaron has also been preparing himself by visiting campus church plants around the United States.

Aaron and Tia Jozwiak along with their daughters Madison (7/9/06) and Avery (2/2/09) are moving to Madison, WI in the beginning of 2010 with the intentions of planting a church near the University of Wisconsin. Both Aaron and Tia are natives of Wisconsin and have a great burden for the lost in the state. Over the past few years Aaron and Tia have lived in Louisville, KY as Aaron attended Southern Seminary, and Tia was a student in the Seminary Wives Institute, which is a branch of the seminary.

Before heading to seminary Aaron served at Graceway Fellowship in Green Bay which he says was one of the greatest joys of his life. It was at Graceway that Aaron and Tia started a college ministry that met in their home. It was through that study that both Aaron and Tia really fell in love with ministering to college-aged individuals. “It was great to see each week the members of the Bible study come back with not only excitement but also with their friends. There were some weeks I do not think we could have fit one more person in our home”, says Aaron. He further adds, “Both Tia and I feel that God used that study to set our course towards church planting. It was exciting for us to start with basically nothing and watch the Lord grow it.”

As the Jozwiaks start their church planting work in Madison perhaps their greatest goal is that of being a reproducing church. “A few years back, as we considered where the Lord would have us church plant, we got excited about the potential for sending out future church planters by planting near a university. The University of Wisconsin is not only the largest university in the state but it also is the home of many future leaders.” Aaron goes on to say that “it is our prayer that God would use our church planting efforts to help start other churches throughout Wisconsin and beyond.”

Aaron and Tia are well aware of the difficulty of church planting in Madison, as the city has earned the reputation of being a church planter’s graveyard. They ask that you would pray that they would be found faithful and that God would reap a harvest of saved souls in Madison. If you are interested to learn more about Aaron and Tia go to www.youtube.com and search “Madison church plant” to view an informational video they put together which describes their hopes for Madison.

Introducing You to Trey Turner

2009-11-10T11:02:00.004-06:00

Here in southern Wisconsin we are being blessed as the Lord of the harvest continues to raise up laborers. The latest person to move our way is Trey Turner who moved from Temple, Texas to Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin back in July. We are grateful for the Lord calling out Trey to church planting after being a pastor for the last 15 years.

Trey, Lea Ann, and their three kids are new to Wisconsin and new to church planting. The kind of church or churches they want to help facilitate are not that familiar to many people. They hope to help plant and facilitate a network of simple churches which will in turn plant other simple churches. Right now, the Turners are learning their environment, having moved to Wisconsin in July. The kids are in school and their favorite extracurricular activities. "My neighbors have truly been good neighbors." Turner says, talking about the multiple changes one has to make to move to a new climate. "They even helped us to know the 'when' and 'who' for getting our water sprinklers blown out before the freeze." He adds, "I know the time spent in knowing them and them knowing us will be important in the days to come." Trey is aware that being a good neighbor is foundational for representing Jesus Christ.

Trey and Lea Ann will be a part of one of these house churches, taking the opportunities that God gives them to begin a Bible Study, disciple new believers, and then gather as a church as Jesus expresses himself through their relationships. At a time when is right for the group, they will take steps to start other groups. Why a vision for keeping churches small, or micro church? "Small groups have their unique challenges, but they can multiply faster without paying for buildings or professional staff. The group has centers on the person of Jesus Christ with a trust in the Divine Word, nurturing relationships, and apostolic mission.

"It is important to help the traditional churches see their opportunities to plant churches, maybe even some of these micro churches." Trey hopes to work with existing churches calling them alongside new believers to disciple them and help them gather in reproducing churches like this. "I hope to see the day when house churches do not stand in any way apart from traditional churches, but alongside them in the mission to reach every person for Christ."

Please pray for the Turners as they continue to make the transition to Wisconsin. Pray the Lord would place people in their path who they can develop relationships with and make disciples. Thank you Lord for calling this wonderful family to our area to help fulfill the Great Commission.

News from the MWBC Annual Meeting

2009-11-01T06:59:00.003-06:00

This year the annual meeting for the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention was held at Northwest Baptist Church in Milwaukee which is part of the Lakeland Baptist Association. Messengers from all over the two states were represented. One highlight in regards to the Central Baptist Association of this year's meeting was that Pastor Jeff Nettles of Rolling Hills Church in Platteville was elected as president of the state convention for the next two years. Jeff and his family moved to Platteville, Wisconsin in 1999 from Alabama to plant a church.

Jeff has now been at Rolling Hills Church for more than 10 years. Over the years, scores of students from UW-Platteville have been disciples at Rolling Hills and are now serving in various locations. One example is Jamie Dunbar who is now serving on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi as the church and community she is working with continues to rebuild from Hurricane Katrina. Rolling Hills also sponsors Heartland Church in Muscoda.

As the churches of the CBA, I encourage us all to pray for Jeff and his family over the next two years. Pray for Jeff to be a Christ like influence on the MWBC and for his leadership to be led of the Holy Spirit. Pray also that our CBA churches will become more actively engaged in the work of the MWBC to reach the more than 10 million people who live in our two states.

Celebrating Pastor Appreciation Month

2009-10-25T20:14:00.002-05:00

Today I saw a great example of how a church took time out to appreciate the life, ministry, and family of their pastor. I attended Gospel Baptist Church in Sparta, Wisconsin today and was witness to how the body of Christ at Gospel paid honor to Pastor Jef Skinner, his wife Paula, and their family.

In this picture to the right Jef and Paula are holding up two paintings that were done by a local artist the church commissioned. Gifts were also given by different leaders of the church representing different ministries.

Pastors do have great challenges on all fronts. October has been set aside by many churches as Clergy Appreciation Month. I am thankful for churches like Gospel Baptist in Sparta being so kind and loving to their pastor. If you and your church have not already honored your pastor this month, would you take the time and energy to do so over the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. If your church has already honored your pastor this month, will you take time to do so? You can find out more about how to appreciate your pastor www.parsonage.org.

CBA Pastors Go to Bell Baptist Association in Texas

2009-10-20T20:43:00.004-05:00

This weekend four people from the CBA went to the Bell Baptist Association to preach in churches and share at the annual meeting at First Baptist Salado, Texas. In the picture to the right church planter and Pastor Chad Cummings of Three Rivers Fellowship Church shares during the annual meeting. Chad also preached at Crystal Lake Baptist Church.

We are very grateful for the four year partnership that we currently have with the churches of the Bell Baptist Association. Many pastors and lay people from both associations have been to Texas and Wisconsin. Mission teams from Canyon Creek Baptist and 3C Cowboy Fellowship Church have come to Wisconsin to serve in 2009.

Summer missionaries have also come to serve this past summer. We are very grateful for all the partnership in the gospel we are enjoying with this association. May the Lord continue to bless our friendships and strengthen our churches in both Texas and Wisconsin.

Two New Churches Added to the CBA

2009-10-20T17:01:00.002-05:00

Two new churches have officially joined the Central Baptist Association. Blue River Valley Church of Muscoda and Waterbrook Community Bible Church of Tomah are now member churches of the CBA. Both churches were voted by the messengers of the annual meeting gathered at Rolling Hills Church in Platteville. All 56 messengers were in unanimous in their decision and welcomed them with a standing ovation.

Blue River Valley Church is located southwest of the town of Muscoda. This church was started in 1871 and they have many members who still have a Bohemian background. John Huss is central historical figure in their church. Paul Fries has been the interim pastor of Blue River Valley Church for over a year now.

Waterbrook Community Bible Church is located in the residential area of Tomah. Pastor John Schmidt and his wife Jan started this work five years ago. This past summer a team of 18 people from the Family Fest event helped to put a new roof on their building and also helped to renovate the inside of their building. In September an Experiencing God team led a weekend that now has many of their members going through Experiencing God this Fall.

For more information on both of these churches you can find them on the web at www.bluerivervalleychurch.org and www.waterbrooktomah.org. We are grateful the Lord has added to our number in the CBA through these two precious churches.

Digesting God's Word

2009-09-03T07:17:00.005-05:00

Over the past few months I really am thankful for the free online Bible provided through the www.esv.org web site. I realize that many of you are like me. To find the time in our lives to sit down and read the Bible can be very difficult. However, the English Standard Version has a free online version you can access through their www.esv.org web site and listen to the Bible for free.

Back in my college days I had a tremendous desire for the Word of God. I can remember a Gideon giving me small pocket Bible as I was going into the library at Indiana State University in Terre Haute. That Bible became my source of strength and joy for several years as I read it over and over.

Now as a husband, dad, and a guy working in church stuff, I find it can be hard to carve out time when I am surrounded by people. The ESV is a great tool because you can listen to God's Word when you are getting ready for the day, fixing breakfast, eating, cleaning the house, and keep your hands free.

I have come to recognize that as a follower of Christ that I really need a steady intake of spiritual nutrition that comes from hearing or listening to God's Word. This tool has been a real blessing in my life. If you have not already, I encourage you to check out this free way of hearing from God on a daily basis.

Family Fest Tuesday Update

2009-07-21T07:23:00.003-05:00

Today we have a special prayer request for prayer. There is a block party scheduled for the Ho-Chunk people by their Wellness Center. Please be in prayer the children will be able to come and the gospel will be communicated.

One change that has been made is that the block party for Thursday has been changed from the Ho-Chunk Legion Hall to River of Life Church in Portage. The party will go from 2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. and River of Life is located at 102 Franklin Street in Portage.

Thank you for all your support and prayers for the volunteers of Family Fest.

Family Fest is Up and Running

2009-07-20T07:50:00.003-05:00

After many months of planning, Family Fest finally started yesterday with more than 100 volunteers coming from all across the United States to help with ministry in the Wisconsin Dells. We are so grateful to the WMU, MWBC, Pine Valley Church of Wisconsin Dells, and River of Life Church in Portage for helping to make this event possible.

Our vision is to one day see a new church plant in the Dells area. We recognize that PIne Valley Church, and Evangelical Free Church, is a three year old church and is doing a great job with Pastor Jay Heesch. We are thankful for Jay's partnership with us in Family Fest. I am also grateful to Pastor Bob Turner of River of Life Church who has had the vision for some time now. HIs passion for the lost and his desire to see people come to Christ is contagious.

Last night the first block party took place with scores and scores of international students in attendance. The gospel of Jesus Christ was shared with many of them. Please be in prayer for the rest of the week as the team goes out to engage in more block parties, Backyard Bible Clubs, construction, nursing home ministry, literacy missions, and much more.

Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah Has New Web Site

2009-07-12T22:03:00.002-05:00

Through the ministry of our summer missionaries, Truitt and Sherry Eason, I would like to share with you that Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah has a new web site, www.waterbrooktomah.org. John Schmidt serves as the pastor of Waterbrook. For the past year John has been working with us in the Central Baptist Association to investigate the process of joining the CBA.

After a number of meetings and an application process, our CBA Administrative Team voted at our quarterly meeting to bring the motion of Waterbrook joining the CBA to our messengers at the annual meeting. With that in mind, I would like for you to take some time to get to know Waterbook Community Bible Church. This web site serves as a good tool for you to get to know their church better.

Many thanks to Sherry and Truitt for putting this site together. We thank the Lord for Waterbrook's interest in joining the CBA and also for the good work of our credentials team.

Getting it Done in Wisconsin this Summer

2009-07-03T22:39:00.002-05:00

I want to share with you how grateful I am to have summer missionaries working with us in the CBA office this summer. Two summer missionaries who have been extraordinarily helpful to us are Truitt and Sherry Eason. They are a retired missionary couple from Texas who live in a RV. This summer they have chosen to be with us in our association.

Here are some of their accomplishments. They have developed the web sites for three churches: Friendship Baptist in Fort Atkinson, Waterbrook Community Bible Church in Tomah, and Blue River Valley Church in Muscoda. You can go to www.waterbrooktomah.org to see some of their handywork.

They have also brought computers, monitors, and a lot of free software with them. These computers have been installed at our church plants and churches who have not had computers. Their computer expertise has been an incredible asset to us all.

They are also helping be the coordinators for us with our big event, Family Fest. You can catch up on all the details of Family Fest at www.dellschurch.com. They are helping out with a tremendous amount of administration and details for us.

Please check out their web site at www.2easons.com. You can see their travel log for the summer as they have taken pictures at our different CBA churches. They have been to two ordinations in Reedsburg and Madison, to the rodeo outreach in Richland Center, and much more.

I praise the Lord for these folks and the calling of God upon their lives.

What happened at the SBC for me?

2009-07-02T22:49:00.002-05:00

I would like to share with you why I believe it is valuable to attend the Southern Baptist Convention. It may seem that many people think that attending a convention like this one is boring, out of date, or politically driven. But I would like to share with you that my time in Louisville was quite valuable.

Over the course of four days I attended our Director of Missions meeting where I ran into old friends and met new ones. Feeling like everyone's son or a little brother at the DOM conference, I always get the sense that I am around mentors and people who can teach me a lot more than I already know. The seminars I attended were good, especially the one led by Mike Day of Memphis who talked about the future of associations.

As I moved to the convention floor and the exhibition area the next two days, I began to run into many more people I know and meet new people. Of course, people were able to share new resources with me that I hope to bring back to Wisconsin to those who are interested.

At our actual meeting on Tuesday, I was able to be on the floor when the vote was taken. It seems to me that many more of our pastors are concerned than who are making it to the convention. It would be interesting to me if the vote would have been the same if the majority of the pastors in the SBC were actually there.

With all this said, let me share with you why I believe it is important to be at our SBC. You can find resources you will never get anywhere else. You will meet people from all over the country in a matter of minutes. At the DOM meeting I ran into people from New York, California, and Florida within a few minutes. Of course, you need to be there in person to weigh in with your vote.

For what it is worth, whether you are a lay person or pastor, I believe the SBC is worth checking out. Hope to see you in Orlando in 2010.

Pray for Family Fest

2009-06-16T06:47:00.002-05:00

For those who might not have heard, Family Fest is coming to the Wisconsin Dells next month the dates of July 19-23. Family Fest is a ministry event where the seeds of the gospel are sown through ministry activities and a concentrated presence of Christ followers. This year we are blessed to have 86 people coming from different states outside of Wisconsin. We also have more than 20 people registered from the CBA.

With that in mind we know there is a great need for prayer. Currently, we are working with River of Life Church in Portage and Pine Valley Church in the Dells to coordinate this event. We would like to especially thank Pine Valley Church for partnering with us to see the gospel spread and Jesus glorified in the Dells area.

Here are some specific ways you can pray for this event as we are now making final preparations:

1. Pray for Kristy Carr who serves as the national Women's Missionary Union Ministry Consultant. Pray for wisdom and discernment as she makes decisions to match volunteers with ministry requests.

2. Pray for the 86 volunteers from around the United States as they are going through training and preparation to come to Family Fest.

3. Pray for the local leaders as they begin final planning.

Thank you for your prayers for these requests. If you have any questions about this event or how you can help, please feel free to call the CBA office at 608-825-9946.

Introducing Our Three CBA Summer Missionaries

2009-06-05T08:39:00.003-05:00

This summer we are blessed to have three summer missionaries serving many different churches in the Central Baptist Association. These summer missionaries all come to us from the Bell Baptist Association in the Belton, Texas area. I thank the Lord for this partnership and for our friendship with their Director of Missions, Tom Henderson, and the many wonderful pastors of the Bell Baptist Association.

First, I would like to introduce Sherry and Truitt Eason to you. Truitt is a retired engineer from working on the railroad for 37 years. Truitt brings computer expertise with him as he is building web sites and computers for several of our churches. Sherry has been a church secretary for 17 years, WMU Director, VBS Director, and filled many other roles in the past.

There are numerous ministries the Easons are bringing to us. They brought refurbished computers that are being distributed to our churches. Truitt is working with churches to help build web sites and bring a variety of free software to help support the computers being given to the churches. Sherry has helped us put together the June newsletter for the CBA, is working with churches to support church administration, and she is also helping with filing in the CBA office. Both of them are very involved with helping us plan for Family Fest.

A third person I would like to introduce to you is Asa Crow. Asa just graduated from the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor. He is helping us with our block party trailer, going to visit our church planters, and also with Family Fest. Asa will also be helping churches apply for summer missionaries for 2010 so be sure to get in touch with Asa if you would like to have missionaries for next summer.

Pray for Sherry, Truitt, and Asa as they minister among our churches in the CBA this summer. Praise the Lord they have given their summers to be with us.

Recap of CBA Quarterly Meeting on April 25

2009-04-27T23:53:00.002-05:00

What happened at our CBA quarterly meeting this past Saturday? We had about 30 people in attendance and almost all of our CBA churches were represented by pastors and lay people. We are grateful to Friendship Baptist Church for hosting this event for us.

Special guests included David Drake, Director of Missions for the Florida Baptist Association. David led a workshop for us during the course of the day on leadership. Drawing from his own experiences, David share with us how important it is to keep growing as leaders.

During our business meeting, the Admin Team of the CBA voted to recommend Waterbrook Community Bible Church to the annual messengers at our Fall meeting. Waterbrook was represented by Pastor John Schmidt and three of his elders.

We are grateful for the way the Lord continues to bless the CBA and have His hand on our churches.

Preaching Workshop Coming

2009-02-07T22:11:00.003-06:00

From February 23-25 the Central Baptist Association is hosting an exposition preaching workshop. Why have this workshop? Most people coming to our churches are judging the church on sermons. Guests really need to hear from God. This workshop is put together by the Charles Simeon Trust with that thought in mind.

I recommend pastors come to this meeting so they can have a better understanding of how to accurately interpret God's Word. Over the course of time many pastors have been helped by participating in this workshop. Jeff Nettles of Rolling Hills Church has shared with me that this workshop has been one of the most helpful workshops he has ever attended.

You can register online at www.simeonworkshops.org for the cost of only $99. Normally, this workshop would cost significantly more. We are thankful for our partnership with the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention and the Charles Simeon Trust. Some of our guest speakers includes renowned preachers like David Helm. May the Lord use this workshop to enrich the preaching skills of our pastors.

Process Coaching

2009-02-01T08:29:00.002-06:00

In January we had the privilege of having a course called Process Coaching being taught in the Central Baptist Association. This material was written by Jim Hamilton of the Dakota Baptist Convention. The overall purpose of this material is to help churches develop God's plan for their church.

What did I learn at this workshop? I learned that leaders and followers have a real disconnect because they do not have the same burden. The goal of a leader is to help followers have the same burden as them. Burden creates passion, passion fuels vision, and then vision leads to actions.

But it all starts with having a burden. Have you ever wondered why people are not as committed to the cause as you are? It could be they do not have the same heart for it as you do. There are so many wonderful causes in our world today. Great organizations like the American Heart Association, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society, World Vision, and thousands of others too numerous to mention are all great causes.

So the question is, how can you develop people who have a heart for the local church and your burden? First, you must communicate personally. You need to set down with people in one-on-one situations and share your heart and your burden. Second, as a leader, you must teach about it. If you are a pastor, you need to use the pulpit to lead biblically. Sharing Scripture without application in the pulpit, small groups, or Sunday School classes can leave a void. Third, you need to ask the Lord how He wants you to communicate to His followers entrusted to your care. That means communication over a long period of time may also be necessary for the burden to be created.

While this blog is not meant to give the whole summary of process coaching it does give you a brief overview for the need of leaders to create a burden in their own congregations. Without the same burden, frustration will creep in overtake pastors and leaders. Lay people can become frustrated because they think they are being overrun and their opinion does not care. So be sure to remember that church leadership is a process and it begins with having the same concerns that Jesus did.

Process Coaching

2008-12-12T20:52:00.002-06:00

The idea of coaching is beginning to take hold in our association. Back in November, more than 20 of our pastors and lay leaders were introduced to coaching at a one day workshop. Since that time, we have had seven of our leaders who have begun a 90 day journey of being coached. I am one of those who have started this process.

With that in mind, I want to share with you that I am excited to let you know we have a workshop coming in January called Process Coaching. This workshop is geared to develop a process to work through many of the problems we face at church. Jim Hamilton, Executive Director for the Dakota Baptist Convention, will be here to lead this workshop. Jim has shared with me that many of his churches in their state convention have moved from survival mode to a much healthier state through process coaching.

This blog is an invitation for all our CBA leaders and friends to attend this event. Process Coaching will be help at East Madison Baptist Church from 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 23 and from 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 24. We encourage all of our pastors and volunteer leaders to participate in this event with us.

My life is personally being blessed as I begin to read about coaching and experience the benefit of being coached. Please pray about taking the time to join us for this event. You can register by e-mailing Amanda Miller at amanda@cbaow.net or calling the CBA office at 608-825-9946. There is no cost but we do need to know if you are coming so we can have your workbooks prepared and enough food prepared.

I pray God uses this teaching for years to come in a might way throughout our churches.

Coaching Workshop on November 18

2008-11-08T08:29:00.001-06:00

Leading and Multiplying Leaders through Coaching
A One Day Orientation
Dino Senesi and John M. Bailey

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth (Acts 1:8 NAS).

So, how are we doing?

• In North America?

• With our Friends?

• In Our Communities?

• Among the Nations?

What does God’s vision for the future look like?

How can I lead and multiply more leaders?

How can God use coaching to help?

What is Coaching?

“Coaching is the relational process of co-operating with the Holy Spirit that unlocks a person’s God-given potential so that they become more like Christ and make their unique contribution to the Kingdom.”
Steve Addison

1. The Concise Oxford Dictionary defines the verb to coach as to ‘tutor, train, give hints to, prime with facts’. However, these things can be done in many ways, some of which bear no relationship to coaching.

2. Coaching is as much about the way these things are done as about what is done.

3. The coachee acquires facts, not from the coach, but from within himself, stimulated by the coach.

4. Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them.

5. Mentoring, a word which originates in Greek mythology, in which it is reported that Odysseus, when setting out for Troy, entrusted his house and the education of his son Telemachus to his friend, Mentor. ‘Tell him all you know’ Odysseus said, and thus unwittingly set some limits to mentoring.

6. In spite of the definitions of mentoring (and the variety of names it is given, from coaching to counseling to sponsorship) all the experts and communicators appear to agree that it has its origins in the concept of apprenticeship, when an older, more experienced individual passed down his knowledge of how the task was done and to operate in the commercial world.

7. Coaching is about helping people solve their own problems, not telling them what to do.

8. Coaching is a radical belief in people, practiced in a consistent, disciplined way in order to help others grow.

9. Coaching is a relationship.

10. Coaching is helping people become great decisions makers – not helping them make a right decision.

11. Coaching is an exercise of faith. It is believing that if I take my hands off of an individual’s life that God will step in and do something incredible through their lives.

12. God is more interested in who you are becoming than in what you are doing.

13. Giving responsibility to others instead of taking responsibility for them is a key to developing leaders.

How Can I Use Coaching to Advance The Kingdom of God?

1. Coaching is a great way to help individuals mature in their faith and become disciples to make disciples.

2. Coaching is a great way to develop leaders.

3. Coaching is a great way to guide individuals who have leadership responsibilities.

4. Coaching is a great way to become a better husband, wife, parent and friend.

“I am convinced that coaching is key to making and multiplying disciples, to raising and reproducing leaders, to starting and multiplying churches.” Bob Logan

Leading and Multiplying Leaders is a one day overview to introduce you to the potential of coaching as a tool for transformation.

Topics in this interactive orientation will include:

Coaching Defined
Asking Powerful Questions
Clearing the Fog
The Coaching Journey
Self-Coaching
Listening To Influence
Leading Leaders
Multiplication Systems Design
How Coaching Fits

Conference Leader

Dino Senesi is currently the Director of Church Multiplication at the South Carolina Baptist Convention. He is a certified coach through CoachNet International Ministries founded by Bob Logan. He has also been trained through The Pastor’s Coaching Network, founded by Steve Cloud and facilitated by Tony Stoltzfus.

His formal coaching experience began in 2002 as a recipient of coaching. He has coached Southern Baptists leaders including church planters, pastors, staff, and denominational workers. He previously served as a pastor in New Orleans and a North American Mission Board appointed Director of Missions in Cincinnati.

Being an Encourager

2008-09-27T07:36:00.003-05:00

Do you know what I have been observing about churches that are growing and those that are stagnant? The churches where people can come and be encouraged are growing. This notion might seem like is is sappy and watered down but let's think about it according to Scripture.

Recently I have read Acts 13-19 closely. Look how many times Paul is encouraging the believers at the different churches. That seems biblical to me.

In Colossians we are told that our language needs to be full of grace and seasoned with salt. People who talk to others in gracious terms are connecting much more than those talking down to others. The recent book Unchristian has recent evidence pointing to the fact that unbelievers are no longer impressed by propositional thinking.

Both people inside the church and outside the church need genuine encouragement. Only grace from the Lord Jesus can truly encourage other people. But I believe that we as humans have to be able to connect with people emotionally if we are to gain a hearing.

Back at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley, my professor of spiritual formation shared with us that if we want to be an effective minister in the day and age which we live, then we need to be encouragers of people. We live in a discouraged world. The next time you are waiting in line for anything, take a look around and look at the faces of people when they are not looking at you. There is usually a good bit of discouragement surrounding you.

With the biblical evidence in front of us and the visible evidence as well, won't you take time to start being an encourager? For those of you who may say, that's not me. Well, then it might be time to change if you are going to be an obedient follower of Christ. If you are already an encourager, don't be discouraged because you will reap what you sow in an abundant harvest.

God, please let us all be encouragers to those both inside the church and outside the church. May your light shine through us as we connect with people in short, medium, and long encounters. Thank you Lord for being our "Great Encourager through your Holy Spirit.

Why Come to the Annual Meeting?

2008-09-21T21:36:00.002-05:00

Our annual meeting is coming to Trinity Baptist in Reedsburg this October 11. One question that is often asked of me, "Why should I come to this meeting? This article will share with you some reasons for you to make the time to come.

First, there is strength in numbers. We can accomplish much more together than we can alone. Together as a group of a churches there is encouragement, fellowship, and purpose. The churches of the CBA are accomplishing a great deal for the kingdom together. You can meet some very insightful, Christlike, and funny people at these meetings.

Second, this year the International Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention is hosting our meeting. You will see how the gospel is being shared across the world and how you can be involved. Elvin McCann, a former misisonary to East Asia, will be with us to share a vision how you and your church can be engaged.

Third, you have an opportunity to participate in the voting process of the annual meeting. Each church is eligible to bring five messengers for every fifty resident members. Pastors, we encourage you to bring at least four other messengers so they can participate in the annual meeting. We will vote on the annual budget and hear reports and testimonies that are put together for your encouragement and inspiration.

There are many more reasons for you to invest a Saturday to come to our annual meeting. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me in the CBA office at 608-825-9946 or e-mail me at mark@cbaow.net. I pray we will see you this year at the annual meeting in Reedsburg.

What happened this summer in the CBA?

2008-08-09T17:16:00.002-05:00

As we look back on the summer of 2008 my prayer is that we will see God was at work in many different locations. About 500 volunteers in total have passed through our churches this summer with pre-planned trips. More than 400 others have come to help with disaster relief efforts in Reedsburg and Mucoda.

We are grateful for what God is doing in our churches. What is happening? One area is construction. At Campus Community Church we have seen the entire building has been refurbished. There is new siding in the building and the inside has been renovated from top to bottom.

At Midvale Baptist they now have a new foyer complete with flooring, new walls, and new doors entering into the worship center. There has also been significant improvements take place in other parts of the building.

On the ministry side, there have been more than ten block parties at churches all across the association. These block parties have drawn in numerous new people to rub shoulders with the members of our churches. Block parties have been a way to introduce our churches to people who live next door. At Campus Community Church, tours were given at the block parties to people who have lived across the street and next door. Lives are being touched.

At Gospel Baptist Church in Sparta we have seen the value of prayer walking, block parties, and VBS. They have had VBS in a park and in their church. They have also offered MOPS and Financial Peace University to the people in the community over the past months. Numerous new people have been visiting their church on Sundays.

Prairie Springs Church conducted their first VBS done by their own leadership. They had 45 children attend during the week with several new families attending. Landscaping, construction, and a new volleyball court have also been the results of volunteer help for PSC.

Trinity Baptist in Reedsburg has seen over 330 volunteers come in from all around the United States to help them with feeding, mud-out, and chaplaincy. Many people in Reedsburg have been touched by the gospel witness of disaser relief.

At our church plant in the Richland Center area, Pastor Paul Fries has worked with more than 100 volunteers from around the U.S. Paul has come to meet numerous people in Muscoda where the flooding has occurred and a Bible study is now forming.

We praise God for being at work in many and mighty ways in our churches. Although I realize this list is only partial my prayer is that these descriptions give you a flavor of the ways God is at work among us. Thank you Lord for your mercy.

What is good about the Southern Baptist Convention?

2008-06-13T21:43:00.003-05:00

This week I attended the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Before I left to go this year, I asked myself, why am I going? Here are some reasons the SBC is such a worthwhile adventure for me.

First, the meeting for Directors of Missions is very helpful for me. This event is held on Sunday and Monday before the SBC officially begins. DOMs from around the country gather together for fellowship and learning. Because most of the DOMs are much older than me, I learn a great deal from their wisdom and mentoring.

Resources from Lifeway, NAMB, and the IMB are also shared during this time. The presidents of all the different agencies put it on their schedule every year to come and speak at the DOM meeting. This time gives me a great overview about what is taking place in the SBC.

A second major reason to attend the SBC is that it really helps us to build partnerships for the CBA. This year I met several people who have said they will be making a trip to Wisconsin to visit us. Several others shared with me that they are interested in partnering with us to share their resources.

The third reason I keep going is to strengthen existing relationships and build new ones. Although I believe in e-mail, Facebook, and phone calls, there is nothing like a face-to-face encounter. Seeing people in person really helps to build relationships in effective ways.

Next year the SBC is going to be in Louisville, KY. For those of us in Wisconsin, that is not too far a drive. If the Lord is leading you to go, I strongly encourage you to take advantage of the opportunity. For all of this year's video, you can go to www.sbc.net to check out what really goes on during the SBC.

The Millmans Are Moving

2008-06-13T21:40:00.002-05:00

On a personal note, I want to let you know that our family is moving on June 25. We are moving from our rental place to one side of a duplex. The duplex is located a block from Josh's school in Sun Prairie.

If you would like to help us move, you can meet us at our house on June 25 at 9:00 a.m. in the morning. We'll take all the help we can get. We're glad to be settling in here in Sun Prairie.

Disaster Relief Workers Needed

2008-06-13T21:32:00.003-05:00

As the flood waters have come into our 17 counties in south central and south west Wisconsin, we are now in need of people to help with disaster relief. The Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention feeding unit has been set up at Trinity Baptist Church in Reedsburg. You can get the directions to Trinity at www.todayschurch.com.

We have put the details of what is needed on our web site at www.cbaow.net. Both trained and untrained people can be used of God in this situation. Dave and Jeanne Wedekind, our Disaster Relief Coordinators for the MWBC, are helping to coordinate the operation in Reedsburg.

Our understanding is that there is another feeding unit on the way from Mississippi to come help in Platteville starting next week. The feeding unit in Reedsburg is now in full operation and hot meals are being served.

Please be in prayer for the many victims who are experiencing great trials during this time. Towns and villages all over the area of the Central Baptist Association are being affected by this season of flooding. I'm sure many of you have seen the videos and pictures on national news. Thank you for your concern and your prayers.

First Baptist Spartanburg's Global Impact Celebration

2008-05-08T07:16:00.002-05:00

This week I have been here in Spartanburg, South Carolina with the wonderful people from First Baptist Spartanburg. They hosted an event called Global Impact Celebration where they invited missionaries from all over the United States and the world.

I had the opportunity to speak to a variety of groups which included a 1-3 grade children's class, an adult couples class, an 8th grade boys group, and a men's prayer breakfast. All the people who I talked with were very interested about missions in Wisconsin and what God is doing.

DW Feaster, our USC-2er was with me all week and he spoke to different groups. Together we gave out cheese, brochures, cards, and of course, cheeseheads. Through all of this activity we look forward to future partnership with First Baptist Spartanburg, "The Fellowship of Encouragement."

Besides talking with them about missions, this week was a real learning week for me. I was able to talk with several of the staff members at length about leadership and how they go about ministry. I came away very impressed with their ability to work with other people, their enthusiasm for the Lord, for people, and their unity.

In the staff devotion time this week, the pastor spoke about "intentional unity." Dr. Don Wilton, the pastor of the church, shared that intentional unity is one of their values. The unity was obvious to me throughout the staff, lay leaders, and lay people all week long.

I also became aware how unselfish the church is with their attitude toward missions and giving their life away. The more a church dedicates itself toward the Great Commission, the more God blesses. May God give us all a stronger desire to give ourselves away unconditionally to the Great Commission.

Developing and Managing People

2008-04-15T18:16:00.002-05:00

Do you want to help other people reach their full potential? Would you like to be able to communicate clearly to those who work with you in leadership? Then this workshop to help you develop and manage people is for you.

On April 25-26 the Central Baptist Association will be hosting this workshop at Midvale Baptist Church. This workshop will be led by Bert Ross who is the Director of Next Level Leadership at the North American Mission Board.

Who should attend this event? We are encouraging all pastors and leaders who supervise and lead people in our churches. This workshop has proven to be very helpful for those who are providing leadership. For a more detailed description of this workshop, you can go to www.nextlevelleadership.com.

How do I register for this event and what is the cost? The cost for this event is free but we do need to know how many people are coming so we can order workbooks for each participant. Please register by e-mailing us at amanda@cbaow.net by April 15.

Where will the event be held? This workshop will be held at Midvale Baptist Church which is located at 821 S. Midvale Blvd. in Madison, WI. You can go to www.midvalebaptist.org for more information on how to get to the church.

Following is the schedule for the weekend.

Friday

1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. - Developing and Managing People Workshop

6:00 p.m. - Dinner provided by Madison Hmong Baptist Church

7:00 p.m. - Quarterly Meeting for the Central Baptist Association

Saturday

8:30 a.m. - Refreshments

9:00 a.m. - Developing and Managing People Workshop resumes.

12:00 p.m. - Lunch is provided

1:00 p.m. - Developing and Managing People Workshop

Using Facebook to Connect With People

2008-04-15T18:07:00.002-05:00

Over the past few weeks I have been finding the value of connecting with people in Facebook. Most people I am talking to are much younger than me. Have you heard how we are losing are younger generations? Facebook is a good way for you to become relevant with the high tech savvy generation.

What got me started? A number of months back I registered for Facebook and never really used it a lot. However, a few weeks ago I went to Southern Seminary on a church planter recruiting trip. One student at Southern who plans to come back to Wisconsin to plant a church suggested starting a fellowship for Minnesota-Wisconsin students at Southern.

He set up a group for the MWBC on Facebook and we have had a number of people join. I have since connected with some of the students we talked to in person. It has been a great way to follow up with those people.

Another use of Facebook is to connect with the younger people in our churches and outside of our churches. For those of us connected to colleges and universities, Facebook is a major way student ministers are talking to students these days. Millions of junior high and high school students are also using Facebook so you can be in touch with them as well.

I encourage you to register in Facebook and make it a point to get connected. Sharing the gospel and networking can be accomplished at no cost except your time. Of course, you can check in with family members and old friends as well. Check it out the next time you are online and get connected at www.facebook.com.

Podcasts

2008-01-13T06:01:00.000-06:00

The best Christmas present that I received in 2006 was an I-pod from my wife. I actually did not even it use the i-pod the first week that I had it in my possession. I think Debbie was a little disappointed that I was not excited.

But as 2007 started I began to find about the availability of free podcasts. I started listening to a number of different speakers on a variety of subjects. Some of my favorite ones over the past year include the following:

Dave Ramsey on Finances = www.daveramsey.com
North American Mission Board on church planting - www.churchplantingvillage.net
Sermons by John Piper, Andy Stanley, Mark Driscoll, Ed Young, Jr. and many more preachers
Leadership Development from www.theresurgence.com

These are only a sampling of the free podcasts that are available free online. If you have some podcasts you would like to recommend, please share them on this blog.

What I Learned This Week

2008-01-13T05:41:00.000-06:00

This week I went to the Director of Missions Summit in Ft. Worth, Texas on the campus of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. The meeting was sponsored by the Network of Baptist Associations known as NOBA. This organization is meant to provide resources and training for Directors of Missions across the United States.

While at the NOBA meeting I learned from a number of people. Bobby Gilstrap, a Director of Missions from Michigan, taught a seminar on technology. He shared a number of useful tips during a seminar that he led. One of my goals in 2008 is to utilize the free technology that is at our finger tips. He talked about using online registration, sending out e-mail via the web, keeping an updated web site, and a variety of other helpful tips.

Another very helpful seminar I attended was taught by Ted Knapp. Ted is the Director of Missions for the Crescent Bay Association in the west Los Angeles area. Ted's association is making a dramatic difference in the churches of his association. His approach to helping churches become healthy was very insightful.

I learned from my mentor Keith Dixon who shared with me how he stays in close touch with his churches. Keith is the DOM for an association in North Carolina. He has seen tremendous growth in his association over the past few years.

There are many other tidbits that I could share but suffice it to say that I want to take back home some of these key teachings and put them into practice. Pray for me to become a better DOM in my area and that the churches of the CBA would benefit from my trip to Texas.

Name Change for the Central Association

2008-01-13T05:28:00.000-06:00

At our January 24 meeting the officers will be bringing up a name change idea for the CBA. Why have a name change? Since I have been here many people asked me the name of my organization. As I think out loud I ask the question, what does Central Association really mean?

Where did the name Central Baptist Association come from? When the MWBC was first starting, there was a Lakeland Association, Central Association, and a Northland Association. Our area was "central" to these two other associations. As the MWBC has continued to expand and start new associations over the years, our name has become irrelevant.

A proposal that we are bringing to our association is to have a new name that will better reflect our area and who we are. The name "Southern Wisconsin Baptist Association" is one name that has surfaced during our discussions. We certainly are open to your input but we believe a name like this one gives identity to who we are.

The goal for our name change is to officially change the name by January 1, 2009. Your thoughts are welcome on this matter. As I have been sharing this idea with pastors in the CBA and leaders in the MWBC, there is consensus and agreement a name change such as this one would be very helpful. Your thoughts and comments are welcome.

Are You Inspiring People?

2008-01-13T05:13:00.000-06:00

Are you inspiring people? That is a good question to ask yourself as you lead people. A few years ago I had a job review and my score was very low in the category that asked if I was able to inspire people to take action. I began to ask myself why I was scoring low in this area.

One reason I believe that I scored low was because there were too many details in my life that consumed me. My concern often was with the nuts and bolts of the organization rather than the hearts and minds of the people in the congregation. Being concerned about things over people is a tendency for all of us to be aware.

Wisconsin is known for one of the great motivators in sports. Vince Lombardi was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during their dynasty years. Lombardi had great passion for football and people at the same time. He knew how to inspire his players to give extra effort, to play hurt, and to play with excellence.

In the church today I believe it is important that we remember people need to be inspired. True inspiration comes from the Holy Spirit. We can not expect church members to be mechanical always acting out of duty. Somewhere along the line, they need inspiration from the Word of God, from our actions, and from our leadership.

Pray that God would give you passion to inspire your people to follow the Lord more passionately. Pray for creative ways that you can use God's Word to inspire your flock. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in all you do so your life is an inspiration to those around you.

What is in store for 2008?

2008-01-12T20:50:00.000-06:00

I want to take a moment to share with you our major training events for 2008. Over the past few years we have had very positive feedback when we have added training events to our quarterly meetings. Our goal is to meet the needs of churches in the Central Baptist Association and we believe the events we have lined up for 2008 will develop prevailing churches.

Here is our schedule for the coming year:

January 24 - High Performance Meetings with Doug Jividen will be held at Prairie Springs Church at 2340 Manley Drive in Sun Prairie. You can find out more about this workshop at www.nextlevelleadership.com. Register by e-mailing us at amanda@cbaow.net.

April 25-26 - Managing and Developing People with Bert Ross at Midvale Baptist Church at 821 S. Midvale Blvd. Go to www.midvalebaptist.org for directions. This workshop is also another Next Level Leadership workshop. All pastors and churches who plan to have summer missionaries are encouraged to attend this event.

August 7 - Prayer and Spritual Warfare with Chuck Lawless at Gospel Baptist Church in Sparta. Chuck is the Dean of the Billy Graham School at Southern Seminary and the president of Church Central. You can go to www.churchcentral.com for more details.

October 11 - Sharing the Acts 1:8 Challenge with Terry Sharp of the International Mission Board at Trinity Baptist in Reedsburg. See www.imb.org for more details.

We will be providing more details as these dates draw closer. However, I encourage you to go ahead and put these on your calendar as we go through 2008 together.

The Importance of Partnership

2007-11-24T20:06:00.000-06:00

There is a strong biblical case to build partnerships. One of my favorite passages is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12. The old man looking back on life recognizes that the person working on a team is going to be more productive and will not give up as easily as the person working alone. In the past few decades leadership trends have once again been turning back to these time tested principles taught in the Scriptures.

Here in the Central Baptist Association we recognize the importance of partnership. I believe we must look to partners outside our immediate circle to help us move forward. There are many resources available at our fingertips if we only ask for help. While I do not promote co-dependence I do encourage our leaders in the CBA to enlist help.

Our denomination, the Southern Baptist Convention, offers many free resources through our different agencies. The North American Mision Board, Lifeway Christian Resources, and the International Mission Board are great examples of agencies servicing our churches. This year we have experienced a great deal of assistance from NAMB through our Vision Tour and the funding of our block party trailer.

With more than 40,000 churches nationwide there are literally thousands of churches willing to come to Wisconsin to be involved in missions. As this blog is written I can say with gratitude that we already have a number of churches planning to bring their mission teams to help CBA churches.

We also have churches from other states investing money into our church plants. With this money comes prayer and concern from other churches. I believe that genuine partnership takes place when there is a wholistic approach to missions like we are now experiencing.

I believe Paul worked with partnerships as the early Church spread throughout the known world. Paul leveraged resources so the gospel would spread to the uttermost parts of the earth. The letters to the churches in the New Testament are great examples of the ongoing partnership that Paul developed with people.

What are the results of partnership? I believe that the pastors and leaders in our churches are being encouraged. Morale in the leadership has visibly increased with our churches who are working with outside volunteer teams. Pastors and other leaders realize they are not all alone.

A second result is that churches are being equipped. At Prairie Springs Church in Sun Prairie a group from Central Park Baptist in Alabama came this past summer to conduct a Vacation Bible School. During the week the leadership from PSC said, "We can do this next year." Since that time the leaders from PSC are excitedly planning to do their own VBS next summer.

Thirdly, I believe there is supernatural synergy that takes place as mentioned in Ecclesiastes 4. Churches have a new energy and have a new vision about what can happen for the future. Outside partners have been a breath of fresh air that has been nothing short of invigorating.

Partnership will continue to play a key role in the CBA as we strive to plant and develop prevailing churches. We thank God for raising up new laborers for the harvest here in southern Wisconsin. May the Lord continue to give increase to His harvest!!!

Quest Student Ministry at UW

2007-09-07T05:52:00.000-05:00

Quest Collegiate Ministries is our student ministry led by Lentz Upshaw at the UW-Madison. Lentz is now starting his seventh year of service with the Central Baptist Association. Currently, Quest has beginning of the year activities taking place on campus.

If you know college students interested in attending, you can get in contact with Lentz and Quest through their web site at www.uwquest.net. The first month of the year is a very important time in the life of college students so please be in prayer that the Lord gives Lentz and his students from Quest wisdom and insight how to reach out to other students.

This past summer Lentz and some of his students from Quest went to Liberia to help dig wells. You can find out more about what they did on their web site at www.uwquest.net.

One other item that I would like to mention is that Lentz and his wife Amy serve as Mission Service Corps (MSC) misisonaries with the North American Mission Board. MSC missionaries raise their own support so if you would like to learn how you can support Lentz and Amy you can find out more on their web site as well. We are grateful for their sacrifice and their calling to make disciples on the campus of UW-Madison.

New USC-2er Starts at UW-Madison

2007-09-07T05:39:00.000-05:00

DW Feaster, a recent graduate of North Greenville University in South Carolina has just started a two year assignment in the Central Baptist Association. DW will be serving as a USC-2er over the next two years working with international students at UW. A USC-2er is a recent college graduate serving in the United States or Canada for two years with the North American Mission Board.

This assignment has DW working with Pastor Mark Hong of Campus Community Church being his supervisor. He is also working with an organization that specializes in international student ministry, Associations of Christians Ministering Among Internationals (ACMI). The president of ACMI, Leiton Chin, is also providing mentoring and guidance for DW as he gets started on the campus of UW.

Some have asked the question, how will this position work with Quest, the already established group led by Lentz Upshaw on campus. DW will be leading a group called Plug In which is a group of students meeting on campus that has been formed out of Campus Community Church. Lentz will continue to lead the Quest Bible study on campus.

We are grateful that both Lentz and DW are now on campus reaching out to students in Jesus' name. Be in prayer that the Lord will use them in powerful ways this coming academic year.

Welcome Bob Stine to Midvale Baptist

2007-09-07T05:29:00.000-05:00

Bob Stine has been called as pastor of Midvale Baptist Church in Madison. Midvale Baptist is the oldest church in our state convention and its location on Midvale Boulevard in Madison has it in one of the prime locations in our association. Bob's first Sunday was August 12th and he was called by a unanimous vote back in July.

Bob is married to Sarah and has four children who have moved from Des Moines, Iowa to Madison with him. Formerly, Bob was the Baptist Campus Ministry Director at the UW-Madison and in the summers he served in the Wisconsin Dells. He has most recently been at Crossroads Church in the Des Moines area.

We welcome Bob and his family to Madison and to the CBA. We are grateful God has called him here to be on mission with us. If you would like to connecte with Bob and welcome him back to Wisconsin you can reach him through the Midvale web site at www.midvalebaptist.org.

Vision Tour Update

2007-09-07T05:22:00.000-05:00

As our Vision Tour is drawing near I want to share with you that we now have about 40 people from outside the Central Baptist Association coming to our tour. There are about 15 people confirmed to be with us all three days from inside the CBA. I want to thank all of you for helping us to gather this many folks who are interested in church planting.

We will be going to five different areas including the Wisconsin Dells, Lacrosse, Richland Center, Janesville, and Madison. Our ultimate goal is to recruit new partners in our church planting movement. With the help of churches coming from the outside, we can do much more together than we could ever do alone.

Please be in prayer for those who are traveling in from a long distance. Pray that God would lead us to the right places to go and help us clearly share the vision for church planting in the CBA. Pray the Lord would give potential church planters direction if they are to plant their lives here to make disciples.

I want to especially thank Amanda Miller who has been putting all the details of our Vision Tour together. Our next Vision Tour Team meeting is this coming Tuesday, September 11, at 10:00 a.m. at Prairie Springs Church. Our goal is to be working through final details before the tour. If you have any questions about the Vision Tour please feel free to get with me at mark@cbaow.net.

Purpose of the Association

2007-09-07T05:14:00.000-05:00

What is the purpose of the association in Southern Baptist life? The best answer I have heard comes from Hugh Townsend of the North American Mission Board. Hugh says,"The association exists to serve the churches." That has been some of the best advice given to me since starting as a Director of Missions back on September 1, 2005.

This year the association in America is celebrating its 300th anniversary. The very first association was located in Philadelphia and was designed to help facilitate fellowship among the pastors. Since that time the role of the association has changed in many different ways.

Our goal as the Central Baptist Association is to serve and equip our churches to fulfill the Great Commission in their local communities. Our mission statement as developed by our pastors reads, "Plant and develop prevailing churches." By God's grace that is what we are focused on as an association.

To find out more about our mission statement and our core values you can visit our web site at www.cbaow.net. I thank God for giving our pastors clear vision and focus. May the Lord help us to be a relevant association to our churches and communities.

Block Party Trailer Is Now Available

2007-09-05T20:59:00.000-05:00

The Central Baptist Association is glad to announce that we now have a block party trailer! Some people may ask, what in the world do I do with a block party trailer? Over the past few years many followers of Christ have hosted block parties to engage people with the gospel. As the effectiveness of many traditional outreach methods have waned, the idea of having a block party has been growing.

In a discussion our pastors had at the end of the summer we concluded that going door-to-door inviting people to a block party is more effective than surveying. Block parties open up a natural way we can build relationships with people. After attending a number of block parties this summer hosted by CBA churches, I had the opportunity to meet many new people as a complete stranger.

What is in our block party trailer? You can find out everything we have in our trailer by going to our web site at www.cbaow.net and going to the "block party" trailer link. We have everything needed to host a block party including a sno-cone machine, popcorn machine, tables, chairs, tents, etc.

Who comes to a block party? The people most likely to come to a block party are usually families with children. However, people of all ages are welcome and are encouraged to come. This summer I attended a block party in Lacrosse where Three Rivers Church had more than 300 people in attendance. People found out about the block party through newspaper ads, work of mouth, flyers, and just by seeing the signs.

What is the purpose of a block party? The ultimate purpose of a block party is to share Jesus with people. By engaging people in conversation in a relaxed atmosphere where food is being shared and games are being played, there is often a great deal of authentic conversation.

Where should we have a block party? The best place to have a block party is out in the community where people can see you. If your church is on a major road that can often be a good location as well.

How do I rent the trailer from the CBA? You need to go to our web site to find out the procedure. Our goal is to have as many churches use the trailer as possible. If you have any questions, please contact us in the office at amanda@cbaow.net or mark@cbaow.net.

May the Lord use this trailer as a tool to reach many new people for Jesus' sake.

Annual Meeting is Set for October 13th

2007-09-05T19:09:00.000-05:00

This year our theme will be "Living As a Missionary" for the annual meeting. Much like last year we invite you to bring your key leaders from your church. The Church Planting Group of the North American Mission Board will be leading the morning event. John Bailey, who has been leading these workshops around North America the past few months, will be brining his team with him to share how we can be missional in our own contexts.

We will begin at 8:30 a.m. with registration and start the workshop time at 9:00 a.m. for the morning session. Lunch will follow and then we will have our afternoon session. Our keynote speaker in the afternoon session this year is Mike Milburn, pastor of First Baptist Burleson. This church has been very supportive of church planting in the CBA and he will be sharing a challenge to be involved in church planting.

Our meeting this year will be held at Prairie Springs Church which is located at 2340 Manley Drive in Sun Prairie. We encourage you to come and bring members who would like to learn how to live as a missionary in their present context. If you would like to confirm your attendance you can e-mail us at the church office at mark@cbaow.net.

Vision Tour Coming September 24-26

2007-09-05T18:56:00.000-05:00

A Vision Tour is coming to the Central Baptist Association (CBA) the week of September 24-26. The purpose of the Vision Tour is to invite partners to join us so we have the opportunity to expand our church planting capacity. Right now we have 13 congregations in 17 counties across the region of south central and south west Wisconsin.

More than 40 people from outside the CBA are confirmed to be with us during this time. Pastors, staff members, Directors of Missions, association staff, and potential new church planters make up the people who are coming our way. We are grateful that God is raising up potential laborers for the harvest for us.

During the tour we will be going to five different areas across the CBA. These areas include the northwest part of our association including Lacrosse, the southwest part including our new church plant in Richland Center, the Wisconsin Dells area, Janesville, and Madison. Our goal is to share the stories of how God is at work and our vision for new churches to be planted in the next few years.

All this activity is meant to fulfill the Great Commission and to glorify God. We ask for your prayer support. Please pray for safety for the people coming to the tour. Pray that God would raise up new partners who would be willing to join us for 3-5 year partnerships. Pray for new church planters to hear the call of God on their lives.

We thank you for being part of the Vision Tour whether you are coming or if you are praying for us from afar. May the Lord give us His vision for what He has us to do in the CBA.

Thank you to all the Mission Teams who came this summer

2007-07-28T08:03:00.000-05:00

I would like to personally thank all the mission teams who came to serve the churches of the Central Baptist Association this summer. We had mission teams come from Alabama, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, and Texas. Their impact on our churches and their communities have been very evident.

Churches who were served by the mission teams include Three Rivers Fellowship in Lacrosse, Gospel Baptist in Sparta, Midvale Baptist in Madsion, Madison Hmong Baptist Church, Campus Community Church, Heartland Church in Richland Center, River of Life Church in Portage, and Prairie Springs Church in Sun Prairie. The mission teams were involved in numerous forms of ministry including prayer walking, Vacation Bible School, block parties, surveying, servant evangelism projects, construction, and numerous other ministries.

At places like Gospel Baptist and Prairie Springs Church the impact has been evident. New people are investigating the church. Parents have come to the closing events of sports camp and VBS. These are only two of the examples how these teams have had impact.

Campus Community Church is going through a major renovation project. Great progress was made by the teams from North Carolina and Alabama. Pastor Mark Hong has expressed deep appreciation for the volunteer work done by these teams.

With more than 150 people coming to the CBA this year to be on mission, our prayer is that next year even more teams will come. What do mission teams leave in their wake? They have planted the seeds of the gospel, morale is lifted at churches, new people are coming to our churches, and training is done by the teams so our people can do ministry more effectively in the future.

At Prairie Springs Church the very first VBS was conducted by Central Park Baptist of Alabama. As the week was unfolding the leaders of PSC were heard saying, "We can do VBS next year by ourselves. We needed this week to gain confidence." What a testimony to see how mission teams can help our churches develop leadership for the future!! Thank you to the many scores of people who came this summer to give of your life. Know that your labor in the Lord was not in vain but your investment in the kingdom of God here in Southern Wisconsin is very fruitful!!!

New Web Site for the Central Association in Wisconsin

2007-06-28T12:05:00.000-05:00

I want to let you know that as of today we now have a new look web site for the Central Baptist Association. You can still find us at www.cbaow.net. We are grateful to www.churchwebsites.com for helping partner with us in this new look. One feature that we have now is that we can update the information much more easily.

You will find that all of our churches are now listed with all of their current contact information. Also, we will be sharing a lot more details about the upcoming Vision Tour that is set for September 24-26.

When you have a moment be sure to check out our new look at www.cbaow.net. Please share your input with us on what we can add and how we can improve the site.

Survivability Study Released

2007-04-01T16:57:00.000-05:00

In the past few weeks the North American Mission Board's research department has released a survivability study for church plants. There are four factors that surfaced as the top factors. They are:

1. Church Plant Expectations
2. Membership Development
3. Church Planter Peer Group
4. Stewardship Plan

As I have been digesting the news of this report for the past few weeks, I believe these factors contribute to the survivability of all churches. Here in the Central Association, we have seen numerous churches die over the years. Many new churches have been started and both young and old ones die regularly in our association and across our state convention.

I believe we would all be wise to study this report closely and ask the Lord what He wants us do to make changes in our ministry. For a full view of the report, you can go to www.missionalresearch.info. May the Lord increase your knowledge and wisdom as you take the time to digest this report and what it means for your ministry setting.

A Great Message From Acts 16:9-10

2007-02-28T22:52:00.000-06:00

Tonight I am at the Church Planting Missionary Forum in Atlanta. We hear a great message from the pastor of First Baptist Jonesboro, GA. His text was on the Macedonian call on Paul's life.

His sermon was three points:

1. Revelation
2. Mobilization
3. Procalamation

Paul had a vision from God that mobilized him to proclaim the gospel. Maybe I am a really simple guy but I think this message is for all of us. As Christians, we need to have God's will revealed in our lives so we can be mobilized to spread His Word.

Another verse quoted tonight was Proverbs 29:18 which says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." The Hebrew word for vision is to have a revelation from God. We all need to hear from God in our lives. Tonight's message has really encouraged me to be connected with the Lord.

I encourage all of you reading this blog to get in touch with God to know what God's vision is for your life and for the people under your leadership. Being in touch with God must happen before we mobilize our resources.

May the Lord reveal His calling on your life as you provide leadership in your family and church.

Importance of Leadership Development

2007-01-21T22:02:00.000-06:00

As we start the new year in 2007, what are your plans for developing as a leader? If you do not have an intentional plan, then there is a good chance you are not going to develop. Here in the Central Association in Wisconsin we are working diligently at developing leadership.

We give our pastors books, DVDs, provide training, and share any resources we can that will help develop their leadership capacity. Experience has taught us that pastors hit barriers when it comes to numerical church growth. With all that in mind, what are your plans to grow in 2007 as a leader?

Here are some suggestions:

-Ask other pastors what books they are reading which have been helpful.
-Read blogs on the internet.
-Tap into the wonderful world of podcasts which are free on the internet.
- Make use of your time in the car listening to other pastors' sermons or leadership material.
-Get in touch with God to ask Him what area of your life you need to work on in 2007.
-Put down some written goals. We know those who put goals in writing are much more likely to be intentional.

These are only some of many suggestions to grow as a person and as a leader in 2007. I believe that we are honoring God when we work as hard as we can to develop to our full potential. May the Lord encourage you to be intentional in growing as a leader in 2007!

Do You Return Phone Calls?

2007-01-21T21:50:00.000-06:00

This might seem like a silly question, but do you return phone calls? If so, how long does it take to call someone back. A number of years ago in my Doctor of Ministry seminar, Danny Akin, told us his policy about returning phone calls. Akin, now president of Southeastern Baptist Seminary shared that we need to return every phone call as pastors.

At that time, I thought it was a little too much. But since then I have come to find out that has been valuable advice. Returning calls in a timely manner is a healthy habit to develop. If you can return calls within 24 hours that is best. If not, do it as soon as you can.

Why return calls? It keeps people from getting frustrated with you. To this day, I find there are still pastors who will not return my calls. I pray they change their ways. Why return telemarketer calls if they leave a message? One reason is that if you return a call you can let them know you are not interested and be removed from the list.

If you are returning your calls, I affirm you. If you are a person who does not and you are reading this blog, I strongly encourage you to start. It may seem like a small change but remember that small changes can have great impact.

Being a "Missional" Church

2006-12-17T08:20:00.000-06:00

What does it mean to be a misisonal church? There is a lot of talking going around these days about churches being on mission both in their local communities and around the world. I believe one really good answer has come to us in the book written by Ed Stetzer titled, Breaking the Missional Code.

Stetzer makes the point that churches who have broken the missional code have discovered what makes a community tick. These churches are connecting with people in their communities. As I began to think about my own personal experiences, I would like to mention a few churches in my past where I have seen churches break the missional code.

In New Jersey, there is a Presbyterian church in New Providence that provides an event once a month to youth called "Fire Escape." Fire Escape is essentially a coffee house, a place to dance, and a place for teenagers to socialize. This youth ministry uses Fire Escape as one of the main entry points for teenagers to connect in a socially relevant way.

Another church that I experienced recently is the famous Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas led by Ed Young, Jr. Young seems to connect with people on a regular basis with his creativity talking on relevant subjects. Although the service that I attended did not make a strong connection with me, it was obvious that Young and his entire ministry are connecting with thousands of people in relevant ways.

I could probably go on and on about churches that are connecting in relevant ways so the gospel message of Jesus Christ can be shared. How about you? What churches have you attended in the past or know about that are breaking the missional code?

The missional code is different for every community. It is up to us as Christian leaders to figure out how we can best reach the people of our local communities. Ask the Lord for insight how you can break the missional code in your community. Share Jesus as you meet the needs of people in relevant ways.

Relaunching at Friendship Church in Wisconsin

2006-12-15T14:54:00.000-06:00

Over the past few months Friendship Baptist Church in Ft. Atkinson, WI has begun the process of retooling their church. It began back in August when the church agreed to take a Church Health Survey put together by Church Central (www.churchcentral.com). In the following weeks, the survey was completed by the congregation and the results were delivered to the congregation.

On November 5, Robert and Sherry Timmons announced the resignation of Robert as pastor from Friendship. Sicne that time, Clint Calvert and his church health team from the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention (www.mwbc.org) has come in and officially begun the process of transitioning.

The church now has a transition team at work. Team members are made up of three members of the church and three members of the MWBC church health team. I am grateful to be working with this team as we experience a new beginning. Please be in prayer for Friendship Church as they select a new pastor to guide them through the transition.

Please be in prayer for the transition team as they work together to see God's will accomplished at Fort Atkinson.

Partners Needed for Church Plants in 2007

2006-12-09T19:54:00.000-06:00

We have two new churches starting in 2007. One will be planted by Chad Cummings, who is currently the Associate Pastor at First Baptist Winthrop Harbor in Chicago. Chad will be coming to the field starting his official day on February 1, 2007. Please be in prayer for Chad to sell his home and for the start of Three Rivers Fellowship Church in Lacrosse.

The second church will be started by Paul Fries who is coming from Graceville, Florida. Paul is currently serving as the Director of Missions for the Holmes County Baptist Association in Florida. Paul, a native of Richland County, is coming back home to plant a church in Richland Center which he will call Heartland Church.

There are three ways you can be a partner with these two church planters:

1. Prayer - Be in prayer for them ast they move. They both need to sell their homes. Also, be in prayer for them as move and begin to build core groups.

2. People - Bring a misison team for your church or consider volunteering to help them.

3. Provisions - Help contribute to their church plant financially. Both of these men and their families have stepped out in faith God will provide.

If you would like to be a partner in any way please contact me, Mark Millman, in the Central Association office at 608-825-9946 or e-mail me at mark@cbaow.net.

Our Office Has Officially Moved

2006-12-09T19:51:00.000-06:00

After a number of weeks of getting settled, our office has officially moved to 2340 Manley Drive, also the the home of Prairie Springs Church. Below is the information how you can contact us:

Central Baptist Associaiton
2340 Manley Drive
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
Phone: 608-825-9946

You can continue to e-mail me at mark@cbaow.net.

Volunteer Groups Coming to Madison

2006-11-09T05:51:00.000-06:00

We have great news as we have several different volunteer groups planning to come to Madison. From November 16-21, a group of 69 people will be coming from Louisiana Tech to help the campus ministry at UW-Madison. They will also be leading worship in four of our churhces in the area.

Next summer two more groups will be coming in July to support the work of the ministry in Madison. This past week Pastor Craig Carlisle and his Minister of Education, Ken Bush, came for a pre-mission visit to meet with our Madison pastors. They toured all of our Madison area churches and the community. Their group will be here from July 22-28.

Another group wil be here next summer from the Greater Cleveland County Baptist Association in North Carolina. Led by their Director of Missions, Keith Dixon, their group will be here from July 6-15 to also meet needs in the churches and communities of Madison.

Please be in prayer for these groups as they prepare and come to help us in the CBA. We praise God for raising up laborers for the harvest here in southern Wisconsin!

Saying Goodbye to Robert and Sherry Timmons

2006-11-09T05:48:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, November 5, Robert Timmons resigned as pastor of Friendship Baptist Church in Ft. Atkinson. Robert and his wife Sherry have felt the Lord leading them to interim work as pastor and being a Director of Missions. We are grateful for the service they provided in our association, especially his work as interim DOM for the CBA. May God bless Robert and Sherry as they explore the next step God has for them in their lives.

Recap of Annual Meeting Weekend

2006-10-27T19:11:00.000-05:00

On October 13-14 in Portage at River of Life Church, we had over 100 people gather from 12 different churches in the Central Baptist Associaiton. This attendance was the highest in many years for an annual meeting or training event for the CBA.

Building Powerful Ministry Teams Workshop

Our workshop was conducted on Friday evening and Saturday morning. Doug Jividen, pastor of Plymouth Baptist Church in Plymouth, Indiana led the workshop. Jividen's church has grown from 40 to 500 during his tenure as pastor. Many principles on teamwork were shared over the course of the two days.

Annual Meeting

The annual meeting was also well attended and reports were given from the Church Planting Team and the Church Development Team. One highlight that stood out was the adoption of the Madison Hmong Baptist Church into the CBA. Lao Po Vang, the minister of education represented the Hmong church during the meeting.

Children's Camp

There were 35 children who attended the children's camp led by Randy Smith and her team from the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention. The camp allowed many people to attend from churches.

Thanks for your participation

Thank you to all of you who came and were part of the weekend. Many people were encouraged by the weekend as training was conducted, new friendships were started, and important business was completed. We look forward to seeing you next year when Pastor Mike Milburn of First Baptist Burleson, Texas will be with us as the featured speaker.

Central Association Office Has Moved

2006-10-27T17:39:00.000-05:00

Please take note that the Central Association office has officially moved to 2340 Manley Road in Sun Prairie. Thanks for your patience as we unpack and settle in over the next few days. Our phone number, e-mail, and fax number will continue to be the same.

Saying Goodbye to Paul and Jerry Harwood

2006-10-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

Today I visited Midvale Baptist Church, the first Southern Baptist church in the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention. The congregation of Midvale said goodbye today to Paul Harwood, pastor, and his wife Jerry. Paul and Jerry will be moving to Nevada next week as Paul becomes the Director of Missions for the Northeast Baptist Association in Nevada.

Paul served as the pastor at Midvale for eight years and he brought stability to the congregation. After the service today, the congregation had a potluck dinner which included a tribute to Paul and Jerry.

Please be in prayer for the Harwoods as they move to Nevada and for Midvale Baptist as they search for a new pastor in the weeks and months to come.

Pastor Interviews for Diagnosis

2006-09-27T19:39:00.000-05:00

This week 13 of our 14 pastors in the Central Baptist Association were interviewed by a team from the North American Mission Board. The purpose of these interviews was for specific needs to be revealed so the CBA can do a better job resourcing our churches. The results will be compiled and studied and then a prescription meeting will be held in early January 2007.

Why have these interviews? The main reason to have these interviews is so we as an association can become relevant to our churches. Our vision is to resource churches to fulfill the Great Commission in their own community. I belive many needs were surfaced this week and our association will be challenged by the answers given during the interview process.

If you have any questions about the results or findings of the diagnostic survey, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at mark@cbaow.net or call the office at 608-825-9946.

Assessing Those Who Will Succeed

2006-08-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

There are many ways to assess potential church planters and prospective pastors. We have some of the best assessment tools in our toolbox in the Minnesota-Wisconsin state convention. Yet there is one question that I think rises to the top, "Do I like to be around this person?"

I believe that someone can know a lot about church planting and church growth but they are never going to be successful in planting a congregation or moving a church forward. Because ministry is really all about people, I have come to the conclusion that liking people and being able to have people like you is a necessary ingredient.

Don't get me wrong, I am not condoning being a people pleaser or helping the hearers to have "itching ears." Rather, I am talking about how Jesus "grew in favor with God and man." My reading of the Bible shows me that people liked being around Jesus.

It seems to me that we forget the obvious sometimes. God wants us to be a pleasing "aroma" to other people. We need to find ways to get into the lives of people and allow them to enjoy our personalities. How do we find ways to have people enjoy being around us?

We start allowing their interests to be ours. Have a sense of humor as the average person loves to laugh. Be ready to research areas that you might not already have so you can connect with other people. If possible, meet them at their workplace and take a tour of their office, factory, etc. Allow yourself to be somewhat vulnerable so they can see inside of you.

Remember, we are looking for the person of peace as we minister the gospel. We ought also to be the person of peace so people want to stay in our home and hang without us.

Taking a Look in the Mirror

2006-07-27T00:06:00.000-05:00

Lamentations 3:40 says, "Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord." One of the most important elements of the Christian life is self-examination. Taking time to examine our church health is also very important.

I encourage churches to take a church health survey at least once a year. Currently, we are in the process of taking our churches through a congregational survey designed by Church Central. Every church that has taken the church health survey has been more healthy after the survrey process than before.

Why is it so important to diagnose church health? When is the last time you went to the doctor? Most people go to the doctor at least once a year. Regular check-ups are part of mainitaining physical health. We have our cars serviced on a regular basis. Taking a look at our church health on a regular basis, at least once a year, can also be very helpful.

Currently, our church health survey diagnoses six areas: ministry, discipleship, evangelism, worship, fellowship, and prayer. At least 15 percent of the congregation needs to complete the survey in order to obtain accurate results. The results come back in detailed formats and can be easily shared with the leadership of the congregation by e-mail.

Is God leading you to make adjustments in your church? How do you know which ones are the right ones to make? Pray about taking the church health survey in your church. Contact me to set up a time to talk about it more or let me know when you would like to go through the process. For more information, you can go to www.churchcentral.com.

Adapting To Fast Change

2006-07-02T21:06:00.000-05:00

On July 4, 1776 King George of England wrote in his diary, "Nothing much happened today." If King George lived in our world today he would have had a very hectic day. The Declaration of Independence would have been posted on the internet for all to view around the world. He and the politicians of England would have been scrambling to diffuse the Revolution taking place in America.

The fast paced world we live in requires us to adjust to change rapidly. I encourage you as church leaders to be on the lookout for the changes God wants you to make in your life and your ministry. Be encouraged that the tools at your disposal allow you to make effective use of the technology around you. Instead of being like King George, you can keep up with the very latest.

At the same time, God wants us to slow down enough to be in tune with Him and His will. My prayer is that you will be aware of the world around you and trusting in the God who made this world. With this combination you will be able to keep us with the change the Lord sends your way.

Planning Ahead For Next Summer

2006-06-19T09:54:00.000-05:00

Summer misisonaries and summer misison teams are great ways for you to add energy to your church. At the same time, you can help young women and men fulfill the call that God has on their life. Right now is the time to act for next summer as most churches plan a year in advance. The deadline for requesting summer missionaries is August 1,2006.

To request mission teams, go to www.thebridge.namb.net and register your church. To obtain summer missionaries, you can call the North American Mission Board and talk to the Missionary Mobilization department.

What can mission teams do? Mission teams can help you with construction, sports camps, Vacation Bible School, Backyard Bible Clubs, drama, surveying, and a host of other projects. I encourage you to vist www.thebridge.namb.net and check out all the projects that are being done around the country.

A summer or semester misisonary can help strengthen a church. Many summer misisonaries work in the area of children's ministry and youth ministry. There are a lot of other ministries that college students can help in your church. Because most college students are eager to serve, they bring a great deal of spiritual energy and excitement.

Please pray about what God may have you do next summer!

A Great Toolbox

2006-06-16T08:23:00.000-05:00

One of the best web sites that has a lot offer for both a church planter and a pastor is The Church Planting Village found on www.churchplantingvillage.net. This web site contains a number of valuable tools for both church plants and existing churches. On this web site you obtain the nuts and bolts of how to set up church. You can get help with everything from working with the web site to setting up your consitution.

I encourage you to put this site on your Favorites list and to access it as you have need. Because there is so much involved in the organizaton of church, it is very helpful to have a site that contains so much and is free of charge.