Newsletter
September 2008

On Mission Celebration
FVBA Annual Meeting
Illinois Baptist Annual Meeting
Twin Oaks Baptist Church Fall Festival
Pastor and Staff Appreciation Month
Training In Indianapolis
The Pentecost Project
Thank you to Lydia Gonzalez Vasquez
Completing Your Annual Church Profile
Mission Team Request
Thank You To Pottamatamie Lincoln Baptist Association
When It Comes To Giving...
WHO IS LOTTIE MOON?
CALLING ALL ACTS 1:8 CHURCHES
Fox Valley DOM/Church Planting Strategist Ministry Proposal for 2008-2009

ON MISSION CELEBRATION
SEPTEMBER 19-20-21, 2008
Missionaries Coming to FVBA
RALLY ON FRIDAY 6:30P DISPLAYS, 7:00P RALLY

International Mission Board Missionaries

Debbie Scott(Church Planting Mexico)
Jim Campbell(Pacific Rim)
Laura Campbell(Pacific Rim)
Jeremy Newborn(Senegal)
*Kimberly Newborn(Senegal)
Thurman Penick(Strategy Coordinator for Mazateco people, Oaxaca, Mexico)
Jeff Thomas(Guatemala Church Planting)
Steven Brubaker(Germany Church Planting)
Celeste Brubaker(Germany Church and Home Evangelism)

North American Mission Board Missionaries

Keith Draper(Executive Director, Chicago Metro Association)
Lyle Seltman(Lay Church Planting in Illinois)
Robert Burton(Multi-housing Church Planting/Ministries)
Joel Thrasher(Missions Strategy Team Leader Greenville Assoc., South Carolina)
Chris Johnson(Church Planter—Augusta, Maine)
Melanie Lawler(Ministry Evangelism Specialist, Reno, Nevada)
Bob Sena(Hispanic Church Planting Team Leader for NAMB)

Illinois Baptist State Association Missionaries

Dr. Rick Hedger(Missions Awareness)
*Cody Lorance(church planting among immigrant peoples)

*The Lord has blessed Cody and Katherine Lorance with an addition to their family: Paolo—born August 22, 2008. Paolo has an older brother Christopher age 5 (turns 6 on September 23) and an older sister Hannah age 3.

*The Lord has blessed Jeremy and Kimberly Newborn with an addition to their family: Malachi Isaiah—born August 5, 2008. Big sister Abigail is staying with grandparents this weekend.

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FVBA ANNUAL MEETING
OCTOBER 12, 2008
Time: 4:00 PM
Location:
Bartlett Baptist Church
1500 W. Stearns Rd
Bartlett, IL 60103

Email: bartlettbaptist@comcast.net
Phone: 630-830-9888

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TRAINING IN INDIANAPOLIS
(Looking for Ten Strategic Persons to Attend)
MAKE YOUR PLANS NOW TO ATTEND
January 13-15, 2009
November 1 deadline

The North Central States Mission Thrust Rally began in 1961 as a prayer meeting with four state missions’ directors attending. In 1969, the state executive directors were added as participants in the prayer meeting that now addressed shared strategies for starting new churches. Other nearby states subsequently joined in the effort. In 1977, the seven states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota/Wisconsin and Ohio) in partnership with the North American Mission Board (then Home Mission Board) set a goal of doubling the number of churches in the region. The rally, now co-sponsored by the various states, NAMB, Woman’s Missionary Union and Life Way, continues to meet every three years with that same passion to reach people for Christ through establishing and building healthy congregations. Nate Adams, John Mark Yates, Chuck Lawless, Andrea Mullins, Mike Harland, Doug Munton, Mike Brown, Lyle Seltman, Van Kicklighter, Tom Cheney, Ed Stetzer, Ferman Whitaker, Robert Smith, David Washington, David Francis, Nate Ray, Chad Moore, Mark Lydecker, Augie Boto, Diane Davis, Clarence Hackett, Gary Odem, Randy Smith, Roy Fish, Richard Nations, Steve Hopkins, Bob Foy, Terry Dorset, Geoff Hammond, Larry Richmond, and many others are on the list of speakers for this conference. Lodging and three meals will be provided by IBSA. FVBA will pay for transportation but car pooling is a must. If interested please contact Dr. Inman at marki@fvba.org.

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THE PENTECOST PROJECT
Easter April 12 – May 31 Pentecost 2009
By Rick Hedger
Mission Awareness Dir. – IBSA

I read an interesting article in the Kaskaskia Baptist Visitor today. It was written by Bro. Jim Shemwell. It is an awesome article on 40 Days of Prayer before Pentecost 2009. It caused my heart to truly yearn for a work of the Holy Spirit in our Day. I applaud Jim’s encouragement for the Kaskaskia Association Churches in this effort.

Working with Nate Adams and the Pentecost Project has been one of my great privileges in life. I love missions. I know you do as well. That is why you are serving as a missionary to your associations. I would like to ask for your help. God has faithfully led us to the churches participating in the complete 50 day pilot project for 2009. But our desire is to also have a minimum of 50 additional churches to host the final weekend event over Pentecost Weekend. The article by Jim stirred my heart. I began to think of each of you and wondered how we could strengthen your ministry of missions through your associations by working with key churches in your associations to host the weekend mission events. We have 34 associations. If each association had at least two churches participating in this Pentecost Weekend event, the goal would be met. But better yet, our entire IBSA would be stronger as opposed to a few of our associations being stronger in their mission efforts. Could you help me in recruiting at least two of your churches to participate in this Pentecost Weekend Project in 2009? The 40 days of prayer that Brother Jim mentioned prior to that weekend would be a great added emphasis.

The above letter came from Rick Hedger at IBSA to Dr. Inman. Please contact Dr. Inman with your desire in this matter. You are the ones on the front lines in FVBA. You have the influence with your churches. I covet your partnership in helping your congregation to become more missional in their endeavor to reach your immediate Jerusalem, our Judea of Illinois, our Samaria of the United Sates and to the Ends of the Earth. God bless each of you.

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THANK YOU TO LYDIA GONZALEZ VASQUEZ
Fox Valley Baptist Association wishes to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Lydia for her years of service to the FVBA churches and ministries. We pray for God’s continued blessings for Lydia as she serves the Lord in her new position in working with the public school system. If you have not already taken the time to say thank you to Lydia, please take the time to do so today.

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COMPLETING YOUR ANNUAL CHURCH PROFILE
Another Associational year is ending and churches are requested to fill out an Annual Church Profile which becomes the source for statistics and directories. Remember that you are able to enter the data online at abes.ibsa.org/ebc, and you need to return the Associational portion (salmon sheet) to FVBA. If you do not have your ACP forms, please call the FVBA office immediately. Please submit your ACP no later than September 9, 2008. YOU ARE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!

NEW HISPANIC WORK THROUGHOUT FVBA

We are so pleased to announce to you that there are new works in progress at the following locations:
Wheeling Hispanic Mission In Wheeling, Illinois
Mendota Hispanic Mission Sponsored by Aurora Emanuel and Victory Mendota Baptist Churches

Pastor Victor Mendoza stated that Emanuel Aurora is currently scouting out the land for the starting of other Hispanic works. May we all follow Pastor Victor’s lead.

Mission Team Request
Pastors and churches: Our partner in ministry, Muskogee Baptist Association spoke with Dr. Inman and MBA is already making preparation for a sending out mission teams for the summer of 2009. If you would like your church to have a mission team, please contact Alice Inman emmaus2008@hotmail.com or ainman_1@msn.com or go to FVBA website and fill out a mission team request form. BAPTISTS GEAR UP TO PREPARE 600,000 MEALS A DAY AS GUSTAV NEARS Alpharetta, Ga. (BP)—The American Red Cross and Salvation Army have asked Southern Baptist Disaster Relief (SBDR) volunteers to prepare for the worst.

“But hope for the best,” says Mickey Caison, director of NAMB's adult mobilization team.

The organizations’ requests for feeding capacity has now doubled from 310,000 meals per day to more than 600,000 as the Gulf Coast braces for the possibility of a Category 4 Gustav, which now is teetering between tropical storm and hurricane status and moving slowly toward the Gulf but picking up power.

Some 113 of 115 Southern Baptist Disaster Relief feeding units have been put on alert to mobilize along the Gulf Coast states a day or two in the wake of hurricane landfall.

Even as Republicans gear up to gather in Minneapolis and Tropical Storm Hanna threatens to churn up the east coast, a still-wounded Gulf Coast is already smarting with anticipation of what Gustav could do.

Several larger shelters are at ready in Texas where four Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief feeding units have deployed. Other sites will be determined as landfall nears.

Most shelter areas will likely be stationed in Texas, northern Louisiana and Jackson, Miss.

Because of revised evacuation plans post Katrina, most shelter and feeding will take place further away from disaster locations, though SBDR recovery units still will move in to clear roadways and, later, affected communities.

Many Gulf Coast areas will evacuate this weekend. New Orleans has planned for a mandatory evacuation and is bringing in busses for 30,000 people who lack transportation. Places as far north as Oklahoma City are preparing for as many as 2,500 evacuees.

As SBDR coordinators work with local, state and federal agencies to determine the extent of damage and the need following the storm, most SBDR units will be assigned to the states they managed following Katrina.

Tropical Storm Hanna continues to track toward the Bahamas, putting a number of SBDR units on alert in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia, in case that storm takes a northward turn. Those conventions will divide their resources between affected areas depending on severity.

“While we may not be able to utilize entire units, we can make use of volunteers from several units to help fill in and replenish and time and need require,” says Terry Henderson, NAMB’s disaster relief coordinator.

PARTNERSHIP COVENANT BETWEEN MUSKOGEE BAPTIST ASSOCIATION - MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA & FOX VALLEY BAPTIST ASSOCIATION - ELGIN, ILLINOIS TO CONTINUE the Covenant between these two Associations is for the encouragement, and betterment of both Associational bodies. The Muskogee Baptist Association (MBA) will covenant with Fox Valley Baptist Association (FVBA) for a period of 3 years. This covenant may be altered, extended, or canceled at any time by the agreement of both parties. While there will be specific items mentioned in the covenant it should be understood that they are suggestions of ministries, and may materialize at any time through the duration of the covenant, or not at all. The MBA will covenant with FVBA in the following areas,

•Prayer. There is no more significant commitment that the MBA could offer FVBA than to pray for them. This Association of 22 churches and 2 missions are sister congregations of the churches and missions of the MBA.
•Encourage church to church partnerships. MBA churches will be provided information concerning FVBA churches. Church to church partnerships will be handled solely by the churches involved.
•The desire to develop revival teams that could be available to serve the churches of FVBA. Expenses for transportation, lodging, and meals will be born by the revival team unless otherwise arranged in advance.
•To cooperate with FVBA churches concerning construction projects.
•A summer park ministry using a Backyard Bible Club approach could be developed as a summer youth mission trip.
•To prayerfully consider how the MBA might assist in a Baptist Collegiate Ministry on the campus of Northern Illinois State University, the collegiate home to 22,000 students with no Baptist campus presence.
•To commit the 2007 "Lend a Hand" Associational Offering to assist FVBA with much needed ministry funds.
•To consider adding 2-3 smaller ethnic missions to the MBA "Mission Plus" program as options for churches to assist.

We the undersigned look forward to the mutual blessings of this Covenant agreement. This agreement concludes in September 30, 2009

Bill Sherrill, Muskogee Baptist Association
Dr. Mark Inman, Fox Valley Baptist Association

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THANK YOU TO POTTAWATAMIE LINCOLN BAPTIST ASSOCIATION
Thank you to Pottawatamie Lincoln Baptist Association for their faithful and generous service to FVBA

(FVBA AND POTT-LINCOLN WILL END PARTNERSHIP THIS MONTH)

New partnership to be considered at FVBA 2008 annual meeting.
South Central Association, Pennsylvania
South Jersey Convention

Any FVBA pastor desiring to preach for any of the partnership churches, please contact Dr. Inman.

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When It Comes To Giving...
How does one or how does a church determine what is the right thing to do when it comes to giving to other entities? There are the usual replies that, “giving begins at home” and “a church ought to tithe just like an individual should” plus other replies I’m sure. For Bartlett Baptist we began at the inception of the church that we would tithe as a church of all undesignated funds that came into our church. Over the years we have increased beyond the tithe as God has allowed. Oh yes we have considered “that charity begins at home” even to “how can we be greater and better stewards”.
We arrived at what we gave and to whom we gave by understanding it didn’t have to be a “either/or” decision. Giving can begin at meeting the immediate needs of the church but at the same time we had to consider other entities beyond ourselves in order to be a part of what happened in our state, nationally, and internationally.
I understand at times it is a struggle for churches to decide what the right thing to do is, but that is where the Holy Spirit steps in with prayer we are able to make the right and appropriate decisions. That doesn’t mean our decisions should be the same for the next 2, 5 or 10 years. It means each year we re-access where we have come from and where we are trying to go with God’s help. It means each year we attempt to tweak our giving so that we can be wiser and greater stewards. May the Lord bless you accordingly as you seek His will regarding this matter.
Jerry Gleason, Pastor

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WHO IS LOTTIE MOON?
Lottie Moon Dec. 12, 1840-Dec. 24, 1912 Lottie Moon was a heroine for today-a woman passionate about a lost world, a woman who didn't hesitate to speak her mind.

It is never to early to start planning for the annual Lottie Moon Christmas Offering National Goal is: $170 million

Today's China is a world of rapid change. Its home to 1.3 billion individuals-one-fifth of the world's population. Village dwellers flock to trendy megacities with exploding populations. And China holds its own in the world's economy. It's very different from the vast farmland Lottie Moon entered in the 1800s. But one thing hasn't changed: China's need for a Savior.

Lottie Moon-the namesake of the international missions offering-has become something of a legend to us. But in her time Lottie was anything but an untouchable hero. In fact, she was like today's missionaries. She was a hard-working, deep-loving Southern Baptist who labored tirelessly so her people group could know Jesus.

Her mission
When she set sail for China, Lottie was 32 years old. She had turned down a marriage proposal and left her job, home and family to follow God's lead. Her path wasn't typical for an educated woman from a wealthy Southern family. But Lottie did not serve a typical God. He had gripped her with the Chinese peoples' need for a Savior.

For 39 years Lottie labored, chiefly in Tengchow and P'ingtu. People feared and rejected her, but she refused to leave. The aroma of fresh-baked cookies drew people to her house. She adopted traditional Chinese dress, and she learned China's language and customs. Lottie didn't just serve the people of China; she identified with them. Many eventually accepted her. And some accepted her Savior.

Her vision
Lottie's vision wasn't just for the people of China. It reached to her fellow Southern Baptists in the United States. Like today's missionaries, she wrote letters home, detailing China's hunger for truth and the struggle of so few missionaries sharing the gospel with so many people-472 million Chinese in her day. She shared another timely message, too: the urgent need for more workers and for Southern Baptists passionately supporting them through prayer and giving.

In 1912, during a time of war and famine, Lottie silently starved, knowing that her beloved Chinese didn't have enough food. Her fellow Christians saw the ultimate sign of love: giving her life for others. On Christmas Eve, Lottie died on a ship bound for the United States.

But her legacy lives on. And today, when gifts aren't growing as quickly as the number of workers God is calling to the field, her call for sacrificial giving rings with more urgency than ever.

How much does your church plan to give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering this year? The National Goal for 2008 is $170 million.

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CALLING ALL ACTS 1:8 CHURCHES
FVBA is encouraging each of our FVBA churches to be involved in Acts 1:8 mission trips and partnerships. We are seeking churches willing to partner with 4 people groups in Senegal West Africa. Each of the people groups are predominantly Muslim and have been recently engaged with a single missionary couple for each of the people groups. The people groups are Jahanka, Mandinka, Jola-Fonyi, and Fulakunda. Please contact the FVBA office if you are available to discuss partnerships or the Vision Trip.

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Fox Valley DOM/Church Planting Strategist Ministry Proposal for 2008-2009
(If you have a desire to serve on one of the three vision teams of FVBA, please contact Dr. Inman.)

Below are the ministry objectives for each of the three teams

Area One: Church Strengthening: Team Lead is Dr. Ruben Raquel

DOM and the FVBA Church Strengthening Ministry Team will:

•Contact 100% of FVBA churches extending an invitation to participate in a Church Strengthening Process designed for equipping congregations to discover its own uniqueness as it relates to Christian Education, Discipleship, Evangelism, Worship, and Global Missions of which Dr. Ruben Raquel was recently trained to facilitate this process. $. 45 per mile will be provided to Dr. Ruben Raquel for his travel to and from the churches that choose to be a part of this process.

•Identify and contact FVBA churches who are undergoing transition in the neighborhood surrounding the location of the church. Seek assistance from IBSA staff to work with 100% of those pastors/churches who are willing to accept recommendations for meeting the health needs of the church will be sought.

•Converse with 100% of the FVBA churches who average less than 60 people in attendance to talk about possible ministry ideas to provide outreach and ministry to Young Couples with Children. On site trainings/seminars for reaching out to young adults will be sought out to meet this need and provision of resources provided.

•Economically Depressed Congregations: DOM and the church strengthening ministry team will speak to 100% of FVBA pastors and/or churches to learn how the present economy is affecting their church budgets. The identified pastors will be invited to attend a meeting with an IBSA staff member to pray and to brainstorm creative ways to meet the depressed need. A follow-up meeting will be scheduled to follow through with previous discussions.

•Families in Crisis: DOM and the FVBA church strengthening ministry team will contact 100% of the FVBA churches inviting them to participate in a Weekend seminar for Married Couples experiencing marriage difficulties. Woodstock Atlanta will be invited to provide leadership for this conference if there are 20 couples willing to participate.

•Invite 100% of FVBA churches to participate in at least one leadership conference per year. DOM will seek out resources to host leadership conferences on individual church sites for those churches averaging less than 60 in attendance.

•Seek out Leadership Resources from IBSA to provide leadership trainings, materials, and subscriptions to assist the willing participating churches of FVBA churches in remaining on the cutting-edge of ministry.

•Continuing Education: DOM and the church strengthening ministry team will offer resources to 100% of FVBA churches for equipping pastors and/or church leaders in continuing education.

•Seek out partnerships between willing FVBA churches and willing partner churches to assist with leadership trainings, vacation bible schools, backyard bible clubs, building projects, and block parties for the summer of 2009.

•Seek out affinity groups for the development of one learning cluster per county identified in the makeup of FVBA churches. DOM will invite 100% of the FVBA churches to participate in one of the three clusters.

•Team Services: DOM and the church strengthening ministry team will seek out resources to provide speakers for 100% of the ministry teams that are a part of FVBA to train the members of each team in the work of their ministry.

•Partnership Meetings: DOM and/or a member from the church strengthening ministry team will travel to the locations of identified partners in ministry to discuss the identified needs of FVBA and to seek the assistance of the partners in meeting those needs. DOM will also invite the identified partners to FVBA for a visual tour of the area of ministry of which the partner will be involved.

•Deacons/Elders Appreciation Luncheon/Training: DOM and the church strengthening ministry team will seek out facilitators to offer training and appreciation to the deacons/elders who are members of FVBA churches. 100% of the FVBA churches will be invited to participate.

•Children’s Ministries: 1). DOM and the FVBA church strengthening ministry team will seek out resources to enhance the ministry of 100% of the FVBA churches to minister to children and families. DOM will seek out a camp director for the 4th annual FVBA children’s camp to be held in the summer of 2009. DOM will also contact the recommended location for the camp. DOM will seek from among 100% of FVBA churches those persons willing to participate in the planning team for the children’s camp. 2. DOM will provide 100% of FVBA churches contact information for starting after school programs and/or block parties for children. 3. DOM will seek out resources for renting school facilities for 100% of FVBA church sports teams requesting assistance. $25-$50 per church per week will be the maximum dollar amount sought for assistance. 4. In the area of discipleship development for children FVBA will offer leader training to 100% of the FVBA churches for participation in Bible Drills and Awanas ministries.

•Seek out facilities to host one annual baptism (per county area) that makes up FVBA association so as to build excitement among the church members for baptismal waters. 100% of FVBA churches will be invited to participate. Each participating church will have the privilege of baptizing her own baptismal candidates.

•Prayer: DOM and the FVBA Church Strengthening ministry team will seek out leaders and churches to resource, to host, and to promote an annual prayer seminar for churches located in each of the counties that make up FVBA.

•Make an appeal to IBSA to assist in coordinating an Upstate (FVBA) Gospel Celebration in which down state Illinois pastors, worship leaders, and laymen are invited to FVBA churches to conduct services with possible ongoing church to church partnerships developing. The church strengthening team will also make an appeal to IBSA to financially support this effort. A vision team tour and banquet would be planned and 100% of FVBA churches would be invited to participate.

•Provide church strengthening stories from FVBA churches to go into Speaker’s Source book to be used by FVBA leaders, IBSA workers, and FVBA local pastors and church leaders to tell FVBA story.

•Work with church planting and mission’s teams to create a monthly feature video that would contain a promotion of FVBA church strengthening effort to be used by local churches and by other groups to tell the FVBA story. Assistance from IBSA communications team will be sought.

•Seek out ways to provide resources for hosting and/or traveling to area wide youth events. 100% of FVBA churches will be invited to participate.

•Encourage the teaching of sound doctrine among the FVBA churches.


Area Two: Church Planting: Team Lead is Pastor Frank Russo

DOM and the FVBA Church Planting Team will:

•Seek out resources to provide mileage for Pastor Frank Russo to travel to 100% of the FVBA churches to encourage FVBA congregations to be a part of the Church Planting Initiative at $. 45 per mile. Pastor Frank Russo will train 100% of the churches identified as one desiring to be a part of the Church Planting Initiative.

•Invite IBSA to assess all prospective church planting candidates. DOM and the Church Planting Team will move forward with starting a new church with 100% of the approved candidates.

•Lay Church Planting: DOM and the Church Planting Ministry Team will seek out lay church planting pastors and/or interns for previously identified new church plants. IBSA will be contacted to assist with provision of resources to rent school facilities and promotion for lay church planters.

•Seek out resources to provide subsidy and mileage/transportation costs for Ki Kim and Bob Parikh to serve an international ministry at Northern Illinois University Emmaus Center.

•Seek out resources to provide mileage for student association members who wish to attend the annual IBSA Baptist Campus Ministers retreat so as to enhance the new Emmaus church plant.

•DOM will give supervision to all FVBA church planters so as to meet the requirements set forth by NAMB.

•Multi-housing ministries: FVBA through the appointed NAMB missionary to multi-housing ministries and the FVBA church planting ministry team will contact 100% of the FVBA churches inviting them to engage in multi-housing ministry. Financial resources for events such as block parties, training of team leaders, materials, bibles, snacks, etc. for 100% of those churches willing to participate will be sought out by the FVBA church planting team.

•Seek out resources to provide expense of mileage and meals for any new church planter’s bi-monthly prayer/fellowship breakfast.

•Seek out resources to send Pastor Frank Russo to one regional or state led church planting seminar per year.

•Seek out resources to give utility assistance to churches that are willing to host a new Hispanic Mission and/or church. $100 per month

•Seek out resources to pay requested fees to State leaders who assist with ongoing training for establishing the Road to Emmaus Foundation that was founded to help fund new church plants.

•Seek out church planting partners through IBSA for every mother church willing to launch a new church plant.

•DOM will contact the Southern Baptist Seminaries for prospective church planters and will schedule appointments with them to assess the possibility of them coming to FVBA as a church planter.

•Make an appeal to the IBSA communications team requesting them to assist in promoting FVBA church planting needs throughout the state.

•Invite IBSA to appeal to NAMB for church planting partners outside Illinois.

•Appeal to IBSA to include FVBA church planting needs for an intern program to be included in the state missions offering.

•Contact IBSA to assist with identifying state meetings, associational meetings, and other missions meetings in which FVBA representatives could speak about or promote FVBA church planting and mission needs.

•Seek to enlist Mission Service Corps missionaries to lead out in lay church planting efforts in FVBA and will develop a ministry support budget to the appointed MSC.

•Provide church planting stories from FVBA churches to go into Speaker’s Source book to be used by IBSA workers, FVBA leaders, and local pastors and church leaders to tell the FVBA story.

•Work with Church Strengthening and Missions teams to create a monthly feature video that would contain a promotion of FVBA church planting team efforts to be used by local churches and by other groups to tell the FVBA story. Assistance from IBSA communications team will be sought.


Area Three: Missions: Team Lead is Pastor Dan Stovall

DOM and the FVBA Missions team will:

Education:
•Seek out resources to send two ladies serving on the Missions Committee to attend the Annual State led WMU conference and two men to the annual Brotherhood conference with the intent of sharing the information gathered at the conferences, with goal of starting and/or enhancing mission organizations within FVBA existing churches and new church plants.

•Seek out resources through IBSA to host an annual training for equipping RA, GA, and Acteen leaders or provide mileage and lodging for FVBA Churches who desire to send their leaders to attend a state wide training.

•Encourage 100% of the FVBA churches desiring to attend the annual state wide RA and GA camps. The FVBA Missions Team will seek out resources to provide partial scholarships to children and leaders who wish to attend the annual state wide RA and GA camps.

•Assist the FVBA churches to seek out creative ways to provide resources to send 3 willing pastors and their wives per year on an overseas mission trip with the expectation that they encourage their local congregations to travel with them. The FVBA Missions team will encourage the churches of the 3 willing pastors to take offerings and/or host fundraisers among the FVBA churches to help support the members travel and lodging expenses and that a report be given at the annual or semi annual FVBA meetings and FVBA missions meetings.

•Provide missions involvement stories from FVBA churches to go into Speaker’s Source book to be used by IBSA workers, FVBA leaders, and local pastors and church leaders to tell the FVBA story.

•Work with Church Strengthening and Church planting teams to create a monthly feature video that would contain a promotion of work of the FVBA Missions team to be used by local churches and by other groups to tell the FVBA story. Assistance from IBSA communications team will be sought.

Community Transformation: (The FVBA mission’s team will enlist a Community Transformation Team to challenge congregations to take the Gospel beyond their church campus through the development of need-meeting ministries and voluntary cooperation in associational sponsored Community Ministry initiatives).

•Seek out ways to provide resources for willing FVBA churches to rent a booth or traveling trailer during at least one annual local town festival and/or event to offer a loving witness from their church. The FVBA Missions team will invite 100% of the FVBA churches to participate.

•Seek out ways to provide resources for willing churches to participate in community social development. (Cicero Be-Tel, Aurora Emanuel, Elgin Vida Nueva, Ultimate Faith Bolingbrook, Elgin Calvary, Cornerstone North Aurora will be the targeted areas for social ministries, yet 100% of the FVBA churches will be invited to participate to learn about social ministries that may be applicable to their situation.

•Seek out ways to provide resources to train a willing person to meet with the identified churches to assist them in the developing a community social development strategy, and provide .45 mileage for this person to meet with the churches social ministry teams to train them to perform the tasks.

•Seek out ways to provide resources to host an annual banquet for missions leaders within FVBA to give an opportunity for each church to share the work of their local congregations in area of missions (local/ state/ national). 100% of the FVBA churches will be invited to attend to attend the planning meetings and events.

•Seek out ways to provide resources to provide area wide youth events. The FVBA Missions team will meet with willing FVBA churches to plan these events. 100% of the FVBA churches will be invited to attend to attend the planning meetings and events.

•Promote the various national, state, and local missions offerings to 100% of FVBA churches.

•Plan and implement an annual vacation bible school clinic. 100% of the FVBA churches will be invited.

•Develop a plan with Chicago Metropolitan area red cross to minister to the FVBA counties/area in times of disaster such as fires, floods, and other tragedies as a feeding unit with the purpose of providing a spiritual witness to local residents.

•In alignment with the NAMB missionaries’ agreement with the FVBA DOM and his wife, they will travel a minimum of 2x per year to promote the North American Mission Board. The invitations to speak are extended through the North American Mission Board.

•Assess the possibility of turning the disaster relief trailer into a combination disaster relief/ministry activities trailer that would have dual purpose: 1) to minister to children in the FVBA through block parties, etc, and 2). to address Chicago area crises in cooperation with the Chicago area red-cross disasters. Both entities would be done with the intention of being a spiritual witness to local residents.


Pastoral Team The Pastoral Team exists to provide Senior Pastors an adequate understanding of the mission and vision of national/state/local ministry. This team will provide pastoral encouragement, pastoral, counseling, opportunities of fellowship through strengthened relationships. The pastoral team will be led by the FVBA DOM.

DOM and the Pastoral Team will:

•Seek out ways to provide medical insurance for pastors by providing a portion of the costs of FVBA Pastors medical insurance for those churches averaging less than 60 in attendance, have no other secular work that provides medical insurance, and who make a request.

•Plan one Annual Ministers Retreat for FVBA Pastors, providing speakers with an awareness of National/State/Local Mission and Vision.

•Participate in Executive Team Development to provide resources for continuing education, support, and encouragement materials in the area of Pastoral Care.

•Seek out means to provide pastoral care packages to pastors who undergo major surgery.

•Seek out ways and means to offer subsidies for support staff to bivocational pastors.

•Host 2 pastors/wives fellowships per year.

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