E-Newsletter of the Ohio Conference of Seventh-day Adventists
February 2011
Ohio Conference Pastor and District Changes by Raj Attiken
By now, most of our congregations have heard that the Ohio Conference Executive Committee voted to make some significant changes in pastoral staffing and district alignments across the state. This will affect a number of congregations and districts.
The North American Division recently established new guidelines regarding the employment of part-time workers. These guidelines were designed to ensure that all denominational entities across the United States are in conformity with federal, state, and local laws. These guidelines apply to bivocational pastors; they will also apply to all part-time personnel hired by local churches, schools, and other entities. After investigating several options, the Executive Committee reached the conclusion that we had to discontinue our bivocational pastor program and reassign churches to full-time pastors in expanded or new district configurations.
Please pray for all our churches and workers as we make these changes. We have prepared a statement explaining the changes, which you can read hereand share with others.
Raj Attkien is President of the Ohio Conference
Ohio Ministry University
If you love our message and are active in spreading it, it's time to get some training! Come to the Ohio Ministry University, March 19-20, at the Embassy Suites in Dublin, OH. Presentations by guest speakers Dr. Leslie Bumgardner (Helping People Get Serious About God) and Ray Tetz (Marketing Your Ministry).
Practical workshops include Vacation Bible School (with Barbara Manspeaker), Reaching High School Youth in Your Community (with Brendon Prutzman), Is Your Church Prepared for Disaster (with Roy Nelson), and Friendship Evangelism (with Monte Sahlin).
Prayer is the Key to Conquering Stress By Doug Falle
Life is stressful. I feel it, and so do you.
The Bible is filled with stories of people who were under tremendous stress. David, Paul, and Jesus all had to live through some very difficult times. Paul gave this summary of his experiences: "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked" [2 Cor. 11:23-27].
No matter how bad your day was, it can't have been more stressful than that!
Over and over again, our Bible heroes testify that they dealt with stress by turning to God in prayer. David recorded his prayers in the Psalms, where he testified repeatedly to God's faithfulness, even when David had sinned. Paul recommended that we "pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" [Eph. 6:18]. When Jesus was under stress, "He Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [Luke 5:16].
One of the most stressful events in all of Scripture concerns Pontius Pilate. Talk about a bad day! Pilate is presented with prisoner who he's quite certain is innocent. He knows he should release Jesus. His wife even warns him that she's had a dream, no doubt Divinely sent, that Jesus was innocent [Mt. 27:19]. But in the end, Pilate is afraid that if he acquits Jesus, he will endanger his position of prestige and power. He hasn't the courage to face Jesus' angry accusers, and he orders the execution of an innocent man.
The end of life of each of these people is instructive. After having served as the greatest missionary of the Christian church, Paul died with hope in the resurrection. David, in spite of some human failings, remained "a man after God's own heart" [1 Sam. 13:14]. Jesus was murdered by evil men, but he didn't stay dead for long: he came forth from death as our Savior.
And Pilate? According to scholars, he committed suicide. The man who was afraid of losing everything if he didn't conform to the mob's demands lost everything anyway - even eternal life.
No matter what is stressing you - work, family, sickness, temptation - turn to God in prayer and find relief!
Doug Falle is Secretary-Treasurer for the Ohio Conference
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Local church news
On February 5, the Ebenezer French Haitian Church in Columbus concluded week-long revival meetings and baptized 42 persons into the church's fellowship. The church, under the leadership of Pastor Vergniaud Angrand, is very active with the Haitian community in central Ohio.
Inspiration
The right culture and use of the power of speech has to do with every line of Christian work; it enters into the home life, and into all our intercourse with one another. We should accustom ourselves to speak in pleasant tones, to use pure and correct language, and words that are kind and courteous. Sweet, kind words are as dew and gentle showers to the soul. ... In seeking to correct or reform others we should be careful of our words. They will be a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. In giving reproof or counsel, many indulge in sharp, severe speech, words not adapted to heal the wounded soul. By these ill-advised expressions the spirit is chafed, and often the erring ones are stirred to rebellion. All who would advocate the principles of truth need to receive the heavenly oil of love. Under all circumstances reproof should be spoken in love. Then our words will reform but not exasperate. Christ by His Holy Spirit will supply the force and the power. This is His work.
Ellen G. White, Christ's Object Lessons, p. 337
Upcoming Events
OHIO MINISTRY UNIVERSITY, March 19 & 20, Embassy Suites Hotel, Dublin, Ohio. Focus areas include:
Personal Spirituality
Marketing Your Ministry
Friendship Evangelism
Vacation Bible School
Disaster Response
Ministry to High School Youth in your Community
BIKER CAMP MEETING, June 2-5, Mount Vernon Academy. A specialty camp meeting that will focus on four target audiences:
Church members (who may or may not be bikers themselves) who wish to develop a ministry to bikers in their communities;
Adventist bikers who wish to enjoy a specialized camp meeting with features for bikers;
INTERGENERATIONAL CAMP MEETING, June 12-18, Mount Vernon Academy
A stimulating and inspiring camp meeting experience for persons of all ages.
The programming will include unique intergenerational worship experiences along with age-specific programs, seminars, workshops, and other features.
ACTS 2011, October 22, Roberts Center in the Holiday Inn, Wilmington, Ohio. Another Ohio Conference sponsored national Sabbath gathering of Adventists, in partnership with the Columbia Union Conference.
The event will focus on the message of the biblical book of Acts and Ellen White's Acts of the Apostles (which was published in 1911 - a century ago).
Featured speakers will include Elder Ted Wilson, president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and Dr. Ganoune Diop, Director, Global Mission Study Centers, General Conference of SDA's, and Rebekah Yi Liu, Adventist pastor in Sichuan province, China.
Life is stressful. I feel it, and so do you.
