Christmas Greetings from Paul Gibson
GRR Executive Minister
Also included: How to Give to Help those suffering from the tornadoes in and near Taylorville
Your regional associate ministers are visiting with pastors and churches this holiday season. They add their Christmas greetings to the following special greeting of three who were found at the GRR Offices.
Paul Gibson invites pastors and members of GRR Churches to drop by the office. You are invited to come away from your visit with a free book or two (while supplies last).
If you are looking forward to meeting with a specific person, please email, text, or phone ahead to make sure that she/he will be in the office on the day that you are planning to drop by.
Mission News
Associate Missionary Appointed to Serve in Theological Education in Costa Rica. More about Ruth Vindas...
Jeff & Annie Dieselberg invite you to take part in their work in Bangkok, Thailand. Read how you can give a gift that will be matched by another giver between now and December 31, 2018 in the November 14 issue of The Mainstream.
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Latest Edition of The Mainstream Now Available
Videos Available
Rivers Growth Conference (2018 Annual Gathering) are now available in streaming (from this web site) and dvd formats. (Contact the office of the GRR for dvd ordering information.)
Experience again - or for the first time - witness of God's work presented by David Fitch, Shane Claiborne, Tony Campolo, Sharon Koh, and Wally Holt (GRR church revitalization).
From Paul Gibson via e-mail to churches and pastors on October 15:
Dear Friends: I have a few things that I want to share with you that are important for us.
- At our annual gathering in Bloomington we made a big decision. We decided to go to a biennial instead of an annual meeting. That means our next gathering will be in Sept 2020.
- We also changed the number of Board officers. We now will only have a president and a vice-president. We removed the second vice-president and changed the term of office to two years. Our three ministry committees remain the same.
Our new president is David Bilyeu, pastor at FBC Greenville.
Our vice president is Claudia McCain, retired pastor from FBC Macomb (currently serving as interim pastor at FBC Macomb.
- In May of 2019, 2021, and 2023, we will be sponsoring a conference with Northern Seminary and Judson University. It is called the REsource conference, and will be held in Bloomington, May 9-11, 2019. Plan now to attend this great gathering.
- Our region voted to accept a new ministry to officially be affiliated with ABCGRR. That ministry is the American Baptist Jail Ministry, also known as the Cook County Jail Ministry. They have ministry at the Cook County jails, Livingston County Jail, Danville State Penitentiary, and the penitentiary outside Joliet. If you receive any info from them, just know that they are now an official ministry partner with ABCGRR. We are proud to be involved with this great ministry.
So many good things happened at our gathering in Bloomington that I really don’t have the space to mention them all. The speakers were tremendous, but I want to share something they shared with me. Both Tony and Shane made this same comment, “wow, your missionaries are tremendous. If this is what the ABC is about, there is great hope for American Baptists”.
Needless to say, I was proud. Well, I don’t know if you made it this far into the letter. If you did, I want you to know that I appreciate you and your ministry. And as always, be rightly related to God and find your joy there, and out of you will flow rivers of living water. Be a vessel that God can pour His love through. LET IT FLOW.
Helping our Puerto Rico Sister Churches
American Baptist Home Mission Societies: Personnel Hired to Support ‘Rebuilding, Restoring, Renewing Puerto Rico'
Check out the Initiative Announced:
Press Release | Covenant | Registration Form
Churches, prayerfully consider this much needed mission.
Read Pastoral letter of the General Secretary of the ABC USA focuses on our response to outbreaks of violence in our country and elsewhere.
Read Paul Gibson's update of concern for Puerto Rico
See update in the February 22 edition of The Mainstream
How to help? Pray! Give to One Great Hour of Sharing! 100% of your financial gift will go to those affected. The abc-usa.org site has more information and contact information. You may make an online donation by clicking on this direct link at the American Baptist Home Mission Societies site.
For you reflection and planning browse the Parish Paper and Growth Point articles, sent to churches by e-mail and archived on this web site.
GRReat Offering Information and Materials
