Jan 29, 2019
By John J. Pethtel
Two New Awards for Pastors
The SDB Council on Ministry is pleased to increase the recognition of our local church pastors by initiating two new annual awards: The David L. Taylor Pastor’s Heart Award and the Excellence in Preaching Award.
The David L. Taylor Pastor’s Heart Award will be an annual recognition award established in honor and memory of Pastor Dave Taylor, who is a beloved pastor to many SDBs. This award honors Pastor Dave’s legacy by recognizing a pastor who consistently exhibits a pastor’s heart and is a blessing to others.
Whenever we speak of the pastor’s heart, we normally think of a pastor who has a genuine calling on their life to shepherd God’s people. We would normally think of them as having a gentle spirit and as one who has the spirit of being able to sit with a person and listen to them unfold their lives. They would be a person who could be trusted with confidential
information yet helpful in counseling others biblically. They would celebrate wildly with those who saw God’s blessings and favor and commiserate with those who experience suffering and loss.
• The recipient of the David L. Taylor Pastor’s Heart Award must be a called pastor of a member church or a retired pastor in a member church in the SDB General Conference USA & Canada and over the age of 18.
• Anyone can nominate a candidate for the David L. Taylor Pastor’s Heart Award. The submission should include a brief biography of the candidate (including but not limited to contact information, SDB church service, and family information) as well as a summary of how they exhibit a pastor’s heart. Submissions may be sent to the Director of Pastoral Services anytime.
The Excellence in Preaching Award will be an annual preaching award established to honor a commitment to excellence in the preparation and delivery of sermons to a congregation, as well as his commitment to instilling the desire for excellence in preaching in a generation of other preachers, evangelists, and pastors.
• The recipient of the Excellence in Preaching Award must be a member of a member church in the SDB General Conference USA & Canada and over the age of 18. The sermon used for entry in the competition must have been preached in the calendar year previous to when the award will be given (i.e. 2018 for the 2019 award).
• Anyone can nominate a candidate for the Excellence in Preaching Award, including the candidate. The submission will include a brief biography of the candidate (including but not limited to contact information, SDB church service, and family information) as well as a sermon submission (preferably video) from the calendar year previous to when the award will be given (i.e. 2018 for the 2019 award). Submissions may be sent to the Director of Pastoral Services anytime. Submissions will be judged on faithfulness to the Biblical text/context, gospel connection, clarity/understanding, application to today’s audience, and delivery.
If you have any questions about these awards, would like to contribute a gift to the winners of these awards, or need to know more about the nomination process for these awards, please contact the Director of Pastoral Services.
(jpethtel@seventhdaybaptist.org)
The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2019.
Praise from FCI Englewood
Chaplain Matt Berg, an SDB endorsed chaplain for the Federal Bureau of Prisons and a member of the Next Step Christian Church, ministers to men at the Federal Correctional Institute in Englewood, CO. His ministry helps to provide for regular worship and discipleship for those who are passing through the facility for various lengths of time.
I had an opportunity to visit and experience worship with some of these men in November and was ushered towards the throne of God through the singing, reading of Scripture, and a fantastic word from Jeremiah. Please remember Chaplain Berg and his ministry in your prayers for encouragement, for fruitfulness, and for steadfastness.
Pastors Conference 2019 Preview
Our 2019 SDB Pastors Conference will take place from April 26 to 28 in Milton, WI. The theme will be MOBILIZE. All serving or retired pastors and their spouses are welcome to attend. Anyone who is training for pastoral ministry or is feeling a call to pastoral ministry and their spouses are also welcome to attend. If you have a question as to whether you should be attending, please contact the Director of Pastoral Services.
REGISTRATION
The cost to attend is $100. Spouses are free. In order to help us plan effectively, you must pay ahead of time by April 12 by check to the SDB Center (made payable to Pastoral Services) or by credit/debit card. If payment is not received by April 12, we will not be able to guarantee you a spot. Assistance may be available for you from our continuing education funds.
TRAVEL
April 25 and April 29 will be travel days. Please make plans to arrive at Camp Wakonda by 9 pm on April 25. If you arrive earlier than April 25 or leave later than April 29, all arrangements are on your own.
Flights should be booked into Chicago/O’Hare (ORD) or Chicago/Midway (MDW). From there, you will need to catch a Van Galder bus to Janesville. We will pick you up from the Janesville Van Galder bus terminal. Please send your flight and bus schedules to the Director of Pastoral Services.
LODGING
Lodging will be provided at Camp Wakonda. If you are staying at Camp Wakonda, bedding will be provided for you. You are also free to make your own lodging arrangements.
FOOD
Meals will be provided from dinner (6 pm) on April 25 to dinner on April 28. Other meals will be at your expense. Please note on the registration if you have any dietary restrictions.
SCHEDULE
We will be worshipping at the Milton SDB Church on Sabbath. When a full schedule of events is completed, all those registered will receive an email.
If you have any further questions, please contact the Director of Pastoral Services.
Freedom into Ministry in Daytona Beach
The Daytona Beach SDB Church will be changing facilities soon to continue their ministry to people in Volusia County. But before their move, they have been preparing themselves through prayer and Bible study. They have been discovering the needs of their new community. They have been equipping themselves in counseling and discipling people biblically by participating in President Jane Mackintosh’s call to be biblical counselors. They are seeking to set themselves to experience the Freedom that Christ provides. They are doing this through a series of classes that will help people overcome condemning thoughts, patterns of wrong behavior, spiritual struggles, and hopelessness by understanding the power of your identity in Christ. This class takes place on Sunday evenings starting January 13 and going through March 24.
Please be in prayer for Pastor Rick Crouch and the Daytona SDB Church as they seek God’s more preferable future for their ministries and for the people to whom they minister.
Pastor Search
The following SDB churches or groups are looking for pastoral leadership. Please keep them in prayer as they search for their churches’ more preferable future.
Middle Island SDB Church (New Milton, WV)
First SDB Church of Hebron (Coudersport, PA)
Covenant SDB Fellowship (Hungry Horse, MT)
Remembrance SDB Church (Ft. Worth, TX)
There are other potential vacancies in the near future. If you are interested in one of these vacancies, if you are called to pastoral ministry, or if you know someone who might be interested in pastoral ministry, please contact the Director of Pastoral Services by email at jpethtel@seventhdaybaptist.org
