Oct 1, 2020
By John Pethtel From November 12-15, 2020, the sixth annual MULTIPLY Church Development Conference will take place virtually. The Director of Church Development and the Council on Ministry have been working to help provide an opportunity for those who are seeking to start new SDB expressions of faith or revitalizing their ministry to have a place to learn and...
By John J. Pethtel, Director The Stephanie Sholtz Wellness Fund Stephanie Sholtz was a friend to many SDB pastors and their families. Her heart and career choices led her into the counseling profession where she used her training to assist in helping others cope with the stresses of life and ministry. Her tragic death in 2017 was...
May 29, 2020
By John J. Pethtel Something that I often say while preaching—and why the gospel must be shared in ways that all can understand it—is, “The gospel is for believers and unbelievers.” The gospel for unbelievers is meant to offer conviction of sin and/or hope for the future. The gospel for believers is for confession of sin and a...
May 29, 2020
By John J. Pethtel Director Church Development & Pastoral Services Christ-likeness is both the goal and the promise given to all disciples of Christ. Our path to Christ-likeness begins in recognizing who Christ is and what He has done for us. He then becomes our example for how to live out the faith that we have been entrusted with. It is also His promise...
Apr 28, 2020
By John J. Pethtel Director of Church Development & Pastoral Services 1. “Stewardship,” “generosity,” and “giving” are not synonyms. I now realize, using these terms interchangeably confuses people. Stewardship is a role, giving is an act, and generosity is an attitude. Stewardship is recognizing that God is the owner and we are His managers,...
Mar 24, 2020
By John J. Pethtel In our Christian journey of walking with Jesus and doing what He does, we must also learn to grow in loving who He loves. He loves those who are like Him and those who are different from Him. If we truly value all human beings as created in God’s image and having intrinsic value and dignity because of this, then we must learn how to become...