As mentioned last Sunday, the board has been discussing the need to repair the brick on the top portion of the front of the building. After careful consideration at last Sunday's meeting, it is the opinion of the board that this item needs attention this year and poses a potential safety risk if it is not addressed prior to another freeze thaw cycle next winter. Therefore, the board recommends amending the Maintenance and Repair line of the budget to increase it $5000 for the estimated cost of repairs. Naturally this requires a corresponding amendment to the general fund income line and a commitment on the part of the congregation to give to the general fund in order to meet the need. You will be asked to vote on these amendments to the budget this coming Sunday (4/10/11). Please feel free to call any of the board members or myself with any questions or suggestions you might have.

We are pleased to report that we are already seeing the Lord's provision for this need through increased giving in the 1st quarter of this year. As always He knew our need before we did. We are confident we can pull together and raise the remaining funds quickly this summer to allow the project to be completed this fall. As always your comments and questions are valued and very welcome.

Pastor
Brian

The quarterly business meeting will take place on Oct. 10, 2010. The meeting will be immediately following a potluck after church that Sunday.

Agenda:
Election of Officers
Calendar and Planning
Constitutional amendments

As of today we will begin moving calendar events, general announcements, and quiet times over to FACEBOOK. Longer items must be posted as notes since status updates are only limited to 400 +- characters.

Please include a by line (your name) in items you post so that people will know who to contact or who contributed the item.

You do not need a facebook account to view these items. The address is www.facebook.com/fbcsac

You will need to be authorized to post on the church facebook page. Please contact pastor Brian.

We will continue to use this page for items we may not want to post on facebook. These items will be stored as public articles (for everyone to see), private articles (for Faith Members only), and meeting minutes.

Today is the last full day of events. Tomorrow the convention ends at noon. Meeting fatigue is starting to set in, so pray for alert minds. Probably didn't help matters by going to a Calvary party last night after the sessions ended, but it was fun to listen to the life long ministry stories from the "old timers". A couple guys in their 80s shared some of their exploits.

Shea Houdman (Dennis Lafluer's son-in-law) was one of the ministry spotlights at the convention yesterday. He started the www.gotquestions.org website.

The new business item mentioned early in the week will come to the floor today. The leadership team did a good job yesterday explaining the appropriate procedures and need to do things in an orderly fashion to honor the Lord. I still have not found out the issue, but suspect it is a fine point of doctrine. There is a good lesson to fight for the big issues and allow grace to rule the disputable matters. My guess is that if it is a small matter that a few are pressing, then the majority will chose to let each man's conscience direct him and make no official statement. It can be a little tricky determining what is a personal conviction and what is a biblical mandate.

Our evening speaker continues to amaze me. He is well advanced in years, but has great zeal. He showed me last night that he is still teachable, following the Holy Spirit, and that there is hope to learn when to not say something. He was on point five then said "Number 6. I hope this does not come across wrong. You know what? I am not going to say that. Number 7 ..." It was hilarious! Of course everyone wonders what point 6 would have been, but sometimes restraint is the better part of valor. He sure hit us hard enough on the other points, so that must have been a doosy.

Lord willing we will be back tomorrow night.
Pastor Brian

Today's schedule looks the same as yesterday, so see convention update #1 on those prayer needs.

I need to be brief. I am on break before the business meeting.

The sessions have been very good. I am struck as a result of last night's session and this morning's workshop by how small my thinking becomes in the day to day work of the ministry. The missions emphasis at the convention has helped to reopen my thinking. God is big and is doing big things. I find my thinking shrinks in the detail of daily ministry needs. I am contemplating and praying about how I can share the vision God is giving for missions in our church. I can see one thing at this point. The buck stops here for the inactivity of the missions committee. The formation of the committee was a good first step, however my leadership has been sorely lacking.

I would appreciate your prayer that I get past the busyness of the schedule while I am here and have a chance to hear what God is saying. I sense He wants to do a number of things this week and I already hear Him speaking, but it is not enough to hear at a conference and return to the same patterns that feel comfortable.

No news is good news on the items being raised on the floor of the business meeting.

Thanks for praying,
Pastor Brian

During our time at the convention I will try to update you occationally on the progress. It would be great to have you all participate in person, but since you can not be here, I will pass on a little news now and then. Please use the information to pray that the sessions will be productive for the Lord's purposes.

Last evening we connected with several old friends before and after the evening session. Shawn and Stephany Dejong send their greetings. They particularly remembering getting to stay at the Johnson home when they ministered at Sac City during the first year of the church. Dr. Chipchase and Dr. Lofquist also send their greetings. The Chipchases are looking forward to being at Sac City in September.

I also found out that in September there is a group going to Svalava to work on the building we helped buy. Anyone interested? I may be able to get you on the work crew for about $1800. Boy would Misha be surprised!

Dr. Lofquist spoke last night on the subject of having a vision for reaching the world by being senders.

This morning I attended a workshop session on prayer. It was very challenging.

The late morning session was a business meeting. Several reports were given. Two modifications to the doctrinal statement passed without controversy. The first strengthens the statement on traditional marriage and the second on male pastoral leadership. We also heard from the man who will be voted on as new director of chaplains. If approved he will be based out of Nevada Iowa. That is his home town. He seems well qualified overal.

There arose a bit of a disagreement about how or when any new business would be presented to the convention. The controversy surrounds the ability for new business to be added to the agenda from the floor. This is certainly not a matter of parliamentary principle. The issue would not be raised if we were not going to hear something brought to the floor that others would like left off the agenda. I went to school with one of the instigators, so I expect to get his side of the information this evening. Pray for wisdom and unity in the way the matter will need to be handled. Some men in the past have had a disagreeable attitude. Some even say IFCA stands for "I Fight Christians Anywhere". We don't need that, but we do need to face any important issues head on.

This afternoon at 1:30 (12:30) your time I have a Council of Regional Presidents Meeting (CORP). I have never been to one of those before, so I don't know what to expect. It meets at 1:30 each day of the convention. Ruth has some time off during this meeting. Some of our other meetings are together, but others they have special ladies meetings. Looks like there will be a break between the CORP meeting and the evening sessions that begins at 7 pm.

Thanks for praying!
Pastor Brian

This post contains all three articles published in the Sac Sun related to the issues on marriage and homosexual behavior. Here they are in one place. Click "Read More" for all three articles.

I have a friend who's computer just died. If you have even an old desktop. Just the main unit is all he needs. Pentium 2 or better. Let Pastor Brian know if you have one to give away. They will put it to good use. The hard drive does not even need to work he can use the one from his old computer.

Here is the e-mail Renee sent from France about how God has been working that I read in church on Sunday. Her contact information is included.

As most of you know, I am in France right now. I have been here for almost a month now and already God has shown me so many amazing things. But let me recount a little of what has happened.