Report of the
Christian Education Committee
The Board of Christian Education met four times during the past year to give oversight to the Christian Education ministries of the denomination. In addition to the meetings of the entire board, five sub-committees met as needed to plan, develop, and implement specific Christian Education ministries for the denomination.
Audio-Visual Library
The Library continues to provide outstanding resources for the denomination for teaching, teacher education, youth ministry, and children’s programs. New series added to the Library this year include an extensive new series of science films from Moody, Tedd Tripp’s “Shepherding a Child’s Heart,” “Living Proof II: Lifestyle Discipleship,” Larry Crabb’s “God of My Father,” and “Personal Holiness.” The Library is housed at Bethel Bible Fellowship Church in Emmaus. A complete listing of titles is available from the Bethel Church office.
Christian Education Training
Through our ongoing arrangement with Walk Thru the Bible Ministries and Pastor David Schoen, eight Old Testament Walk Thru adult presentations were offered in local churches as well as at conference-wide gatherings. Three Old Testament “Kids In the Book” presentations were provided as well. Nine presentations are already scheduled for 1998. We are pleased to see how well this ministry to our churches and communities is working. Pastor Schoen is now trained to present both Old and New Testament Walk Thru programs for adults or children and is accepting a limited number of additional sessions for this church year. We deeply appreciate his willingness to serve in this way.
A resource packet of materials from various publishers was distributed at last year’s Annual Conference. At the same time, a brochure listing a variety of training seminars provided by the Board of Christian Education was circulated.
A new project has been undertaken to develop curriculum based on the Articles of Faith. Diana Vroman from Edison has been commissioned by the Board of Christian Education to begin this work. Our goal is to have sample children’s curriculum available by next Annual Conference. Consideration is being given to providing this material computer-formatted.
A “Day of Interaction” for key persons in the area of summer ministry planning is scheduled for March 28, 1998 at Ebenezer Bible Fellowship Church, Bethlehem. Details and promotional materials have been sent to pastors and Christian Education personnel.
Pastor-Elder-Deacon Retreat
The 1997 PED Retreat was held November 7-8 with Dr. Ed Gross as speaker. The 131 men who participated were challenged and ministered to by the biblical exposition and caring teaching of Dr. Gross.
Youth
The youth ministry of the BFC is exciting! God is at work in the hearts of His people even at the ages of 12 to 18. To see God changing people, making them into new creations and helping them die to sin and live to Christ gives us cause to praise Him for who He is and what He is doing!
The Thanksgiving Youth Rally provided an exciting day of ministry for 324 teens and leaders with 23 BFC churches represented. Foster Christy spoke at the end of an action-packed day at Victory Valley Camp and challenged us to count the cost of following Christ by reaching our friends in school and work for Jesus.
Sno-Glo 1998 was an outstanding success. Three weekends of ministry at Pinebrook provided challenge and teaching for 989 teens and leaders from 38 churches. Mark Fodale, Jack Crabtree, and Michael Herb (from our Lebanon church) did an excellent job of ministering to these young people.
Plans for 1998 include a two-track Youth Leadership Seminar on April 25 with sessions for both teen and adult leaders. The Annual BFC Track Meet will be held in Lebanon on June 6. Our Thanksgiving Youth Outreach will be held November 27 and Sno-Glo 1999 is already being planned.
God is moving in our young people; His Church for today as well as tomorrow. The committee is considering the need for a denominational Youth Advisor who would coordinate some of these conference- wide ministries as well as provide assistance for local churches. Pray for us as we continue to seek God’s will for the future youth ministries of the Bible Fellowship Church.
Family Ministries
In an effort to move toward expanding denominational ministries to men, women, singles, and families, the Board has taken first steps in developing a Family Ministries sub-committee. Ideas related to initiating or strengthening family ministries in the denomination should be forwarded to Rick Paashaus.
Board of Christian Education: Richard T. Paashaus, Chairman; J. Mark McCreary, Secretary; Clyde D. Bomgardner, Jr.; Ralph E. Ritter, Gary W. Saggio, David N. Schoen, Robert S. Commerford, Bruce A. Kellerman, James Harris, Karen Stull, Annette E. Kuhns, Dennis J. Lawrence