Report of the
Board of Christian Education
The Board met quarterly this year to give input and oversight to the Christian Education programs of the denomination. Much of the work is done in sub-committees. We deeply appreciate your Board members and their interaction with the hands-on ministries of the Bible Fellowship Church.
Christian Education Training
The CE Training committee provided leadership for the September 27 Teacher Training Day held in Coopersburg. Rodney Pry of the Pennsylvania State Sunday School Association was the keynote speaker. The more-than 100 attenders participated in workshops and discussion groups tailored to their particular areas of ministry. The day was valuable and well-received. The next Teacher Training Day is scheduled for April 2, 2005.
A list of Resource Speakers has been distributed to each church. These speakers are willing to come to local regions or churches to assist in training and encouraging your staff in their Christian education ministries. Copies of the list are available from G. Wayne Clapier, chairman of the CE Training Committee.
Pastor-Elder-Deacon Retreat Committee
The 2003 Retreat held at Pinebrook In the Poconos on October 31 – November 1 featured Todd Mangum, a professor at Biblical Seminary, addressing men’s need to evaluate priorities as leaders. On November 5-6 the 2004 PED Retreat will be held at Pinebrook. We have been challenged to renew our focus on leadership training and development, particularly for elders and deacons in the context of the BFC. The committee is working to clarify the focus of this retreat and make it a valuable asset to the local church and denomination. Please forward your ideas and input to Pastor Jonathan P. Tait.
Family Ministries Committee
Recognizing the need to strengthen family ministries throughout the denomination, this committee was formed. As a first step in this process, a Couple’s Night Out entitled, “Simply Romantic Nights,” has been planned for two locations in the Spring of 2004. The evenings will include challenge and encouragement with Dr. Wayne Schantzenbach, a dessert buffet, great fellowship, and a gift of resources to strengthen the marriages of those who attend. Plans are to offer similar evenings for BFC regions in the future as an encouragement to couples throughout the denomination.
Walk Thru the Bible
This year, the BFC Board of Christian Education in conjunction with Walk Thru the Bible ministries and Pastor David Schoen have continued to offer Old and New Testament Walk Thrus to the local church or region. For more information on how to have a seminar in your church, with special arrangements and pricing, please contact David N. Schoen. Three seminars are currently planned for 2004.
Audio-Visual Materials
This year the Audio-visual Library has been culled, with the excess materials being forwarded to the library at the Wissinoming BFC. The most widely used videos are still available through the Library by contacting Bethel BFC in Emmaus, PA. As video prices have come down, many local churches have chosen to purchase video teaching materials for their repeated use rather than borrowing them from the Library. Contact the Bethel Church for a current listing of our resources.
Other Board Responsibilities
Two years ago the Annual Conference directed the Board of Christian Education to develop materials that could be used to teach the Biblical Principles of Living to various age groups in the local church setting. The Board has taken this responsibility seriously and has chosen to provide a simplified version of each BPL along with questions, creative teaching ideas, and discussion starters for each. The work is complete for 9 of the BPLs and our goal is to complete the remainder during 2004. Because these are not a change of doctrine and have not been prepared for inclusion in the Faith and Order, we are not asking for approval of these resources. Instead we are providing them in written form for each church and, when the work is completed, we plan to provide the complete set of resources on-line at www.BFC.org.
The financial statement for the Board of Christian Education is submitted by our treasurer, Nancy Mertus. It has been reviewed for accuracy.
We continue to solicit your ideas and input as to how we as a Board of Christian Education can serve the local church and denomination more effectively. Special thanks to each one who has helped make our work effective this past year.
The Board of Christian Education: Richard T. Paashaus, Chairman; David N. Schoen, Vice Chairman; Michael Herb, Secretary; Nancy Mertus, Treasurer; Judy Althouse, G. Wayne Clapier, Timothy S. Cowen, David Eisenhower, Carol Gearhart, Mark Matson, Mark L. Morrison, Jonathan P. Tait