Report of the Board of Christian Education
The members of the Board of Christian Education met four times this church year. The primary ministry of this Board is carried out through four sub-committees. The following are reports from those sub-committees.
Audio-Visual Materials
During the past year the Board has purchased additional video series for our lending library, bringing the total of available videos to 30. Video usage increased by over 50% this year. Plans are underway to update the Audio-Visual Materials Catalog, including a listing of materials presently available from sister churches. Church leaders are again encouraged to take advantage of this excellent resource which provides thousands of dollars of teaching materials for their congregations.
Christian Education Training
156 people from 29 churches (one not a BFC Church) attended the “7 Laws of the Teacher” CE Convention on March 31. Response was very positive and the video series that was used for the convention has been included in the Audio-Visual Library. Numerous churches are using the material for training their own teachers. An evaluation and response form that was completed by registrants that day indicated a desire to have a workshop format for a future convention. The 1991 convention scheduled for April 13, 1991 will incorporate such a format.
One of the desires of the committee for the coming year is to develop a team of people from Bible Fellowship Churches who have skill and expertise in the field of Christian Education that would be available to present teacher training sessions, provide evaluations and serve as a resource team for the local church. This would be provided for the cost of transportation and materials. Information will be forthcoming as the team is organized.
The Board is pleased to present plaques each year in recognition of increases in Sunday School attendance. This year the Emmanuel Bible Fellowship Church in Philadelphia was awarded a plaque for the greatest percentage increase. The New Life Bible Fellowship in Oley, PA and the Bethel Bible Fellowship Church in Emmaus, PA were presented with plaques in recognition of the greatest actual increase in Sunday School attendance.
Pastor, Elder, Deacon Advance (PED)
James Rickard of the Master’s Fellowship was the speaker for the PED Advance held November 10-11 at Pinebrook Bible Conference. 182 Laymen and 33 pastors participated in the event. Practical help was given in the area of church finances. The attenders expressed appreciation for the weekend.
The 1990 Advance will be held November 9-10 at Pinebrook. We are pleased to have as our guest, speaker, professor, pastor, and author, Dr. Gene Getz.
Youth
The Youth Sub-committee is responsible for the edification and evangelism of the young people of the Bible Fellowship Church. To this end, the sub-committee is responsible for the Thanksgiving Rally, Sno-Glo, and the Leadership Training Seminar for teens and their leaders.
This year the Thanksgiving Rally was again held jointly at Pinebrook Junior College and the Quakertown Bible Fellowship Church. 233 teens and leaders joined in the recreation and heard Dave Scheerer, Director of Youth for Christ for Metropolitan New York as he challenged those present to committed Christian living. Two teens made commitments to Christ and approximately 40 teens committed themselves to daily Christian living.
The Committees’s goal for this year’s Rally is to increase the involvement of teen leaders and see more than 22 of our churches participating. To accomplish this, more activities are being added this year. The November 23 program will be held at Pinebrook and Quakertown Church and the speaker will be Jack Crabtree.
The two Sno-Glo weekends ministered to 637 participants. Keith Walker of Lancaster Bible College was the speaker and challenged everyone present to deal with the “giants” in their lives that hinder spiritual growth and Christian living. Evaluations by the teens indicated that the speaker and the workshops were valuable.
Sno-Glo will be held January 4-6 and 18-20, 1991. Pastor Randall A. Grossman will speak on the theme, “Things to Come.” Discussion groups will address the questions teens may have on this issue.
College and Career Sno-Glo will be held January 4-6 with Pastor Wayne Clapier as the speaker.
Work is being done on the Youth Leadership Training Seminar to make it a more effective teaching tool for our teens and their leaders.
The Youth Sub-committee sees a disturbing trend in our churches. The number of Youth Pastors is dwindling. If our teens are the next generation of church leaders, should we not give them the benefit of full time Youth Workers to minister directly to them? We encourage each church to take a hard look at this need in our denomination.
Board of Christian Education: Richard T. Paashaus, Chairman; Timothy D. Cole, Secretary; David N. Schoen, Treasurer; W. David Armstrong, Delbert R. Baker II, Robert S. Commerford, Daniel F. Delozier, Albert J. Dommel, David H. Jones, Mark S. Matson, Jonathan D. Reynolds, and Mark W. Tress