2009 District Conference Update
The 2009 North Central District Conference was held at New Hope Church on March 30-31.  Dr. Crawford Loritts addressed the theme of "Strength for the Journey" with three excellent messages that were full of Scripture and seasoned pastoral advice.  The conference also included plenary worship times, testimonies, workshops, and district ministry reports.    In the business session the delegates approved adoption of the revised EFCA Statement of Faith by a 97% vote.  Dr. Loritts's messages, the district ministry reports and conference notebook are all available to you on our website.  Thank you to all who were able to participate in this year's conference!

Sound Bites from the Superintendent.
NCD Financial Shortfall Despite Measures Taken
Dear NCD churches,
Please consider two things, if at all possible: First, please make sure your regularly scheduled Fair Share contribution for this month / quarter is postmarked by June 30^th.  And secondly, for those we have heard are enjoying a bounty in spite of the economy, please consider an extra gift to help make up for those far more common scenarios, the growing number who are temporarily unable to meet their full commitments to us.  Even if June income came in at a normal level, our core ministry is projected to be $20,000 short of actual spending and our church planting another $20,000 short of actual.  In the past 12 months we have implemented consecutive wage freezes for all district employees and have taken other cost cutting measures, such as raising health insurance deductibles (reducing premiums), limited travel, and so on.  This is the first such appeal from us in several years, as distinguished from simply mentioning our upcoming fiscal year-end of June 30^th.  We are pleased to serve you.

In the introductory chapter of his book, WHILE SHEPHERDS WATCH THEIR FLOCKS, Reflections on Biblical Leadership, Dr. Timothy S. Laniak states, “The wilderness is where God revealed himself as Provider, Protector, and Guide.  The desert environment is fierce and inhospitable, known for drastic extremes.  Its heat can overwhelm.  The desert is a place of death… drought… sand hurricanes… and hazardous landscape.”
     “Yet even the most desolate desert offers a spiritual oasis for calling, revelation, and intimacy.  Biblically, the wilderness is a place of dependent, disciplined, purifying solitude where God must be trusted.  Wildernesses bring people quickly to the end of their self-sufficiency and independence.” 
     I had the opportunity to read this insightful volume while in a “magical” environment of a 50 day Sabbatical earlier this year.  My wife Joey and I have also had the less enviable opportunity, through 60+ days of deep adversity and infirmity (to date), to experience in a more heightened reality the timeless principles of Almighty God’s higher purposes of wilderness experiences.  I have attached brief snippets from each chapter in Dr. Laniak’s book that I pray and hope will be of value to you as you consider the needs of the sheep (and goats!) and other shepherds under your care.
-Tom Mouw, District Superintendent

Need more leaders??  Doesn't every church?!
What would it look like to have enough faithful servant leaders to serve the local church and other leaders prepared to release into other works as the Holy Spirit led?  Faithful servant leaders are very critical for effective ministry multiplication.  There never seems to be enough!  Ephesians 4 makes it very clear that the training and preparing of God’s people for works of service is one of the main callings of the pastors and teachers, which would certainly include the training of servant leaders.  Therefore, we as pastors, teachers, and leaders need to be raising up and discipling servant leaders continually.  Click here to read more about raising up and developing leaders.
-Dan Moose, Church Planting Director

Latino Family Camp
This year's Latino family camp will be held September 4-6 at Camp Shamineau!  Camp Shamineau is a year round facility offering summer camps, trips, retreats, family camps, parent & child weekends, rental weekends, and community events.  Our desire is to 'clear a way to the cross' by sharing Christ's love in a camp setting.  You will be able to leave behind the distractions of everyday life, and enjoy exciting activities, worship times and fellowship with others.  Come join us at Camp Shamineau to experience the love of Christ.  Click here for a Spanish translation of this announcement. For more information, including how to register, click here for a brochure in English, and here for a brochure in Spanish.

New Vision for Student Ministries
As of April 1, I am the full time director of Student Ministries. Pray with me as I continue to support raise an additional $1000 per month.   Here are a few updates from the past few months:

• Student Conference this past April with 3000 youth in attendance in Duluth!  A fundraiser was held in which $8500 was raised to dig a well in the Congo through Reach Global.  Next year's conference will be in Rochester.
• A Day of Prayer was held in Watertown with 75 in attendance.
• 6 monthly networks around the state are meeting to help with Leadership Development.
• I am mentoring 5 youth pastors in personal development issues.
• Youth workers retreat was May 14-16, around 75 attended.

In the next 6 months we will go from 6 network meetings to 8 around the state.  Each of these networks will adjust to become a learning community with accountability (personal, family & ministry), practical ministry tools each month, and prayer.  My hope is that as many youth workers as possible are involved in a learning community.  One major thing that continues to run through my veins... If we are called to lead the sheep God has given us it is vital that we are staying intimate with our Father for direction and counsel.
-Glenn Olson, Student Ministries Director

Pastoral Care News and Reflections

• Job's Dark Night of the Soul:  Job suffered a lengthy Dark Night of the Soul, not because he was the worst of God's people in his time, but because he was the best of God's people (Job 1:8).  Click here to read more.
• Sabbath Rest Retreats- don't miss out!  A comment from our last retreat held May 3-5 was "How important this is!  Life and ministry can be tiring.  I would have liked my entire team to take part."  Click here to read more reflections from our last retreat.  Our next retreat will be held August 23-25 at Ironwood Springs Christian Camp in Stewartville, MN.  We would love to have you join us!
• Advanced Sabbath Retreat:  Are you interested in taking the Sabbath experience to a new level?  Then this retreat is for you!  Check out the information about this retreat by clicking here.
• Welcome Kevin Sorensen!  Please join us in welcoming Kevin Sorenson as the latest addition to the Pastoral Care Team!  To read more about Kevin, click here.

-Jim Anderson, Pastoral Care Director

 Recovery Churches are an important ministry
Lakewood EFC of Baxter and Willmar EFC have recently added a recovery church ministry to their repertoire of ministries.  Constance EFC of Andover and Maple Grove EFC continue to serve as recovery churches as well.  Recovery churches commit themselves to a labor of love, assisting ministry families in extenuating circumstances.  Click here to read more information on recovery churches.

Missions Tune-Up
Many NCD churches went through the Global Access Planning Seminar material about 10 years ago.  This seminar helped churches to focus and get on track with missions in their church by developing a one year plan for setting mission priorities and a five year plan for setting goals.  Maybe it is time for a mission tune-up.  Maybe you need to go through the GAP material again, but now with a new perspective.  Missions has changed a lot in the past ten years.  Short-term teams have a new focus in many churches.  Partnerships are a buzz word for many churches today.  Being involved in compassion related projects is a new focus of many churches in these past five years.  Let us know how we can serve your church.  We are available for weekends and Sunday’s to come to your church.  Please call me at 218-736-4412 or email me at steve @ ncdefca.org.
-Steve Austvold, NCD Mission Mobilizer

Introducing Faith Community Nursing!
Parish Nursing has a new name:  Faith Community Nursing.   The name may be new, but the concept is not. The first Parish Nurses started in NCD EFCA churches over 10 years ago.  Today there are approximately 38 trained Faith Community Nurses in 23 NCD churches.  Elim Care recently started a Faith Community Nurse program with Mary Van Der Werf as the coordinator.  Mary has been a nurse at Brooklyn Park Free Church for the past 11 years.  We are available to encourage NCD churches who already have a FCN and also to help others start a Faith Community Nurse Program.  We will help you discover why in the world a nurse would be a great addition to your staff and what she would be able to offer you.  Let's return the focus of healing to our churches and reach out into our communities who are looking to the church for health needs as resources are dwindling elsewhere.  Reach Mary Van Der Werf at 952-259-4461 or mvanderw @ elimcare.org.  Pastors and leaders stop by the Elim booth at National Conference, June 23-25 and learn more about EFCA Faith Community Nursing or attend the Thursday AM breakout session and learn how a Faith Community Nurse could enhance your ministries.

Website for Purity
Check out www.exxit.org.  This creative and helpful website is an excellent resource for maintaining sexual purity on the internet.

Family & Children's Ministry Resources

• We've been busy helping plan the training for family and children's ministry at the national Leadership Conference for the EFCA, which is being held in Minnesota this year from June 23-25. Check out the pre-conference tour of model church's children's and family areas, or the marriage and parenting training taught by nationally known speakers and ministries in both pre-conference sessions as well as during the conference. Also offered are workshops on children's ministry basics, integration of youth, children's and adult ministries, and how to set up safety procedures and guidelines. Mini-workshops throughout the conference at the Family & Children's Ministry booth offer additional opportunities for equipping your leaders. With this being in your backyard, you can't afford to have your family and children's ministry team miss it!  Check out this flyer for more information!
• Are you in the need for some referrals to children's pastors or directors who could come to your church to help provide a training or motivational workshop for your teachers or leaders? Contact Julie Andersen (952-469-6235, janderson @ trinityefc.net) for names of potential trainers/speakers.

CPA Expert Needed
The Free Church retirement plan (FCMM) is looking for a CPA who is a member of a local EFCA church who would be willing to serve on an audit committee for FCMM.  This would involve two to three meetings per year.  If you know of a potential CPA in your congregation, please contact Pastor Ric Stanghelle, Lakes Free, Lindstrom, via email RicStanghelle @ lakesfree.org, or at 651-257-2677 to pass the name along to him.

2009 EFCA Leadership Conference
The 2009 Leadership Conference is one month away in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The theme of “Multiplication” speaks to our biblical mandate for the church and kingdom work, and certainly reflects the passion and direction of the EFCA movement. Is your church reaching the tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free in Christ, in your community? Keynote 2009 EFCA Leadership Conference speaker, Pa. Bob Roberts, Jr., leads one of the few churches in the United States that has lived the Great Commission, taking cultural transformation local, (both globally and locally) while maintaining an evangelical message. Roberts will provide practical application information for pastors and church leaders to grow locally, teaching and inviting you to make disciples. More information about training, events, and registration can be found on the Leadership Conference website.

Evangelistic Music Festival Coming this Summer
“Rock the River Tour,” a series of summer music festivals along the length of the Mississippi River, with messages of hope by Franklin Graham, comes to Minnesota on Sunday, August 16, 2009.  Thousands of young people are expected to gather at Harriet Island in St. Paul to hear nationally known Christian bands.  Franklin Graham will be present also, interspersing gospel messages amidst the music.  While the event is aimed especially at teens and young adults, people of all ages are encouraged to participate, and churches can take advantage of evangelism and discipleship training that will help equip all generations of Christians.  Check out this opportunity to bring non-Christian friends to a gospel event at www.billygraham.org/rocktheriver.

Pastors Teaching Conference
October 5-6, 2009
Theme:  The Pastor's Family: Staying Holy and Healthy in the Midst of Ministry
Speakers: Dave and Rennie Garda, Cadre Ministries
Location: Camp Shamineau
Mark your calendars and be watching for more details in the weeks ahead!

Peacemaker Training Coming to Minnesota
For more information on the training events listed below click here. 
June 11-13, 2009
Conflict Coaching training (basic)
Mediation training (advanced)
Certification training (most advanced)
Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, MN

Dates to Remember...
June 11-13, 2009    Advanced Peacemaker Training, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

June 23-25, 2009    EFCA Leadership Conference, Grace Church, Eden Prairie, MN

August 23-25, 2009    Sabbath Rest Retreat, Ironwood Springs Christian Camp, Stewartville, MN

July 26-28, 2009    Advanced Sabbath Rest Retreat, Timber Bay Retreat Center

September 4-6, 2009   Latino Family Camp, Camp Shamineau

October 5-6, 2009   Pastors Teaching Conference, Camp Shamineau

For a more complete listing, click here for the NCD website calendar.

In His grip,
Tom Mouw
ncd @ ncdefca.org