Sound Bites from the Superintendent
As I travel the district interacting with pastors, elder boards, search committees and the like, I am frequently reminded that “putting off” the residue of the old man and “putting on” the new man requires regularly opening ourselves to the power of the Holy Spirit to penetrate our heart.  Our Fall Pastors Teaching Conference is yet another opportunity to do just that.  I hope you will accept our invitation to gather together as co-laborers, under the fine teaching of Sam Storms, expecting the Lord to continue His transformation process in us all.  I also hope you will take the time to read about new people and new initiatives that are the current expression of Reaching Together in this current edition of Zipline.
-Tom Mouw, District Superintendant

Why Both Men and Women at this year's Pastors Teaching Conference?   
In light of this year’s theme (The Pastor and Purity: Maintaining Sexual Integrity in the Ministry) you may be wondering why we are encouraging the attendance of both male and female church staff members, church leaders, and spouses.  One reason is that issues of internet purity are not confined to men.  Statistics show that the fastest growing segment of the internet pornography market is female.  But beyond the struggle shared by both men and women with the temptations of today’s technology, responding to God’s call for purity in an impure society requires sensitive and honest communication between spouses, and appropriate awareness and communication among male and female church staff members.  We are hopeful that PTC will equip both men and women—as individuals, spouses, and/or church leaders—with teaching, tools, and wisdom to press the battle that we all face.  The main sessions and Sam Storms’ workshop will be open to all attendees.  The workshops offered by Irv and Elsie Woolf will be gender-specific (“Intimate Issues for Men/Women”).  PTC is Oct. 6-7 at Camp Shamineau.  Contact Ardie.Swanson @ ncdefca.org if you need info on registration or click here for a brochure.  Don't miss out!

A Church Within a Church
An EFCA national strategy that is proving effective in reaching ethnic populations in the U.S. is called "Church in a Church."  We are also implementing this strategy for reaching ethnics within the North Central District.  What is it?  Basically it is a church planting strategy that reaches the ethnic community by integrating them over a longer period of time into the existing Anglo church.  By offering them their own cultural service (native language, worship style, etc.) within the same building at the same time the Anglos are worshiping enables co-mingling with all other ministries, both Sunday and mid week.  In order to see a brief look at what this strategy accomplishes check out this article and video from the EFCA national office (you have to click play to watch the video).  For more information contact me at bob @ ncdefca.org or call 612-804-2531.
-Bob Nieuwendorp, Ethnic Church Planting Director

Stuck in a box?  Get out!
Since the Twin Cities has the most mega churches per capita in the U.S. and most every community in Minnesota has one or more churches, how effective is the church in reaching our state for Jesus Christ?  The fact is that only 21.8% of Minnesotans attend a Christian church on any given weekend and this number had decreased by 5% since 1990.  To compound the matter, only 7.6% of Minnesotans attend an evangelical church on any given weekend.  I would ask you to share these facts with your leaders and church family so that we can humbly seek God and ask Him to show us how as followers of Jesus to reach our world for which He died.  To do this, we will have to do things much differently than we have in the past.  Let's ask God to help us get out of our boxes and expect Him to do more in and through us than we can ask or imagine!
-Dan Moose, Church Planting Director

Let's Pray for Our New Churches!
At any given time across the state of Minnesota there are churches in various phases of the planting stage.  Let's remember these communities and their planters as Satan is furiously working to halt these kingdom works.  Please be praying for:

• Antioch Community Church, Pastors Andy O'Rourke and Jamie Buchanan.  Antioch will be opening for public worship in NE Minneapolis October 19, 2008.
• Bemidji and Pastor Mike Lundberg have started core group training.
• Families and individuals in the communities of Crosby and Deerwood have committed to planting and are seeking a pastor.
• Families and individuals in Glencoe have committed to planting and are seeking a pastor.
• Pastor Bryan Lair is developing a core team and will be planting in the Grand Avenue neighborhood of St. Paul.

Antioch Community Church opening October 19, 2008!
The Antioch Initiative is an intentional effort within the North Central District to identify, develop, and deploy young leaders for ministry.  The most recent NCD church plant is part of the fruit of this effort.  Antioch Community Church, a new congregation in Northeast Minneapolis, begins public worship services on Sunday, October 19.  With a strategic focus upon engaging young adults with the transforming power of Jesus Christ, Antioch Community Church exists to ignite a movement of the gospel throughout the Twin Cities and beyond.  Essential to the overall vision of ACC is an emphasis upon holistic mission, leadership multiplication, and church planting.  More information on Antioch Community Church, including a description of their “core values,” may be viewed at www.antiochcommunity.org.   Contact Pastor Andy O’Rourke (andy @ antiochcommunity.org)  or Pastor Jamie Buchanan (jamie @ antiochcommunity.org)  with any questions.
-Andy O'Rourke, Antioch Initiative Director 

Pastoral Care News
Are you in need of prayer (who isn't)!?  The development of prayer teams continues as the pastoral care thrust of 2008. Please read the article Eyes Wide Open and be challenged to start developing your prayer team today!
    Pastoral care assistant Kelley Johnson and wife Jola, covered the bases visiting several pastoral couples during Director Jim Anderson's six week sabbatical.  Jim taught The Theology of Rest at West Africa Theological Seminary (WATS) during his Sabbatical.  Read about Jim's experience here!

Sabbath Rest Retreat
The entire staff of Lakewood EFC in Baxter has now attended a Sabbath Rest Retreat.  This is what youth director Brad Aust's wife, Jenny, had to say about Sabbath rest after attending the August retreat, "We live in a too fast paced life to not take the time to be with our Savior at His feet learning what He wants of us.  And we as Christians need to set the example to the work around us.  God has given this to us, and we need to submit to His command and make this a weekly routine."  The next Sabbath Retreat will be at Timber Bay, Sunday evening through Tuesday, October 26-28 (with Sunday evening being optional).  See you there!

Welcome Steve & Kathy Austvold to the NCD Team!
On September 1st, Steve and Kathy Austvold joined the NCD staff as district mission mobilizers.  For the past 16 years, Steve served as a missionary with ReachGlobal in Romania and most recently as a mission mobilizer with CONNECT in the area of networking and mission consultation for local churches.
     The Austvold's are very interested in helping the local church through mission consultations, training, conferences, leading vision trips, and being resource people for ReachGlobal mission work.  They are available for weekend church ministry including leading Sunday School and preaching on mission themes.  They are excited about their new ministry with the NCD.  You can contact them at 218-736-4412 or email Steve at steve @ ncdefca.org.

New EFCA Statement of Faith:  Next Steps for Your Church
As you know, the delegates to the 2008 EFCA Leadership Conference approved a revised Statement of Faith.  You should have recently received a letter from EFCA Board Chairman Steve Hawn outlining the steps that churches are being urged to take to adopt the new SOF as their own.  I, too, urge you to begin laying plans for your church to formally take this action.  If you have questions about how to proceed, contact Dave Linde at our office (dave.linde @ ncdefca.org).  The NCD board will similarly begin consideration of district adoption of the new SOF through delegate action at the next two district conferences.

Luncheon with D.A. Carson
D. A. Carson will be the speaker at a pastors luncheon on September 26, hosted by the Fidelis Foundation.
Topic: "Is Culture Shaping Us or Are We Shaping Culture?"
Time: noon—2pm
Place: Bethlehem Baptist Church, downtown site (720 13^th Ave. S, Minneapolis)
RSVP:  to Joe Smith, 763-201-1268 or joe.smith @ fidelisfoundation.org, no later than SEPTEMBER 19
Cost: free

Dr. Carson is Research Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.  He has authored or edited over 50 books and has served as an assistant and senior pastor.  He is a member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and co-founder of the Gospel Coalition (www.thegospelcoalition.org).  Their website is especially designed for pastors and seminary students.

Cedarly -Wow!
Kathy and I spent a week at Cedarly Pastors Retreat Center in early August.  Wow!  What a place, what a ministry, what a significant week of intentional rest, spending unhurried time with God and with one another!  Cedarly offers ministry couples five days of unstructured time in an uncommon setting for unhurried rest, refreshment, and reflection.  Together with five other couples we were treated royally by the thoughtful hosts and personal chef.  They didn’t even let us put our dishes in the sink!  This turn-of-the-century house, with its comfortable rooms, lush grounds, pleasant lakeshore, rich library, and cozy nooks and porches, was an ideal venue for getting away.  The cost?  Free!  No kidding.  If you can get there (Delafield, WI, near Milwaukee), they take care of the rest.  It’s a ministry to pastors and spouses.  You may agree that it sounds good (as I had for several years), but you won’t be able to fully appreciate its significance until you GO there.  Check it out at www.pastorsretreatnetwork.org.  Make a reservation and GO.  You won’t regret it.  If you’d like an advocate for this with your church board, contact our office.
-Dave Linde, Church Resources 

Crown Financial Materials Available
Five new sets of the latest Crown Financial Ministries small-group materials are available from Lakes EFC, Lindstrom, for a reduced cost.  Ron Berget says he’s prepared to offer a good deal and will ship the materials to you.  Contact him at rberget1 @ juno.com.

Dates to Remember...
October 6-7, 2008    Pastor's Teaching Conference at Camp Shamineau

October 27-28, 2008    Sabbath Rest Retreat at Timber Bay

October 31-November 1, 2008    Church Planting Overview at Swan Lake EFC, Cottonwood

March 30-31, 2009    North Central District Annual Conference, New Hope EFC, New Hope

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

In His grip,
Tom Mouw
ncd @ ncdefca.org