Autumn 2019

 

Hello Friends!

I hope you had a fruitful summer and are enjoying the fall.

I really enjoyed the Amplify evangelism conference in Wheaton, IL, in June as part of a cohort of 8 Seventh Day Baptists. A common thread was how we, the Church, are image-bearers of God to a broken world. 

I was blessed to meet Pastor Colin Smith of “Unlocking the Bible” (pictured at right). I’ve listened to his sermons online and grown through his insights and the application to my life. I encourage you to check out their free lessons and videos for taking someone through the Bible to see the big picture and the need for Christ. https://openthebible.org/

Our SDB cohort, shown below, included me, Linda Lyke, Noela Kennedy, Nick Kersten, Heather Muschett, Glasford Dacres, and Louise Miller. Garfield Miller is not pictured since he was the photographer. 

In my database world, we just finished updating 440 people’s records with their areas of expertise so we can help our churches tap these resources for gospel work across the Conference. I also spend much time answering inquiries, 13 in the past quarter, from people who want to attend one of our churches or have questions about the Sabbath. Since they are usually too far from a church, I ask if they would consider starting a group. 

We need more people for this work of encouraging pre-SDBs to connect with us and continue to keep the Sabbath. Please contact me if you want to volunteer! We’re praising God for new SDB activity in Mexico, Phoenix, Indianapolis and central Kansas.

Former SDB Camp Wakonda campers

It was fun to take a road trip to the SDB Conference this year in Lancaster, PA, stopping to visit family on the way out and ministry supporters in New York (the Little Genesee SDB Church and a friend in Alfred Station). After Conference, I visited friends from Cumberland, Maryland, where I served the Full Gospel SDB Church 2014-2015, including Pastor Ron and Karen Higson. 

At left (and center) is my sister in Illinois, Susan, and a Colorado sister, Mary Ellen.

 I also visited SDB pastors near Salemville, PA, Dr. Paul and Linda Manuel, and Darwin and Cheryl Steele. 

On the way to Conference in July, I visited my Aunt Carolyn (Burdick) Payne in Youngstown, OH, who was fighting an illness. Then, on the way home in August, I attended her funeral, and was very thankful the timing worked for me be there to celebrate her life with extended family.

My sister (Mary Ellen), Aunt Carolyn and me

Burdick cousins at SDB Camp Harley Sutton

Conference was exciting with youth and young adults leading the interest committees and evening worship, including the sermons. I enjoyed the music ministry directed by Jayar Smith (ministerial student), and the choir directed by Nathan Crowder. Flowing dance also enhanced our worship. Ben Calhoun of the band Citizen Way gave a great workshop on worship.  After attending the Communications committee, I agreed to become a proofreader for The Sabbath Recorder magazine. One of my skills is catching discrepancies and errors so, it‘s kind of fun!

  

This year at Conference I was responsible for setting up the display for Church Development, stretching across two tables. I put dots on a large map of the USA and southern Canada marking where we have active churches, fellowships and recent inquiries. This was to draw attention to the serious lack of SDB churches in our hemisphere compared to the demand.

 

When I returned to Colorado, I met my second grandchild, Elizabeth Joy Petersen, born to Paul and Aimée August 9th. This has resulted in more Grandma time with their older child, Jo Ana, to my great joy. She turns two in early November, close to my birthday. Her word for Grandma is “Yala”.

The Boulder SDB Church recently renamed itself, “Frontier Church – Carbon Valley, a Ministry of Seventh Day Baptists”. We were founded in 1893 on the western frontier of America and we continue to push the frontiers of faith as we take the gospel to our new community. 

On the 4^th of July we had a booth at the local festival in Firestone. We gave away cold water, Bibles, tracts and prizes from a fun game using oversized dice. Many people received an invitation to join us for worship. 

  

We also continue a monthly outreach at the Frederick outdoor market, “Finale Friday”. The theme in September was Oktoberfest and Pastor Steve Osborn dressed in costume for the occasion. We also held a drawing for a guitar (donated by a church member) and hope to build a few relationships from the names we gathered.

Our media team was becoming short-handed, so I volunteered to learn the program that displays words to the songs we sing for worship. Always good to learn new skills! I also help with leading music occasionally. Now that we have a name, we are considering additional changes to become a church that is actively making disciples in our community .

 

Music worship team: Linda Lawton, Deb Skaggs, yours truly, Chris Vergez, Pastor Chris Galarneau

  

I was thankful to be able to travel to North Loup, Nebraska, in early September to celebrate the 95th birthday of Frances Van Horn. She and her husband, long-time SDBs, were special friends to me when I was a teen.  

I returned to North Loup this past weekend to attend the funeral of Pastor Mynor Soper, age 92. For a number of years he was an evangelist for Seventh Day Baptists, forming a singing group to travel with him, the Lightbearers for Christ. In 1975, he invited me to join the Lightbearers and I was thrilled to do that for the next 18 months, until I went to college. I had to raise a full $50/month in support!

As 2020 approaches, I am praying for direction regarding work and ministry. I need a higher income to save for retirement, so I am looking at non-ministry jobs. It might be possible to work part-time for the Conference and part-time elsewhere. Pastor John (my boss) and the Conference leaders would like to keep me since my work assists their productivity. God has a plan! Please join me in prayer for wisdom and guidance.

Swinging with my granddaughter, Jo Ana.

If you are able, a financial gift between now and year-end would be a great help toward my expenses for car repairs, dental work and self-employment taxes. I praise the Lord that my general health has been very good; no doctor visits this year, no medications needed. Thank you for your prayers! Checks are payable to “Frontier Church Carbon Valley” (or you can still make them out to "SDB Church of Boulder"), and can be mailed (with a note that it is for me) to:

Frontier Church – Carbon Valley

PO Box 67

Dacono CO 80514 

Prayer Requests:

• For Frontier Church as we continue to evolve and prepare for greater mission in 2020.
• For God’s provision to cover self-employment taxes, etc. Praise God for all my supporters.
• For me as a light for Christ to my neighbors; good things are happening.
• For guidance as I consider ways to increase my income in 2020.

 Thank you all!

View of Estes Park from high up on Twin Sisters peak where I climbed with my daughter in September.