THEFORESEE Conservative Congregational Christian Conference

January/February 2007 Volume 39, No. 1 Around The Conference Youth Ministry “From the Bottom Up” by Rev. Steve Carmany, Eastern Ohio Area Representative Nearly three years ago Christ Memorial Church in come from homes where their Robertsville, Ohio restarted its Awana ministry under the parents do not care if they go to leadership of Bill Hartenstein. AWANA means “Approved church or not and they have to Workmen Are Not Ashamed.” Awana Club is primarily a ask to go to Awana, and that Bible memorization program for children. By the end of the translates into kids who want to first year attendance had grown from ten to more than twenty be at youth group. Awana gives children. The three senior-highers who were working as these kids an atmosphere of love helpers were formed into their own Awana class. and acceptance that maybe they Ralph Rease directs Awana Ministry to junior and senior high youth at Christ Memorial do not get at home or in school. game time at Christ Memorial So when they mature through Church. Photo by Ken has had its ups and downs in the recent past, and was dormant Flanagan when Awana was re-started. Lay volunteer Ted Wahl, the Awana program the next observing the success of Awana, decided to try to build on logical step is for them to see that ministry and restart the Youth Group. Since Awana what the church has in store for them next. Not only do I get follows a school-year schedule with summers off, Ted began kids who want to have fun, but I get non-typical church kids his work with the youth during the summer. He spent a lot of who are biblically knowledgeable and understand not only who time the first year developing relationships with the teens. Jesus Christ is, but also have memorized Scripture, know how Beginning with eight youth, regular attendance rose to the to pray and know the church loves them and Jesus Christ loves current twelve to fourteen. them even though they may think the world doesn’t”. Wahl credits the Awana program for children with laying the Wahl adds, “Not only do I think Awana is a wonderful way to foundation for his work with the teens. “If I pulled the Awana start a youth ministry from the bottom up, I would be seriously kids from the youth group,” he says, “I would have only two surprised if we don’t see more parents start to attend our junior high and six senior high kids. Not only that, the Awana Church. What better way is there to show someone how much kids want to be at Church! Most of these kids do not go to you love them than by showing them how much you love their church because their moms or dads are making them. They kids?”

Adopted Daughter Brings Hope to Single Mom On the inside... by Rev. Joel Kletzing, Western Pennsylvania Area Representative From the Conference Minister 2 (Allegheny Fellowship) Carlton’s Comments 2&3 In writing about my friend Deb Bahrenburg, I think about Give’em Another Chance 3 the storms that ravaged the Gulf Coast in recent memory. Bryan’s Bytes 3 Deb entered such a personal storm when on June 29, 2004, 2007 Annual Family Conference Preview 4 her husband of almost seventeen years, Rev. Clint Eminent Congregational Christians – Bahrenburg, died unexpectedly. Clint had served faithfully Fifth in a Series 4 for decades as a CCCC pastor in western Pennsylvania. Conference Staff Adds Two Directors 5 The day the Lord called Clint home was the day their adoption What Eusebius Didn’t Understand 5 of a child from Guatemala was approved. Deb restarted the Making The Dash of Faith? 6 adoption process on her own, and was blessed to have Marta Deb Bahrenburg with Counter Misinformation with Relevance! 6 her daughter Marta enter her life on August 1, 2005. Promotions To Glory 7 Deb clings to God’s grace to meet the challenges of single Ministerial Changes/Opportunities 7 parenting, but she recognizes that Marta is herself God’s gracious gift of love – a Health Tips 7 source of joy amid the pain of the last two years. Marta seems to be adjusting well 59th Annual Meeting 8 as a two-year-old in a new culture. It is Deb’s hope that perhaps Marta will be Church Leadership Tools 8 able to return one day to Guatemala to bring aid to her original homeland. 1. Let us return again to the basics From the Conference (Acts 2:42) of faith in and love for Jesus THE FORESEE Minister Christ and thus being devoted to the A bi-monthly publication of the apostle’s teaching (God’s Word), Conservative Congregational Meeting the Challenge of Declining Christian fellowship, the breaking of Christian Conference. Church Attendance bread, and to prayer! Conf. President: Nick Granitsas For the church in America we have 2. Let us repent of our sins of Conf. Minister: Steve Gammon reason to be troubled. David T. Olson complacency, wake up from our of “The American Church Research lethargy, and determine to obey what Conference Office: Project” has published a nationwide we have received and heard, as the study of American church attendance. Phone: 651-739-1474 Lord instructed the church of Sardis Fax: 651-739-0750 His research was not based on polled (Revelation 3:1-3). data, but on actual numbers as reported E-mail: [email protected] by churches and denominations over the 3. Let us restore a mission-focused Website: www.ccccusa.com last fifteen years. More than 300,000 vision, looking with the Lord’s Prayer Requests: churches were represented in the compassion toward the harvest, and [email protected] numbers, not including non-orthodox aiming to fulfill in our communities and Mail address: throughout our nation and world the 8941Highway 5 “churches” or those attending services Lake Elmo, MN 55042 of another religion. great commission He has given to us (Matthew 28:18-20). Wherever our goals have become self-focused or THE FORESEE Co-Editors: survival-focused, may a mission- Richard & Shirley Anne Leonard focused vision be restored. E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 1-800-440-4043 How I rejoice that the Lord has raised Mail address: up in the CCCC men who will help us P.O. Box 250 develop a growing vision for church Kirkland, IL 60146 planting, and for congregational health and redevelopment. These emphases Deadline for the March/April 2007 are precisely what we need at such a issue is January 10, 2007. time as this! Please join me in praying for John Kimball and Ron Hamilton, as During the final year of my pastoral Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Gammon, they begin their new responsibilities. ministry at Christ Community Church CCCC Conference Minister And pray that in 2007 the Church will in Schenectady, New York, God had The findings reveal that only 17.5% of grow for Jesus’ sake! impressed upon me that we often people attended a Christian church on prayed for each other for healing, a typical weekend in 2005, a decrease comfort, guidance and for a whole host from 18.7% in 2000 and 20.4% in 1990. of other needs. In our weekly prayer Though evangelical churches are faring better than mainline or Catholic Carlton’s Comments churches, our numerical growth is not keeping pace with population growth. Time for a “Checkup.” From 1994-2004 overall attendance My high school math teacher was way gains of Protestant churches were ahead of his time. He set up a program reported as 0.0% in established in each of his classes so those who churches and 7.8% in church plants, for grasped mathematical concepts quickly a net growth of 7.8%. But during that could study each of the chapters on his time period the population increased by or her own and then take a “checkup” 12.2%. This demonstrates that the test on the material when the student church has been falling short in had mastered it to his or her satisfaction. Rev. Carlton Walker, Northeast Reginal accomplishing the Lord’s purpose of Minister When I began as the Northeast reaching this generation for Christ! Regional Minister seven years ago last sessions, however, we hardly ever As I have reflected on all of this my October I shared with all of you, by prayed for one another to grow in our heart has been compelled to pray for means of this column, that I had chosen daily spiritual walk with the Lord and and urge these responses among CCCC Philippians 1:9-11 as my guiding that each of us would become more and ministers and churches, as we begin this Scriptural passage. more like Jesus. New Year: Volume 38 2 Number 1 (continued from page 2) Bryan’s Bytes In Philippians 1 Paul prays that the people of Philippi would see their love “abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight” so they would “be by Pastor Bryan Burrell, able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of CCCC Webmaster Christ . . .” When I first informed you of my choice of Scripture I urged you, like Paul, to begin praying spiritually for all of the people of your congregation. A Flurry of Activity The time has now come for a “checkup” test. Have you been praying that way The CCCC web site has seen a flurry of for your pastor? For your church leaders? For your fellow church members? activity over the past few months. We If so, have you seen any significant spiritual growth and any new vitality in the have made significant additions to the congregation? I trust that your answers to those four questions are all a content of the web site. Submenus are resounding “Yes!” If not, then more earnest praying is necessary. being added to reduce the clutter that has Actually, even if your answer is “Yes” that kind of praying must continue. developed on the menu portion of the web Why? Because in this life, we will never be able to attain our ultimate goal: to site. A number of area fellowships and be like Jesus. It is imperative that we be moving in that direction, however. CCCC committees have created and Since we cannot accomplish it in our own strength, we need God’s power and added information and files relating to guidance to enable us. their work. We praise God for these advances. Additional staff at the CCCC That means that there must be more “checkup” tests in the future to determine office will increase and enhance this if we are fulfilling our obligation and privilege to pray for one another and to web-based content and activity. see if God has begun to bring results. Members of the CCCC Media One more thing needs to be said. Don’t forget that the evil one’s agenda is Committee have been, and will continue exactly the opposite of that of God. That means that he will be doing whatever to be, contacting Area Representatives he can to keep us from praying—or at least keep us from praying that our and committee chairs to inform them of Christian friends as well as ourselves will be more like our Savior and Lord. the web options and opportunities. They Join me in keeping this type of focused prayer at the center of our personal will then train them to do this work. As and corporate life. always, if any of you have ideas, questions Rev. Carlton Walker or comments about our media work, Phone: 518-346-3538 please do not hesitate to contact me at E-mail: [email protected] 914-714-8577. Give’em Another Chance by Rev. Jerry G. Platz, Pastor, First Congregational Church, Mantorville, Minnesota and Minnesota and Western Wisconsin Area Representative God is the God of second chances. The Bible is full of (true) And we need to imitate God by giving others a second chance! stories about men and women whom the world would have Sadly, though, we often judge people as having no hope of written off—but God gave them second chances. Jonah tried changing. We get snubbed, hurt, taken advantage of by to say “No” to God, to keep from giving his enemies a chance someone who we thought was a decent friend—and we’re to turn from their wickedness. As a consequence of his willing to turn our back on her forever. It doesn’t just happen rebellion, he was thrown into the sea to drown. But God at the middle school lunch table, but also at the café table gave him a second chance. Remember the whale, and the over coffee and the kitchen table between family members. good results when Jonah finally did preach to his enemies? Those who see lots of “bad cases” can be tempted to be the Rahab was a prostitute in Jericho, who was given a second most judgmental and least willing to give second chances. chance. She chose to switch her allegiance to God’s side— You know how the conversation goes: “Well, she’s a (fill in and she ended up getting to marry a godly man and becoming the family name), and you know, they’ve always been (fill in part of the human ancestry of Jesus. the social ‘sin’).” Interestingly, Jesus was always scandalizing Anyone who is willing to turn their life around, with God’s the judgmental people by spending lots of time expressly with help, of course; who is willing to let Jesus, now ruling in such “sinners,” and welcoming repentant “low-lifes” into heaven, be absolute boss; and who simply asks God’s God’s kingdom. forgiveness for the past—such a person gets God’s wonderful God is the God of second chances. O Jesus, help us be like second chance. God is in the business of changed, you in the coming year! transformed lives. That’s good news for us, when we think Reprinted from The Congregational Crier, First Congregational about our own failures and our hopes for fresh starts. Church, Mantorville, Minnesota, January 2006

Volume 38 3 Number 1 2007 Annual Family Eminent Congregational Christians – Fifth in a Series Conference Preview Women’s Ministry Harold John Ockenga Speaker to Be by Rev. Alwyn L. York, Conference Historian Dr. Harold Ockenga was a founder of the application of the gospel to the Carole Wolaver several institutions that are central to sociological, political, and economic Carole Wolaver of Northridge, contemporary American areas of life.” , known as “The Pottery . He accomplished this Out of his concern to strengthen Lady,” will be featured speaker for while serving as pastor of a prominent evangelical theological training and Women’s Ministry events during the and historic Congregational church. scholarship, he was involved in the CCCC Annual Family Conference in His education and career were multi- founding of Fuller Theological Seminary July. Her presentations combine pottery denominational. Born in 1905 and raised in Pasadena, California. He served as in Chicago as a Methodist, he received president of Fuller from 1947 to 1954, his undergraduate education at Taylor and again from 1960-63 while remaining University, a Methodist institution in pastor of . In the . He enrolled at Princeton conflict over biblical authority that Seminary, a Presbyterian school, in 1927 developed at Fuller he sided with the because of the strength of its academic conservatives in upholding the full program. He arrived at Princeton at the inerrancy of the Bible. height of the “fundamentalist-modernist” Upon his retirement from Park Street controversy, and followed Gresham in 1969 he was appointed president of Machen and other conservative faculty Gordon College and Divinity School. He members when they left Princeton to was involved in the establishment of making with story telling to bring out start Westminster Seminary in Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, biblical truths. She offers several . After completing his serving as its president from 1970 to programs, including “The Master’s studies he served both Methodist and 1979. He died in 1985. Presbyterian churches Pieces” which she has been presenting Besides his pastoral and over the past 13 years. A speaker to before accepting the pastorate of Park Street educational work, he was church groups nationwide, she has also chairman of the board of been a guest on TBN. Carole was born Congregational Church in in 1936. into a Jewish family, and her unique magazine for 25 years. pottery style resembles ancient pottery As he told Christianity Through his leadership of from Israelite archaeological sites. Today in 1981, “I became a a number of key Congregationalist the minute institutions, Harold Iceberg’s Tip I went to Park Street Ockenga played a major Church.” He served that Shirley Anne Leonard role in the shaping of congregation until 1969. His contemporary Open my eyes that I may behold pastorate was known for the Evangelicalism. wondrous things out of your law. — strength of his preaching and Psalm 119:18 for the church’s generous Editor’s Note: As a graduate student in An iceberg’s tip—I touched and felt support of missions. Boston I heard Dr. Ockenga preach the solid mass beneath, Ockenga had a remarkable career of at Park Street Church more than but could not comprehend leadership in the wider church. He once, and represented my alma mater, its length or depth or breadth. served as the founding president of the Illinois Wesleyan University, at A star at night came out to look— National Association of Evangelicals Ockenga’s installation as president of then sun, when morning came— from1942-1944, and was instrumental in Gordon-Conwell in Boston’s and yet the answer hid within setting its direction. He was a leader in Symphony Hall. The speaker was Billy and did not have a name. what came to be known as “neo- Graham. (I was lost in a crowd of The Word of God—I read and thought evangelicalism.” As he defined the hundreds in academic garb.) We I knew the Master’s plan. movement, “It differed from thank Alwyn York, who succeeds But as I pondered, every word in its repudiation of Milton Reimer as Conference grew larger by a span, separatism and its determination to Historian, for this contribution to our with further doors that opened out engage itself in the theological dialogue “Eminent Congregational Christians” to deeper rooms yet unexplored of the day. It had a new emphasis upon series. by any mortal man. Volume 38 4 Number 1 Conference Staff Adds Two Directors The CCCC Conference staff has been augmented with two Increased staffing at the Conference level has been made new Directors. Dr. Ronald Hamilton has been appointed possible, in part, by a bequest of the former Phillips Director of Church Multiplication, and Dr. John R. Kimball Congregational Church of Boston. will serve as Director of Conference Care and Church However, augmented giving by Redevelopment. churches and individual members of Director of Church Multiplication the CCCC community will be needed Dr. Hamilton comes to his new post from Woodbury to sustain this level of professional Community Church in Woodbury, service. The new Directors will Minnesota, of which he has been report to the Conference Minister, founding pastor in 1978. Since 1999 Dr. Stephen A. Gammon. They join he as been chairman of the CCCC him, administrative assistant and Church Multiplication Committee, office manager Diane Johnson, and and is known throughout the office assistant Gayle Brimmer in Conference for the Natural Church the new Conference offices in Lake Elmo, Minnesota. Development seminars he conducts. Dr. Kimball A graduate of Houghton College, Dr. Hamilton earned the M.Div. from Bethel Theological Seminary and the D.Min. in Church Growth and What Eusebius Dr. Hamilton Renewal from Fuller Theological Didn’t Understand Seminary. He and his wife Shirley by Ronald B. Gillis will not need to relocate, as they already reside in the St. Paul area. Constantine is gone. But by the gods The Director of Church Multiplication is responsible for he did the job that he set out to do. promoting the formation of new CCCC congregations; The Christians were a threat. recruitment, training and advising of church planters; and Their superstitious nonsense the encouragement of healthy local churches. In addition, was rotting out the heart and soul of Rome. he will assume responsibility for administering the CCCC No matter what we did pastoral placement process and the referral of qualified their numbers grew. interim ministers. Director of Conference Care and The faith was madness, Church Redevelopment their god, a dead Jew Dr. Kimball comes from a 14-year pastorate at Cypress hung up on a cross in Palestine. Chapel Christian Church in Suffolk, Virginia, a 256-year old But still, it had a strange appeal congregation with roots in the “Christian” heritage of the to women, beggars, slaves, Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. After the lost and lonely ones who flocked to it. graduating from Oakland University in Michigan, he We killed them, completed other degrees before receiving the D.Min in Global but we couldn’t kill them all. Evangelization from Regent University. Like Dr. Hamilton, Dr. Kimball has been involved in church multiplication Diocletian and that fat fool Nero tried and failed. training, and he is also certified by United Front Ministries But Constantine had vision. for training in church redevelopment. In addition to other Feed them to the beasts? CCCC responsibilities, Dr. Kimball recently served as Vice Far better just to feed them, President of the CCCC and as the Mid-Atlantic Area make them fat, dress them in purple. Representative. His wife Kathryn and their three children They can’t be killed in simple bloody ways, are relocating to the St. Paul area. they rise again. The Director of Conference Care and Church His way killed them dead. Redevelopment is responsible for assisting congregations in Ronald B. Gillis, a retired CCCC pastor from Illinois, is conflict, encouraging regional networking and cooperation currently teaching English in China. Eusebius Pamphilus among CCCC churches, developing support relationships was an early Christian historian who lauded the Roman among pastors, and promoting training in church emperor Constantine for his legalization of Christianity. redevelopment. Volume 38 5 Number 1 Making the Dash of Faith? by Darrell Koenen, Deacon, First Congregational Church, Parkersburg, Iowa Reading a magazine the other day, I saw a cartoon depicting church members is secondary to loving God and keeping His an American couple dashing up the steps of the Louvre in commandments. When our priorities are set in this order, we’re Paris, shouting “Where’s the Mona Lisa? We’re double- empowered to do all other things. Otherwise we’re left with parked!” only our own limited powers and energies, which will keep us Often we approach faith like this. We know it’s important, in a hurry and throw our lives into turmoil. but we just don’t have time to spend on it. So we make our dash at faith as if we’re double-parked. We know it’s important, but Many people give no attention, or little, to anything outside of we just don’t have time to spend what they consider to be their immediate needs for survival or success. But what happens when our first priority becomes on it. So we make our dash at loving God? Does our hurry through life make us approach faith as if we’re double-parked. God saying, “This is all I can give for now, so you’ll have to be happy with it. I’ll get back to you later.” Is this acceptable to God? What challenges are hardest for you to overcome in the daily battle with time? Jesus stated, “If you love me, you will obey what I command” (John 14:15). Seeing ourselves as workers, members of civic Reprinted from The Lamplighter, First Congregational Church, organizations, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, and even Parkersburg, Iowa, August 2006 Counter Misinformation with Relevance! by Rev. David C. Jackson, Co-Pastor, Putnam Congregational Church, Devola (Marietta), Ohio

As a result of the National Geographic special issue, the Unfortunately, for those interested in the truth it can be difficult “Gospel of Judas” has received considerable attention. This and time-consuming to separate the facts from the fiction. Most document and the publicity it has generated will most likely folks, judging from our society, prefer fiction. adversely effect whatever respect the American public has According to a recent Barna survey, participation in organized for the authority of the Bible. However, this is only one of a religion is just not relevant to many Americans, and “church” number of influences that our culture is being subjected to is just not that important to “spirituality.” In other words, we which tend to undermine the ability of people to hear God’s are not in the middle of a great revival here in the heartland at voice. Release of the movie “The Da Vinci Code” also tends the present time, and Mr. Barna is not looking for one in the to bring an overall negative impact to the public perception immediate future. And that’s okay — for, while we need to be of the Bible, and organized Christianity. concerned for our neighbor’s spiritual welfare, if Jesus was trying to win a popularity contest he wouldn’t have gone to the For those interested in the cross. truth it can be difficult and I believe that the problems facing the church in our nation and our community are self-inflicted. While we do not lack in form time-consuming to separate and pontifications, society as a whole does not see unity, love, the facts from the fiction. true justice or integrity. In other words, we do not practice Most folks, judging from our what we preach. To most people, we are irrelevant unless we provide sufficient entertainment. Why should folks waste their society, prefer fiction. time on boring fiction when there is a plethora of exciting activity to choose from? I am not picking on “The Da Vinci Code” or on National Our “job” is to be relevant — as Jesus said, to be salt and light. Geographic — both can be very entertaining and somewhat People need to see that there is unity and love and justice and informative. The problem is that most folks will become more integrity. We are to be the means by which Jesus comes into interested in spurious writings and alternatives to the church, contact with other people. We may not be perfect, but the instead of honestly examining how we got the Bible or seeking more we conform to Christ within us the more perfect we to be a part of the body of Christ. become. And the more perfect, the more we become salt and Like a lot of other books and movies that are “historical light — in a word, relevant. fiction,” these media present just enough truth to make a Reprinted from Putnam Pathways, Putnam Congregational plausible story and plenty of fiction for entertainment. Church, May 2006

Volume 38 6 Number 1 Promotions to Glory

Harry R. “Dick” Snider He was a supply officer with the U.S. Rev. Harry “Dick” Snider, pastor Department of the Army prior to of North Country Bible Fellowship retirement. He pastored the Leon in Speculator, New York, passed Congregational church, Sparta, away unexpectedly on October 22, Wisconsin from 1960-1964 and was 2006. He was a member of the instrumental in that church’s joining CCCC since 1998. He was born the CCCC. In later life he was a in Akron, Ohio on September 30, member of Tomah Baptist Church. 1945. A veteran of the U.S. Air Theron Green was widowed three Force, he earned the B.A. from times, being preceded in death by Akron University, M.Div. from Martha, Dell and Margaret. A son Ashland University and Ph.D. from Kent State University. and daughter, with their families, survive. He taught English at several colleges and universities, and George A. Isley pastored churches in Ohio and New York before founding George A. Isley of Stuyvesant, New the North Country Bible Fellowship in 1999. His wife York passed away on November 24, Yvonne and three children, with their families, survive. 2006 after a recurrent illness. He was Theron E. Green an ordained CCCC minister and a Theron E. Green, licensed CCCC minister since 1962, died member since 1976. Rev. Isley had September 16, 2006 in Tomah, Wisconsin at the age of 95. served as chaplain of the Berkshire He was born November 10, 1910 in LaFarge, Wisconsin. Farm for Boys, and since 1976 had been co-pastor of the Changes and Opportunities Christian Community Church in Kinderhook, Pastoral Changes: New York. His wife Carol and family members survive. Parkersburg IA First Congregational* called Brad Zinnecker* Eureka MI Eureka Christian Church* called Keith Whipple Muskegon MI Orchard View Congregational* called Tom Beetham Holdingford MN Community Country Church* called Gregg Valentine Fire Health Tips Inwood NY Community Bible Church* (Part time) called Tom Broderg Heating equipment is the leading cause of winter home Pastoral Openings: fires. More than 80% of fatal fires occur in the home. Biola CA Biola Congregational Church* To help prevent a fire in your home, keep things that Pasadena CA Lake Avenue Congregational Church* burn at least 3 feet away from heating equipment. Longmont CO Christ Congregational Church* Use fireplaces, woodstoves, heaters and furnaces Chaplin CT Chaplin Congregational Church* Middletown IN Sulphur Springs Christian Church (UCC) properly and carefully. Have furnaces and chimneys Garner IA Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church* inspected annually. Clean and repair as needed. Grinnell IA Newburg-Chester Congregational* Watch children and pets in rooms with heating Carthage ME Carthage Union Church* (Part time) Boxford MA First Church Congregational* equipment and keep them safely away. Turn off Flint MI Cross Church* portable space heaters when you go to bed or if you Honor MI Honor Congregational Church* leave the room. New Haven MI First Congregational Church * (Part time) Avon MN Avon Community Church* Source: safety alert, sjmo Lake Elmo MN St. Lucas Community Church* Infection Prevention Laurel MT First Congregational Church* Good handwashing throughout the day is the best Scottsbluff NE Emmanuel Congregational Church* defense against harmful microorganisms in the Ossipee NH First Congregational Church (Associate) Lake View NY Lake View Congregational Church* environment. Keeping your immune system healthy Greenville OH First Congregational Christian Church* with good eating habits and rest helps fight infections. Vermilion OH Vermilion Evang & Reformed Church* Bernville PA St. Thomas UCC Washing your hands with warm water and soap for at Loysburg PA St John’s Reformed Church* least 15 seconds to loosen the germs and dirt, rinsing Disputanta VA Bethlehem Congregational Church * (Part time) thoroughly and drying your hands well works best to Suffolk VA Cypress Chapel Congregational Christian Church* prevent infection. Spring Valley WI Spring Valley Congregational Church* by Betty Mitchell, RN, Parish Nurse * = Conference member Emmanuel Bethel Church + = In process Royal Oak, MI Volume 38 7 Number 1 NON PROFIT ORG. Conservative U.S. POSTAGE PAID Congregational ST.PAUL, MN Christian PERMIT NO. 7205 Conference 8941 Highway 5, Lake Elmo, MN 55042 THEFORESEE January/February 2007 Volume 39, No. 1

Church Leadership Tools 59th Annual Meeting “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which Conservative Congregational the Holy Spirit has made overseers.” Acts 20: 28 Christian Conference July 16-19, 2007 Crowne Plaza Anaheim Resort The Elders Handbook - A Practical Guide Garden Grove, California for Church Leaders, (Hardcover) $18.95 (1 mile from Disneyland) Elders Handbook-Sg, (Paperback) $2.95 EVENING SPEAKERS Monday Dr. Stephen A. Gammon CCCC Conference Minister

Tuesday and Wednesday Rev. Charles J. Youngkin The Deacons Handbook - A Manual of Senior Pastor, Carlsbad Stewardship, (Hardcover) $18.95 Community Church Deacons Handbook-SG, (Paperback) $2.95 MORNING BIBLE TEACHER David Bryant President of Proclaim HOPE! Gayle Brimmer Foresee Publications Phone: 651-739-1474 Fax: 651-739-0750 E-mail:[email protected] Volume 38 8 Number 1