Editor:
Tom Arneberg
(editor@cvbc.net)
by Tom Arneberg
God has given us another great year at Chippewa Valley Bible Church!
People
------
The primary focus of this ministry is and always has been touching people's
lives with the love of Christ. As you will see in other articles,
we were blessed to welcome seven new
babies in 1999, and at least nine new families started worshipping with us.
On the other side, we felt the loss of families who moved out of
the area last year, such as Wayne & Brenda Street, who moved to Wyoming,
and Mel & Sarah Richards, now in Augusta.
At the annual banquet a year ago, eight people decided to make a commitment to join CVBC, and at this year's banquet it looks like there will be another 26! Official church membership is not mentioned in the Bible, but it is a convenient way to take a public stand that you agree with the philosophies, beliefs, and strategies of our local church, and that you voluntarily allow the church to hold you accountable.
Worship Services
----------------
Our worship service times underwent some changes in 1999. We started off
1999 with an early service at 8:00 a.m. and a late service at 10:30,
with a one-hour Sunday school from 9:15 - 10:15. This first attempt at
holding two services was a success, but needed some tweaking -- the
first service was sparsely attended, and there wasn't as much time
allowed for the first service as there was for the second. Also we had
a different worship team for each service, which was more demanding for
musicians since we needed two different sets each Sunday.
In the summer, we went to service times at 9:00 and 10:30, and quickly learned that the second service in the summer was unneeded.
In the fall of 1999, we tried new times -- worship services at 8:30 and 11:00, and Sunday school 10:00-10:45. We lost 15 minutes of Sunday School time, but this has worked out better in many ways. First, the allotted time is the same for both services (75 minutes). Second, one team of musicians and singers now gathers at 8:00 a.m. for rehearsal and then leads the praise and worship music at both services, which means that they can be rotated out more often to take a break. This means that both services are now identical, and you might notice that more people drift back and forth between services now, which is a healthy thing.
It's not perfect yet, though -- as you can see by the attendance graph, the balance has now swung to the first service being more crowded. However, this seems to be the best plan so far.
One possible future improvement might be to have worship services at 9:00 and 10:30, with Sunday School classes at both times. This gives more time for both worship services and Sunday School, and makes maximum use out of our already-crowded new classrooms. The only downside to this approach is that we would need more Sunday School teachers to pull it off. Please pray for CVBC leadership as we continually evaluate these things!
Church Leadership
----------
In our eldership, Keith Tompkins was
welcomed back from his six-month sabbatical in July, and Dennis Wolf is
just starting his sabbatical this month. We were saddened to lose Mel
Richards from our eldership due to his move. Darin Thomas
officially became a CVBC deacon at a ceremony in July, after going
through the new process outlined in the church constitution.
Our paid staff remains as it was a year ago -- Andy Majorins is our full time pastor/teacher; Dale Thiele is full time associate pastor responsible for youth ministry; Melissa Majorins is our part-time secretary, and Tom Sterling is part time maintenance man. We will have a special treat in 2000, as Greg Richards brings his new wife home from college to CVBC to serve as a ministry intern here starting in May!
Special Events
--------------
There were many worthy special events in 1999; just read the rest of this
annual report for details. Some of the ones that deserve special
mention include the Youth missions trip to Mexico (it was great to see
young adults and CVBC youth group "graduates" Emily Haley and Kevin
Mason helping out!), the wild Vacation Bible School with 181 kids,
the thirteen outdoor baptisms at Camp Williams, the first big choir concert in
many years, and so on.
Building Addition
-----------------
This was a great year for our new building addition! In July 1999, we
had the
official dedication ceremony of the new addition, about one year after
we broke ground. At the time of ground-breaking, we
had only about half the money saved up, but we had decided to
take a step of faith and start the building process, trusting God
to provide the finances as the project went along.
In July we celebrated the fact that the building was 100% complete, and that we are still financially debt-free by the grace of God. Even better, nobody did anything to "raise funds" for this project -- there were no raffles, no bingo, no pledge drives, and no mortgages. The building goal was laid out, and we all decided to simply trust God to supply the funds, as He sees fit. As far as providing the financial resources for this building addition, there is no human to thank -- all thanksgiving must go directly to God!
Now that we've been using the rooms for most of the year, it's hard to imagine getting by without all those new classrooms! The CVBC building is used heavily all week long for various activities, even more now that the school is no longer renting space from us. See the deacons' report for more details on our building and capital improvements in 1999, including the much-needed parking lot expansion.
We are starting to brainstorm about possible future building needs. Possible options include a gymnasium or a larger auditorium for worship services. Please pray for God's direction in our next steps.
Here is a summary of the annual church budget:
NOTES:
P.S. -- if the fonts get weird or something when you shrink it, maybe it
would be easier to just reduce it on a photopier and then paste it in
the old-fashioned way...
During the school year, the Awana program meets at CVBC on
Wednesday evenings from
6:00 to 8:00 PM. The last time we talked about Awana, we were putting a new
addition on the church building, and now that it's done,
we are putting it to good use filling
each classroom with lots of Awana kids who want to learn God's Word.
God has opened lots of hearts this year! In Awana,
kids are coming to know Jesus
as their Savior. It's great to see these kids study and learn God's word so
well. God has blessed us this year with about 150-175 kids, and He has
also given us great
leaders to do this work for Him. We do have a lot of work to do yet, because
we have not touched all the kids in the Chippewa Valley area. He will open the
right doors for us.
We have been blessed again this year with some very strong Christian leaders
for our Awana program. The Directors for the Club this year are: Cubbies:
Darla Volbrecht and Bev Hyland, Sparks: Jean Richtmyre and Sharon Michels,
Chums and Guards: Dora Wood and Marty Schild, and Pals
and Pioneers: Steve Vogt. Other important leaders include
song leaders Terri Tompkins and Linda Balsiger, and our game leaders James
Bedell, Jay Long, and Steve McIlquham.
I thank God for all our leaders that take time out to work with these kids.
I sometimes get too busy and forget to thank everyone that helps out in our
program, so I will do it now. Thank you all very much. Thanks also
to everyone in our church family who pray for our program each week.
Tom Sterling, Awana Commander
Thirteen CVBC'ers were baptized on Sunday, August 22, 1999 in the lake at
Stan and Connie Williams' house north of Chippewa Falls:
Another reason for being baptized is that it publicly testifies that
you
really are a true follower
of Jesus Christ.
It illustrates Christ's death, burial and resurrection, and your
new life as a Christian.
Baptism does not save you or make you a Christian -- only your faith in
Christ does that.
Baptism is like a wedding ring: it is the outward symbol of the inward
commitment you have
made to Jesus Christ.
Every person who has truly trusted in Christ should be baptized.
This is ideally done at the first opportunity possible after conversion.
But better late than never -- if you have never been baptized as a believer,
please prayerfully consider doing so at the next opportunity. It's a great
testimony to what God has done in your life!
Ladies have been getting together to make baskets for well over a year now.
Many ladies from CVBC have learned weaving techniques and even get basket
kits to take home and weave on their own. We enjoy food, fellowship, some
interesting topics of discussion, and also a completed basket at each
class.
After doing "in home" classes for three years, my classes have grown to
the point that I was able to leave my full time job at Lehman Drug to
devote my time to my family and to the basket weaving classes. This has
been possible, in part,
because of the many ladies of CVBC who have attended the
classes and purchased kits. Classes are open to anyone interested and any
age group. I prefer to have the classes in my home to allow for the
greatest selection of reed sizes and color variety.
Happy Weaving!
(Editor's note: it was tempting to insert an addendum on how you can take
part in this craft while flying out of town on a business trip, but
"Weavin' On a Jet Plane" was just a little too much...;-)
The Children's Church ministry currently reaches
between 20 to 25 children each week. Three- to five-year-olds sing,
pray, listen to a Bible story, have a snack,
and usually find time to do a craft during the
time allotted for Children's Church. We want to
thank everyone who has volunteered for Children's
Church. Without you, there would be no ministry
in this area. A special thank you to Libby Krause who
faithfully starts each week of Children's Church with singing.
Respectfully submitted, Lisa Flaig,
Paulette Hedrington, Jody Strand and Deb Tilton
by Terri Tompkins
"Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of His name; make His
praise glorious!" Psalm 66:1-2
We sing and shout each week to the glory of His name and all the rehearsing
that we do hopefully makes the praise glorious! The CVBC adult choir has
worked especially hard this past year and its efforts paid off on December
5th as they presented the worship musical "God for Us." The entire
congregation joined both the adult and youth choirs as we sang of God's
faithfulness to us in all situations. I believe it was truly a blessed
evening.
Our adult choir has also grown this year and we praise the Lord for the added
voices and personalities that add so much to our group. Although the music
can be challenging at times, we enjoy the rehearsals and hope that the music
draws the congregation closer to the Lord.
by Terri Tompkins
What a lively bunch! Libby Krause, Dora Wood and I have a great time
teaching our singing youth the disciplines of a choir. They have been
singing two-part music, learning the correct posture and breathing methods,
and other musically technical things that one wouldn't notice unless we
weren't doing them!
I have chosen differing styles of music so that the kids
get a flavor of several types and their favorites sometimes surprise us.
Jesse Pedigo has recently joined us with some guitar accompaniment which
makes us sound even better. One thing that the youth definitely beat out the
adult choir with is choreography... Youth choir members are sharp!
As CVBC grows larger, good communications becomes even more important.
In 1999, we continued in
our fifth year of putting out a four-page newsletter every month
("Focus on the Valley"). It is created by a volunteer staff (Tom
Arneberg edits, Stu Krause lays it out, and a cast of dozens gets to
proofread the electronic copy, with Beth Arneberg earning the undisputed
crown of Proofreading Queen). Once we produce the master, CVBC secretary
Melissa Majorins does the copying, folding, labeling, and mailing.
The newsletter goes to over 400 homes, including families of AWANA and VBS
kids.
Another way we communicate in our church is through electronic mail.
Our central email list is now up to 120 different people. We also
have smaller email lists for various groups groups within the church,
such as elders, deacons, worship team, etc.
Email provides us a great way to keep in
touch -- messages on the CVBC list include prayer requests, text from
newsletter drafts, text from the Sunday bulletins, updates, and
announcements. Even more information, ideas, discussions, and
brainstorming comes across some of the leadership email lists.
If you have access to email and are not on the main email list, please
send a note to "email@cvbc.net"!
Our web page, "cvbc.net", now has over 2300 hits. With the addition of a
digital camera owned by a couple members of the congregation, we are now
seeing more photos online. For example, there are over 200 full color
photographs of our VBS, at "cvbc.net/vbs"! Look for more pictures in
2000.
There is also other useful information on our home page,
including back issues of all our newsletters since 1995, our constitution,
information about AWANA, links to
papers on Biblical Eldership, etc. Surf on over and check it out!
Tom Arneberg, toma@cvbc.net
The year 1999 was a busy one for the
deaconesses with the addition of many
new babies to our church
family. The deaconesses helped these
families with baby showers, roses and
meals. We also recognized
several church families who left our
congregation. Some other opportunities
we had in which to serve the
Lord were graduation recognition, meal
preparation as needed for church families, visitation and
encouragement of those in poor health or
spirit and preparation for communion and baptism. Thank you
to those who have assisted us.
In His service, The CVBC Deaconesses:
This year, the CVBC deacons have been pretty focused on finishing up the
building project. I'm thankful to be able to report that the rooms are
currently being used and almost completely furnished. Praise be to
our great God!
Understanding fully the responsibility we have been given, we are
sometimes seemingly slow to react to requests for improvements. I pray
this hasn't been too frustrating for the members. Please be patient
and keep reminding us of problems and solutions. Also, we are always
looking for volunteers to work on projects, so if you are
interested in helping out in any way, let us know.
The Deacons would also like to remind all groups using the
church to please take care of the facility. We are glad
it's being used
so much but let's make it last as long as possible.
The
current Deacons are Stuart Krause, Jon Strand,
Mark Hedrington, Darin Thomas, Dave McDaniel, Chuck Wood
and Doug Mason. Thanks to the Lord for these men,
their families and the opportunity to serve.
Stuart Krause
It is quite difficult to recap a year of spiritual growth in the life of a
church and to remember to thank and praise God for the many ways He has
proven He is "for us."
There have been many quiet and behind the scenes kind of ways that the family
of CVBC has been used by God this past year. One specific example is the
response to the appeal of the representative of Gideons International to
help purchase and distribute Bibles
-- it was reported to be the largest gift an
area local church has given. What a testament of gratitude a generous heart
is!
One of the major challenges of the past year was the sudden, unexpected
departure of Mel Richards -- he is greatly missed. We know that God will build
His church and perhaps this is the time for some of you men reading this
report who are Biblically qualified to begin praying that God would give you
a desire to assist in the leading of His flock. The Bible describes this
desire as a noble goal and carries with it great blessing.
Hearing the testimonies of those interested in membership is one of the
greatest of these blessings, and this past year we, as elders,
had the privilege
of hearing many accounts of God's faithfulness in bringing His people to
Himself. The diverse ways that this happens always encourages our hearts and
strengthens our faith and resolve to carry on in the work He has called us to.
The most troubling burden of this past year have been the near epidemic
number of
incidences of marital problems that are afflicting God's people. Please pray
as a church family that the enemy would be thwarted in his obvious attempt to
seek and to destroy the families of God. Also build a hedge of protection
around your own family and give it the priority that the Word of God gives it
as our most important front line of ministry. Also please pray for those
involved in counseling with hurting couples, that they would give Godly truth
in love and would be found to be practicing what they preach.
On behalf of all the elders, we covet your prayers and consider it a joy and
privilege to be your shepherds.
Joyfully submitted,
A major accomplishment for
the library committee in 1999 was the computerization of the card catalog.
A three ring binder containing a
list of library resources divided by subject, author, and category can be
found in the library. In 1999, the
library committee also put labels on all book binders. This year, we
expanded the library in the areas of adult fiction,
children and young adult fiction, parenting, and
marriage. We also purchased several new videos
and audio tapes for kids. At any given time there are
more than 200 books and videos checked out of the library.
We would like to thank everyone who made
donations to the library in 1999.
They are greatly appreciated
by everyone who uses the library. The
library committee will always accept
donations of useful, up-to-date Christian materials. If you would
like to donate books, videos, or tapes, please place them in the
donation box in the library.
The library has a lot of different
materials which may interest you. If you have not already done so,
please stop by the library and take a look!
Respectfully submitted, Paulette Hedrington and Jody Strand
We as a church have continued to support many missionaries this year, both
overseas and
domestic. We invested $19,390 in the lives of our missionaries in 1999
(including $2350 given for
"Christmas for Missions"), a little over 10% of the total church expenses.
We will be increasing our missions budget by 14% for the year 2000.
The CVBC
Elders and missions committee choose which missionaries to support, and
regular prayer
support and communications with missionaries is maintained by the Ladies'
Missionary
Fellowship, which meets monthly.
There were 30 missionaries and ministries on our support list in 1999. The
following
changes are being made for 2000:
* Add missions support for John Schone (Hope Gospel Mission in Eau
Claire)
Please continue to pray for our missionaries. You can learn more about any of
them by
looking at the pictures and descriptions on the walls in the church building,
or by asking
any of the LMF members.
* Apple Pregnancy Center (Eau Claire, WI)
by Terri Tompkins
This is a very important time in our services. We usually do not coordinate
the special music with the sermons, yet the two seem to come together
somehow. Just sitting back and letting the message of the special music
prepare the congregation for the day's message is always a highlight. Be
sure to thank those that offer their talents to CVBC in this way.
Being a member of the musical teams takes much hard work and time. We
attempt to do the very best with our God-given talents to make the music at
CVBC truly a blessing. Special recognition should be given to Becky
Scheidler who plays our preludes and communion music faithfully, Sharon
Spencer who accompanies adult choir and plays piano for worship team, and
Dora Wood who accompanies youth choir, sings with the worship team, plays
keyboard for the worship team, accompanies AWANA singing and just willingly
fills in wherever we need her many talents.
"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to Your name, O Most High..."
Psalm 92:1
by Terri Tompkins
The worship team has been experimenting with a different twist this fall. We
meet once a month for an intense, practice-all-the-music-for-the-entire-month
rehearsal. We then meet for twenty minutes before the 8:30 service to run
through the music for that day.
This approach has seemed to work well for
our busy singers and we really seem to be coming together as a group. We
feel that our preparation aids the congregation in worship as we do it all as
smoothly as we can. There are days, however, when all things do not go right
and we appreciate your tolerance for those times. The team does sing the
same music for both services and this makes the services virtually the same.
I would like to take this time to thank the present team and all those who
have played or sung with us in 1999. Being a part of the worship team takes
much committment and time -- thank you!
We have been blessed with the following new babies born to CVBC
families in the past year:
"Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the
children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who has
his quiver full of them..." - Psalm 127
Retirement, moving to a new area, looking forward to a new life, or at least a
new phase of our lives was and is quite challenging. Where does one start?
We had made up our minds to move to Wisconsin so we would be closer to our kids
and grandkids. Where in Wisconsin? Homes differ, shopping, medical facilities
and once settled in, to find a church. Sounds easy? Never had a problem with
all this before, but never retired before either. Lots of challenges.
We settled into our home in Chippewa and attended a few churches, trying to
find one for "us." Finding a church and church family are difficult but of
utmost importance. One must not only look for fellowship, teaching of the
word, praise and worship; one must also allow oneself to become a part too.
One Sunday we visited Chippewa Valley Bible Church and have been attending
regularly. We were blessed by the friendliness of the people as well as the
various ministries that we were encouraged to become a part of. Thanks for
making us feel welcome.
We welcome the following families who have started worshipping with CVBC
in the past year (the date is their first known visit):
Note: the above names were taken from our church directory...
if you are a regular attender of CVBC and you are not in our
directory yet, just fill out a blue card next time you're at church.
We would like to recognize the following eight people, who each decided to
take the step of commitment to their local church in becoming
official members of CVBC in 1999:
Also, the following 26 people plan on becoming official CVBC
members at the annual banquet on January 23, 2000:
by Kim Hoffman
Where has the year gone? This past year continues with changes in our
nursery, with the highlights being the many additions! We welcomed eight new
babies this year! Our fruitful church families continue to fill the
nursery. Hey -- job security! ("Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a
reward from him." Psalm 127: 3)
We currently have 23 infants and toddlers attending regularly. With
everyone's help, we staff two volunteers per nursery for the 8:30 a.m. service,
two or three during the
Sunday school hour, and two in a combined infant/toddler nursery
during the 11am service. (If you're counting, that's eight or nine
volunteers each
Sunday!) This is all based on the supply and demand of children and the
availability of volunteers. The schedule rotation is approximately twelve
weeks.
I would like to thank each and every person who has truly committed to
this ministry! This includes all of you with nursery-age children and those
of you who either have grown children or no children of your own. You are
all Blessings and much-needed for this ministry to operate! ("I thank my God
every time I remember you." Phil. 1:3) I try very hard to accommodate
scheduling preferences, but please forgive me if this is not always possible!
I feel that God wants us to work together as a team for his children and to
be filled with joy as we do his work. ("And if anyone gives even a cup of
cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you
the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward." Matthew 10:42)
I am always looking for volunteers. If you have not been contacted or
feel a tugging in your heart to be a part of this ministry team, please
contact me. This nursery is all of ours so please feel free to contribute
suggestions to make our nursery a fun and safe place.
In His Service,
At the beginning of each new year I am reminded again of the great privilege
it has been
to serve at Chippewa Valley Bible Church. During the past year it has been a
great joy to
teach the Word of God as well as to carry out other aspects of pastoral
ministry such as
counseling, discipleship, visitation, baptisms, rest home services, jail
ministry, small
group ministry, men's ministry, contacts with visitors, Discovery Class,
AWANA, etc.
In the past year I have continued preaching from the Gospel of Matthew,
basically
covering Chapters 9-13. Interspersed with the study of Matthew, we have
also covered
other topics and portions of God's Word. During the summer I took a break
from our
study of Matthew to do a short series on "How We Change And Grow" (the
Biblical Doctrine of Spiritual Growth).
Other Special Services included:
Sunday Evening Prayer Services were held about once a month. These will be
continued
in 2000. At the end of 1999 many of you responded to a survey regarding the
possibility
of establishing a Bible Institute type training program here at CVBC. The
responses
showed a high degree of interest, so I will be working toward starting these
Bible courses
in 2000.
I am very grateful to have Pastor Dale Thiele as part of the ministry team
here at CVBC.
He has proven to be a great youth pastor, a good preacher, and a faithful
servant. I am
also deeply grateful for the team of men God has raised up to serve with me
as Elders for
this local congregation. I need the continual support, accountability,
counsel, prayer,
encouragement, wisdom, and reproof that I receive from these men.
I would like to encourage us to be a congregation that demonstrates
consistency and
faithfulness in our walk with God. Let us show a simple obedience to God in
our
personal lives, a patient endurance in the trials of life, an unswerving
commitment to
strengthening families, and a burden to minister the grace of God to the
spiritually lost.
"Sola Deo Gloria!" -- to God Be the Glory!
Pastor Andy Majorins
Our small group generally meets weekly on Sunday evenings.
We have a time of prayer followed by lively discussions
of First Corinthians. The seven of us get together at 5:30
at Garry and Helen Tobiss' home. In addition to the Tobiss
family, the group members are Polly Sharp, Mark and Darla
Volbrecht, and Franklin and Mingi Bodine.
Franklin Bodine
by Brenda Hukriede
This energetic group of junior high girls are currently finishing up their
study of First Peter. In this study, they are learning what it means to suffer
for Christ while standing firm in their faith. The girls have shared
stories of boldness in everyday circumstances. Another way the girls have
encouraged each other (as well as me) is their desire to pray. It is a
blessing to be a part of this ministry, and I am thankful for how the girls
include me and each other. I look forward to leading these girls in the
months ahead.
by Patrick & Brenda Hukriede
The FNBS meets at the Rubenzers' house in Jim Falls every other Friday
night. The group currently consists of Mary & Dennis Wolf,
Rick & Jennifer Rubenzer, and
Paul & Brandi
Lasiewicz.
We are currently reading through the book "A Mind Renewed by God."
This year is the second year that the "Growing Kids God's Way" classes
have been offered at CVBC.
"Growing Kids" is a videotape- and workbook-based curriculum
by an organization known as "Growing Families International"
(GFI) in California, featuring Gary and Ann Marie Ezzo.
We gather for two hours each week for instruction, discussion, and
prayer. The goals of GFI include "providing practical instruction that will
help parents understand not only the principles of biblical ethics but how to
make the application as well," and "to help families look positively toward
the teen years...our culture claims teenage rebellion to be the norm...but the
teen years can be among the best. Raising good children is not a matter of
chance but a matter of rightly applying God's principles in parenting."
We appreciate this curriculum because it offers very specific and practical
suggestions in child rearing. They
also give the husband-wife role in parenting its
proper scriptural prominence. The class has some fairly strict rules regarding
attendance, punctuality, and doing your homework reading. But we are following
the guidelines we learned at a GFI leadership seminar last year, and we agree
with GFI that people learn more effectively in a disciplined and structured
environment.
This year, we had too many couples for one class. Fortunately, God has
raised up another couple to lead another group! Jon & Jody Strand went
to the leadership training class last spring, and are now leading a
class in their home. Their class, on Friday nights, includes
Larri & Milli Goebel, Mark & Paulette Hedrington, Bard & Karen Hoff,
Lonnie & Mary Jorstad, and Jon & Jody Strand. The Monday night class
at the Arnebergs' house includes Donglai & Wendy Dai, Larry &
Cindy Hoffman, Steve McIlquham, Randy & Kathy Nyhus, Brad & Tracy Robb,
and Tom & Beth Arneberg.
The class runs about twenty weeks, including a group dinner or two.
It's a lot of work, but it is well worth it!
If you would like to know more about whether the class is worth your
time and effort, just
ask any of the people who have been
through a class this year or last year. And please let us know
if you are interested in another class starting in the fall of 2000,
so we can plan accordingly.
Tom & Beth Arneberg
by Sue Pribnow
During the winter and spring, our ladies' Bible study met Tuesdays with
approximately five women attending weekly. The book, "A Woman After God's
Own Heart" by Elizabeth George, was completed. We were blessed as we
found ways to become closer to the women God desires by valuing what He
values. In April, we began "A Mind Renewed by God" by Kimball Hodge. We
learned to change the way we thought and watched how God changed us
through this study.
This fall, three women have been meeting regularly on Wednesday afternoons
to match the time of the Children's Choir practice. We decided to study a
book of the Bible this year, and chose "In Search of Spiritual Integrity,
Studies in the Book of James" by Lance T. Ketchum. This in-depth study
has proven to guide, convict, and encourage us. We have also been blessed
through sharing with one another, prayer requests and God's workings in
our lives.
Ladies Missionary Fellowship meets the fourth
Wednesday of every month. We have
had the privilege of having several of our missionaries home this year who
have spoken at our meetings. Bo & Charlie Frink from New Zealand met with the
ladies at the Arneberg home. Jim & Janice Walton were home for our June
meeting. Becky Thibadeau from Brazil spoke at our September meeting. Our
annual picnic was held at Irvine Park in August.
Our project for the year was to contact each of our missionaries and get an
up-to-date report so we could complete a prayer journal for all the
congregation to share the news and pray for our missionaries that CVBC
supports.
Another project which we participated in was sending financial support to
Edgar & Clementina Buenaventura to help purchase a used motorcycle to travel
back and forth in the area where Jim & Janice Walton were ministering. They
were one of the first converts of the Muiane tribe in Columbia, South America.
We helped Melissa Majorins with financial assistance on her trip to Brazil. We
have also helped purchase subscriptions to magazines for our young people.
We receive funds from Pic 'N Save receipts for these projects. We would
appreciate it if our congregation would register at Pic 'N Save as we are
listed under LMF-CVBC for anyone who has not designated a charity. This
coming year we will also be turning in receipts from Gordy's grocery and
hardware. There is a box in the foyer for anyone who would want to
participate. Thank you in advance.
We have served lunch for three funerals at our church. An invitation is
always open for any of the ladies to come to our meeting and pray and share
in the news of the missionaries.
In His Service,
A group of about
six to ten couples meet every other Sunday evening after choir to go
through Roger Anderson's teaching materials on establishing a Biblical
marriage. Various members of the group take turns leading the discussions,
which proves to be usually fun and helpful. Not all members of the group are
from the choir, and new joiners would be welcome at any time! Please check
with Keith Tompkins for the time and date of the next meeting.
We currently have between fifteen and twenty ladies attending each study.
With at least that many kids
accompanying their mothers, we are blessed to have wonderful babysitters.
A special thank you to our
baby-sitters -- Emily and Katie Majorins. In 1999, we completed our study
from the book "Loving God
With All Your Mind" and studied another book by Elizabeth George called
"A Woman After God's Own Heart."
Although our Bible Study is known as the "Young Mothers' Bible Study," we
welcome any of the ladies of
the church to join us. Ladies from outside the church are also welcome.
We meet every other Tuesday
morning at 10:00 for Bible study, prayer and fellowship. We are
just starting the book "Mastering
Motherhood" by Barbara Bush. If you are at all interested, please
consider joining us!
Respectfully submitted, Jody Strand
Pastor Andy led this men's group which met at church on Thursday mornings from
6:30-7:30 AM. We spent time in Bible study and prayer. The group continues
to meet and any men are welcome if it fits your time schedule.
Men who attended this group included: Andy Majorins, John Krista, Norm
Cripe, Herb
Anderl, Mike Mayhew, Darin Thomas, Stu Krause, Glen Woods, Patrick Hukriede,
Dan Burns, Steve Vogt, Bob Tilma, Steve Davis, Jamey Mauk, Jay Long, Paul
Lasiewicz,
Larry Hoffman, and Curt Clausing.
The "Reaching the Heart of Your Teen" small group Bible study has been an
enlightening and encouraging experience. We are in our second year with
this same small group, having started in the 1998-1999 season.
The fact that teen years can be
some of the best years in raising our kids is not a myth, but a reality.
Teenage rebellion is the exception, not the rule.
The study prepared by
Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo has the goal of bringing parents and teens together
to learn and grow in their relationship with each other and with the
Lord. There is opportunity to mend hurting and broken relationships
between the parents and child throughout the study, which is based on a
biblical world view governing human relationships -- especially those
within the family.
The study starts out with the healthy family profile, moves to the power
of relationships, then the many ways of love, then discipline and
encouragement and closes with the three levels of correction.
This study should be done by all parents to help facilitate reaching
the heart of your teen.
Prayerfully submitted by,
Michael R. & Lynn A. Mayhew
"Women in the Word" is a women's Bible study that meets every first
and third Thursday evening from 6:45-8:00 p.m. We are
studying a book on prayer
called Let Prayer Change Your Life by
Becky Tirabassi. Prayer is simply
talking and listening to God. We make time in our lives for the things
that are important to us. So, if God is important to us, then we will
want to make time for Him in our lives everyday! We have come to find
out that prayer does change our lives! "Keep on praying." 1 Thes. 5:17
Prayfully submitted,
by Mark Volbrecht
This past year saw minimal changes in the sound system. We have rerouted a
few wires allowing the lower speakers to have a separate wall plug. We have
made a few adjustments to the receiving units for the wireless mics
improving their sound quality. For the upcoming year I don't anticipate
any
major changes. There might be some adjustments made to the speakers to
improve the sound distribution. We still tend to be loud in front and soft
in the back.
I would like to thank Chuck Wood and Rick and Derek Pribnow for all of
their work with the
sound system and for running it on Sundays. I have just recently begun to
train Dennis and Andrew Downs on how to run the sound. They should be
ready
to go solo soon. If anyone else is interested in learning how to run the
sound system just let me know and we will train you.
by Richard Pribnow
[Editor's note: Rick Pribnow, a former engineering manager at Cray
Research,
presented a scientifically thorough study on
evolution vs. creation for the adult Sunday school class last spring,
from his own studies. This is just the tip of the iceberg! Talk to Rick
if you'd like to know more...]
Solution -- Evolution
Problem -- The People of the World believe in God.
What do these things have in common?
According to the "science" of evolution, the above are all isolated
details that need not detract from the ongoing search for confirmation
of the "fact of evolution." To someone that assumes that science will
use scientific methods to either confirm or deny whether it is a theory
or fact, the above are major roadblocks to the confirmation of the
Theory of Evolution.
Not to fear, Science is there to sort these things out (throw out any
data) that challenge the "Fact of Evolution."
It probably is not a surprise to anyone that the Architects of the
Theory were all Atheists. Their belief was that since there was no God,
there must be another solution to the problem of where we came from. The
only problem was how to make the facts fit with the Theory. That was
when the problems emerged and the scientific community has been
scrambling since that time to spin the data whenever possible to somehow
support their position. If that did not work, then try to destroy the
credibility of any challenger. While the fight continued in the
background, teach the children that no God was necessary for evolution.
Finally, force religious teaching (Creation) out of the schools.
Are the facts out there to support Creation? The good news is YES!
Everywhere you turn! The sad situation is that people assume that
whatever they are told is the truth. The facts trotted out for public
consumption are carefully filtered so as to not risk the Theory.
The neat thing about the facts as a whole, including the problems, is
one thing. The Bible is accurate. There are no facts that do not match
with the account of the Bible. Even though the Bible is not written as
a biology, geology, astronomy or anthropology text, it matches
flawlessly with all of the facts. Most of the facts (and problems) of
evolution we see today could EASILY be the result of a global flood --
yes, THE FLOOD.
You do not have to worry about whether you need to give up your beliefs
in the face of science. Some have already ransomed their beliefs to
somehow mesh evolution and creation due to the "overwhelming evidence"
of evolution. No Fear. Evolution is actually "The Emperor's New
Clothes." If you believe one thing -- a global flood, that changed
the climate and face of the earth -- you have in your pocket the answer to
all of the problems of evolution, for even the dating methods fall apart
if the climate of the earth changed.
It seems too simple. I felt the same way, until I searched for the
facts during my own search for God. I was afraid to research, for fear
of the outcome. I am happy to report that my fears were unfounded and
my research for my own conversion is what I built this course around. I
presented only part of my gathered data, but provided more than enough
information (nine sessions) of problems in Evolution. After all of that, I
only needed one session about the Biblical answer to all of the facts.
Amazing how simple it can be when you go the Bible.
For those of you that wish to do a short Bible study of how science got
here, below is what I feel represents it fairly accurately.
"School Days, School Days, we love Sunday School Days!" This was the
recurrent tune heard throughout the halls of the new CVBC education building
this year. Even Keith Tompkins could be heard humming something resembling a
song, at the thought of all the room that would be available for his class.
We are blessed to have six additional rooms available for classes on Sunday
morning. We thank God for His timing and provisions!
Again this year, we have over 120 children in the Sunday School Program. I
thank the Lord for His dedicated servants who take their time and talents to
share their faith by teaching Sunday School:
We are always looking for those who would be willing to help in team teaching
Sunday School classes. Please contact me if the Lord would lead you into that
ministry.
In His Service
Dennis Wolf
From the usher's corner: You may or may not notice the smiling face
that places a program into your hands as you enter the sanctuary,
looking for that perfect seat, on Sunday mornings. So let us introduce
ourselves: Jerry Brandt, Tom Sterling, and Darin Thomas.
We are in place to help your Sunday morning worship experience be a
joyful and smooth one. We will be glad to help you find a seat, deliver
announcements and prayer requests to Pastor Andy, or an elder before
service begins. The weekly program passed to you is an informative paper
including ongoing and upcoming events, special announcements, sermon
outlines, and other pertinent information and church business.
Furthermore, we record the number of people who attend both worship
services and Sunday school. Moreover, Jerry welcomes us all with hot
coffee, orange juice, and donuts!
We welcome any questions, comments, or concerns, and if the Lord moves
you, please feel free to come join us. Being an usher is a wonderful
way to meet both members and visitors who worship at CVBC. We look
forward to another fantastic year serving the church body and our God!
Jerry Brandt, Tom Sterling, and Darin Thomas.
by Dave & Cris Bishop
The 1999 Vacation Bible School theme was SonCastle Faire, based on
Jesus' Parable of the Talents. The children were challenged to
discover and develop their own unique talents and abilities to help
others and serve the King of Kings. We reached an average of 135
children each night, with a total of 181 different kids showing up for
at least part of the week!
The church was transformed into a castle, thanks in part to
decorations borrowed from Bethesda Lutheran Church of Eau Claire. Each
night began with great music with a sound unique to the Middle Ages.
Many songs included the scripture memory verses for the day like
"God's Workmanship" (Ephesians 2:10) and "I Will Praise You!"
(Psalm 9:1,2). The all-out favorite for the week was "I Believe God
Will Use Me!". I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this one.
The program continued with a Skit/Puppet Show, Bible Time, and Bible
Game Activities to help the children understand the key point for the
day. The children were challenged to memorize a verse each day. Many
rose to the challenge by memorizing all five verses. Other activities
included outside games, snacks, and crafts.
The children had the opportunity to share their love for the world
around them by participating in the VBS Mission project. The goal of
the project was to collect 400 pounds of non-perishable food items for the
PALS Home and the Salvation Army. Kids were motivated by the challenge
to bring in more food than the adults. It worked! They brought in over
400 pounds just by themselves, for a grand total over 600 pounds!
New to the VBS program this year was the addition of an Adult Bible
Study Class. It gave CVBC the opportunity to reach parents of some of
the children. All adults enjoyed being a part of VBS and appreciated
the adult class.
Many thanks go out to all the people who used their talents to make
this year's Vacation Bible School a success. If you'd like to learn
more about this year's VBS (including seeing 200 full-color photos!),
just go to "www.cvbc.net/vbs" on the Internet.
by Crystal Ruzika
When Dennis Wolf announced that CVBC was in need of a Drama leader for
the 1999 Christmas Program, I could barely contain my excitement. I had
always dreamed of being on the "other" side of the stage, directing and
creating a production that would bring God's love to the eyes of an
audience. I was very blessed to have Linda Balsiger and Melissa Majorins
work alongside me in preparing this production, and I truly could not have
done it without them.
After many days of debating between doing a musical or a play, I gave
up the fight and decided to do both. It was relatively easy to pick out the
pieces I wanted to perform, and everything fell into place from there on.
The only thing left to do as far as the actual scripts were concerned was to
link them together. Toward the end of rehearsals, I wrote a short frame
entitled, "A Teacher's Walk," which not only served to bring the other two
plays together, but also opened parts for the numerous first and second
graders who were not quite "ready" for large speaking parts.
We began rehearsals in the middle of October, and met every Tuesday
night through the middle of December. The kids were very talented and
excited, and their enthusiasm showed in their quality work. By the time
December 12th rolled around, everyone was ready with lines memorized,
costumes readied, and props located. Minutes before the production, we gave
blessing to God for the opportunity to bring His word to our parents and
friends, and with our hearts united towards Him, we filed onstage to do our
first and last performance of "Manger Mania," and "A Christmas Star." The
kids did a beautiful job.
When I set out to do this project, I had two goals in mind. The first
was that no matter what happened, no matter the obstacles, Christ would be
the center of our message. The second, and less important, was that no one
who wished to perform would be turned away. We accomplished both.
I want to offer sincere and heartfelt thanks to all who participated in
1999's Christmas Program. I look forward to a great year filled with more
dramatic praises.
Respectfully,
Crystal Ruzicka
If 1998 was a year of trials for the youth ministry at Chippewa Valley Bible
Church, 1999 was a year of rebuilding. We live in a culture where it is well
documented that many children are neglected by parents and grow up with a
mistrust of authority. Hence youth ministry is no simple task, especially
since ministry is built a lot upon trust. That is how I can summarize the
year for the youth group, a rebuilding of trust.
As a ministry we seek to build up students to truly love God. This is a huge
statement because anyone who has ever honestly tried to love God with their
whole being has found they cannot. Obviously our goal is set high, but Jesus
never expected any less of His followers either. This goal is huge also
because of its wide breadth. One who seeks to love God will seek to obey God
and honor Him in his speech and actions.
With many of this past year's activities we have sought to push our students
on to that goal. We have had Bible studies, worship times, prayer meetings,
evangelistic outreaches, fun parties, missions projects, challenging retreats
and so much more. Looking ahead to this new year we continue to press onto
this goal. We say along with Paul, "the goal of our instruction is love from
a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." (1 Timothy 1:5)
I am deeply grateful for the many who have stepped up to assist with the
youth ministry this past year. These include: Erin Andreo, Chris Brandt, Dan
Burns, Greg and Gab Gilbertson, Emily Haley, Brenda Hukriede, Dave McDaniel,
Andy & Connie Majorins, Kevin Mason, Rick Pribnow, Rachel Wallace, Rich
Ward, Stan & Connie Williams, Dennis & Mary Wolf, and Debbie Woodford. A
special thank you goes to Wayne & Brenda Street for their many years of
faithful service in the youth ministry before moving to Wyoming in April.
Finally, I would like to recognize a group of students who have demonstrated
a strong dedication to this ministry; this is the senior high executive
council. This group of students takes an active role in planning and leading
various aspects of our program. We desire to celebrate those
who have come to a
point in their faith where they begin to give back. Included in this group
are: Cam Clausing, Saralyn Hoekstra, Darek Holbus, Julianne Majorins, Erika
Mayhew, Sara Pokrzywinski, Derek Pribnow, Heidi Schild, Brooke Vircks, Jeremy
Wilcox, and Jessie Wolf.
I praise God for an awesome year and look forward to His leading and work
within the students' lives this coming year. As always, there are
opportunities to be involved with the group and always more subs to buy!
By God's Grace,
Dale Thiele
by Sally Krohn
I sat on the couch. She sat across the room, slouched in her recliner,
having slid down since the nurses aide had placed her there an hour ago.
We had a few hours together before the next aide would come to put her to
bed. As I looked at her, I saw the sadness in her brown eyes. I saw the
left arm move weakly as she lifted a cup to her mouth. It spoke loudly to
me of the days to come, when it, too, would betray her, just as her legs
and right arm had already done. ALS was wrecking havoc with her body,
piece
by piece.
It had been 18 long months since this 53-year-old, energetic
math professor had first learned of the neuromuscular disorder that was
slowly draining the life from her. It started with a weak ankle, tripping
once in awhile -- until just a month earlier when we had all learned the
depth of anguish this disease was yet to cause.
It was the first Sunday of May, 1998. She awoke around 2:30 a.m. when
mother nature called. Pulling her uncooperative body to the edge of the
bed, the nightmare began. The momentum of "throwing" her legs to the side
of the bed pulled her weakened body over the edge and down to the floor.
The flailing right arm hung up on the bed rail. The stronger left arm was
caught beneath the dead weight of her body. The Amyotrophic Lateral
Sclerosis had won this round. An alert mind trapped in a paralyzed body,
lying half on the floor, half
caught in the rails of the hospital bed.
For hours she laid there, knowing
it would be after 8:00 a.m. before a friend would be coming by. She knew
that in that one awful moment when gravity grabbed her useless legs and
pulled her from the bed -- her life was changed. No longer could she trust
her own strength to move from spot to spot. No longer could she enjoy time
alone. Now there would need to be someone there -- night and day. Someone
would need to lift her into the wheelchair. Someone would need to brush
her teeth. She had read the New York Times best seller, "Tuesdays with
Morrie," and she shared in Morrie's dread of the day someone's going to
have to take care of all her personal hygiene. And now she
knew that day had come for her.
A month later as we sat in her living room, we talked of the ways her
story paralleled that of Morrie Shwartz and we talked of how her story
would be different. Morrie had a wife and sons that cared for him during
his last months as his body betrayed him. Sandy's body was taking the same
inevitable trip that all persons with ALS (PALS) experience -- the road to
total physical dependence. Sandy's family loved her dearly, but her 83
year old mom, her disabled sister and brother and her only son would not
be able to provide the daily care she would need. In the days before this
eventful day, Sandy and I had discussed the probable
need for her to move to a nursing home when she could no longer manage at
home. We explored all of the alternatives and came back to the inevitable.
I had asked on numerous occasions if she would go with me to look at the
homes, to find the best care available. Always her answer was whispered
with a sigh "I can't go look. I just can't." We searched for
alternatives -- home care, family, friends -- but always we came up empty.
As Sandy's Occupational Therapist, I had seen her face many losses over the
months. When it was time for a cane, a walker and later for a wheelchair,
she was ready to move on. Unlike many others she didn't see that using the
aides was "giving in" but rather a way to "keep going." But as we looked
at the upcoming loss of her home, Sandy could look no further. The pain
was too great.
I sat on the couch. She sat across the room, slouched in her recliner. I
remembered the tears and prayers I had shed for my friend over the past
month. For weeks I had been praying for guidance as to how I could be of
more help to her and others with ALS. My heart ached to think of the day
she might have no choice but to move to a nursing home.
I had visited
other PALS in nursing homes. I'd seen a man ask the nurse to move his legs
because they were hurting. The response from the nurse was "the therapist
did exercises this morning. He will be back tomorrow," as she turned and
walked from the room. I had visited a man who was afraid to sleep at night
for fear he would choke. He knew there was only one aide for over twenty
patients at night. If he needed her, would she get there in time?
Another PAL cried as she told me she had dirtied her pants while waiting
for help to transfer to the commode. As I had pondered these possibilities
for Sandy, my heart was overwhelmed with grief forcing me to my knees in
prayer. It was there, on my knees that the dream took form.
Now I sat on the edge of Sandy's couch with my stomach churning, my heart
racing. I leaned forward and asked, "Sandy, what if we could open a
group home for people with ALS. Would you consider living there?" With an
intensity I will never forget, Sandy leaned toward me as far as she could
and said "Yes! Did you hear me? I said yes!" And so the journey began.
I had no idea how to open a group home. I didn't know the laws about
opening one. I had no money. I had no house. I had never managed a
business before. I only knew that the needs of PALS were great, my heart
was heavy and that I had a great God that had promised to meet our needs.
Together, Sandy and I prayed, looking to God for wisdom and leading. I
took a two week leave of absence from the hospital where I worked. I
talked to everyone I could find to talk to. I met with a banker, a lawyer,
an accountant, a pastor, social services, and the state licensing agency.
I read the Old Testament story of Nehemiah and saw clearly the parallel
between his situation and ours. Nehemiah saw the need of his people. He
wept. He fasted and prayed and when the time was right he asked others to
help him make a difference in the lives of those he loved. The lives of
those with ALS were ever before me. I wept. I prayed and fasted. Others
joined me in prayer and God did miraculous things.
In June
I wrote a "wish list" that I gave to God in prayer. I asked for the house
on Folsom Street. I asked for 24-hour staff. I asked for money. I even
asked for a dog. I felt like a kid giving their Christmas list to mom and
dad, knowing you wouldn't get everything you asked for,
but that whatever you got would be wonderful because your parents loved
you.
Just four months later, the dream became reality. Over $20,000 had come
in. A lease was signed for the very house we had prayed for. Within four
weeks of getting the key, volunteers had remodeled two bathrooms, enlarged
doors, replaced carpeting, painted walls, built shelves and a ramp. And on
December 4, 1998, Sandy and I spent the night in the nation's first
assisted living facility for persons with ALS. All that we had dreamed and
prayed for became reality. God used a multitude of people to accomplish
miraculous things. In June of this year a soft cuddly cockapoo moved in as
our resident pet and we know now that dreams do come true!
Just last week, we celebrated our first anniversary at PALS Community
Home. God's faithfulness is all around us. My dear friend Sandy lived
with us at PALS for ten blessed weeks before her weakened body breathed its
last and her soul moved on to its new heavenly home. Sandy died in my
arms with her son and mother and sister at her side. ALS had won its
insidious battle with her body. First her arms and legs were taken. Then
her eating became harder and harder, and finally her breathing became more
shallow. And lastly, her speech, too was taken. Four days before she
died, Sandy asked to leave the hospital saying "I just want to go home."
Now, eight months later -- I still hear those words "I just want to go
home." PALS Community Home had become "home" for Sandy. Since Sandy's
death in February, two other women with ALS have "come home" to PALS.
Sara and Ruth both spent a few months in different nursing homes before
coming to PALS. Sara's family said that for months she had been grieving
the loss of moving from her home, but within two weeks of moving into PALS,
Sara was referring to this as her "home." Sara and Ruth also lost their
fight with ALS while here with us. But because the loving care of family
was supplemented by staff and volunteers, each of the ladies lived their
last days with dignity and respect, living life fully until the last
moment.
Today I celebrate the wonder and magic of dreams fulfilled by an awesome
God. I look with anticipation and awe to glimpse what His hand will bring
forth in and around each of us as we continue to come to Him with our daily
cares. My faith has grown leaps and bounds and yet I still struggle with
fear. Will we be able to continue? Will the money we need keep coming in?
Will residents hear about us and want to come? When I feel the fears
growing within me I go back to the Old Testament. Nehemiah built the wall
of Jerusalem in just 52 days, overcoming opposition from both without and
within. His example of perseverance in the face of opposition sends me
back to my knees where I regain perspective to continue hour by hour
trusting God to accomplish what He will.
The logo for PALS Community Home includes a heart with an open hand
reaching toward it. It reminds us that there is healing for the heart as
one reaches out to take the hand of God and those He puts around us.
Stu -- here are some misc. notes.
* This will be around 17 pages of just text (70K), plus more depending
on how many pictures are used.
* We should have page numbers, and a table of contents.
* We would like to have the "God For Us" logo on the front cover -- it's
the theme of the banquet this year.
* We should have the info from the back page of the newsletter, i.e.,
names, phone numbers, and email addresss of deacons and elders.
Also be sure to
display "www.cvbc.net" prominently, as well as "info@cvbc.net"!
* The order of articles in this file is unimportant...put in whatever
order you think flows nicely. Probably should have Annual Report
overview
first (since it's an overview of everything), maybe followed by
the financial report and the attendance chart.
* I'll be giving you lots of digital pictures on floppies...use as many
as you can! You can also reused some from past newsletters.
It would be great to
have various shots of ministries, maybe even some big ones with captions
to tell who the people are. Also, it might be nice to have small
pictures of whoever is writing the article, like columnists do in the
newspaper, like you did last year. I assume you have many of these
still on your hard
drive...also, we can borrow the family pictures on the wall at church if
needed.
I'll try to remember to give you a blank ZIP disk -- give me a call
when you finish it, and I'll drive over and pick up the ZIP and the
originals...that way, we can make a last-minute fix if needed.
Thanks a ton! We need to get this to Connie W. by Monday 1/17/00
so she can start running int off.
- Tom Arneberg, 1/12/2000
1999 1999 2000 %
Budget Actual Budget Change
------ ------ ------ ------
Staff Compensation $98,635 $87,305 $109,650 11%
Administrative $ 8,500 $ 8,608 $ 11,000 29%
Facilities $23,500 $47,116 $ 58,800 150%
Youth & Education $15,500 $24,162+ $ 19,000 23%
Ministries $ 8,850 $ 4,821 $ 9,000 2%
Missions Support $17,040 $17,040 $ 19,440 14%
Building Addition NA $43,919 NA NA
-------- -------- --------
TOTAL $174,024 $234,970 $228,890 32%
Worship service attendance
AWANA program exposes 175 kids to Scripture memory and teaching
2 Tim. 2:15
Thirteen baptized at "Camp Williams"
Mark Hedrington
Paulette Hedrington
Jessica Long
Erika Mayhew
Michael Pribnow
Heidi Schild
Lauren Tompkins
Connie Williams
Brianna Willams
Garrett Williams
Jeremy Wilcox
Jessica Wolf
Megan Woodford
Baptism is one of the most important and meaningful experiences of the
Christian life. We do this in our church primarily because
Christ commanded it. Jesus said:
"Therefore go and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them..." Jesus also said, in John 14:15 -- "If you love me,
you will obey what I command." We demonstrate our love for Jesus
by obeying His commands.
Basket weaving classes grow in '99
Darla Volbrecht
Children's Church report
Adult choir tackles worship musical
Youth choir is sharp
Church communications keep us informed
Deaconess report
Judy Haley Becky Scheidler
Jody Strand Maggie Merdler
Debbie Woodford Sarah Richards
Polly Sharp Paulette Hedrington
Audrey Peterson Lori McDaniel
Sheri Stuve Cheryl Mason
Deacons' report
Elders' report
Keith Tompkins
Church library quietly continues expansion
Missionary support to grow 14%
* Add Chris Radloff (Activity Director at Crescent Lake Bible Camp)
* Dave Anderson (Crescent Lake Bible Camp)
* Jim Arneberg (Tanzania, Africa)
* Roland Bergstrom (Minnesota)
* Judi Brodeen (Mali, Africa) (on educational leave in LA)
* Ted Cripe (New Zealand)
* Maris Dzeles (Latvia)
* Bill Clark (Good News Jail Ministry -- Eau Claire)
* Mark Hull (Fellowship of Christian Athletes -- Eau Claire)
* IFCA National
* Charles Frink (New Zealand)
* Roy Koopman (AWANA -- WI)
* Ester Majam (Philippians)
* Jack McMahan (New Zealand)
* John Pederson ("Shine The Light" Ministries -- Bemidji, MN)
* Brenda Poulson (Brazil)
* Tony Poulson (Brazil)
* Radio Bible Class (MI)
* Ginger Sharp (Campus Crusade -- Minneapolis)
* Steve Spellman (Brazil)
* Jeff Thibaudeau (Brazil)
* Paul Thyren (Wisconsin Church Extension)
* Debbie Velie (Latvia)
* Jim Walton (Wycliffe -- TX)
* Jim Woldhuis (Village Missions -- Duluth, MN)
* Bill Pederson Scholarship (Oak Hills Bible College -- Bemidji, MN)
* Dan Gaffney (Family Life Ministries -- Eau Claire, WI)
* Chad Selje (Campus Crusade -- Eau Claire, WI)
* Jeff Poulson (New Tribes Mission - Brazil)
* Jason Hull (InterVarsity - UW Eau Claire)
Special music supports sermons
Worship team refocuses
CVBC blessed with a quiver of new babies
Newcomers' perspective: Paul & Kay Forsythe
New families join us in worship
New members make commitment to CVBC
New nursery room finished in time for baby influx
Kim Hoffman
Pastor Andy's report
First Corinthians Bible study
Junior high girls' Bible study
The seven most asked questions about FOCUS
Fellowship of Obedient Christians United in Service
We provide a place of fellowship and encouragement for Christians. We also
are committed to serving the church and community through service activities.
People who are in their late teens, twenties, and thirties looking for
fellowship at CVBC. We also encourage FOCUS members to bring friends from
outside the church.
We plan a variety of activities to attract anyone looking to build
relationships. Here are a few of our activities: camping at Perrot State
Park, video scavenger hunt, stampin' & bakin' party, bowling, bonfire at the
Stuve's, progressive dinner.
We have planned a game/movie night, road trip to the Twin Cities, and
volunteering at the PALS Home in the spring.
These are just a few:
Check out our bulletin board in the front hallway. Look for information in
the FOCUS mailbox, or talk to Patrick & Brenda Hukriede
(cephas_huk@hotmail.com).
Friday night Bible study
"Growing Kids God's Way" splits in its second year
Wednesday ladies' Bible study
Ladies Missionary Fellowship (LMF) report
Audrey Peterson
LMF President
Marriage/Choir small group
Young mothers' Bible study
Thursday morning "Men on the Move"
"Reaching the Heart of Your Teen" continues for second year
"Women in the Word"
Lynn Mayhew
Sound system report
Adult Sunday school examines evolution vs. creation
Sunday school report
Smiling faces usher in the new year
"SonCastle Faire" VBS draws 181 children
Christmas program combines musical and play
Youth group rebuilds in 1999
Associate Pastor
ALS home dream becomes reality
Notes for Stu
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