Central District Conference—EFCA and Hidden Acres

52 Pages·2017·4.85 MB·English

by  Rhonda E. Nichols

Table of Contents

1 Conference Speakers
2 Conference Supporters and Sponsors
3 Conference Schedule

District Reports

4-5 Superintendent’s Report
6-7 Associate Superintendent of Church Health Report
8 District Board Chairman’s Report
9 Central District 2015-2017 Calendar

Ministry Reports

10-11 Student Ministry Team
12 Pastor - Church Relations Committee

Church Planting Reports

13 Church Planting Board
14 Church Planting—Northern Region
15-16 Church Planting—Southern Region
17 Multi-Ethnic Ministries
18 Churches Seeking Membership
19 Board Approved Church Plants, Associate Churches
20-21 Staff Approved Church Planting Projects
22 Central District EFCA—Multiplication Chart 1990-2017

Organization Reports

23 Hidden Acres Christian Center - Camp Board Chairman
24 Hidden Acres Christian Center - Former Director
25 Hidden Acres Christian Center—Executive Director
26 Westhaven Community Executive Director

Financial Reports

27 Church Giving List
28 District Cost of Ministry
29-30 District Cash Flow Summary
31 District Balance Sheet
32-36 Hidden Acres Income & Expenses Budget vs. Actual
37 Student Ministry Financial Statement
38 Central District, Hidden Acres & Student Ministries Financial Reviews

District Boards and Ballot

39-41 Current Officers, Board Members and Staff
42-43 Candidate Profile
44 Nomination Ballot

Business Agenda, Workshop Descriptions and Valley Map

45 Anticipated Business Agenda
46 Monday Workshop Titles and Descriptions
47 Tuesday Workshop Titles and Descriptions
48 Post—Conference Workshops & New District Teammates
49 Valley Church Map
Conference Speakers

Dr. Zack Eswine is the current Director of Homiletics and Adjunct
Professor of Applied Theology. Dr. Eswine also serves (since 2008) as the
lead pastor at Riverside Church in Webster Groves, Missouri. He
previously served as lead pastor of Grace Church in Hudson, Ohio. He is
a board member for Webster Groves Alliance for Racial Dignity and a
visiting lecturer at Grace Theological College in New Zealand. Dr. Eswine
is the author of several books including “Preaching to a Post—Everything
World”, which received the ‘Preaching Today Book of the Year Award.’
His most recent and award winning book is “The Imperfect Pastor:
Discovering Joy in our Limitations through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus”.
Alejandro Mandes is the EFCA Leader of All People Initiative. He is
passionate about being gospel focused (Great Commission), identifying
with the compassion needs of the community (Great Commandment) and
developing multiple pathways for leadership development and church
planting (Great Community). Alejandro has a Masters Degree in Social
Work and a Doctoral Degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. He has
personally planted three churches, developed church planters, consulted
many churches in developing multiethnic ministries and has created the
GATEWAY Theological Institute that helps equip and train pastors to
become aligned with the EFCA doctrine. This training has provided a
pathway for many to become credentialed with the EFCA. Alejandro’s
greatest claim to fame is being married to a Norwegian babe and having
five Latin daughters! He is passionate about the church and reaching the
lost!
Shane Stacey is the EFCA’s National Director of ReachStudents. He has
been serving youth and youth workers for more than 20 years. Shane has a
passion to help young people discover their unique Ephesians 2:10 role in
God’s eternal story. He enjoys reading, camping, and water skiing. Shane
lives with his wife and three children in Minneapolis, MN.
Dr. Calvin Swan is Superintendent of the Central District EFCA. He is a
graduate of Wheaton College and earned his MDiv and DMin at Trinity
Evangelical Divinity School. His EFC pastoral experience includes serving
as a youth pastor in Bartlett, Illinois; as a solo pastor in Big Lake, Minnesota;
and as a senior pastor in Muscatine, Iowa. He served on the District
Planting Board from 1990 to 1999 as it grew from 55 to 88 churches. He has
now served for the past 18 years as District Superintendent, during which
time the district has grown from 88 to 135 member churches. Cal is
responsible for direction and oversight of the district ministry team but is
also directly available for service to pastors and churches, especially in the
area of placement and pastoral transitions.
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FCMM Benefits & Retirement
[phone]
[email protected]
Fcmmbenefits.org
NextStep Resources
[phone]
[email protected]
www.nsresources.com

Hidden Acres Christian Center
3837 Union Avenue
Dayton, IA 50530
[phone]
www.hacamps.org

Valley Church
4343 Fuller Rd
West Des Moines, IA 50265
[phone]
www.valley-church.com

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Conference Schedule

MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017 TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2017
8:00 am Registration Opens (Atrium) 8:00 am Registration Opens (Atrium)
8:45 am Worship—Valley Worship Team 8:30 am Plenary #4 with (Auditorium)
(Auditorium) Dr. Zack Eswine
9:00 am Business Session (Auditorium) 8:30 am ReachStudents Track with
10:30 am Plenary #1 with (Auditorium) Shane Stacey (Student Ministries)
Alex Mandes 9:30 am Break (Chapel)
12:00 pm Celebration Luncheon (Auditorium) 9:45 am Equipping Intensives (Workshops)
1:30 pm Plenary #2 with (Auditorium) -Jeremy Carr—Leading Change Without
Dr. Zack Eswine Losing Your Mind
2:30 pm Break (Chapel) (West Central Station)
2:45 pm Equipping Intensives (Workshops) -Allison Greenwald—Contemplative
-Dr. Zack Eswine—Preaching Jesus in Pathways: New/old ways to know God
a Post-Truth Generation—Part #1 (North Point)
(Courtyard Hall) -Brad Wos—A Multi-Cultural
-Al Frank & Kyle Bartholic—Four Ministry Panel (C 6/7)
Chair Discipling-Part #1 -Dr. Zack Eswine—Preaching Jesus in
(East Central Station A) a Post-Truth Generation—Part #2
-Sue Swan—Expectations and the (Courtyard Hall)
Pastor’s Wife (North Point) -Al Frank & Larry Austin—Four
-Linton Lundeen—Resilient Ministry Chair Discipling—Part #2
(East Central Station B) (East Central Station A)
-Dr. Alex Mandes—Reaching the -John Gerhardt—Charity Gives But
Nations Among us with the Justice Changes: Social Justice Issues
and The Church’s Response
Transforming Gospel (C 6/7)
(East Central Station B)
-Larry Austin—Lessons from the 11:15 am Break (Chapel)
Leadership Pipeline 11:30 am Plenary #5 with (Auditorium)
(West Central Station) Dr. Zack Eswine
4:15 pm Break (Chapel) 12:30 pm Luncheons—General (Auditorium)
4:30 pm Plenary #3 with (Auditorium) -Pastor’s Wife and Missionary
Dr. Zack Eswine Women (North Point)
5:30 pm End of Day 1
-Pastors 45 or younger (East Central A)
6:00 pm Dinner on your own OR
-Student Ministry (Student Ministry)
Ministry Couples Dinner hosted by
- VIP Lunch (East Central B)
Cal and Sue Swan
2:00 pm Plenary #6 with (Auditorium)
(Biaggi’s Restaurant)
Shane Stacey

3:15 pm End of Conference
3:30 pm Foundations Training
(Valley Community Center)
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Superintendent’s Report

EXPECTATIONS … When I first entered full time pastoral ministry in 1981 I began with many
“expectations.” Over the course of the years I have had many of my expectations come true but in a
significant number of areas, what I expected to happen did not happen. In some cases I was
disappointed by people, in other cases I found that some individuals far exceeded my expectations. I
also realize that regardless of my best efforts I may also have fallen short of what some parishioners
expected of me. Perhaps, and hopefully, I also exceeded what some in my congregation expected of
their pastor. I have also found this to be true in my calling as a Superintendent. We all live with
expectations of others but what may be the most important area to understand is what are our
self-expectations. Pastors, at times, are harder on themselves than others would ever be on them.
Not living up to our own expectations can be self-destructive. This year our speaker, Zach Eswine,
author of the “Imperfect Pastor”, will help us deal with the topic of Expectations.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT OF ANY LOCAL FREE CHURCH … Above all to be true to the
Word or God. While it is appropriate to have high expectations in many ways, sinless perfection is
not one of them. The Apostle John said this that “if anyone claims to be without sin, that person is a
liar and the trust is not in him.” That is why Paul tells us to be humble, gentle, patient and long
suffering with one another.

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT OF ANY FREE CHURCH PASTOR … The Bible itself says that a
teacher of the Word will be judged more strictly than others; but that does not mean that the pastor
is sinless and above having shortcomings. Every pastor will disappoint his church at some time. He
will not meet everyone’s expectations. What the church needs to do is to be very clear in their
relationship with the pastor, clarifying expectations and graciously working through those times
when expectations are not met. The church and pastor should recognize that they are in this
ministry for the long run and that always “changing horse in midstream” each time there is a
disagreement is very counter-productive.

WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT OF YOUR DISTRICT TEAM AND DISTRICT CONGREGA-
TIONS… To get down to specifics, you should expect the district as a whole to focus on the mission
we have committed ourselves to as a district of the EFCA. That is, we are committed “To glorify
God by multiplying transformative churches among all peoples.” So what have we done this year:

1. Planting: This year we are recognizing three church plants that are becoming member
churches of the Central District. In 1990 we had just over 50 churches and today through our
planting and extension efforts we are nearly 140 congregations. Your commitment to church
planting has been fruitful. Our staff of Mark Doss and Al Frank are deeply committed and
successful in this mission.
2. All Peoples: Your commitment to multi-cultural ministry has kept us on the search for a new
director of this ministry. This conference we install Brad Wos as our second director of this
very important ministry. We were the first district in the EFCA to have a full-time director
and now we are still the only district with a full time person in this position. The gospel is for
all people and we are committed to that mission. We expect that many of you will want to
have a partnership in this mission.
3. Discipleship: Transformation begins at an individual level and that transformation only
happens when individual believers are serious about their relationship with the Lord and
their desire to help others walk in a significant relationship with Jesus Christ. Larry Austin
has committed himself to this ministry that leads to healthy, transformative churches.

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Superintendent’s Report

4. Support Ministries: Our district is committed to a number of ministries that impact the
lives of people from youth to closing years. All of these ministries are focused ultimately on
being a blessing to our district churches and our mission. Hidden Acres changes peoples’
lives. This year we bid farewell to Earl Taylor as he retires but also say welcome to Steve
Pinkley who is our new Executive Director. We also recognize the significant ministry of
Rock River and the role it has in helping individuals listen carefully to the voice of God
from Scripture and through prayer and then experience a deeper walk with Him.

EXPECTATIONS FOR 2017 AND BEYOND … Let me put it simply, I expect you, as pastors and
as church congregations, to remain committed to our common mission. I thank you for your
partnership. I serve as your superintendent and this calling is both an honor and a joy. I expect
that our district staff will also remain committed to one another and our common mission. I
remain thankful that God has called me to serve you and has given to me my wife ,Sue, who
remains my faithful partner in life and ministry. I expect my Lord to remain faithful, as He clearly
states in Scripture: “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world.”

Respectfully submitted,
Calvin Swan
Superintendent
“Growing Healthy Churches Together”
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Director of Church Health

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; greater works than these will
he do because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be
glorified in the Son.” John 14: 12-13

These words from Jesus to his disciples in the Upper Room didn’t appease their pressing concern
about Jesus’ talk of leaving nor did that result in great clarity about what Jesus was about to do in his
passion, but what Jesus spoke of in John 14: 12-13 was fulfilled from the day of Pentecost forward as
these frightened, insecure men launched the movement Jesus had prepared them for in the power of
another Helper—the Holy Spirit. They did the works that Jesus Himself did in the fullness of His
humanity and the power of the Spirit. Indeed, greater works they did—not in kind but in scope and
duration. Today’s disciples are part of the movement Jesus spoke of in the Upper Room, doing life
transforming ministry in His name and in the power of the Spirit.

As a disciple of Jesus, I am grateful and humbled to serve the expression of this movement known as
the Central District of the EFCA. God continues to work and it needs to be acknowledged that he
deserves the glory for the work done in and through me in the role of Director of Church Health in
2017. If there is a word that describes 2017, it is the word multiplication. After eight years in my role,
I’m seeing fruit in multiplying the work of Jesus’ movement in the following areas:

Disciple Making. Jesus has called me alongside local church pastors
and leaders to help them excel in the priority and practice of disciple
making. In 2017, I co-labored with Scott Davis in completing a fifth
Live 2: 6 learning community. Live 2: 6 focuses on pastoral leaders,
taking them back to the model, mission and methods of the Jesus.
Re-establishing disciple making as a way of life, and multiplying
disciple makers in a local church is a path to greater fruitfulness and
health. We introduced Four Chair Discipling as a second equipping
platform for disciple making in 2017. The Four Chair workshop
provides a local church with a biblical, simple picture of what it means to be a disciple and make a
disciple. We are blessed to have certified seven Four Chair Trainers in 2017. Together they led five
workshops across the Central District (plus a number of soft launches) that trained over two hundred
people representing over twenty churches in the disciple making pathway of Jesus.

Leadership Development. Despite having access to more leadership resources than any time in the
history of the church, leadership development is an area of self-assessed need in most churches. A
weak disciple making farm system plus decades of content heavy, pastor-centric approaches have
yielded mixed results. To help churches produce an abundant
harvest of reproducing leaders, we invited Auxano to lead what
we hope will be the first of many Leadership Pipeline co::Labs.
Five churches participated in the 2017 co::Lab—a collaborative
process where churches replaced complex, understaffed
departmental org charts with a leadership pipeline that helps
leaders develop leaders at every level of ministry. I’m thankful
for the partnership of Valley Church in hosting the 2017 co:Lab.
The pipeline process was everything I hoped it would be and more. We’ll be partnering with Auxano
to bring a second co::Lab to Iowa starting in May 2017 and are in discussions on a Missouri co::Lab
for early 2018. If you want to create a leadership development process that bears fruit, let’s talk.
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Director of Church Health
cont.

The Ministry of the Word. We continue to see cascading levels of fruitfulness from our
partnership with the Charles Simeon Trust. This partnership provides a “spring
training” event for pastors and local church leaders to sharpen their skills in expository
preaching and teaching though the Workshop on Biblical Exposition. Our November
Des Moines workshop was again hosted by Timberline
Church. A record 73 participants spent 2 ½ days learning
to better read, study and teach the Psalms. We are
blessed by a deep bench of quality small group leaders
from our own local churches. Some of these leaders will
help us launch a second workshop in our District, hosted by St. Paul’s
EFC in St. Louis on May 3-5, 2017. David Jackman and Josh Black will
be our leader instructors in the book of 2 Timothy. Timberline will once again host our Des Moines
workshop on November 8-10 with guest instructor Bryan Chapell. The ministry of the Word is
growing in and outside of our churches. I’m also encouraged by the continued use of the Simeon and
First Principle Courses in our churches, plus the men taking their learning to places across the globe
through teaching partnerships with EFCA Reach Global and the Simeon Trust.

Ministry for Pastors. There are many opportunities pastors in the Central District have available to
help them live and lead better. Our spring affinity retreats have been one of these opportunities that
have served our pastors well for over ten years. The M Club retreat facilitated by Quintin Stieff from
Valley Church continues to bring encouragement and value to pastors leading churches with multiple
full time staff. The Missouri-Arkansas Lead Pastor Retreat held annually in Springfield, MO provides
a similar environment of learning and support. These men were blessed by the wisdom of Pastor
David MacKinnon of Westchester EFC in Des Moines. In 2017, we altered our approach to these
retreats, taking the value of affinity gatherings closer to where Pastors live and serve. In attempting to
make the retreats more accessible, participation tripled in 2017. Thanks to wise counsel and equipping
provided by Pastors Randy Anderson (Sioux Falls), David Staff (Ames), and Randy Scheil (Cedar
Rapids). In 2017, the timing looks right to develop and launch an extended spiritual leadership
retreat—something that will equip pastors to live and lead better, bearing fruit from a rhythm of
abiding with Jesus.

Israel Study Tour. In May 2017, a group of 28 people spent two weeks walk-
ing where Jesus walked in a chronological study tour of Israel. I partnered
with my good friend, Steve Hudson, of Global Youth Initiatives. Steve has
led over 40 study tours of Israel. Many in our group were alumni of Live 2:
6—our Christo-centric training platform for disciple making. It brought to
life the things we studied. People on the tour will never read the gospels the
same and many affirmed a deeper commitment to the work Jesus started. I’m
grateful to God for the life-shaping relationships and learning provided by this tour.

Once again I am grateful to God for my teammates on the district staff in addition to the many allies
and leaders from our local churches with whom I am blessed to co-labor. What a joy to work in such a
supportive and empowering environment. Thanks to God for the love, support and understanding of
my family PLUS scores of steadfast financial and prayer allies.

Grace and peace to you all!
Larry Austin
Director of Church Health
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District Board Chairman

It has been my privilege to serve the past year as the Central District Board Chairman. I want to take a
minute to thank the Board Members for being so gracious and dedicated to fulfilling their missions. My
three-year term is completed as you will be electing a new board chairman today. Brian Jones has served
faithfully and effectively as the Camp Board Chairman and should make the transition to Central District
Board Chairman easily with your confirmation.

Last year a new initiative was started called the Capitol Project. It encouraged EFCA pastors and lay
leaders to meet, visit and pray with legislators at the state capitol in Des Moines. There were three dates
set for these events. It was very successful as many legislators seemed very willing to be in God’s will as
they performed their legislative jobs. The job is not over. We must continue to pray and help guide local,
state and national leaders. Three more events were scheduled for 2017.

Two very important administrators in the Central District have decided to retire. Nan Sloan, Executive
Director of Westhaven Nursing Home, retired in 2017 and Earl Taylor, Executive Director of the Hidden
Acres Camp, will be retiring March 31 of 2017. We wish both well in their retirements and thank them for
their years of service. Both have been responsible for tremendous contributions to the Central District
but more importantly to the Kingdom of God.

We say hello to Steve Pinkley who has been hired as the next Executive Director of the Hidden Acres
Camp. We also welcome Brad Wos as the next Multi-Cultural Director for the Central District. Both have
the background and experience to take their areas of leadership to new levels. We ask that the Lord bless
them in their tasks and guide them in the days ahead. We ask that the conference remember these men in
prayer. In Brad’s, case please consider adding him to your missionary giving budget.

One of the exciting parts of being the District Chairman is serving on the Church Planting Board. This
year we welcome three new churches. They are The Well Community Church of St. Louis, MO; The
Church at Osage Hills from Osage Beach, MO; and New Life Evangelical Free Church of Tama, IA to the
Central District Conference as full member Churches.

I want to turn my attention to all Pastors. Are you licensed? Are you ordained? If the answer is no, why
not? We want all the Central District Pastors to be properly credentialed. It needs to be a priority and
goes a long way toward demonstrating your faith before your congregations as you would like them to
demonstrate their faith as Christians to the world. I challenge all of you that are not credentialed to
answer the call of the Pastor Church Relations Committee and get that job done.

Lastly, I welcome all of you to our 2017 Central District Conference. “Expectations”- sure we have them
as a District and we have them as churches and we have them as individuals. The question is what are we
going to do to achieve them? Are we going to invite new comers at church to our homes or out for lunch?
Are we going to invite that neighbor next door to attend our church? Will we invite and transport a
neighborhood youngster to attend AWANA or Sunday School? Are we going to support others in the
church that may not be the most popular to gain new friends? Everyone has expectations but no one’s
expectations are higher than someone meeting Christ for the first time through you.

Welcome to our District Conference this year. We hope it will speak to you in ways that will challenge
you in marvelous ways. To that end, I pray, that God will bless each of you abundantly and raise your
personal expectations to serve the Lord.

Respectfully Submitted,
Rick Nielsen
Chairman
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