THE POWER OF GOD’S GOSPEL NOWDAY OF ENCOURAGEMENT • FEBRUARY 4, 2012

A DAY TO INSPIRE, ENCOURAGE, AND EQUIP GOD’S PEOPLE FOR MINISTRY

FELLOWSHIP AND WORKSHOPS FOR ELDERS, PASTORS, CARE GIVERS, DEACONS, YOUTH LEADERS, AND CHURCH MEMBERS

SCHEDULE 7:30 A.M. REGISTRATION: B.J. HAAN AUDITORIUM8:30 A.M. OPENING DEVOTIONS AND WORSHIP8:45 A.M. KEYNOTE ADDRESS9:30 A.M. BREAKOUT SESSION10:45 A.M. BREAKOUT SESSIONNOON LUNCH1:15 P.M. BREAKOUT SESSION2:30 P.M. BREAKOUT SESSION7:00 P.M. KEITH AND KRISTYN GETTY CONCERT

SPONSORED BY DORDT COLLEGE WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM SUPPORTING CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCHES AND REFORMED CHURCHES OF AMERICA

THE POWER OF GOD’S GOSPEL NOW

REV. TIM VINK, KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Currently serving his seventh year as the Coordinator of Church Multiplication for the Reformed Church in America in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Rev. Tim Vink will deliver the keynote address for Day of Encouragement.

“Full recovery of the Gospel is foundational to our society’s revival and reformation. Every church and leader needs to be continually gripped and renewed by the good news of the kingdom of God at hand,” Vink says. In his talk, he explore the following questions: How Gospel-centered is

your life? How Gospel-grounded is your church? He will talk about avoiding fi ve ways to “fumble” the gospel and how to grow in six Gospel dynamics preached in Acts 2.

In his breakout sessions, Vink will focus on how to help people experience the good news of the gospel through healing and deliverance, an approach that might be diff erent than what many experience in our traditional RCA and CRC ministries.

Rev. Tim Vink was baptized in the Luverne, Minn., American Reformed Church, and he has pastored growing Reformed churches in Maurice, Iowa, and Tulare, California. A 1991 graduate of Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., his passion is reaching the lost with gospel saturation movements and church multiplication. Since 1986, Tim has been part of starting hundreds of new churches with the Reformed Church in America. Tim is the happy husband of Dana for 24 years and has three daughters who are walking strong with the Lord: Karis (23), Alaina (21), and Caley (14).

“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,

the Son of God.” Mark 1:1

KEITH AND KRISTYN GETTY CONCERT Keith and Kristyn Getty have been at the forefront of the modern hymn movement over the past decade demonstrating the ability to successfully bridge the gap between the traditional and contemporary.

The husband and wife duo currently lives in the United States, where they have just fi nished their second album together, “Awaken the Dawn,” a collection of hymns that

takes you on a lyrical journey of grace and hope for all the nations. This follows their fi rst collection of hymns, the successful 2006 realease “In Christ Alone.”

Whether on a recording or leading worship with a congregation, Kristyn’s lilting, crystal-clear voice is an ideal contrast to Keith’s richly melodic piano arrangements and accompaniment.

“There are two reasons we write modern hymns,” explains Keith. “First, it’s to help teach the faith. What we sing aff ects how we think, how we feel, and ultimately how we live, so it’s so important that we sing the whole scope of truth the Bible has given us. The second reason is to try to create a more timeless musical style that every generation can sing, a style that relates to the past and the future.”

“Our hope is not in ourselves; it’s in Christ,” Kristyn says of their purpose. “We want music for the church to be able to lift us beyond our circumstances and become a plumbline for bringing all of our life experiences to the truth.”

“In the church, the purpose of singing is to express the community we have as the body of Christ,” Kristyn adds. “To try to search for the melodic ideas and song structure that might bring more people in—that’s what we’re trying to investigate. Is there a way to bring everyone together musically?”

As Keith and Kristyn Getty stand at the helm of an emerging group of new hymn writers today, it seems the church need not fear the death of the medium in this modern age. With songs that are timeless in theology and melody, much akin to the prolifi c works of Wesley, Crosby, and Newton, it’s not hard to imagine the esteemed roll call of the church’s greatest writers will one day include the name Getty, as they carry forward the great standard of the hymn for generations to come.

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Pastor/Elder

u Supporting the Seriously Ill B.J. Van Kalsbeek

Have you ever struggled with how to help those dealing with major illness? What do you say when someone has been given a terminal diagnosis? Ever experienced good intentions actually making the situation worse? Get a hospital chaplain’s perspective on how one might best support those dealing with serious illness while gaining an appreciation for these often incredibly authentic ministry encounters.

u Caring for Your PastorNorm Thomasma

In this session we will explore some obvious and some surprising approaches to caring for your pastor(s). How might “care” encourage and invigorate? How might “care” discourage or confuse? In this session we will explore various facets of caring for your pastor(s) while considering creative and new strategies that some have tried.

u The Calling Process Norm Thomasma

Is calling a pastor mostly a “pray and point”, or is it an elaborate process of exploration, consultation, conversation, reference checking, and prayerful selection? In this session we will look at key aspects to the pastor search process and how they might be adjusted for your congregation and situation.

u Maximizing Your Eff ectiveness Loren Veldhuizen

In this session we will discuss some planning and organizational practices that will help you as a church leader become more eff ective and effi cient. How do you develop a ministry-focused agenda and empower leadership? We will also dialogue about how to eff ectively chair a council meeting.

Deacon

u Outreach and Integration – Bringing Church to Community Rick Droog

How can we equip ourselves to eff ectively minister to our churches, communities, and culture in a relevant way? How do we know if the things that we are doing as a church actually make a diff erence? What are the pressing needs of our community? What could we be doing in your community? In this session we will dialogue about the passion and practices of missional churches. We will refl ect on some keys to more eff ective ministry, increased discipleship, more active outreach, and integration.

u Stewardship Trends – The New Reality Rick Droog

There has been much discussion in the nonprofi t world about change in the economic environment and its impact on stewardship. Churches, along with all Christian ministries, have exhibited a keen interest in resulting stewardship developments. In this session we will discuss what ways we have experienced changes in the competitive environment for our church in our community. What are some of the ways our church has changed as the times have changed? What does the leadership need to be thinking about and preparing for over the next few years in area of fi nancial stewardship?

u Supporting Those in Financial Distress ForumTroy Broers, Ron Heemstra, Jan Henryson, Eric Rankin, Nathan Stob,Neil Van Schouwen

Panelists from lay leadership and professional experience will participate in an open forum to discuss practical ways that the church can support people who are experiencing fi nancial distress. The panelists will discuss the resources available and experiences they have had in dealing with individuals with fi nancial need. We will also discuss some of the ideas about how to avoid hurting people who need help. Come to this forum with your questions.

Diversity

u Ministry Among Muslims – God or Allah? Bill Thornburg

Islam is the second largest religion in the world after Christianity and is growing at a faster rate than any other religion. In the United States, Muslims make up between 0.5 and 2% of the population, and the percentage is growing. We’ll look at some of the basic beliefs and practices of Islam and learn why loving Muslims is biblical.

u Hispanics in Our Churches Dallas Apol and Gianni Gracia

How can churches work effectively with Hispanics to bring them to faith in Jesus Christ and incorporate them into the life of the church?

Youth

u Youth Ministry Round Table Discussion Kandace Brands

u Keeping our Youth Engaged in the Church Lee De Groot

There’s good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first? The good news is that the youth of today who are being raised in the church are serious about their religious faith. I’ve heard it over and over again that they want to be a part of their church. Our youth want to be encouraged and heard. The bad news is that nearly half of our college-aged students are leaving the church that they were once a part of. In this workshop we will discuss ideas that can help parents and leaders keep our youth engaged in the church.

u The Primary Colors of Youth Ministry Jerry Meadows

We’ll give ample opportunity to discuss youth ministry issues that are concerning you and your church after looking at three essentials to discipling your students. Whether you have five or 500 students at your church, it matters that you have a description of a discipled student, a ministry to parents, and an overriding value on incarnational ministry.

Church Programming

u Music in Worship Keith Getty

This session will focus on music in a worship setting and is geared toward worship committee members and those responsible for music in local congregations.

u To Screen or not to Screen, That is the Question Karen DeMol

Many churches now have overhead screens on which songs, Scripture, and other parts of the liturgy can be projected. The range of uses of such projection technology in worship is dazzling. But not everything that is possible is appropriate; not everything that can be done, should be done. This session will present principles and guidelines, explore the interaction of liturgical and pastoral concerns, and present examples, with time provided for discussion, of ideas and dilemmas by attendees.

u A Worship Planning Checklist Tom Wolthuis

This session will give insight on how to practically make sure our worship services are theological, redemptive, Scriptural, cultural, communal, formative, and missional.

u More than Memorization: Teaching the Heidelberg Catechism in 2012Todd Zuidema

You remember sitting in catechism class when you were younger. For many of us, we remember it like we remember taking a spoonful of medicine. It was good for you, but you didn’t like it. Now you’ve been asked to teach catechism and you’re the one dishing out the medicine. This session is aimed at giving practical advice about catechetical teaching, suggesting resources, and thinking of new ideas about how to bring the Heidelberg Catechism alive for both students and teachers.

Church Outreach

u Are Missionaries Still Needed? Steve Van Zanen

In many countries the number of Christians has grown dramatically. In recent years non-Western missionaries have also increased. Meanwhile, U.S. church members hunger for a personal engagement in mission. This workshop considers how these changes should impact how North American churches and agencies go about the task of mission in the 21st century.

u Enriching Rural Ministry Jack Gray

Rural ministry is serving Christ in communities of 15,000 residents or fewer in an agricultural region. This is the setting of many who come to the Day of Encouragement. Six factors enrich ministry among those whose mindset is conditioned by agriculture even if their lives are not directly related to farming. We will discuss these together to help us serve one another better in rural/small town churches and communities.

u When Helping Hurts Kurt Rietema

The book When Helping Hurts has recently taken on required reading status for Reformed churches that want to think critically about how to help the poor. Our engagement with vulnerable people and communities demands more than good intentions and a desire to help others. In this session we’ll explore how this new paradigm is taking shape in various communities and wrestle with the emotional and theological barriers that prevent some from taking this posture towards the poor.

Personal Growth

u Healing 101: Following Jesus the Healer Tim Vink

Come explore the surprising truth about the life of Jesus on the way to the cross. Good news: he healed multitudes of people from every disease and sickness, in 70 to 80 passages of Scripture. Reliably, predictably, and consistently, he healed them all. Then he started transferring his ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit to ordinary people like you and me. Jesus is our example of effective kingdom ministry to others. We follow him!

u Healing 201: Clash of Kingdoms Tim Vink

Learn some more advanced healing ministry truths as we study the Scripture and find eight places to land biblically when healing doesn’t come right away, or at all, with the hands-on ministry we do in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are ambassadors of the already-here-but-not-yet-fully-here kingdom of God. And there is a spiritual war being waged with people caught in the middle as both the battleground and the prize.

u Healing 301: Deliverance Ministry Tim Vink

About 25 percent of the time when Jesus heals a person in the Bible he has to drive out an evil spirit. What does that imply for our healing ministry today? How do we grow in effectiveness for our Ephesians 6 battle with all kinds of fallen angelic beings? Let me share from 25 years of deliverance ministry experience some cues and clues for more victories.

u Healing 401: Activation and Empowerment in Healing Ministry Tim Vink

The point of being equipped for ministry (as we see in Ephesians 4:11) is for the sake of others you will directly minister to. We want to be “doers” of the Word and not hearers only. This session will summarize three keys that will help your healing ministry become more effective today. And activation/impartation is part of this session for each participant.

u Lectio Divina Thomas Wolthuis

We are often told to read Scripture and to do devotions, but we are not always shown how to do this in a meaningful way. This session will explore and practice the ancient practice of Lectio Divina, the meditative devotional reading of Scripture, with the goal of finding greater meaning and pleasure in reading Scripture.

u Sexual Purity and Your Family Destiny Fred Stoeker

We know what happens to a man’s Christian destiny when he drives a stake into the ground and wins the battle for sexual purity. What happens in a family when everyone gets on board with him and fights the battle together?

u The 10 Warning Signs of a Healthy Marriage Stan Visser

We will go over aspects that constitute a healthy marriage. We plan to have a married couple that has been married for quite a long time and have gone through some serious problems give a testimony of what miraculous changes God has done in their marriage and their family.

u We Grieve Because Love Never Dies Aldon Kuiper

Few events in life are as devastating as the death of someone dearly loved. From his own experience in the tragic loss of a grandchild, and from stories gathered from more than 40 families who have grieved the loss of a child, a pastor shares his experience of fi nding hope and healing in the heart of God. Scripture often suggests that our grief is a refl ection of the Father’s unfailing love for his lost children. He grieves for them, and will do anything to rescue them so that they will not perish.

u Advance Directives for Healthcare B.J. Van Kalsbeek

PRESENTERS

Dallas Apol is a retired professor of foreign languages at Dordt College. Dr. Apol has led many trips to Latin America and has been heavily involved in Amistad Cristiana in Sioux Center, Iowa.

Candace Brands is the ministry coordinator for Minn-I-Kota Youth Network as well as a leadership consultant for Youth Unlimited.

Lee De Groot is the youth coordinator for MINN-I-KOTA Youth Ministries. She has the privilege of meeting, working with, and encouraging the youth and their leaders in 50 diff erent churches in Minn., S.D., and Iowa. She also enjoys writing easy-to-follow lesson plans and researching resources for the MINN-I-KOTA website. In the past 5 years Lee has traveled to four diff erent states and has shared her life journey and God’s amazing grace to many large and small groups.

Karen DeMol joined the faculty of Dordt College in 1984. Dr. DeMol teaches Music Theory, Form and Analysis, Music Literature, and Private Clarinet. In addition, she has been the music department chair since 1985.

Rick Droog is the ministry coordinator for the Siouxland Diaconal Conference. He is also a member of CRWRC’s North America ministry team. He has worked with several churches throughout the Midwest.

Keith Getty and his wife Kristyn have been at the forefront of the modern hymn movement over the past decade demonstrating the ability to successfully bridge the gap between the traditional and contemporary.

Gianni Gracia is the pastor at Amistad Cristiana in Sioux Center, Iowa. Prior to coming to Sioux Center he was the pastor at two Miami area churches. Pastor Gracia has been part of two church plants and has served as an ordained pastor in the CRC since 1994.

Jack Gray is a retired pastor currently residing in Sioux Falls, S.D. He served at churches in California, Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Iowa during his full-time ministry. He has written material to help pastors determine if rural church ministry is a good fi t for them.

Aldon Kuiper is a retired pastor who served churches in Rock Valley, Hull, Des Moines, Cedar Falls, Salt Lake City, and Terra Ceia, North Carolina. He is married and has three children and seven grandchildren.

Jerry Meadows has formally served churches with an emphasis on youth ministry. For 13 years he was a pastor of students and families in churches that ranged from 600 to 2,300 congregants. He then supported youth leaders and churches for six years as an executive director of a regional youth ministry network. After adding to that experience another six years as a short-term mission specialist mobilizing teams to Africa, Latin America, and Central Asia, he is helping to advance church youth ministry throughout Canada and the U.S. as the mission program director at Youth Unlimited.

Eric Rankin, Troy Broers, Ron Heemstra, Jan Henryson, Nathan Stob, and Neil Van Schouwen are forum panelists who have lay leadership and professional experience in fi nances, loans, and more.

Kurt Rietema, his wife Emily, and their family live in the neighborhood of Argentine in Kansas City, Kan. In this lower income, ethnically diverse neighborhood, the Rietemas lead Christian community development eff orts for the CRC and desire to see a new faith community emerge as they seek God’s shalom for Argentine.

Fred Stoeker is a best-selling author and conference speaker who challenges men to become sexually pure and to reconnect in true intimate relationships with their wives or girlfriends. Fred also emphasizes the importance of the father-child relationship in this battle for sexual purity and charges fathers to become actively engaged in training their sons and daughters to stand pure in their relationships.

Norm Thomasma is an ordained CRC pastor from Stevensville, Mich. Norm served 20 years as a parish pastor, 11 as a church planter, and nine in an established church. After a year of clinical pastoral education in Kalamazoo, Mich., he began working in 2002 for pastor-church relations of which he is the current director.

eff orts for the CRC and desire to see a new faith community emerge as they

Bill Thornburg was a missionary in Nigeria for 16 years. Bill taught at Edgar H. Smith Memorial Bible College, participated in a church development program among the Dakka people, and worked in Muslim outreach and the discipleship of new believers in northern Nigeria. He and his family returned to the U.S. in 2002 where Bill served as the regional missions mobilizer for the U.S. Great Lakes Region for several years. In 2006, he took on the newly created position of missions resource consultant for Christian Reformed World Missions. Bill holds a Masters in church education from Calvin Theological Seminary.

B.J. Van Kalsbeek is a chaplain and manager of the spiritual care department at Mercy Medical Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

Steve Van Zanen served as a pastor in Minnesota and as a missionary in Eastern Europe. From this service, he was called by Christian Reformed World Missions to mobilize churches and their members for missions. In addition to working with new missionaries to connect with churches, he helps churches understand and respond to recent trends in missions as well as to the ongoing task of reaching the world for Christ.

Loren Veldhuizen is an attorney from Orange City, Iowa, who is on the CRC Board of Trustees.

Stan Visser holds a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology. He is licensed in Iowa as a marriage and family therapist and mental health counselor. He has been practicing individual, marital, and family therapy for 30 years. He specializes in working with men on relationship issues and assisting adults with spiritual expression.

Thomas R. Wolthuis is associate professor of theology at Dordt College. Dr. Wolthuis teaches Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry and has previously served as a Christian Reformed pastor and church planter.

Todd Zuidema is pastor at Hope CRC, Hull, Iowa, where he has served since 2005. He is married to Leah, who is a professor of English at Dordt College, and father to Lindsey and Emily, currently students at Hull Christian School. Pastor Todd is thankful for the dedicated elders at Sully CRC who took the time to teach him the value of the Heidelberg Catechism when he was growing up.

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