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Apostle
Paul
Models Spiritual Leadership
"However, I consider
my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the
task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of
God's grace... For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole
will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he
bought with his own blood... So be on your guard! Now I commit you to God
and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an
inheritance among all those who are sanctified. In everything I did, I
showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak,
remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to
give than to receive.' " When he had said this, he knelt down with all
of them and prayed.
Acts 20:24, 27-28,
32, 35-36 NIV
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No Hype
Just Prayer
Pastors, you are cordially invited to attend
Great Lakes Baptist Conference's Pastors' Prayer Gathering
Sept. 15-16, 2008
(noon to noon)
Salem Baptist Church
1210 E. Clairemont Ave.
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Watch for the registration materials to be mailed from Salem Baptist.
Contact Dr. Stu Dix
drstudix@yahoo.com
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Prayer Requests
Now more than ever,
we need people to help show us the way. Thanks for remembering to pray for
our leaders!
1. Please pray for our youth leaders Whether
serving as volunteers or staff, these leaders have a vital ministry
in reaching out to young people and their families. Pray for spiritual
stamina for their days are long!
2. Please pray for the leaders in our country. Lift up leaders
at all levels of government and ask God to raise up Christians to be a
fresh and godly influence their communities.
3. Please pray for your GLBC Overseers and Executive Management
Team Our God is moving through these fine leaders! Ask God to
give them wisdom and stamina as they discern God's direction and develop
plans to put feet to faith!
4. Please pray for those who long for a mentor.
Lift up those who hunger for someone to meaningfully invest in
their lives. Ask God how you can be an answer to those prayers in giving
your time, money and other resources.
We sincerely thank you for your prayers. Let us know how we can
pray for you, too.
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A good name
is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed
is better than
silver or gold.
Proverbs 22:1 NIV
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Dear
Ministry Partners,
This month we celebrate fathers and those who have mentored us in life
and influenced us in faith. Be sure to thank those who come to your
mind as you read through Dr. Perry's letter. You may also be
thinking of ways that you can be more intentional and fruitful in
mentoring those in your life. May we, by God's power and grace,
join with Apostle Paul as he says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Follow my
example, as I follow the example of Christ." Amen!
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 From the Desk of Dr. Dwight
Perry
Meaningful
Mentoring
It was a cold Midwestern winter
day. I don't remember the actual temperature, but I do remember being in
a little 1960's Volkswagen Beetle that my friend Bob Price was driving.
This car was not equipped like the newer models of today and did not have
much heat except what came off the engine into the top vent of the car.
It was cold!
As Bob and I drove around for what must have been at least an hour, he
would chime in every few minutes saying, "Do you want to pray DP, do
you want to pray?" As a young believer, prayer was indeed a mystery
and to pray for more than ten minutes was an accomplishment. Bob was only
a few years older than I, but he had been changed by God and had been
called to invest in the young men and women at the University of Illinois
through the Navigators, a Christian organization serving on campuses
across our nation. He was leading me by example and was showing me how to
pray by praying with me. He would pray and then I would pray and then
when I thought we were finished he would say, "Do you want pray
DP?" Each time I thought we were done he would stretch me even more
and say "Let's pray some more!" Rather than simply giving me a
Bible study on prayer or preaching to me concerning prayer, which both
are important vehicles of training in there own right, Bob understood the
principle of modeling our faith. We can learn much more by seeing the
truth that is being taught actually lived out in the life of another
person that we trust and admire.
This is why Paul, in his letter to the church at Philippi, would say
these words in Philippians 3:12-17 NASB: "Not that I have already
obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may
lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one
thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies
ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this
attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will
reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same
standard to which we have attained. Brethren, join in following my
example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in
us."
Notice what Paul says about taking note of those who live according
to the pattern. He didn't say follow the example of those who sound good
or those who act one way in public but act in a totally different way in
private. But instead he said, take note of those "who live according
to the pattern we gave you in our example." Spiritual mentors
encourage us to be all that we can be in Christ just like my friend Bob.
They not only teach us the way. They show us the way.
This month we will celebrate Father's Day. Only eternity will tell the
significance and critical influence of a godly Father. If you have been
blessed with a godly father, please stop right now and thank God for the
privilege that He, in His sovereignty, has allowed you to experience
this. For those of us who might not have had such an experience, let us
stop and thank God that by His grace, He has brought spiritual mentors
into our lives.
As a regional ministry of over 100 churches, we thank God for the
spiritual mentors that this district has the privilege of witnessing in
action. These mentors influence generations for the cause of Christ.
There are many such people, but I want to take this opportunity to
mention two of them.
Dr. Stu Dix has served in ministry for nearly thirty years.
Much of that time was in the role of a pastor. He is a man of God who
serves currently as the Associate Executive Minister of Mobilization
overseeing the GLBC ministry to all of our established churches.
(Established churches are those beyond the church planting stage in their
development). His love for Christ and for the Word is contagious. He is
always available to lend a loving and compassionate ear to those who help
shepherd God's people.
Reverend Duane Jass has served in ministry for thirty-four years
and retired two years ago as the Lead Pastor of Good News Baptist Church,
where he served for approximately twenty-five years. He now serves as the
Area Minister of the GLBC's Central district.
Three years ago, as a result of our strategic planning process, we created
a new part time position called Area Minister. Due to the size of our
district, as it relates to distance and number of churches, we, as a
regional movement, began to look for ways we could come alongside our
churches in a prompt and effective manner. One of the strategies that
developed was the creation of a part-time, catalytical position of Area
Minister. This person would need to be a seasoned leader of leaders.
Leaders of a particular region would look up to the Area Minister
as the "Pastor to the Pastors" and that area minister would
oversee our entire ministry to that region. This person would not only
have to be a gifted and effective leader, but have the spiritual
authority of a "Pau"l to the many "Timothys" they would
be serving.
Duane Jass fits this job description to a tee. We are grateful that he
continues to be a mentor to the pastors and the people of the Central
region of the Great Lakes Baptist Conference.
Both of these men receive their support from the Core Ministries budget
of the Great Lakes Baptist Conference. For those of you who are prayer
and financial partners with us in this ministry, thank you so much for
your faithfulness. Thank you for allowing God to use you to enable godly
mentors such as Dr. Stu and Pastor Duane to be effective in mentoring and
leading a movement of churches who are reaching out aggressively to those
who do not know Christ.
God bless you,
Dr. Dwight Perry
GLBC District Executive Minister
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Worthy Reads!
 What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People
Become Even More Successful
by Marshall Goldsmith by Hyperion
Hardcover ~ Release Date:
2007-01-09
Buy Now
GLBC Pastor Danny Parmelee (epikos, Milwaukee, WI) notes,
"This is an amazing book on Leadership. Though it is not
written for a Christian audience, the wisdom and application from this
book will enhance your walk with Christ. What sets this book apart
from other business leadership books is that it calls for deep self
evaluation. I was convicted about Christlike leadership many times
while reading it!"
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