Here are the dates for 2010 Camp…

Leadership Camp – June 10-12
(Training High School Workers)
Director Ernie Lewis
(618) 673-2299

Junior High Camp – June 13-18
(Entering 7th & 8th Grades)
Director Harlen Johnson
(618) 513-9833

Fresh-Soph Camp – June 20-25
(Entering 9th & 10th Grades)
Director Josh Ham
(618) 550-1036

Primary Camp – June 27-July 1
(Entering 3rd & 4th Grades)
Director Brad Ryan
(618) 437-5103

Junior Camp – July 4-9
(Entering 5th & 6th Grades)
Director Bryant Harris
(618) 625-6946

Junior-Senior Camp – Aug. 1-6
(Entering 11th, 12th, & 13th Grades)
Director Ernie Lewis
(618) 673-2299

Harris was primary caregiver to his wife Diana as she battled cancer. Out of that experience, he wrote the book Caring for the Caregiver to encourage and help those who provide care for terminally ill family members and friends. Bringing 16 years experience as a pastor, Harris, a nationally known conference speaker, is often featured at couples’ retreats, men’s retreats, leadership training seminars, and church growth workshops. Caring for the Caregiver, released in December 2009, now ranks 19 on Tower Books top 100 Caregiving bestsellers list and continues to climb in sales at Barnes & Noble online, Books-A-Million, and Amazon.com.

This free workshop is provided as a ministry of First Free Will Baptist Church, located at the corner of Broadway and Monroe in Johnston City. Additional resources for caregivers will be available on site. For more information about the workshop, please see the church’s website, www.jc1fwb.com or call 618-983-5254. For more information about the presenter, see www.royharris.info.

There is also a amazing story about a South American Pastor who is answering the missionary call to Ireland.  Wow!  You can see this video on the WMO offering Page.

You can also download the videos to show to your church.  (You may need Quicktime to view the videos)

Coin Bank Video

World Missions Offering Video

2010 Illinois CTS Competition

Friday and Saturday, April 23-24, 2010

Ina Free Will Baptist Church

Forms: Complete a registration form for EACH entry (pg. 59 of red Competition Guidelines book)

Please include Master Registration List with registration forms CLEARLY spelling each PARTICIPANT’S name.

Registration Fees: $25 per competition participant (NOT per entry)

Mail Completed Forms and Fees TO:

Peggy Ferguson
13 Hillcrest Drive
Mt. Vernon, IL 62864
(618) 242-1299

Deadline: Please mail completed forms and fees by  March 15, 2010 (Forms and Fees should be sent together)

Each church may submit an UNLIMITED number of entries for ANY age level of any category of competition (thus eliminated local and district level competitions). This DOES NOT apply to contestants moving forward to the National level of Competition).

Bible Entries: Volume 2

Illinois CTS Board Members:

Kelly Douglas

Ed Ferguson

Tommy Lewis

Lyman Parsell

Elizabeth Kohn

National Youth Conference July 18-21, 2010—Oklahoma City, OK

2010 NYC Theme: Wherever

“Be witnesses of Me” Acts 1:8

Competition Guidelines, Corrections, Updates, and Changes
Guidelines Correction (Guidelines book only, Bible study packs CD is correct)

Pg. 18 Bible Library Old Testament
Books of Poetry:
Job
Psalms
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon

Books of Prophecy include Isaiah through Malachi

Guidelines Clarification (pgs. 21, 26 & 36)
Bible Millionaire, TruthQuest, & Bible Bowl are no longer available in separate printed copies for sale or download. All three of these games are packaged together in the Bible Study Packs CD, which is available for purchase through Randall House. There will be free downloads at www.fwbnyc.com of the Winter and Spring Bible study sections of the CLEAR curriculum used in Bible Millionaire and TruthQuest.

Pg. 30 Bible Tic Tac Toe Participants
“Substitutions can only be made prior to the beginning of a match [not the tournament] and must be approved by the quizmaster.”
Please contact nyc@randallhouse.com or call 800-877-7030 if you have questions.

The 50th Meeting of the Illinois State Association of Free Will Baptists will convene on March 18th, 19th, and 20th at the First Free Will Baptist Church in Benton, Illinois. 

Schedule to include:
Thursday evening C.E. Seminar with Neil Gilliland at 7:00pm
“Maintaining Balance in Your Ministry”

Friday – Business & Services beginning at 9:00am
Featured Speaker for State Meeting:  Bro. David Shores

50th Banquet Celebration   5:30pm
Held in the Activities Building at First FWB  – cost $15.00 per person
Will include a slide presentation of our early beginnings. 

Saturday morning final business session & service 9:00am
For more information contact Bro. Harlen Johnson, pastor at First FWB, at pastorhrj35@yahoo.com, office: 618-435-4281, cell 618-513-9833
Directions to Host Church at ffwbchurch.com
Hotels in Benton:
Super 8   618-438-8205    $62.99 (double occupancy)
Super 8 has a continental breakfast available.
Days Inn  618-439-3183    $62.99 (double occupancy)
Days Inn offers an on site restaurant. 
**Identify yourself as being with the Illinois FWB Meeting held in Benton to receive the special rate listed above.

The seminar will start at  7:00 pm and end at 9:00 pm that evening.  Please come out and bring your friends in ministry.  They will not be disappointed.

National Association of Free Will Baptists to Assist Relief Efforts in Haiti

ANTIOCH, TN—In the wake of the January 12 earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti, the Free Will Baptist National Offices have received numerous phone calls from concerned individuals and churches across the nation offering donations of money, supplies, and volunteer labor.

Concerned individuals can contribute to the denomination’s Disaster Relief Fund to help underwrite both immediate and long-term assistance on the ravaged island. All donations will go directly to relief efforts. Ken Akers, director of Free Will Baptist Master’s Men, will oversee the distribution of these funds through ministry partners in Haiti.

Akers has been making annual trips to Haiti since 1999. He has established a partnership with Mountain Faith Mission, an independent, evangelical mission started by Lee and Molly Carroll in 1948. The well-respected organization has a long track record of service through an orphanage, bakery, school, trade school, and medical clinic. They also sponsor annual Vacation Bible Schools for thousands of children.

“Part of the difficulty in Haitian relief work is knowing your money will be used for its intended purpose,” Ken said. “We have a long-term working relationship with Mountain Faith Mission, and we can be confident they will use the funds where it will do the most good.”

In addition, Ken is assembling a team of medical professionals and construction workers for a relief trip to the island when travel restrictions are lifted.

Regional Free Will Baptist relief efforts are also underway. An eight-member team from three Free Will Baptist churches in Virginia and North Carolina arrived in Haiti not long before the earthquake struck. The mission objective has changed from evangelism training and medical assistance to relief for earthquake victims. You can support their efforts financially, provide supplies, and follow their progress at www.gatewayfwbchurch.com.

Impulse International Mission Trips, founded by Ohio Free Will Baptist Bill Hayes, has teamed up with other mission agencies to provide relief supplies. A team is currently making plans to deliver water and medical supplies. For more information, visit www.impulsemissions.com.

Arms of Compassion (ACM) ministries in Oklahoma, founded by Free Will Baptist pastor John M. Hewett, will be sending volunteers from around the nation to deliver medical supplies and water to quake victims. Learn more about their efforts at www.armsofcompassion.org.

Ken Akers sums up the drastic situation on the island. “On the best day, life in Haiti is difficult! After this week’s events, I can only imagine that it has become unbearable. While immediate emergency response is necessary, this is going to be a long-term relief effort, and I think that is where we come in. Six months from now, the need will still be great. Anything you do to help the people of Haiti will be deeply appreciated.”

Send contributions to:
NAFWB: Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 5002
Antioch, TN 37011-5002

Photo credit: Phyllis Bass, relief team member, Gateway Free Will Baptist Church (VA)

Read more about Free Will Baptist Disaster Relief.