Strategy and Mission A Conversation with Jon Dybdahl

Transcription

1 December 2006 Upper Columbia Conference Upper Columbia Conference Update is paid reading matter. For the purpose of postage, the USPS considers this to be an advertisement. Strategie Planning Commission chair, Dr. Jon Dybdahl Update is produced by Upper Columbia Conference PO Box Spokane, WA (509) Executive Editor: Max C. Torkelsen II Managing Editor: Garrett Caldwell Copy Editor: Kathy Marson Design: Jon Dalrymple Strategy and Mission A Conversation with Jon Dybdahl by Garrett Caldwell On October 22, 2006, a special commission convened at the Upper Columbia Conference office, which has been tasked by the Executive Committee with the challenge of developing a strategic plan for the next quadrennium. The strategic plan should sharpen the focus of the resources of the ministries of the conference, its related institutions and membership on the mission of the church. In a letter to commission invitees, conference president Max Torkelsen indicated the seriousness with which the concluding recommendations will be regarded by saying that as a conference we must be willing to adjust budgets, redeploy employees, embrace technology, take risks on new initiatives, renew or discard worn-out ideas and touch the lives of unreached people groups. Dr. Jon Dybdahl, one of the denomination s foremost experts on mission, has been asked to chair the commission. Garrett Caldwell sat down with Dr. Dybdahl to discuss the connection between strategic planning and mission. Following is the major portion of their interview. GC: Some people think, as it relates to mission, that the Great Commission is really all we need. Is that all we need in understanding our mission? If not, why? JD: The great commission, in a sense, is certainly all we need; it will always be our guiding light and main focus, but over time different understandings develop. Traditions can be there which may not have been there in the beginning. To me, planning strategies for mission does not mean finding a new mission, but attempting to clean our glasses; to clear away some of the fog that has collected so that we can see with more clarity what God has asked. GC: Should the strategy for carrying forth the mission change over time? JD: Strategies are always based on culture. Strategies that the Apostles had Continued on page 5 Is Adventist Education Effective? The new Cognitive Genesis study by Kathy Marson If your children are enrolled in an Adventist school this year, perhaps you have a feeling that something new is in the air. There is, and it s called Cognitive Genesis. The words, Cognitive Genesis, describe the beginning process of acquiring knowledge and the Cognitive Genesis study is exactly that. This is the first divisionwide study that will evaluate Adventist education s strengths and weaknesses in the North American Division (NAD). It will measure the impact of variables such as (but not limited to): gender, prior achievement, socio-economic status and the educational level of parents, on the academic performance of elementary and secondary students. Typically, students in Adventist schools score higher than the national average on tests such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). But testing alone does not reveal if the high aptitude of Adventist students is truly a result of Adventist education, or of parental or environmental influence. The answer will be found in the outcome of the Cognitive Genesis Study. Continued on page 4

2 From the President Multiplying Christians Max C. Torkelsen II After Jesus told His disciples to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all Mark 16:15 (NIV), they responded by dedicating their lives to that goal. They didn t win the whole world at once. But they added 3,000 at a time to the church, as recorded in the Book of Acts. The word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples continued to increase greatly (Acts 6:7). God used the first disciples as instruments for His glory. Like them we must grow in a way that glorifies our heavenly father. We also should introduce others to Jesus and train them to win disciples as well. Too many Christians have become blessing sponges. They go to church, attend Bible studies and memorize Scripture soaking up all kinds of spiritual things without letting anyone else share in the blessings of their lives. God created us for a specific purpose: to help others know the Good News of Jesus Christ and to live like Him. The first thing God told Adam to do after creation was to multiply and subdue the earth (Genesis 1:28). This was before Adam sinned and when he had a perfect relationship with God. God wanted a world full of people who would live for His honor and glory. That s the basis for spiritual multiplication. We are satisfied with a few additions to our churches when we should be multiplying. Paul spells out the whole point of his efforts to the disciple Timothy: And these things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also II Timothy 2:2 (NKJV). I m afraid we have too many day-care centers for church members who are still baby Christians and who refuse to become spititually mature. Spiritually mature Christians are busy reproducing themselves in others, resulting in spiritual multiplication in the church. ~ Our Kids' Future... Our children represent the future of the Seventh-day Adventist church. We need to keep kids in our schools, in our churches and close to Jesus Christ!...why does it matter? Ninety percent of your gift to the Streams of Light campaign focuses directly on avenues that encourage and strengthen young people. The Capital Campaign for Upper Columbia Conference 2

3 Make Room for Big Things A story of generosity in the face of adversity by Patsy Wagner Enlarge your tent, stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes in the ground. For you shall expand... Isaiah 54:2-3 (NKJV). These words come from God, but to whom? To the rich, to those with children and jobs? Perhaps. But in context, these words address the barren widow, the one who faces hardship and trial. Yet before He fills the void, God says, Stretch out now. Make room for big things. Kern and Linda Kostenko stretched themselves by making two substantial commitments in close succession: one to their local church s new sanctuary and another to the Streams of Light campaign. Soon after making these pledges, a serious threat to their business and future financial viability arose, leaving them concerned and uncertain. The situation appeared so bleak that their accountant said, Tell your pastor you can no longer pay tithes, offerings or maintain your financial commitments. With no clear method to meet all of their obligations, they were torn. On one hand, their business was on the line; on the other, their faith. Would their business survive? Would God honor His promises and keep His word if they would honor their promise? The thought did come to us, said Kern, to defer or delay payment of these pledges for now. However, the Bible gave them a clear, though difficult, answer. When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you should not delay to pay it Deuteronomy 23:21 (NKJV). The story of Ananias and Sapphira was so strong in my mind, said Linda. There was no way we could go back on our commitment. During eighteen months of extreme stress and uncertainty in their business, the Kostenkos kept their word and trusted God s faithfulness. They missed no monthly payments not one. In addition, God drew them out even more to double their commitment to the local sanctuary renovation. Could the Kostenko tent stretch that far? Finally their business situation was resolved, but at a severe financial cost. They Continued on page 6 Kern and Linda Kostenko A Week of Camp For Christmas 3

4 How well are your children doing in school? Continued from page 1 Cognitive Genesis Study Measuring Adventist Education This three-year project will be accomplished through the cooperation of the NAD office of Education, all nine unions and researchers at La Sierra University. The study will include tests that will be given to all students in Adventist schools in grades 3-9 and 11; and a survey of students, parents and teachers. You might ask, how will the Cognitive Genesis study benefit my child? First of all, the study will evaluate Adventist education s strengths and weaknesses and provide reliable data to show how Adventist education compares with other private and public education. Here is where the rubber meets the road. This study will be able to target instructional areas needing improvement. This means better education for your children. Education superintendent for Upper Columbia Conference, Keith Waters, is looking forward to the outcome of this study. He says, Cognitive Genesis will assist us in determining what factors contribute to the academic achievement of our students. According to Robert J. Cruise, Ph.D., Research Director of the project, the information collected will provide an empirical data bank that will answer the following questions: 1. How well are students doing academically? 2. Are there unique, identifiable qualities attributable to Seventh-day Adventist academics and, if so, what are they? 3. How do Seventh-day Adventist students compare in academic performance to their counterparts in public and private schools? 4. What needs to be improved in order to provide the best possible education for our young people? Don Bryan, principal of Spokane Junior Academy, believes data is always beneficial in helping schools evaluate their student s progress. The Value Genesis study helped us focus, define and redefine our spiritual component, thus changing for the better the spiritual focus of our schools, says Bryan. Cognitive Genesis can do the same thing. If we approach the study with an open mind, willingness to change and a passion for excellence, this will be an exciting opportunity for growth. Something new is in the air. The Cognitive Genesis study will show how well Adventist schools are doing and what they can do to improve the education process. ~ Earn interest* Age Rate Age Rate % % % % % % % % Discover the benefi ts of a Charitable Gift Annuity! Lifetime payments that may be partially tax-free or taxed at lower rates Management of assets Income, gift and estate tax savings Favorable treatment of capital gains Call for your free gift annuity analysis: Upper Columbia Conference Trust Services Department Spokane: (509) College Place: (509) * Interest rates are based on age. 4

5 Continued from page 1 Strategy and Mission An Interview with Jon Dybdahl couldn t have included (for example) computers. They would have included forms of communication; forms of proclamation that were available at that time. People used what they had. So strategies have to take into consideration the situation. I think that the Bible assumes that this kind of thing will happen, whereas many who read the Bible may not always make that assumption. Luther couldn t have printed the Bible if he had the reformation 400 years earlier. There were no printing presses. GC: What challenges to the church can be found in the culture of those we are to win? JD: Culture is always two-sided. Just about any culture you go into will have things that both facilitate and challenge the proclamation of the gospel. There are also things in culture that are neutral. I think that one of the challenges in our culture is hedonism. Our culture is marked by innate selfishness and individualism. Since people are generally well-fed and taken care of, I think there is a lot of self-suffi ciency in our culture. On the other hand, there are tremendous communication abilities that we didn t have before. We can get to people in ways that we couldn t before in massive ways. And so there are advantages in the culture that may help us speak to people. The fact that a lot of people are irreligious and are looking for meaning in their lives is also an opportunity for our culture. So culture is always a two-way street. Some things help and some things don t, so we need to continually be adjusting the clothes that our message wears. GC: It almost sounds like you are saying that some of the obstacles that exist in the culture may help determine the strategies that we use to reach the people. JD: Exactly right. I always tell people that it doesn t matter where you are; if you are in a village in Papua, New Guinea or if you are in downtown Spokane, it s very, very simple the strategy of mission, the questions that are asked are extremely similar: What are the crying needs of the people? What questions are they asking? How does Jesus answer those questions? Since the questions differ from one time and place to another, the approach to answering their questions will differ. Not changing the core of the gospel, but applying truth to the particular need that the person has scratching them where they itch. GC: If culture exists in the world, then it must also exist within the church. Are there challenges in Adventist culture that might be counterproductive to accomplishing our mission? JD: There are both advantages and challenges. Sometimes Adventists have been ghettoized to a point. If you are already second or third generation Seventh-day Adventist you are culturally different than your neighbor... the way you eat, the way you talk and the things you read are different. So you have to cross a cultural barrier simply because the Adventist sub-culture is so pervasive which is a good thing in many ways. At the same time it s a challenge to overcome this barrier in order to relate to the people. Anthropology and the study and understanding of culture is a necessity wherever you minister. GC: What is the desired outcome to result from this strategic planning process? JD: Part of what we want to do and I m very serious about this and the conference is serious about this as well is to listen to see what people have to say. We have not come with a program; we have not worked out a detailed strategy and said, Here folks, say yes or no. We are saying, we sense a need. Do you sense a need and what should we do about it? We believe the sense of mission needs to be refocused and the church needs to be renewed. The results of the strategic planning commission will be announced at the Upper Columbia Conference Constituency session on September 30, Please keep the commission and conference administration in your prayers as they seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit for the wisdom needed to finish the work God has given us to do. ~ 5 Dr. Jon Dybdahl sees opportunities in contemporary culture, not just obstacles.

6 Campaign Goal $ 6,000, % Funds Needed $ 1,935,078 32% Funds Committed $ 4,064,922 68% Funds In Hand $ 2,062,104 The Streams of Light goal of $6 million is reachable if we are willing to stretch. Continued from page 3 Make Room for Big Things Streams of Light progressing towards completion needed a large sum of money without delay. God worked several miracles right before their very eyes. It was tax time for their business, and Linda attempted to schedule a meeting with their accountant numerous times. It wasn t working out and it became crunch time. She finally got one hour scheduled, but knew getting everything done was almost impossible. Linda went to the appointment praying earnestly that God would work it out. The person scheduled for the following appointment did not show, which allowed exactly enough time to complete everything and to file for their tax return electronically. The day before the first settlement bill came due, the bank received their electronic tax return. It was enough to make the initial payment. God certainly upheld His promises! Their cup overflowed and their faith in God multiplied. Because of people like Kern and Linda, the Streams of Light campaign shows amazing progress. At least 735 families (and many more who give through local churches) committed $4,064,922 to the campaign. Of that amount, $2,062,104 is already in hand and working for campaign initiatives: KEEP, Church Planting, Camp MiVoden, and KidsBibleinfo.com The Streams of Light goal is $6,000,000. That means we still need $1,935,078. Like Isaiah s barren woman the one with no husband, no children, and no income we are called to enlarge our tents and stretch out our curtains. For each of us every member, aware and participating not just the ones with apparent resources, but everyone.god longs to fill our tents in abundance. Don t be afraid to stretch now. 6

7 People and Places Doug Brown has accepted a call to be the associate pastor of the Walla Walla City Church. Doug and his wife Twila, have two children, Jordan and Mishayla. They come from Coeur d Alene, Idaho. Tye Davis is the new taskforce worker in the Youth Department. He is taking a break from his studies at Walla Walla College to serve in this capacity. Jeremy Foss accepted the invitation to serve as pastor for Richland The Reach Adventist Company. He most recently served as the pastor of the Yelm and Voice of Hope churches in the Washington Conference. Jeremy and his wife, Ely, have two boys, Danny and Jeremiah. Denise Kinney is the new administrative assistant in the Youth Department. She comes from Vancouver, Washington, where she was the teacher s aid director at Meadow Glade Elementary School. Denise and her husband, Eric, have three children, Christopher, Jennifer and Melissa. David Livermore accepted the position to serve as director of Personal Evangelism and Discipleship in UCC. Dave and his wife, Teresa, are from the Kelso-Longview Adventist Church in Oregon and they have two daughters, Krista and Trisha, and four grandchildren. Matthew Smith has accepted the invitation to serve as intern pastor of the Four Winds and Upper Columbia Academy churches. He also teaches freshman Bible classes at Upper Columbia Academy. Matthew and his wife, Julee, have a daughter, Makaylee and they come from the Pasco Riverview Church. Dr. Neil Nedley Upper Columbia Conference Christian Men s Retreat Neil Nedley, MD, a full-time practicing physician in Internal Medicine with an emphasis in Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Preventive Medicine, Mental Health, and the diffi cult-to-diagnose patient, will be the main speaker. February 16-18, 2007 MiVoden Retreat Center Information/Registration: (509) (509)

8 Conference Calendar Religious Liberty Week in January December 2 NAD Bible Sabbath 5 UCC Executive Committee 14 WWC Christmas Vacation Begins 15 UCA Sacred Christmas Concert 16 UCA Secular Christmas Concert 17 K-10, UCA and WWVA Christmas Vacation Begins 20 CCA Christmas Break Begins 25 ABC and Office Closed Christmas Day January 2-4 Winter Pastors Retreat (MiVoden) 6 NAD Day of Prayer 8-12 WWC Student Week of Prayer UCA Heritage Weekend 13 Pathfinder Coordinator s Meeting (Spokane) 15 ABC Open, Office Closed, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day 20 North Lakes District Bible Bowl 20 NAD Religious Liberty Week Begins Band Clinic at WWC 29 UCA and WWVA Student Week of Prayer Begins 30 Conference Executive Committee February 2-4 Teen Pathfinder Retreat (MiVoden) 7 UCA Home Leave Begins 10 Pathfinder District Bible Bowls 10 NAD Christian Home and Marriage Week Begins Christian Men s Retreat (MiVoden) UCA Senior Recognition Weekend 17 Streams of Light Education Rally (Spokane South Hill Church) 19 ABC Open, Office Closed, President s Day 20 Conference Executive Committee UCA Choir Clinic 24 NAD Health Ministries Sabbath 24 UCC Bible Bowl * Calendar Acronym List: ABC...Adventist Book Center ASI...Adventist Laymen s Services and Industries CCA...Cascade Christian Academy NAD...North American Division UCA...Upper Columbia Academy UCC...Upper Columbia Conference WWC...Walla Walla College WWVA...Walla Walla Valley Academy Offering Schedule January offerings promote religious liberty, church plants and education December 2 Church Budget 9 The Inner City Ministries offering helps urban ministries through Adventist Community Services 16 Church Budget 23 The UCC Advance Share Funds offering provides monies for church and school building projects, education, evangelism and subscriptions to the Gleaner. 30 Church Budget January 7 Church Budget 13 UCC Advance Share 20 Church Budget 27 The Religious Liberty offering will advance religious freedom throughout the world, as well as the work of Liberty magazine as it reaches the minds of government leaders everywhere. February 3 Church Budget 10 The Adventist Television Ministries offering will assist ministries such as It is Written, Breath of Life and Faith For Today, taking the message of God s love to the world. 17 Church Budget 24 UCC Advance Share Pathfinder Teen Retreat Keynote Speaker Kevin Wilfley Pastor of the Spokane Linwood Adventist Church February 2-4, 2007 Camp MiVoden Information/registration: (509)