American Baptist Churches of the Great Rivers Region
News, Opportunities, Reflections, & Connectionsfor Growing Healthy Churches
Victoria Goff announces that the Second Blitz Build of homes on the Gulf Coast (post Katrina) will begin April 28, 2008 with the Blessing of the Build and end with the Dedication of the Homes on May 17, 2008.
Registration costs will be close to what they were in 2007. These will be finalized and available with forms in the packets available early January 2008. These packets will be posted on this site and on the National
Week 1: April 28 - May 4: Lots of volunteer help will be needed.
Week 2: May 5 - 11: Skilled help with fewer volunteers needed.
Week 3: May 12 - 17: Many volunteers needed.
Questions should be directed to Victoria Goff, National Coordinator, Volunteer Services
National Ministries ABCUSA
Register now for the 2007 Blackhawk Christmas Camp.
Bible stories, campfire, making crafts, playing games and sledding (if there is snow)
Registration is limited to the first 50 children.
How GRR Churches Do Web
There are certain features our churches are adding to their sites to be more inviting and better serve their users.
This week: "How to Find Us" (Listing of features)
First Baptist Church of Bloomington IL has put an automated map on its web site that shows the location of the church. This map is generated by Google Maps.
Another way of doing this can be found on the ABC GRR site. There is a place to type your address. You are then supplied directions and map as to how to get from where you are to the GRR office.
A third way many churches have done this is to put a map on one of the pages of their site. The best of these maps are not busy - that is they do not have any detail but the main routes and a very clear symbol of where the church is on that map. These also have street address and church telephone number.
The objective here is to help those who would want to personally visit your church to have the best directions.
Richard Ricks, GRR Associate Minister, Area III and Ministry Technologies is learning to blog. After encouragement from Randy Gauger of FBC Champaign and Steve Mecham of FBC Decatur, Richard has set up his blog on the themes of communication, web technologies, listening, and evangelism. Try it out. It is open for comments; however, because of time restraints comments and questions may not be individually answered.
Pastors Brad Donoho of Upper Alton Baptist, Jeff Johnson of Carlinville Federated, and Steve Robinson of Taylorville First Baptist join Tom Bayes of Peoria FBC and Jim Wolfe of Pontiac FBC in video testimonials of their experience with Consecration Sunday.
Thinking about Offering Electronic Giving as an Option for Your Church? Reflect on this as you read this article from Christianity Today.
Support Ministry and Mission of the GRR by giving online.
Paul Weers invites us to respond with gratitude to God for God's great blessings. As we aproach Christmas, consider Paul's invitation and actionable strategies to be a blessing to others.
Carl Cottingham has published the second issue of the Regional Ordination Program newsletter.
Stewardship Videos
John Grisham presents 12 short videos on stewardship by Robert Crandall and Associates. These are well done and appropriate for showing in worship, discipleship venues, and other ocassions.
What is it? View a moment of the actual seminar.
Find it online at http://www.abcgrr2.org/
pastoral%20relations%
20committee/start.htm
Or, request a self-starting CD by sending an e-mail request to Debbie (debbie@abc-grr.org) There is no charge for this CD for GRR churches and pastors.
Click on the dropdown arrow on the right side of the "GRR Site Index" above to view and use an exhaustive list of links to all the nearly 900 pages of this site. Or, use the "site map" link on the bottom of this column for an exploration of this site by themes.
View the comments of the Reverends John Curtis and David Garver about retirement.
Since 1935, American Baptists have contributed to special offerings received in their churches for retired ABC ministers and missionaries or their widowed spouses. The Retired Ministers and Missionaries Offering (RMMO) was established in 1977.
Through this annual offering, American Baptist congregations say thank you in a tangible way to the denomination’s retired spiritual leaders. The offering provides them with:
The Mission Videos of Reid Trulson, Victoria Goff, and GRR Staff taped during the 2007 GRR Annual Meeting and its Mission & Ministry Banquet have moved to the Mission section of this site.
Have youth who will be 15 or will have completed the 9th grade by July 5, 2008? Explore the possibility of participating in the National Gathering of American Baptist Youth in Estes Park, from July 5 - 11, 2008. Best contact in our Region is Jessica Henson who recommends this registration form. Or, register online.
FYI: If you need to view again a story that is no longer available on this home page, that you can view past home pages? Use the Archive.
Please note: Opening any of the above downloads may require several seconds. Two processes cause this delay. 
First, your computer must open the Adobe Reader. Second, the Adobe Reader opens the file. If you do not have the Adobe Reader installed on your computer, follow this link to the download page or click on the Adobe icon above . Thank you for your patience. (Needing to produce PDFs? Read about the options.)
ABC Great Rivers Region
(217) 726 - 7366
(217) 726 - 7566 FAX
grrabc@abc-grr.org
Physical Address:
3940 Pintail Drive
Springfield IL 62711Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 3786
Springfield IL 62708
Administrative Staff:
Roland Sundberg, Executive Administrator
roland@abc-grr.org
Candy Stivers, Data Management
candy@abc-grr.org
Sharon Downs, Camp Administrative Coordinator
sharon@abc-grr.org
Debbie Naugle, Registrar & Receptionist
debbie@abc-grr.org
Ministerial Staff:
Dwight Stinnett
Executive Minister
John Grisham
Mission Support
Stewardship
Cheryl Henson
Area I
Ministerial Recruitment
Ministerial Cont. Ed.
Max Klinkenborg
Area II
Natural Church Dev.
Spiritual Development
Richard Ricks
Area III
Multimedia
Web Technologies
Randy McNeely
Area IV
Bivocational Ministry
Costa Rica Partnership
Muriel Johnson
Area V
Church Planting
