 Below are the deaths, births and weddings that occurred across our congregations since our last published issue. During these major events, and always, we will proclaim His praise. Christian Fellowship Chapel (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Dalmeny Bible Church (Dalmeny, Saskatchewan)
Martensville Mission Church (Martensville, Saskatchewan)
Salem Church (Waldheim, Saskatchewan)
Saron Mennonite Church (Fairview, Oklahoma)
Vita Bible Church (Vita, Manitoba)
Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
Church News (July/Aug 2025)8/22/2025  We have several exciting updates to share from this year at our church. First, our new mission statement is KNOW GOD, MAKE HIM KNOWN. This reflects Jesus’ command to love Him first and then to love our neighbors as ourselves. Truly, how can we know God without knowing His love? And how can we make Him known apart from passing His love along?
Carolyn shares, “We are seven families represented (including us)—13 adults and 6 children. We had 3–4 new Spanish-speaking families start coming to the church in 2024, with different levels of English. Two families came to our church after only being in Canada a couple of weeks. Although learning English is important and becoming part of the church community is the goal, this Sunday School time allows them to study God’s Word in their mother tongue and share their thoughts freely. One family and one single man are new to the faith, but the others came from churches in Colombia and the Dominican Republic and were looking for a place to fellowship here.” When the Reimers are away, two capable men step in to lead the Bible study, and plans are in place for a more organized time for the children. In May, our congregation began intentionally celebrating Pentecost, including a baby dedication that day. With four little ones in our congregation, we anticipate more dedications to come. We were especially blessed with the births of two new babies this summer: Esther Grace Reimer, born May 18 to Derek and Kirsten Reimer, and Micah Timothy Ryan, born July 23 to Pastor Tim and Kristin. Alongside this joy, we were saddened by the passing of Irene Margaret Klassen, age 88, on May 17, 2025.
Linda Edwards, Correspondent Dalmeny Bible Church has experienced a season rich in ministry, learning, and fellowship. Missions highlights included a sending prayer in March for Jason, Joanne, Hannah, and Olivia Borrowman with AIM before they returned to Hurri Hills, Africa, and a visit from Doug Barr with One Hope – Ranger Lake Bible Camp on March 30. During Lent, the congregation focused on Jesus’ journey to the Cross, enriched by personal testimonies from church members. Children’s Mini-Clubs wrapped up their winter sessions with a Family Showcase, and leaders and volunteers attended both the Youth Workers Conference and the Children’s Impact Conference in Saskatoon. Growing Leaders training continues for adults and youth, and the church’s literacy support program remains active in the local elementary school. Winter fellowship events included Men’s Breakfast Gatherings, an NFL Super Bowl supper for men and boys, and a Lazer Tag outing. Ladies participated in a Winter Retreat, a Charcuterie night, and a Pre-Easter brunch for ladies and girls, alongside showers celebrating a new bride and a new baby. The congregation continues to lift up families experiencing difficult medical situations, providing both practical and spiritual care. Marilyn Harder, Correspondent Evangelical Bible Church Dallas, Oregon Troy Bassham, Pastor ebcdallas.org This summer, we hosted just over 100 local children for our True North VBS. We will soon begin evaluating and searching for an administrative pastor, as Pastor Mike is moving on to serve as senior pastor at a new church. In September, we will launch a new Awana year. Please pray for leaders and helpers, as we typically have between 120 and 140 children each week. In October, we will hold our annual missions conference here at the church with our missionary friends serving in Central Asia. Alison Johnson, Correspondent Jansen Bible Church Jansen, Nebraska Paul Carpenter, Pastor jansenbiblechurch.org The Washington County, Kansas, Rodeo took place on June 13–14. Once again, our JBC women faithfully managed the concession stand this year. Vacation Bible School, held June 16–20, focused on the life and times of Elijah, with 40 students attending. Garrett and Joanna Schlake, serving with InterVarsity in France, were the featured missionaries. Offerings totaled $4,322.03 to help fund Evangelism Week for college students at their university. The Schlakes also led a Q&A session on June 24. In June, Jeff Engelman and his son Josiah traveled to Indonesia to minister at a Bible conference with the Semandang people group, where Jeff grew up and later served as a missionary. On July 6, Brian Dick introduced the new Spanish director of Springs of Life Camp. Brian and Susanna serve with Avant at the camp, which is now managed by Word of Life. Throughout July, our pastoral search committee arranged for several candidates to minister while the Carpenters were in Florida attending the Moretti Ministries Board meeting. We praise the Lord for those seeking His direction in the harvest field, even as we continue to seek His guidance for His flock at Jansen. Tena Dick, Correspondent Martensville Mission Church Martensville, Saskatchewan Justin Klassen, Pastor facebook.com/martensvillemissionchurch The past several months have been full of fellowship, outreach, and new opportunities at MMC. Earlier in the year, our congregation enjoyed several gatherings, including a Super Bowl Party on February 9, a Family Fun Night on February 14, and our Annual General Meeting on February 28. Pastor Justin also led us through a special two-sermon Easter series: Palm Sunday’s The Rocks Will Cry Out and Easter Sunday’s Yet Not I. Our Women’s Bible Study, which began again in March, has been studying the Psalms. God has also been stirring hearts in the area of outreach. Under the leadership of Pastor Brolin, MMC launched our first Soup and Bun Community Supper on March 3. Volunteers from the church prepared and served the meal, and about 20 people from the community attended, along with others from MMC who enjoyed the meal and fellowship together. These suppers have continued monthly since then and will carry on through the summer. It has been encouraging to see new faces come through the doors each month, and we look forward to how God will continue to use this ministry. May was a particularly busy month. In addition to our Community Suppers, we participated in the Martensville Community Garage Sale and the Buster Days parade, where information cards highlighting MMC programs were handed out along the parade route. We also held our Ladies Salad Fiesta, where Kelsey Simes, wife of Associate Pastor Brolin Simes, shared how God has moved in her life. Each of these events provided meaningful opportunities to connect with people in our community and show the love of Christ. As summer has unfolded, most of our regular programming has wound down to give families a chance to rest and enjoy time together. Our youth, however, continue to meet informally twice each month. We wrapped up the ministry season with a Family BBQ on June 8 following the morning service. Looking ahead, plans are underway for our second annual MMC Camping Weekend at Pike Lake in August, which will include an outdoor Sunday Service. Many have already signed up, and we anticipate another wonderful weekend of food, fun, and fellowship. We are also preparing for a baptism service and our Fall Kickoff, both scheduled for September 14. Brenda Quirt, Correspondent Randville Bible Church Iron Mountain, Michigan Jim Janofski, Pastor facebook.com/RandvilleBibleChurch Summer is a joyful time at Randville Bible Church and this year was no exception; we praise God for His faithfulness and rejoice in our church family's love for the Lord and His Word and the joys of being a part of a local family of God's people. Our annual church outreach picnic on the last Sunday of June was a memorable time with a number of visitors in the morning service that left the church nearly full. Many family, friends, and neighbors then gathered to enjoy the annual picnic under the big tent that followed the service. The day was filled with great food, warm fellowship, games, and 15 musicians praising the Lord through bluegrass Gospel. What a special day for this annual outreach event. July brought the blessing of sermons from the Book of Jonah, preached by guest pastor Hill, who touched lives through this expository message series. During this time, Pastor Jim was ministering at a music festival, where he had multiple opportunities to share the Gospel in a variety of musical settings. The power of prayer for boldness in witnessing was clearly felt and seen, and we thank God for His blessings. In August, services have focused on God’s character through various psalms in the theme Psalms We Cherish. How rich is God’s Word! We savor our God as Creator, reflect upon His holy character, His eternal nature, and His care, guidance, and provision as the ultimate Good Shepherd. In September, we will celebrate Grandparents Sunday as we reflect on the role and importance of grandparents in children’s lives. We also will commemorate World Bible Translation Sunday on the last Sunday of the month, focusing on updates in Bible translation work and newly completed languages over the past year. We praise the Lord for His blessings and faithfulness to our small fellowship at RBC! May His name be praised, and may He continue to bless the churches of our FEBC. Pastor Jim Janofski Rock Valley Chapel Beloit, Wisconsin Tim Johnson, Pastor rockvalleychapel.org We praise God for the ways He has been at work in the lives of His people over the past several months! Earlier this year, we celebrated three baptisms at our Easter Sunday service, rejoicing in each person’s commitment to Christ. Holy Week this year was a meaningful and celebratory time for our congregation. We held a Maundy Thursday service that included a brief Seder meal and explanation, a Good Friday service, a Saturday morning prayer time, and Easter Sunday festivities, beginning with food and fellowship before the morning service. We continue to give thanks for God’s faithfulness and the ways He draws people into His family. Karen Broekhuis, Correspondent Salem Church Waldheim, Saskatchewan James VanderVeen, Pastor salemchurch.ca Over the past several months, the Salem family has enjoyed many events and opportunities for fellowship. In February, we hosted a Matt Falk Clean Comedy Night, welcoming visitors from near and far. In March, Gary Krehbiel led a Family Fusion event in the afternoon, bringing couples and families together for laughter and clean fun. Our ladies’ events have resumed as well, with each gathering focused on a specific theme connected to the overall theme of Gather. In March, the theme was Gather in Gratitude, and participants shared testimonies and engaged in meaningful discussions around tables of good food. Looking ahead, we celebrated Waldheim’s joint Easter services, including a Thursday evening service at Salem followed by a youth event. Good Friday services were held at the MB church across town, where attendees also partook in the Lord’s Table together. Easter Sunday services were held at both churches in celebration of the risen Lord. We were also excited to host the Watoto Children’s Choir on April 27 for an evening concert, which included opportunities for host families to connect with choir members. Since spring, we have also celebrated Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and our Grade 12 graduates. Eight individuals shared personal testimonies and were received into membership, including one baptism. These occasions have been a time to rejoice in God’s faithfulness and the blessings He provides. This season also brings change for Salem Church as two key positions are open for applications. Brenda Wiens, who has faithfully served as Director of Family Ministries for the past six years, will be retiring at the end of July. Shawna Mwakikuti, our Office Administrator for the past five years, will be beginning her maternity leave in July. We ask for prayer as we seek God’s guidance in filling these roles with the people He is preparing for these responsibilities. Shawna Mwakikuti, Correspondent Saron Mennonite Church Fairview, Oklahoma Arnold Curby, Pastor It has been a full and joyful summer at Saron! On May 4, the congregation hosted an evening reception honoring high school graduates Karsyn Pendergraft and Bre D’Alberto. June brought more highlights, including Children’s Day at Gloss Mountain State Park on June 8, followed by Communion and a Fellowship Dinner on June 29, where Krista Pendergraft also shared about her mission trip to Ireland. The celebrations continued with the wedding of Amos Nunn, son of Adam and Denise Nunn, to Breanna D’Alberto, daughter of Denny and Rachel D’Alberto, on July 26. The Saron family also rejoiced in two new births: Shalom Susanna Curby, born May 2 to Levi and Kristin Curby, and Miriam Elizabeth Hope Kanary, born July 11 to Hannah and Jonathan Kanary. Arnold and Grace Curby are the proud grandparents of both little ones. Most recently, on August 15, the congregation enjoyed a potluck picnic at Roman Nose State Park following the morning service. The event served as a meaningful time of fellowship as well as an opportunity to connect with the wider community. Grace Curby, Correspondent Vita Bible Church Vita, Manitoba Jonathan Coutts, Pastor
Pastor Jonathan referenced this Casting Crowns song more than once this spring as we journeyed through Acts. If we are the hands and feet of Jesus, what does that look like for us? Our lives here are but a breath, and we should live each moment for God. This year at Vita Bible Church, we have had many opportunities to live out the words of Paul in Romans 12:5, to rejoice with those who rejoice and to mourn with those who mourn. As a body, we rejoiced as we celebrated the dedication of our newest babies on March 9: Arabella Dyck (Jason and Maya Dyck), Wyatt Hofer (Kris and Val Hofer), Timothy Wiebe (Keith and Bethany Wiebe), Liam Unger (Tony and Annabel Unger), and Emmit Rempel (Daniel and Julia Rempel). It was a wonderful time to celebrate our growing congregation. Many relatives and friends came to support these young couples as they dedicated their little ones to the Lord. On the morning of March 23, we mourned together as one body when two of our members, Diedrich and Sara Unger, were tragically called to their eternal home. This painful reminder of the brevity of life renewed our resolve to love and serve with all that we have, being the body Christ calls us to be. Our transition into summer began with unexpected excitement when a bear broke into our church basement, curious to look around and join in on all the activity. This summer, we took a break from our study of Acts and instead looked more deeply into various psalms, worshipping God through David’s writings. Pastor Jonathan also began a new short session with the children during the service, where one child each Sunday places any item of their choice into a special shoebox. Pastor Jonathan then uses that surprise item as an object lesson to draw the children into the love Christ has for them. We are so thankful for our church family and for God’s design for us. He created us to love, support, and encourage one another—rejoicing together, mourning together, holding one another up in prayer, and being His hands and feet. Together, we reach out to the hurting, love the little children, and show them all that Jesus is the Way. Tiffany Tuurenhout, Correspondent
Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
CoGP: Bible Study Available8/22/2025  Retired FEBC global partner Bob Lee has written a Bible study on the Book of Isaiah and is making it available to anyone who is interested. This study offers an in-depth look at Isaiah’s message and its relevance for today, and Bob’s years of ministry experience bring unique insight to the text.
For details on how to request your copy, visit the Commission on Global Partnerships’ original post here. Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
Passing the Pen8/22/2025  It’s with joy that I share this special Connect25-focused edition of our digital publication with you! As you’ll see throughout each article published this month, the heartbeat of our Fellowship is strong: connecting, encouraging, and empowering one another for the work of the Gospel. Connect reminds us that we’re not just a collection of churches, but a family bound together by our mission and by Christ Himself. I hope that you find this issue especially encouraging and uplifting as you read about all of the work accomplished at the annual Connect gathering and browse through stories and galleries that showcase how impactful the work our Fellowship accomplishes together truly is. Admittedly, this month’s content release is also a bit bittersweet for me, as it will be my last serving as your editor. When I first stepped into this role, I had such excitement and hope for what the magazine could become. And while I’ve cherished the opportunity, I also know there’s much more I had hoped to do but simply could not accomplish in this season of life. I’m deeply sorry if the inconsistency of our releases or my communication has been felt by you, our readers, and by our churches. At the same time, I am excited about what comes next for our publication. The magazine is in wonderful hands with Sarah, your new editor, whose skill, vision, and steady leadership will bless this publication and the Fellowship for years to come. I have no doubt she will help bring things fully back on track and carry the work forward with excellence. Though I’m stepping back, this isn’t a goodbye to the Fellowship or to this publication. I hope to occasionally contribute an article and will certainly keep reading to stay connected with you and with the inspiring work happening across our churches and around the world. I continue to believe wholeheartedly in the mission of the Fellowship and in the power of God at work through each of you. Thank you for the kindness, patience, and encouragement you’ve shown me during my time as editor. It has been a privilege to serve in this role, to hear your stories, and to share them. More than anything, I leave with a heart that feels deeply connected to you all.
Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
CoGP at Connect258/22/2025  The annual Connect meetings are meant to make connections throughout the Fellowship and connect is exactly what our Commission did. We sought ways to build relationships with our global partners and with our churches. Here are just a few of the meaningful connections we were able to make at Connect25. We connected with FEBC global partners in person. We interacted with global partners who attended Connect25 in various ways—at their display tables, through conversations between and after sessions, and most of all during our Global Partners Dinner Friday night. This year’s attendees included Darwin and Karen Stoesz and family, Matthew and Katarina Colegrove and family, Rob and Barb Quiring, Brian Dick, and Roger and Lois Reimer (retired global partners). Through these interactions we not only learned about their work, but also came to know them personally. We connected with FEBC global partners from afar. We also heard from global partners who were unable to attend Connect25 in-person through video presentations they submitted. These videos were displayed continuously in the foyer for delegates to view at their convenience. Some of the children of our global partners even shared about the ministry from their own perspective, which was especially meaningful. We connected with the Springs of Life Camp in Spain. We were encouraged to hear an update from Brain Dick and Ismael, the director of Springs of Life. It was good to hear about the work going on there. Ismael shared that he came to faith in Christ at the camp years ago, a testimony that affirms the ongoing purpose of the ministry. This year’s Connect project offering was designated to help restore camp facilities after severe flooding this year.  We connected through published works from our partners. Delegates were also introduced to the newly published book by Nancy Rempel, FEBC global partner in Canada and formerly in India and Pakistan. In her book, Whoosh! Out of My Head and Into God’s, Nancy recounts her many experiences in the field and how God caused her thinking to change through His Word. The book is available in Nancy’s Amazon store. Visit her website HERE for more on the book and links to purchase.
We connected through opportunities to serve. Rob Quiring, developer of Spotlight English Clubs, led a breakout session on ESL ministry. The session helped delegates explore ways to serve global communities right where they are by engaging in English as a Second Language opportunities. You can learn more about Spotlight at spotlightenglish.com. We continue to connect. Connect25 may be a yearly event, but we’re working year-round to make sure we all stay connected. You can help us continue the connection by visiting our blog site at www.febcmissions.com. This blog provides updates on missions within our Fellowship and around the world. For example, you can find a link to learn more about this year’s Urbana Conference. We also recently posted a retirement recognition for Joe and Denise Goossen, who served faithfully in locations ranging from Brazil to Central Asia. Soon, we will share a recognition for Clara Klassen, who served in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Benin. We also plan to feature articles we are calling “Letters to the Churches”. These will not serve as rebukes or warnings, but encouragement and practical ideas for supporting our global partners. Let’s connect! Visit our blog site and subscribe. By subscribing, you will receive notifications when new posts are published. Be the first to know and stay connected with what God is doing through our Fellowship. Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
Connect25: AGM Update8/22/2025  At this year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) during Connect25, delegates came together to make important decisions for the life of our Fellowship. Here are some highlights from those discussions and updates. MEMBERSHIP UPDATE The US delegates approved the application of Community Bible Church of Wolf Point, MT to join our Fellowship as a full affiliate member. CBC left our Fellowship a few years ago, but their members recently voted to rejoin us. BUDGET APPROVALThe delegates approved our budget for FY2026 (April 2025-March 2026). The projected budget includes drawing about $50,000 from unrestricted reserves to meet our needs. While this is the lowest budgeted draw from reserves since 2018, it highlights the need for additional giving toward our general fund or Ministries Coordinator support. Please pray about whether you can help and check out the State of the Fellowship article for more about how God continues to provide for our Fellowship!  FEBC ELECTIONSOur Fellowship cannot function without members of our churches who serve in volunteer leadership capacities. The following individuals were elected at Connect25 for leadership within our Fellowship: Directors:
Commission on Churches:
Commission on Global Partnerships:
Commission on Pastoral Care:
FEBC SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED At Connect25, we announced the following recipients for the 2025-2026 school year. Congratulations to these awardees: Christian Ministry Scholarship ($1,500 each):
Continuing Education Scholarship ($2,000 each):
 Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
  A couple of questions have been asked more than once during previous Connect meetings.  The first question: Why do I give a report and then also give an address? Well, my annual report is intended to convey what I have done over the past fiscal year, so the member churches are kept apprised of my work. This is my address, sometimes referred to as the “State of the Fellowship” address. While the report gives you an idea of what happened from April 2024-March 2025, this address is to tell you what the state of our ministry is today and give you some idea of where I think it is headed tomorrow. Just for fun, I Googled: “What is a state of the organization address?” and got the following response: “A State of the Organization address is a communication, often a speech, given by leadership to update stakeholders on the organization's current status, strategic direction, and future plans.” The other question that gets asked is: “What is the point of approving the president’s address?” My answer is: “I don’t know. That’s what our forefathers did, and so we have maintained the tradition.” So, in a sweeping move of Fellowship reform, I have asked the chairman for permission to forego approving this speech, so when it’s done, it’s done, whether you approve or not. But let’s get to the business of updating you on the current status and direction of the FEBC. Folks, we need to praise God this afternoon! He is a mighty, awesome God, and he is our great Provider, and he has provided for our Fellowship in an amazing way. To fully explain the situation over the past 6 or 7 years would take too long, and you’d fall asleep. Many of you know it by heart, but some of you may be new, so I will give you the briefest explanation possible, and if this leaves you wondering what happened, talk to me or a director later.  In 2018, we had a bunch of funds in reserve. They were mostly from estate gifts and the like. The directors didn’t want to just sit on the money, they wanted to use those funds to help churches. The delegates agreed, and we expanded our ministry quite a bit to better serve churches. The most notable change was the addition of a full-time Ministries Coordinator. The idea was to serve your churches as well as possible until either giving increased enough to cover our expenses or the reserves ran out. There were some big challenges, such as COVID keeping us from connecting in person and the economic downturn in FY2023. So here is a quick snapshot of how we used reserves to keep going. In FY2022, we transferred about $92,000 from our unrestricted reserves to pay the bills. This was about $20,000 less than we budgeted, so we felt pretty good about it. But in FY2023, when the economy really tanked, we drew over $185,000 from unrestricted reserves. We had budgeted to spend $139,000 from those reserves. It appeared that the plan was no longer sustainable. So, at Connect23, the directors proposed that we make sweeping changes to our ministry. Many of them, such as selling our office space and moving our paper magazine to online-only, have been implemented. But the delegates at Connect23 insisted that we keep the Ministries Coordinator position, moving it to a support model. We continue to pay Gary’s salary and expenses, but as donations come in for his support, we can offset those costs within our budget. What has happened since that moment is nothing short of miraculous. As I reported last year, in FY2024 we budgeted to transfer $120,000 from reserves in spite of some cuts happening mid-year. But through God’s provision, we ended up only transferring about $5,000 from unrestricted reserves. But as I said last year, this amazing situation did not mean we were out of the woods. Our numbers were influenced by the income from selling our building, and we were still trying to raise support for Gary. So, we have prayed and waited to see how things would turn out this year. This past year, FY2025, for the first time since we expanded our ministry by faith in 2019, we saw a net income. We gained over $14,000 in unrestricted funds. We had budgeted to transfer about 60,000 from unrestricted reserves. There is no one factor to explain a $70,000 improvement from projected to actual. God did it. Our investments did better, but more notably, general giving to the FEBC from member churches went up significantly last year, while at the same time, both churches and individuals increased support for the Ministries Coordinator position. We also kept our expenses $15,000 below budget. There are many factors, but one author. I give all the glory to God. We have not arrived yet at financial stability. We are still leaning on God to provide. As you know, the cost of everything just keeps increasing, and so the cost of ministry increases as well. We have not yet received full pledged support for our Ministries Coordinator, so the balance of that expense remains. Overall, the proposed budget you will consider tomorrow includes around $50,000 in transfers from unrestricted reserves. This is the lowest budgeted amount since 2018, but it reinforces the fact that we need to stay vigilant and pray for God’s provision. This dynamic of inflated costs over the years is also why we recommend that each member church give a percentage of its annual budget. As your budgets increase with the economy, the FEBC income will organically increase to match inflation. If your church has not already adopted this approach, I encourage you to consider it. Aside from increased giving from our existing churches, the best way to achieve stability is through adding new member churches. The extensions are looking at potential church plants, but I am more directly involved in attempting to identify and recruit new churches from outside our Fellowship. As I have mentioned before, this can be a difficult process to tackle. It would not be very effective to just call churches and ask if they want to join a new fellowship. There is a tiny subset of churches who are not already affiliated with a group but want to be. And when you consider that they must align with us doctrinally, that tiny subset becomes somewhat miniscule. But I have always been hopeful – more churches are becoming dissatisfied with changes within their own denomination, and as they leave, I believe many will look for another group of believers with whom they can affiliate. My plea for the past few years has been simple: If you know of a church who might be a good fit, talk to them, and if they are interested, connect them with me. For a couple of years, it seemed like we weren’t gaining much traction, but in the past 18 months or so, opportunities began to appear, one by one. I can report that at this moment; there are 7 churches having a conversation with me about the potential of joining our Fellowship. I would say the probability of each joining us varies wildly. One is a pastor who has probed a little and asked if he could use some of our resources at his church. Another is a pastor who has invited me to present the FEBC to his congregation this fall, and the rest are somewhere between those points. There is never a guarantee that things will work out, as an excited pastor doesn’t necessarily equate to approving elders or congregation members. But I have had several years with no potential churches on the phone, and 7 is simply extraordinary. On top of these concrete possibilities, there are other churches that are just now being brought forward as maybe someone to talk to. There are pastors who have expressed interest in associating with our Fellowship even though their church is clearly not ready to join us yet. In short – I see God moving in this area! Not only did he provide for us financially last year, but he has been and continues to provide potential opportunities for growth. We have received other affirmations of the value of the FEBC. When Richer Fellowship Church lost their pastor, they requested an FEBC Steering Team, as they trusted that we could provide them with the guidance they need for a stable future. Community Bible Church of Wolf Point, MT left our Fellowship a few years ago but reached out last year to ask if they could rejoin. These are church leaders who have seen the value of connection and fellowship, and they want to be part of this family. Our churches are generally healthy. As I mentioned in my report, our recent Annual Church Survey reveals that 79% of our churches reported some growth from the previous year, while only 10% reported a decline. This has been an amazing year, and I want to praise God for that! In fact, we’re going to sing the doxology right now. Now I want to give a brief update on our work and our direction.  As you likely already know, we have not done as well with the online Fellowship Focus as we had hoped. Our Fellowship Focus Editor, Rebecca Meyer, has simply been amazing. She did a great job of publishing the last couple of print editions and then transitioning us from a print magazine to online-only. But for the past year or more, her life has gotten more complicated. She has tried to keep up through multiple big life changes, but it just isn’t working. And so, we have hired a new editor, and the two are working on turning things over. Our new Fellowship Focus editor is Sarah Stutler. Sarah has good experience and is knowledgeable in the tools we use to create the online Focus, and I believe she is well qualified. She also happens to be the daughter of Rev. Gary Krehbiel, and the granddaughter of former FEBC President Don Krehbiel, and she grew up here at Crosspoint, so I believe she will bring a genuine interest and connection to her work, and I look forward to seeing how God will use her. I am very proud of the rest of the staff. Gary, Janet, and Crystal continue to go above and beyond to serve you well, and each of them is an honor to serve alongside. It has also been great to work with Annie Bueckert and her team as they handle the FEBC Canada bookkeeping. They are still learning the ropes but are clearly competent and easy to work with.  We will continue to evaluate how to better utilize our tools and resources this year. We want to serve you well, and part of that involves our behind the scenes processes. As we improve and streamline things such as our administrative processes, our documents, and our website, we continue to sharpen our focus on strengthening churches. Gary and I each have a renewed desire to visit churches, so don’t be shy about inviting us to come see your folks. We also want to get back to developing more helpful resources. I will talk more about this when I give my Vision Update. The directors continue to discuss various issues that impact our Fellowship, and they are always seeking the best way to offer amazing care and support. I believe you have a network of churches that truly want your church to be as healthy and effective as possible. I think we should embrace that blessing.  This year I want to challenge you to fully embrace the blessing of our Fellowship. How can we fully embrace the blessing of our Fellowship?
With that in mind, the most important thing you can do to embrace the blessing of our Fellowship is to pray. Prayer is a powerful, effective, essential tool in the lives of believers, and we need to pray for this Fellowship. Pray for us as leaders, pray for our financial needs, pray for your fellow churches, pray that God would truly strengthen local churches through this joint effort. I challenge you to continue to pray for the FEBC throughout this coming year. Put it on your calendar or whatever you need to do to remember the FEBC in your prayers. And let us collectively thank him for the blessing of this Fellowship. Thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, and prayer. I couldn’t imagine a better group to serve.  “Strengthening our churches with timely resources that strengthen their leaders” This is our vision, and we are truly focused on how to strengthen churches. This past year continued a trend that began a couple of years ago – we are so busy providing resources and support to our churches that we are unable to spend a lot of time developing new resources. We only have so many hours, and our top priority is to serve you when you reach out for assistance. I am quite pleased to let that trend continue for as long as you have needs. That said, we do continue to work toward providing new resources as we can. I have done some revamping of the Worship Workshop, so even if your church has had one in the past, consider setting one up to help strengthen your worship team. A couple of our churches have chosen a Worship Weekend, where I work with the worship team on Saturday and preach about Biblical worship on Sunday. Let me know if this could benefit your church. Gary has also been expanding his toolkit, as this past year he introduced FEBC Fusion, an event where your church body can come together for a relaxed night of games and fun but also learn a bit about our Fellowship. My personal observation is that if you have trouble coming up with a way for the elderly folks and the young kids in your church to all enjoy the same activity, this is undoubtedly an event that unites them. If you haven’t had Fusion at your church, contact Gary. Or if you have already done it, do it again! Gary also recently achieved certification in the Working Genius tool, and we have already seen a couple of churches blessed by the insight this tool can provide for your leadership team. Talk to Gary or attend his breakout session to learn more about how this resource might benefit your church. We had a handful of churches face some level of difficulty last year, and we were honored to walk alongside them. I pray that our efforts to support and strengthen them were beneficial. I encourage you to be involved in this vision of strengthening local churches. If you think there is a resource that would really benefit other churches like yours, give us a call. If you come upon a new situation or a question you don’t know the answer to, give us a call. Gary and I do not have every answer, but I absolutely guarantee you that we care more about your ministry than Google does, and we’re pretty good at recognizing and solving problems. We are here to support and help you. And as I said earlier, the best thing you can do is pray. Pray that the implementation of our vision will continue to truly strengthen local churches, and that the Gospel would have a greater impact in our communities. Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
Resources: Working Genius8/22/2025  Our Vision Statement is: “Strengthening our churches with timely resources that strengthen their leaders.”
One of the ways in which we strive to strengthen our churches is through improving the ability of our staff and leaders to serve you well. Recently, our Ministries Coordinator, Rev. Gary Krehbiel, became certified in Working Genius. There are many stages required to develop and implement a project or the vision of your church. The people who have big ideas may not be great at doing the work to make it happen. The people who are great at discerning potential concerns may be terrible at galvanizing others to help overcome them. The task that gives one person energy totally drains another. The Working Genius assessment is a tool you can use to better understand how your team fits together. In the process, you will learn to understand yourself and your teammates better, and to manage your overall ministry in a more effective way. Unlike other assessments you might have tried, the Working Genius is 20% personality and 80% productivity, which provides unique insights into how your team works best. Whether you have a staff or a team of volunteers, this assessment can be extremely beneficial. As an individual leader, this assessment will help you understand yourself and how you work, which can lead to greater success and help you avoid stress and burnout. If you are interested in learning more, contact Gary to schedule an assessment at your church. [email protected] Check out a more complete list of resources here: FEBC Church Resources, but remember that we are willing to talk about any situation at all. Don’t hesitate to contact Gary, Kevin, or the FEBC Office. Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
 There’s still time to be part of the Connect25 Project Offering. This year’s project supports Springs of Life Camp in Andalusia, Spain, where FEBC-supported global partners Brian and Susanna Dick serve.
Earlier this year, the camp’s main meeting room was severely damaged by flooding. This space is central to the ministry at the camp, hosting teaching, worship, and fellowship for many gospel-focused programs. The project will not only restore the meeting room but will also add storage to help protect equipment from future damage. Our goal is $15,000 USD, and thanks to the generosity of churches and individuals in our Fellowship, we are well on our way to meeting it. Gifts from both churches and individuals are welcome, and every contribution helps finish the work and strengthen this vital ministry. Donations will be accepted through the end of August. If you would like to participate, gifts can be made out to “FEBC” with “Project Offering” in the memo line. Let’s finish strong and bless the ministry at Springs of Life Camp together. Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
Update Potpourri8/22/2025  I just want to share updates about what has been going on with the Fellowship over the past few months. This is an exciting time to be part of the FEBC, and there is much to share! Rebecca Meyer has resigned as our Fellowship Focus Editor, as life changes have made it too difficult to continue. We will miss Rebecca greatly, as she has been an asset to our team! Rebecca has not only proven to be a capable writer and editor, but she also helped us transition from a paper magazine to online-only, which involved a complete renovation of our website. Rebecca will continue to help until our new Focus Editor is up to speed. We wish Rebecca well and pray God’s blessing on her family. Our new Fellowship Focus Editor is Sarah Stutler. Sarah has the experience and ability to do very well in this role, and I trust her work will embody both literary and artistic excellence. Sarah also grew up within the FEBC. Her father is our Ministries Coordinator, and her grandfather is a previous FEBC President. With that pedigree, I believe she will truly bring a passion about the subject matter she is covering. Welcome Sarah! Connect25 was a big success! There was a true feeling of connection and mutual care, and our Keynote Speaker, Mark Clifton, challenged us in many ways to refocus our local church ministries on Jesus Christ and his work. We were encouraged, challenged, and refreshed. I had two conversations with first timers (both lay people, one from Canada and one from the US) who stated that they were really surprised at how much they enjoyed Connect. I hope you will consider attending next year. We will be meeting at Salem Church in Waldheim, SK on July 9-11, 2026. I will be sharing my “State of the Fellowship” address in a separate article, so I do not want to go into too much detail here, but our Fellowship was incredibly blessed last year. The cooperation between member churches and our Fellowship seems to be rising each year, and both churches and individuals have responded to our financial needs. In FY2025, we budgeted to spend about $60,000 from unrestricted reserves to pay our expenses. Instead, we gained about $14,000 in unrestricted reserves. This is the first time we have seen a net positive in many years. We praise God for his provision and thank you for your faithfulness in giving to support this ministry. There is still a need for additional support. Ministries Coordinator support is at 76%, so we still have a little way to go. Overall, we are projecting to draw about $50,000 from our unrestricted reserves in FY2026. But we trust God to fill that gap once again! Another area of praise: For the past few years, I have been asking that each of us consider if we know other churches who might be a good fit for our Fellowship and try to engage them in a conversation. Today, I know of seven churches that are at least considering whether they might affiliate with us in the future. Some are very serious, and others are very early in the process. Please pray that God will grant discernment to these churches and to us. Our Project Offering for Connect25 is to pay for repairs to the main conference room at Springs of Life camp in Spain after it was severely damaged by flooding. We are still accepting donations through the end of August, but it looks like we will be close to our goal of $15,000 (USD). I am so grateful that the people and churches of our Fellowship are generous and sensitive to ministry needs around the world. At Connect25, we said farewell (for now) to Richard Colegrove, who has served as a US Director for many years. He has reached his term limit, and must now take at least one year off, but we trust he will return. We are very grateful for Richard’s service to this organization. The delegates elected Rev. Bryan Conrad (Henderson, NE) as a new US Director. We welcome Bryan! Please pray for all the FEBC Directors as they strive to serve your churches well. We also recognized the contributions of Rev. Paul and Carol Carpenter. The Carpenters will be retiring in October after serving at Jansen Bible Church for nearly 37 years! Both Paul and Carol have served as leaders within our Fellowship, and we are very grateful for their faithfulness in ministry. These are just a few of the things going on within our Fellowship. For more, check out the following articles: Fellowship Views, Connect25 AGM Update, 2025 State of the Fellowship Address.
Tags:
The Recommended Content Widget will appear here on the published site.
|
8/28/2025
0 Comments