May 23, 2018
By Madelyn Neher, Sabbath Recorder correspondent
The Dodge Center Seventh Day Baptist Church hosted the 2018 Spring Fellowship Retreat on March 23-24 in Dodge Center with the theme “Revive Our Hearts.” This retreat is the new generation of what has been Semi-Annual Meetings between our churches in Dodge Center, MN, and New Auburn, WI, and in the last few years, with the addition of Outreach Bible Church in Portage, WI, and Grace Seventh Day Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN.
The weekend began with a vespers service Friday night lead by Pastor Billy Edwards followed by a light lunch. Following the regular Sabbath morning worship was a fellowship dinner and afternoon meeting with a presentation of the Revive organization— that included videos of the activities last year of Revive in Texas and Ohio, and Dodge County, MN. Pastor Bill Shobe traveled with the Revive team to each of the week-long events. After the video, everyone had the opportunity to participate in the presentation and respond to the Revive Gospel message with color-coded bracelets and Bibles specially marked to find the verses showing the way to salvation. Sabbath night included supper, a short business meeting and fellowship game time.
Pastor Bill Shobe gave a brief explanation about his trip coming in June. He will be going as translator with Clint Brown from the Missionary Society. They will go to Ivory Coast, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo. The funds given to Spring Fellowship Retreat were voted to apply to Pastor Bill’s trip through the Missionary Society.
Pastor Wayne North, of Freedom Community Church in New Auburn, told about their building expansion project slated to begin actual building this summer. They have two assistant pastors at this time. They are hosting Come Alive, a Spiritual Growth Conference in April.
Pastor Bill Shobe reported that the Dodge Center church has been focusing on revitalization. Discussion of the book Autopsy of a Deceased Church was held and currently they are in the midst of using the devotional 40 Days of Prayer. They are trying to establish an outreach focus. The YF has combined with the Praise Fellowship Church youth group. They are focusing on how to be a light to the community.
Pastor Dale Rood shared about Grace Church in Bloomington. They have an average attendance of 20. They support missionaries serving in Turkey, have a close connection with Grace Church in the Philippines, and are considering calling Pastor Greg Olson to ordination.
Pastor Wayne North shared that the Outreach Bible Church in Portage is struggling since Pastor Daron Smalley stepped down and because of some recent deaths in the church family. Freedom Community’s assistant, Steve Hinton, has been filling the pulpit every other Sabbath for them and Dale Smalley is holding a Sabbath night service.
We look forward to meeting at Freedom Community Church in New Auburn, WI, when they host Spring Fellowship Retreat in 2019.
The following Friday evening for vespers the Dodge Center Church had a Passover Presentation with Pastor Bill Shobe interactively demonstrating and explaining the symbolism of the Passover.