May 28, 2019
By Rob Appel
Executive Director
It seems that today many people seem to thrive by being in conflict. They seem to always be picking on other people, sometimes arguing, or disagreeing, or just trying to get something riled up. They pick fights just for the fun of it, not because they passionately believe in a particular cause; they simply want to “stir the pot.” Many times they are quick to jump in and expend their energy fighting other people’s battles—even when they don’t have a stake in the game. They need to have the feeling that they “always win” in order to feel good about themselves. These people appear to be confident, but many times make poor decisions. So then others learn to simply ignore them and do not take them seriously.
In the book of James 3:17-18 we read, “17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” When it comes to your relationships with others, you need the “wisdom from above.” When you have this wisdom, you won’t need to put everyone else down or pick fights with them just to show how strong or how smart you are. True self-confidence, including confidence in your ability to make good decisions, comes from within—and that comes from God!
When you operate according to the scriptural principles found in James, you’ll know whether or not a battle is worthy of your attention, or to simply walk away. If you keep your eyes on the prize that God has set before you, you’ll realize that some things aren’t worth your time and attention. And as a result, you’ll make better decisions about your life as well as your relationships.
“And Wisdom in Giving”
One of the better decisions recently made on behalf of Seventh Day Baptists by the Memorial Fund (Trustees) was in regards to a parcel of land called the “French Property.”
The French Property is a gift to the SDB General Conference with the primary purpose of helping fund the work of “Home Missions.” Embedded in that purpose, the Trustees’ fiduciary responsibility is to the wishes of the donor, Dr. Bessie French, whose desires were to help fund the work of “Home Missions.” The Conference’s responsibility to our churches is to equip them to actively advance God’s Kingdom. This means “Home Missions” as it relates to the SDB General Conference will mean any ministry to, for, or through a church, organization, or individual that actively advances SDB ministry in North America.
The ministry of the SDB General Conference currently uses, and is likely to use in the future, many different methods to do the work of “Home Missions.” These methods include, but are not necessarily limited to:
a. education and training of leaders for new and existing churches; home missionaries
b. development of social and relational networks
c. communications to, from, and between the General Conference and the churches
d. translation of materials into languages spoken in North America
e. evangelism and discipleship (including camping programs/facility/staff)
f. personal development of leaders for new and existing churches (health, mentoring, etc.)
g. starting new SDB churches or assimilating existing churches into the SDB General Conference
h. strengthening existing SDB churches and their ministries
i. supporting personnel to administer any of these “home missions” ministries
The Memorial Fund Trustees shall determine any instruments or requirements for the disbursement of the “home missions” funds.
If your church, Association, or camp has needs, please dialog with one of the Directors or a Trustee. If you have questions before applying for a grant, please feel free to contact one of these Directors at 608-752-5055: John Pethtel ext. 1009; Nick Kersten ext. 1006; or Jeremiah Owen ext. 1008.
Please remember, money earned from the investments from the Dr. Bessie French Fund can only be used for Home Missions. All the other ministry of the Conference still needs to be fully funded through your generous giving. Without you, our Kingdom work together would not happen. Thank you for your financial support!