"Honor Your Teacher" day to feature special guest

Monthly
The Official Newsletter of the Chippewa Valley Bible Church Vol. XIII, No.4 March, 2006
"Honor Your Teacher" day to
feature special guest May 21
Key people helping with the banquet behind the scenes:
• Keith Tompkins - put together the "program" portion
• Brady Nyhus - did super job with the "Reflections" slide show
• Tara Burr - produced the two videos
• Mark Volbrecht - set up the sound system and ran DVD players
• Libby Krause & Chris Kriehn - assembled annual reports and
missionary booklets, took RSVPs, and a whole lot more
• Kim Hoffman - brought the sheet cakes
• Amber Kunsman - decorating and setup
• Jerry Boorsma - put together the praise team
Guy Doud, National
Teacher of the Year,
coming to Chippewa Falls
For several years we've had a special
"Honor Your Teacher" worship service
on a Sunday in May. This year we will
be treated to a very special guest - Guy
Doud is coming to town!
Every year we try changing a few
things. This year we moved the time
back a half hour, offered a little congregational singing, and brought
back the printed annual report
(copies are available from the church
office if you didn't get one).
As the 1986 National Teacher of the
Year, Doud wrote a book, "Molder of
Dreams," that became a best-seller.
Hear his riveting testimony of the power
Guy Doud
of encouragement to understand his most important message: “We
hold each other's fragile hopes in our hands. Everything we say and
do has the potential to shape another's dreams.”
Maybe the biggest change was that
we had assigned seating so that each
"shepherding group" sat at one or
two tables. Most people appreciated
getting to know fellow church families instead of just sitting with their
same friends.
We have secured the Chi-Hi auditorium that day, so we can fit 650
people into one 10:00 a.m. worship service. More details will be
forthcoming, but be sure to put Sunday, May 21 on your calendar,
and start praying about which of your teachers to invite!
Praise Banquet sets
new attendance record
Tom Arneberg
If you missed the banquet, you can
relive some of the highlights. We
hope to take Brady's slide show and
the two videos produced by Tara
Burr (with Andrea Mauk's help) and
put them all on one DVD that we can
duplicate and make available.
Maybe next year Keith will find
somebody to dance with him.
Here are some other comments of attendees:
We had another thrilling Annual Praise Banquet at the Avalon ballroom on Sunday, February 12. Our old attendance record was shattered by 25%, when we had 248 people show up!
"I thought that this event was great. It was the first ever banquet
that we attended and it was great to see that a church does something like this. The food was great and also great people speaking,
who made it interesting and not boring." - Travis & Kelly Krizan
As always, this is a work of many, many people, and it would be
tough to acknowledge them all. (I'm always amazed at how God
orchestrates all the different personalities and talents within our
local church.) In addition to the speakers you saw up front, here are
some of the key behind-the-scenes people that I just can't fail to
mention:
"As a shy person, I really liked [assigned seating] this year. It took
the stress out of where to sit, and who to sit with. (I know that's not
an issue for outgoing people, or people who easily make friends.)" Anonymous
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Ladies: come celebrate
friendship March 25
by Lori Burns
Dear Ladies and young ladies of CVBC
(we welcome our teenage girls!):
Through much time spent in prayer, sensing the leading of the Holy Spirit, God
has given the COF ("Celebration of
Friendship") team a vision and a passion
to take COF out of the church and into the
world to reach more ladies in our community.
We praise God for his provision for this
ministry! This year's "Celebration of
Friendship" will be held at the Heyde Center. Friends of CVBC, we
encourage you to invite your friends, an unsaved neighbor, family
member, a friend from school, or co-worker to come and join us for
a day of celebration!
"That 'Marigene The Homecoming Queen' was absolutely wonderful
- and she looked real cute in her tiara too!" - Marigene Svec
Lori Burns
"Scott and I got in the car and could not stop taking about the wonderful banquet. We loved that the banquet was about the people that
the Lord has brought to the church through his works. We just think
that it is neat how it happens. (We are a true testimony of that.) I
think if we ever had a slight doubt in our minds on God, and how
He works, we don't any more. We loved to sit with our shepherd's
group. We did not know anyone at our table and it was nice to talk
to new people and get to know them more." -- Scott & Tanya Bowe
In a very non-threatening way, your friend will be pampered with all
of the beautiful special touches that we have to offer her, including a
nice sit-down lunch. In the morning, we will have freshly brewed
coffee, creamy chocolate carmel coffee from Gloria Jean's Gourmet
Coffee, muffins and bottled water served to you and your friend
from 9:00 am until 9:30 am. Above all of these special touches that
are given through out the day for you and your friend to enjoy, she
will hear the Gospel message presented through a powerful drama
presentation of the "Basic Black Dress."
"Loved the banquet last night. It was probably my favorite ever. The
food was great and we had to eat late and they kept the food out and
hot until it was gone . Videos were awesome -- so were the speakers." - Elizabeth Slack
Please be in prayer for whom you may invite, and all who come,
that God would bring in the ladies from our community. Prayer is
needed for hearts to be touched in a very personal way. Prayer counselors will be available that day.
"Dan and I loved everything about the banquet. I wouldn't change
anything. We loved that the banquet was more focused on Christ,
and his servants at CVBC, less focused on business. We truly
enjoyed sitting with our group and getting to know them more." Dan & Lori Burns
Our special guest speaker for the day is Myrna Strasser, an author,
creative communicator, dramatist and an advocate for the hearts of
the women. Her drama presentation is a conversation that goes on
between a woman and God over the span of 25 years. When Myrna
appears on stage, she will be clothed with bright colored accessories
on a black dress. As life wears on, each piece of the accessories
comes off. Ultimately this woman, standing now with only a black
dress on, realizes her need to surrender her life to God. Myrna will
be giving an open invitation for all to come and receive Jesus as
well as to recommit their lives to Christ.
"It was fantastic! I like the layout this time..the two hours just flew
by and yet was awe-inspiring." - Glenn Woods
"The banquet was great, Doug and I really enjoyed it and felt uplifted." - Cheryl Mason
"The banquet was the best! There was something different about this
year's - we could feel the spirit of God there; it was humbling and
awesome. The time spent on hearing the way God is so faithful in
working in all the lives of people at CVBC and the opportunity to
fellowship with people in our shepherd groups was a wonderful
idea. Too many times we tend to flock toward those we know the
best and don't venture out into meeting new people; being seated
with Shepherd groups was a great idea. I think this year more time
was spent focusing on the awe of our wonderful Lord and less time
was spent on statistics, financials, planning, etc... and instead, just
enjoying the awesome presence of God." - Craig & Laurie Marshall
This drama presentation underscores a life of faith in a God who
works things out for our good. Through humor and tears, Myrna
relates the story of a woman's life, then looking back on her life,
helps us to make sense of the trials and tribulations in the light of
God's promises. (Romans 5:8)
Some of the things to expect on March 25th are: A day designed
especially for our ladies, nine workshops addressing a variety of
topics, a catered lunch, our guest speaker, and praise and worship
music led by Mike Rambo and his band from Tabernacle of Praise.
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from p.2
We will also enjoy music from our special music guest, Dianna
Stewart. Dianna, a gospel singer from Michigan, will be singing a
couple of solos for us as well as singing along with Mike Rambo
and his band. She sings in a gospel choir at her church. We will
enjoy her strong, rich and hearty voice. Dianna Stewart is a sister of
Marty Wilson.
Okay here we go...Debbie Woodford, Mary Jorstad, Amber
Kunsman, Jodi Johnson, Shannon Wahl, Heather Griffith, Maxine
Hancock, Jody Strand, Paulette Hedrington, Joanne Oman, Libby
Krause, Chris Kriehn, Karen Tschida, Tanya Bowe, Tom Arneberg,
Carol Schultz, Marigene Svec, Ellen Dupey, Kim Cook, Jackie
Nordwig, Toni Clark, Sharon Dressler, Katrina Clary, Laura
Wendler, Katie Wendt, Lynn Cherrier, Dawn Matott, Marty Wilson,
Jeanne Richtmyre, Dawn Helland, Amy Mason, Tracey Robb, Diana
Stewart, Mike Rambo and his worship team, our workshop leaders,
and myself.
Our workshops for that day, under the auspices of our Workshop
Coordinator, Debbie Woodford, are:
1. Molding Mild-Mannered Kids - Tom and Beth Arneberg
Practical tips on how to raise pleasant kids in our rude culture.
We have been working hard and working well together behind the
scenes to put on a day set apart for our women in the community. I
praise God for these gifted and talented people! We all share the
same vision that God has given us for this ministry and we are
excited for this day to come!
2. My Secret Life - Elizabeth Slack
A story of healing after abortion, adultery and divorce
3. Faith-Centered Friendship Bracelets - Sandra Herbenson
Create a genuine silver and crystal bracelet for you or a
friend. Cost: $15 for materials fee paid to the instructor during
the workshop.
Mary Jorstad, our Prayer Counselor Coordinator has been working
on developing a team of women to step up to be prayer counselors
for that day. We thank God for these ladies and their hearts to serve
God this way. (Our prayer counselor team is still in the works.)
4. Home-spun Gifts - Amber Fliehr
Ideas for beautiful homemade gifts - a-make-and-take workshop.
Tom Arneberg, our Serving Team Coordinator, has been working on
developing a team of men to serve the ladies lunch that day. We
thank God for these men who step up to serve God this way.
(Serving team is still in the works.)
5. A Personal Guide to Wellness - Tanya Bowe
Education on Health and nutrition for women
6. The Treasure Within You - Linda Rieter
An inspirational and humorous look at life
Joann Oman, our Catering Coordinator, will be catering the food for
the day. She has a team of eager women who want to prepare the
food for the women who come.
7. Living Your Dream - Pennie Bixler
Defining, declaring and developing your life's purpose
I ask for your daily prayers for this event; a lot of work has been
accomplished but there is so much that needs to be done yet. Please
pray for our team, all who are involved in helping, for our workshop
leaders, our prayer counselors, and for our special guest speaker,
Myrna Strasser. Please lift up each of us in your prayers for health,
safety, traveling mercies, strength and continued guidance and wisdom from God. Please pray for the women who attend, that hearts
would be open to hear the Gospel message, and that through this
event, they will come to know God in a deeper way.
8. Grace for the Pace - Lois Matlock
Ways to help a hurried lifestyle
9. It's Only Paint - Leni Cramer
Home interior decorating, using paint
My heart is filled with gratitude and thankfulness for a God who
continues to supply us with all that we need. Only God in His divine
wisdom and power can put something like this on. All God asks of
us is to follow Him, to be obedient to His calling, and He promises
us in His Word that He will make a way for us. God doesn't call the
qualified; he qualifies the called. This truly has been a journey for
us. We are His servants willing and able to do whatever God asks of
us.
Ladies, mark your calendar for another exciting day set apart just
for you! The Celebration of Friendship will be held on March 25,
2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This women's event will be held at
the beautiful Heyde Center in Chippewa Falls. For more information
check out our website (www.cvbc.net) and click on the link that
says COF. There is a registration form online that you can download
to register. Or call the office at 723-2872 to register.
It was about a year ago, through prayer that God begin to work in
our hearts, those on the COF team, to move this event out into the
community. Over the summer we went to prayer to ask God to bring
more people to the team in order for us to do the work that God
asked of us. With this in mind, God truly has blessed us and
answered our prayers.
Registration runs through March 12. There will be a $10 fee due
upon registration. We're sorry, but due to moving this event out and
catering, registration will close on March 12. Any late registrations
will be put on a waiting list. As cancellations come in, phone calls
will go out. Don't wait to register! Some workshop classes have limited space. Register now for a guaranteed spot!
There are so many people who have stepped up to follow Him, to be
obedient to His calling for this ministry and I want to personally
thank each of them for their time and devotion to this ministry. They
truly have been a special blessing sent from heaven above!
Please join us on March 25 for another day of Celebration!
On the behalf of COF team, Serving God and the ladies with our
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from p3
hearts and our hands,
Lori Burns, COF Coordinator
Guys - help serve the ladies
at COF March 25!
wonderful surprises and treats! The conference began with an
incredible seafood buffet at the restaurant. Crab legs, shrimp, fish,
and I think some whale meat (maybe not) abounded for the participants to indulge in.
by Tom Arneberg
Men - I'm sure many of you have been watching the Winter
Olympics these past couple weeks. Isn't it amazing how much time
and effort those athletes put in to try to win a gold medal? The
allure of being declared the greatest in the world is very motivating.
After the meal, the conference began with none other than "Red
Green" and his "NewlyRed
Game." Five couples were
selected to participate. Stu &
Libby Krause came from the
pits of loserdom and catapulted
into victory on the last question!
They won a free trip to Hawaii!
(Maybe not...more like movie
tickets and a beautiful bouquet
of red roses.)
A couple thousand years ago, a dozen men were arguing about
which of them was the greatest. Their teacher, Jesus, gave them
some counter-cultural advice: "If anyone wants to be first, he must
be the very last, and the servant of all." (Mark 9:35)
Here is a chance to put that theory into practice! As you read in
Lori's article, the ladies are going to be enjoying a "Celebration of
Friendship" at the Heyde Center on Saturday, March 25. In past
years, all the attendees had to wait in line to get their food at a selfservice buffet.
Our guest speakers were Larry & Kathy Shetenhelm. Larry & Kathy
have been married 43 years, and their theme for the weekend was
"Elevate Marriage."
This year we'd like to treat them to sit-down meal service. I am
looking for a few good men who would consider it an honor and
privilege to serve the ladies of our church by bringing food out to
them, pouring coffee, etc. (And who knows, maybe we could even
do some CLEAN-UP!)
Larry & Kathy's first session focused on elevating intimacy within
our relationship. After finishing the first session, couples were
encouraged to mingle & join in games or relaxation in the great
accommodations such as the pool, whirlpool, or sauna at Paradise
Shores.
Since all the parking for the Heyde Center is on side streets, we
thought it also might be nice to offer a shuttle service to carry ladies
from their distant cars to the front door in the morning (and viceversa at the conclusion).
Saturday morning began with a hearty breakfast of quiche, pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, and muffins. The morning sessions covered the topics of "Elevating the Institution of Marriage" and
"Elevating Relationships." Larry & Kathy both shared the importance of getting back to the basics of marriage, the truths in God's
Word about marriage, communication between men and women,
and setting a secure home life and how all these impact marriages.
If you'd like to help out with either the shuttling or the waiting on
tables (or both), just contact me and I'll give you more details as the
day approaches (phone 726-7601 or email "tom@arneberg.com").
At noon, we were served a wonderful lunch that launched us into
the final afternoon sessions. Larry & Kathy spoke to the issues of
"Elevating Uniqueness" and "Elevating Commitment" in our marriage relationships. The highlight of closing the conference was the
celebration of communion together. Each man shared the honor of
praying for and with his wife as well as serving the elements to her.
First Annual CVBC Marriage
Conference was great
Mid-winter couples' get-away
held at Lake Holcombe
For those who were unable to attend, speak to those couples who
attended and make plans for next year's get-away in mid February!
by Dennis Wolf
Nineteen couples from CVBC arrived at Paradise Shores, Friday,
February 17, 2006 for the First Annual Couples' Get-Away. Couples
were met at the door of Paradise Shores by one of the hostesses of
the event, Bev Woldhuis. Each couple was given a gift bag full of
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Missionary spotlight:
Jim & Janice Walton
by Audrey Peterson
Jim & Janice Walton have been serving with
Wycliffe Bible Translators for 25 years in
Columbia, South America. They translated
the New Testament in the Muinane language
and put the language in print. After completing their work there, they moved to Dallas,
Texas, where Jim has been working as Vice
President for the GIAL (Graduate Institute of
Applied Linguistics).
Mike & Ginger Zenk
glad we married him! Mike and Ginger also have a big, handsome
8-month-old son.
In December 2005 the school
was able to get accreditation.
Achieving this goal not only
attests that GIAL'S programs
provide credentials needed to
gain admission to other reputable institutions of higher
learning, or to serve professionally, but sets GIAL apart as
offering what is possibly one of
the most unique and remarkable
graduate programs anywhere in
the world.
Mike and Ginger have both worked on the staff of Campus Crusade
for Christ for 10 and 12 years, respectively. While most of their previous years have been direct work on U.S. campuses with college
students in evangelism and discipleship, they now work in regional
leadership roles in Minneapolis, and are moving to the Middle East
this August (country undisclosed in print because of security).
They're excited to raise their family overseas while ministering to
the college students whom we all pray will influence their country
with the knowledge of Jesus.
We will hopefully hear from them before they leave, but they could
really use our prayers now. They've got a million decisions in the
next few months -- selling, shipping, storing, preparing, not to mention the extra support they need for such a move. They're also
thinking about what to consider in raising kids overseas. So, pray,
pray, pray!
God has entrusted GIAL witha
Jim & Janice Walton
a great task, that of training
some of God's choicest servants to become, among other things,
translators, trainers and literacy workers. Their task is admirable, but
it will not be easy to gain admittance to some countries, and the
work will not be easy when they arrive. For those reasons, GIAL is
committed to giving the best tools, training and credentials possible.
Sewing/quilting group
hangs up their needles
for now
Mexico summer
missions trip date set
by Cheryl Mason
We will no longer be holding Sewing
and Quilting the second and fourth
Monday nights of the month due to
lack of interest.
We have our final date for our summer Mexico Mission Trip. We
will leave on Thursday, July 20 and returning Monday, July 31.
Applications for the trip are due April 2. If any adults are interested
in going this summer, please contact Wayne.
If anyone needs individual help with
a project, I would be glad to meet
with them.
Zenks flee the country
by Polly Sharp
Many of you know that our CVBC missionaries Mike and Ginger
Zenk are my grandkids. Many of you have known Ginger through
the years, and Mike hopped on the family train a few years ago.
We're so thrilled to have him in the family. I often tell Ginger, I'm
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