Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey
everything I have commanded you. And surely I am
with you always, to the very end of the age.
—Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

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A Quote from Bob Logan: Finding leadership for a congregation or a District or a Denomination is the same problem for all. If the goals for any of these do not motivate the work of the potential leader, they will either refuse to lead or (far worse) they will accept the title but make little or no progress in the work, either from not knowing where they are going or (far far worse) not caring enough to do the serious work that is needed. When I last talked to Dr Logan, he had found leadership for the congregations of seven church plants and six of the seven were going to achieve their five year successes. Among church planters, five years of meeting as a worshipping body is a planters success and time for the replacement of the church planter with a ministering pastor. The American Baptists have about the same success rate. They should be expected to be just as successful as Dr. Logan since they use the same developmental rules. One of the young men who was planting congregations for the American Baptists wrote a book titled “Hand Grenades in Church Planting” It detailed the ten mistakes most likely to cause failure in a church planting situation. Three of the problem areas deal with aspects of the assignment of goals in the potential leadership. 1. Dont have any goals(Dont inform the leaders is the same thing)! 2. Interfere with the leader making the job harder! 3. Assign goals to a leader who will not have any sense of accomplishment for the work.

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May 25-28, 2018	Memorial Day Weekend Family Camp
July 4-8	Annual Conference @ Cincinnati OH
July 8-14	Senior High Camp
July 15-18	Elementary II Camp
July 21-26	National Youth Conference @ Fort Collins, Colorado
July 27-29	Counselor In Training Event
July 28-29	Elementary I Camp
July 29 - August 4	Junior High Camp
August 5-10	Elementary III Camp
August 9-11	Women's Camp
August 31 - September 3	Labor Day Weekend Family Camp

There is a Speakers List for the Illinois/Wisconsin District. Persons included in this document have accepted the invitation to be available to preach during worship services or for other special events as indicated. Hopefully you will find this tool useful and valuable when the need arises for inviting a guest speaker.

The speakers on this list are all credentialed ministers, either licensed or ordained. We would like to expand the list to include more credentialed ministers as well as interested laity. If your name is absent from the list and you have interest in serving as a guest speaker, please inform the district office. We would also welcome the names of persons you might suggest for inclusion on the list.

Since this is a new venture, it is likely we may need to provide more information than is included. Your input as to how the list can be improved would be welcomed.

Please share with the District Office any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.

The purpose of the Illinois/Wisconsin District is supporting the growth and development of the member churches. One means of support is financial assistance. Congregations in good standing are eligible to apply for assistance through the Mission and Mortar Program. 

Sustaining and developing ministry (mission) within congregations, as well as maintaining property (mortar), is sometimes hindered because of inadequate financial resources. The Illinois/Wisconsin District realizes that this dilemma exists and desires to financially support congregations that are in good standing with the district and have specific needs. Application for assistance may be made for up to a three-year period with reductions in the amount of support for each subsequent year. In the event that multi-year assistance is needed, a graduated agreement for funding will be arranged, but a request for the funds must be made annually.

Read the brochure for more details.

All ordained ministers, licensed ministers, and congregations need to keep the District Office informed of changes in contact information. Changes include: phone number, cell phone number, email address, mailing address, and congregational email or website. Please email Andrea Garnett, andreag.iwdcob@gmail.com, or call (309)649-6008 with your updates. Your effort will save valuable staff time trying to track down these changes. Other information to share: changes in key leadership positions at the church or the death or serious illnesses of minister, retired ministers, or spouses. Help us serve better!

Do not wait to begin to log your Continuing Education Units. The 2015 Five-year Ordination Review process for ALL ordained ministers will launch in 2014. Ordained ministers are required to produce verification of 5 CEU credits for this five-year period. It is your responsibility to secure certificates, letters or verifying documentation regarding CEU credit. Retired clergy are exempt from this requirement with the exception of those retired clergy actively involved in Interim Ministry.

CEU Notation: The district does not grant CEU credit for personal study and/or self-designed experiences you have had and/or books you have read. It is the minister's responsibility to secure a CEU certificate, Letter of Verification, and/or authentication document for completed training, seminars or workshops, or learning experiences offered by the presenting organization. This verification should always state the number of hours of the training - 10 hours of training equals 1.0 CEU credits. Please take personal initiative to become a life-long learner and increasingly effective minister of the Gospel.

The Gifts Discernment and Call Committee seeks your help. We are commissioned to call active, informed, and committed members of congregations or fellowships from within our District to positions of service. These persons, both pastors and lay members, are to be called from all parts of the District and to represent the diversity among us. Our committee's knowledge of members eligible and capable to serve is limited. Therefore, we make this appeal for assistance.