November 17, 2013
NAD MINISTERIAL CONVENTION
 
IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome New Associate Director, Brenda Billingy
12 Wayt to Take Care of Yourself During and After a Crisis
Best Practices Webinar, Tuesday, November 19
Stories We Tell
Let's Talk
Events & news
WELCOME NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR  by Ivan Williams
 New NAD Ministerial Associate joins to help focus on Women Clergy

Brenda Evril Langford Billingy joins the North American Division team as an associate director for the NAD Ministerial Department.  Billingy joins the NAD Ministerial Team with mission and focus to serve women clergy, and to support and mentor younger women called by God to be pastors in the North American Division.  Billingy replaces Esther Knott who transitioned as a full-time NAD Ministerial Associate and Director of the InMinistry Center at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University.

Pastor Billingy was born on the Island of Trinidad, West Indies - the youngest of eight children born to Gladys and Lenny Langford.  She received a pre-professional degree from Caribbean Union College at 18 years of age and then migrated to the United States where she completed her B.A. degree in Phychology from Columbia Union College and a M.A. degree in Education from Howard University.  

In 1995 Brenda was ordained as a local Elder and her life began to change dramatically.  Serving in that capacity allowed her to discover the special gifts that God has graciously bestowed upon her - especially the gift of speech, counseling and encouragement.  It was then that she made a promise to the Lord that when her children were enrolled in College she would devote all of her time and attention to His purpose for her life.  Read More.

 

12 WAYS TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF by Heidi Baumgartner
   
Taking care of yourself during a crisis often takes a backseat while you are dealing with the crisis situation. A crisis brings extra stress to your body and it is important to keep up your emotional, physical and spiritual health.

Here are 12 ways to help you manage your personal stress during and after a crisis situation:

1. Pray. These may be short prayers of, "God, help me," or longer prayers asking God for wisdom, endurance, and grace as you go through this crisis. Keep praying throughout the crisis. Ask a trusted, confidence-keeping prayer partner to intercede and pray for you during this time of crisis. They do not need to know the full details of the situation, but they can know that you are in a period of time where you are in extra need of prayer. Make arrangements with your prayer partner ahead of time so you can send a quick email or text saying, "Prayers needed" or something similar so they know to jump into a "crisis prayer mode."

2. Breathe. Take a series of deep breaths. Get extra oxygen into your system. Calm your nerves. Pray again.

3. Exercise or Stretch. If you have time, take 30- or 60-minutes for aerobic exercise. Get your heart rate up. Break a sweat. Physically let go of the crisis situation. If you do not have time to exercise, take a few moments to stretch your back, neck and shoulders. Touch your toes. Do some jumping jacks. Stretch your calves.

4. Nutrition. You may not have time to prepare and eat healthy meals. Ask a family member, trusted friend or colleague to bring you healthy meals and/or snacks. Drink plenty of water. Skip junk food as much as possible. Give your body good nutrition to keep moving forward. Read More.

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Heidi Baumgartner is communication director for the Washington Conference.  This presentation was originally shared at the Society of Adventist Communicator's convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 24, 2013, as part of a Crisis Boot Camp training session. Shared with permission

 

BEST PRACTICES WEBINAR, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 19


Best Practices Webinar - Header

NAD Ministerial Webinar for Pastors   
Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at 1:30 p.m. e.s.t.
Register Now button for Best Practices Webinar  
Space is limited. 
Reserve your Webinar seat now at: 
Secrets To A Thriving Church  presented by Dr. Joseph Kidder.   
He serves as a professor of Biblical Spirituality at the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

How did the early Christians leave such a profound impact on their world? And how can we, 2,000 years later, follow in their footsteps?
 
The Big Four thoroughly explores four key secrets that not only made the early church a success but  also produced thriving Seventh-day Adventist churches that are rapidly growing the kingdom of heaven.

No matter who you are, The Big Four's inspiring stories and practical, proven methods will equip you to experience personal and collective revival, ultimately leading to powerful ministry and evangelism.

Pastors, do you want your church grow?  Do you want to know the keys yielded from years of research regarding growing Adventist churches in North America?

Don't miss this exciting and revealing webinar.   
This is the last webinar for 2013.   
WISE WORDS - GRATITUDE
   
One thing is certain - you can't harbor heartfelt gratitude and depression at the same time. There's not room for both. Ingratitude produces emotional paralysis, while a grateful heart releases a continual bounty of affirmative rewards. - Neil Eskelin

When we learn to give thanks, we are learning to concentrate not on the bad things, but on the good things in our lives.  - Amy Vanderbilt

If you are not thankful for what you do have, why should God give you anything else to murmur about? - Joyce Meyer

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.  - William Arthur Ward

Brains, like hearts, go where they are appreciated. - Robert S. McNamara, former U.S. Secretary of Defense

 

LET'S TALK

 

Share with us a favorite sermon illustration-

Float an idea for an article you would like to write-

Raise a question you would like answered by a seasoned pastor- 

Contact us at [email protected]  

 

IDEAS, EVENTS, RESOURCES, ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Our worldwide Adventist Church is engaged in a conversation about ordination without regard to gender. The General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists asked each division in 2011 to form a Theology of Ordination Study Committee (TOSC), conduct a comprehensive review of the theology of ordination and present its conclusions and recommended actions.

The North American Division Theology of Ordination Study Committee  presented their report at the October 31 - November 6 Year-End Meetings. The NAD Executive Committee Action taken and an Interview with NAD President Dan Jackson are also available.

 

The Barna Group pegs the average Protestant church size in America at 89 adults. Sixty percent of Protestant churches have less than 100 adults in attendance. Only 2 percent have over 1,000 adults attending. Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church, tells us that while most small churches want to grow, there are 8 Reasons Why Most Churches Never Break the 200 Attendance Mark .

 
 

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Best Practices for Adventist Ministry is published by NAD Ministerial. Opinions expressed belong to the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of NAD Ministerial. Publisher: Ivan Williams;  Managing Editor: Dan Martella. Copyright 2013 North American Division Corporation of Seventh-day Adventists. v(301) 680-6418