Linens at Conference

OK let's try to get this straight. Hmmmm......

In the linen packages offered at Conference there are NO towels or washcloths period. For anyone...this includes you. :)

If you are staying in the dorms at Conference and you DID NOT order the linens, there will not be a pillow for you in the dorm room. You have to bring your own pillow.

If you are staying in the dorm and DID order linens, you will get a pillow with your linens but you will still not get towels or washcloths.

This posted by the cotton growers of America.

College Rooms “SOLD OUT”

We just received word that the college dorm rooms at Lancaster Bible College are completely sold out for General Conference.

The Host Committee is hoping to offer a shuttle service to the Days Inn and Sunset Valley motels (within two miles of campus) and they might add the Best Western Eden Resort to the shuttle route.

Please, if you’re thinking of just “dropping in” and expecting a room on campus, make other plans quickly.

Heading East for Conference?

If you plan to be on the road heading for Lancaster, Pa., for General Conference meetings (July 26-August 1), please know that the SDB churches in West Virginia welcome you to join them in worship on Sabbath, July 25.

Lost Creek: Songs of Praise begin at 9:30 am, followed by worship at 10:00. Sabbath School rounds out the morning.

Salem: Worship begins at 10:00 am, followed by Sabbath School.

Middle Island (New Milton): has their service at 3:00 pm, with Sabbath School at 4:00.

May the Lord bless your time of worship and travel, and bring you safely to our annual get-together.

Conference Meetings Reported in Lancaster Media

Over the weekend, news of our upcoming General Conference sessions at Lancaster Bible College were reported in the Lancaster, PA media.

The article, which appeared in the "Religion" section of the Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era, featured quotes from Conference Executive Director Rob Appel and Conference President Ed Cruzan. Dates and times of the Conference were noted, as well as several items on the Conference agenda. In addition, the feature mentions the circumstances which led to our meeting at Lancaster Bible College after it seemed at first glance that the venue would be too small.

The article also describes some of the connection between SDB's and Lancaster County, including our connection to the Ephrata Cloister.

We look forward to seeing many of you at the coming meetings. Please pray for the preparations, for the pre-Conference meetings and retreats, and the work of the Host Committee as the opening of Conference approaches!

Who’s on First?

SDB Conference President Ed Cruzan has alerted all of the Conference agencies as to when they are to make their presentations at this year’s annual gathering (at Lancaster, Pa., Bible College, July 26-August 1).

All of you SDBlog followers can be “in the know” as well:

•Monday
9:45 General Council
10:15 Executive Director
1:00 Historical Society
1:30 Board of Christian Education

•Tuesday
9:45 Council on Ministry
1:00 Summer Christian Service Corps
1:30 World Federation

•Wednesday
10:00 Missionary Society (National)
10:30 Memorial Fund
11:00 Tract & Communication Council

•Thursday
9:45 Missionary Society (Internat’l)

Ephrata Registration Closed!

As was noted in the pages of the Sabbath Recorder and in this blogspace, the registration deadline has passed for the Historical Society sponsored tour of the Ephrata Cloisters during this year's General Conference meetings at Lancaster Bible College, Lancaster, PA.

The Ephrata Cloister is an important site for SDB's as it is the location of the first German Seventh Day Baptist community, founded in 1733 by Conrad Beissel. The Cloister became the property of the state of Pennsylvania in the early 20th century and has since been open as a historical site for tours. A non-profit organization, the Ephrata Cloister Associates, has worked with the state of Pennsylvania to aid in the preservation of the site and in the training of volunteer staff.

The 100 spots reserved for the tour were filled before the July 1 deadline, which is an exciting and encouraging statement about SDB's enthusiasm for our history!

For those SDB's who meant to register and did not, don't fret! The Cloister is still open to visitors and will be open during the time surrounding our General Conference meetings. We hope you will have opportunity to visit the Cloister as you plan your trip to Conference!

Conference Workshops planned

This year’s Conference workshops will be held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. (Conference is at Lancaster, Pa., Bible College, July 26 to August 1, Ed Cruzan presiding.)

•Partners in Prayer
Led by Pastor Steven James, Verona NY
Increase your church’s spiritual effectiveness by partnering with your pastor in prayer. (Repeated Thurs., with prayer partner Ann Pangburn)

•Practical Outreach for your Church
Led by Pastor Bernie Wethington, White Cloud MI
A panel discussion of what has worked around the Conference and how your church can reach into your community in the name of Christ. Outreaches from youth to elderly, food to music, children to young adults, one-to-one and groups. Learn how these started and how to avoid costly pitfalls. (Repeated Thurs.)

•Pray in this Way
Led by Rev. Andrew Camenga, BCE Exec. Dir., Alfred Station NY
Prayers from the New Testament will guide us in learning how to pray and teach others to pray. God Himself has given us help. Includes interactive discussions. (Repeated Thurs.)

•Just Walk Across the Room
Led by Pastor Nate Crandall, Milton WI
Moving from the “circle of comfort” to the “zone of the unknown.” Learn some simple steps to point people to faith in Jesus Christ. Includes DVDs and interactive discussions.
(Parts 1&2, Tuesday; Parts 3&4, Thursday. You are encouraged to attend all 4, but each can be attended independently)

•CHURCH FINANCES
Led by Beverly Worth, Worth Financial
For Pastors and Church leaders—Pastor Compensation, Reporting, and 403(b) IRS Changes.
(Part 1, Tuesday; Part 2, Thursday)

545 Registered; On-line form ended

A large number of people --like 545 of you-- took advantage of the on-line Conference registration (and the accompanying discount). That method of registering for the 2009 General Conference ended on June 30.

You may still print out the forms from our website and mail them to registrar Sandy Layton. If you have questions, her e-mail is registrar@seventhdaybaptist.org.

This year's Conference President, Ed Cruzan from White Cloud, Michigan, has lined up a number of workshops and has modified the morning Bible Studies to coincide with his Conference theme: PRAY. Each of the evening worship services also follow his theme.

The SDB General Conference will be held July 26 to August 1 at Lancaster Bible College in beautiful Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We hope to see many of you there!