Christian Education training/resource help: In an effort to provide for church teacher training needs, I can provide workshops on aspects of basic teacher training.  Churches only need to call me to arrange specific teacher trainings.  Inviting other region churches in the area to also send their teachers to scheduled trainings will ensure a good value for the region’s travel dollars and provide for an informal pooling of ideas between attending teachers.  As the region website develops, watch for some of these training workshops on the Christian Education page of the site.  They will be user-ready so that small groups or individuals can use them as needed. 

In addition, help with curriculum resources can be provided to churches that ask.  I try to keep in touch with many of the latest innovations in ministry to children and youth and would be glad to help you look for materials that fit your congregational needs.  A page of helpful ministry links for this area will be added to the region website.

Core Values for Church Renewal: For any churches that invite me, I provide the Core Values workshop and audit process.  This important element in the Tomorrow’s Harvest renewal process allows churches to discover the distinctives within their own church body and plan for ministries that flow from those unique characteristics.

Dakota Baptist Newsletter: I write for and copyedit the region newsletter.  I am a writer by wiring and enjoy helping this publication look its best.  Please check out the link [        ] to the Dakota Baptist writer’s guidelines on this site.  Starting with these suggestions can save you (and me) extra time in writing and editing.

Region biennial: I work with local church planning teams on meeting elements for region biennials, providing worship and meeting visuals, as well as any needed creative elements.  During biennials I function as “stage manager” for the meeting times.

Region Committee on Domestic Violence and the Church: The committee is in the early stages of formation, but the first combined region training for interested individuals took place in January, 2007.  I expect to be a part of this committee and to use skills/experiences I gained in the 1990s as an ND Certified Advocate for Victims of Domestic Violence.  One of the broad goals of the committee is to provide education and training to church members across the region so that churches are able to properly respond to victims of domestic violence in their midst.

Worship Multimedia:  This is an area of ongoing learning and interest for me.  I expect to acquire more professional training in coming years, but currently I am able to assist churches just getting started in visual worship with a database of free images as well as help with using power point and multimedia software in worship.  For those churches that request, I can provide a basic presentation on the power and place of visual metaphor in worship for multimedia teams or worship visuals designers. 

Dakota Baptist Newsletter: I write for and copyedit the region newsletter.  I am a writer by wiring and enjoy helping this publication look its best.  Please check out the link (here) to the Dakota Baptist writer’s guidelines on this site.  Starting with these suggestions can save you (and me) extra time in writing and editing.

Mission and Stewardship Committee:  I work with the Region Mission and Stewardship Committee, which deals with the many aspects of missions.  We receive requests and grant scholarships for people who do mission work affiliated with ABC or ABCD.  We plan the Region Mission Conference.  Our goal is to have a Region mission trip for adults and a Region mission trip for the youth on alternating years.  In May of 2006, a group of 16 people from our region went to Tijuana, Mexico to work on Deborah’s House, a shelter for women and their children who are victims of family violence.  We are planning on a 2007 youth mission trip to Cannonball, ND, a small town on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.  We would like to plan an adult mission trip to Bulgaria in 2008 to see Susan Linderman’s work first hand.
     I recently attended “short term mission trip training” through International Ministries.  The Mission and Stewardship Committee has asked me to be the Region Mission Trip Coordinator.  Many opportunities for mission work are available through International Ministries. I will help people who would like to be involved in mission work find something that suits them.  Young adults, age 19-29, should contact me if they are interested in a wonderful X-treme mission experience in the summer of 2007.  IM would love to have someone from the Dakotas join the Xtreme Team!
    I will assist churches who are looking for stewardship material.  I will come to churches and teach the Good $ense Budget Course, or see to it they get the material on loan.

Minister of World Mission Support:  I am responsible for inviting missionaries into our region.  Churches may contact me if they would like to have a missionary come for a special event, a Sunday morning worship service, or a potluck dinner.  I request a missionary from International Ministries, and they send the missionary we have requested or substitute another missionary if our first choice is not available.  I then arrange a week long deputation for the missionary in our Region.  I also attend the national and Midwest Area World Mission Support meetings. 

Region Mission Conference: Our Region Mission and Stewardship Committee plans this conference, which is held every other year, alternating between Camp Bentley and Camp Judson.  In 2007 we will be hosting the International Ministries World Mission Conference, which is usually held at the Green Lake Conference Center.  Karen Mason of Valley Forge, the Conference Coordinator, is allowing us to implement many of our ideas.  We have requested speakers who are associated with ministries we are involved in, such as preventing domestic violence and helping women escape prostitution and sex trafficking.   Information for this conference will be out in January of 2007.

Camp Bentley:  Camp Bentley has always been near and dear to my heart. I work with the Camp Bentley Board and assist the manager during the summer.  I also schedule and promote the various camps.  We have received a $2000.00 grant each of the last two years from the St. Joseph’s Community Foundation.   We are required to match funds.  We deposit any excess money in the Alfred Bibelheimer Memorial Scholarship Fund.  We present scholarships to youth with the St. Joseph’s Scholarship fund, and scholarships for adults with the Bibelheimer fund.  Scholarships are granted for first time campers or those with financial need.

Youth Ministry Planning Group:  The youth, their leaders and I meet during Senior High Camp in June.  We plan our North Dakota State American Baptist Youth Convention, which is held in October.  We select a local church to host, and we plan the convention.. 

Rich Kallander is the Camp Director at Baptist Camp Judson, near Keystone, SD in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills. The camp's unique outdoor setting provides an opportunity for people within a Christian community to know and grow in Jesus Christ through worship, Bible study, recreation, wholesome fun and skill building. His responsibilities in this framework include publicity and camper recruitment for our summer camps through our churches of the ABC of the Dakotas. Along with the Camp Judson Camping Committee, he recruits and works with coordinators and staff of the various summer camps to promote, develop, and facilitate these individual youth, adult and family camp programs.

Responsibilities include long range planning and camp development, as well as overseeing the management of the site and the day to day operation of the facility. This involves taking care of the groups in camp at any given time and maintenance and care of the grounds and buildings.
The Camp Director is also involved in the promotion and marketing of the camp and camping program to our ABCD groups and guest groups.

Camp Judson has been a popular gathering place for South Dakota Baptists for many years. Camps for all ages are held each summer as well as off-season conferences for women's groups, men's groups, pastors and youth. Over the years, Camp Judson has also become a popular facility for other churches and denominations to gather for their retreats and camps. The camp's expanding facility now allows Camp Judson to stay active 12 months a year.

Responsibilities:
Truman Sproles serves as minister to ministers for the ABC of the Dakotas. He provides pastoral ministry to all of our ABCD clergy. His is a ministry of caring, encouraging and resourcing.