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.

Larry Lang is the Associate Area Minister for the ABC of the Dakotas. Larry brings more than 25 years of ministry experience to the region. He has served as a Christian Education Director and Youth Pastor for churches in South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. He has also worked on various boards and committees in the regions in which he has served. Larry has also been an event speaker and planner, a worship leader, a workshop leader, summer camp director and counselor. Some of the things he has enjoyed most in his ministry have been youth choir tours, mission trips, coffeehouse ministry and leading evangelism seminars.

His duties will include pastoral visitation to the churches of the Heartland area, as well as planning worship and discipleship events for area youth pastors, youth leaders, senior high and junior high youth.

• Provide Pastoral visitation and care to the clergy and staff of churches in Heartland Area.
• Plan, secure speakers, secure musicians, and lead South Dakota Senior High Youth event annually.
• Plan, secure speakers, secure musicians, and lead South Dakota Junior High Youth event annually.
• Conduct at least one training event annually for ABC Dakotas professional and Lay youth leaders.
• Resource ABC Dakotas professional and Lay youth leaders.