2025 GATHERING- Matched to MULTIPLY
Our registrations continue to come in and we are anticipating a great time in Lake Geneva, WI! Last Friday the Lord sovereignly shifted our scheduled speakers. Brian and Camden Starley notified us that the Global Awakening leaders have asked Brian and Camden to rest and receive healing for a few months due to Brian’s health issues from long COVID. I graciously received their news and asked if someone else on their team would be available to come. They highly recommended Pastor Ryan Hart. They have ministered together and Pastor Ryan has hosted the Starley’s in the church he pastors in St. Louis, MO. Here is a picture and Ryan Hart’s bio –
Ryan Hart is the founding pastor and senior leader of Kingdom Church in St. Louis, MO. His ministry blends theological depth with charismatic renewal and a pastoral voice, emphasizing the presence of the Holy Spirit and equipping believers to live in the reality of the resurrected Jesus. He carries a ministry of impartation and refreshing, where lives are marked by healing, salvation, and freedom in the power of God. Along with speaking in churches and conferences, he partners with pastors and leaders to strengthen congregations in the gifts of the Spirit and cultivate healthy revival culture.
For more information, and to register, click on the image or this link.
OPEN BIBLE COLLEGE update
We are excited to announce we have set a record enrollment for Open Bible College this fall!
We have 20 students taking 46 classes with one person auditing a class! We are also excited that an OBC cohort has launched at Life Church in Waverly, IA due to the number of new students there. A cohort meets in person each week to do one class together and to review other classes the students are taking. We hope to launch more cohorts in other communities. Our college leadership team is working hard to make great decisions on behalf of the students so their dreams can be achieved and Central Region’s mission can be accomplished.
Our college executive team consists of Bruce Pfadenhauer, Provost; Josh Bingaman, Academic Dean; and Hannah Russo, Administrative Dean. We also have Dr. Josh Wheeler serving as our Grading Professor and a number of professors serving our students in our online classes.
OPPORTUNITY PAGE
We are initiating a page for lead pastors to submit ministry opportunities for students at Open Bible College so they can participate in practical ministry experience while they are working on their education. These would be ministry leadership positions in children, youth, young adults, worship, outreach, administration, etc. We would ask that you submit a brief description of your church, the ministry position you are looking to fill, if this is a volunteer or compensated opportunity, and your contact information (email and phone). Please send these to bruce@openbiblecentral.org.
DAY OFF
Why do pastors need a day off when they only work one day a week? I have lost count as to how many people have made a comment like that to me. Pastors need to schedule a weekly day off for rest, refreshment, and recreation. In my early years as a pastor, I took Mondays off and found myself exhausted from Sunday so I really didn’t feel like doing much. Sunday also affected my Monday experience. If we had a great Sunday, I felt great on Monday. But if we had a Sunday that wasn’t what I hoped for, Monday was depressing and my mind had trouble trying not to address the issues that impacted our Sunday experience. As a result, I switched my day off to Friday. It made a substantial difference for me. I worked harder to get my message done so my day off would allow me to take my focus off of Sunday and enjoy the day. So, whether you take Monday or Friday off, do it consistently and make sure you let people know so they can help protect your time off. I phoned a pastor recently and it went to voicemail and it said something to the effect of “I’m sorry that I am not available; if this is an emergency, please contact one of our elders”. I smiled and felt good that a pastor had established a good boundary for himself and yet had an avenue for care or counsel if needed.
PLEASE NOTE: Bruce Pfadenhauer and Skyler Sanford’s day off each week is Friday. If you need something on that day, please contact our office or your District Director, unless his day off is Friday too! 😊
Looking forward to seeing you in Lake Geneva!
Bruce A. Pfadenhauer, Regional Director
CONGRATULATIONS
Pastor Caleb and Carrie Fritz, Lead Pastors at New Life Open Bible Church in Chippewa Falls, WI, welcomed Dominic Lloyd Fritz into their world on August 20, 2025!
Movement is a national Open Bible young adult ministry and will be hosting a conference in Denver, CO September 18-20, 2025. Central Region is EXCITED to announce that we will be covering the registration cost for the first 35 young adults to register from Central Region! This is an amazing opportunity to come together and fellowship with young, like-minded believers! We would LOVE to see young adults from your church there! Please click here for more information. Promotional videos and graphics are available.
Articles
September
KidMin Volunteers Who Don’t Quit: How to Retain Team Members
Rediscover the Mission Field Right Where You Live
August
Children’s Church Rules: 6 Standards for Every Congregation
10 Biblical Truths About Evangelism That Every Christian Should Know
10 Things You Should Know About Disability Ministry
July
A Preacher’s Voice: Overworked and Overlooked
Heaven vs Hell: What the Bible Really Says About Eternity
Ten Biblical Truths About Evangelism that Every Christian Should Know
