Several short-term mission teams are currently overseas or traveling.

Honduras Medical Team. A group of 22 people arrived in Honduras on June 17, ready to conduct a series of clinics at UB churches. They are staying in Olanchito. They conducted clinics on Saturday (June 18) and Monday (June 20). So far they have seen 700 medical patients and 300 patients for eyeglasses. The team is led by Fonda and Robert Cassidy of Mt. Olivet UB church (Mt. Solon, Va.). All of the team members are having a great time and settling in very well. The team will be in Honduras doing clinics each day this week and will return to the U.S. on Saturday, June 25.

They have asked for prayer for a specific situation. They saw a woman, age 40+, who is pregnant with twins and was just diagnosed with lung cancer. The team is attempting to get the woman to a hospital for an early delivery of the babies so that some kind of cancer treatment can begin.

Sierra Leone. Two groups will soon be ministering in Sierra Leone.

Gail Welch, a former UB missionaries at Mattru Hospital, is leading a group of 7 persons who will spend a month installing water filtration systems in villages throughout the country.

On June 20, a group of five persons from Criders UB (Chambersburg, Pa.) began their journey to Sierra Leone. They will work at Jonathan’s House, an orphanage in Bo, and stay with Randy and Toni Fennig.

Nicaragua. A group of 25 youth and adult sponsors from College Park UB (Huntington, Ind.) left today (June 20) for Nicaragua. They will be there for 10 days, working with UB staffperson Jeff Dice and conducting a VBS in the evenings.

Poland. Roger and Sharon McDonald are leading a group of 15 persons to Poland, where they will conduct an English camp alongside UB endorsed staff Arek and Donna Delik. They leave Friday morning, June 24.

Ardith A. Shideler, 72, passed away Thursday, June 16, 2011. She was a member of Dillman UB church in Warren, Ind.

For many years, Ardith served as treasurer and Finance Commission Chairperson for Central Conference.

Visitation: Monday, June 20, 2-8 pm.
Visitation Location: Glancy-H. Brown and Son Funeral Home, 203 N. Matilda St., Warren, Ind.
Funeral: Tuesday, June 21, 11 am.
Funeral Location: Dillman United Brethren church, 8888S-1100W-90, Warren, Ind. 46792.

Ardith is survived by her husband of 54 years, Charles, and two sons. Officiating at the funeral will be Rev. Dick Case, pastor of Dillman, and former pastor Rev. Lynn Mefferd.

Rev. Arthur Wilson has been named interim campus pastor of Huntington University, with responsibility for shaping and mentoring the student body to have hearts for God. He replaces Rev. Bill Fisher, who left the university in June after 18 years as Campus Pastor.

Wilson serves as the director of urban scholarship and mentoring at Huntington University. He came to the university in 2009 to head the Horizon Leadership Program, which he will continue during this interim period.

Wilson formerly served as the City Life coordinator for Fort Wayne Area Youth for Christ, overseeing operations of the Primetime Community Center which ministers to at-risk teenagers. He will also continue serving as assistant pastor at New Covenant Worship Center in Fort Wayne, Ind.

“Arthur is a gifted ministry professional who has impacted our students in significant and profound ways,” said President G. Blair Dowden. “He will do an outstanding job in this new position and will continue to make a positive difference in the lives of our students. I am very grateful that he is a part of the Huntington University community.”

Wilson also helped to shape the Horizon Leadership Program at HU to create a more racially and ethnically diverse campus. Launched in the fall of 2008, the program is a collaborative effort between the university and Youth for Christ that is designed to attract and retain students of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. The Horizon Leader Scholarship covers fees associated with tuition and housing costs for up to 10 semesters.

Arthur is a 2004 graduate of Taylor University Fort Wayne, with a degree in pastoral ministries. He is currently working toward his Master of Arts degree in youth ministry leadership at Huntington University.

Dr. Paul R. Fetters

In the Western Christian liturgical calendar, Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity–the mystery of the Triune Godhead: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

As United Brethren in Christ, we say in our Confession of Faith:

“In the name of God, we declare and confess before men that we believe in the only true God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: that these three are one—the Father in the Son, the Son in Father, and the Holy Ghost equal in essence or being with both; that this Triune God created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is, visible as well as invisible, and furthermore sustains, governs, protects, and supports the same.”

Immanent Trinity. In Scripture, each person of the Trinity is found in eternal equality of essence and being. In Scripture, each Person of the Trinity is found in loving relationship and intimate communion. This intrinsic Being has been referred to by an early Church Father, Gregory of Nanzianzus, as a perichoresis. In the Greek, peri means “around” and choresis “choreography (dancing).”

One hymn, The Dance of the Trinity, captures the mystery of the Three-in-One or the One-in-Three:

The play of the God head, the Trinity’s dance,
Embraces the earth in sacred romance:
With God the Creator, and Christ the true Son,
Entwined with the Spirit, a web daily spun
in spangles of mystery the great Three-in-One.
–The Play of the God Head

Economic Trinity. In Scripture, each Person of the Trinity is involved in every aspect of creating, sustaining, governing, protecting, redeeming, and sanctifying. Also, Scripture emphasizes the identification of the predominant work of each Person of the Trinity–God the Father, the Creator; God the Son, the Redeemer; and God the Spirit, the Sanctifier.

Let not the glorious mystery of the Holy Trinity hinder our Church of the United Brethren in Christ in its proclamation of this fundamental Christian doctrine.

Global Ministries has posted a new mission project involving Sierra Leone.

Project: Honda XL 125 motorcycles for the six regional superintendents.
Location: Sierra Leone
Cost:$40,800 ($6800 per motorcycle)

Sierra Leone National Conference has six regional superintendents who supervise church ministries in their regions. Over the years, these regional superintendents have not been as effective as expected due to lack of transportation. The Honda XL 125 motorcycle is very common and will be a reliable means of transportation, enabling these superintendents to fulfill their leadership duties.

The national conference has grown extensively over the past three years. It now includes 73 churches and 15 preaching points, plus 54 schools with a total enrollment of just over 10,000 students and 376 teachers. The conference has budgeted funds to cover fuel expenses and will cover repairs.

Global Ministries has added a new mission project on the UBGlobal.org website.

Project: Renovations on the national office.
Location: Bo, Sierra Leone
Cost: $30,000

The United Brethren National Office in Bo was built 19 years ago. It has seven rooms, a hall, and restroom. However, the building was never totally completed due to the rebel war of the 1990s and subsequent lack of funds.

Currently, the Superintendent of Administration uses the building, and the lecture hall is used by a new United Brethren fellowship. The superintendent’s office is the only room in relatively good condition. The hall is used once every two years for Bi–Annual Conference, but could be used further for training, workshops, and other events held by the United Brethren or other church groups.

Sierra Leone Conference wants to complete the building so that all other members of our leadership team–the Bishop, superintendents, National Youth Director, Development Coordinator, Women’s Director, Education Secretary–can use the building. The conference office serves 73 churches and 15 preaching points, plus 54 schools with a total enrollment of just over 10,000 students and 376 teachers. There is one theological college and one hospital.

Among the renovations required are:

  • Constructing a fence around the perimeter.
  • Upgrades to the electrical system.
  • Repairs to the roof.
  • Additional restroom space.
  • Repair of the existing facilities.

Once these offices have been renovated, Bishop John Pessima will able to relocate his home to Bo. He still lives in Freetown, a half-day drive from their offices and not centrally located within the conference.

Idaville UB church (Idaville, Pa.) is looking for a fulltime assistant pastor. This person will be responsible to plan, oversee, and coordinate all activities of the youth and young adults in the church, and oversee the entire music ministry of the church.

(more…)

Huntington University was mentioned in a USA Today article about private liberal arts colleges that help students repay loans. This is targeted at students headed toward careers in low-paying public-service fields, enabling private colleges to attract and keep students who otherwise might opt for something cheaper…or skip college altogether.

The article quoted Erica Harris, 22, who graduated in May from Huntington with a degree in Family and Children’s Ministries. If she ends up in a job that pays less than $20,000 a year, the loan repayment plan will cover her payments for that year. Students pay nothing for this benefit. Instead, the college pays an average of $1200 per student per year to LRAP Association, a company that repays loans using the pooled funds.

It makes another good reason to attend Huntington University.

Rivers of Living Water Church in Barcena, Guatemala

Rivers of Living Water Church in Barcena, Guatemala

Global Ministries has posted a new mission project:

Description: Work team to construct a second floor to the Rivers of Living Water Church
Location: Barcena, Guatemala
Cost: $8500

The Rios de Agua Viva United Brethren Church is located in Barcena, about 20 miles from Guatemala City. This church plant was actually started by another group, but they abandoned the work when the neighborhood didn’t seem to respond. Of the 4000 people who live in Barcena, only 10% have fulltime employment. Pastor Cesar’s family live in their hometown some 80 miles away, while he lives in a tin hut across the street from the church plant. He supports himself and his family by laying brick.

The church building has walls, a floor, a temporary corrugated steel roof, and electricity. However, the community does not have a water supply. The congregation has paid for all of the work accomplished thus far, and there are no liens.

They would love to have help from a team to construct a second floor, which they could use for ministry and as a living space for the pastor’s family. They estimate that it will cost $8500. Low cost accommodations would be available in Guatemala at a guesthouse owned by CH Global, one of our partnering agencies.