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03 Jan

January 3, 2012 |

Persons from The Rock cook a Christmas morning meal at the Findlay City Mission.

Christmas morning at the Findlay City Mission

Teddy Fairchild (right), senior pastor, The Rock (Findlay, Ohio)

We have been celebrating Christmas a little differently here at our church, The Rock, here in Findlay, Ohio. God gave us the opportunity to serve him in unique ways through the local jail. I was recently sworn in as a chaplain for the Hancock County Sheriffs Department.

I was given an idea about videotaping Christmas messages from the inmates to their families. I volunteered myself and The Rock to carry out the project. The sheriff was supportive in allowing us to bring in a festive backdrop, a Christmas tree, and video equipment. It was a lot of work for the Correctional Officers to go to each cell block and transport the inmates to get their video done, and they did so with full support.

In total, 17 inmates choose to record a message. We included a brief introduction of our church and our wishes for a blessed Christmas before the individual messages from the inmates with music overlay. Each DVD was personalized and mailed to the families.

God certainly was at work in the hearts of the inmates as well as the officers, and I am eager to continue building relationship’s with both of these communities. Our prayer is that we remain open to the new and different outreaches God allows the Rock to be a part of as we seek to reach others for Christ’s Kingdom.

In our Christmas sermon series, we were challenged to find a gift for Christ on His birthday, whether a gift of forgiveness to another, an expression of love, or an act of service to one whom we may not think deserves it or will give anything back. Christ set the example in sacrificing and giving without expectation of return in coming to our world as a baby in a lowly manger.

So this Christmas morning nearly two-thirds of The Rock Church showed up bright and early at the Findlay City Mission to cook and serve breakfast for the homeless before our regular church worship time. Many arrived before 7 am to decorate tables, heat ovens, and make coffee. We served egg casserole, biscuits and sausage gravy, donuts, drinks, and lots of friendly conversation.

As a pastor, I am encouraged to see my fellow brothers and sisters living out the name they chose for this church: Reaching Others for Christ’s Kingdom (ROCK). It was something small and simple to give, but I believe it shows the heart of God’s people, and some of the neediest people in our community experienced his love in a very practical way this Christmas.

Tell us something special your church did during the Christmas season–events, programs, ministries, anything. You can use this form or send an email.

03 Jan

January 3, 2012 |

First UB Church in Holly Hill, Fla., is looking for a bus. Got one they could have or buy?

Pastor Chuck McKeown (right, with wife Vicki) writes, “We opened an ACE school at the church on December 12, 2011. We have about 50 K-12 students enrolled now and are expecting an additional 10 by the end of January. Most are from low-income families and many have special needs. We need a school-type bus for outings and field trips.”

He reports that they also plan to build a new home for their food pantry. “In 2011 we distributed 340,000 pounds of food to over 40,000 people from another location. Because that location is no longer available, we had to move everything to the church.”

03 Jan

January 3, 2012 |

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) presents a ministerial certificate to his son Josh.

On Sunday, January 1, 2012, Bishop Phil Whipple had the privilege of granting a ministerial license to his son, Josh Whipple. Josh was named senior pastor of Mount Hope UB Church (Carson City, Mich.) effective November 14, 2011. He had previously served as youth/worship pastor at Mongul UB in Shippensburg, Pa.

Josh is the first person to be granted the new “provisional” ministerial license. Normally, the local church license, which is granted by individual churches, is the entry point for ministers. However, this has proven awkward in situations where a person (perhaps coming from outside the denomination) is being assigned as senior pastor of that church. Last fall the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team implemented this new license, which brings the license under the authority of the PMLT and involves questioning which goes much deeper than the local church license (on the level of the national conference license).

Details of the provisional license will be finalized during the spring 2012 meeting of the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team.

02 Jan

January 2, 2012 |

Eldon Grubb, pastor, Pleasant Valley UB (Lake Odessa, Mich.)

On the first Sunday night in December, we had a concert with our bell choir and brass group. Not all the bell choir members are from Pleasant Valley, so we invited people from 3 or more other churches. More than 110 came out, and it was a great time of music and worship, including a “Ring-a-story” skit with the bell choir.

On December 18 in the evening, about 6-8 of us went Christmas caroling. We got to 2-3 places to people who had only been to church once in a while or not at all in the last year. So it was some good outreach.

On December 24, we held a simple candlelighting service. I knew some were gone, so I did not expect many. But those who
came brought families, and at least one family came on their own. It was very good!

Tell us something special your church did during the Christmas season–events, programs, ministries, anything. You can use this form or send an email.

02 Jan

January 2, 2012 |

Each year, on-campus and cross-cultural experiences during the January term challenge Huntington University students beyond typical classroom instruction. Next month:

  • One group of students will travel to India to serve at an all-girls orphanage.
  • Another group will apply their skills in medical clinics and schools serving the Haitian population in the Bahamas.
  • A third group will follow the footsteps of the Apostle Paul in Italy and Turkey to study the development of the early Christian church.

These are just some of the many options offered to students this year.

The purpose of the January term, or Jterm, is to encourage creative imagination and independent inquiry. Jterm frees both student and faculty from demands of other courses and programs, providing opportunities for uninterrupted and intensive investigation.

“My hope is that the students, through their service, learn more about themselves, their passions, strengths and weaknesses, and grow closer in their relationship with God,” said Varun Kaushik, from the Technology Services department, who is leading the India trip.

Students are required to participate in three out of the four Jterms during their time at HU. In addition to off-campus study and service trips, a variety of on-campus classes are offered. Topics range from illustrating children’s literature to exploring iPhone application development.

“This experience is a life changer,” Dr. Bill Bordeaux (right), professor of chemistry, said about a class that he is leading on outdoor environmental education at Camp Michindoh in Hillsdale, Mich. “Students find out a lot about themselves and forge strong attachments within the group. It’s an incredible–and exhausting–experience.”