Huntington University students filling sandbags.

Huntington University students filling sandbags.

In the midst of rising rivers and flooding streets, 16 Huntington University students chipped in to help Huntington County residents fill sandbags and deliver them across the area. The effort was the result of a Volunteer 911 request through the Friesen Center for Volunteer Services.

The call for help from the city came at 5:30 pm on April 3. The student leader of Volunteer 911 contacted the dorms, and within an hour a team was ready to serve.

The students spent several hours filling sandbags, and made deliveries to residents unable to pick up the sandbags themselves.

The United Brethren History Course is a requirement for ministerial licensing in the United Brethren denomination. However, people who just want to learn more about United Brethren history are free to take the course.

During the past two years, 110 people have attended the course in 12 different locations. The next edition will be held at the beginning of June in Huntington, Ind., with a remote site in Sunfield, Mich.

Date: June 2-3, 2014 (Monday and Tuesday)
Time: 9 am – 4 pm
Location: United Brethren National Office in Huntington, Ind.
Remote location: Sunfield UB church, 8436 W. Grand Ledge Highway, Sunfield, MI 48890
Phone: (517) 566-8481

The instructor is Robert Bruce (right), Pastor of Caring Ministries at Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

Registration Cost

  • $200, if you are seeking a ministerial license.
  • $100 for everyone else.
  • $20 for “Trials and Triumphs,” a history of the United Brethren church. ($14.95 for the book, $5.05 shipping for US, $12.95 international). The book will be sent from the national office. Or, stop by the office and pick up a copy, to save shipping. You MUST have a copy of the book for the class. Order a copy from Church Services by calling toll-free: 888-622-3019, ext. 301.

Payment
Course payment must be sent one week prior to the class, unless other arrangements are made. Send to:

United Brethren in Christ
302 Lake Street
Huntington, Ind. 46750

Make checks payable to “United Brethren in Christ.”

A church that is considering adding a second service contacted the national office. They were wondering about the experience of other UB churches who were holding multiple services during the week. So we thought we’d ask–not just for this church, but for other churches in the same situation.

If your church holds more than one worship service per week, we’d love to get your answers to some questions, which we’ll compile and publish.

Go here to fill out the form. Please give us your honest feedback.

Doug_Moo-118x163Dr. Doug Moo (right), world-renowned New Testament scholar and author of several important works in Biblical studies, will be the speaker for the second-annual Bergdall Endowed Lectureship on Biblical Studies at 7 p.m. April 22 at Huntington University.

His presentation, titled “The Hope of Righteousness: The Christian and Final Justification,” will take place in the Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts on campus. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Date and Time: 7 pm April 22, 2014.
Location: Zurcher Auditorium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts.
Address: Huntington University, 2303 College Ave., Huntington, Ind. 46750.

For more information, contact Dr. Mark R. Fairchild or call 260-359-4235.

The Bergdall lectureship is named in honor of Dr. Chaney Bergdall, professor emeritus of Bible and religion, who retired from the university in 2012.

associate-summit550

Are your church staff signed up for the Associate Staff Summit? Time is running out. The early registration deadline is April 15.

This event is held every two years for persons serving in such staff roles as pastoral care, assimilation, adult education, visitation, counseling, missions, discipleship, children’s ministry, etc.

Location: the Hilton Daytona Beach Resort in Daytona Beach, Fla.

The keynote speaker is Mike Bonem, author of the book “Leading from the Second Chair.” He will focus on the role of leaders in secondary positions–perfect for the Associate Staff Summit.

The registration cost is either $250 (2 persons in a room) or $400 (1 person in a room). Registration includes lodging, 3 breakfasts, and 3 dinners. The cost rises $50 per person after April 15. For more information and to register, go to UB.org.

The 2014 March Madness Bishop’s Challenge is now history. It started with 68 UB ministers and assorted others filling out an NCAA bracket on ESPN. It should be noted that NOBODY picked either UConn or Kentucky to win. However, we do have a points leader for everything leading up to the final.

And the winner is: Paul Hirschy, one of our former bishops. Paul is currently associate pastor at College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind. Congratulations, Paul!

In second place was Cal Hodgson, pastor of Heritage UB church in Dansville, Mich. And tied for third were Bishop Phil Whipple and National Ministries director Todd Fetters.

On Saturday, August 9, Monroe UB Church (Monroe, Ind.) is taking a chartered bus to the Creation Museum and would like to invite others to attend. They have 20-25 seats available on the 55-seat bus.

The cost is $45 per person (include museum ticket and bus seat). The bus leaves at 7 a.m. The Creation Museum is located in Petersburg, Kent.

To reserve your seat, you’ll need to send a check to the Monroe UB Church with Creation Museum in the memo line.

Monroe UB Church
205 South Adams Street
Monroe, IN   46772

Clockwise from upper left: Sauveur Jean Jabrun,  Marie Mirlaine Fanfan, Josue Hiliare, Jean Louis Marcef, Brutus Ysnader, Jean Louis Chislaine, and Marechal Frigains.

Top row (l-r): Sauveur Jean Jabrun, Marie Mirlaine Fanfan, Jean Louis Chislaine, Jean Louis Marcef. Bottom row: Marechal Frigains, Josue Hiliare, and Brutus Ysnader.

Global Ministries is raising $650 per year for seven United Brethren ministerial students in Haiti. All are members of the Delmas UB church in the greater Port au Prince area; that’s our largest church in Haiti. All seven in their second year at Seminary Thelogie Evangelique Gamaliel in Port au Prince, and plan to serve as United Brethren pastors upon completing the Bachelor of Theology program.

These students paid entirely for their first year and are sponsored for 75% of the current year’s tuition, but do not have sponsors for the remaining two years. They have committed to raising 25% of their support, leaving $650 per year to be provided by a sponsor.

Your contributions will help raise up new ministers for the UB churches in Haiti, and will be a great source of blessing to these future ministers.

  • Sauveur Jean Jabrun currently works as an electrician/plumber while completing his studies. (Project HT003)
  • Marie Mirlaine Fanfan works as a customs inspector, earning $380 per month, while completing her studies. (Project HT004)
  • FUNDED. Josue Hiliare works as a teacher, earning $160 per month. (Project HT005)
  • FUNDED. Jean Louis Marcef works as an auto mechanic, earning $110 per month. (Project HT006)
  • FUNDED. Marechal Frigains works as a teacher and animator, earning $120 per month. (Project HT007)
  • Jean Louis Chislaine . (Project HT008)
  • Brutus Ysnader works as an teacher, earning $150 per month. (Project HT009)

If you are interested in supporting any of these students, please send your check to:

Global Ministries
302 Lake Street
Huntington, IN 46750

On the memo line, include the project code given above with each student.

L-r: Kim Fish, Phil Whipple, Michelle Blocher, and Matt Graham.

L-r: Kim Fish, Phil Whipple, Michelle Blocher, and Matt Graham.

Michelle Blocher and her husband, Tim.

Michelle Blocher and her husband, Tim.

On Sunday, April 6, Bishop Phil Whipple attended Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) to presented United Brethren ministerial licenses to three members of the staff.

Michelle Blocher, pastor of Early Childhood Ministries at Emmanuel, was ordained as a United Brethren minister. She has served on staff at Emmanuel since 2004. Michelle and her husband, Tim, were married in 1979 and have one child.

Bishop Whipple presented the provisional license, the entry-level denominational license, to two persons. The

  • Kim Fish, director of Women’s Ministries at Emmanuel. Kim and her husband, Steve, previously pastored the Shoreline UB church in Oak Harbor, Ohio. Kim is the daughter of Kent and Carol Maxwell, who served several decades in United Brethren ministry.
  • Matt Graham, a pastoral intern at Emmanuel since September 2013. Matt is completing his Masters of Ministry degree through Bethel University (Mishawaka, Ind.).