Marty Wilt has been named pastor of the Underwood UB church (Oakland, Md.). Marty holds a local conference license at Underwood. Marshall Woods, the previous pastor, resigned so he could give more time to the Mill Chapel congregation (Reedsville, W. Va.), which he also pastors.
On Thursday, July 31, we had a BBQ cookout on the front campus at Huntington University. We treated all of the staff working during the summer, and gave them the rest of the afternoon off, with pay. It was a well-deserved break and a great way to recognize our staff for the terrific work they do all year and throughout the summer months.
Summers at the University are always busy. Students may be away for a few months, but here on campus, everyone is engaged with preparing for the coming year. I thought I’d give you some glimpses of what happens here during the summer.
Much work is done to prepare for our students’ return in the fall:
It has been a busy summer for me, as well. In the past few weeks:
It has been a rich and full summer, and now we are all eager for the school year to begin.
As pastor of Mainstreet Church, I told the staff that we needed to take the lead in reaching non-Christians. We needed to look for redemptive opportunities.
I started going to the same barber every two weeks. He wasn’t a believer, which is why I went there. He didn’t come to faith, but I always felt he was getting close. I went to the same gas station, same coffee shop.
Our youth pastor got involved in sports leaves run by the community. Rather than fight them, let’s get involved with them. He would go to soccer games, meet people who didn’t know Christ, and try to reach them.
What are you doing to intentionally create relationships with non-Christians? Post a comment.
In our travels I have heard rumors of a few of our smaller to medium sized churches discussing plans to build. That concerns me. Having led one church through two major building projects and another through major renovations, I know a little about the processes and impact such a move can have.
Several factors suggest that building more buildings is not always the wise decision to make as a steward of the Lord:
But if you are still discussing building, please STOP and ask the following questions.
Can you present a clear rationale that answers these questions:
I have heard of and talked to churches that erected buildings, and when the leaders were asked what it would be used for, they answered that they thought it would be a good part of their facility to have. No strategy. No plan.
If you cannot clearly communicate what will take place in that building once it is completed and how it will help you achieve your vision, DON’T BUILD!
2. Have you exhausted ALL avenues of meeting the need for which you are building?
Many churches only look at one solution for their need.
3. Is there another church in the area you can partner with rather than build?
The Body of Christ (all believing churches) has literally billions of dollars of assets sitting woefully underused across this country. If turf wars could end and barriers between fellowships would cease, we could work together to accomplish something great. Church is about relationships and transformational change, not buildings. So could you use a resource another church has that they would make available to meet your goals and needs?
There are other good questions to ask but these can get you thinking. Remember, people draw people. Relationships, not buildings, are the most important thing. And the only reason to build something is if that building will provide the most effective means of accomplishing your goals.
Ruby Cherry passed away Saturday, August 9. The funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, August 13, at Eden UB church (Mason, Mich.). Visitation will be at the Gorsline Runciman Funeral Home, 900 Michigan Ave., Lansing, Mich., at these times:
Ruby was the wife of longtime UB minister Harold Cherry, and the mother of Kevin Cherry, currently pastor of Heart O’ the Lakes UB in Brooklyn, Mich. Rev. Milan Maybee will officiate at the funeral.
Contributions for those desiring to do so can be to the Gideon International or Global Ministries of the United Brethren in Christ.
Last year we set a goal to have 40 children attend VBS, and we met that goal. This year we wanted to reach 50-60 children and their families. We held VBS on Friday evening, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. on Saturday, and on Sunday morning during the worship service. Not only did we serve a total of 55 children, but we had probably a dozen visitors, including one who told John that she felt the Holy Spirit’s presence at our church.
At the conclusion of the VBS, which had a service theme, we took the children to an assisted living facility just down the road from the church. The children sang a couple of songs to the residents and gave them each a sun catcher they had made during the weekend. Even the smallest children willingly gave gifts and hugs to the residents. We wanted to give the children and their families an immediate opportunity to serve their community, and they did.
One parent sincerely thanked us for having VBS on the weekend because, as a parent who works fulltime, her child had previously been unable to participate. She also expressed a desire to begin attending Northland.
All of these things are great, but the best part of the weekend was when ten children, three from our own congregation, accepted Christ. We were so excited last year when three children made commitments. We have been asking God to show us needs in our community that we could meet and through this He has shown us lonely people who need companionship, parents who crave safe activities for their children, and many children and families who need hope. We got to share that hope with so many this weekend. We praise God for showing up in such a powerful way.
Brian Albright resigned as pastor of Freeport UB (Freeport, Mich.) effective August 10.
Leslie Lightner, an ordained United Brethren minister, passed away August 8 at age 58. He served as associate pastor of College Park UB church (Huntington, Ind.) and as senior pastor of Park UB (Bluffton, Ind.). Most recently, he has been a professor at Winebrenner Theological Seminary (Findlay, Ohio). The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, August 13, at Winebrenner, with visitation 204 and 6-8 p.m. on August 12.
Today we learned about the deaths of three persons who are well-known in United Brethren circles.
I made a number of much-needed changes to the Wikipedia entry on the United Brethren church. I updated links to various UB websites (including this blog), added the Church Covenant, updated info on mission work, and much more. It was already a very good entry (thanks to a lot of contributors), but needed to be updated.
