November 15 was Huntington University’s second annual Day of Giving. With the help of 142 donors (up from 130 in 2017), they raised $76,675 for the Forester Fund (the goal was $75,000). Over 90% of HU students receive funding from the Forester Fund.

The United Brethren bookstore at the UB National Office was discontinued at the beginning of 2018. A large number of items remain in stock–books, Bibles, candles, card sets, offering envelopes, children’s materials, and more. All of it must go by the end of the year. These items are being made available to United Brethren churches at discounted prices.

The list was originally published in early November. Since then, some of the items have been sold. This PDF lists the items still for sale.

Here is a PDF list of all items for sale. To order, call 888-622-3019. Or, send your order to: orders@ub.org. Shipping costs will be determined based on your order.

We will continue providing various UB-related materials—books, certificates, seals, and more. You can read about them on the UB website.

A baptism during Homefront’s 15th anniversary service.

On November 4, Homefront UB (Grandville, Mich.) celebrated its 15 anniversary. The church is a restart of the former Maple Hill UB church.

Two youth and three adults were baptized as part of the service, and another student was baptized the next week. Video testimonies of God’s work in and through HomeFront were shared. They included a couple who were part of the launch team, another couple joined the family along the way, and recent new members.

Avlon UB church and its new flag pole.

In September Avlon Church (Bremen, Ohio) installed a new flag pole in front of the church. It replaced a small flag mounted on a light pole beside the church. The flag pole was dedicated on Veteran’s Day.

Says Pastor Jason Sheets, “During the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month we remembered and honored the 100th anniversary of the Armistice that ended World War I. During the service the new flag pole was dedicated ‘To all the Veterans of Avlon Church past and present who have served our great nation to defend our freedom, may this be a lasting tribute to you.’ The service ended with the congregation singing ‘Grand Old Flag’ together.”

Greg Helman, senior pastor, Blue Rock UB Church (Waynesboro, Pa.)

After realizing that we had no baptisms in 2017, the leadership at Blue Rock Church made a goal of six baptisms for 2018.  However, the goal wasn’t high enough.  God allowed us to baptize a total of 16 people (6 children/youth, 10 adults). Praise God for His answer to our prayers.

In July 2019, delegates from United Brethren churches in the United States will gather for the 2019 US National Conference. This year, we are meeting at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. You will be able to register at the beginning of the year.

The 2019 US National Conference will hold its business meeting on Thursday, July 18, 2019. Among other things, the delegates will consider various proposals, including proposed revisions to the United Brethren Discipline.

The United Brethren constituency is invited to submit proposals for consideration by the US National Conference. The deadline for submitting proposals is March 1, 2019. A proposal needs to come from a group or official entity — not from an individual. Examples: a local church board, cluster group, a denominational leadership team or study committee, etc. The Bishop’s Office and the Executive Leadership Team are responsible for processing and approving proposals for presentation to the conference.

Complete information for submitting proposals can be found on the UB website.

Thursday, Nov. 15, is Huntington University’s second annual Day of Giving. Contributions help build the Forester Fund, which provides scholarship dollars to 92% of HU undergraduates.

There are extra reasons to give tomorrow. Generous donors will kick in extra money when certain goals are met, so your contribution goes a lot farther.

  • $10,000, when HU raises $10,000 on its own.
  • $10,000, when 20 new donors have given any amount on Day of Giving.
  • $5,000, when 5 individuals make a gift of $1000 or more.
  • $5,000, when 50 graduates from the classes of 2008-2018 make a gift of any size.

In addition, anyone who contributes on November 15 during the two hours of 11am – 1pm will get a 20% digital coupon for the HU Bookstore. And don’t forget the tax credit for Indiana residents!

There are other ways to get involved. Follow this link.

L-r: Bethel member Roger Krueger, Bishop Todd Fetters, and Pastor Tim Sherman.

Cookies for 125 years.

In September 2018, Bethel UB church (Elmore, Ohio) dedicated several weeks to celebrating its 125th anniversary. Stephanie Book, Ministry Assistant at Bethel, wrote:

“We launched our official hashtag and social media platforms, and had special cookies made to encourage 125th anniversary selfies. We pondered the many blessings Bethel has experienced, heard all about our heritage, and looked to the future. Thanks to some amazing documentation and photographs showing progress and change, we celebrated the blessings our God has given Bethel Church.

“Bishop Todd Fetters helped close out our festivities by serving as the guest speaker for our services on Sunday, September 23. He not only helped us look to the excitement and unforgettable past, but gave us a prayer focus for our continued ministry.”

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association produced a documentary about the life of Billy Graham, who passed away on February 21 of this year. “Billy Graham: an Extraordinary Journey” tells how God used Billy Graham to reach millions of people with the gospel. This 72-minute documentary is available as a free digital download through December 31, 2018. The BGEA encouraged churches to show the documentary to inspire members to reach your community with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Go to BillyGraham.org/film.