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28 May

May 28, 2008 |

Godspell_Cast2008_500.jpg
United Brethren churches in the midwest and mid-Atlantic regions are invited to schedule a performance of “Godspell” during the summer months. Student actors and musicians from Huntington University will launch the summer tour of “Godspell” with a free show at College Park Church (Huntington, Ind.) at 7 p.m. on June 8. Then they’ll hit the road, anticipating doing up to 40 performances.

For booking information, contact Paul Hirschy at 260-359-4357.

For the third consecutive run of the production, director David Shamburger has incorporated a “Survivor” meets “Castaway” theme into the Gospel of Matthew. Godspell includes almost word-for-word retellings of several of Jesus’ parables.

GodspellLogo_300.jpg“While the ‘stoic’ thinkers of the past and present find themselves locked up in their ‘ivory towers’ and eventually falling to their knees, our band of players find themselves on a deserted island in what might be considered ‘Paradise,’ free from the rigors of legalistic thinking and exploring a new kind of journey led by a native islander named Jesus,” Shamburger said.

The presentation includes pop-culture references to “Fantasy Island,” “Hawaii 5-0,” “Gilligan’s Island,” “Tarzan,” “Survivor,” “Lost,” “Cast Away,” and “The Amazing Race.”

The 2008 Godspell tour features powerful acting and vocal performances as well as a live band with guitar, piano, keyboards and drums. Leading up to the production, students completed a semester-long course and a two-week “boot camp” to prepare them for the rigors of approximately 40 shows between June and August in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions.

27 May

May 27, 2008 |

Our first consultation was in December 2006 at Banner of Christ church in Byron Center, Mich., in the greater Grand Rapids area. Pat Jones made monthly coaching visits for the next year.

During the past year, at least 40 conversions have occurred at Banner. Pastor Mike Caley tells about the banquet at the end of their Upward Basketball season:

“We had to hold the banquet at a neighboring United Methodist church, because over 700 people came. The altar was filled at the end of the evening. Quite honestly, we were unprepared for the response and frustrated that we couldn’t process those conversions the way we wanted to. But it was a great evening. We had grandparents walk forward to make decisions to trust Christ for the first time.”

Isn’t that great? What stories of life-change can you tell from your own church during the past year? I want to hear them. Write something in the comments.

21 May

May 21, 2008 |

You always need to organize yourself beyond what you are. If you’re a church of 200 and want to be a church of 500, you need to organize like a church of 500. Otherwise, you won’t get there.

When I became pastor of Mainstreet Church in Walbridge, Ohio, we started at about 220, grew, and began adding staff. I took the staff to larger churches on little field trips. How does it look and feel? How do they structure themselves? We began to tinker. God blessed us and the church grew.

Over half of our growth was new converts. You get people who don’t know anything, and it’s fun. You get a chance to infect them with the real disease.

I covet that for you. Not that you get big; that doesn’t make any difference to me. What makes a difference is that you become effective in what God has called you to do.

20 May

May 20, 2008 |

Among the proud parents at college commencements this month were all three Global Ministries staffpersons.

  • Carissa Burkett, daughter of Phil and Darlene Burkett, graduated from Azusa Pacific University on May 10 with a degree in Fine Arts, with a concentration on sculpture.
  • Jessica Hollopeter, the youngest daughter of Jason and Donna Hollopeter, paraded with 215 other Huntington University students on Saturday. Her degree was in History.
  • Jeff Bleijerveld’s daughter Julie Navrotsky graduated on Saturday from Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, Ind.) with a degree in Anthropology, while her husband, Rick, received his Business degree.

20 May

May 20, 2008 |

Confronted with the price of gas and a 20-mile daily commute to the office, Jeff Bleijerveld and I thought it made sense to ride together. So today, I picked him up. We both live on the southwest side of Fort Wayne, maybe a mile apart. It was good fellowship, we saved money, and we reduced our carbon footprint.

Seth Godin predicts that in the business world, with the price of fuel, it’ll become more common to hear people, after a meeting, complain, “I came all the way here for this?”

Churches don’t have nearly as many meetings as they once did.

  • Monthly board meetings have become bi-monthly or quarterly.
  • We’ve dispensed with lots of committees that once seemed necessary.
  • We’ve streamlined our church structures. Streamlining is good.

But now, church meetings don’t only take up a person’s time. They also hit the wallet.

  • Every trip Pam and I make to church costs us around $5.
  • Other people drive much, much farther.
  • A single board meeting could involve a collective cost of $50 or more.
  • Since we’re a low-income church, gas hurts.

So whatever awaits us at church, whether a meeting or music practice or a service, needs to be well worth not only the time, but the gas money.

That, of course, should have always been the case. But money has a way of focusing our attention.

19 May

May 19, 2008 |

Marie Else, wife of Warren Else, who pastored in Kansas, passed away early in the morning on May 19 in Abilene, Kansas.

  • Viewing: Thursday, May 22, 6-8 p.m., at Martin Becker Carlson Funeral Home, Abilene, Kansas.
  • Funeral: 2:30 p.m. Friday, May 23, at Abilene United Brethren church.

19 May

May 19, 2008 |

Congratulations to three wonderful servants of the church who received honorary degrees from Huntington University on Saturday.
birdsalls_degrees300.jpgowengordon_degree300.jpgRuss and Nellie Birdsall (right) have served the Lord as a team in a variety of capacities–as missionaries in Sierra Leone, in administrative positions at Huntington University, in the pastorate, as conference superintendent, and most recently, during 11 stints as short-term missionaries in Jamaica and Macau.

Owen Gordon (right, being recognized by HU president G. Blair Dowden) is a long-time leader in Jamaica Conference. He is currently president of Jamaica Bible College in Mandeville, and also pastors a church.

Nine people from Jamaica, including Superintendent Winston Smith, were on hand to see Rev. Gordon receive his honorary degree.

16 May

May 16, 2008 |

Right now, the base salary for UB fulltime ministers is $35,000. Many churches generously go far beyond that amount. But too many churches cling to the minimum.

The Executive Leadership Team, during its April meeting, spent some time talking about pastors’ salaries. They didn’t make any decisions; I just wanted their input as I consider making some proposals. Here are some thoughts from that discussion:

  • About two-thirds of our churches have an attendance less than 100. To sustain a minimum fulltime pastor, you probably need 125 people.
  • We have a lot of churches on the bubble of being able to afford a fulltime pastor.
  • A lot of quality pastors are being less than adequately compensated.
  • If you can’t pay a fulltime salary, you need to let your pastor supplement his income with other work.
  • The fulltime salary suggestion should reflect a true living wage.
  • We can’t expect to recruit ministers if, as a denomination, we set such a low salary. It’s embarrassing to talk to a prospective pastor and tell him what our minimum fulltime salary is.
  • Churches should do a lot more in adding benefits for pastors, such as paying for a cell phone, computer, internet access, and other things.
  • In denying pay raises for ministers, people point to the plight of other members of the congregation.
  • A pay increase for the pastor usually requires a board member willing to champion that cause.

What are you thoughts? What would you like to add?

15 May

May 15, 2008 |

Seven UB churches are now among the 830-plus churches across the world that are participating in One Prayer. Four were mentioned in an earlier post. Now they are joined by:

  • Colwood UB (Caro, Mich.; Phil Whipple, pastor).
  • Christ Fellowship (Westerville, Ohio; David Hedrick, pastor).
  • Devonshire church (Harrisburg, Pa.; Todd Fetters, pastor).

15 May

May 15, 2008 |

traintrainer.jpg

The Train the Trainer seminar is continuing today at Huntington University. In addition to the 20 UB ministers who are attending, there are various people from the local community–from government, the schools, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and other groups. Huntington University, the Huntington Foundation, and the UB denomination are jointly sponsoring the event.

Tim Elmore, the leader, is sharing principles about communication, vision, leadership, and other topics that can apply to various types of organizations.