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14 May

May 14, 2008 |

We need to step up leadership development, because there is a dearth of recognizable leadership across our denomination. With that in mind, three events are occurring during a three-week period. Two have already happened. The third started today.

1. Hit the Bullseye Conference (Lima, Ohio). We brought all of our cluster leaders to this two-day conference April 29-30. We registered 35 people through our office, and several other UBs came on their own.

2. Drive Conference (Atlanta, Ga.). For the second year, we took a group of pastors of our largest churches to the Drive Conference, hosted by Andy Stanley’s church in Georgia.

3. Train the Trainer (Huntington, Ind.). Tim Elmore, who has been associated with John Maxwell for a long time, has his own leadership development organization. He recrafted material which he uses in the business world. We invited 20 people to take part in this event:

  • Howard Beaver (Mount Olivet UB, Chambersburg, Pa.)
  • John Beukema (King Street Church, Chambersburg, Pa.)
  • Darrel Bosworth (Kilpatrick UB, Woodland, Mich.)
  • Kelly Burnside (Gaines UB, Caledonia, Mich.)
  • Mike Caley (Banner of Christ, Byron Center, Mich.)
  • Owen Gordon (Jamaica Bible College, Jamaica)
  • John Cole (Northland UB, Traverse City, Mich.)
  • Gary Dilley (College Park Church, Huntington, Ind.)
  • Milton Herrold (Orrstown UB, Orrstown, Pa.)
  • Gordon Kettel (church planter, Grand Ledge, Mich.)
  • Kent Koteskey (Emmanuel UB, Fort Wayne, Ind.)
  • Chris Little (Mount Pleasant, Chambersburg, Pa.)
  • Michael Longfellow (New Life, Chanute, Kansas)
  • Marty Pennington (Mainstreet Church, Walbridge, Ohio)
  • Greg Reed (Morning Star, Kokomo, Ind.)
  • Pat Daugherty (Atlantic Avenue UB, Franklin, Pa.).
  • Winston Smith (superintendent, Jamaica Conference)
  • Phil Whipple (Colwood UB, Caro, Mich.)
  • Ray Seilhamer (New Hope Church, Huntington, Ind.)
  • Larry Vander Laan (Gaines UB, Caledonia, Mich.)

13 May

May 13, 2008 |

brenneman-kyle.jpgKyle Brenneman (right), a senior worship leadership major at Huntington University, has received the first Award of Distinction in Christian Worship from The Robert E. Webber Institute of Worship Studies. Kyle, from Spencerville, Ohio, is the grandson of Howard and Sue Cherry, who are well-known in the United Brethren church for their service in the pastorate, at Huntington University, and at the United Brethren national office.

The award, earned by Brenneman for the quality of his scholarship, leadership and diligence, includes a $1000 scholarship to continue his studies at the institute.

The Institute of Worship Studies is located in Orange Park, Fla. Phil Burkett, Minister of Music at College Park UB (Huntington, Ind.), is finishing his doctoral work at IWS, and Sam Ward, Minister of Music at Emmanuel UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.), is in the Masters program. Read more.

13 May

May 13, 2008 |

Melisssa Kline sent this note from Macau:
“A few of you may be wondering about the earthquake in China that happened yesterday and if it effected us at all. Macau is quite a distance from the epicenter, but at 2:30 pm on Tuesday I did feel our building sway. Our fish didn’t know what to think as they went sloshing from one side of the tank to the other. Nothing other than a slight movement though so that was a blessing.

“But from what the Macau paper said today, 8700 people have so far been found dead in mainland China and I would guess that number will increase over the next few days as they dig through the rubble. Please keep this situation, the families who have lost loved ones, and the believers in those areas in your prayers.”

12 May

May 12, 2008 |

J. Michael Caley, Pastor, Banner of Christ UB (Byron Center, Mich.)
The most effective way to start a church is for churches to cooperate in starting new churches. Banner Church (Byron Center, Mich.) has been part of a LEAD team, the first one in Michigan. The other members are Howard Matthews (HomeFront UB, Grandville), Scott Hergert (First UB, Lansing), Thurm Payton (Lighthouse UB, Williamston), and Darrel Bosworth (Kilpatrick UB, Woodland).

Our LEAD team gathers every 6-8 weeks to support the work of Gordon Kettel, who is planting a church in Grand Ledge, Mich. Tom Blaylock, the director of Church Multiplication, also meets with us. Our experience has been good. Gordon is so fun and entertaining; we have a great time together.

The initials stand for learn, encourage, achieve, dream. It’s a group of pastors getting together for the specific purpose of thinking and praying together about the most strategic places God might have us plant a new church.

The commitment of that team and church, by the pastor participating, is:

  • Identify a potential church planter.
  • Pool resources.
  • Set goals for how often to start a new church.
  • Do everything possible to support and encourage the planter.

We commit for a period of 2-3 years to start a church and see it through. We’re a committed group of guys who serve as a sounding board for Gordon. He shares struggles and asks questions, and we agree to always laugh at his jokes.

In the 1980s, I became a church planter. I felt entirely alone, even though I received a regular paycheck from the conference treasurer and was told the conference backed us. God used that experience to teach us, as a family, some amazing things, and we learned how to share Christ without any real support. But the LEAD team concept excites me, because I feel it’ll lead to some real success stories.

10 May

May 10, 2008 |

children_philippines_200.jpg
Everywhere we go in the Philippines we are met with smiles. This morning Pastor Prudencio Lim, superintendent of the Philippine Conference, took Pastor Mike Brown and me to visit pastors and churches around the greater Manila area.

Our day ended in Sucat Paranaque, a Manila slum area where Pastor Noel Bartolata, his wife and six children have been serving for 19 years. The church, along with all other homes and shelters, is built on squatter’s land. The neighborhood is a maze of alley ways and stairways. Cooking is done over small fires and families sleep together in the same bed or on floors. Yet Pastor Noel and his family wouldn’t think of leaving their community.

If you saw these smiles each day, you may not want to leave either.