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Our Hong Kong Conference runs several large youth centers in housing complexes through its Social Service division. A survey of 2,629 teens by the Social Service division found that 10% said they had been the victim of internet bullying. The results were published in the English-language edition of People’s Daily Online.
Tyler Herlein, the 16-year-old son of Duane Herlein, suffered a serious head injury on Thursday, June 10, when he fell from a pickup truck in the school parking lot. Duane (right), a member of Gaines UB church (Caledonia, Mich.), is a member of the denominational Executive Leadership Team.
Duane writes:
“Tyler is in the hospital now and will be for a few days. He has a fracture in the back of his skull down to the base of the skull and a large hematoma on the front inside of his skull and brain.
“He is a real trooper! The headaches are almost unbearable, and he has nausea most of the time. He is getting pain meds and anti-nausea meds to help keep him as comfortable as possible. He is going to have a lot different summer than he planned, as he will have to stay very low-key and low-stimulus. He is also a little down about not being able to go on the church youth mission trip that leaves tomarrow morning. Thanks for your prayers.”
Tyler is at the Devos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.
Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio) sent out this press release on Friday, June 11.
Sunday services will resume on June 13, 2010, at the 795 Campus of Mainstreet Church despite the damage received as a result of last week’s tornadoes. The 2.5-year-old facility sustained an estimated $500,000 damage to its lobby, roof and classrooms, shutting down the facility last Sunday.
“It was a difficult sight for those of us who were first on the scene after the initial round of storms hit,” said Pastor Marty Pennington (right). As information quickly came in about the level of destruction throughout the community, Mainstreet immediately decided that, other than securing their building, the facility would take second priority to the relief efforts and serving our neighbors.
“The building is not the church, the people are the church,” stated Pennington. “We do not gather on Sunday just for the sake of gathering, but rather to be the church outside our walls to our neighbors, the community, and beyond.”
Staged at its 705 Campus, Mainstreet’s primary focus for the week has been dedicated to relief efforts as promised. Yet contractors and additional volunteers have been able to make necessary repairs to allow services at the Moline-Martin Road location. “Even early in the week, there was never a question of if we would gather for worship,” say Pastor Pennington, “only where.”
Pennington recognizes how deeply the area has been impacted by this disaster and the losses suffered. “There is much rebuilding for so many right here in our own backyard,” he added. “God is the true source of hope and restoration and Sunday worship services will be an important step as we all begin the healing process.
Services will take place at the 795 Campus of Mainstreet located at 5465 Moline-Martin Road located just off of East Broadway and St. Rte. 795. Service times are 9 am, 10:30 am and 12:00 pm. Full children’s ministry and nursery care will be available. All are welcome.
Jessica Hollopeter is pleased to report that she has reached 100% of her pledged support. She is now preparing to move to Greenwood, Ind., by the end of June to begin her service with One Mission Society (formerly OMS International). She will then begin a month of cross-cultural training to prepare her for missionary life on and off the field.
Jessica’s two-year contract with OMS begins June 28.
She writes, “Please, please keep praying for me. This is a huge transition for me, and just knowing that I have people thinking and praying about me is such a humbling and awe-inspiring feeling. I feel a great debt to everyone who has taken this journey with me and your prayers, letters, and e-mails do mean so much to me.”
Mike Anderson and family
Michael Anderson has been named senior pastor of Good Shepherd UB church in Greenfield, Ohio. His first Sunday was June 6. On that day, Mike and his family, plus five others, became members of Greenfield church. That makes 10 new members in one day.
Rev. Anderson is licensed with the Ohio Council of Christian Union. He had been serving fulltime as Director of New Directions, a non-denominational community-wide youth ministry founded in 1989 to reach out to students in grades 7-12 in the Greenfield, Ohio, area.
Mike and his wife, Becky, have three children.
Bob and Lois Conway are concluding another term at Jamaica Bible College. Bob (right), an ordained UB minister, has been teaching at the college. They’ll return to the States for the summer, and then go back to Jamaica in the fall.
During the first week of May, 40 of the younger students accepted Christ during chapel services. Lois has been helping teach discipleship classes to the new converts.
While back in the States during the summer, they will teach at two Good News camp, attend the UB campmeeting at Rhodes Grove camp (Chambersburg, Pa.), and Bob will teach a course in the Ecclesiastes Institute, based at Rhodes Grove.
Bishop Phil Whipple (middle) speaks to the UB Church History class. Beside him are Jeff Bleijerveld (left) and course teacher Dr. Howard Cherry (right). (click to enlarge)
Bishop Phil Whipple (far right) giving a tour of the offices to the Church History class. At their workstations are Cathy Reich (left, administrative assistant to the bishop), and Darlene Burkett (administrative assistant in Global Ministries). (click to enlarge)
The annual United Brethren Church History class has been meeting this week, Monday through Thursday (June 7-10). On Wednesday, the national office hosted them for:
Howard Cherry is teaching the class for the umpteenth time.
On Saturday night, June 5, a Category 4 tornado came within 100 yards of Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio). A home very close to the church was completely destroyed.
The church suffered damage which Pastor Marty Pennington (right) guesses will amount to several hundred thousand dollars.
Because of the damage, they closed the offices at the new campus (known as the 795 Campus), to which the church relocated in 2007.
Church people are working hard Wednesday and Thursday to clean up debris at the church–both inside and outside–so they can hold worship services on Sunday.
Of the five people killed in the tornado, three were connected with Mainstreet.
During the next few days, Marty Pennington will deliver three difficult messages:
Mainstreet Church (Walbridge, Ohio) has been tirelessly involved in relief efforts following the tornado which ripped through the area last Saturday night (June 5). Church people have been preparing and delivering food, collecting and storing supplies, providing shelter, clearing debris, and much more.
“The pictures on TV don’t do justice to the devastation,” says Pastor Pennington. “When you’re standing in the middle of it, you’re in awe of the devastation.”
Mainstreet’s previous facility, which they still own, is known as the 705 Campus. The current facility, to which they relocated in 2007, is known as the 795 Campus; it sustained heavy damage.
The 705 Campus is an official Red Cross distribution center, open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. All kinds of supplies have been collected there. Volunteers check in at 9 a.m. and are sent throughout the area. Men with chainsaws are especially needed to cut up all the trees and limbs laying everywhere.
On Tuesday, June 8, they put out an appeal for garbage bags, bug spray, rope, work gloves, laundry baskets, brooms, sun screen, plastic silverware, plastic cups, gift cards, and lunch supplies, among other things.
The 705 Campus is filled with donated clothing. They are not accepting any more clothing.
The church has hosted numerous volunteers from throughout Ohio and Michigan. One man, a retired construction worker, came up from El Paso, Texas. He just wanted to help.
Ted Doolittle, senior pastor of Calvary UB (Saginaw, Mich.), reports:
“We had a youth event for middle and high school girls called ‘Flip-Flops and Sandals’ on Saturday, May 1. It was a time of sharing God’s love while the girls gave themselves pedicures under the instruction of a local beautician, listened to a devotional, and munched on goodies dipped in a chocolate fountain.
“Goodie bags and flip-flops were given to each of the 29 girls. We thank the Lord for his blessing!”
