12 Sep New Members at The Rock
Teddy Fairchild (right), the new pastor since July 1 of The Rock in Findlay, Ohio, reports that they took in 11 new members on Sunday, September 11.
09 Sep Slideshow about Titus Boggs
Here is a video slideshow about Titus Boggs, which was shown at his memorial service on September 1, 2011 (see his obituary announcement). This slideshow was prepared by Titus Smith, a newphew of Titus Boggs. It’s long–over 14 minutes–but if you knew Titus, you’ll probably enjoy watching it.
08 Sep Sept. 17 Women’s Auxiliary Breakfast
Huntington University’s Women’s Auxiliary’s Fall Breakfast will be held at 9 a.m. Sept. 17 in the upper level of the Habecker Dining Commons on campus. The speaker will be Dr. Matthew Ruiz of the Huntington University Exercise Science Department.
Ruiz’s topic is “Energy for Everyone! Exercises for Your Comfort Zone that can strengthen your body, mind, and spirit.” He will be showing types of exercises for various types of “comfort zones.”
Ruiz was a competitive baseball player, basketball player and personal trainer for 14 years. He has conducted applied sport psychology consultations since 2001 with various athletes and teams including volleyball, swimming, baseball, gymnastics, football and tennis.
The breakfast is a buffet and costs $7. Please make a reservation with either Pat Jones, 260-359-4075 or 260-356-7365, or Linda Bordeaux, 260-672-2598 by Sept. 14.
The Huntington University Women’s Auxiliary exists for the purpose of linking campus and community. It provides help with amenities in university dorms, as well as maintaining some scholarships. The project for this year is to sponsor reupholstering of the furniture for Roush dorm lounge.
08 Sep Wes and Jean Bell Take Stateside Role
After 34 years in Brazil, UB endorsed missionaries Wes and Jean Bell have accepted a Stateside role with Wycliffe Bible Translators. Wes will serve as an Application and Placement Specialist and Jean as Care and Recruitment Specialist. Before beginning those roles, they will work on raising their support level back up to 100%.
They write:
As we left Brazil, saying good-bye to our friends was difficult. Initially, we went to Brazil in 1972 with the Peace Corps. Then we returned to Brazil on August 3, 1977, to begin our missionary service there.
Oh, what a hospitable culture Brazil has. We made many friends in all the cities where we lived–Cuiaba in Central West Brazil, Belem at the mouth of the Amazon, and Vianopolis, not far from Brasilia, the federal capital. In each place we found a church where we made many friends and learned the locations of places where we could buy what we needed.
Upon our return to the US, the Lord helped us find a 2007 Ford Focus with low mileage and a fifth wheel trailer, both at remarkably low prices.
Knowing we were returning to work with Wycliffe Stateside, family and friends have been helping us get set up for living in the U.S. Both of Jean’s sisters had collected linens, kitchen items, and some furniture for us. When our daughter Sarah heard we’d sold our glassware in Brazil, she bought a set of glasses and a crystal pitcher and some other items to help replace some of the items. Others are helping with furniture too.
For more than 20 years, Tom and Carole Knowlton have stored things we have left behind as we journeyed to Brazil in their pole barn’s second floor loft. It has been such a blessing not to worry about where to leave these things.
Blessings during our last days in Brazil:
- Enjoying a farewell party of a barbecue from our church.
- Receiving memoirs from Brazilian friends who sacrificed to give us gifts.
- Being presented a special book with “thanks” from students and parents, both past and present.
- Being recognized for our service in Brazil by our mission colleagues.
08 Sep Death of HU Trustee Fred Geyer
From Dr. G. Blair Dowden, President of Huntington University:
“I am sad to share with you that long time trustee and alumnus of Huntington University, Fred Geyer, unexpectedly passed away at 7:15 p.m. this evening at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne. Fred has been an avid Huntington University supporter since his graduation in 1950 with a degree in biology. He served on the Board of Trustees for 15 years and continued to serve as a Trustee Emeritus, always taking an interest in our students and our growth and development as a Christ-centered institution.
“Fred was the founder and president of Geyer Instructional Aids for 40 years and donated significant scientific equipment and classroom materials to the university throughout the years. He was a true gentleman and a strong servant of our Lord. He will be greatly missed. Please pray for Pauline, his spouse of 60 years, and the family as they deal with this tremendous loss.”
06 Sep News from Two Eastern Churches
- Mount Pleasant UB church (Chambersburg, Pa.) was cited in an article about the increase in the theft of metals. They had five copper downspouts stolen on August 28.
- Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.) had its parking lot paved last week.
06 Sep Sunday in the Park with the 46808 Churches
Roger Reece (left), executive director of the Associated Churches, prays for the five 46808 pastors. Tim Hallman, pastor of Anchor UB, is second from the right.
Anchor Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) participated in a community worship service on September 4 with four other area churches. Of the 165 people who attended the joint service in Hamilton Park, about 60 were from Anchor. The Anchor worship team led all of the music. Roger Reece, executive director of the Fort Wayne Associated Church, gave the sermon, after which everyone participated in communion. Followed, of course, by a potluck.
These five churches–UB, Presbyterian, Mennonite, Church of Christ, and United Methodist–are known as the 46808 churches (after the zip code). They have been cooperating in various ministries for several years. This was the first time they have held a joint Sunday morning service. (They have held joint Sunday evening services during Lent for the past four years.)
Tim Hallman (right), pastor of Anchor, wrote about the event on his blog. Here is an excerpt:
“Anchor has worked hard to be relevant to our neighbors–but we don’t want to continue to do that work alone. We want to learn from our other neighborhood churches the ways they’ve become helpful. From the collaboration comes more helpful churches, a unity of spirit that adds strength to our good work, and new opportunities for the Spirit to accomplish the impossible in us and through us.
“More than anything, our churches want the Gospel of Jesus to be good news for our neighbors. We want our churches to be harbingers of that announcement. We want the kingdom to come where we live. This means, though, that we have to get involved in the lives and issues of our neighborhood. All the divorced families. All the kids without a father at home. Homes where the man is in prison. Families that are caught up in the court-system. Families that are dependent on the welfare system. Parents that don’t know how to make it work together. People on disability, who are depressed, who are angry. People struggling to start over again, to get an education, to get a better job, to be a better parent.
“There are also great families in our neighborhood, homes that are good and stable and shine a lot of light. And our neighborhood needs our churches to do their best in making disciples who are the hands and feet of Jesus where they live.”
Anchor’s Facebook page has lots of photos from the event.
06 Sep Thanks to Women’s Groups from the HU Auxiliary
Thanks from the Huntington University Women’s Auxiliary to the Women’s Missionary Fellowship and Women’s Ministry groups across the United Brethren denomination who graciously contributed to the 2010-11 completion of the Baker/Roush Hall Prayer Room project.
Malory Jones, resident director, has responded to the few touches added this fall in completing the modest meditation room: “The Prayer Room looks fantastic! So clean and polished looking! Thanks for all your hard work. May the room be utilized much this year.”
Funds received from the summer letter to the denominational women’s groups also contribute toward our present project of partial funding for the lovely reupholstery of furniture in the Roush Main Lounge. Come see!
Gratefully,
The HU Women’s Auxiliary Executive Team
Barbara Fetters and Judy Campbell, co-presidents
Chris Dowden, vice president
Ruth Weber, secretary
Deb Cherry, treasurer
Sue Cherry, corresponding secretary
Jean Michelson, publicity secretary
06 Sep 40 Years for Roger and Marilyn Reeck
Roger and Marilyn Reeck (right), UB endorsed missionaries, this summer celebrated 40 years of marriage, and 40 years with Wycliffe Bible Translators.
Three of their four daughters were on hand in Honduras to celebrate with them–Teresa and Elisa, who came from Texas for two weeks; and Chrysti Andino, who is also a missionary in Honduras. The fourth daughter, Amanda, was in the midst of an internal medicine residency program in Dallas, but had visited in May.
The Reecks are now in Guinea Bissasu, a small country just up the coast from Sierra Leone in West Africa (Guinea is directly north of Sierra Leone, and Guinea Bissau is on its north side). They will be there until October 8. Roger is checking the translation of the book of Mark for two langauge groups, and they will lead a two-week One Story workshop for four different language groups. Participants learn stories from the book of Acts in the national language, Kriol, from which they glean church planting principles.
06 Sep Online Profile of Greg Helman
Greg Helman (right), senior pastor of Blue rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.) was the subject of a “Profile in Faith” column in the online TheRecordHerald.com.
When asked what he likes most about his job, Greg said:”
I’m an encourager with a coach’s personality. So, I love to see people come to know Jesus and then help them to grow in their faith. Great fulfillment comes from preaching, teaching, and relationship building. Whether we are at a ball game or in a church setting, I get to participate in some humble way in what God is doing in another person’s life. As that person matures in their faith, then they are able to help others to live by faith in Jesus, too.”
When asked, “What is something about your work most people may not know?”, he replied:
“Prayer is a huge part of my job that may get overlooked as people think about the pastor’s job. It’s easy to see what gets done on Sunday as I preach and/or teach. But prayer goes on behind the scenes between the Creator of all that is and myself. It’s such an important time for me that I put this first in my day, regardless of what else I may be doing. For only then am I ready to help anyone else to live by faith in Jesus. Also, I’m able to share the needs of others that God puts on my mind and heart. It’s been very refreshing to understand that prayer is possible whether I’m running on the high school track or in my favorite place, the shower. God always hears and answers my prayers in the best way.”
Greg also talks two memorable ministry moments. Altogether, a very interesting and informative piece.