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In addition to the nearly 1300 people who receive the Connect email:
Mark Wilson (right), senior pastor of Fowlerville UB (Fowlerville, Mich.).
Our Annual Trunk N Treat event grew out of a few passionate parents who wanted to offer a safe alternative to the annual Halloween activities in our community.
After 6 years of being faithful to share Christ in a creative way of loving people, God brought record numbers to our event on Sunday night, October 31. What a blessing it was to serve over 1100 people from our community.
After many positive comments and great conversations with many from our community, I also found out that we had over 100 volunteers and fed over 900 people.
We are looking forward to seeing how Christ will continue to use these simple contacts with our community.
The Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team approved these persons for ordination:
Other licensing updates:
The Well's co-ed softball team.
Submitted by Cathy Reich, Assistant to Bishop Whipple and attender at The Well
At The Well, we waited until the final Sunday in October to make a presentation to Pastor Josh Kesler (right). According to the presenting elder, Larry Lawrence, it was to make sure he was doing a good job all month! Of course that brought a few laughs. Pastor Josh said, “And they gave it to me anyways!”
There was no announcement made as to what was in the card, but I heard Josh say, “I was pleasantly surprised and looking forward to taking my family for a little get-away sometime soon.”
Later in the day, the church’s co-ed softball team from the city league ended in third place in an injury-free tournament game. Not a bad ending to the month.
Bill Fisher
Rev. Bill Fisher, dean of Christian Faith and Life at Huntington University, is stepping down in June 2011 after 18 years in that position.
His work has included revising the chapel programming, raising up campus ministries student leaders, developing “Faith-in-Action” teams to support local churches, establishing an ongoing chapel worship team, organizing off-campus retreats, and teaching. He has also led or co-led numerous spring break and January Term trips across the United States and around the world, including Brazil, China, Northern Ireland, Ukraine, Kenya, and Uganda.
“It would be impossible to list all the ways that he has impacted the lives of our students – from the classes he has taught, to the personal and pre-marital counseling he has provided, to the example he has set through his involvement with area churches,” said HU President G. Blair Dowden. “In so many ways, Bill has modeled a life dedicated to Christ. And he has done an incredible job representing Huntington University locally, nationally, and internationally.”
Fisher says he will continue his work with the Murdock Charitable Trust and continue pastoring First Baptist Church in Warren, Ind., while he discovers God’s next plan for his life.
A national search is currently under way to find his successor. The search committee is led by Ron Coffey, vice president for student development.
You can read more about Bill Fisher‘s contributions to Huntington University, as well as to other Christian colleges.
Findlay First UB (Findlay, Ohio) served 400-500 individuals during the annual harvest party on Halloween night in Findlay. Donuts were handed out to the parents, a puppet show was being shown, tracts were handed out, and coffee and hot chocolate were served. Church members brought their cars and opened their trunks for “Trick or Trunk.”
Community members were heard saying, “This is really nice of you all to do this.” We had even been asked by community members if the church was going to host it again this year, because the sign was not put out–because it was stolen last year.
This tradition started when Pastor Darwin Dunten noticed that community members were using the parking lot to park their cars during Halloween. So the church started providing coffee and donuts for them. It has grown every year since.
Halloween is the biggest event in Findlay, Ohio. The annual parade attracts tens of thousands of visitors.
Rachel E. Sanders (right), 93, wife of retired UB minister Willard Sanders, passed away Sunday, October 31, in Berne, Ind. She was a member of Hudson United Brethren Church (Hudson, Ind.). She and Willard were married in 1939.
She is survived by her husband Willard, two daughters, two sons, 20 grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren.
Visitation: 4-7 pm Monday, Nov. 1, at Swiss Village in Berne, Ind.; and 4-7 pm Tuesday, Nov. 2, at Johnson Funeral Home in Hudson, Ind.
Funeral: 10 am Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010. Pastor Craig Burkholder of Hudson UB and Pastor Jason Hollopeter of nearby Corunna UB (Corunna, Ind.) will officiate.
Funeral Location: Hudson UB church, 516 N. Main Street, Hudson, Ind.
Sunday October 24, Morocco Church (Temperance, Mich.) surprised Pastor Todd Greenman (right) and his wife Eva with appreciation for being their pastor and wife.
Eva received a beautiful vase of flowers, and Pastor Todd was surprised throughout the service with some skits bringing many smiles and laughs–especially the ”Top Ten Reasons you know the Pastor is not prepared to bring his sermon.”
After the service, cake and ice cream were served to the congregation. Pastor Greenman started at Morocco Church August 1.
In a letter to the Shoreline Church, Pastor Steve Fish shares these thoughts with his congregation:
“You have heard it said, and scriptures states that there is a season for everything under the sun. It is with a heavy heart and many mixed emotions that I am writing this letter to inform you that I am resigning from my position of Lead Pastor with the church. My final Sunday will be November 14. This decision has come neither lightly nor quickly. I have been seeking counsel about this decision throughout the course of the past year. … We are asking God to provide you with new leadership quickly, but we are convinced that you will be committed to one another and the church should the wait be long. Kim and I have such a deep love for you. We are saddened to leave, and although this has been a difficult decision, we believe the time has come for us to depart. We have been well cared for and supported throughout these past four years. We have experienced the love of Jesus through you!”
Bishop Phil Whipple is prayerfully considering who God’s man for this hour would be for the Shoreline Church. Your prayers are appreciated during this transition not only for the Shoreline Church, but for Pastor Steve Fish.
Rev. Warwick Fuller has been selected as the first associate pastor in the history of Crestview UB church (Lafayette, Ind.). Warwick holds a Master of Divinity from Evangelical Theological Seminary in Myerstown, Pa., and will soon be ordained in the United Brethren church.
Warwick and his family–wife Heather and three daughters–are natives of Harrisburg, Pa., where they currently live. Heather is a high school science teacher.
