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The first-ever UB Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit will be held May 18-19 in Holly Hill, Fla. The event will be hosted by First UB church in Holly Hill. This is aimed especially at staffpersons who minister in this field.

You will have the opportunity to spend time with children’s ministry workers from across our denomination: learning from each other, sharing ideas, networking, relaxing, and soaking up the Florida sunshine! This is a unique opportunity for you to fellowship with others who share your passion.

We know you will find it helpful, encouraging, and fun. Best of all, it’s FREE! (Go ahead, read that sentence again.) Yes, we really did say FREE! All you need to do is get there and we will cover your meals and lodging for 3 nights (May 17, 18, and 19). So drive, fly, or start walking now, but do not miss this amazing event!

Let’s Review:

What: Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit
When: May 18-19, 2010
Where: First UB in Holly Hill, Fla.
Cost: Travel expenses are up to you. Lodging and meals are provided.
Why: Networking, fellowship, encouragement, and fun!

To register, and for more information, go to: UBKids.org.

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A conference focusing on spiritual care will be held May 18-20 at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, W. Va. This event is aimed at church staffpersons who work in such areas as spiritual care, assimilation, and visitation.

Cost: $75. That includes lodging on May 18 and 19, and 1 dinner. You will need to purchase 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner.
Registration Deadline: April 30
Arrival: Tuesday, May 18, by 5 pm
Departure: Thursday, May 20, by 11 am

A conference for United Brethren worship leaders.

A conference for United Brethren worship leaders, especially staffpersons who work in this field, will be held May 3-6 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Two keynote speakers have been lined up. Workshops and morning devotions will be led by UB worship leaders.

Cost. $110 per person. This will cover lodging and the evening meal. Pastors will be on their own for breakfast and lunch.

Lodging. Accommodations will be on the beach. Larger group meetings will be held at First UB church in Holly Hill, about 10 minutes away.

Transportation. You must provide your own transportation to Daytona Beach and and for getting around once there.

 

We made some changes in the cluster system, which is our primary structure for pastoral training and accountability. One change involves staffpersons.

Previously, we required all licensed ministers–senior pastors and staffpersons–to attend monthly cluster meetings. In some cases, staffpersons attended the same cluster as the senior pastor. In other cases, staffpersons attended a cluster with other persons in their area of specialty–a youth cluster, a pastoral care cluster, a cluster for music ministers, etc.

Now, we only require that senior pastors attend cluster meetings. But we don’t want to neglect training for staffpersons.

As a substitute for staffpersons, we are holding four “summits” in the coming months. These are two-day events designed for ministers in specific areas of specialization.

April 26-30: UB Youth Workers Summit. This annual meeting goes back a number of years. It is not limited to staffpersons. Rather, UB churches are invited to send their “lead” youth worker, whether on the payroll or not.

May 6-8: Worship Summit. This new event is designed for staffpersons who focus on areas related to worship and music.

May 17-19: Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit. This new event is for persons who specialize in working with children. Again, it is not limited to staffpersons. As with the Youth Workers Summit, it’s limited to your “lead” children’s worker.

May 18-20: Warmth Summit. This new event is for staffpersons whose ministry involves such issues as spiritual care, visitation, and assimilation.

As bishop, I encourage churches and pastors to make sure their staffpersons are able to attend one of these summits if it is in their area of specialization.

Darlene Burkett’s father, Max Conner, passed away Saturday night, February 20. Darlene is the administrative assistant in Global Ministries. Darlene and her husband, Phil, now Minister of Music and Worship at College Park Church (Huntington, Ind.), were one of the founding couples of the missionary work in Macau.

Funeral arrangements:

Visitation: 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm Tuesday, February 23; and one hour before the funeral on Wednesday.
Funeral: 11 am Wednesday, February 24.
Visitation and funeral location: Smith & Son Funeral Home, 207 North Main Street, Columbia City, Ind.

Max is survived by his wife, Sue; Darlene (their only child); and two grandchildren. He and Sue have been members of College Park UB church in Huntington, Ind.

Sylvester Martin, 90, passed away Friday, February 19, in Decatur, Ind. He pastored a number of United Brethren churches during his career in the ministry, stretching back to 1940.

1940-1941: Celina, Ohio.
1941-1945: Rockford, Ohio.
1946-1951: Zanesville, Ind. (his home church)
1951-1958: Park UB, Bluffton, Ind.
1958-1961: Cincinnati, Ohio.
1961-1984: First UB, Decatur, Ind.

Sylvester and his wife, Marcile, retired in 1984. He is survived by Marcile, who lives in Decatur, 2 sons, five grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren.

The funeral arrangements are:

Visitation Times: 6-8 pm Monday, February 22, and 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm on Tuesday, February 23.
Visitation Location: the Zwick and Jahn Funeral Home in Decatur, Ind.
Funeral: 10:30 am Wednesday, February 24
Funeral Location: Cornerstone Community Church, Decatur, Ind.

Lori Ann Gossert, from Mt. Pleasant UB (Chambersburg, Pa.), writes:

“We’re trying to get a Young Adult ministry started at Mt. Pleasant Church and I am trying to find some information on what might already be out there–especially in other UB churches. ‘Young Adults’ is a group that tends to be excluded in the church, leaving after graduating high school and only sometimes returning after they start having kids.

“I went through all the UB websites and found only a handful of references to Young Adults, mostly Sunday school classes or small groups. I am wondering what some of our churches offer for Young Adults (generally 18-35) in their churches. ”

How about it? What is your church doing to minister to Young Adults in the 18-35 age range? Leave a comment here, or send an email to Lori.

The Huntington University Board of Trustees approved the following cost increases for 2010-2011.

  • Tuition and fees: $22,330 (up 4.9%, or $1,040)
  • Room and board: $7,430 (up 3.5%, or $250)

Those costs apply to fulltime traditional undergraduate students. By comparison, tuition and fees at four-year public colleges rose by an average of 6.5 percent last year, according to The College Board.

“In light of the current economy, Huntington has worked diligently to moderate any increases in tuition and fees. We want to keep college affordable for students and their families,” said Tom Ayers (right), vice president for business and finance.

“This year, we strategically increased scholarships and grants for students to help offset declining state aid. Our goal is to give students and their families more value for their higher education dollar.”

For the current academic year, Huntington University’s price of $21,290 for tuition and fees is $4,983 less than the national average for private colleges and universities.

Huntington University enrolled a record 1,297 students last fall, a 7 percent increase over the previous year.

Marvin Schwartz (right), pastor of New Horizons UB (Rockford, Ohio), had surgery yesterday (February 17) at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis, Ind. He had a serious infection around his artificial hip. The hardware had to be removed until the infection is eliminated. That’s what yesterday’s surgery was about.

Marvin will remain at St. Vincent’s for 7-10 days. The doctor gave him a 90-95 percent “heal rate.”

We prepared a flyer which you can distribute to your congregation on Sunday. This 8.5-by-11 document includes information about:

  • 3 upcoming UB mission trips–to Honduras, Spain, and Germany. Perhaps people in your congregation will be interested in participating on one of these trips.
  • The September UB Women’s Conference.
  • Isaac Stevenson, a six-year-old UB boy who raised over $450 for Haiti. It’s an inspiring story.

Just download the flyer (it’s a PDF document) and print as many copies as you need for your congregation. You can also use the information in other church publications (bulletins, newsletters, etc.).