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The “Noise Offering” is an interesting fundraiser for some of the upgrades at Mattru Hospital in Sierra Leone. Once a month, some churches take up the Noise Offering. People drop their loose change into a metal container of some kind–a coffee can, pie tin, cake pan–anything that makes a noise. The idea is “Change cane make a change at Mattru.”
Want to join this effort? Just contact Global Ministries.
Six people, destination Sierra Leone, fly out of the airport in Fort Wayne, Ind., this evening around 6 p.m. A predicted blizzard left some doubts about their flight plans, but everything’s sunshiny right now, and they should escape this Hoosier cold spell on time.
They’ll fly to Chicago, meeting up with Robert and Fonda Cassidy, from Mt. Olivet UB church in Mt. Solon, Va. Then it’s on to London, where they’ll meet up with:
They’ll arrive in Freetown about 7:30 Friday night, stay in a hotel near the airport, then go up-country to Mattru early Saturday morning.
The group will be in Sierra Leone until January 28. Then a second team will arrive. They’ll all stay in a house directly across from Mattru Hospital.
“Our primary purpose,” says Donna Hollopeter, Associate Director of Global Ministries, “will be medical work at Mattru Hospital, which will include doing daily rounds, seeing patients at the clinic they run daily, doing surgery, organizing the pharmacy, and whatever miscellaneous medical work needs to be done. Then three men will work on gathering information for future construction trips to Mattru to help with upgrades for the rooms and equipment.”
Here are the group members:
Ten persons are on their way to Sierra Leone. Or will be, in a couple hours. Six people from northern Indiana will fly out of Fort Wayne around 6:00 tonight. They’ll meet two persons from Virginia in Chicago, then fly to London, where they’ll meet two more persons. Then it’s on to Freetown, Sierra Leone. They’ll arrive tomorrow night (Friday, Jan. 16) around 7:30.
Phylis Stouder, right, displaying the Nutcracker soldier given as a parting gift. On the left is Marilyn Waters, the bookstore manager. Phylis and Marilyn have been a team for about 15 years.
Steve Dennie, Communications Director
Healthy Ministry Resources said good-bye to Phylis Stouder, who has worked there since October 1986. That’s 22 years.
On Sunday, January 11, the people of imagine this LLC (Life, Love, Community) entered into a partnership project with each other. After hearing a message focused on the parable of the faithful servants, each person was been given the opportunity of returning an increase from the resources entrusted to them, the Pastor Gordon Kettel challenged them to be that most faithful servant.
The challenge is to raise enough money to purchase an ark of animals from the nonprofit organization Heifer International. The cost of a project like this is $5000 per ark. These animals will be sent to a variety of locations across the world, wherever the need is the greatest. The range of animals consist of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, chickens, lamas, oxen, alpacas, and even bees.
Each person in attendance was given $20 to invest and use as seed money for the next 90 days. During that time, people can turn in money, and the amount will be posted on one of the large windows facing Jefferson Street in downtown Grand Ledge, so that everyone–whether part of the church or not–can see the progress. All the money will be used to buy as many arks of animals as possible.
When asked to explain the passing out of money to individuals, Pastor Gordon stated, “In the past when there has been a call to the faith community to stretch and demonstrate a deeper commitment, we have put all the risk on the individual. Today I wanted to show the faith community that it’s important for the church to take risks and trust the hearts of the people, even first-time visitors. I’m excited to see what God will do.”
The community is encouraged to get involved also, as this gift of animals will be coming from the Grand Ledge community, not the people of imagine this LLC.
Bishop Ron Ramsey has appointed Barry Skinner as the interim pastor at Kilburn Ave UB, Rockford, Ill. Barry is currently pursuing a BS in Religion and working toward Mastor of Arts in Pastoral Counseling and Master of Divnity through Liberty University distance Learning Program. Barry lives in Mt. Morris, Ill.
Ron Ramsey, Bishop
The wicked freely strut about
when what is vile is honored among men.
On January 9, Juanita Chavez was elected superintendent of Honduras National Conference. She is the first woman elected to the highest office of any United Brethren national conference.
She succeeds Francisco Raudales, who has held that position since 1996.
Here are some items of interest about Rev. Chavez:
Some of Juanita’s story is told in Tio Archie, the story of Archie Cameron and the development of Honduras Conference. Follow the link below for an edited excerpt specifically about Juanita Chavez.
Josh Kesler, pastor of Good Shepherd UB (Huntington, Ind.), reports: “As a break from the normal and an opportunity to combine our two services into one for a celebration of Christ’s birth, Good Shepherd rented the North Star Civic Center for our December 12 Christmas service.
“Weather was rough, but the Spirit was strong. It was a powerful service where two people made decisions to become followers of Jesus Christ for the first time. Nineteen other people made decisions to place Christ first in their life once again. It was an exciting time in the life of our church.”
