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16 Oct

October 16, 2008 |

Tim Hallman, senior pastor, Anchor Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.)
I am attending the REVEAL conference at Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago. On Tuesday, Bill Hybels, Willow’s pastor, talked about the four categories of people they identified in the REVEAL study. Here’s what he had to say about them:

  • Exploring Christ. People at this level are not sure what they believe or even really think about Jesus.
  • Growing in Christ. These are people attending the church who are beginning to work on their relationship with Jesus.
  • Close to Christ. These church people depend on Jesus regularly for help in their lives.
  • Christ-centered. For these people, Jesus is the most important person in their life.

As revealing as this information was to Hybels, what he really wanted to know was how to move people from segment to segment. How do you do that? Preaching? Worship singing? Church activity?

A major revelation was the primacy of engagement with the Bible! The more an individual fed on the Scriptures, the more they moved towards becoming Christ-centered.

Interestingly, the most difficult transition to make in becoming Christ-centered was the last movement–from Close to Christ to Christ-centered. It’s the Christ-centered ones who give sacrificially of money, time, energy, love, service. People in the other three categories are still very self-centered about their relationship with Christ. Only in the last category are people fully-devoted to the person of Christ. They have moved beyond self-centeredness to Christ-centeredness, abandoning self in complete surrender to Jesus.

The new strategy at Willow for Hybels? Focus on helping people make the move to become Christ-centered. It’s the hardest move, but it’s the one that will yield the biggest results for the Kingdom.

15 Oct

October 15, 2008 |

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
On Monday we sent an email to the denominational list telling about the upcoming regional meetings regarding National Conference. The first is next Monday here in Huntington at the Good Shepherd UB church, followed by a meeting three days later in Bryan, Ohio. Then, in November, we’ll hold meetings in:

  • Cochranton, Pa. (Nov 6)
  • Chambersburg, Pa. (Nov 10)
  • Lancaster, Ohio (Nov. 12)
  • Ashley, Mich. (Nov.18)

These meetings are for both ministers and laypersons. Pat Jones and I want to talk to you about various things in preparation for next summer’s US National Conference.

  • How your church should process the two referenda items, which your members must vote on next February.
  • Make sure your church selects lay delegates for the conference.
  • Get your input as we look toward a leadership transition next summer, when we elect a new bishop.
  • Inform you about a variety of Discipline revisions being proposed.

The meetings:

  • Are open to all UB people, both ministers and laypersons.
  • Will last two hours.
  • Are free (but we’d like you to register).
  • Won’t include a meal, like the Hang with the Bishop meetings held earlier this year.

14 Oct

October 14, 2008 |

Ron Ramsey, Bishop
Several weeks ago I came into possession of some old books about the history of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ. One was the translated journal of Christian Newcomer. He:

  • was born 1749
  • answered the call to preach in 1777
  • became a bishop in 1813
  • died in 1830.

Between 1810 and 1828, Newcomer made 24 round trips across the Allegheny Mountains on horseback, starting churches wherever he went. Newcomer tried making one trip in a horse and buggy, but it didn’t work, so he reverted to horseback. He left his family for months at a time. One time, he got lost in a forest in Ohio. He stopped, knelt down, prayed, and he and the horse quickly found the path.

Our church spread into western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana because Newcomer’s soul burned with a fire to reach the lost. In reading Newcomer’s journal, I was moved by his passion and determination to plant churches wherever he went.

As he moved into the west, he began organizing some annual conferences–Scioto, Muskingum, a few others. It wasn’t organization for organization’s sake, but organization to support the mission. In some ways, it seems like those early leaders purposely tried not to organize themselves. Yet the providence off God led them to develop their organization and structures.

Newcomer’s passion to reach lost people drove him. I don’t want to go back to our history to stay there, but I would like to drag some of that passion forward.

14 Oct

October 14, 2008 |

Olinda Barnes has concluded her 13-year ministry as director of Camp Living Waters in Luther, Mich. Her last day was September 30. Olinda became the director in January 1995.

Olinda is looking for employment, and says she would love to remain in the UB church. She’s got lots of experience in youth and children’s minisry, women’s ministry, and running an office. You can contact her by email.

13 Oct

October 13, 2008 |

Bishop Ron Ramsey is holding a series of regional meetings in preparation for the 2009 US National Conference, which will be held June 4-7. These meetings are designed to:

  • Make sure pastors understand their responsibilities in presenting two changes to the UB Constitution (referenda). In February, members of all UB churches in the United States must vote on these proposed changes.
  • Get input from UB people as we look to a new bishop taking office next summer. Bishop Ramsey does not intend to seek re-election.
  • Review any necessary Discipline changes.

The meeting is open to all UB people, both ministers and laypersons. The meetings will last two hours, and there is no cost.

October 20 (Monday)
Good Shepherd UB church
Huntington, Ind.
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon

October 23 (Thursday)
New Hope Community Church
Bryan, Ohio
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon

November 6 (Thursday)
Cochranton UB Church
Cochranton, Pa.
Time: 1-3 p.m.

November 10 (Monday)
Rhodes Grove Camp
Chambersburg, Pa.
Part of the Mid-Atlantic Foundation meeting, during the afternoon breakout sessions

November 12 (Wednesday)
Lancaster UB Church
Lancaster, Ohio
Time: 1-3 p.m.

November 18 (Tuesday)
East Washington UB Church
Ashley, Mich.
Time: 10 a.m. – Noon

If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Reich at 888-622-3019. Cathy is the bishop’s administrative assistant.

13 Oct

October 13, 2008 |

October is always infested with lots of meetings.

  • The Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team met last Monday and Tuesday (October 6-7).
  • The Global Ministries Leadership Team met Thursday and Friday (October 9-10).
  • The Executive Leadership Team meets tonight and all day tomorrow (October 13-14).
  • The Higher Education Leadership Team meets Wednesday (October 15).
  • The Huntington University Board of Trustees meets Thursday and Friday (October 16-17). Bishop Ron Ramsey and Pat Jones, from the national office, are members of all three groups meeting this week.

11 Oct

October 11, 2008 |

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. Are you doing something special for your pastor? It could be:

  • Something the entire church does, corporately. to show appreciation.
  • Something you do, just yourself. A one-to-one expression of appreciation.

09 Oct

October 9, 2008 |

GMPraying_500.jpg

The Global Ministries team gathers around Miriam Prabhakar to pray for her at the conclusion of her report.

The Global Ministries Leadership Team meets twice a year, and they’re meeting right now. The always follow the same format: the Finance Committee meets Wednesday night, then the full team meets all day Thursday and Friday.

Thus far today:

  • They heard reports from Jeff Bleijerveld and Donna Hollopeter.
  • Looked at a possible new logo for Global Ministries.
  • Looked at Finances. Things are pretty good.
  • Spent an hour hearing from Miriam Prabhakar about her work.
  • Looked at a set of guiding principles for Global Ministries.
  • Reviewed new missionaries in the pipeline. Several people are at various stages, from ready to go, to just considering possibilities.
  • Discussed policies regarding Global Ministries personnel and UB membership. (For instance: can we allow dual membership, so that a missionary can be a member of the church he attends on the field, rather than only being a member of a church in the States that he no longer attends, but needs to stay qualified to be a Global Ministries missionary?)

08 Oct

October 8, 2008 |

Sam Quinn underwent brain surgery on October 6 in San Francisco to remove a small tumor which was feared to be cancerous. Sam is superintendent of United Believers in Christ, a group of former United Brethren churches in California that withdrew from the denomination in 2005.

Burney Fix, who works with Sam, sent this report:

Sam went into surgery Monday morning about 8:00 and came out in the early afternoon. His son Mark told me the doctor reported that all went very well and the tumor was removed. He also said that he doubted the tumor was cancerous, but it has been sent to the lab for testing.

I was over to see Sam on Monday evening in ICU. He was awake, feeding himself, and propped up in bed. He was slow to speak and had difficulty finding words and remembering names, which was expected in the recovery. On Tuesday evening, Sam was transferred out of ICU into a private room. He was doing much better, and was communicating more clearly.

I have not heard when Sam will be released to go home, but last week it was expected that he would be going home Thursday or Friday.

I believe that we are seeing answers to prayer and that if the doctor is right about no cancer, then it is a BIG answer to prayer! So keep praying for his recovery and we will keep you posted whenever possible.

08 Oct

October 8, 2008 |

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
The South Mountain UB church in Dillsburg, Pa., has withdrawn from the United Brethren church. They do so with our blessing.

Some connections existed between people at South Mountain and at Celebration Church, a local Assemblies of God church plant. Celebration needed a place to meet, and there were conversations about sharing South Mountain’s building. After senior pastor Greg Helman left to become pastor of Blue Rock UB church (Waynesboro, Pa.) earlier this summer, some leaders at South Mountain began pursuing the idea of becoming part of Celebration. I did some checking. Celebration is a good church with a highly regarded pastor.

Bishop Ron Ramsey and I both met with people from South Mountain. We told them, “If you want to withdraw, here’s the proper way to do it.” They followed those steps, which culminated in a congregational meeting on Sunday night, September 28. I was present during that meeting.

Five options were presented:

  1. Remain United Brethren and let us find them another pastor.
  2. Remain United Brethren, but become part of a circuit with another UB church.
  3. Remain United Brethren, but sell the building and become a house church.
  4. Remain United Brethren, but hire a bi-vocational pastor.
  5. Join with Celebration.

Of the 52 votes cast, 43 were in favor of joining with Celebration.

South Mountain took all the proper steps. So as of September 28, we consider them to have properly withdrawn from the United Brethren denomination.