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Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.) honored military veterans during the service on Sunday, November 8. The guest speaker had been a Prisoner of War during World War 2. Forty veterans were among the 345 people who attended the service. A meal was held after the second worship service to honor all veterans.
Sunday, November 1, was a joyful and momentous occasion at King Street Church. Dr. Jody Bowser was introduced and preached his first sermon as King Street’s new senior pastor. As a part of celebrating the beginning of the next chapter in King Street’s 137-year history, Jody and his wife, Caryn, were prayed for in each of the four services. Bishop Todd Fetters was on hand to participate in the services.
Bethel Temple of Praise Church, now in its 11th year, has purchased the Yonkers Gospel Mission’s property located at 191 North Broadway in Yonkers, New York. Here are excerpts from a press release from the church:
On behalf of our pastor, Dr. Dalton Jenkins (right), and the Bethel Temple of Praise Church family, we express our gratitude to all those who have assisted financially and prayerful towards this purchase, especially Bishop Phil Whipple and the UB headquarters staff.
Our first Sunday service was held on Sunday, September 27 at 11:30 am.
The sanctuary and attached buildings will house the church’s ministry programs:
This purchase will allow us to fulfill our mission to reach the unsaved through the proclamation of the Gospel. We desire to make disciples through the teaching of the Word of God and to foster fellowship by strict adherence to biblical doctrines and ministries.
Bethel, an 11 year old church plant, offers a unique opportunity for global/urban ministry. Located in Yonkers, New York, it is only a 30-minute train ride from Grand Central Terminal, NYC. The church is much needed in this multicultural, multi-ethnic populated environment.
If you are planning your short term missions trip and need a place to go, please consider us at Bethel. We have several projects that can fulfill your plans. If you are led to help us please contact Dr. Jenkins.
Matt Kennedy with fellow team members and local people in Ethiopia.
In October, Matt Kennedy, pastor of Dillman Church (Warren, Ind.), spent two weeks in Ethiopia with Joni & Friends International and Christian Horizons Global. The team taught pastors and church planters how to minister to families and individuals with special needs. This trip was particularly meaningful to Matt because he and his wife, Jennifer, have a daughter with autism.
The team visited the cities of Asella, Hawassa, and Addis, conducting several days of disability ministry training with national church planters.
They were so blessed by the pastors’ desire to reach out to people with disabilities. The pastors desired not just to care for people with disabilities, but to empower those effected by disability to serve in the church.
The Ethiopian model churches are training people who are blind and deaf to serve in their churches. Repeatedly, the pastors said that this training had been beneficial in changing their attitudes toward people with disabilities.
One highlight for the team was making home visits to families impacted by special needs. This was such a blessing to those families, since the Ethiopian culture views disability as a curse or the result of parental sin being visited upon the children. They never hear that God loves them and views them as beautiful. They do not have people give them gifts and pray for them. Rejection and isolation is the common response to those with disability.
On the last day of the trip, the team visited the Center for Mentally Challenged Children. This program began in 1986 as a ministry of the Ethiopia Evangelical Church Mekena Yesus. It started with one child and now serves over 360 children and young adults. The team was deeply moved by the staff and their loving care and professional skills.
Through the Early Intervention program, parents are learning how to provide care at home and are seeing how much their children can learn. Their vision is to train their staff, who then transfer that knowledge to the parents. The Center brings disability awareness to the community and local churches.
HU mascot Norm the Forester.
Huntington University is participating in a student-led food drive called “U Can Crush Hunger,” which has a goal of raising 125,000 pounds of food. It is sponsored by the Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana, Inc.
The Oct. 19-31 drive is a friendly competition between five colleges and universities: Huntington University, IPFW, Indiana Tech, Ivy Tech, and Saint Francis. The goal is for each school to collect 25,000 pounds of food.
Although Huntington University is the smallest of the participating schools, they hope to win this “food fight” while helping to alleviate food insufficiency in Huntington County.
Students, faculty, staff, administration, alumni, community members and friends are encouraged to donate to the campaign. There are three options:
The official numbers have been released for fall 2015 enrollment at Huntington University. The total enrollment of 1,273 students is the largest enrollment over the past five years, with a 5 percent increase from 2014. Over 120 students identify as members of a United Brethren in Christ congregation.
The numbers are as follows:
Some notes about the current student body.
Here is the information for the annual Pastoral Resource Day in Pennsylvania.
Dates: November 1-2, 2015.
Location: Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center.
Address: 7693 Browns Mill Road, Chambersburg, Pa. 17202.
The speaker is Beth Pictor, who will address the subject, “Promoting Awareness and Understanding of Same-Sex Attraction.”
Registration deadline: October 26, 2015.
Overnight lodging and meals are available.
Download this PDF form to register, or call the camp at 717-375-4162. Office hours: Monday and Tuesday 8am – 3pm.
Address questions to [email protected]
On Friday, October 23, another Townsend Institute Symposium will be held at Huntington University. Registration starts at 8 am and the day concludes at 4:30 pm.
Two counseling trainings will be held in the morning, both led by Institute Fellows.
In the afternoon, two Leadership trainings by Institute Fellows will address, in two parts, the topic “Building a High-Performance Culture.”
In addition, there will be Q&A times with Dr. Townsend throughout the day.
CEU’s will be available ($40 for 1.5 hours and $75 for 3 hours).
The Symposium is free, but registration is required. Please register by 2 pm on October 22.
The last Symposium for 2015 will be held December 11th.
The fall 2015 CH Global newsletter has a short article about the King Street UB church in Chambersburg, Pa. King Street decided to come alongside the Arcahaie United Brethren church in Haiti with various kinds of support. As part of that, King Street challenged its members to sponsor 50 children from Arcahaie through CH Global. They far surpassed that goal, ultimately sponsoring 98 children.
The funds from these sponsorships enabled CH Global to pour more money into the United Brethren school at Arcahaie. The school had been struggling to pay teachers and was on the brink of closing. No more.
Scott and Amanda Graham (front) with participants in Scott’s ordination.
Bishop Todd Fetters conducts the ordination of Scott Graham.
L-r: Phil Whipple, Chuck Wheatley, Amanda and Scott Graham, Bishop Todd Fetters.
On Sunday, September 27, Bishop Todd Fetters spoke at Good Shepherd UB church (Greenfield, Ohio) and conducted the ordination of its pastor, Scott Graham. Scott and his wife, Amanda, were assigned to Good Shepherd in 2013.
Ordination candidates always select two ordained ministers, persons who have played an important role in their lives, to assist in the ceremony. Scott chose former bishop Phil Whipple, who assigned Scott to Good Shepherd and provided important leadership to Scott and the church; and Chuck Wheatley, former pastor (now retired) of the Avlon UB church in Bremen, Ohio.
Three other United Brethren pastors attended the ordination: Al Carter, senior pastor of First UB church (Columbus, Ohio); Douglas Stull, senior pastor of Shepherd of the Valley UB church (Logan, Ohio); and Joe Leighton, senior pastor of Salem Chapel (Junction City, Ohio).
They were joined by former Good Shepherd pastor Mike Anderson, current youth pastor Matt Bryant, and five pastors from local non-UB churches who were instrumental in Scott’s journey.
Scott wrote, “For me, this was not only a service of ordination, but a service recognizing God’s grace and his restoration in my life. This was a full service with worship and special music revolving around those themes. The whole service was very moving and emotional for us and Good Shepherd.”
