14 Jan Vietnamese Church Starts at Guelph UB Church

Brian Magnus (right), senior pastor, Parkwood Gardens UB church (Guelph, Ontario)

The Parkwood Gardens UB Church (Guelph, Ontario) is planting a new Vietnamese Church. A grand opening service was held on December 30, 2012.

Parkwood Gardens took six months in 2012 to pray, research, and plan for God’s future for the next five years. In our research, we discovered that the Parkwood Gardens neighbourhood of Guelph was quite unique. Of the 120,000 people who live in Guelph, 8900 live in our neighborhood, and the top language spoken after English and French is Vietnamese.

The vision team prayed to know how to connect with this large demographic right in our community. Within a week, we were connecting with a group of 25 Vietnamese neighbors who were looking to plant a church, not even realizing that they were the largest minority group in the neighbourhood!

The church plant will be a partnership between the United Brethren Church in Canada and the Christian and Missionary Alliance denominations. The C&MA has a number of Vietnamese churches near Toronto, and will work towards finding a pastor for this new church. Parkwood Gardens UB will host the church and provide local oversight and fellowship.

Over 200 Vietnamese people attended the Grand Opening service, including the 25 in the core group, about 20 Vietnamese neighbours, and many friends from other Vietnamese churches.

Please pray that God will raise up the right pastor for this church, and that this partnership will lead to many Vietnamese people coming to faith in Christ Jesus.

09 Jan A Pancake Breakfast and a Sabbatical

Anchor UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.) begins each year with a pancake breakfast and abbreviated service. This year, the breakfast occurred on Sunday, December 30.

Anchor used the occasion to bid a temporary good-bye to Pastor Tim and Tara Hallman. On January 1, Tim began a four-month sabbatical (two months paid, two months unpaid). Tim has pastored Anchor since it began in October 1998. “We are in a position to give our pastor a wonderful gift,” the church’s Resource Team explained to the congregation in announcing the sabbatical during a Sunday morning service in November.

To help cover the bases during these four months, primarily in pastoral care areas, Rev. Kevin Whitacre was hired to give 25 hours a week.

08 Jan 800 Attend “The Christmas Shoes”

Roxton Spear (right), senior pastor, Mongul UB church (Shippensburg, Pa.)

On December 14-16, Mongul Church presented “The Christmas Shoes” musical four times. Over 800 guests enjoyed the presentation and the hospitality of the church family. Many comments were shared of how they were touched by the message of “The Christmas Shoes.” This production was directed by Tim Wright.

Our volunteers did an awesome job of set design, hosting, and presenting. We are grateful for the opportunity to share a Christmas message through this drama to our community.

04 Jan Christmas at Renew Communities (Berea, Ohio)

Andy Sikora (right), senior pastor, Renew Communities (Berea, Ohio)

The power of Christmas is that Jesus became one of us and moved into the neighborhood to meet our needs. This Christmas we asked, “Wat would it look like for Jesus to move into your neighborhood this year?”

Instead of doing one big Christmas project as a church, we decided to empower our people (especially Missional Communities) to identify needs in their “neighborhoods” and invite their friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to help meet those needs. The projects were very exciting, and the results were inspiring.

• The West Park MC collected $420 to give to a single mom to help her buy groceries and clothes, and to pay utilities.
• The North Ridgville MC collected food and bought gifts for families in need in their community.
• The Parma MC collected toys for 10 different families (approximately $500) who would not be able to celebrate Christmas.
• The Teen MC had a dinner and raised over $400 to buy gifts for kids in need in Parma.
• A group of people raised $3500 for victims of Hurricane Sandy in Staten Island so that 17 different families were able to celebrate Christmas. This money was raised through donations, benefit concerts, and selling over 700 cake-pops.

We shared the video above on Christmas Eve update people on all of these projects.

02 Jan Christmas at Mt. Zion UB (Wayne, Ohio)

Gayle Thorn, Mt. Zion UB (Wayne, Ohio)

On Christmas Eve 2012, we held our first Christmas Eve worship service in our new worship center. Our sanctuary was adorned with beautiful Christmas decorations.

Pastor Mark Ralph led us in singing a number of Christmas carols, and also shared some meditative thoughts on Christmas. We were also treated to a variety of songs and readings from members of the congregation.

The sanctuary was bathed in candlelight, starting with our Advent candles and ending in a candle-lighting ceremony symbolizing our desire that our lives be a light that leads our friends, neighbors, coworkers, and community to faith in Jesus Christ. The flame was passed from person to person, candle to candle, as one small flame grew and grew until our sanctuary was ringed in candlelight!

It was a gorgeous ending to an awesome evening spent reflecting on our Savior’s birth and worshipping his majesty! The evening was captured photographically by our resident photographer, Stormie Thorn.

02 Jan Christmas at Gaines UB (Caledonia, Mich.)

Josh Greenfield, Communications/Creative Arts Director, Gaines UB Church (Caledonia, Mich.)

The Gaines Church Christmas Bash originally began as a “Staff Open House” to wish our congregants a “Merry Christmas.” The staff provided delicious appetizers and a Christmas environment in a warmly lit space. Over the years, the event has grown, and merged with other events to form the “Gaines Church Christmas Bash.”

The event now consists of carol singing (100% by request from the audience), children’s mini-play, a few talent show-type performances,” young adult skits, and memories of the previous year. Three chocolate fountains provide dessert which delight nearly every attendee and guest. Lemon-spiked water, coffee, hot tea, and iced tea wash down the desserts and veggies everyone gorges on.

For years, events were ministry-specific and scattered about. Now, the Gaines Church Christmas Bash draws a crowd 25% larger than our total weekend service attendance, most of which are family and friends thanks to the kid/family emphasis. The event has grown exponentially, and with over 280 people this year, it is sure to continue as one of those events that “work” at drawing a crowd.

From the variety acts, to the massive declarative singing of “O Holy Night,” to the concluding singing (or slaughtering) of “The Hallelujah Chorus,” truth is present and celebrated in this Christmas event.

02 Jan Christmas at Anchor UB (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

The Christmas season included three special events for Anchor Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

December 9. Anchor took its annual Christmas party to the Coventry Meadows nursing home–food, music, caroling down the halls, and pictures with Santa. (In 2011, Anchor held its Christmas party at the Charis House home for homeless women.) (See Facebook photo album.)

December 23, morning. Every year, a Christmas tree appears in the lobby with several hundred small ornaments, each bearing the name of an everyday item Anchor needs–cleaning supplies, lightbulbs, batteries, photocopier paper, kitchen items, coffee, etc. Attenders take an ornament or two, buy the items, wrap them up, and bring them back to Anchor. Then they are opened together. On December 23, after a short children’s program, the Anchor children passed out the gifts to adults in the congregation, who opened the gifts. This not only provides much-needed supplies for the church (and eases the budget), but gives even casual attenders a way to make a low-cost investment in the church. (See Facebook photo album.)

December 23, afternoon. Anchor held a joint Christmas service with New Zion Tabernacle, a predominantly African-American church located a couple blocks away. The two worship teams practiced together for three weeks prior to the afternoon service. Each team did a few songs separately, and then two songs together. The service was held at New Zion Tabernacle. (See Facebook photo album.)

29 Dec Christmas in McGuire Bend, Iowa

Holly Lundberg, McGuire Bend UB church (Dayton, Iowa)

Our Christmas program was held during the worship service on Sunday, December 9. We had a “super hero” Christmas. The children and one adult dressed up in super hero costumes. They gathered together to discuss the news that a new super hero was born that could save people. Being curious about this new super hero, they set off to find Him.

Meanwhile, the shepherds were watching their sheep in the fields and were vistited by an angel. The angel told them of the Savior’s birth. Then they too set off to find him.

The super heros and the shepherds found Mary and Joseph and the Child at the same time. They then understood that this Super Hero came to save the world in a much different way. He was the Savior.

During the skit the audience sang along with Christmas carols. It was a very wonderful and touching program.

Following the program, beefburgers were served along with side dishes. Candy bars were handed out to everyone, which is a long standing traditon at McGuire Bend.

27 Dec Dec 26 Update on Dan Paternoster

We’ve been keeping you up-to-date on Dan Paternoster, a member of the Executive Leadership Team was was struck by a car in August 2012 while riding his bike. Amidst his recovery, it was discovered that he had bladder cancer. And then his wife, Nancy, was found to have breast cancer, and underwent surgery in December. The Paternosters are from the UB church in Fowlerville, Mich.

On December 26, Nancy wrote:

“Good news! My pathology report came back saying the tissue that was taken had “clear margins” (that’s what surgeons like) and no other cancer was seen. We meet with doctors in January to see what further treatment is recommended at this point. Dan had his last chemo treatment for his bladder cancer before Christmas. His doctor will check mid-January and make sure all of his cancer is gone. We ask you to continue praying that both of us will be declared cancer-free in 2013.

“Dan has been enjoying a return of some of the peripheral vision in his left eye the past few days. May God continue to restore his sight.”

26 Dec Christmas in Alvordton, Ohio

Dan VanArsdalen (right), senior pastor, Alvordton UB church (Alvordton, Ohio)

This year we had an unreal turn-out for the “Live Nativity.” We added an extra stable and donkey, and the church handed out around 173 treats. We estimate roughly 300 people drove through and walk through this year. It was truly amazing.

Also, our church family helped nine families in the community enjoy a little nicer Christmas than perhaps their circumstances would allow. The joy and excitement we saw on all these faces was wonderful.