30 Aug Camden, Mich: VBS, an Ice Machine, and Two Pies

Lake View VBS kids. (click to enlarge)

Ben Gladhill (left) and Steve Smith.

Ben Gladhill (right), associate pastor of Christian Education, Lake View Church (Camden, Mich.)

Lake View Church (Camden Mich.), hosted its annual VBS program July 15-19. Our theme this year was PRAISE, “where kids get down and lift God high.” The curriculum was produced by The Go Fish Guys, a Christian music group known for their acapella, and harmonies. Our program was set up like a concert venue complete with lighting and fog machines, and was high energy, exciting, and a ton of fun.

Throughout the week we set several goals for our teens. The first was an attendance goal of 80 kids. The reward: I would take a pie in the face. The last night we had a total of 83 children attend our VBS program, and I took a prune pie!

Each night we also collected a missions offering. Our project was to raise $1000 to purchase an ice machine to take with us to Laurel Mission on our trip with our teens. By our third night we had raised over our $1000 and upped our goal to $1500 (the actual cost of the ice machine). By the final night we had raised $2000 from the contributions of our children and leaders! Senior pastor Steve Smith stepped up and took a second prune pie for the amazing offering!

Finally and most importantly, we had 14 children accept Christ during VBS—14 more lives for the kingdom! Praise God!

29 Aug Aug 29 Update on Dan Paternoster

Mark Wilson, senior pastor of Fowlerville UB church, sent this update about Dan Paternoster, who was in a serious accident on the morning of August 28.

“Dan continues to show small signs of improvement. He has been moving his arms and his legs, and even though he has not woken up yet, he is responding to the nurses when they try to perform any kind of procedures. The next 24–36 hours continue to be critical, and until that point they are not able to provide a prognosis. So your continued prayers for complete healing are greatly appreciated.”

29 Aug 555 Attend Friends and Family Day at Hillsdale UB

Part of the crowd at Hillsdale’s Friends and Family Day on August 26. (click to enlarge)

Pastor Lester Smith gave a dramatic presentation of 1 Peter.

All afternoon, fun on the camp waterslide.

The Hillsdale UB Church in Hillsdale, Mich. (known locally as the “HUB”), held its 14th annual Friends and Family Day at Michindoh Conference Center on Sunday, August 26. With the exception of Easter, no other HUB worship service brings in more guests than the last Sunday of August.

Music was provided by the Vanderveen Family. Gary Vanderveen is a United Brethren pastor in Florida. Les Smith, HUB senior pastor, appeared as “Peter” and dramatized I Peter. He had just finished a summer preaching series from the same book.

There was a combined attendance of 555 at the indoor (held earlier at the church) and outdoor (at Michindoh’s amphitheatre) services. Over 450 people were served at the free picnic. Afterwards, a long line formed at Michindoh’s waterslide all afternoon.

28 Aug VBS: the Giant Bubble and the Lion’s Den

A giant bubble around the children helped illustrate how God protected Daniel in the lions’ den.

During the week of August 6 -10, International UB church (Allentown, Pa.) held its annual VBS, in partnership with St. John’s Evangelical Congregational Church here in Allentown. This year’s theme was Babylon Daniel’s Courage in Captivity.

The kids enjoyed the acting, games, lessons, worship, and crafts. However, one game made a mark on them. They were covered with a giant bubble to show how God protected Daniel in the lion’s den.

The hit song was “Amazing Grace, My Chains are Gone.” Many were very touched and teary during the singing. At the closing service, Pastor Neville Tomlinson gave a brief message on how the church must prevent re-education of our kids by secular society.

Pastor Tomlinson adds, “One highlight of the month was our first infant dedication (right), which was very moving to us because it was the daughter of our spiritual son whom we discipled over 10 years ago.”

27 Aug Four Pies for $825

Seated, l-r: Derek Bostick, Dan Henley, Jim Bolich, and Cherie Finkey. Photo by Matthew Ciccocioppo of the Shippensburg Sentinel.

Four members of the Prince Street church staff (Shippensburg, Pa.) took a pie in the face on July 18. It was all a belated part of the church’s Vacation Bible School, which this year used the theme “Amazing Wonders of Aviation.”

This year’s charity was a local food pantry. As an incentive, this year they offered to throw a pizza party for the kids if they met the goal. By day 3 of the 5-day VBS, the goal was met. So, to motivate them further, they told the kids that for each $100 raised, they would get to put a pie in the face of a church staffer. In this order:

• $200: Derek Bostick, vacation Bible school master of ceremonies.
• $300: Dan Henley, pastor of youth and worship ministries.
• $400: Jim Bolich, senior pastor.
• $500: Cherie Finkey, director of children’s ministries.

By the end of VBS, the kid had raised $825. Which meant four pies in four faces.

Who, among the 100 children attending, would get to throw the pies? They decided it would be the kids who brought the most friends to VBS.

Although VBS was held June 10-14, these four staffers wouldn’t all be together until July 18. So that’s when the pie-throwing occurred. The staffers sat in chairs on the sidewalk behind the church. Pies were thrown, and with each one, the children roared with laughter.

06 Aug Break-in at UB Church in Lancaster, Ohio

A number of United Brethren churches have reported being robbed during the past year. We reported earlier about the break-in at Homefront Church in Michigan. More recently, a break-in occurred at Lancaster UB church in Lancaster, Ohio.

Pastor Greg Voight (right) reports that they were one of eight churches recently burglarized (the church next door was hit twice over consecutive nights). At the UB church, somebody kicked in a window during the week-long power outage and did some ransacking, but didn’t really destroy much. They took Greg’s laptop and tried, unsuccessfully, to take the safe. “We got off easy this time,” said Voight. “Our last break-in and theft were much worse.”

That one occurred about three years ago. Thieves broke in, ransacked, broke about 17 interior doors. They were apparently looking for cash or items they could easily get rid of. “That time they didn’t take much, either, but they really tore the place up. We really don’t have much that could be easily taken.”

30 Jul Pie-Throwing Helps Raise $825 from VBS Kids

Seated, l-r: Derek Bostick, Dan Henley, Jim Bolich, and Cherie Finkey. Photo by Matthew Ciccocioppo of the Shippensburg Sentinel.

Four members of the Prince Street church staff (Shippensburg, Pa.) took a pie in the face on July 18. It was all a belated part of the church’s Vacation Bible School, which this year used the theme “Amazing Wonders of Aviation.”

This year’s charity was a local food pantry. As an incentive, this year they offered to throw a pizza party for the kids if they met the goal. By day 3 of the 5-day VBS, the goal was met. So, to motivate them further, they told the kids that for each $100 raised, they would get to put a pie in the face of a church staffer. In this order:

• $200: Derek Bostick, vacation Bible school master of ceremonies.
• $300: Dan Henley, pastor of youth and worship ministries.
• $400: Jim Bolich, senior pastor.
• $500: Cherie Finkey, director of children’s ministries.

By the end of VBS, the kid had raised $825. Which meant four pies in four faces.

Who, among the 100 children attending, would get to throw the pies? They decided it would be the kids who brought the most friends to VBS.

Although VBS was held June 10-14, these four staffers wouldn’t all be together until July 18. So that’s when the pie-throwing occurred. The staffers sat in chairs on the sidewalk behind the church. Pies were thrown, and with each one, the children roared with laughter.

18 Jul Devonshire Team Heading to Puerto Cortes, Honduras

Visitors from Devonshire in Puerto Cortes five years ago. Derek Thrush is in the front on the right.

Derek Thrush (right), associate pastor, Devonshire UB Church (Harrisburg, Pa.)

This week, a team of 11 individuals from Devonshire Church in Harrisburg, Pa., will travel to Puerto Cortes, Honduras. We will spend 10 days reconnecting and ministering with our sister church, Iglesia Luz. Our primary ministry focus throughout the week will be to lead a week-long Children’s Bible School, build relationships in the community, and serve the surrounding communities. We will also help construct a wall at the church, minister at an orphanage, and help the needs of elderly in the community.

03 Jul The June 29 Storm in Findlay, Ohio

Storm damage in Findlay, Ohio. Similar scenes could be found in cities throughout the East after the June 29 storm.

Darwin Dunten, senior pastor, Findlay First UB church (Findlay, Ohio)

Findlay, Ohio, is now in its fourth state of emergency in 5 years.

• In 2007, a flood covered 50% of the city and damaged the church.
• The 2008 flood covered one-third of the city.
• Last summer’s hail storm with baseball-size hail caused $50,000 damage to the church.
• And now the powerful storm of June 29 with 91 mph winds.

The south end of Findlay is decimated. 19,000 Findlay residence do not have power and are not expected to have power until July 7. Findlay First church was not damaged during this story. However, we did have to cancel the July 1 services due to lack of power, trees down, and power lines down.

I toured the south end of town, and it reminds me of a blizzard with snow piled up on the side of the street, but instead of snow, these are trees. Many 4–5 foot diameter trees are snapped at the base. At the Boy Scout camp, once again, large trees are snapped.

I am starting to hear some stories from my church members and how fortunate we are. One church member had a tree limb crash through her roof and land on her husband’s bed. Another church member was working at the Boy Scout camp and was getting the scouts into shelters when a tree crashed (he said) one foot in front of him. One tree landed and a branch pierced the roof of the cabin and landed on a bed. Another member had houses next to her with roofs severely damaged, and hers was fine. One block away, one of her neighbors had no roof or ceiling in their house. We are thankful for God’s protection.

My office has been moved to McDonalds (the only place with internet and power).

How did the storm affect your church? Let us know.

27 Jun ReNew Communities Goes to Haiti

The team from ReNew Communities. Pastor Andy Sikora is on the far left.

Andy Sikora, senior pastor, ReNew Communities (Berea, Ohio)

Renew Communities sent a team of 13 people to visit Haiti Bible Mission in Jeremie, Haiti. The trip was a “missions exposure” trip, so we had the opportunity to see all the ways that HBM is working in Jeremie and the surrounding areas. While there, we were able to visit multiple church plants that HBM has started, and to help with construction on the church at Kolimo that Renew Communities is helping to plant.

The church in Kolimo was about a 45-minute drive and a 35-minute hike up a mountain. It’s ultimately about 15 miles outside of town, but with bad roads and hiking, it takes time. Hundreds of people live within a five minute walk. The Haitian pastor is deeply invested in that village. It was inspiring for sure.

Along with visiting these churches, we were able to do some work projects at a school HBM started and around the HBM compound. We also played soccer with kids in many different parts of Jermemie, visited sick and malnourished children in the hospital, gave support to widows that HBM cares for, bought a motorcycle for the pastor of the Kolimo church plant, and had a chance to meet many of the people that HBM works with on a regular basis.

The connection with Haiti Bible Mission comes through Chris Solyntjes, ReNew’s worship pastor. He has served on the board of HBM for 3 years and handles all their communications. Chris has known Mark Stockeland, director of HBM, since high school. The more I got to know about HBM, the more I realized that they’re about the same things we are in reaching a city by raising up indigenous leaders in church planting. For us this partnership was a no brainer, and we’re actually learning a lot from them.

Most church plants in that area cost about $6000, but the mountain makes it more expensive–$15,000 for this plant. We raised $7000 in December and another church raised $1500. They still need about $7000 to complete the project. We’re about to launch a kick starter style campaign to raise the rest by year’s end.

We look forward to partnering with this amazing church planting movement in Haiti and can’t wait to see what God will do in the future!

Here are some scenes from the trip.