21 Feb Registration Now Open for 2017 National Conference

You can now register for the 2017 US National Conference, which will be held July 12-15 in Lancaster, Pa. This will be a historic gathering, as we celebrate our denomination’s 250th anniversary.

Meetings will be held at the Lancaster Convention Center in downtown Lancaster, a gorgeous facility completed in 2009. It is the largest and newest facility we have yet used for a national conference. Our hotel, the Marriott at Penn Square, is integrated into the convention center.

Registration Costs
Individual: $60
Family: $100

Hotel Costs
The hotel cost is $125 per room, per night. You can ONLY get that rate through the conference registration process.

Schedule

• Registration begins at 3pm on Wednesday, July 12. The opening service starts at 6:30. Each evening service–Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday–starts at 6:30 and is followed by a reception.
• The business meeting will be held 8am – Noon on Thursday, July 13. Among other business, a bishop will be elected.
• The concluding service will be held Saturday morning at 9:00. The bishop elected on Thursday will speak.
• Afternoons are being kept free for excursions to UB historical sites and visiting the numerous attractions in the Lancaster area.

Attractions

The Lancaster area is a great vacation spot. You’ll find a lot to do: amusement parks, outlet malls, live entertainment, craft shops, buggy rides, museums, art galleries, and much more.

09 Feb March 17: Pastoral Resource Day in Pennsylvania

The United Brethren Association’s annual Spring Pastoral Resource Day is coming up.

Date: Friday, March 17, 2017.
Time: 9 am – Noon
Location: Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center.
Address: 7693 Browns Mill Road, Chambersburg, PA 17202

The speaker will be Dr. Mike Dittman, Director of National Ministries for the denomination. The first session will focus on understanding the vision for starting and strengthening churches.
The second session will focus on understanding the strategy for starting and strengthening churches.

1 credit hour (C.E.U) per session will be will be granted to each pastor who attends.

Everyone is invited to lunch at 12:00 PM, after the sessions.

Register by sending in this form.

07 Feb IGNITE Missions Conference: Feb 18 in Caro, Mich.

IGNITE is a one-day regional mission conference that will inform, inspire, and help you integrate missional principles into your outreach efforts at home or abroad. The day will include worship, updates, and a variety of workshops covering topics that are relevant to ministry in your current context.

Our next event will take in mid-February:

Date: Saturday, February 18, 2017.
Time: 9 a.m. to 4:30 pm.
Location: Colwood UB church in Caro, Mich.

Cost for the day will be $20 per person (includes lunch). You can register at UB.org, or call us toll-free at 888-622-3019.

Jason Garwood, lead pastor of the Colwood Church, and his wife Mary, attended the last IGNITE event in Pennsylvania. Here is what Jason had to say:

“Attending IGNITE has really helped Mary and me get a pulse on what God is doing in the world. Sometimes it’s easy to look at the field you’re plowing and forget what God is doing all over the world. IGNITE helped correct some of our assumptions and gave us a solid grid to look through as we consider what it means to be a disciple to nations.

“I highly recommend that pastors, lay leaders, and all churches get involved in God’s worldwide redemptive plan. A perfect place to start is to come to IGNITE. It will challenge you, equip you, and move you to action. Don’t miss it!”

01 Feb UB History Course: Two Locations During March

During March 2017, the United Brethren History Course is being offered in two locations.

March 6-7, 2017 (Monday/Tuesday)

Location: New Hope Community Church, Bryan, Ohio
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm both days
Instructor: Bob Bruce, Pastor of Spiritual Care, Emmanuel Community Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.

Three nearby hotels are recommended–Holiday Inn Express, Colonial Manor Motel, and the Plaza Motel. The UB website has information about all three.

March 21-22, 2017 (Tuesday/Wednesday)

Location: King Street Church, Chambersburg, Pa.
Time: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm both days
Instructor: Daryl Elliott, senior pastor of Fountain UB Church, Keyser, W. Va.

The nearby Holiday Inn Express is recommended for lodging. They’ll give course attendees a special rate.

Cost

The cost is $200, if you are seeking a ministerial license, and $100 for everyone else.

For ministers, there is a $50 discount if you pay fully in advance of the class, making your cost just $150.

Trials and Triumphs Book

You’ll need a copy of Trials and Triumphs, a history of the United Brethren Church. You can order a copy for $20.70 from the National Office ($14.95 for the book, $5.75 shipping for the US). Order a copy by calling toll-free: 888-622-3019, ext 301. Or order a copy with your registration below.

Register

You can register at the UB website.

The United Brethren History Course is a requirement for ministerial licensing in the United Brethren denomination. However, people who just want to learn more about United Brethren history are welcome to take the course. The course is held periodically in regional settings. During the past five years, 150 people have attended the course in 20 different sessions.

For UB ministers, the UB History Course qualifies for 12 credit hours.

18 Jan 2017 Cluster Leader Winter Gathering

Bishop Todd Fetters speaking to the cluster leaders on Monday night.

Twenty cluster leaders came to Huntington University for the 2017 Cluster Leader Winter Gathering. The event started on Monday night, January 16, with a meal and service. It continued Tuesday morning with a short message from Bishop Todd Fetters, followed by a time of leadership training led by Mike Dittman, Director of National Ministries.

Two cluster leaders are retiring as pastors during January. Charlie Milliken retired on January 8 after 29 years as a United Brethren minister, including 1995-2017 at the UB church in Franklintown, Pa. Marshall Woods is retiring as of January 29 after 16 years as pastor of Mill Chapel in Reedsville, W. Va.

Bishop Todd Fetters recognized both men on Monday night, and there was a prayer time as these men and their wives enter this new period of their lives.

Here are some photos from the Winter Gathering.

Dr. Sherilyn Emberton, president of Huntington University, welcomes the cluster leaders on Monday night.

Matthew and Emilyn Hann, from College Park UB church, led a time of singing on Monday night.

Mike Dittman talking to the cluster leaders.

Todd Fetters presenting a gift of appreciation to Charlie and Paula Milliken.

Praying for Charlie and Paula Milliken, who have retired after 29 years of pastoral ministry.

Todd Fetters and Marshall Woods, who is retiring after 16 years of pastoral ministry.

Jeff Bleijerveld praying for Marshall Woods, one of the two cluster leaders who is retiring as pastor.

David Kline, associate director of Global Ministries, told about upcoming regional Ignite! conferences sponsored by Global Ministries.

Mike Dittman, Director of National Ministries, led the training time on Tuesday morning.

29 Nov Proposals for the 2017 US National Conference

Todd Fetters (right), Bishop, US National Conference

The 2017 US National Conference will meet next summer, July 12-15, in Lancaster, Pa., where our denomination began 250 years ago. We have reserved the afternoons for special activities surrounding our 250th anniversary. For that reason, we want to limit the business session to Thursday morning, 8 am to noon. Center stage will be important proposals from the Task Force on Human Sexuality (which are still being finalized).

We invite United Brethren members and churches to submit proposals they would like the National Conference to consider in 2017. Proposals normally involve revisions to the United Brethren Discipline, but may include other issues. However, in light of the anniversary, we will limit what gets passed along. The bishop, in collaboration with the Executive Leadership Team, will decide the urgency of the proposals; some can no doubt wait until 2019. But we do want to open the door to your ideas.

The Executive Leadership Team set the following schedule regarding proposals for the 2017 US National Conference.

• March 1, 2017. Deadline for submitting proposals to the Bishop’s Office.
• April 25, 2017. The Executive Leadership Team reviews the proposals.
• May 1, 2017. A draft of the approved proposals is posted on the national conference website.
• May 2017. The draft proposals are discussed in regional meetings.
• June 10, 2017. A final version of all proposals is posted on the conference website.

In submitting proposals for revising the Discipline, here are a few guidelines:

1. For revisions to existing content: submit the exact wording you would like to see used (rather than just a general idea), along with the paragraph number. Indicate exactly where it should be placed in the Discipline (chapter and paragraph number).
2. Include a brief statement of the rationale for making the revision. A sentence or two is usually sufficient.

As a reference, here is a proposal from a previous conference.

Chapter 14, Churches in Crisis
Intent: Place closing a church in the hands of the local board, instead of the local conference.

Current wording:
3. Closing the Church
The final decision will be made by the local conference. When that decision is made, the following actions will occur:

New wording:
3. Closing the Church
The final decision will be made by the local board. When that decision is made, the following actions will occur:

For non-Discipline proposals, include a description of what you want to see done (perhaps in the form of a motion, if appropriate), along with rationale.

Send all proposals to my administrative assistant, Cathy Reich:

Email: cathy@ub.org
Surface mail: 302 Lake Street, Huntington, IN 46750.

The current Discipline can be found at ub.org/discipline. You can read it online or download a PDF copy. If you attend one of the regional meetings, and certainly if you attend National Conference, I recommend that you print out a copy for yourself.

I look forward to seeing you next summer in Lancaster.

Trust God More!

21 Nov 2017 UB Youth Workers Summit

Details have been set for the 2017 UB Youth Workers Summit.

Date: April 24-28, 2017
Hotel: Hilton Gardens Inn
Address: 2560 N. Atlantic Ave., Daytona Beach, FL 32118

This is an annual event of encouragement and training for persons in youth ministry. It is available for the lead youth ministry workers (fulltime, part-time, or volunteer) in every United Brethren church. About 25 youth persons usually attend.

The Summit is a great time of networking with other youth leaders and being encouraged by others who are in the trenches of youth ministry. They enjoy the beach, the golf course, and incredibly beautiful weather, along with the chance to slow down and step away from the constant demands of youth ministry.

Looking ahead: The 2018 Youth Summit will be held April 23-26, 2018, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

26 Oct From the Daytona Pastors & Wives Summit

Matt McKeown from First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla., leads a time of worship.

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries

Fifteen ministry couples are gathered in Daytona Beach for fellowship, relaxation, and mutual stimulation. Yesterday, we dealt with the question of our heart’s condition, spiritual disciplines, and cultivating friendship while ministering to others. Today we’re wrestling with numerous cultural shifts and how our principles and values may need to be expressed in new ways so that the mission of God, to make and multiply disciples, remains at the forefront of our ministries.

26 Oct Nov 6-7: Pastor Resource Day in Chambersburg, Pa.

A Pastoral Resource Day will be held November 6-7, 2016, at Rhodes Grove Camp & Conference Center in Chambersburg, Pa. This event is sponsored by the United Brethren Association, the United Brethren denomination, and Rhodes Grove Camp. This year’s theme is “UB Connected.”

The event begins at 3 pm on Sunday, November 6. Bishop Todd Fetters will speak at 6:30 on “Gospel: Spiritually Alive.”

At 9 am on Monday, Mike Dittman, director of National Ministries, will speak on “Unity: Relationally Connected.” Then Jeff Bleijerveld, director of Global Ministries, will speak at 10:15 on “Mission: Missionally Engaged.”

25 Oct Pastor & Spouse Summit Underway in Florida

A Pastors & Wives Summit is underway in Daytona Beach, Fla., with 32 people attending. They include 13 senior pastor and spouses from churches of 300+ attendance. They are joined by three couples from the National Office: Bishop Todd and Lisa Fetters, Global Ministries director Jeff and Charlene Bleijerveld, and National Ministries director Mike and Pam Dittman. The event began Monday night and will conclude on Thursday.