11 May Lancaster, Ohio: Regional Meeting on June 8

Regional meetings are being held as a prelude to this summer’s national conference. They will give pastors and laypersons a chance to interact about some proposals which will come before the conference, and to hear updates on happenings across the denomination.
One meeting occurred this morning (May 11), in Chambersburg, Pa. Two more will occur next week:

• Monday, May 18, at the UB church in Sunfield, Mich., 9am – noon.
• Tuesday, May 19, at Praise Point Church in Willshire, Ohio, 1-4 pm.

An addition meeting has been set for Monday, June 8. It will be held 7-9 pm at Lancaster UB church in Lancaster, Ohio.

06 May Seven Attend May 4-5 UB History Class in Akron, Ohio

Kyle Timmis, C.J. Clymer, David Dakin, Thomas Shunk, Mark Self, Ted Rankin, and Scott Budde.

Seven persons attended the UB History Course May 4-5 in Akron, Ohio, Daryl Elliott, pastor of Fountain UB (Keyser, W. Va.), was the instructor. The attendees were:

• Kyle Timmis, Discipleship Ministry intern at Element Church (Blissfield, Mich.).
• C.J. Clymer, Adrian Campus Pastor at Element Church (Blissfield, Mich.).
• David Dakin, from Kenton, Ohio.
• Thomas Shunk, from Park Layne UB church (New Carlisle, Ohio).
• Mark Self, senior pastor of Trinity UB (Fostoria, Ohio).
• Ted Rankin, youth pastor at Atlantic Avenue UB (Franklin, Pa.).
• Scott Budde, senior pastor of Mt. Carmel UB (Fulks Run, Va.).

06 May National Conference Workshops Tackling Big Issues

A full slate of exciting workshops is schedule for Friday morning of National Conference. They include several workshops which tackle important current issues, getting beyond political rhetoric to at least begin a conversation for United Brethren on these issues.

Who is My Neighbor? A Christian Discussion on Immigration. Matthew Soerens of World Relief specializes in helping churches understand the complexities of immigration from a biblical perspective. Matthew will take a step back from the political rhetoric to examine immigration issues from the perspective of Scripture,. He will address common concerns about immigration issues and provide practical ideas for how churches can respond to the opportunities presented by the arrival of immigrants into our country.

The Church, Same-Sex Attraction, and Homosexuality. How does the church uphold biblical values without alienating those we are trying to reach? How do we respond as individuals and churches? Persons struggling with SSA and homosexuality are people with souls, loved by God and searching for their place in God’s family. This workshop looks at what the Bible says about SSA and homosexuality, attempts to understand their struggles, and considers how the local church can respond with grace, compassion, and truth. The workshop will be led by Robert Bruce, associate pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

Transitioning to Multiethnic Ministry. It’s rightly been said that despite the progress that has been made toward racial integration, Sunday morning at 11:00 is still the most segregated hour of the week. Dr. Wayne Schmidt, our keynote speaker, intentionally moved his church from being a predominantly white congregation to one with a 30%+ minority/ethnic constituency. This workshop will share the principles and practices that helped get them there, and what they encountered along the way.

01 May Regional Meetings During May

In preparation for National Conference this summer, Bishop Phil Whipple will hold regional meetings in three locations during May. These will provide an opportunity for people to give feedback on some proposals which will come before the national conference. We held such meetings before the 2013 National Conference, and they proved helpful.

In addition, there will be updates from ministries of the national office, and updates related to Huntington University.

Anyone may attend, but pastors and lay delegates are especially encouraged to attend.

Monday, May 11: Chambersburg, Pa.
Time: 9 am – 3 pm
Location: Rhodes Grove Campground

This event will be held in conjunction with a UB Ministry Resource Day. The time with the bishop will occur in the morning. After lunch in the camp cafeteria, there will be an update on a new Pennsylvania law regarding screening, supervising, and reporting procedures. ALL Pennsylvania churches are encouraged to attend.

Monday, May 18: Sunfield, Mich.
Time: 9 am – noon.
Location: Sunfield UB church.

Tuesday, May 19: Willshire, Ohio
Time: 1 – 4 pm
Location: Praise Point UB church.

24 Apr May 11: UB Resource Day at Rhodes Grove Camp

A United Brethren Ministry Resource Day will be eld May 11 at Rhodes Grove Camp in Chambersburg, Pa. It is designed for pastors and church leaders. Time: 9am – 3 pm.

Here is what will happen.
From 9am – noon, Bishop Phil Whipple and Todd Fetters, Director of National Ministries will offer:

• Updates from the UB National Office.
• Updates related to Huntington University.
• Opportunities to learn about and discuss proposals for revising the UB Discipline which will be voted on at this summer’s US National Conference.

Lunch will be served from noon to 1pm.

From 1-3pm, the focus will be on new Pennsylvania laws that take effect on July 1, 2015, regarding child protection, background checks, and mandated reporting. The resource person will be Jim Bower, Jr., of James O. Bower Insurance Agency representing Brotherhood Mutual. He will help churches understand the new requirements in the Child Protection Service Law.

Please RSVP to Carrie 717-375-4162.

21 Apr UB History Course: Two Locations in May 2015

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 free to take the course. The course is held periodically in regional settings.

Two dates and locations are available in May 2015.

Akron, Ohio (Two Days)

Date: May 4-5, 2015 (Monday and Tuesday)
Time: 9 am – 4 pm each day
Location: Holiday In Express & Suites Airport, Akron, Ohio
Address: 898 Arlington Ridge East, Akron, OH 44512
Instructor: Daryl Elliott, senior pastor of Fountain UB church (Keyser, W. Va.).

Fort Wayne, Ind. (One Day)

Date: May 20, 2015 (Wednesday)
Time: 8 am – 5 pm
Location: Emmanuel Community Church, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Address: 12222 W Jefferson Blvd, Fort Wayne, IN 46814
Instructor: Bob Bruce, associate pastor of Emmanuel Community Church.

Registration

• $200, if you are seeking a ministerial license. There is a $50 discount if you pay fully in advance of the class, making your cost just $150.
• $100 for everyone else.

Register on the UB Website.

Trials and Triumphs Book

In addition to the registration fee, you will need a copy of “Trials and Triumphs,” a history of the United Brethren church. ($14.95 for the book, $5.75 shipping for US, $12.95 international). You can order a copy for $20.70 from the national office. Or, stop by the office and pick up a copy, to save shipping. You MUST have a copy of the book for the class. Order a copy from Church Services by calling toll-free: 888-622-3019, ext 301.

13 Apr National Conference Speaker: Pastor-Seminary Leader Wayne Schmidt

We’re excited to have Dr. Wayne Schmidt as keynote speaker for this summer’s US National Conference. He will speak on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday nights, and will also lead a workshop on Friday morning.

The US National Conference will be held July 15-18 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Dr. Wayne Schmidt comes to us with 35 years of ministry experience in local churches and in training pastors.

From 1979-1981, he served as assistant pastor of the newly-formed Kentwood Community Church under founding pastor Dick Wynn. Within two years, Dr. Schmidt became senior pastor.

Over the years, Kentwood developed into one of the flagship churches in the Wesleyan denomination while becoming increasingly multi-ethnic and planting 10 churches. In 2009, KCC averaged more than 2600 attendees each weekend.

In 2009, Dr. Schmidt accepted a position at Indiana Wesleyan University as head of the Wesley Seminary. That is where he continues serving. A coveted speaker, Dr. Schmidt has addressed churches and conferences around the globe and throughout the Wesleyan Church.

Dr. Schmidt earned the Bachelor of Arts in Pastoral Ministry from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1979, the Master of Arts in Church Education from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1989, and the Doctor of Ministry from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1994. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University and Bethany Bible College.

He is the author of several books, including Accountability: Becoming People of Integrity (Wesley Press, 1991), Soul Management (Zondervan, 1996), Power Plays (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2006) and Ministry Velocity (Wesleyan Publishing House, 2010).

Dr. Schmidt and his wife, Jan, have three adult children.

08 Apr Matt Coppess Wins NCAA Bishop’s Challenge

Matt and Jodi Coppess and children.

Steve Dennie, Communications Director

For the second year, Bishop Phil Whipple created an NCAA bracket on ESPN and invited UB ministers, missionaries, and national office staff to participate. A total of 73 persons filled out brackets. Of those, 44 picked Kentucky to win, 11 picked Wisconsin, and 7 picked Duke. Six persons got the Final Four right, but none of them picked a Wisconsin vs. Duke final, and none of them picked Duke to win it all.

Bishop emeritus Paul Hirschy was solidly in the lead going into the Final Four. However, both of his teams (Kentucky and Michigan State) lost on Saturday, so Paul dropped out of contention.

The winner was a new guy: Matt Coppess. In October 2014, Matt became Pastor of Family Ministries at Heart O the Lakes UB church in Brooklyn, Mich. He finished with 1400 points, 30 points above second-place finisher James Hippensteel, Pastor of Congregational Care at The Well in Huntington, Ind.

Congratulations, Matt! And welcome to the United Brethren family!

Matt is an interesting guy. He grew up in Lansing, Mich., and for a good part of his childhood attended the UB church in Sunfield, Mich. In Lansing, he was part of Youth for Christ groups directed by another UB, Trent Bushnell.

Matt always wanted to become an officer in the military, and to play football at one of the military academies. His good grades and gridiron skills provided two choices: West Point, or the Air Force Academy. He says he chose West Point because his hero, George Patton, wasn’t in the Air Force.

Matt played offensive tackle for three years at West Point. He spent one summer serving at Fort Benning, in Georgia, as a drill sergeant.

Then, in a wrestling class, Matt injured his shoulder. Badly. He returned to Lansing to spend a year on medical leave, trying to rehab the shoulder, and then went back to West Point. Matt knew his shoulder was still messed up, but he tried to fake it. However, doctors saw through it, and said his shoulder wasn’t good enough for military life.

So, back to Michigan. He finished his studies at Michigan State, and embarked on 20 years with Youth for Christ. He started with ten years in Lansing, where he developed student leader curriculum and supervised both paid staff and volunteers. In 1999, he married Jodi Traynor, a 1996 Huntington University graduate with a degree in youth ministry. She served on staff with Lansing YFC for ten years, 1995-2005.

In 2005, after the birth of their first child, Jake, the Coppess family moved to Saginaw, where Matt served as executive director for Great Lakes Bay YFC. Cristin and Zach joined the family in 2006 and 2009.

After nine years in Saginaw, Matt took a YFC position in Tuscaloosa, Ala. But Matt grew weary of fundraising. After a year, he learned about a staff position open at Heart O the Lakes. He was familiar with the pastor, Kevin Cherry, who had previously pastored the Sunfield church. He applied…and there they are.

20 Feb UB History Course: May 4-5 in Akron, Ohio

A United Brethren History Course will be held May 4-5 in Akron, Ohio. This course is a requirement for ministerial licensing in the United Brethren denomination. However, people who just want to learn more about UB history are invited to attend.

During the past four years, 125 people have attended the course in 15 different locations.

Date: May 4-5, 2015 (Monday and Tuesday)
Time: 9 am – 4 pm each day
Location: Holiday Inn Express & Suites Airport, Akron, Ohio
Address: 898 Arlington Ridge East, Akron, OH 44512
Instructor: Daryl Elliott (right), senior pastor of Fountain UB church (Keyser, W. Va.).

Registration Cost

• $200, if you are seeking a ministerial license.
• $100 for everyone else.
• $20 for “Trials and Triumphs,” a history of the United Brethren church. ($14.95 for the book, $5.05 shipping for US, $12.95 international). The book will be sent from the national office. Or, stop by the office and pick up a copy, to save shipping. You MUST have a copy of the book for the class. Order a copy from Church Resources at the National Office by calling toll-free: 888-622-3019, ext 301.

Note: $50 discount if you pay fully in advance!

Course payment must be sent one week prior to the class, unless other arrangements are made. Send to:

United Brethren in Christ
302 Lake Street
Huntington, Ind. 46750

Make checks payable to “United Brethren in Christ.”

19 Feb 2015 UB Youth Workers Summit: April 27-30

Participants in the 2014 UB Youth Workers Summit.

This annual event is available to all paid youth ministry staff or the lead youth ministry volunteer in the church. About 25 youth workers typically attend.

Date: April 27-30, 2015
Location: Best Western Aku Tiki Inn,
2225 South Atlantic Avenue
Daytona Beach Shores, FL 32118

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.

This year’s keynote speaker is Don Rosco. He will walk us through the life of Christ and how that can and should apply to our ministry today.

Registration

• Two persons in a room: $195 per person (whether it’s a spouse or another youth worker)
• One person in a room: $280 per person

You can register now. After April 1, the cost rises $50 and is on an availability-only basis. This is due to contracted arrangements with the hotel.

The registration fee includes meeting costs, lodging, breakfasts, and two “Special Treat” dinners–one hosted by Huntington University, the other by Bishop Phil Whipple.

You are responsible for:

• Transportation to and from Daytona
• Meals that are not covered (see above)
• Hotel incidentals

For complete information, go to UBTeens.org