07 Jun Two Reasons to Celebrate Pentecost Sunday

Dr. Paul R. Fetters, Emeritus Dean of the Huntington University Graduate School of Christian Ministries

As the early Christians of Jerusalem were attending the feast of Pentecost 1,978 years ago, the Holy Spirit came in the power of the wind with purifying flame, and the people heard the Gospel in their own languages. The Christian Church, conceived in the mind of God and promised in the person of Christ, was born of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost.

As German immigrants were attending a “great meeting” in Isaac Long’s barn, Lancaster, Pa., on Whitsuntide (Pentecost Sunday) nearly 250 years ago, circa 1767, the Holy Spirit breathed upon the heart of a preacher, Martin Boehm. His sermon moved the hearts of the congregation, among whom was Rev. William Otterbein. Embracing Boehm, he exclaimed, “Wir sund bruder”–We are brethren! From this small beginning, the Church of the United Brethren in Christ took root to become the first denomination born in America.

This Sunday, June 12, is Pentecost Sunday, a major date in the Christian church calendar. As Christian believers, United Brethren people have double reason to celebrate Pentecost Sunday.

02 Jun August 5-6: UB History Course in New Carlisle, Ohio

The annual United Brethren History course, usually held only in Huntington, Ind., is coming to western Ohio. The two-day course will be held August 5-6 at the Park Layne UB church in New Carlisle, Ohio. That’s a Friday and Saturday.

This course has already been held in four regional settings this year–Chambersburg, Pa.; Wayne, Ohio; Flint, Mich.; and the Bronx, NY. This course is a requirement for becoming a licensed United Brethren minister. However, people who just want to learn more about United Brethren history are free to take the course.

Basic Information

• The cost is $200 for persons who need licensing, $100 for everybody else.
• You will need to read the UB history book “Trials and Triumphs” beforehand. It is available through the Healthy Ministry Resources bookstore for $14.95 (plus shipping). Order a copy by calling toll-free: 888.622.3019
• Register using the online form at: ub.org/events/ubhistory

August 5-6, 2011 (Friday and Saturday)

Location: Park Layne UB church (New Carlisle, Ohio)
Time: 9 am Friday — 4 pm Saturday
Teacher: Rev. Robert Bruce (right), associate pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

For more information, including nearby hotels, and to register, go to the UB website.

01 Jun June 25: Family Friendly Missions Day

The Michigan Women’s Missionary Fellowship is planning a Family Friendly Missions day. This is to replace the WMF Spring Regional and WMF Fall Rally days.

Date: Saturday, June 25, 2011.
Time: 9-4 pm.
Location: Carson City Campground (Carson City, Mich.).

Everyone is invited–men, women, and children. Come learn the latest updates from UB missions.

A lunch is being planned, and John Johnson is doing his famous grilled quarter-chicken for a $2 donation. You’ll need to reserve your chicken with Sally Hock-Harrison by email or phone (517-410-6176) by June 15. Salads, desserts, and drinks will also be available.

There will be music by the McCallum praise team and specials by Ray and Bill Bryde “The Brydes of Christ.”

Jeff Bleijerveld and Donna Hollopeter, from Global Ministries, will share about the work of UB missions, along with our missionary from India.

We are planning to have a great day of fun and music and sharing time on the campgrounds. Let Sally know you’re coming, and bring a full car or van.

20 May 23 Attend UB Youth Summit in Florida

Attendees of the 2011 UB Youth Summit in Holly Hill, Fla. (click to enlarge).

Bobby Culler, chairman, Youth Ministry Team

The 2011 UB Youth Summit was held May 2-5 at First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla, (near Daytona Beach). This year, 23 youth workers from across UBdom gathered for a time of relaxation and refueling as we spent some much needed time “focusing” and “refocusing” on the things that are really important.

Rev. Denny Miller, senior pastor of Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., was our keynote speaker. He shared with the group the importance of focusing on the Word of God. This proved to be a very valuable time as each of us were challenged in our preparation and our presentation of our messages and lessons.

The Summit was a beneficial time of networking with other youth leaders and being encouraged by others who are in the trenches of youth ministry. We enjoyed the beach, the golf course, and the incredibly beautiful weather, along with the opportunity to slow down and step away from the constant demands of Youth Ministry.

Mark your calendar for next year’s Summit: April 30 – May 3, 2012. It is well-worth it!

19 May Registrations Pass the 600 Mark

Registrations for this summer’s US National Conference hit 606 on May 19, up 60 from two weeks ago.

You can register online, or by using the registration brochures mailed to all churches.

Reminder:

Date: July 6-9, 2011
Location: Saw Mill Creek Resort, Huron, Ohio

For complete information about the conference, go to USNationalConference.com

03 May Brandon O’Brien Appearing at the US National Conference

Brandon O’Brien, editor-at-large for Leadership Journal, will present a seminar at the US National Conference based on his book, “The Strategically Small Church. The book shows how small churches are uniquely equipped for success in today’s culture.

He explains, “A ‘strategically small’ church is one that has learned to recognize and leverage the inherent strengths of being small. Being strategically small means that instead of trying to overcome your congregation’s size, you have learned to use it to strategic ministry advantage…. I’m hoping that by telling the stories of some truly innovative and effective small churches, other small congregations will stop viewing their size and limited resources as liabilities and begin thinking about them as advantages.”

12 Apr National Conference Choir; Nearing 500

Registrations for this summer’s US National Conference hit 487 on April 12, and will no doubt pass 500 by the end of the week.

You can register online, or by using the registration brochures mailed to all churches.

Attendees are invited to join the first-ever National Conference Choir. Participants from across the denomination will sing on Friday, July 8, during the evening session.

The Choir will have ONE practice: 1:30 – 3:30 Friday afternoon, July 8.

Much more information is available on the conference website, including:

• A PDF file containing all of the music, so you can download and print the songs.
• Links to YouTube videos of all of the songs, in case you’re not familiar with some of them.
• A form you can use to confirm your interest in joining the choir,

12 Apr ELT Concludes Its Spring 2011 Meeting

The Executive Leadership Team

Bishop Phil Whipple (left), who chairs the ELT, with Global Ministries Director Jeff Bleijerveld.

The Executive Leadership Team met Monday night and Tuesday, April 11-12, in Huntington, Ind. The Executive Leadership Team meets twice a year, and is the highest governing body of the US churches between meetings of the US National Conference. Bishop Phil Whipple chairs the meetings.

Some items which came out of the meeting:

• Bishop Phil Whipple presented a strategic plan for the US churches on Monday night, and the ELT spent a couple hours on Tuesday further discussing his vision.
• Lee Rhodes, pastor of Countryside UB (Breckenridge, Mich.), was appointed by Bishop Whipple to chair the Nominating Committee for the US National Conference. The only elections which will be needed at National Conference this summer are for the Executive Leadership Team; members serve only two-year terms. The National Conference will elect 8 members, and the new ELT will then appoint four more members.
• Bishop Whipple doesn’t anticipate doing any revising of the UB Discipline at National Conference.
• About 30 churches still have not submitted their annual reports, which were due in February.
• The partnership fees (3.5% of income from each church) are coming in well.
• Global Ministries anticipates hiring an additional (and much-needed) associate director in the near future.

01 Apr National Conference Registrations Pass 200

Registrations for this summer’s US National Conference have now hit 210, with new registrations being added every day.

You can register online, or by using the registration brochures mailed to all churches.

Reminder:

Date: July 6-9, 2011
Location: Saw Mill Creek Resort, Huron, Ohio

If you haven’t made hotel reservations, you need to do that as soon as possible. Especially if you want to stay at Saw Mill Creek, where the meetings will be held. It’ll be filling up before long. (But there are lots of other hotels in the area.)

30 Mar National Conference Photo Contest

If you’re a shutterbug and would like to share some of your photos at national conference, we invite you to participate in our “Love God, Love Others Photo Contest.” It’s not necessary that you attend the conference. You just need to attend a United Brethren church.

We’re looking for photos from your church which in some way reflect the conference theme, “Love God, Love Others.” Submissions must be sent to us electronically (digital photos) no later than June 1, 2011. Make sure the resolution is high enough for us to print out a good copy in 8×10 size (at least 3 megapixels, no more than 6 megapixels).

During the conference, photos will be displayed in a gallery and conference attendees can vote on their three favorite photographs. Prizes will be awarded as follows:

First Place – $150 Amazon Gift Card
Second Place – $100 Amazon Gift Card
Third Place – $50 Amazon Gift Card

Participants must attend a United Brethren church and may submit no more than two images.

A form is available on the National Conference site for sending your photos. Or, you can email photos to [email protected], with this information: Your name, address, church name, phone number, and a brief description of each photo.

By entering the contest, you affirm that the photograph is your own and grant license to the United Brethren in Christ to reproduce, display, and create derivative works of the entries.