22 Mar A Preview of the September Women’s Conference

Front (l-r): Kathy Bruce, Molly Shull. Back (l-r): Jeanie Helman, Penny Cole, Annette Sites, Stacy Gentry.

This weekend members of the UB Women’s Ministry Team met at Willow Valley Resort in Lancaster, Pa., to prepare for the upcoming Women’s Conference this September. The ladies basked in the sun by a lovely pond (while accomplishing a lot, of course), met with the hotel representative to go over logistics, and sampled a complimentary smorgasbord dinner. Registration for the conference is open and many woman have already registered. Check out ubwomen.org to view a short commercial and register your group today!

12 Mar April 26-30: UB Youth Workers Summit

Youth workers from United Brethren churches throughout the US will gather in Florida April 26-30 for the annual UB Youth Workers Summit. It’s a great time for networking with fellow youth workers, sharing ideas, and learning how to do it better.

The Summit is held at First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla.

You can register online. The registration fee is:

Before April 1: $90.
After April 1: $110.

The registration fee covers the cost of:

• Materials
• Speakers
• Lodging (the church has lodging facilities, so there are no hotel costs).
• 3 breakfasts and 2 lunches.

Because of space limitations, this is designed for the “lead” youth worker at churches. Send the person who leads your youth ministry, whether fulltime, part-time, or volunteer.

You can register and get more information at: UBTeens.org

11 Mar Photos from the 2010 General Conference

I finally finished uploading all of my General Conference photos to Flickr. Well, not ALL of them. I weeded out a good number of poor shots. But that still left 968. I divided them into 13 sets. Click on the link, and you can view any of the sets on Flickr. I did some minor processing (cropping and lightening) on nearly all of these photos.

Saturday, January 10
Saturday. Traveling to Honduras, the San Pedro Airport, the road trip to La Ceiba, getting checked in at the hotel, and eating at Pizza Hut.

Sunday, January 11
Sunday Morning. The morning breakfast and service.
Sunday Afternoon – Children. The opening of the service, with the children singing the various national anthems.
Sunday – Bethel Band. The band performing during the service.
Sunday – Singing. The congregation singing during the opening service.
Sunday – Pastors. The stationing of pastors.
Sunday – Miscellaneous. A variety of other shots from the Sunday afternoon service.

Monday, January 11
Monday Business. Monday morning and early afternoon.
Monday – Camp. Visiting the Honduras Conference campground.

Tuesday, January 12
Tuesday Business. Tuesday morning and afternoon.
Tuesday Night. The evening service.

Wednesday, January 13
Wednesday Business. Wednesday morning and afternoon.
Wednesday Night. The concluding service on Wednesday night, and praying with Oliam Richard.

24 Feb May: UB Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit

The first-ever UB Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit will be held May 18-19 in Holly Hill, Fla. The event will be hosted by First UB church in Holly Hill. This is aimed especially at staffpersons who minister in this field.

You will have the opportunity to spend time with children’s ministry workers from across our denomination: learning from each other, sharing ideas, networking, relaxing, and soaking up the Florida sunshine! This is a unique opportunity for you to fellowship with others who share your passion.

We know you will find it helpful, encouraging, and fun. Best of all, it’s FREE! (Go ahead, read that sentence again.) Yes, we really did say FREE! All you need to do is get there and we will cover your meals and lodging for 3 nights (May 17, 18, and 19). So drive, fly, or start walking now, but do not miss this amazing event!

Let’s Review:

What: Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit
When: May 18-19, 2010
Where: First UB in Holly Hill, Fla.
Cost: Travel expenses are up to you. Lodging and meals are provided.
Why: Networking, fellowship, encouragement, and fun!

To register, and for more information, go to: UBKids.org.

24 Feb May 18-20: Warmth Summit

A conference focusing on spiritual care will be held May 18-20 at the Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling, W. Va. This event is aimed at church staffpersons who work in such areas as spiritual care, assimilation, and visitation.

Cost: $75. That includes lodging on May 18 and 19, and 1 dinner. You will need to purchase 2 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 1 dinner.
Registration Deadline: April 30
Arrival: Tuesday, May 18, by 5 pm
Departure: Thursday, May 20, by 11 am

24 Feb May 3-6: UB Worship Summit

A conference for United Brethren worship leaders, especially staffpersons who work in this field, will be held May 3-6 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Two keynote speakers have been lined up. Workshops and morning devotions will be led by UB worship leaders.

Cost. $110 per person. This will cover lodging and the evening meal. Pastors will be on their own for breakfast and lunch.

Lodging. Accommodations will be on the beach. Larger group meetings will be held at First UB church in Holly Hill, about 10 minutes away.

Transportation. You must provide your own transportation to Daytona Beach and and for getting around once there.

23 Feb Four UB Events for Staffpersons

We made some changes in the cluster system, which is our primary structure for pastoral training and accountability. One change involves staffpersons.

Previously, we required all licensed ministers–senior pastors and staffpersons–to attend monthly cluster meetings. In some cases, staffpersons attended the same cluster as the senior pastor. In other cases, staffpersons attended a cluster with other persons in their area of specialty–a youth cluster, a pastoral care cluster, a cluster for music ministers, etc.

Now, we only require that senior pastors attend cluster meetings. But we don’t want to neglect training for staffpersons.

As a substitute for staffpersons, we are holding four “summits” in the coming months. These are two-day events designed for ministers in specific areas of specialization.

April 26-30: UB Youth Workers Summit. This annual meeting goes back a number of years. It is not limited to staffpersons. Rather, UB churches are invited to send their “lead” youth worker, whether on the payroll or not.

May 6-8: Worship Summit. This new event is designed for staffpersons who focus on areas related to worship and music.

May 17-19: Children’s Ministry Leaders Summit. This new event is for persons who specialize in working with children. Again, it is not limited to staffpersons. As with the Youth Workers Summit, it’s limited to your “lead” children’s worker.

May 18-20: Warmth Summit. This new event is for staffpersons whose ministry involves such issues as spiritual care, visitation, and assimilation.

As bishop, I encourage churches and pastors to make sure their staffpersons are able to attend one of these summits if it is in their area of specialization.

16 Feb September 17-19: UB Women’s Conference

A United Brethren women’s conference will be held September 17-19, 2010, at the Willow Valley Resort in Lancaster, Pa.

The theme is “I Do, Do You?” It is not a conference about earthly marriage or male-female relationships. Rather, it is about women living with joy in the knowledge of who they are in Jesus Christ.

Join women from across the country for a weekend that promises to change your life, challenge the way you see yourself, and captivate your senses as you experience the beauty of the Lancaster area and all the amenities that Willow Valley Resort offers.

Your total cost depends on how many people share your room:

• 2 people in a room: $209 per person
• 3 people in a room: $179 per person
• 4 people in a room: $159 per person

The first 20 pastors’ wives to register will receive a $50 discount.

Brochures about the conference have been mailed to all UB churches.

The Women’s Ministry website has complete information–speakers, schedule, costs, area attractions, directions, and more. You can also register online. Go to: UBWomen.org

12 Feb Mission Team Training Underway

The two-day Mission Team Leader Training is underway at Mainstreet Church in Walbridge, Ohio. Jeff Bleijerveld and Donna Hollopeter are teaching 12 people, who have come to learn how to effectively lead a short-term mission team. Three other persons from the east were signed up, but had to cancel out because of the blizzard.