10 Feb National Conference Preparations Moving Along

L-r: Josh Greenfield (promotion), Jeff Bleijerveld (missions), Ron Ramsey (bishop), and Kathy Bruce (women’s ministry).

L-r: Todd Rupp (youth), E.J. Ramsey (prayer), Susie Burson (children), Chris Kuntz (worship/music/sound), Loretta Bailey (helping Chris).

Things are moving along for the upcoming US National Conference. The planning committee met last Saturday at Emmanuel Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind. Most of the members live in northeast Indiana, but several drove down from Toledo and one came from Grand Rapids, Mich.

Since the last meeting in June, groups or individuals have been working on their specific areas–music, promotion, set design, sound, workshops, registration, nursery, hospitality, children and youth, hotel arrangements, etc. It’s a big job, planning one of these conventions. Lots and lots of details.

We’re excited about our speaker, Tim Brown. He’s bringing his wife, Charity, who will do a workshop session just for pastor’s wives. We have a good line-up of workshops, which you can read about on the USNationalConference.com website.

Missions Night, on Saturday, should be great. A worship team from Owen Gordon’s church in Jamaica will lead us that night. They’re good, very good, and it should be great fun.

Registration brochures will be mailed to all churches this week. The online registration will go live soon–maybe this afternoon (still working out a few bugs).

Please promote the conference in your church. Over 900 people attended in 2007. We know the economy is an issue this year. But please, do everything you can to bring people from your church. It’ll be a great time for them, and for all of us as United Brethren.

29 Jan 2009 UB Youth Workers Summit

Every year, United Brethren youth workers meet in Daytona, Fla, for the UB Youth Workers Summit. You can now register online for this event.
The Summit is held at First UB church in Holly Hill, Fla. 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).
• All breakfasts and lunches (some dinners will be on your own).

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. It’s a great chance to rub shoulders with other UB youth workers and gain insights to help you minister more effectively to your teens.

15 Jan First of Two Teams En Route to Sierra Leone

Ten persons are on their way to Sierra Leone. Or will be, in a couple hours. Six people from northern Indiana will fly out of Fort Wayne around 6:00 tonight. They’ll meet two persons from Virginia in Chicago, then fly to London, where they’ll meet two more persons. Then it’s on to Freetown, Sierra Leone. They’ll arrive tomorrow night (Friday, Jan. 16) around 7:30.

22 Dec Big MAC Ski Attack

Some of your teens would no doubt enjoy taking part in the Big MAC Ski Attack. This youth ski retreat started as a ministry of the former Mid-Atlantic Conference, thus the MAC. But UB youth from Michigan, Indiana, and Ohio have taken part during the last few years. It’s open to any UB youth.

Bobby Culler, youth pastor of Mount Pleasant Church (Chambersburg, Pa.), heads up the Big MAC event, and also chairs the denominational Youth Ministry Team, He says they have around 500 people at Big MAC. So this is no small thing.

You can find complete information on the UB Youth website. Here are some basic details:

Date: February 6-8
Location: a Mennonite conference center in Laurelville, Pa. (near Pittsburgh).
Cost: $80 registration, plus an activity fee of $10-$40, depending on the activity you choose.

25 Nov December 5: Free Concert at Emmanuel UB

Emmanuel Community Church is hosting a free concert featuring rock band Attaboy and indie-rock newcomer The Fabulous at 7 p.m. on December 5.

Three of the four members of Attaboy, a Huntington-based alternative rock group, are graduates of Huntington University. Vocalist/keyboardist Amos Caley, who holds a degree in Bible and Religion, is the son of UB pastor J.
Michael Caley (Banner of Christ UB, Byron Center, Mich.).

The concert is open to the public and is sponsored by Huntington University, Remedy.fm, and Emmanuel Community Church Student Ministries.

14 Nov Final Mission Team Training Event

The final Mission Team Training event starts today in Lancaster, Ohio. We’ve held four of these two-day events, one each month since August 22.

Altogether, about 40 people have attended. That’s a good number of potential mission-team leaders.

13 Nov Lancaster Regional Meeting

Pat Jones speaking to the attendees in Lancaster, Ohio. (enlarge)

About 20 people attended the November 12 regional meeting held at the Lancaster UB church in Lancaster, Ohio. Pat Jones, director of Healthy Church Ministries, reviewed proposals coming before the 2009 US National Conference and entertained discussion on them. Then Bishop Ron Ramsey talked about the upcoming leadership transition and his view of various aspects of the denomination.

One more regional meeting remains: Tuesday, November 18, at East Washington UB church in Ashley, Mich., from 10 a.m. to noon.

13 Nov November 18 – Final Regional Meeting

Michigan people: Bishop Ron Ramsey will hold a regional meeting for you next week. This is the  last of five regional meetings. He and Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries, will talk about proposals coming before the 2009 US National Conference and about the upcoming leadership transition (neither of them will be available for the position of bishop).

This is open to any UB ministers or laypersons who wish to attend.

Date: Tuesday, November 18
Time: 10 a.m. – noon.
Location: East Washington UB church, Ashley, Mich.