31 Oct UB Church Planters Gather for Two Days

L-r: Bishop Ron Ramsey, Gary Dilley, and Howard Matthews.

Six UB ministers involved in church planting situations met near Blissfield, Mich., on October 28-29 for two days of learning, encouragement, and fellowship. The event, sponsored by the Church Multiplication Leadership Team and UB Church Multiplication Director Tom Blaylock, was held at two cabins next to The Legacy golf course.

The church planters included:

• Thurm Payton (Lighthouse Community Church, Williamston, Mich.).
• Cal Hodgson (Heritage UB, Dansville, Mich.).
• Dalton Jenkins (Bethel Temple of Praise, Yonkers, N.Y.).
• Howard Matthews (Homefront UB, Grandville, Mich.).
• Bryan Converse (Family Life Church, Maineville, Ohio).
• Gordon Kettle (soon to be planting a church in Grand Ledge, Mich.).

Three other church planters were unable to attend. Also attending were Bishop Ron Ramsey, Healthy Church Director Pat Jones, Global Ministries Director Gary Dilley, Communications Director Steve Dennie, and Bob Ransom of the Missionary Church.

Tim Roehl, who serves in a church planting role with the Evangelical Church, was the resource person. He led everyone through a notebook and presentations which hit various aspects of church planting. Click on the thumbnails below for a larger view of photos from the event.

	Tim Roehl talking to the group.		Cal Hodgson (left) and Tom Blaylock.
	Bishop Ron Ramsey talking to the group.		Gordon Kettle (left) and Dalton Jenkins.
	L-r: Tom Blaylock, Thurm Payton, and Cal Hodgson.		The group having prayer for Bryan Converse.

09 Oct UB Winter Youth Retreat: February 2-4, 2007

Junior high and senior high students from UB churches are invited to attend the Big M.A.C. Ski Attack, a winter retreat in the mountains of western Pennsylvania February 2-4, 2007. This year’s speaker will be Tim Atkins. “Hot Sundae,” a band from Indiana, will provide music for the weekend. The cost for the retreat is $80, plus the cost of a Saturday activity of your choice, including skiing or snowboarding, tubing, skating, bowling, or nothing at all.

This annual retreat has existed for the past 20 years (the M. A. C. stands for Mid-Atlantic Conference). For more information about this weekend, email Bobby Culler or call him at (717) 264-8414. This retreat is sponsored in part by Huntington University. It would be great to have you and the students of your Youth Ministry participate.

28 Sep Canadian Churches Celebrate 150 Years

From the 150th anniversary celebration of the United Brethren church in Canada. (larger)

The United Brethren Church in Canada  celebrated its 150th Anniversary this year. Bishop Brian Magnus sent this report about their celebration:

“In June we had a huge outdoor event and invited people from every church to attend. It was partly a picnic and partly a giant revival service. The day began with a bus tour of historic sites. This included visiting the very first UB church in Canada, and also visiting a UB church building from 1861, which is still preserved in that old style today.

“In Canada, the picnic part of our 150th anniversary included lots of games for the whole family, contests, pony rides, picture-taking in old fashioned costumes, and displays of historical pictures from each of our churches. Youth bands played Christian music in the big tent while all this was going on, and there was a tea room for those who just wanted to sit quietly and chat with others.

Students from Huntington University performing the play “Godspell.” (larger)

“After a large meal, a revival service was held in the big tent. Praise and worship singing was led by the worship team of our newest church plant from Cambridge, Ontario. Some songs from the musical Godspell were sung by a group from Huntington University. A sermon on revival from the book of Nehemiah was preached by Rev. Dennis Bells, and the celebration concluded with communion.

The statistics say that we have an average attendance of 875 in our churches on a Sunday morning, and we had 600 of them gather together for this 150th Anniversary celebration of revival and inspiration!

Follow the link below for more photos.
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30 Jul National Conference 2007

I am pleased to announce that the 2007 National Conference will be held May 31 – June 3 (Thursday through Sunday) at the Sawmill Creek Resort, in Huron, Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie. The resort is about 45 minutes to an hour west of Cleveland. The speaker for Thursday and Friday evenings will be Pastor Brad Powell from Northridge Church. Registration information will be coming later, but I wanted you to get the dates on your calendar. This conference will be a great re-focusing time for our churches.

Also at this National Conference, each church will be able to send voting lay delegates to represent their congregation to the highest governing body of the US National Conference. Plus, all conference ministers who are actively pastoring a United Brethren church or serving in an appointed or elected position are also voting members of the National Conference.

You will receive further information regarding the registration for the National Conference in a few months. But just wanted to give everyone a “heads up” on the dates. Each church will be responsible for the expenses of its delegates (lay and pastors), so you will want to include this item in your 2007 Budget.

14 Jul Women – Register for the Sept 22-24 Conference

The UB Women’s Conference is fast approaching. Please inform women in your church about this conference and encourage them to register. Several promotional materials are available online, which you can download in Jpeg format which you can drop into your church newsletter.

The conference will be held in Shipshewana, Indiana (near the Michigan border) at the Farmstead Inn. The cost is $135 per person (or $125 if you bring at least eight women from your church). The keynote speaker will be Jennie Dimkoff, an author, motivational speaker, and gifted storyteller.

04 Apr Canada UBs Celebrating 150 Years

You are invited to join our UB churches in Canada as they celebrate 150 years of ministry. The Celebration will occur on June 10, 2006, at the Hartman Farm north of Guelph, Ontario. The celebration will occur from 2-8 p.m., with an optional historical bus tour from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The afternoon is truly planned as a celebration, with many activities for all ages, much like a fair. Highlights of the day will include:

• historical displays from each of the UB churches in Canada.
• square-dancing in the barn with instruction for beginners.
• a tea room/tent.
• games, contests, and recreational activities.
• old-fashioned lemonade stand, popcorn and candy floss.
• a wandering minstrel playing the banjo and singing.
• historical costumes and picture taking.
• pony rides.
• a prayer walk trail.
• a youth tent featuring four different bands.
• and a catered supper meal, BBQ-picnic style.

The evening will feature an old-fashioned revival meeting under the big-top tent. The historical bus tour costs $10. However, everything else is without charge, though a freewill offering will be taken.
Please submit your registration form by April 30, 2006.

The historical bus tour will depart from the Parkwood gardens Church in Guelph and go to Doon Heritage Crossroads Village, a pioneer village in Kitchener which houses one of the oldest United Brethren Church buildings in Canada. It has been fully and accurately restored to early 1900s decor and architecture. After a time at Doon Village, the tour will proceed to Sheffield (just south of Cambridge), the location of the first United Brethren church in Canada. A light lunch will be served there. After lunch, the tour will return to Guelph and take vehicles to the Hartman Farm, location of the 150th Anniversary Celebration. Bishop Brian Magnus will be on the bus as the tour guide.