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06 Aug

August 6, 2024 |
Byron Center, Michigan
Banner Church is a multi-generational, family-oriented congregation located just south of Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of the primary goals of Banner Church is to be an equipping and sending church. Throughout its history, Banner has seen a number of individuals go into vocational ministry, both at home and abroad. Moving forward, we want to double down on that commitment by creating avenues for believers to find their God-given gifts, connecting them with opportunities to use those gifts, equipping them for effective ministry, then unleashing them for Kingdom impact.

Banner Church is seeking a passionate developer to lead our Youth & Worship ministries. Rather than a professional that can do it all themselves, we want someone who is willing to take what they know and pass it on. If this sounds like you, please check out the following role description or email [email protected].

23 Jul

July 23, 2024 |

Many of you are likely familiar with the film Wayfaring Stranger that was written and directed by Matt Webb and produced by Lance Clark and Matt Webb in conjunction with Forester Films and Huntington University. This movie is the inspiring true story of a United Brethren pastor and his family who set out to build a new UB church in 1970s rural Michigan. Along the way, they face challenges that threaten to unravel everything when an afflicted carpenter becomes their unlikely source of hope, proving that faith in God is the true path to redemption, even in the most tragic circumstances.

The title of this film has since been changed to A Carpenter’s Prayer, and it is soon being released to a limited number of theaters nationwide. So far, the distributors have secured 40 theaters and hope to get it up to 200 in the next few weeks. We are sharing this information with you now because you have an opportunity to bring this movie to a theater near you by visiting their website and expressing interest. Just follow the instructions below within the next week, as the next few days are crucial to determining interest in order to secure theater locations. And even if you opt not to fill out the theater demand form, you can watch the movie trailer and read more about this film on their website.

And be looking for A Carpenter’s Prayer to perhaps be coming to a theater near you beginning in September 2024!

01 Jul

July 1, 2024 |

The United Brethren National Office is pleased to welcome Stacie Betterly to the team. She joined us on Monday, June 24, 2024, in her new role as finance assistant and will be working closely with Marci Hammel. Before joining our team, Stacie was the Assistant to the Registrar at Huntington University and served as a teller at Bippus State Bank. Stacie and her husband, Aaron, live in their hometown of Huntington, Indiana along with their son, Colin (23), and daughter Morgan (18). 

If you get a chance to connect with Stacie, here are a few fun facts you should know about her:

Favorite pastime: Camping and cross-stitching
Favorite place to visit: Antique malls with her husband
Favorite candy: Hershey’s chocolate kisses and cherry Starbursts
Favorite book/movie/TV series: Movies based on Jane Austin books

 

10 May

May 10, 2024 |

The Ministry Leader Summit took place on the sunny shores of Daytona Beach, Florida, from April 29th to May 3rd, 2024. This year, 31 associate staff members from UB churches across the country with responsibilities ranging from children’s ministry to world missions attended the event.

We caught up with a few of them and asked why they value the summit. Here’s what they had to say:

 

 

Keynote speaker Dr. Terry Linhart, a professor at Bethel University and author of “The Self-Aware Leader,” offered valuable insights on leadership. He encouraged ministry leaders to always do the hard work of caring for themselves and nurturing their own inner lives in order to be effective leaders in the ministries to which they have been called. His message resonated with attendees, prompting much reflection and discussion.

 

 

Key Learnings and Takeaways

The Ministry Leader Summit provided a valuable space for ministry associates to connect, share experiences, and develop their leadership skills. We spoke with some attendees about their biggest takeaways from this year’s summit:

 

 

We want to say a big thank you to Bobby Culler (Mount Pleasant Church) and Craig Mickey (Emmanuel Community Church) for putting together the plans for this year’s summit, and to Cathy Reich (UB National Office) for helping make it all happen.

This event happens every other year and is available for any and all associate staff serving in United Brethren churches throughout the country. The pastor and spouse summits are coming this fall for all senior and solo pastors and their spouses. More information on those events can be found here.

15 Apr

April 15, 2024 |

 

In the latest episode of UB Now, our host, Brian Biedenbach sat down with Matt McKeown from Daytona First Church of the United Brethren in Holly Hill, Florida. Matt is great storyteller and is full of great stories, and he was excited to talk about a partnership that is developing between two very different churches in their community.

This was a fun and insightful episode to record and is definitely worth a listen. You can listen by clicking on the media player above or by searching for it on your preferred podcast directory.

08 Mar

March 8, 2024 |

 

Huntington University’s Veritas Theology Institute could be a great opportunity this summer for a high school student in your church to explore a deeper level of theological study and experience life on HU’s campus. This eight-day academy is taking place June 8-15, 2024, and is open to all high school sophomores and juniors. Applications are available online at www.veritastheology.org.

The tuition for this experience is $300 until May 1, 2024. After that early bird date, tuition will be $350. There is also an HU legacy tuition rate if one both of the applicant’s parent’s attended Huntington University. Only 30 spots are available for this summer’s institute, so consider the high school students in your world who might be interested in something a little more intense and interactive this summer and share this opportunity with them.

Find out more about the Veritas Theology Institute at Huntington University here.

 

 

07 Mar

March 7, 2024 |

We received the following note from our friends in the Canadian UB Conference with an update on the unrest in Haiti. As you read this, we invite you to join us in prayer that the hearts of the people would turn toward peace and restoration.

“Social order continues to deteriorate in Haiti. This past weekend, gangs took over several police locations and two jails. This is not far from where some UB churches are. It was a very violent takeover that left many dead; thankfully no UB members were killed. 

A local UB shared this: 

Things are very bad, I have never witnessed this kind of escalation during this 5 year crisis. The streets are now 10× more unsafe due to more than 4,000 convicts that are roaming the streets of the capital and probably the countryside by now.

The streets are empty, there’s been lots of gunshots echoing in every neighborhood within the capital.

Many police stations have been attacked, things are completely out of control.

Let us cry out in prayer for Haiti. A mighty move of God is needed to see things restored. Our friends in Haiti are hurting but it does comfort them to know we are praying.”

05 Mar

March 5, 2024 |

The Ministry Leader Summit returns to Daytona Beach, April 29 through May 3. This event offers opportunities for associate staff serving in United Brethren churches to pull away, slow down, and be refreshed. This year Dr. Terry Linhart (Bethel University, Arbor Research Group) will join us to share some insights from his book, The Self-Aware Leader.

Click here to learn more about the event and how you can register.

26 Feb

February 26, 2024 |

We received word that Howard Beaver passed away on February 16, 2024, in his home surrounded by family. 

Howard served as the senior pastor at Christian Life Assembly of God for over 17 years and later served as the senior pastor at Mt. Olivet Church in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2012. In his retirement, he continued to serve as an elder at Otterbein United Brethren Church in Greencastle, Pennsylvania.

Let’s join in prayer with Howard’s family in their time of grief. Let’s also celebrate the impact that was made as a result of his faithfulness in following the Lord’s calling. 

Howard’s obituary can be found here.

18 Jan

January 18, 2024 |

We have just released the first two episodes of a new podcast called UB Now featuring stories of what’s happening right now in local UB churches around the country. Episodes consist of interviews with local church pastors and ministry leaders discussing both the exciting things the Lord is doing in their midst as well as the challenging issues they may be facing.

Episode 1 features Ryan Koch (Hopewell UB), sharing his vision for strategic partnerships and relationally-centered ministries. In episode 2, you will hear from Ben Gladhill (Lake View Church) about the value of investing in people and empowering leaders.

Our hope is that these stories, and many more to come, might serve as a point of connection for church leaders walking through similar situations as well as a way for us  to resource, encourage and learn from one another.

You can listen to UB Now online or on your favorite podcast app. New episodes will be released every 2 weeks. If you have a story you would love to share on the podcast reach out to Brian Biedenbach, Communications Director, via email at [email protected].