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12 Sep

September 12, 2013 |
Pastor Les Smith speaking as the Apostle Paul, while dressed in prison garb.

Pastor Les Smith speaking as the Apostle Paul, while dressed in prison garb.

Pastor Les Smith winning, once again, on the water slide.

Pastor Les Smith winning, once again, on the water slide.

Hillsdale UB church (Hillsdale, Mich.) celebrated its 15th annual Friends and Family Day on Sunday, August 25. Attendance hit 530.

The day included an outdoor service in the amphitheater at Michindoh Conference Center, followed by a free picnic for the community and water recreation.

Pastor Les Smith (right) portrayed the Apostle Paul and dramatized the book of Colossians. Paul wrote the book while a prisoner, so a Michigan state trooper from the congregation, Art McNew, escorted Pastor Les to and from the amphitheater. The “Apostle” appeared in chains wearing the garb of a prisoner from the Hillsdale County Jail.

Pastor Smith says he went down the water slide eight times this year. “I let the little kids tie or slightly beat me as we race down. As for the teens, I cut them no slack. I beat them 4 out of 4 this year. I don’t know if I’ve ever been beat by a teen. The adults get a kick out of watching their pastor whip on the teens. A 62-year-old guy can still get ‘er done.”

He adds, “Just like every year, it looks like we gained families from the event. Two new families and one local collegian, who first attended the outdoor service, have returned to church.”

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |

This year, Huntington University saw its highest freshman-to-sophomore retention rate in more than a decade. Retention rose from 73% last year to the current 79.5%.

Two of the reasons: freezing tuition, and the university’s Loan Repayment Program.

To lessen the economic burden on students, the HU Board of Trustees voted in January to freeze tuition for the 2013-14 school year. The university also continues to offer its Loan Repayment Program which offers assistance to students with paying their loans after graduation.

With the Loan Repayment Program, if a graduate’s annual salary is below $20,000, the program will reimburse the graduate for the entire amount of their loan payments. As the graduate’s income grows to $36,000, the benefit is reduced proportionally.

Huntington piloted the program five years ago. Last year, it served nearly 40 percent of the undergraduate student body.

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |
Pastor Tim Scroggs (right) with the baptism candidates.

Pastor Tim Scroggs (right) with the baptism candidates.

Pastor Tim Scroggs speaking to the congregation at the baptism site.

Pastor Tim Scroggs speaking to the congregation at the baptism site.

Christine Scroggs, Eagle Quest Church (Columbia City, Ind.)

It’s a season of new life at Eagle Quest Church. God is really moving!

He has provided our building with a beautiful new roof and heating/air upgrade. He has blessed us with new ministry possibilities. And he has given us a new focus: reaching families for Christ.

This past Labor Day weekend, we celebrated another facet of his newness amongst us: we baptized five new Christians. It was a wonderful day, celebrating God’s goodness in our first ever service outdoors, followed by our annual all-church picnic and Baptism Celebration.

This terrific ceremony included two of our youth members being baptized, as well as a married couple and a brand new believer. We look forward to seeing what “new” things God has planned for us next!

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |

On Sunday September 8, Morocco UB church (Temperance, Mich.) held its annual Family Fun Fest. Well over 100 people came throughout the afternoon.

They served pork sandwiches, cole slaw, applesauce, bags of chips, and many homemade desserts. There were outdoor games for all, and several activites just for kids. As people enjoyed the outside, they could get free cotton candy, snow cones, popcorn, and shelled peanuts.

This year Morocco did a people’s choice for judging the Church Ice Cream Making Contest, so everyone got to sample all the ice cream. Mark Smith won, and now holds the coveted Golden Ice Cream Scoop Award for the year.

Many persons outside the church came to have fun and see what Morocco Church was all about. Todd Greenman is the pastor of Morocco.

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |

Mabel Mundy, who has worked at the United Brethren national office since 1987, had knee replacement surgery yesterday (September 10), and will be out of the office for at least a month. The surgery went well, and she began physical therapy today. Mabel worked 16 years in Global Ministries and has spent the past 10 years in the Finance department. Mabel’s address: 8401 W 600 N, Andrews, IN  46702.

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |
The Renew team upon arriving in Haiti. Pastor Andy Sikorra is third from the left.

The Renew team upon arriving in Haiti. Pastor Andy Sikorra is third from the left.

Watching tarps put on a roof.

Watching tarps put on a roof.

Team members with some Haitians.

Team members with some Haitians.

Team members with some Haitians.

Team members with some Haitians.

Six persons from Renew Communities (Berea, Ohio) traveled to Haiti, where they have been working with Haiti Bible Mission. “Their goal is to raise up indigenous leaders to plant and lead churches so when we go we come as support to that mission,” says senior pastor Andy Sikorra (right).

This was the second time Renew has sent a team to Haiti.

“We donated over $15,000 last year to help plant a church in Kolimo, a village outside of Jeremie. This trip we took 40+ tarps to help tarp roofs in areas where the mission is at work. We saw many accept Christ and relationships built for the future movement of these churches.

“The most powerful aspect was to see young Haitian men connected to the mission leading in the neighborhoods (essentially slums) where they live. The community would look to the Americans, and we could say ‘He’s the boss. Talk with him!’ It brought great credibility and clearly opened the way for Gospel movement.”

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |

This fall Huntington University welcomed a total of 1,113 students:

  • 943 traditional undergraduate students.
  • 110 adult students.
  • 60 graduate students.

The new student class this year totals 267.

Huntington students this year represent 31 states, 21 countries, and a wide range of ethnicities. Of the 943 undergraduate students, 42 are international students and 72 are ethnic minorities.

Overall, Huntington has the most diverse undergraduate student population–both in terms of total numbers and percentage of enrollment–in school history.

“I’m very encouraged and enthused about the progress we have made in this important area of our student family,” said Jeff Berggren, senior vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing. “As a Christ-centered campus, we should be more reflective of the full body of Christ.”

11 Sep

September 11, 2013 |
UB ministers in Haiti (l-r): Marshall Woods, Kent Koteskey, Mark Wilson, Brad Kittle, Jeff Bleijerveld, and Bishop Phil Whipple.

UB ministers in Haiti (l-r): Marshall Woods, Kent Koteskey, Mark Wilson, Brad Kittle, Jeff Bleijerveld, and Bishop Phil Whipple.

Bishop Phil Whipple and Global Ministries Director Jeff Bleijerveld are in Haiti, where the United Brethren denomination has about 30 churches and is engaged in a variety of ministries. Accompanying them are four other United Brethren ministers:

  • Marshall Woods, senior pastor of Mill Chapel (Reedsville, W. Va.).
  • Brad Kittle, senior pastor of Praise Point (Willshire, Ohio).
  • Mark Wilson, senior pastor of Fowlerville UB church (Fowlerville, Mich.).
  • Kent Koteskey, executive pastor of Emmanuel Community Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.).

They were joined in Haiti by two representatives from an organization called Loving Shepherd Ministries. The group left Monday, September 9, and will return on September 16.

10 Sep

September 10, 2013 |

John Pessima and his wife, Nancy, will be in the United States October 24 – December 6, 2013. John is bishop of Sierra Leone National Conference, and Nancy is very active in the Sierra Leone Women’s Missionary Fellowship.

The purpose of the trip is to be available to speak in United Brethren churches for Thank Offering services, missions conferences, WMF programs, etc. Ideally, they’ll speak to different churches and groups separately, but they can come to your church as a couple if necessary.

Bishop Pessima will share about the conference’s mission work among Sunni Muslims in Pujehun Province, where more than 4000 have come to faith in Christ. He will also provide updates regarding the hospital, changes at the Evangelical College of Theology, and continuing efforts to train and develop effective leaders.

Nancy Pessima will share about the ministry of the Women’s Missionary Fellowship, about how women have been involved in arranging for the adoption of orphaned children by UB families in Sierra Leone, and about small business efforts, evangelism, and discipleship efforts.

Arrangements are being made through Rev. Joe Abu, pastor of Mt. Zion United African Church in Philadelphia, Pa. If interested in having John and/or Nancy Pessima come to your church, call the Mt. Zion office ASAP: 267-240-9942.

10 Sep

September 10, 2013 |

marion-brottMany Huntington University alums will remember Marian Brott, who worked in the college library and admissions office. She passed away Tuesday, August 27, in Fort Wayne, Ind. Marion was 91 years old. She was a member of the former Montgomery UB church in Montgomery, Mich. The funeral was held August 30 in Reading, Mich.