23 Aug New Field of Ministry for Milt Herrold
Milt Herrold (right) resigned as pastor of Orrstown UB (Orrstown, Pa.) to take a position in Vermont with Child Evangelism Fellowship. Milt had been pastor of Orrstown since 2004.
23 Aug 18 Baptized in Logan, Ohio
Jason Sheets (right), associate pastor of Shepherd of the Valley (Logan, Ohio), reports, “We baptized 18 people at a nearby pond in Sugar Grove, Ohio. We sang a different chorus as each person emerged from the pond. We all shared in eating homemade ice cream during a time of fellowship following the service.”
22 Aug Thailand: 3 Churches, 1 Student Center
Children singing at one of our churches in Thailand.
Rev. Mark Choi, mission director for Hong Kong Conference, provided this information about the three churches and the student center in northern Thailand. Hong Kong provides the primary oversight of our ministries in Thailand.
Litao Village Church. Rev. Li began this church in 1992, and it now has 300 members. Most of them are tea workers, earning about $200 (US) per month. Some of them work in Bangkok or Taiwan as laborers or servants. Rev. Li intend to rebuild the church with two levels–a ground floor with 3 classrooms for Sunday school, and an upper floor for worship services.
Roman Village Church. This church began in 2006. Rev. Li had tried for a long time to plant a church here, working hard to reach the people of this village. Now, Mr. Ah Tu is the assistant pastor to Rev. Li. The church has 60 members.
New Church at Laozuo Village. We intend to plant a new Chinese church at Laozuo village, either on land provided by Rev. Li or in cooperation with Zhongxing Middle School. It does depend on the financial situation. Rev. Li has land to offer for further development, but the size seems too small for any long-term strategy. The site of Zhongxing Middle School is more flexible. If it becomes a Christian school, we can have our own church with bilingual language worship there. In addition, it can serve as a training center or social service center.
Student Center. The Student Center opened in 2000, and serves 26 children from ages 6-16. Most of them are orphans or from single-parent families. Due to the high inflation, the monthly expense for each child is about $70 (US).
We hope that we can help the Thailand field become more independent financially in the future, and that the living standard of the villagers can be improved. They could share the love of Christ with other tribes.
20 Aug Fandana 2011
Stellar Kart performing on the Red Stage
People of all ages…and a hot air balloon!
Headliner BarlowGirl
The 2011 Fandana Music Festival
Steve Dennie, Communications Director
The first Fandana Festival proved to be a huge success for Huntington University. The three-day festival, August 11-13, 2011, began on Thursday afternoon (August 11), led up to a big concert on Friday night, and concluded with a small worship service (for anyone still there) on Saturday morning.
The university estimates that up to 1500 people attended on Thursday, and over 3000 attended on Friday. Over 30 bands participated. The weather, both days, was gorgeous.
Where’d the name “Fandana” come from? It’s just a made-up, catchy word. But unofficially, I’m told, it means “good times, good fun, and good music at Huntington University.” That’s the image they want in people’s minds when they hear the word Fandana.
They gave me a press pass, so around 5 pm on Thursday, August 11, I headed over to the campus to catch some good music.
Fandana: Day 1
Fandana is a big deal. At least a thousand people would be attending. I heard thoughts of maybe 3000 people coming before it was all over. Hard to tell with a first-time thing like this. But the college seemed ready, with volunteers everywhere, places roped off, plentiful signs, and all kinds of little extras. This took a healthy dose of planning to put together. And there’s still time to come for the big Friday night finale with Todd Agnew, Superchick, Attaboy, and Switchfoot!
After getting my pass in the Merillat Physical Education Complex, I traipsed over to the Fine Arts building, where bands had been performing in the main auditorium–the Orange stage–since 4 pm.
Reilly
I heard Reilly, a five-member band from Philadelphia, that I just loved. The show opened with two members–husband and wife–coming onto the stage playing “All the Lonely People” on violins. The girl played violin during most of the songs, and a little keyboard. The guy mostly played lead guitar, but occasionally would sling it onto his back and go play some mean violin with his wife. I tell you, it was a beautiful sound! I’ve never heard a rock band combine violins so effectively. Plus, they gave a solid, but brief, presentation of the gospel. (I should mention their incredible version of “For What It’s Worth,” the “there’s something happening here” classic from Buffalo Springfield.)
Throughout Reilly’s performance, more and more people trickled in, until the lower section was decently populated, with others in the upper section. Probably a dozen kids stood in front of the stage. I must say, I didn’t care for the dark, foggy atmosphere on stage. I couldn’t see the performers well–way too much shadow, and no spotlights hitting them from the front (that I could see). I don’t know if that mood atmosphere was intentional, or the result of a fog machine gone rogue. But I didn’t care for it (though I realize I’m not the target demographic).
After Reilly came two guys from Nashville who called themselves 33 Miles. I’m sure there’s a story behind the name, but I didn’t hear it. They sat on stools, with one guy singing lead vocals and the other playing acoustic guitar and harmonizing. The crowd loved them. A lot of energy between them, and they connected with the crowd. The guitarist reminded me of Kristian Bush from Sugarland. Their second-to-last song was a nicely-done version of David Crowder’s “How He Loves.”
They finished just before 8 pm. Another group, 77 Times, was scheduled to play next. But at the same time, Stellar Kart was playing out on the Red Stage outside. Nearly everyone cleared out of the auditorium. I decided to hear a few songs from 77 Times before leaving. But after 1 song, I realized they weren’t quite my cup of tea, so I headed out.
Ashley Smith, who works in the university media relations, gave me a ride in an electric cart out to the Red Stage, which was set up on a field along Route 24, a field sometimes used for soccer practice. It made a nice, mini-Woodstock venue. As Stellar Kart jammed (they were my kind of band!), people sat on blankets or in chairs they had brought, while others threw frisbee rings. There was a hot air balloon, and a long line of people at a cart selling coffee products–coffee, tea, mocha, latte, and smoothies. There were a lot of younger kids with parents. A good-sized crowd stood in front of the stage listening to the band. A big screen to the side showed the performers in large.
Stellar Kart did two Disney songs in kind of a rock/grunge style (I’m not good at differentiating contemporary music styles). One was “Kiss the Girl,” from The Little Mermaid, followed by “A Whole New World.” I could imagine Foo Fighters doing those songs, though I could understand all of the words. (Thanks for enunciating!)
After Stellar Kart finished, there was a ten-minute lull during which headliner BarlowGirl got set up. The big screen was filled with scenes from Huntington University–students, profs, athletics, classes, etc. Good marketing opp.
I’d never heard BarlowGirl before, though I know they’ve come through Fort Wayne. I was quite impressed. They rocked the place, that’s for sure. Three girls, and a guy on drums, for the first couple songs. Then the lead singer switched to drums, the bass guitarist moved over to lead vocals along with some keyboard, and the drummer took bass. I liked them a lot.
BarlowGirl started playing at 9 sharp, right on time. I stayed for about a half hour before deciding I needed to leave. But I left excited about what Huntington University was pulling off. And with anticipation to coming back the next day, when the REALLY big crowds were expected. Bands would play on the Orange Stage all day, beginning at 9 am. Then at night would come the headliners. Yes, this 54-year-old with one bad ear is looking forward to it.
Todd Agnew began Fandana
Around 3000 people attended Fandana on Friday.
Superchick was a big hit.
The crowd included people of all ages in a family-friendly atmosphere.
There was face-painting for children.
Attaboy’s roots are with Huntington University
Fandana: Day 2
I returned on Friday, August 12, for the evening concert at the outdoor “Red Stage,” set up on the soccer practice field, right along Route 24.
I enjoyed the music, but I was most taken by the family-friendly atmosphere. It wasn’t just teens and young adults. There were people of all ages–lots of older baby boomers, lots of young children (including a number of strollers), and everywhere in between. Remember: today’s 60-year-olds came of age during the 1960s; they grew up on rock music.
People brought their own chairs, or lay on blankets on the grass. The young-adult set thronged around the stage, standing up throughout the concert (that’s what young people do–that, and a lot of jumping). Children scampered around being children. People on the fringes threw frisbee rings. I didn’t see anyone smoking.
A bunch of rented inflatables were set up for kids. Just behind the sound booth, women in clown suits were face-painting children and drawing caricatures. Norm the Forester (the HU mascot) and the Star 88.3 mascot (a star, of course) wandered through the crowd. A few older folks sat their chairs clear back in the pine trees along the highway, far from the stage. But the sound level, in my opinion, was pretty tame compared to most rock concerts.
When I arrived around 6 pm, Todd Agnew was performing. He mostly did worship music (his forte), and then gave a 20-minute talk before concluding with a few more songs, including his “Grace Like Rain” take on “Amazing Grace.”
Then the evening kicked into Christian rock mode, with Huntington University’s own Attaboy sandwiched between headliners Superchick and Switchfoot. All were good, and similar. As the sun set, hundreds of colorful glow rings were distributed. People wore them around necks and wrists and ankles, and as darkness descended, it made for quite a colorful sight as you looked over the crowd.
Switchfoot, as planned, took the stage around 9:30. An After Party was held in the Merillat Centre for the Arts at 11 pm, but I was long gone by then.
I appreciated Fandana’s emphasis on two causes: human trafficking, and child soldiers. Two Christian organizations which focus on these causes, TrafficJam.org and Project AK-47, were promoted throughout the event. The organization names were prominently displayed above the stage, the whole stage backdrop illustrated these causes, and an offering was taken on Friday night.
This was the inaugural Fandana Festival. For a first-time thing, it seemed (to me) to go amazingly well. HU plans to make it an annual event, and will announce next year’s dates soon. This is a great event to bring not just your youth group, but other adults who enjoy contemporary Christian music. The atmosphere is wholesome and fun, making Fandana a nice place to just hang out.
18 Aug Bailey’s Coffee Donates $300 from Fandana Proceeds
L-r: Jeff Berggren, HU senior vice president for enrollment management and marketing; Bobby Bailey, owner of Bailey’s Coffee; Dr. G. Blair Dowden, president of HU; and Steve Kimmel, executive director of the Huntington County Chamber of Commerce.
Bobby Bailey, owner of Bailey’s Coffee in Huntington, Ind., presented Huntington University today with a check for $300 to be used for student scholarships.
The donation was 20 percent of the proceeds from the Bailey’s Coffee booth at HU’s Fandana Festival on August. 11-12. The booth was set up at the main stage, and kept very busy throughout the evening concerts.
Bailey’s Coffee is located in Parkview Huntington Hospital and has been in operation for two years.
18 Aug Joint VBS, and a Clothing Give-Away
Al Carter, senior pastor of First UB (Columbus, Ohio)
First UB of Columbus, Ohio, just finished a joint venture Bible School with a Faith Community Alliance, a church plant that uses our facility on Sunday evenings. Well over 100 people participated each day for four days, Monday through Thursday.
First UB also had a free clothing give-away the previous week. We must have given out a ton of clothes to the poor and homeless in the area.
We are anticipating great things in the kingdom on the west side and throughout Columbus.
18 Aug Child Sponsorship in Haiti
Jeff with two of three children they support at Croix des Bouquets. The building was closed in using reliefs funds sent following the earthquake.
The Delmas 33 United Brethren school which was built with relief funds and now offers eight grades of schooling.
Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
I was in Haiti last week with four persons from the UB Church in Canada–Paul Plato, Joan Sider, Matt Robertshaw, and Audrey Fiederlein. We were able to discuss progress in Port Au Prince with Jackson Hiliare, former police commissioner for the capitol and husband of Elsa Hiliare, country coordinator for our partners CH Global.
Jackson and Elsa Hiliare
Murder, he told us, is at epidemic levels, along with rape and theft. However, aside from the issues of peace and order, the greatest priority is education. Tens of thousands of children were without education before the earthquake, but the attention the earthquake brought has allowed for many to begin attending school for the first time.
With the help of CH Global, we have opened three schools and have 180 children matched to sponsors in the US and Canada. However, another 76 who qualify for sponsorship are still not in school. We would like to expand our program to open schools at two more of our United Brethren churches in the near future.
For just $36 per month, a child with exceptional needs or a child at risk will receive care from early intervention through to young adulthood. CH Global will send you a photo with detailed information about your sponsored child, and an annual update on your child’s welfare and achievements.
You can read more about this child sponsorship program, along with ways to respond, on the UBGlobal.org website.
17 Aug Several Thousand Attend HU Fandana Festival
Todd Agnew began Fandana
Around 3000 people attended Fandana on Friday.
Superchick was a big hit.
The crowd included people of all ages in a family-friendly atmosphere.
There was face-painting for children.
Attaboy’s roots are with Huntington University
Steve Dennie, Communications Director
The Fandana Festival proved to be a huge success for Huntington University. The three-day festival, August 11-13, began on Thursday afternoon (August 11), led up to a big concert on Friday night, and concluded with a small worship service (for anyone still there) on Saturday morning.
The university estimates that up to 1500 people attended on Thursday, and over 3000 attended on Friday. Over 30 bands participated. The weather, both days, was gorgeous.
Where’d the name “Fandana” come from? It’s just a made-up, catchy word. But unofficially, I’m told, it means “good times, good fun, and good music at Huntington University.” That’s the image they want in people’s minds when they hear the word Fandana.
I previously wrote about my experience attending on Thursday. I returned on Friday for the evening concert at the outdoor “Red Stage,” set up on the soccer practice field, right along Route 24.
I enjoyed the music, but I was most taken by the family-friendly atmosphere. It wasn’t just teens and young adults. There were people of all ages–lots of older baby boomers, lots of young children (including a number of strollers), and everywhere in between. Remember: today’s 60-year-olds came of age during the 1960s; they grew up on rock music.
People brought their own chairs, or lay on blankets on the grass. The young-adult set thronged around the stage, standing up throughout the concert (that’s what young people do–that, and a lot of jumping). Children scampered around being children. People on the fringes threw frisbee rings. I didn’t see anyone smoking.
A bunch of rented inflatables were set up for kids. Just behind the sound booth, women in clown suits were face-painting children and drawing caricatures. Norm the Forester (the HU mascot) and the Star 88.3 mascot (a star, of course) wandered through the crowd. A few older folks sat their chairs clear back in the pine trees along the highway, far from the stage. But the sound level, in my opinion, was pretty tame compared to most rock concerts.
When I arrived around 6 pm, Todd Agnew was performing. He mostly did worship music (his forte), and then gave a 20-minute talk before concluding with a few more songs, including his “Grace Like Rain” take on “Amazing Grace.”
Then the evening kicked into Christian rock mode, with Huntington University’s own Attaboy sandwiched between headliners Superchick and Switchfoot. All were good, and similar. As the sun set, hundreds of colorful glow rings were distributed. People wore them around necks and wrists and ankles, and as darkness descended, it made for quite a colorful sight as you looked over the crowd.
Switchfoot, as planned, took the stage around 9:30. An After Party was held in the Merillat Centre for the Arts at 11 pm, but I was long gone by then.
I appreciated Fandana’s emphasis on two causes: human trafficking, and child soldiers. Two Christian organizations which focus on these causes, TrafficJam.org and Project AK-47, were promoted throughout the event. The organization names were prominently displayed above the stage, the whole stage backdrop illustrated these causes, and an offering was taken on Friday night.
This was the inaugural Fandana Festival. For a first-time thing, it seemed (to me) to go amazingly well. HU plans to make it an annual event, and will announce next year’s dates soon. This is a great event to bring not just your youth group, but other adults who enjoy contemporary Christian music. The atmosphere is wholesome and fun, making Fandana a nice place to just hang out.
15 Aug Delmas 33 and the First Haitian Conference
The Delmas 33 Church (click to enlarge)
The Delmas 33 church
Joan Sider, UB Church in Canada
In December 2006, just 4.5 short years ago, Delmas 33 church was birthed. A team from the United Brethren Church in Canada witnessed this event–a weekend of services with around 100 converts.
Since that time, this congregation has forged ahead, even though there have been several obstacles to overcome. A strong wind blew down their first hangar structure. An earthquake, while not destroying any part of the built church at that point, caused grief to every church member who lost loved ones or friends. Praise God, no members of the congregation were killed. Along with these, were the exorbitant prices for building materials.
August 5-7 saw this Delmas 33 church hosting the first-ever convention of all of our UB churches in Haiti. About 20 churches now come under the United Brethren in Christ banner. Attendance ranged from 450 to nearly 600 in the 7 services. Times of worship, outstanding music from several of the churches, excellent speakers (including Jeff Bleijerveld, the Director of Global Ministries), and good fellowship made for a very worthwhile time. The Canadian delegation felt privileged to be a part of this very special occasion.
Pastor Oliam Richard’s vision for a conference center has been realized. A school is on the property now thanks to our partnership with CH Global. About 180 children are sponsored, with about 75 waiting to become sponsored. Pastor Richard’s next goal is to see our own seminary using the center.
In December 2011, the 5th anniversary of the church will occur. God is good!
Continue to pray for our Haiti work and for Pastor Oliam Richard, who provides excellent leadership.
15 Aug Lake View Raises Over $1000 During VBS for Missions
VBS at Lake View Church (click to enlarge)
Lake View United Brethren Church (Camden, Mich.) hosted its Vacation Bible School July 24-28. The program is focused on children ages 4-12. Over 40 adult and teen volunteers were involved, leading such areas as crafts, games, Bible lessons, decorating, and nursery.
The highest attendance was 66 children in one night, with a total attendance of 72 children throughout the week. So our attendance each night with leaders and children was just over 100 people.
This year’s theme was Gold Rush. Each day the children dove into the gold mine of Scripture to hear about the precious truth of Jesus Christ! As songs were sung, fun games were played, amazing crafts were made, and even scrumptious snacks were eaten, the children heard how they could discover the true rock of ages.
Each year we collect a missions offering during our VBS. The children are encouraged to gather their change, find jobs to do for their families, and even invite the help of others to raise money. This year’s offering went to support United Brethren Global missions.
Their 2011 Children’s Project is focused on raising funds to purchase the medicines and supplies needed for medical teams, the treatment of children with AIDS, and those suffering from leprosy. Due to the generosity of our children, this year we raised a total of $1,026.05!