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21 Apr

April 21, 2011 |

This video features a number of volunteer opportunities for Honduras, Nicaragua and Poland in 2011. The Honduras medical trip is filled, but opportunities for Nicaragua and Poland remain. This video, which runs 4:46, was part of the quarterly Mission Moments DVD sent to all UB churches earlier in the year. Each Mission Moments DVD includes four short videos for use in UB churches. All of the Missions Moments videos can be viewed on the Global Ministries site.

21 Apr

April 21, 2011 |

Bill Fetrow, a former United Brethren endorsed missionary, passed away during the night of April 20 at a hospice home in Huntington, Ind. He had been diagnosed in early March with bladder cancer. Bill and his wife, Ann, served in Papua New Guinea with Wycliffe Bible Translators. They have been living in Huntington, Ind., and attending College Park UB church.

20 Apr

April 20, 2011 |

On Palm Sunday, April 17, the children’s and youth ministry teams from Lancaster UB church (Lancaster, Ohio) portrayed the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem using a live “mini” donkey during the morning service.  The narration was from the donkey’s perspective:  how the lowest of beasts was chosen to carry the King of Kings!  Pictured are Samantha Ashton, Children’s Ministry Director Ryan Voight, and Hunter Bashore….oh, and Bunny, the donkey!

20 Apr

April 20, 2011 |

Clockwise from left: Rubenia Bomatay, Phil Whipple, Geraldo Bomatay, Jeraldina Bomatay.

Bishop Phil and Sandy Whipple have been in the northeast, and today fly to Florida to attend the Exponential conference on church planting. On Tuesday, April 19, they were in the Boston area. He sent this note:

“On Tuesday we met with the Bomatay family. Rubenia and her husband, Geraldo, work side by side pastoring the Iglesia Reformada Emanuel Church in Jamaica Plain, Mass. Jeraldina, their daugther, leads the youth work in the church. They have a variety of outreaches into their community including meals that help those around the church, and health clinics to meet basic needs and to raise awareness of health issues. We had a great time of sharing together.”

18 Apr

April 18, 2011 |
Bishop Phil Whipple with Linton and Michelle Thomas of First UB in the Bronx.

Bishop Phil Whipple with Linton and Michelle Thomas of First UB in the Bronx.

Phil Whipple, Bishop

Yesterday, April 17, Sandy and I attended First UB Church in the Bronx, a Jamaican congregation. It was pastor’s appreciation day. The church had quite a program to honor Pastor Linton Thomas and his family. Many gave a tribute to him. He was also given the Logos Bible software and reservations for a two-day get-away for Linton and Michelle.

The sanctuary was packed, and the children were upstairs because there wasn’t room for them. I had the opportunity to preach, with a meal afterwards. We started at 11:15 and left around 4 pm. It was a great and meaningful day.

18 Apr

April 18, 2011 |

Bishop Phil Whipple (right) with Jon Christophel, pastor of Brooklyn Park UB in Baltimore, Md.

Bishop Whipple and Edner Antoine, pastor of God's Church by the Faith in Philadelphia, Pa.

Bishop Whipple and Edner Antoine, pastor of God's Church by the Faith in Philadelphia, Pa.

Bishop Whipple (right) with leaders from God's Church by the Faith.

The building used by God's Church by the Faith is a former Episcopal church. Can you tell? (Click to enlarge. Get a good look at this amazing place.)

Phil Whipple, Bishop

Bishop Phil Whipple and his wife, Sandy, are on the road for a few weeks visiting churches in the east and then heading to Florida for the annual Youth Leaders Summit. Here are some notes from the first couple days of the trip, which started last Wednesday, April 13.

We spent the first day of our trip in Baltimore, Md., at the Brooklyn Park Church. We spent a couple of hours with John Christophel, the pastor, and then shared a meal with the people at the church. Sandy and I had a Maryland crab cake which was quite good. Then I shared  for a little bit with all of them.

We then drove up to Philadelphia and met Edner Antoine and his wife and a couple of laymen from God’s Church by the Faith, and toured their building. They bought a former Espiscopal Church. It is quite ornate, and they have done a great job cleaning it up and making it usable.

We went out to eat with Edner and his wife and one of the laymen. Then we came back around 9 p.m. with a Bible study in full swing. I was asked to speak to the group.

It was a great beginning to our trip.

17 Apr

April 17, 2011 |

John Cole, pastor of Park UB in Bluffton, Ind., leads training for the Monroe Cluster. (Click to enlarge)

The Monroe Cluster (Indiana) held its second Leadership Development Day on April 9. John Cole, pastor of Park UB church in Bluffton, Ind., led the training for the 17 people attending. Cluster meetings are designed for senior pastors, but in this case, they’ve been inviting laypersons to participate in the training.

“When I arrived in Bluffton in August 2010,” says John, “I started talking to Troy Green, our cluster leader, about extending the cluster experience beyond pastors and into the churches more. We also talked about leadership development being a significant addition to the great teaching we already get through the video lessons.

“During our fall meetings, I began introducing the group to the Habitudes series from Dr. Tim Elmore of Growing Leaders. I received training in that back in 2008 at the Train the Trainer seminars held in Huntington, Ind. The cluster liked the idea, and we decided on a quarterly training day to invite the leaders from our churches so they could interact and share ideas around the leadership principles I would be teaching about.

“So far, we have had 15-20 from the Park, Monroe, and Praise Point churches attend the two meetings, and some great discussion has come out of it. We are looking forward to continuing this and seeing it expand.”

15 Apr

April 15, 2011 |

Global Ministries is planning a baseball-themed mission trip to Nicaragua in January 2012. We want to use baseball to build relationships and share Christ.

We’re putting together a team of high-level players who will compete against teams in Nicaragua’s National League during January, their “spring training” time. We’ll practice with various clubs, conduct baseball clinics in some smaller villages, and play games in stadiums. During the games, we’ll invite everyone to an event where players can share their testimonies.

We need players (minimum of 6) and coaches to make this experience happen.

When: January 2012. The trip will last 11-13 days. Final dates will be determined in early August 2011.

Who: Collegiate level baseball players, current or former.

Cost: Airfare + $700. This includes lodging in Granada at a beautiful vacation home, transportation in Nicaragua, food, home/away uniforms, other equipment, and something fun (basically everything!). Homeruns sold separately.

Next Steps: Please email Jeff Dice to indicate you are interested and to get any questions answered. Deadline is August 1, 2011.

13 Apr

April 13, 2011 |

Beginning in the fall of 2011, the EXCEL Adult Degree Programs at Huntington University will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing.

The new degree program will be available at EXCEL’s onsite campuses in Huntington and Columbia City, Ind. The program will include several courses unique to the marketing major, including advertising and salesmanship, digital marketing, public relations and social media, market research, and graphic design for marketing.

Classes are enrolling now. For more information, call 800-600-4888 or visit huntington.edu/EXCEL.

EXCEL offers online and evening classes tailored to the schedule of working adults. Onsite classes are held one night per week, one subject at a time in Huntington, Columbia City, and Wabash, Ind. Classes last 5-8 weeks and lead to an associate degree in organizational management or Christian ministry. Bachelor’s degrees in accounting, business administration, human resource management, not-for-profit leadership or nursing (RN to BSN) are also available in this adult-friendly format.

13 Apr

April 13, 2011 |

Juanita Chavez (right), superintendent of Honduras Conference, sent this report on the work in Honduras.

As we enter the fourth month of 2011, we are busy with a number of ministry opportunties within and outside of La Ceiba, and also with administrative changes.

We have a new computer program for students a the Bethel school, which we are very excited about. We have also initiated a cooperative project which will benefit the entire Honduran Conference. We opened Bethel Bookstore to the public, offering Bibles and Christian literature, and study manuals for our own UB people, to churches of different denominations, and of course the general public.

We’ve visited many churches, sharing seminars in various districts to the pastors and church leadership. On April 1-2, we had another workshop with our brother Abdiel here in La Ceiba (Focusing Your Ministry Around the Word). In all, we served 60 pastors.

On April 3 we were in Puerto Cortes. The church had asked to separate from the denomination, but now asked us to receive them again. There was a very special atmosphere and the Lord was a great help and blessing. God is so good.

During the months of January, February and March, we had work groups from the United States in Lucinda, Olanchito, and at the Retreat Center just outside of La Ceiba.

We are setting aside days of prayer for our country.