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08 Oct

October 8, 2009 |

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Donna Hollopeter and I met over lunch today with United Brethren international students attending Huntington University.  Present were (l-r): Jeff Berggren (Vice President of Enrollment Management & Marketing), Katie and Bryce Razor (MK – Honduras), Minkailu Mambu (Sierra Leone), Donna Hollopeter (Global Ministries), Josue Rivera (Honduras), Alejandra Gomez (Honduras), Tena-Shay Stewart ((Jamaica), Chevonne Shaw (Jamaica), Raquel Hernandez (Honduras), Jeff Bleijerveld (Global Ministries), Mitsuzi Stone (Jamaica), Rachel Weber (MK – Ecuador),  Absent: Gaynel Mullings (Jamaica), Jason Bleijerveld (MK – Spain), Gloria Bonilla (Honduras).

07 Oct

October 7, 2009 |

sites_annetteAnnette Sites, Jerusalem Chapel (Churchville, Va.)

There is a curve in a road in the middle of nowhere going toward Paradise–Oregon, that is. That curve and 100 other curves on a winding highway is known to the locals as Rattlesnake Grade. What makes this grade one of memory for me is two-fold.

  1. First, there are no guard rails. If your car veers a bit too far to the right, you’ll just plummet into the valley below.
  2. Secondly, this winding mountain road saved our marriage. Well, actually, my husband was wise enough to use this rattlesnake to get my attention!

Driving toward Paradise early in our married years, we knew we were nearing a place of peace and solace for a day away from the pressures of life and ministry. My husband would be looking forward to some time with the elk, deer, or bear who roamed the nearby mountains, and I was thrilled to have some time with my husband. As a busy pastor, he was often gone long hours while I stayed hom caring for our two daughters, both under the age of two. A day off together brought the promise of family time, connectedness, and adventure!

I’m not quite sure which particular curve on Rattlesnake Grade was the special spot, but one day as I was enjoying sharing my joys and woes, my husband sweetly turned to me and said, “I don’t mean this bad, but that’s all for church talk. I need to clear my mind so I can relax.”

I’d like to tell you that I just as sweetly replied, “Yes, dear!” But, no. I got my feelings hurt and maybe let a single tear escape. While trying to be strong and understand, I buttoned my lip, but soon found myself trying to find something else to talk about. The problem: much of my life revolved around things related to the church. My social life was at the church, my friends were at the church, even some of my co-workers went to the church. It soon became clear to us both that other than our kids, I had a hard time coming up with things to talk about with my husband that weren’t somehow interwoven with ministry.

With my husband’s gracious patience, I have learned when to shut off the “chatter valve” and when to just sit quietly and enjoy his company. It continues to be a challenge, however. For the past 19 years, I’ve been employed in the church office and also serve within the church leadership. Our friends, our church family, ministry issues, and church office items mix and mingle daily.

While not every couple has quite these same dynamics, there are similarities for any couple who work beside each other in ministry. When you live with the one who oversees you–whether in a volunteer position or as an employee–healthy boundaries set together will help to prevent ministry overload. Honest–and kind–dialogue is essential.

The perk to working and living with your boss is the flexibility. Today, my husband and I are traveling up I-81 to visit family for two birthday celebrations. While secluded with each other for hours of travel time, we made prior arrangements to bring along some work. Our car will become the church office, and my husband will become my boss. Decisions will be made and controversies brought to a conclusion.

Even though we’ll not be winding our way down a curvy mountain road, I have no doubt that at some point in our travels I will hear the words, “Okay, I’m done with business now. Alright?” With that, I’ll put my files away, take a deep breath, and by God’s grace switch gears from being an employee and co-laborer in ministry to a wife, mom, and daughter-in-law. What a great day for a birthday celebration and a little “peace of paradise!”

06 Oct

October 6, 2009 |

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Although there is tremendous uncertainty regarding the political situation in Honduras, one thing is clear: people need the Lord. On September 19, Honduras Conference gathered 67 pastors and 15 lay leaders for an evangelism training event. The training focused specifically on using the Bible in an evangelistic presentation, whether formal or informal. The materials were enthusiastically received and carried back to their local churches so others can be trained.

06 Oct

October 6, 2009 |
  • Gordon Kettel has resigned as pastor of Imagine This LLL, the church in Grand Ledge, Mich., which he started several years ago. Roy Atherton is serving as interim pastor.
  • Mark Ralph has resigned as senior pastor of Sunfield UB church (Sunfield, Mich.), effective October 1. He had been Sunfield’s senior pastor since 1997. Bishop Phil Whipple is working with cluster leader J. Michael Caley and the congregation to find a new senior pastor. In the meantime, George Speas, a retired UB minister, is serving as interim pastor.

06 Oct

October 6, 2009 |

jonamberherron275.jpgJonathan Herron has been named senior pastor of Colwood UB Church (Caro, Mich.) effective September 27, 2009. He takes the place of Phil Whipple, who was elected bishop in June.

Jonathan holds a degree in Theater from Columbia College, and a Masters in Evangelism/Missions from Ashland Theological Seminary (2002). He also studied improv comedy for two years under Tina Fey at the Second City Training Center.

Jonathan’s ministry experience includes being a youth pastor at three churches (including NewSpring Church in Anderson, SC, one of the fastest-growing churches in the country), and speaking at youth conferences since 2002. Most recently, he was founding pastor of Catalyst Church in Kent, Ohio. He writes a blog at: http://www.jonathanherron.typepad.com

Jon and Amber Herron have been married for ten years. Amber holds a Masters in Clinical Counseling from Ashland Theological Seminary (2002). They have a two-year-old son, Josiah.

02 Oct

October 2, 2009 |

The mission that Jesus gave to us was quite clear and simple.

  • He told his church to go and make disciples.
  • As we do that, we would teach those disciples the commands of Christ, which are summed up in loving God with all our heart and loving others.
  • Then, to make sure that the testimony of our lives is seen to all, we would baptize that new disciple in the name of the Father, the Son and the Spirit.

You have heard it before, but the beauty of it to me has never changed.

It was my privilege to attend a conference with about 55 denominational executives who are on the same page about the mission. We met September 14-16 in Nashville, where we:

  • Shared stories of how our God is working through our churches to make new disciples.
  • Discussed strategies for being more effective in reaching out to a lost and dying world.
  • Prayed together that we would remain faithful and fruitful in accomplishing this mission.
  • Reaffirmed that Christ had clearly told us that the gates of hell would not hold back the church of Jesus Christ.

The one thing that we did NOT talk about was changing the mission.

So I want to encourage each of you to stay focused on the mission Christ has placed before us. Let’s recognize the opportunities to push back the darkness and  bring the light of Christ into a broken and hurting world. Let’s together assault the gates of hell.

30 Sep

September 30, 2009 |

Nate Perry, Assistant Director of Enrollment, Huntington University

For high schoolers, the college search process shifts into high gear during their senior year. Here is what your students need to be doing.

Narrow your search to 3-5 schools. Apply to each of them, noting application deadlines and fee waivers (Huntington University waives the application fee of $20 if you apply and visit before December 1 of your senior year).

September: Complete applications. Schedule SAT/ACT tests and send scores to your 3-5 schools.

October-December: Work on applications for outside scholarships (check fastweb.com) and institutional scholarships. Visit these campuses again and ask to stay overnight in the residence halls to get the experience of residence life.

January: Start working on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For Indiana residents, you MUST have this completed by March 10 to qualify for state grants. Retake SAT/ACT and resend to 3-5 choice schools.

February-March: Finalize FAFSA and submit to schools (each have a specific code like 001803).

April-May: Await financial aid award letter from schools to arrive in mailbox.  Compare each of them and decide what’s going to be the best value (noting that each school has something different to offer and that the investment won’t be identical). Be aware of any student deposit deadlines. At Huntington University, the student deposit is $100 and is required before a student can register for classes.

June-July: Attend Registration Weekend and sign up for classes.

August: Make multiple Wal-Mart runs to purchase all those goodies for college (bean bag chair, desk supplies, desk calendar, and laundry soap!).

29 Sep

September 29, 2009 |

Nate Perry, Assistant Director of Enrollment, Huntington University

Students in your church should be thinking about college throughout high school. Here are some ways your high schoolers can begin the college search process before their senior year.

Freshman Year
Push yourself to get good grades while taking challenging courses. Work towards the Core40 diploma or Honors to better prepare for college work.

Sophomore Year
Start to search for colleges via the web and also attend college fairs. Sign up to receive mailings and information from colleges. There are over 4000 colleges/universities in the country!

Junior Year
Start visiting campuses. Pick 6-8 schools to visit. Contact the school to plan your visit. Ask to meet with an admissions representative, sit in on a class, have a campus tour, and eat lunch in the dining commons (this is important, right?).

How do you pick which schools to visit? Some factors to consider are:

  • Majors they offer.
  • Distance from home.
  • Friends who might attend.
  • Association with your church’s denomination.
  • Strong reputation.

Keep an eye/ear out for those colleges/universities that visit your high school. Set up a time to meet with the college rep.

Take the SAT/ACT test and send the scores to the 6-8 schools you visited.

The senior year gets real hectic. I’ll talk about that tomorrow.

28 Sep

September 28, 2009 |

Here are some precautions churches can take regarding the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. These ideas have been gathered from here and there.

  • Encourage people to get a flu shot, and make people aware of where they can get one. Offer church funds to pay for flu shots. 
  • Make sure church staffmembers get vaccinated.
  • Encourage people to stay home if they are sick, if they feel like they might be getting sick, and for a couple days after they’ve had the flu. Encourage children with ill household members to stay home.
  • Take extra precautions with at risk populations: anyone under age 24, and especially children under 5.
  • Be very strict with nursery workers, since infants are at greatest risk. If an adult has had the flu recently or been exposed to persons with the flu, find someone else to serve in the nursery. You might require that nursery workers be vaccinated.
  • Churches might want to take extra care in cleaning areas where people congregate–sanctuary, lobby, children’s area.
  • Place hand sanitizer in high-traffic areas for public use.
  • Announce a temporary alternative to handshaking, like just saying hello, giving a little hand-wave, nod, or bow. Don’t feel obligated to shake hands or give a hug. If you have a greeting time during the service, don’t force people into this by saying, “Shake hands with three people you don’t know.” Provide a substitute greeting.
  • If you do shake hands with people at church, be sure to wash your hands afterwards (good advice even when it’s not flu season).
  • Have ushers, children’s workers, and persons serving communion use hand sanitizer.
  • Encourage people to cover a cough or sneeze. Use your elbow or shoulder instead of your hands when a tissue or handkerchief isn’t available.
  • Some frequently-touched areas to clean with an alcohol-based cleaner: doorknobs, desks, counters, keyboards, lightswitches, crash bars, drinking fountains, bathroom levers and knobs, toys, potluck utensils, refrigerator handles, remote controls.
  • Some churches have announced that pastors will, for the time being, no longer shake hands with parishioners after the service, and have done away with holding hands while singing, reciting the Lord’s Prayer, etc.

25 Sep

September 25, 2009 |

Ron and EJ Ramsey are closing on a house today. It’s located in southeast Fort Wayne in a development near the intersection of Covington Road and West County Line Road. They hope to get possession by September 30, do some painting, then get moved by October 15.

They previously had two houses that they thought were a “go,” but they fell through. Very frustrating for them.

Of this house, Ron writes, “We feel blessed to be able to have such a home. It is only 5 years old and has been very well taken care of. So we are in sorting and packing mode right now.”