(260) 356-2312

UB.orgUBGlobal.orgChurch Search

18 Sep

September 18, 2009 |

Harold Wust passed away early Thursday morning, September 17. He had been battling a final attack of leukemia and had been home with family for the past few days.

Harold served as a missionary in Honduras for many years, and later as Associate Director of Missions for the denomination. His son Dan and daughter Lynn Razor have also served as missionaries in Honduras.

Here are the arrangements:

Visitation: Sunday, September 20, at Myers Funeral Home in Huntington, Ind.
Time: 2-4 pm and 6-8 pm.
Funeral service: Monday, September 21, at Good Shepherd UB church in Huntington, Ind.
Time: 2 pm, with visitation one hour before the service.

17 Sep

September 17, 2009 |

Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse recently visited Iraq and reports the following.

“You may seen stories about the recent wave of bombings, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Iraqi believers are living in constant fear of violent persecution. Extremists have used the most vicious tactics in their attempt to destroy the Church of Jesus Christ, including the brutalizing of women and children. Recent military and political gains in the country have not brought security. In fact, the threat to the Iraqi church has never been greater.” He goes on the share that more than 50 churches have been bombed since 2004.

15 Sep

September 15, 2009 |

The only reason Rafa attended church was to, as thieves put it, “case the joint.” His drug addiction demanded a constant supply of money, and he had heard that the local Hermanos Unidos en Cristo Church on the outskirts of San Jose, Costa Rica, had an expensive sound system.

As he entered the church, he was immediately greeted by people who seemed genuinely concerned for him. Most of his life, he had a growth on his neck that was then the size of a football, drawing stares and greatly affecting his self-image. However, no one at the church seemed to notice.

Within a few days, Pastor Erik Rojas visited with him. He too seemed genuinely concerned for Rafa, and the following Sunday he decided to attend the church’s services again. Within a few months, Rafa gave his heart to Jesus. The thief met the Savior at the cross.

Within months after Rafa’s conversion, the congregation raised money to pay for the expensive surgery to remove the tumor that had been such a burden through the years. Rafa was told by the surgeon that he could lose his ability to speak as a result of the procedure. However, the church prayed, and his voice was spared.

“I know that God spared my voice for a reason,” Rafa told me. “Now I’m using my voice to testify to the Lord’s mercy, and I’ve committed my life to proclaim the gospel.”

14 Sep

September 14, 2009 |

Dave Knittle from Spencerville, Ohio, was killed in a motorcycle/car accident Friday morning, September 11, on his way to work. Dave is the son of retired minister Carey Knittle, a longtime pastor in the United Brethren church. Dave’s sister is Amy Riddle, wife of Dave Riddle, who has been pastor of Element UB church in Blissfield, Mich. Dave Knittle’s son is in the military in Colorado and has been ill. The entire family would appreciate your prayers.

14 Sep

September 14, 2009 |

Each year we start out with 52 weekends where we have the opportunity to gather with other believers and seekers. We get the chance to show off our God and to bring glory to him. Those 52 weekends seemed to crawl along when I was young, but now they race by with increasing speed.

I want to encourage each of our churches to take a good look at your worship services and to do all that you can to maximize their effectiveness. There is no such thing as a throw-away Sunday.  We only have 52. Somebody might only come into your church once. Make sure that you have prayed like it is the last service you might have. Eternal destinies are at stake.

It is not all on our shoulders. But it is imperative that we do our part to pray, plan, and strategize about what you are doing on the weekend. Then trust God and leave the results in his hand. It is an amazing partnership that God allows us to be a part of. To join united with the Spirit of God to see lives transformed by the gospel.

11 Sep

September 11, 2009 |

I’m in Chicago attending MinistryCOM, an annual conference for Christian communications professionals. Nearly everyone is on staff at a megachurch. They are a tech-savvy bunch. They carry laptops, consult smartphones, use Twitter and Facebook, write and read blogs. Very connected. And highly competent.

This is my fourth year attending MinistryCOM. I always learn valuable stuff.

Yesterday I attended the “Branding 101” workshop, something they do every year. The topic of branding crops up constantly. Large churches focus a lot of attention on their brand identity–how they are perceived, and the experience people have in attending. This was my third time attending Branding 101. Today, it was led by two guys from CHANGEffect, a Christian firm based in Chicago. They hit the subject from some new angles.

Here’s one thought I found interesting. It concerns our consumer mentality.

They said we often present Christ as a transaction–you accept Christ, you get a ticket to heaven. But we shouldn’t be surprised, then, that so many of our people take the attitude, “What does the church do for me?”

Isn’t that true? Our pews are filled with folks who just take take take, and if they don’t like the meal you provide, they complain. Like people griping because their steak is medium and they asked for medium well.

Rather than view themselves as consumers, people need to understand that they are becoming part of a movement. They need to view themselves as citizens, rather than as consumers. They are citizens of a community to which they belong, and in which they have responsibilities.

In your church, do you have consumers or citizens?

They also cited several trends in society which churches need to adapt to. Let me mention two of them.

  • We need to move from products to experiences. Products meet needs. Experiences fulfill desires. What are people experiencing at your church? To reach younger generations, you need to provide a total experience, not just a collection of well-done elements.
  • From communication to dialogue. Communication involves telling. Dialogue is sharing; it’s two-way. When people attend your church, are they just sitting there watching the show, or is there interaction?

10 Sep

September 10, 2009 |

During a recent trip to the Orient, I was struck by how much consumerism is taking over modern Asian society. I noted this during “free talk” sessions with teachers. You might say they are chasing the American Dream–pursuing a good education, to get into a prestigious college, to land get a high-paying job, to buy a big house, with the end goal of having a happy life. Perhaps it was their honesty and transparency that made the greatest impression, since I tend to hide my personal ambitions for much the same in my life.

Speaking to the insecurity of the human situation, missionary and author Alan Hirsch writes in The Forgotten Ways:

“It was Jesus who said ‘So do not worry’, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:31-31).

“Consumerism is thoroughly pagan. Pagans run after these things. Seen in this light, ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Extreme Makeover, Big Brother’, and other lifestyle shows are of the most pagan, and paganizing, shows on TV. Even the perennial favorites about renovating the house paganize us, because they focus us on that which so easily enslaves us. In these the banality of consumerism reaches a climax as we are sold the lie that the thing that will complete us is a new kitchen or a house addition, whereas in fact they only add more stress to our mortgages and our families.”

In their groundbreaking book Affluenza: When Too Much Is Never Enough, economists Hamilton and Dennis detailed how having more than ever before has made us unhappier than ever before.

May the Lord not only help our Chinese friends recognize what brings lasting peace and contentment, but help us do the same.

09 Sep

September 9, 2009 |

2009_04PhilippinesBaptism500.jpg

2009_04_RevLimPreaching500.jpg

The bottom picture shows Rev. Prudencio Lim, superintendent of the United Brethren Philippines Conference, speaking to some of his people. In the Batangas province, they baptized 25 people on Holy Thursday last April. Notice the setting–a very public place. That photo should inspire.

08 Sep

September 8, 2009 |

martinez_guillermo150.jpgMarilyn Reeck, UB endorsed missionary serving in Honduras, sent an email Sunday about the declining health of Guillermo Martinez, former superintendent of our work in Nicaragua. Rev. Martinez, a native of El Salvador, was a highly respected UB pastor in Honduras for many years. When the Soccer War broke out in 1969 between Honduras and El Salvador, he was imprisoned in Honduras. After the war, he couldn’t stay in Honduras, but neither could he return to El Salvador with his Honduran wife. So he agreed to go to Nicaragua, where a United Brethren work was in the beginning stages. He led the UB church there for many years.

Don Guillermo has not been well for some time now, has problems walking, and has become very thin. He is now 83 years old, and over the last few months has been in the hospital several times.

On Saturday it was confirmed that he has stomach cancer. Dr. Saul Hernandez took him yesterday to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, to see a Christian oncologist. He confirmed the diagnosis and stated that he has to be operated on immediately. He would need to be taken back to San Pedro Sula again.

Three of his children live here in La Ceiba, one lives in Managua, and one lives in Guatemala.

Plese pray for the Martinez family, for seeking wisdom about the operation, and for the finances. The family, including the church family, have been supporting all these many months but the situation has become very difficult.

I personally remember Don Guillermo from away back when he first came to La Ceiba and became a pastor with the United Brethren, his wedding, and his move to Masaya, Nicaragua to start the work there. He served as Superintendent of the Nicaragua work for many years. My memories are of a great man of God. Each time I visit him now he says, “I prayed for you today.”

08 Sep

September 8, 2009 |

geer_valerie200.jpgHuntington University’s newly launched  Institute for TESOL Studies has hired Valerie Geer as associate director. TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages.

“TESOL is a very specific field of study, complete with its own set of approaches and methodologies,” Geer said. “People might mistakenly think that, by virtue of speaking English natively, they can competently teach English to others. This is not the case. Huntington University’s Institute for TESOL Studies is offering a valuable training tool for many types of students and majors who might find themselves interacting with ELLs (English Language Learners).”

In her new position, Geer has designed courses for the TESOL/English as a New Language (ENL) programs and selected textbooks and library holdings related to the TESOL field. Her other tasks will include raising awareness about the institute, networking with organizations and agencies that work with ENL populations, communicating with current and prospective students, and teaching the Foundations of TESOL course.

(more…)