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03 Dec

December 3, 2008 |

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
It has often been said that timing is everything. We found that out as we planned for our first ever Global Ministries Homecoming.

We planned to bring all of our missionaries back to the United States for the US National Conference next June, and then keep them together for several more days. It would have been a wonderful event.

However, when we began our planning, we didn’t imagine the depth of the current economic downturn. In light of this, and the pressures both donors and local churches are facing (and will be facing), we have made the difficult decision to postpone the event until another National Conference year.

We realize this will disappoint the missionaries who planned to attend, the volunteers who were preparing to serve, and the conference delegates who anticipated the presence of our entire missionary force at the 2009 National Conference.
We have not entirely abandoned the concept. We have simply adjusted the timetable.

Missions Night will remain a key component at the upcoming National Conference and will feature a look at the past, a look at the present, and a look at the future of Global Ministries. Our presentation will provide a multimedia perspective of how God is using the Church of the United Brethren around the world to fulfill His global mandate and bring home the message that God is not finished – great days lie ahead!

We appreciate the efforts many have made to arrange schedules and initiate plans and preparations. We will be keeping all of the information that has been gathered which will give us a jump-start on planning in the future.

03 Dec

December 3, 2008 |

Brent and Sandie BirdsallBrent and Sandie Birdsall are well-known in United Brethren circles for their years as UB missionaries and in the UB pastorate. Brent is currently on staff with a non-UB church in Minnesota.

On Monday, Sandie was rushed to the hospital after she thought perhaps she was having a stroke. Tests revealed an aneurysm. She underwent surgery, but remains in serious condition.

03 Dec

December 3, 2008 |

Dale Miller has resigned as senior pastor of Montgomery UB church (Montgomery, Mich.), effective December 28, 2008. He writes, “After much time in prayer and seeking the will of God in our lives, I feel led by God to accept the call to ministry in another church.”

03 Dec

December 3, 2008 |

The Morning Sun, a news site serving central Michigan, published an article about Jim and Mary Jane Ogg, members of Brown Corners UB church in Clare, Mich. It tells about how church people ministered to them during Jim’s lengthy battle with heart problems (culminating in a heart transplant), including taking care of their cattle and crops. A nice example for us all.

03 Dec

December 3, 2008 |

Jeff Bleijerveld, Director of Global Ministries
I previously mentioned that we postponed the missionary homecoming, which we had planned for next summer. This is disappointing, because we were looking forward to gathering nearly all of our missionaries in one place at one time. 

But in light of the economic situation in the United States, we felt it was necessary. 

We were well along in our planning. Meeting place, accommodations and meals were in place. Volunteers were lined up. About two-thirds of the money we needed was committed (though not received). 

The next step was to reserve airline tickets. That was the point of no return. 

Finances are tight all around right now. We considered where our churches might be in another six months, and where Global Ministries might be. We felt we could raise enough money for the Homecoming. But was this a good time for asking churches to give above and beyond what they normally do, in order to help fund this major event? 

e didn’t know what churches will be facing by mid-2009. Would they end up “robbing Peter to pay Paul”? It didn’t seem appropriate to put this huge challenge before our churches at this time.

So, we made the call to put the Missionary Homecoming on hold. At the US National Conference, Saturday night will still focus on missions, and we’ll make it a very special evening. We just won’t have dozens of returned missionaries in attendance.

02 Dec

December 2, 2008 |

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
Yesterday, I asked you to consider the question, “Do I feel I have a shared ownership of the church I attend?”

I hope you wrestled with that question and did not easily fluff it off. It is an important question to ask. Your view of what happens at the church is based on your answer to this question. Today, I want to share a Scriptural defense of who truly owns and should control the agenda of the church.

The church belongs to…Jesus Christ.

  • He is the head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22).
  • He died for the Church (Romans 5:8; 1 Thess. 5:10).
  • He determines the gifts each person receives through His Spirit (1 Cor. 12:11).
  • He freely gives us all things we need (Romans 8:32; 2 Peter 1:3).
  • He is the Savior of the church (Ephesians 5:23).
  • He holds every church in His hands (Revelation 3:1).
  • He gives the mission to the church (Matthew 28:19, 20).

We could give many more proofs. But the point is made. It is HIS church. His blood bought it; His Word established it; His Spirit fills it.

So how much do you think about His ownership and seek His direction about what happens at your church?

On Thursday, we will finally look at how we can say, “This is my church.”

01 Dec

December 1, 2008 |

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries
I’ve been amazed to see so many people living in deception when it comes to their relationship with their own church. When disgruntlement raises its head, or when people resist change that will bring about greater effectiveness in fulfilling the mission of the church, it’s common to hear statements like these:

  • “But this is my church.”
  • “You’re not going to do that to my church.”

Generally, the term “my” implies not only identification with, but also ownership. My computer. My home. I own them. And I determine what happens with them.

There is the deception. Did you catch it? 

It is the same subtle deception Jesus spoke about in Luke 20. He tells a parable about a man who planted a vineyard, entrusted it to some farmers, and went away. He wanted to collect from his tenants and sent servants to do so. But they beat the servants and finally killed the owner’s son because they deceived themselves into thinking that they owned the vineyard. 

They worked it. They spent the time there. They kept the walls up. They watered it. How dare the owner try and take something from them!

So it is with churches. You can deceive yourself into thinking you can do with the church what you want because:

  • I am a member.
  • I have attended there for a long time.
  • I have given money to buy or build or pay off debts.
  • I have worked there for so long.
  • And no one has the authority or right to do anything without my permission. 

I want to take a couple installments to address ownership of the church and our proper relationship to the church.

To prepare, ask yourself these questions:

  • Do I feel I have a shared ownership of the church I attend?
  • Do I see my church as a place of shared responsibility to the Owner?

One last thought. Jesus looked right at the people and asked what they thought the owner would do to the tenants? He told them he would come, kill those tenants, and give the vineyard to others. The people responded, “May it never be.” 

I pray it won’t be so for any of us.

28 Nov

November 28, 2008 |

Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries

Many of our churches spend thousands of dollars each year to make trips to other countries to experience ministry in a different culture. We encourage that ministry and those partnerships.  

But I would like to suggest that there are some other options that will accomplish similar ministry objectives.  

  • Why not consider sending some youth and adults to minister with Pastor Rubenia Bomatay and her Hispanic folks in Jamaica Plain, Mass.?
  • Our New York cluster group gives you Jamaican, Chinese, and Sierra Leonean options. Last year, Todd Yoder, youth pastor at Jerusalem Chapel (Churchville, Va.), took a group to work with our Bethel church in Yonkers, NY. Call and ask him what that experience did for their youth.

26 Nov

November 26, 2008 |

Randy and Toni Fennig have been in Sierra Leone for two months now. However, their shipping container has been stuck at the port, awaiting release by the government authorities.

The container includes a tractor. This week, Randy was told that in order to process the contents of the container, they need the tractor’s vehicle identification number. Since the tractor is packed at the back of the container, they’ll need to unload the entire container. That means placing the contents out on the dock, with lots of people milling around, until they can reach the tractor.

So that’s a concern. Pray that the container can get processed quickly, and that the Fennigs will receive everything they packed.