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17 Apr

April 17, 2007 |

Just when you think nothing could happen that would shock you, something happens that is a tremendous shock. Of course I am talking about the shootings at Virginia Tech. While I don’t know anyone who was shot, it still caused me a sense of great grief when I heard the news. We live in such a violent and depraved culture. My thoughts and prayers go out for the families and friends of those shot. I trust that you too will join me in praying for the families and friends as well as the administration and faculty of Virginia Tech.

Thank You!

12 Apr

April 12, 2007 |

Dave RahnDr. Dave Rahn, professor of youth ministries at Huntington University, has collaborated with Youth for Christ to create a series of materials for young adults focusing on how to build relationships with Jesus Christ and their friends.

The program, titled “3Story®,” was first introduced to students at the Youth for Christ DCLA conference in 2003 and 2006. DCLA is a conference that is held in both Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles for middle school and senior high students. The program proved to be effective and had many students asking how they could take the program back to their friends.

“‘3Story®’ is a way of understanding and seeing how we lean into key relationships that influence us,” said Rahn, “especially as we lean into the key relationship – a relationship with God.” Rahn and YFC took the curriculum from DCLA and polished it into a set of eight one-hour sessions. Each session is used mainly in a small-group setting and includes resources to stimulate discussions and support clips.

The “3Story®” curriculum, published by Zondervan and Youth Specialties, is available at YouthSpecialities.com and booksellers nationwide. The kit includes the two-disc curriculum course and five participant guides.

11 Apr

April 11, 2007 |

Cal Hodgon (right), pastor of Heritage UB church in Dansville, Mich., also plays basketball for the Lansing Capitals, a minor-league pro basketball team. Last weekend they played the Grand Rapids Fight, which boasts the world’s tallest basketball player–Sun Ming Ming of China at 7 feet, 9 inches. The online Daily Press and Argus published an article about the game, which included comments from Hodgson about Sun Ming Ming.

09 Apr

April 9, 2007 |

Registrations for the US National Conference now stand at 715, which is pretty incredible. Unfortunately, this means we outgrew the accommodations available at Sawmill Creek. However, a number of hotels are located within just a few miles, and we have secured rooms from several different hotels (two of which have their own waterparks!).

If you still need to register, contact Administrative Assistant Marsha Biard about lodging. The rates vary, depending on the motel.

Thus far, people from 123 of our 210 United States churches have registered (plus two churches in Canada).

A number of churches have either not submitted the National Church Covenant, have not submitted their 2006 report, or have not reported their election results.

09 Apr

April 9, 2007 |

Registrations for the US National Conference now stand at 715, which is pretty incredible. Unfortunately, this means we outgrew the accommodations available at Sawmill Creek. However, a number of hotels are located within just a few miles, and we have secured rooms from several different hotels (two of which have their own waterparks!).

If you still need to register, contact Administrative Assistant Marsha Biard about lodging. The rates vary, depending on the motel.

Thus far, people from 123 of our 210 United States churches have registered (plus two churches in Canada).

27 Mar

March 27, 2007 |

Tim and Tara Hallman are the parents of a new baby boy, their fourth child. Eli Martin was born at 12:40 am on Monday, March 26, weighing 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and 21 inches long. Everyone is doing fine. Tim Hallman is pastor of Anchor Community Church in Fort Wayne, Ind., and the son of longtime UB minister Gerald Hallman.

26 Mar

March 26, 2007 |

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Pictured are (first row, from left) Kaitlyn Coomer, Erika Waugh, Kristen Godby, Kelsey Reno, Steve Goss. (Second Row) Corina Donaldson, Billie Brooks, Shane Meyer, Elijah Williams, Kelly Herring. (Third Row) Tanner Kline, Chelsea Williams, Heather Wyckoff, Justin Clark Samantha Guerrette, Gary Brooks. (Back Row) Seth Tobias, Cody Joy, Shaylyn Allen, Natalie St. Clair and Jeremy Grove.

The West Pleasant Hill UB church of Rockbridge, Ohio, sponsored a 30 Hour Famine in which 21 teens representing ten different local churches participated. They joined approximately 500,000 teenagers nationwide, aiming to raise $12 million while getting a real taste of hunger as they helped feed and care for children living in extreme poverty around the world.

Now in it’s 16th year, World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine raises awareness and money to fight hunger overseas and in the United States.  During the 30 hours, participating teens go without food (consuming only liquids), learn about world hunger and poverty, and perform community service projects.

According to youth director and organizer Sheila Meyer, this group of teens was one of the greatest  to work with since starting this program at West Pleasant Hill about ten years ago. This local group boxed 10,750 pounds of food by working at the Southeastern Ohio Regional Food Center in Logan. They raised $3,080 in donations to send to World Vision. Every dollar raised is matched by U.S. Government grants, which give Famine donations raised in 2007 four times the effectiveness!

The entire congregation gets involved along with the teens and their families by holding a carry-in dinner at the end of the famine.

26 Mar

March 26, 2007 |

Gary Dilley, Director of Global Ministries, writes:

“Global Ministries set April 26 as the target date for Billy Simbo to leave for Sierra Leone and begin his role as the highest leader of our churches there. Billy is going as a United Brethren missionary and will serve for three years. He will work with 55 churches, many schools, the Mattru Hospital, and new church planting ventures.

“Billy will likely leave first. Mamei will finish dealing with some medical issues, and then will join her husband.

“We are at a critical time in Sierra Leone’s history, and believe, by faith, that God will raise up sufficient financial partners for their departure at that time. Their outgoing expenses have been funded, and they have partners for almost 50% of their monthly support. One-time gifts toward their monthly support are very helpful, as well.”

25 Mar

March 25, 2007 |

Registrations for the 2007 US National Conference have been streaming in continuously. Over 100 were added in the past week, bringing us up to 380 registrations as of Friday, March 23. Persons from 88 different UB churches (including one UB church in Canada) are now registered for the May 31 – June 3 conference in Huron, Ohio.

Of the registrants, 100 are ministers, and 70 are the spouses of ministers (there will be special workshops designed just for pastors’ wives). We also have 52 children registered.

March 15 was the deadline Bishop Ron Ramsey set for churches to return the National Church Covenant. As of March 23, 144 of the 209 possible churches had returned the covenant, so we’ve got a ways to go there. The Discipline calls for cluster leaders to organize congregational meetings in churches that have not returned the covenant by April 1, to determine if their intention is to not sign the covenant and withdraw from the denomination. If some other reason has prevented you from returning the covenant, please let the bishop know, so that time and effort isn’t wasted in organizing congregational meetings.

As of March 22, we were still waiting on election results from about 60 of our churches (the deadline for reporting was March 15). In addition, 44 pastors had not submitted their annual reports for 2006 (for this, the deadline was March 1).

We’re anticipating a superb experience at the US National Conference. It will be unlike any previous UB gathering, and certainly far different from any previous national conference or general conference. The early registration period lasts until April 1, after which registration rates go up $10.

23 Mar

March 23, 2007 |

Delmon was a sharp young man from one of our United Brethren churches in Haiti. For four years, he prayed for the chance to study for the ministry. He finally got that chance, and was able to enter Jamaica Bible College.

On March 22, Delmon underwent surgery for an aortic aneurysm, and the need to replace his aortic heart valve. Owen Gordon, President of Jamaica Bible College, informed us this morning that Delmon was unable to overcome the complications. He died last night.

Gary Dilley, Director of Global Ministries, writes, “I grieve the loss of sharp young guy preparing for leadership in the Haiti UB work, a person who very much loved Jesus.”