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Jeff Dice, associate pastor at Brown Corners Church in Clare, Mich., will lead his third short-term team to Nicaragua June 9-19. This is part of Brown Corners’ ongoing partnership with that country. The team will do several small construction projects, some cultural outreach activities, and Bible training. Jeff would like to invite individuals from other churches to join the team. Interested? Call him at 989-386-2702, or send an email to Jeff Dice.
UB Global Ministries is making available two new DVDs which focus on what God is doing around the world in the UB church.
You can obtain a copy of these DVDs for your church by contact Global Ministries in these ways:
Toll-free Phone: 1-888-622-3019
Email: missions@ub.org
The Huntington University men’s basketball team has reached the Final Four of the NAIA national tournament in Branson, Missouri. The entered the tourney as the number 2 seed, and the number 1 seed has already bowed out.
The Foresters defeated #10 Morningside (Iowa) on Saturday, March11, to reach the Final Four. They trailed most of the first half, but overcame a five-point half-time deficit to eventually win 82-70.
The tournament continues at 6:00 p.m. (CST) on Monday, March 13, as Huntington faces MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) (25-10) in the semifinals. The game will be broadcast live from Branson by Huntington University Radio WQHU 105.5 FM. MidAmerica is the only unseeded team to reach the Final Four. The other two teams left in the tournament are 4th-seed College of the Ozards (27-6) and 8th-seed Lindenwood Univeristy (26-9). HU’s season record is 31-5.
Ron Ramsey, Bishop
Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries, reporting to the Executive Leadership Team
During the past few weeks, we’ve had a lot of meetings–the Global Ministries Leadership Team, the Healthy Church Leadership Team, the Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team, and finally, the Executive Leadership Team. The ELT met March 6-7 at the United Brethren Headquarters in Huntington, Ind. I presented a written report covering my first six months in office, August 15, 2005, to February 28, 2006. Here are excerpts which might interest you.
These first 6 months were spent generally:
The transition has gone well. There are always some bumps and surprises along the way, but all in all it was a good initial beginning. Pat Jones and I have formed a solid team and positive working relationship. Along with Gary Dilley, Steve Dennie, and Marci Hammel, we have a strong administrative team in place. Adding Tom Blaylock as a part time Director of Church Multiplication was a good decision and we will see benefits from that decision.
The Huntington University men’s basketball team is ranked second in the national in the NAIA Division II, with a 28-5 record. They are now in Branson, Missouri, for the national tournament, and were given the number 2 seed. The top seed went to Embry Riddle, a Florida college, with a 30-2 record.
The Foresters will play their first game on Thursday, March 8, against Fisher College (16-14) of Boston, Mass. The game begins at 4 pm, and can be heard over the internet on HU’s radio station, WQHU. Go here for the link.
The Foresters are led by Alex Kock, MCC co-player of the year, who averages just under 21 points per game. Kyle Ganton leads the Division II in 3-point field goal percentage at 51%, and averages 18 points per game. Both are juniors. HU enters the tournament with the best team free throw percentage in Division II, at 78.6%.
On February 28, HU squared off against 8th-ranked Taylor University for the Mid-Central Conference championship, and won easily, 68-44. The photo on the right was taken after that victory.
Pat Jones, Director of Healthy Church Ministries, reporting to the Executive Leadership Team
The Executive Leadership Team met March 6-7 at the United Brethren Headquarters in Huntington, Ind. Bishop Ron Ramsey presented his report covering his first six months in office, August 15-2005 to February 28, 2006. Here are excerpts:
These first 6 months were spent generally:
The transition has gone well. There are always some bumps and surprises along the way, but all in all it was a good initial beginning. Pat Jones and I have formed a solid team and positive working relationship. Along with Gary Dilley, Steve Dennie, and Marci Hammel, we have a strong administrative team in place. Adding Tom Blaylock as a part time Director of Church Multiplication was a good decision and we will see benefits from that decision.
The Fall 2005 HTV News team
Every Thursday, Huntington University’s HTV airs a news broadcast which focuses on happenings at the university. You can now view those broadcasts via the internet if you have the free Quicktime 7 player installed, and can even download the video clips. The news program is written, directed,produced, and performed by HU students.
HTV News recently won first-place for TV Studio Production from the Intercollegiate National Religious Broadcasters. The station’s website, HTVNews.net, also won first place for Web Site Content and Design. HU placed in five of the 11 categories in the awards contest. The other first-place award came in TV Field Production for the film “Love is a four Letter Word.” HU students also took third-place honors for a radio drama, “He Walks With Me,” and for a music video, “Good Thing.”
The following story is about the Living Hope UB church in our Canadian conference. The story appeared in the Shoreline Beacon of Port Elgin, Ontario, on January 25.
What started out as a modest spaghetti dinner shared with the community, has blossomed into one of the biggest showings of community spirit in Saugeen Shores, with more than 150 people turning out each week.
The PMLT meeting in February. Chairman Tom Brodbeck is on the right.
The Pastoral Ministry Leadership Team was created by the 2005 US National Conference to oversee the licensing and ordination process and give leadership to the professional development of our ministers. Bishop Ron Ramsey appointed Tom Brodbeck as chairperson.
This group has met twice, most recently on February 27-28, 2006. Tom Brodbeck reports the following:
Summary of Decisions Made.
“To Do” List
Ron Ramsey, Bishop
Shocking statement, isn’t it? But stick with me. The Scriptures remind us that we must approach each day as if we are dead to yesterday. Jesus said, “Whoever will not take up his cross daily and follow me is not worthy of me.” Paul, in speaking of what was valuable in life, said, “Forgetting what lies behind and reaching out toward what lies ahead, I press on. . .” This forgetting of what has happened yesterday includes the good, the bad and the neutral. If you speak of great things that happened in the UB church in the past, they are gone. If you dwell on the failures of the past, those too are dead. So what should we value as we look to today and the future?
We must have the heart of God. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus did not consider His equality with God something to be grasped or held onto (Phil. 2). He left the glory that was His in heaven, the adoration, the praise. He set aside all that was His in order to take on the form of a servant and be obedient, even to the extent of the cross. He did this for the sole, eternal purpose of saving us. How can we not have as our number one priority the seeking out and engaging of unsaved people to lead them to Jesus?
In making these choices, Jesus strictly and strongly held to the truth of the Scriptures. Not the religious and tradition-tainted interpretations of the Scriptures, but the uncompromised, pure, Spirit-inspired Word of God. “I say only what my Father tells Me.” He perfectly fulfilled the Word. This was a high value to Him. Unquestionably, we must hold this as a high value as well.
At the same time, Jesus took on a human body, spoke the language of the people and used metaphors and stories they understood, was identified as a friend to sinners and took great pain to communicate clearly to the people of His day and to us. This clear communication was also a high value to Jesus. It seems that we must also value using whatever means we must to communicate relevantly to the culture around us.
Jesus clearly valued servanthood. “He who would be the greatest among you must be the servant of all.” He set the ultimate example of this and told His disciples to do likewise. Saved to serve, this should be our theme. Serving keeps the focus off us and on others. Jesus valued this and so should we.
Generosity is one other value that is on God’s heart. “Freely you have received, freely give.” Generosity toward God and others is evidence of us being maturing disciples of Christ.
This is not an exhaustive list. But these are some of the highest values that are near to the heart of God. Now, how near to the heart of your congregation are they? Do we merely claim that these are values, or are there strategic actions and identifiable patterns that testify to the truth of these values in your church?
According to the Revelation, lukewarmness, doctrinal purity without love, compromise of the truth, turning a blind eye to sin in the camp, or living on some past reputation but being spiritually dead are not acceptable conditions for churches. In fact, Jesus pledges to come and remove the ministry of churches like this.
Values drive us. If someone were to come into your church and observe it over a period of time, what would be the evident values they would conclude drive your church?
