The LIFE Sunday school class of Prince Street UB (Shippensburg, Pa.) entered a 40-foot float in the city’s Dickens’ Day parade. They won first prize. The same class hosted a Christmas dinner to help a local pregnancy ministry. Several young women and families attended as guests. Persons attending from the church were asked to bring an unwrapped baby gift. The gifts were given to the ministry, to be distributed to mothers.

For Thanksgiving, Tana Hey asked children and adults from Prince Street UB’s Sunday school classes to write down things they were thankful for. She then wove the responses into a hymn using the tune “For the Beauty of the Earth.” This new hymn was included in the morning worship services the Sunday before Thanksgiving.

Mt. Hope UB (Carson City, Mich.) just finished studying “Walk as Jesus Walked,” published by Sonlife. Associate Pastor Valerie Reynolds writes:

“This study has changed the way Mt. Hope does its ministry. Instead of being focused on the inside, we are now looking for ways to intentionally make friends and lead them into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

“One woman suggested that we make Christmas cookies, put them in a tin, and give them to unchurched people around us. Fifteen women packed the tins, and we delivered 25 tins to homes and 7 tins to area schools and public service agencies. The tins also included a small card in the tin saying, ‘From your friends at Mt. Hope.’

“We also have changed our mission statement to ‘Our mission at Mt. Hope church is to be a Lighthouse community, living a praying, caring, and sharing lifestyle.'”

Tara Roelofs, from Banner of Christ UB (Byron Center, Mich.), left January 8 to spend a year in France with a missionary family as their “nanny.” She will also be involved with Campus Crusade for Christ while there and will do some volunteer work in the local Christian school.

Sara Trovato, also from Banner of Christ left in early January to spend a year in Spain as a college exchange student. She is looking forward to doing “mission work” whenever opportunities arise.

  • Andrea Dupois is the new part-time youth director of Mongul UB (Shippensburg, Pa.).
  • Enrique Lopez is the new pastor of the Hispanic UB church in Phoenix, Ariz., called Corona de Gloria.
  • Andrew Atkins is the new senior pastor of Monticello UB, Spencerville, Ohio.
  • Ron Strader is supply pastor of Mt. Olivet UB, Chambersburg, Pa. The previous pastor, Stan McCammon, is now pastoring Good Shepherd UB in Huntington, Ind.
  • Mark Anderson is part-time youth pastor of Eden UB (Mason, Mich.).