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October 1999 News Archive
10/27/99
Guelph, Ontario. For the fourth summer in a row, Parkwood
Gardens UB opened the church basement twice a week for neighborhood
teens. They encouraged their own young people to bring friends to
the church to enjoy video games, ping pong, board games, air hockey,
foosball, and a pool table. During the six-week period, members built
relationships with dozens of kids. Youth Pastor Jim Tice noted, "Over
the past summers, we've seen a significant number of kids join the
youth ministry and come to Christ after first attending our drop-ins.
Another real blessing is that we get a number of extra volunteers
from the congregation to help, many of whom aren't available during
the rest of the year but make this a summer ministry."
Also during the summer, the youth traveled to Washington, D.C.,
for an inner city work project. They served in soup kitchens, shelters,
children's programs, and other things. The trip was set up with the
Center for Student Missions. "Our team was really stressed and stretched
by God," reports Youth Pastor Jim Tice. This is the second year for
doing such a trip.
Hillsdale, Mich. On October 10, Hillsdale UB dedicated a
new Student Ministries Center (SMC) in conjunction with the church's
96th anniversary. The center includes a large meeting room and kitchenette,
and is furnished with ping-pong tables, bumper pool, video games,
and a pop machine. The SMC will minister to teens, and also be used
to establish an outreach to Hillsdale College. Nearly all of the
labor was provided over a four-year period by a group of retired
men known as "Fran's Merry Men of Mercy," who do work projects for
widows and the church every Tuesday. The leader is Fran Whiting,
the 81-year-old chairman of Hillsdale's Property Team (who also plays
a musical saw every Sunday during the singing).
Hillsdale started a second worship service on October 31 (one traditional,
one contemporary). The Wednesday night AWANA ministry is exploding,
with 150-some kids attending. Linda Smith, wife of Pastor Lester
Smith, started a Bible Study Outreach (Stonecroft Ministries) to
AWANA moms on October 27. Instead of just dropping their children
off for AWANA, these mothers will be able to stay at the church and
receive ministry geared to their own needs.
Scottsdale, Ariz. Bob Simmons reports some good things happening
at NorthPointe Church as a result of some new ministries. Five new
people came to their Dinner Club on September 18, all prospects for
the church. Another six new people are involved in the DivorceCare
program. A number of new persons have attended services recently,
and some have returned and gotten involved.
Columbus, Ohio. NorthPointe UB (the name comes from a nearby
shopping center) has been holding "Preview" services, designed to
give a picture of what the church is becoming. The first was held
September 25. These services are structured like a regular service
will be once the church officially gets started. They had several
PreView services in October, with more scheduled for November and
December.
"PreView folks," he says, "came predominantly from contacts made
during our time of seed-planting." About 70 people attended the first
service, with an average of around 50 in the services after that,
with new people at each one (including some "very unchurched lives," according
to Dan). About 15 attendees were family members, launch team members,
and support people from other churches. Dan divided the rest into
three groups--seven strong potential families, seven maybes, and
seven longshots. "Most exciting of all was the response of four,
in our invitation, who checked "I am interested in knowing what it
means to be a follower of Christ.
"The worship and media were simply outstanding, as were the drama
and children's ministries. Response to the message was strong. There
was a sense of striving for excellence in every aspect of the PreView
endeavor."
In the birth of a new church, Dan says a PreView is similar to
an ultrasound--a "first look inside the womb." He says, "The baby
seems to be developing healthily, and we strive for that good PreNatal
care that might enable the healthiest launch (birth) possible." Eventualy,
they will hold a public launch, with mass mailings and broad advertising,
and begin holding weekly services. But, "The exact birth date is
yet to be announced. The Great Physician has to do a few more tests."
Lansing, Mich. The Lansing church started an alternative
worship service in September. It included a worship band with two
guitarists, a bass guitarist, and a drummer. About 35 people attended
that first service.
For Huntington College. The Department of Education at Huntington
College is scheduled for a spring 2000 accreditation review by the
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Federal regulations require that accrediting agencies allow for public
comment on the qualifications of institutions or programs under consideration
for initial or continuing accreditation. You are invited to submit
written testimony about the HC Education department to: Board of
Examiners, NCATE, 2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW. Washington, DC 20036-1023.
Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality
of professional education programs offered at Huntington College
and should specify the respondent's relationship, if any, to the
institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer
of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent
to Huntington College for comment prior to the review. No anonymous
or oral testimony will be considered. Letters should be received
by December 1, 1999.
Freeport, Mich. Freeport UB is hosting a "Home for the Holidays
Celebration" on November 14 in the Community Center across from the
church after the regular morning service. They'll use the theme "A
Place to Renew Old Friendships from the Past and Build New Friendships
for the Future."
Pastor Bob Carpenter writes, " We have sent invitations to people
in the church's past, as well as to the pastors and superintendents
we could still locate. The United Methodist church in town has also
volunteered to help us. We have given an open invitation to the whole
city of Freeport to join us, and assured them that all the fixins'
are on us. We are also using a local gospel group called Pure Joy
to minister to us after the meal, which begins at 1:30 p.m., and
there's a possibility that some pastors from the past and superintendents
might say a few words of thanks and a few words of hope for the future
of the churches here. I see it as a wonderful opportunity for outreach,
especially with the year 2000 coming, and many considering the impact
the church will have in the next century."
Bremen, Ohio. Avlon UB held revival meetings September 26-29.
The response was so strong that they extended it two more nights,
through October 1--and they might have extended it further if the
evangelist, Tony Salvatori, hadn't needed to perform a wedding on
Saturday.
Greenfield, Ohio. Good Shepherd UB will have a fall round-up
hotdog roast on Saturday, October 30. It's an chance for people to
invite the unchurched and old friends who have strayed in some way.
Gettysburg, Pa. On November 21, at 3:00 pm, Heidlersburg
UB will host a ladies' tea with speaker Amye Lundgren. Amye uses
her work with abused horses as object lessons to illustrate the work
of God in the lives of hurting people. If weather permits, Amye will
bring her horses to the church. Pastor Craig Loewen has agreed to
ride her Belgian horse bareback around the church if 50 or more ladies
attend.
Greencastle, Pa. The Criders Church recently baptized 17
people. Entire families were among those being baptized.
Fort Wayne, Ind. Anchor UB held its first baptismal serve
in September, with four persons--three adults and one youth--being
baptized by Pastor Tim Hallman.
Chambersburg, Pa. On Tuesday and Thursday, October 5 and
7, Rhodes Grove Camp kicked off its "Growing to Serve" campaign with
two banquets. The 300 attendees pledges about $54,000 toward the
camp's operating budget and the Miller Lodging Wing project. The
campaign's goal is to raise $600,000 for the new wing (over $800,000
had previously been committed). During the week of December 13-18,
Bishop Ray Seilhamer will speak at a series of meal fundraising meetings
in various locations.
Charlotte, Mich. Crossroads UB honored Bernadine Hoffman
and other Sierra Leone missionaries August 28-29. The fruit of her
work, 21 of her spiritual offspring, shared in the morning service.
Rev. Billy Simbo preached and Rev. Joe Abu led worship with traditional
African dress and song. The previous night featured African food
and the sharing of memories from the field.
Dimondale, Mich. One morning in July, Pastor Richard Thorp
of West Windsor UB had some time to kill before picking up his son: "One
Saturday morning in July, I was picking up my son at Camp Selah around
9 a.m. He informed me he had to attend a staff meeting before he
could leave. I went into town and picked up a cup of coffee, and
then just drove around the area for a while. It was very hot that
morning, and I saw a large oak tree in a cemetery where I had never
been before, so I pulled in and rested there.
"By then it was about 10:15. I decided to go for a short walk across
one end of the cemetery. Ahead of me I saw a tombstone with a familiar
name. I remembered the name was a family who owned large Belgian
horses and pulled weights at the Hillsdale County Fair when I was
a child. When I looked on the other side of the stone, I discovered
it was that family, and there was a picture engraved on the stone
of two large Belgian horses pulling weights.
"At that moment, I became so burdened for my daughter and her new
husband, who lived five hours away from me, that I was crying and
praying, but didn't know why. It was about 10:15.
"I left the cemetery and went back to the campground. The next
day my son-in-law called and said they had a rough day the day before.
About two weeks before, they had bought two Belgian horses for their
farm. He had gone out to the barn and found that one of his new horses
had accidentally hung himself in a horse trailer. I asked him what
time he found the horse, and he said, "It was 10:20."
"I realized it was the same time God had spoken to me about praying
for them."
Baltimore, Ohio. On October 10, the Maple Grove congregation
surprised Pastor Mike Willis and family with a "harvest" of food,
along with monetary gifts. It was part of Pastor Appreciation Month.
Reedsville, W. Va. Mill Chapel UB started a MOPS (Mothers
of Preschoolers) group as a way to reach mothers through lifestyle
evangelism. Mothers meet twice a month to do crafts, get support,
and hear speakers address various subjects. Meanwhile, trustworthy
caregivers watch over the children. For more information visit the
MOPS International Website at www.MOPS.org.
Elmore, Ohio. On October 2-3, seven members from Bethel
UB drove a U-Haul trailer to Queens, New York, on a two-fold mission.
First, they dropped off four drums of clothing and cooking wares
to be shipped from New York to friends in Craighead, Jamaica. Before "camping
out" at Pastor Linton Thomas' home, the group unloaded furniture
and building materials donated by Bethel members to be shared with
the people of the Jamaican UB church in the Bronx.
Writes Dot Myers, "It was just like returning to Jamaica as we
worshiped with them Sunday morning. It was great renewing acquaintances
and making new friends! Some of us returned home that evening. Others
spent the next two days soaking in the fall tree colors and sights
of New England on a whirlwind tour on the way home."
Dillsburg, Pa. South Mountain UB's youth group, called The
OutletÑPlugged Into Jesus, held a dinner theatre at the church on
October 17. Prior to the event, the youth and their leaders prepared
a spaghetti meal. There were skits throughout the night and personal
testimonies. One set of parents started coming to services as a result
of the dinner theatre. Also, the youth received verbal commitments
from some in the crowd to be a part of The Outlet.
Fort Wayne, Ind. This is the tenth anniversary of Emmanuel
UB's annual Christmas theatre. For most of those years, they combined
a Christmas play with a meal. They outgrew that a couple years ago,
and now only do a drama production in the church sanctuary--and an
elaborate one at that. (Last year's edition included a live orchestra
with members from the Fort Wayne Philharmonic).
The 1999 Christmas theatre is called "I'll be Home for Christmas," a
musical about family and hope in the golden days of radio. Admission
is free.
Performances will be held December 2, 3, 4, and 5 (Thursday through
Sunday) at 7 p.m., with a reception afterwards. These performances
feature a live, big-band orchestra. There will also be matinee performances
on Saturday and Sunday, December 4-5, at 2 p.m.
You need tickets in advance. Contact: Emmanuel Community Church,
12222 US 24 West, Fort Wayne, Ind. 46804. (219) 672-3377.
Pastoral Changes.
- Rev. M. E. Burkett retired after over 60 years as a UB pastor
and missionary, and now lives in Roanoke, Ind. He had been a missionary
in Sierra Leone and at Laurel Mission in Kentucky, and has pastored
UB churches in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Arizona, Florida, and Ontario
(most recently, Faith UB of Alpena, Mich.).
- Tim Moran concluded his ministry at Pleasant Hill UB (Muncie,
Ind.) on August 31.
- Marc Nelson is the new pastor of Monticello UB (Spencerville,
Ohio), effective November 1. He most recently pastored Crossroads
UB of Charlotte, Mich. He also served UB churches in Fulks Run,
Va., and Detroit, Mich.
- Tim Devinney became supply pastor of Ellport Chapel UB (Ellwood
City, Pa.) on October 1.
Needing a Youth Pastor. South Mountain UB needs a fulltime
youth pastor to oversee the church's youth ministries, Christian
Education, and Family Life Center. Send resume to: Pastor Greg Helman,
1048 South Mountain Rd., Dillsburg, Pa. 17019. Email: SMUUB@juno.com.
10/06/99
The Volcano Blows. Received Wednesday morning, October 6,
1999, from Doug Weber: "We have just had a rather significant expulsion
of volcanic ash from Mt. Pichincha. The ash was apparently launched
at about 2:00 p.m. this afternoon, but the ash is still falling now
at 9:00 p.m. It even reached us in El Tablon tonight; it was never
expected to reach that far. It looks a lot like snow as it falls.
It is very light and very fine, but very abrasive. It is expected
that the ash will fall for several more hours. The ash is very light
and blows around like dust, so the traffic on the roads just serves
to kick the ash back up into the air. I expect most of you will hear
about this on your news, so I thought I'd give you a personal update
as well.
"We are all well. Everyone has been advised to stay indoors until
the ash is done falling. Then tomorrow we will need to clean up the
ash from the streets, etc. So far HCJB is running normally, too.
However, do be in prayer for all of us down here. It does not appear
that Quito is in any physical danger, but the volcanic ash will be
a pain to have to live with."
HC Dedicates New Dorms; Names Them After UB Bishops. Meadows
Hall and Miller Hall were dedicated on October 2 during the Huntington
College Homecoming activities. The residence halls, almost identical
in appearance and designed for upperclassmen, are named after Bishop
Emeritus Clyde W. Meadows and Bishop Emeritus C. Ray Miller. Dr.
Meadows passed away in September, but members of his family, including
his wife Phyllis, were present.
Administration Building Named After Dr. Elmer Becker. The
original building on the Huntington College campus, traditionally
known as the Ad Building, was renamed during Homecoming. It is now
called Becker Hall, after Dr. Elmer Becker, who served as Huntington
College president 1941-1965. That's a period longer than any other
HC president. An ordained UB minister from Ontario Conference, Dr.
Becker passed away in 1969.
Death of Rev. Elmer Diamond. A funeral was held October
4 in Winchester, Ohio, for Rev. Elmer Diamond, a long-time minister
in Central Conference. Though he had been ill for several years,
his passing was quite sudden and unexpected. Rev. Bill Pitts and
Rev. Bob Blaine officiated. Rev. Diamond's widow, Mrs. Mary Diamond,
lives at 356 Waverly Lane, Waverly, OH 45690.
State Line, Pa. On August 29, Living Hope UB hosted a Back-to-School
youth service. Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber greeted everyone.
The costumes were created by church members and worn by youth. The
youth also hosted the service by doing everything from the music
to the message, which was delivered through drama.
Living Hope held its grand opening on May 9, 1999, and holds a
youth service quarterly. They plan to host a Veggie Tales float in
the community Christmas parade as a way to involve youth in community
service.
Dave Nicholson Receives HC Award. Dave Nicholson received
the 1999 Distinguished Alumni Citation from the Huntington College
Alumni Association. Nicholson, a police diver, died in 1998 while
trying to rescue a young boy from a turbulent river. He was cited
for his heroism, his devotion as a father and loving husband, his
distinguished career with the Waterloo Regional Police Force, and
his service as a role model.
Worship That Rocks and Drama That Tells a Story. Some call
the church POG. Others "the bluejean church." Its real name is Port
of Grace UB church. The church opened nearly three years ago in a
downtown storefront in Port Colborne, Ontario. That initial group
of seven people has grown to about 40, and they are committed to
reach out to all segments of society. They go into the community
to wash windows, pick up garbage, help people move. They conduct
programs like Moms Who Care and Kids Klub. They do one-on-one counseling.
They drive people to doctors' appointments. They give food to the
sick. During this year's Canal Days celebration, they opened up their
washrooms and served free coffee from morning to midnight. The previous
two years, they gave out free pop.
It's a place where people come as they are and find acceptance.
This is a church that has pledged to love Port Colborne "one person
at a time." Founding pastor Liz Cudney says, "Jesus hung out at the
marketplace, loved going fishing, and pulled guys out of trees inviting
himself to dinner." The services are described as "worship that rocks
and drama that tells a story."
A group called the International Pirate Band played during Canal
Days. Liz, noticing that a dancer named "Strawberry Shortcake" seemed
to be struggling with the heat, brought her some ice water and invited
her inside. The whole band ended up coming in, along with their instruments. "We
hung out together and had pop and watermelon," she says. "We got
out our guitars and banjos and jammed with them. We had such a good
time." The grateful Pirates ended up giving a concert during the
Sunday service. They showed up in full costume (one with a parrot
perched on his shoulder) and did songs like "When the Saints Go Marching
In" and "Amazing Grace."
Shippensburg, Pa. Deb Franzoni writes, "It was another successful
Vacation Bible School for Mongul UB, with 181 students registered
for the week of July 19-23. The theme, SonCastle Faire, took everyone
back to the time of castles and kings. An elegant 45-foot castle
adorned the sanctuary, and children were taught how to use their
talents to serve King Jesus. Students wore T-shirts featuring a picture
of a castle ironed onto them.
The kids collected pop can tabs to benefit the Ronald McDonald
House. The recycled tabs enable parents of children in hospitals
to stay free of charge. More than a million and a half tabs were
collected. Each tab represented a vote to decide which of three candidates
would get "slimed" during the carnival--Pastor Rick Fischl, Music
Director Tim Wright, or VBS teacher Jamie Caudill. Jamie won. The
slime consisted of applesauce and green food coloring. Tim Wright
poured it on and Rick Fischl hosed him down.
The carnival, once again, was a big hit, with lots of special attractions
and games. As a result of the VBS, nine families expressed a desire
to start attending the church.
Des Moines, Iowa. A lightning bolt during a severe thunderstorm
on June 10 set fire to Patricia Park UB church. The Urbandale fire
department brought it under control, but no until $35,000 worth of
damage had been done. It took five weeks to restore the building--replace
the roof, and sanctuary ceiling, and many rafters, run wiring, and
do painting and general cleaning. Meanwhile, the congregation met
in the multipurpose room of a nearby elementary school.
Even before the fire, they were planning the church's 40th anniversary
at this location, to be held October 30-31. Bishop Ray Seilhamer
will speak at the worship service on October 31, which will double
as a rededication of the newly-restored church. Rev. Barry C. Pratt
is in his second year as pastor of Patricia Park.
Waynesboro, Pa. Margaretta Manchey, 87, has now played the
organ at Otterbein UB for 70 years, starting in 1929. That qualified
her for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records. For 50 of
those 70 years, she didn't have a substitute. The organ area had
to be adjusted when she broke her hip; a platform and handle enabled
her to get in and out of the organ pit.
Margaretta is mostly self-taught. She started out on a pump organ
with a bellows. Her daughter, Ellen, contacted Guinness in 1994,
but was told that a British woman, Jennie Newhouse, had been playing
a few years longer. But Ellen kept writing back, until in May of
1998 Guinness said they would begin researching her mother's career.
It took a year of research (they even went through old church board
minutes), but this May they said they "could not find another person
in the world to match the record."
Mrs. Manchey isn't sure when the next Guinness Book of World Records
will be published, but she does have a certificate which says, "Margaretta
Manchey (Born 5 December 1911) has been playing the organ at Otterbein
United Brethren Church, Waynesboro, Pennsylvania, USA, since 1929,
acknowledging a world record for the longest time for a church organist
to play at one church."
Auburn, Ind. Over 3000 bags of popcorn, 1500 twelve-inch
rulers with "Christ Rules at Hopewell" written on them, 300 Bibles,
cookies, tootsie pop suckers, and thousands of tracts--these are
all part of the annual outreach program at Hopewell UB church.
In 1998, Hopewell developed the vision of touching every home in
DeKalb County with the love of Jesus Christ. A huge task when you
consider that DeKalb County has over 35,000 people. So, you go to
where the people are--which is the annual county fair in Auburn.
This year, from September 27 to October 2, Hopewell rented a booth
in the industrial fair tent where they gave out free gifts to the
community. Each night a different group from the church manned the
booth. Monday night the WMF painted faces of children while giving
popcorn to adults. Tuesday night the youth did put-put golf, painted
finger-nails, and gave out tootsie pop suckers. Wednesday, the Masters
Men International gave out popcorn and Bibles. Thursday, the children
gave out trail mix snacks to other children. Friday, the Deacon/Deaconess
board distributed caramel popcorn and Bibles. And on Saturday, the
Jamaican work tour group handed out popcorn and rulers.
Altogether, half of the people in the church participated in the
booth, and the outreach was a huge success.
Not only were the fair-goers shocked that a church would give away
all this free stuff, but we are confident that lives were touched.
An example:
On Friday night, as Pastor Darwin Dunten left the booth, the director
of Child Evangelism Fellowship asked if Hopewell was the church giving
out Bibles. She told him of three pre-teen boys who had come to her
booth and listened to the gospel message from the wordless book.
When the invitation was given, all three boys accepted Christ into
their lives. She asked them if they had a Bible, and they said, "Sure,
we just got some from that church down there." Then they pulled out
the New Testaments Hopewell had given them earlier.
In 1998, this outreach cost a little over $300. After the first
year, Hopewell rented more space, bringing the cost to around $1000--still
cheap, when you consider it included over 30 hours of "advertising" and
thousands of people passing by.
This vision continues in other areas, as Hopewell is present at
other area festivals, and canvasses the community with flyers and
personal contacts at Christmas and Easter.
Good Shepherd UB of Greenfield, Ohio, held revival services
September 24-26. Interim Pastor Frank Crump writes, "This was to
reintroduce our church to the community we serve. God blessed our
church through the fellowship of the congregation, special ministers
in song, and the preached Word."
From Churchville, Va.: "Jerusalem Chapel UB continues to
have Bibles disappear!" writes Annette Sites. "But their disappearance
is actually welcomed. Plus, we hope we'll have even more disappear
in the years to come!
"Hardcover editions which include the Old and New Testaments are
actually made available throughout the year to anyone who doesn't
have a Bible, but would like one to study at home. Then we have 'special
occasion' Bibles that we make available annually. This past Friend
Day, in September, we provided the softcover Discovery New Testaments
as a gift to persons who came to church with a friend that day.
"The Bibles that disappear the quickest, however, are the softcover
New Testaments that we give out each year before hunting season begins.
These 'camouflaged' editions are great witnessing tools for church
members to give to fellow hunters, or for a church attendee to stick
in his own backpack and enjoy some time alone with God while waiting
in the woods for that trophy buck!
"Through the past five years, literally hundreds of Bibles have
'disappeared.' What a blessing! We are trusting God for the fruit
his Word promises when Scripture is shared with others.
"You can obtain these economical copies of the Bible from the International
Bible Society. Contact them at: 1-800-524-1588. Because the Bibles
are sold at such a reduced rate, they do come with one string attached:
they can't be resold, but must be given as gifts. At Jerusalem Chapel,
we hope that 'string' never disappears."
10/01/99
"The Well." A local paper in Florida did an article on "The
Well," a Friday night youth ministry at Daytona UB in Holly Hill,
Fla. Sam and Tammy Cranston originated this idea of creating The
Well, which, like the well where Jesus met the Samaritan woman, is
a place for both refreshment and witnessing. Vicki McKeown writes, "Sam
and Tammy are volunteers who give heart and soul to our youth ministry.
I think they've been at the church every Friday night for over two
years. The most recent Friday night attendance was over 140. This
ministry is working, and we are scrambling to keep up with the resources
needed (mainly adults willing to be present every Friday night).
We've just asked the Daytona Speedway if they'd have any interest
in donating some arcarde games or other resources (pool tables, air
hockey, etc.). Here's where to find the article online: http://www.n-jcenter.com/1999/Sep/30/NN6.htm
New Church Homepage. Faith Community UB of Findlay, Ohio,
now has its own homepage: http://hometown.aol.com.faithub/myhomepage
Looking for a fulltime youth minister. South Mountain UB
of Dillsburg, Pa., is looking for a fulltime youth pastor to oversee
the church's youth program, Christian education, and Family Life
center. Send resume to: Pastor Greg Helman, 1048 South Mountain Road
in Dillsburg, PA 17019. Email: SMUUB@juno.com
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