September 2001 News Archive

September 26, 2001

Macau. Jana Hoobler, director of the Macau mission, sent the following items.

• On August 5, Melissa Hull arrived in Macau for a three-year term. In September, Russ and Nellie Birdsall arrived as volunteers until December. It's so nice to have more people around again. Praise the Lord for bringing people to help!
• Our ELP classes began on September 11. We have around 70 students at the Taipa Center, which is a good enrollment. More students have already been asking questions about God this term. Praise the Lord for deepening our relationships with our students and building their trust in us. Our chapel theme this term is, "Will you follow Jesus?" Pray that students will choose to follow Jesus!
• There are now usually 5-10 people attending our Bible study each Sunday on Taipa. Some are ELP students, and some are high school students invited by a Living Water Church member. We're so excited about this group.
• We're going to need volunteers to fill in during Jen Blandin's furlough next spring and my furlough next fall. With Jen and the Birdsalls all leaving by the end of January, we'll just have Melissa and me here. Pray that people will be willing to come during that time. If you or anyone you know may be interested, please contact me or the missions department. Also continue to pray that more long-term missionaries will be recruited.
• We are preparing to move Living Word Church to a better location so that we can register the tutoring and English classes with the government. Pray for wisdom and direction as we begin to raise funds, plan for remodeling, submit papers to the government, etc.
• I met with an ELP student named Tammy on Saturday night. She is in a very difficult situation at work. She said, "I heard you say in chapel that Jesus can help us with our problems. I thought I'd try Him, because I don't know what else to do." Pray that God will really work in Tammy's life right now and help her to understand who He is.
• In June, I asked people to pray that I'd have an opportunity to meet with Kim, an ELP student who had questions about Christianity. Although I'd tried to get together with her several times, she always seemed hesitant to make an appointment. Last Friday I was headed to lunch by myself (quite unusual) near Living Word Church (even more unusual), and I bumped into Kim. She was also headed to lunch by herself, and invited me to join her. I knew this was a direct answer to prayer! We had a good time together. I invited her to church, but she didn't come last Sunday. Pray that she'll get involved in church or Bible Study.
• A short-term team visited in July. We saw God work through them, as they shared their personal testimonies with several of our unsaved friends. One ELP student, Joanne, accepted Christ. Pray for her as she seeks to learn more about God. Pray that she'll begin attending church regularly. We were thankful for a quality team of young people to work with us. They were an encouragement to us, too!
• Jen and I enjoyed the conference we attended in Malaysia in July. It was fun for us to see another part of Asia. We found that Chinese conferences involved many hours of listening to lectures, but we found some time to explore Kuala Lumpur, too!
• I had a wonderful vacation at the end of August to visit my family in the States. We enjoyed so much time together, and I came back feeling very refreshed and happy to be back. I'm so thankful for my family!
• Almost 30 children attended VBS at Living Word Church in August. The theme was "Champions for Christ." We enjoyed the athletic theme. I was quite amused that the instruction book suggested using oven mitts in place of baseball gloves, since most Chinese don't have baseball gloves! Jen was able to supply the real thing for our kids, though.

Safford, Ariz. On the Sunday after the World Trade Center attack, 219 people attended Open Bible Fellowship. Pastor Ron Gonzales writes, "We had our youth do a human video to the song, 'Light Your Candle' and showed another video (Carman's song 'America Again'). We prayed and gave tribute to those who have been affected by the tragedy. Several people were saved and many others rededicated their lives during the altar call.

"To date, we have seen over 75 people saved during Sunday and Wednesday services alone. Over 1,000 people have been saved this year in Mexico through the mission work of Sherman and Willie Lawson (former Open Bible Fellowship pastors) and Lou and Yogi Keiser."

On Sunday, September 23, the church held its fourth annual Brush Arbor Sunday. Attendance was estimated at over 370 with 8 people saved. Suzy Luchsinger, sister to country singer Reba McIntire, was the guest. Afterwards, the congregation enjoyed a pit barbeque dinner. People came to the service by riding a train from the parking lot of the local Discovery Park down to the "barn" where the service was held.

September 25, 2001

Holly Hill, Fla. Daytona UB is trying to locate old buses and vans that can be used to ship supplies to Haiti. Pastor Chuck McKeown says, "I believe that there are vehicles out there that are no longer being used that we can pack with supplies. They make great shipping containers. Once the vehicles are in Haiti, the churches can use them for transportation or they can be sold as a way of raising cash."

Daytona UB recently packed a school bus bound for Haiti with all of this:

• 600 pounds of rice
• 200 pairs of shoes
• 192 12-foot 2-by-4s,
• 100 pounds of dried beans
• 100 gallons of paint
• 50 garbage bags of clothing
• 50 pounds of nails
• 50 gallons of powered milk
• 50 gallons of wheat
• 40 classroom chairs
• 40 paper sacks of clothing
• 40 water filtration systems
• 24 concrete blocks
• 20 gallons of olive oil
• 10 gallons of cooking oil
• 10 boxes of kitchen supplies
• 4 boxes of hurricane straps and truss anchors
• 3 gallons of cooking fuel
• 3 sets of tools
• 2 refrigerators
• 1 TV/VCR
• 1 typewriter
• 1 box of office supplies
• 1 six-foot table.

The bus should arrive in Haiti in early October with a good running engine, a case of oil and transmission fluid, and a full 60-gallon tank of gas.

Scottsdale, Ariz. NorthPointe Church in Scottsdale will close on October 7, 2001. The church’s pastor, Rev. Robert Simmons, will become pastor of a Presbyterian church in the Phoenix area beginning November 1. Bob is founding pastor of the UB church in Cochranton, Pa.

September 24, 2001

Huntington, Ind. Ruth Smith, the mother of Diane Wagner (wife of UB minister Russ Wagner), passed away over the weekend. Viewing will be Tuesday, September 25, from 6:30-800 p.m., at the Myers Funeral Home in Huntington, Ind. There will be no funeral.

Caledonia, Mich. Ten people from Gaines UB in Caledonia traveled to Resistancia, Argentina, April 22--May 5 under the auspices of World Gospel Mission. Ronald Herlein, the work team coordinator, writes, "While in Resistancia, we built a ceiling in a church with tongue and groove lumber. We also rewired the whole church and helped prepare for the new brick wall outside the church. We worshipped with them on prayer meeting night and in the Sunday service. We had a chance to take part in these services as well. Just before we came home, we visited a smaller church located at the former dump site, where we rebuilt a wall that had fallen down and painted the exterior of that church. Despite the language differences, communication came easily, and we have made many new Christian friends among the Argentines and the missionaries."

In October 2000, a team of five persons from Gaines, along with 20 people from West Virginia, worked at the El Sembrador Boys Farm/Vocational School and High School. They worked on building pig barns and a large conference building on the school grounds, painting the boys' mess hall, and redecorating the main office meeting room.

Marion, Ind. Family Life Fellowship, a church planting project in Marion, held a cookout and outreach on July 19 in the back yard of Pastor Bill and Brenda O'Toole.

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The new Jamaican UB church in Fort Lauderdale is now averaging 20 on Sunday morning. It is called Maranatha United Brethren in Christ Church. Rev. Jasper Green, formerly pastor of Hope UB in Jamaica, is the pastor. Joy France (from Washington Gardens UB in Jamaica) and her family are part of this new work. Joy writes, "This ministry has great potential, and presently we are looking for a bigger location, which will allow us to provide more services such as Sunday school, youth meetings, and other activities. We need your prayers and support as we take the challenge to go and spread the Good News of salvation."

Greenfield, Ohio. On Sunday, June 10, Good Shepherd UB of Greenfield celebrated its homecoming. Over 200 people participated in the festivities. The day began during the morning service, during which the congregation participated in a "surprise" mortgage-burning ceremony. The church had begun the year with over $20,000 owed on their building.

Greenfield's beginning goes back to 1907, when Rev. Charles Hull, a UB minister, moved to Greenfield. He, along with seven other ministered, conducted a tent meeting on a vacant lot, and a group of 21 members was organized following that meeting. Property for a church was purchased in 1910, and the church's first pastor, Rev. r. W. Lovett, was assigned that year.

Celina, Ohio. Victory UB made some changes to the building. They remodeled the basement, kitchen, and nursery, put new windows in the sanctuary, and installed a chair lift for the steps leading to the sanctuary. On July 4, the congregation held a picnic on the church grounds. Parishioner Bill Jarrett grilled hamburgers and hot dogs, and the even was topped wit homemade ice cream from Pastor Ken Whetstone.

Hillsdale, Mich. Scott Hardaway is the new associate pastor of Hillsdale UB.

September 20, 2001

Chambersburg, Pa. Pat Jones, pastor of King Street UB, sent this item: "We held a benefit concert for a pre-Christian family who have a daughter who is blind, mute, and brain damaged from an enzymes problem which developed after she was born normal and healthy. They need several thousand dollars for a special bed and have had other abnormal expenses. A lady in the church, Kelly Bjorkland, recruited and organized a number of our folks to do special music presentations. It was an almost professionally done two-hour concert. I summarized a short message of what the evening presented, which was a clear presentation of the Gospel and the love of Christ. An offering was taken for the family. Over $7100 was given. Amazing!"

September 19, 2001

Hastings, Mich. Howard Hamblin, a retired pastor in Michigan Conference, died September 9. The funeral was held September 12 at the Pleasant Valley UB church near Lake Odessa, Mich. Hamblin had served the McCallum, the Baltimore, and Lowell churches. His widow, Luella, lives in Hastings, Mich.

Battle Creek, Mich. Lightning struck the Penfield UB church on August 28. A house near the church was hit by lightning, and the church was probably struck about the same time--about 10 p.m. David Burkett, Michigan Conference Superintendent, writes, "The fire must have smoldered all night, because it was early Tuesday morning that a neighbor to the church called the fire department to say that they could see smoke coming out of the church. The fire department responded quickly and felt that they had gotten the fire out. Some time later the fire flared up again and they had to knock the fire down again.

Dave continues, "There is quite extensive damage to the inside of the church in the sanctuary area, up in the roof. Part of the ceiling had to be torn out to get at the fire. Of course, there is a lot of water damage and smoke damage, and a large part of the roof will likely have to be replaced. 'Gestimates range from $20,000 to $70,000 to do the repairs." Don Palmer is pastor of the Pennfield church.

Chambersburg, Pa.Rhodes Grove Camp will dedicate its new Miller Lodging Wing on Sunday, October 21. The dedication will begin at 3:00 p.m. A building tour and refreshments will follow from 4-6:30.

Rhodes Grove is also searching for a Program Manager. This position includes: promoting and managing the summer youth camping program, developing and implementing a comprehensive plan for ministry in United Brethren churches of Mid-Atlantic Conference, and assisting the Executive Director’s overall program and strategy for the camp.

September 18, 2001

Hillsdale, Mich. On Sunday, August 26, the Hillsdale UB church held its third annual outdoor service at Michindoh Conference Center. Due to rain, this was the first time the service had to be moved indoors. Despite the weather, over 400 attended, including first-time visitors from at least 30 different homes. Pastor Les Smith appeared as "Jesus" and delivered the Sermon on the Mount. After the service, a potluck picnic was held followed by water activities. Beginning October 7, the church will add a third Sunday morning service and a second Sunday school.

Baltimore, Md. Brooklyn Park UB is holding a Community Block Party picnic and fundraiser on September 29, from 3-7 p.m. The event will include a meal, entertainment, special guest, and activities for children. The money raised will go toward a new community care ministry center. Pastor John Christophel writes, "This facility will provide our children and teens a safe and supervised place for recreation. It will also house a family life center program. This will provide struggling families with some help and hope toward becoming stronger and more successful as families."

The facility will support itself separately from the church budget. They will apply for various grants and other types of help to raise the funds needed.

September 17, 2001

Relief Funds. Various persons have inquired as to whether the UB denomination will do anything in the way of raising relief funds. We are not launching any such efforts, but encourage churches and individuals to contribute through World Relief, the relief arm of the National Association of Evangelicals (of which our denomination is a member). If you wish, you may send donations directly to: World Relief, PO Box WRC, Wheaton, IL 60189. You can also donate online at the World Relief website.

If you want to donate through the United Brethren denomination, checks should be payable to "Global Ministries" and clearly designed "World Relief--Septmeber 2001." We will not act as a relief agency, but will channel the funds to World Relief for you.

World Relief has provided information about what exactly they will do with relief funds. You can find that on the World Relief website.

Nostradamus. Emails about the 16th-century Nostrdamus supposedly predicting the attack on the World Trade Center have been circulating freely around the internet. Like so many such things, this is not based on fact. Check out this page.. The Urban Legends site is a good one to check out whenver you hear tales like this.

September 14, 2001

Tegucigalpa, Honduras. On September 14 Marilyn Reeck, daughter of Archie Cameron, sent this report from Honduras. It concerns Arturo Casco, father of Denis Casco, the US Director of Latin American Ministries. (The photo shows Archie Cameron on the left, Arturo Casco on the right.) Arturo is a UB minister in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras. Marilyn and her husband, Roger, are Wycliffe missionaries based in La Ceiba, Honduras. Archie also lives in La Ceiba.

"Last week we heard that Arturo Casco suffered a heart attack and a stroke, and was in a coma. My father and I planned to go to visit him and the family this weekend, but on Monday night (September 10), his daughter, Marlene called and asked that my father come right away. We flew up on Tuesday and stayed till Wednesday. One of Marlene's desires was that my father anoint him with oil. Since then he has been taken out of intensive care and is in the hospital room. X-rays show that the stroke has done extensive damage, but the family has seen an increased improvement.

"Most of the family members were flying down on Tuesday and still have not made it. Only one son and his daughter who came on Sunday was able to make it.

"My father took three copies of the book, Tio Archie, to give to them. They opened it up and were so excited about the chapter written about Don Arturo and the picture of him. The granddaughter's comment was that not even she knew all of that information about her grandpa. They were very moved, and Rita (a daughter) is planning on translating the chapter for the church members. They were also very excited. Knowing that he will not last much longer, this is especially dear to them and they want copies for all of the family members."

Lake Odessa, Mich. Larry Wait, from the Pleasant Valley UB church of Lake Odessa, sent this report: "In June, the Lakewood High School (Lake Odessa) had co-valedictorians: Joni Michaud and Linsey Newton. They graduated with perfect 4.0 grade point averages. Both of them were honored band musicians, and participated in other extracurricular school activities. The final cap on this story is that both of these outstanding young women were born and raised in the Pleasant Valley UB church. They both have played in the church orchestra since they were old enough to participate. They both were members of a fine Pleasant Valley Bible Quiz Team for two or more years. This last year, their high school Sunday school class voted to tackle Theological Perspectives (our UB theology book) as a class curriculum. In a word, they are model Christian young people, just as there are many more model young people in our various churches throughout the country.

"This fall, Linsey began her college career at Michigan State University as a member of the Lyman Briggs College majoring in Plant Science. She is a member of the MSU concert band. Joni is now a Presidential Scholar at Huntington College, where her brother Jay is also a student. Her major is History/Pre-law."

Macau. Jana Hoobler, our Macau Mission Director, sent this report about summer activities in Macau.

"Living Word Church had 30 children register for VBS in August. The theme was 'Champions for Christ.' The children learned about five champions from the Bible. On Saturday, a field trip to a local park was held. Many parents came for the program on Sunday morning. Our missionaries enjoyed the sports theme...an emphasis on sports is rare here!

"Living Word Church began a Children's Worship service on Sunday mornings in August. A separate adult service is held at 10:00 a.m., and the children come for worship and Sunday school at 11:30 a.m. This change is allowing for a more focused worship and Bible study time for the adults and for an extra Sunday school class for the children.

"Living Water Church held VBS for the first time this summer as part of an outreach program to mothers and children this year. Five children attended, and many church members assisted with the outreach throughout the week.

"Due to our staff shortage, few classes were offered at our Taipa center during the summer. However, in July Living Water Church cooperated with the missionaries and a short-term team to hold an English Carnival at the center. Quite a few children and teens who were attending summer classes attended the event. A puppet show was held in the alley in front of the center to help familiarize the neighborhood with our ministry.

"New ELP classes began at Living Word Church and on Taipa on September 11. Russ and Nellie Birdsall arrived on September 8 and will be serving as four-month volunteers. Melissa Hull arrived on August 5 to begin a three-year term in Macau. We are so thankful for these workers to help reach people in Macau!"

September 13, 2001

Manhattan, New York. Alan Chan, a lay leader in the Chinatown UB church, sent this note: "On behalf of the brothers and sisters in New York, I want to thank God because through Him we can love each other. It is too bad that the Word of God did not reach those terrorists on time. Through this instance of atrocity, I have run out of words to emphasis how important and urgent the 'mission' is."

Chan is a software engineer with Ericsson Internet Applications. He continues:

"It is a moment of great sorrow, and my heart has been leaden....Please, pray for us that we could love each other more, that we could have the ability to forgive, and that we could have the wisdom to spread the Gospel more effectively. And let's pray for our leaders, so that they would have the courage to stand up to the justice and the wisdom to make friends instead of enemies around the world. May God bless us all and remind us to give thanks to Him constantly."

Macau. Sunday, August 5, saw the addition of Melissa Hull to Team UB. She graduated from Huntington College in May with a major in Elementary Education. Read more about her.

New Albany, Ohio. Pastor Mike Brown of Franklin UB writes, "Like dozens of other UB churches, we had a hastily called prayer meeting after the tragedy in New York City, and about 25 people came out to pray.

"July 20--August 20 was International Month at Franklin. We were blessed to have Rev. Valenzuela, and new Hispanic church planter in the Columbus area, and his family share 15 minutes in our church service. In VBS, Rev. Sorrie Khamanda (Sierra Leone) shared about life in his country and the challenge to live a Christian life. Finally, on August 19 and 20, Rev. Lim and his wife from Manila, the Philippines, held revival services at Franklin. The Lims are sponsored through our Faith Promise. We brought them to the States. It was amazing to watch them as they experienced travel (anywhere) and our culture for the first time. The greatest part, of course, was the power of the Holy Spirit as he moved through our congregation. People responded at the altar every service, including about 30 in the last service.

"Groundbreaking is expected this fall for the 3500 square-foot education and office space expansion. A total interior remodeling of the existing church will happen as well.

"Our Care Ministry, an outreach and caring program of the church, is about to enter its eleventh year. During those years, laity have made over 11,000 contacts, over 85 different people have volunteered, and the program has been duplicated in at least three other churches."

Franklin, Pa. Ben Gladhill is the new Children and Youth pastor at Atlantic Avenue UB in Franklin. He graduated in May from Huntington College as a youth ministry major. Ben started working at the church the beginning of September. He and his wife, Becky, live in Oil City.

Brad Riddle is the church's new associate pastor. He is a graduate of Grove City College and taught fifth grade at Utica Elementary School before beginning his ministry in July with the local church. Riddle will be responsible for worship and music, and for equipping and training for evangelism and discipleship. Riddle and his wife, Meredith, live south of Franklin.

Crellin, Md. Allan Mummert became the new pastor of Crellin UB on September 1. He replace Michael Mudge, who resigned to start a new church. Allan comes to Crellin from Otterbein UB in Waynesboro, Pa., where he served as an Associate Pastor for four-and-a-half years. Allan and his wife, Karen, have three children: Sam, Micah, and Megan.

Fowlerville, Mich. Fowlerville UB helds its fourth annual outreach at the Livingston County Fair. The contemporary Christian group appeared at the fair on Saturday night, July 14. About 4300 tickets had been sold. A group called The Waiting opened the concert, mixing rock music with old-fashioned hymns.

The Third Day concert was not only the largest crowd for a Christian concert at the fair, but drew the largest crowd of any of the four concerts held at the fair this year.

Fowlerville UB sponsored and promoted the event. Youth minister Bill Blue explained, "We want youth and their parents to enjoy this together, and to own the cause of winning people to Christ as a family."

A team of 160 volunteers from the congregation assisted in the many details of the concert--selling tickets, ushering guests, setting up the stage, and counseling people. "Everything was just so smooth," exclaimed Jeanne Westerby, administrative coordinator of the event and secretary of Fowlerville UB. "People came from Illinois and Ontario just to see the concert, and Third Day was very pleased with how we handled the event. Third Day was wonderful to work with. It was very obvious that they live what they talk and that they are very committed to God."

Up to 100 people went forward after the concert for prayer. Seven first-time commitments and 17 recommitments were recorded at the concert, and others have been heard of since.

"We thought we were ready for a response, but it was overwhelming," says Bill blue. "It was really great to see that this is not just a United Brethren thing. Whole groups were there owning the same vision we had. I have never seen anything like this in Fowlerville, with so many people united in worship."

September 10, 2001

Holly Hill, Fla. Chuck McKeown, pastor of the Daytona UB church, writes, "Last year, Pastor Gary VanderVeen of Michigan Conference asked me to name some of the most pressing needs of our Haitian ministry in Southeast Conference. I told him that transportation is always a need. In response, Gary and his church, Calvary UB in Saginaw, Mich., bought a used school bus and drove it to Florida. The bus was used in the Orlando Haitian ministry for a number of months before the city expressed concern about where the bus was being parked. To keep our relationship with the city positive, the Daytona church donated a van to the Haitian church and we brought the bus back to Daytona.

"Over the past several months, we have raised funds to ship the bus to Haiti. This will provide a double blessing for the Haitian UB churches, because we will pack the bus full of much-needed supplies.

"After thinking about the whole process, we have decided that rather than send shipping containers ($2200 each out of Miami), we will find more used buses, pack them with supplies, ship them from Miami to Haiti, and then drive them away once they arrive. It will be less expensive to do it this way, plus the bus will be used by our churches in Haiti. We are now in the process of purchasing a second bus from a Baptist church in our area for this purpose. We plan to ship the first bus by the end of September. There may be other UB churches willing to donate an unused or little-used bus or van for a future shipment.

"We have also started raising money to send water purification systems to Haiti. At a cost of $25 each, these filters will provide clean drinking water for a family of five for six months. Then replacement filters can be provided to those families for $12. The first shipment of 100 water filtering systems will be sent on the Michigan bus this month, along with building materials, clothing, tires, spare parts, tools, beans, rice, cooking oil, etc. Once again, there may be other UB churches willing to help in such a project. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.

Shippensburg, Pa. Mainsville UB had a "Make Your Own Sundae" event on the afternoon of August 26. Everything was free--ice cream, toppings, nuts, cherries, whipped cream, soda, and juice. Rev. James Herman, a retired United Methodist pastor, did gospel illusions, and his "dummy," Chester, talked about Bible stories. A singing group called "Simply His" from Shippensburg sang gospel music. The day also included games and a dunk tank (which was a big hit). About 110 persons attended....Five persons were baptized on Sunday, September 9.

India. Miriam Prabhakar writes, "We will conduct a retreat/workshop for pastors and their families September 25-28, to help pastors in their ministry and encourage them in their own spiritual lives. We hope to have 20 people attending. Please pray for the two speakers who will lead this workshop as well, that the Lord will give them His wisdom and message for these pastors.

"In the Narsapur Christian Hospital, we will open a blood bank on September 18. We are still awaiting the license for this and need much prayer, since anything to do with the government works at a snail's pace. We are really in need of a senior doctor for the hospital. On the ladies' side, the work load has increased and we are looking for a gynecologist."

Elmore, Ohio. Dot Myers of Bethel UB writes, "This has been a busy summer for Bethel. Our nearest town, Elmore, celebrated its Sesquicentennial this year with a special event each month, and Bethel was involved in each one. It began in May with a Fine Arts Show, where we displayed several types of art by our members, including the four-foot model of our church made by Mrs. Ina Mae Stewart. In June we entered a float in the 'Past, Present & Future' Town Parade, highlighting Bethel's beginnings in 1893 and the youth of the future.

"We sponsored a 'Baby Comfort Station' and free literature booth at the County Fair the third week in July and our first evening VBS the fourth week, during which five children gave their lives to Christ! In August, Pastor Don Barrett and the newly-formed Men's Chorus were asked to conduct the outdoor community church service at the Elmore/Lion's Club Community Fair, and have since been asked by two other groups to present their songs and message.

"We were also blessed with a part-time children's and youth director, Hanna Newlin, who coordinated two Watch-Care events for kids and parents, two teenager campouts, and the VBS.

"In August, the youth sponsored a three-band Christian rock "Back to School Bash" in Bethel's parking lot. Many friendships were formed among the 65 youth and 15 adults who attended as they listened to God's Word proclaimed in a truly upbeat, loud, youth fashion."

Dimondale, Mich. Pastor Dick Thorp and his wife, Darlene, had quite a week in August. Dick's mother, Cema Thorp, died, and their first grandchild was born, both in the same week....The church had a 90/10 day, during which they raised $14,700 to be put on the principle of the mortgage.

Bluffton, Ind. Pastor Larry Taylor of Park UB writes, "Our newest ministry is a Kid's Klub that meets on Wednesday's at 7:00 pm. The second meeting resulted in ten children and two workers. Park UB looks forward to a year of Kid's activities which will include music, crafts, Bible stories, and food.

Plans are in the works to enter another float in the Bluffton Street Fair. Last year, our first float won fourth prize and $100. Park UB hopes to complete, by the end of September, the remodeling of the kitchen with all new electric service, dry wall, and cabinets.

Clarksburg, W. Va. Chris Mullet, pastor of Living Water Church, writes, "What a great summer we had at Living Water. On June 24, we had 11 baptisms, including mine. Anthony Blair came to Clarksburg and baptized Jimmy Gifford and me (I'd been baptized as an infant in the United Methodist Church), then I baptized the others.

"The church began last July 2 with eight adults. This August 12 we had 80. We've average about 75 for July-September. About half of our folks are under 20.

"Our church is active serving the homeless and poor through preparing and serving a meal each month at the Clarksburg Mission. We have 15-25 volunteers from our church doing this ministry each month."

Westerville, Ohio. Christ Fellowship UB had eight children born in the last 6 months.

Huntington, Ind. New Hope UB paved its parking lot during August. Prior to that, new carpet was installed in the foyer, narthex, and sanctuary of the church, and a new digital piano was purchased for the sanctuary to replace the no-longer-functional organ.

Fulks Run, Va. Pastor Richard Reed reports from Mt. Carmel UB: "On September 2, we baptized five individuals. They each shared their personal testimony and how God has been working in their lives. Three of them were students who testified how Rhodes Grove Camp helped them grow in their walk with Christ. All five testimonies were powerful and touched our hearts.

"The service held a special meaning for my wife, Annette, and I, because our oldest daughter Emily was baptized. She is the first of our five children to follow the Lord in baptism, and I was honored to participate in her baptism. John Knepper, our lay leader, assisted in the baptisms.

"The other persons baptized were: Steve Shifflet, Brenda Booth, Marketia Cullers, and Christina Cullers."

Chambersburg, Pa. The youth group of Criders UB spent July 10-16 on a work trip at the Daytona UB church in Holly Hill, Fla. They did Conspiracy of Kindness projects and helped with a Haitian Church in Orlando. The people who went were Loretta Liechty, Lyndsey Hampson, Brittany Campbell, Jessica Hoffeditz, Cliff Newell, Joe Ryland, Luke Meyers, and youth pastor Brent Leichty.

Brent Leichty reports, "We cleaned up about a half-mile of street around the church (picking up garbage, mowing, edging, etc.). We washed police cars and a fire engine, painted several rooms in the church, and worked as staff for their weekly youth outreach, The Well. We also spent time in prayer for their ministries with them. It impacted my students greatly to spend time with their students and serving others."

Rock River Conference. Rock River Annual Conference met for the last time in July. At that session, they decided to disband as a conference, and become a Church Extension District. Dale Schoening, pastor of McGuire Bend UB (Dayton, Iowa), writes, "The reason is that there are no UB ordained elders willing and able to fill the positions a conference structure requires, including Conference Superintendent. We are now answerable to Bishop Paul Hirschy. A leadership team with representatives from each church takes the place of the Conference Council. This is the first time in UB history a conference has chosen to take this step."

Cumberland, Md. Mid-Atlantic Conference Council has given final approval for a new church plant in Cumberland under the direction of Rev. Michael and Rhonda Mudge. Michael, who also serves the conference as Superintendent of Church Growth and Renewal, was senior pastor of the Crellin congregation near Oakland, Md., until the end of August, when he resigned to begin this new work. The church will be called Living Stones UB Church. Michael is serving bi-vocationally.

Kendall Park, N. J. Evangel in Kendall Park has scheduled its Grand Opening Service for Saturday, October 27, at 7:00 p.m. Evangel is a multiethnic (predominantly Sierra Leonean) congregation founded earlier this year by Rev. Billy Simbo. It is part of the Mid-Atlantic Conference.

Winchester, Va. A team of three young couples have descended upon Winchester to start a new Gen-X ministry in this growing city. The senior pastor position is held by Jeremy McClung who, with his wife April, had previously served the Living Water congregation located outside of Winchester. They have been joined by Caleb and Briana Nei from Huntington, Ind., and Doug and Cressa Coldsmith from Greencastle, Pa. Caleb will serve as Director of Music and Doug as Director of Youth and Specialized Ministries. Bishop Emeritus Ray Seilhamer serves as their church planting coach. They hope to begin worship services sometime next year. They are serving under the supervision of the Mid-Atlantic Conference.

Etters, Pa. GraceNow! Ministries has hired Kathy Capello as part-time Director of Children's Ministries. Kathy is a corporate trainer who had been a student under Anthony Blair, who serves as Senior Pastor of this Mid-Atlantic Conference church plant.

GraceNow! Ministries, Etters, Pennsylvania, organized an "American Girls Adventure Week" in August, capitalizing on the popularity among elementary-aged girls of the American Girls book and doll series. Each book concerns a fictional girl in a particular period of American history. Utilizing the resources of Senior Pastor Anthony Blair, a trained historian, and Kathy Capello, GraceNow!'s new Director of Children's Ministries, the church created a VBS-like weeklong program. They wrote their own curriculum, created their own crafts, and prepared snacks, all in keeping with the time period of each evening's theme. "We knew we were too small to do a full-scale VBS, but this provided us with the opportunity to do something just as potent on a smaller scale." A total of 19 girls participated in the Adventure Week, most from unchurched families in the Etters community.

Somerset, N. J. A reporter from the Wall Street Journal visited Bethel United African Church in Somerset, New Jersey, on August 26 to elicit opinions from Sierra Leonean immigrants to the United States concerning recent developments in the political situation in Sierra Leone. Reporter Alik Freidman sought out the Bethel congregation because of its high profile in the Sierra Leonean community on the East Coast. Bethel is a MidAtlantic Conference congregation pastored by Rev. Roy Scott.

Findlay, Ohio. Pastor Darwen Dunten, pastor of First UB, writes, "Face painting, snow cones, moon walk, bicycle parade, free food, clowns, and One Generation in concert were all just a small part of the first neighborhood block party sponsored by First UB. And everything was free. Over 1200 fliers were passed out door-to-door over a three-week period making the community aware that something special was about to happen just for them. The week prior to the event, the church remained open through the evening for people to come in and to pray for the outreach.

"On Saturday, July 28, the party began. Throughout the afternoon, families came and went, children brought their bikes, and people just had a great time. Each family received a welcome packet with the Jesus video, along with a flyer from the church and many other free items. These were received at the registration table where their names and address were obtained. A follow-up letter thanked them for attending.

"It was a great success. Not only did the neighborhood see that the church cared for them, but the entire church pulled together under one common goal. And they succeeded tremendously."

Michigan Conference. This summer, Michigan Conference ordained two persons.

• Charlie Lyon, pastor of Ithaca UB (Ithaca, Mich.), was ordained at conference time at the beginning of July.
• Valerie Reynolds, Associate Pastor of East Washington UB (Ashley, Mich.), chose to be ordained at the church where she serves. Her ordination took place on Sunday, July 29.

Corunna, Ind. On the last weekend of August, Corunna UB held a different kind of Vacation Bible School. Donna Hollopeter, wife of Corunna pastor Jason Hollopeter, reports, "Wanting to try something different, Corunna wrote and produced its own VBS program. The event began on Friday evening and continued throughout the weekend, ending with a special Sunday afternoon service. The theme for our VBS was 'Round-Up at the U.B. City Corral.' Friday evening following singing, games, story-time, a visit from 'The Sin Gang,' and prayer time, we had a campfire and made s'mores. All of the events for the weekend were done outside under a tent. Our seats were bales of straw.

"On Saturday, events began at 10:00 a.m. and lasted until 3:00 p.m. There were two sessions of Bible Story times, games, singing, another visit from 'The Notorious Sin Gang,' crafts, and other fun activities. At noon time we all went over by the 'chuckwagon' and had a delicious lunch prepared by 'Cooky.'

"Sunday morning for Sunday school and church, everyone came dressed in their favorite western clothes. Services were held in the tent. Following the morning services, 'Cooky' provided lunch for everyone in attendance. At 1:00 p. m. we held our concluding VBS session. A challenge had been given that if the mission offering hit $200 or above, the church would match the offering dollar for dollar and the story teller would give the final story from horseback. The challenge was met and far exceeded with a total of $316 collected.

"Following the afternoon service, parents and kids were invited to 'pan for gold,' participate in 'horse races,' play other games, visit the U.B. City General Store, and then join Cooky at the chuckwagon again for an old-fashioned ice cream social.

"It was a great weekend. Great attendance, great fellowship, lots of fun, and to top it all off, nine VBS students made decisions for Christ.

Huntington, Ind. On August 12, Good Shepherd UB held a mortgage-burning service. In the process, several individuals who have been with the congregation since the move in 1981 offered some memories of the great things they have seen God do in their midst.

September 7, 2001

Pastoral Changes

• Lighthouse UB hired Dana Gretzinger half-time as Director of Discipling Ministries. She also is the worship leader.
• Steve Fish, formerly at Morning Star UB in Kokomo, Ind., is now attending Asbury Seminary in Kentucky.
• As of September 1, Mrs. Cathy Burson was employed as Coordinator of Children's Ministry at Main Street UB in Walbridge, Ohio. Pastor Ron Ramsey writes, "Last year, before she was on staff, Cathy was responsible for developing our Wednesday night children's outreach program, which was very successful. This September, she is introducing us to a new children's ministry on Sunday mornings called Pray Station. We are excited about God bringing Cathy, her husband Jeff, and their boys TJ, Jared, and Jamey to Main Street Church about three years ago. And we are also excited that she has consented to assume this new staff position.

September 6, 2001

Update on the new Missions Director. Gary Dilley concluded his ministry as pastor of First Love UB in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. He and Rhonda purchased a house on Freedom Street in Huntington, Ind., just east of College Park UB church. They moved over the Labor Day weekend. The Dilleys are still trying to sell their home in Reynoldsburg.

On August 2, the Dilleys joined Bishop Ray Seilhamer in flying to Haiti, our newest mission outreach. They spent five days there, and both Gary and Rhonda had an opportunity to speak to the Haitian Annual Convention. A couple weeks later, they joined Denis Casco in a visit to the UB churches in Mexico.

The HC Graduate School Moves to the UB Building. The Huntington College Graduate School of Christian Ministries is moving into new offices in the UB Headquarters. They will occupy the area previously occupied by the Department of Missions. Renovations are well underway. The college is bringing in phone lines, adding a new entrance, turning two storage rooms into classrooms, and making other changes.

The deal is that the college can use the space rent-free the first year, if they handle the renovation costs. This offer was made by the Executive Leadership Team immediately following General Conference.

The word is that four persons will work there. They include Ray Seilhamer, the new associate dean (who will occupy Mission Director Kyle McQuillen's old office), Professor Gary Newton, and two secretaries.

Bishop Emeritus Ray Seilhamer began his new job as Associate Dean of the Graduate School upon the end of his term as bishop, on August 15. In addition to overall leadership of the graduate school, he will head up the Pastoral Ministries tract.

A New Home for the Missions Staff. Meanwhile, the four Missions staffpersons--Global Ministries Director Gary Dilley, Associate Director Donna Hollopeter, Administrative Assistant Mabel Mundy, and secretary Cyndee Christman--have moved into new offices in the other end of the building, with the rest of the Headquarters staff. It was a massive job getting everything relocated and consolidating the overall office space.

Gary Dilley's office is next to Bishop Paul Hirschy's office--in fact, in Paul's former office.

For the past several years, a non-profit organization called Family Centered Services has been renting offices on the north end of the building--currently, a total of five offices.

This is no longer the international UB headquarters, but merely the headquarters of the United States National Conference. Altogether, there are just 12 employees in the UB Headquarters, and three of them are part-time.

A Bad Way to Start Retirement. On July 31, newly-retired Missions Director Kyle McQuillen was injured in a fall at his home in Edgewater, Fla. He and his wife, Mar Louise, were doing some work on the lawn and Kyle slipped off the edge of the driveway and broke his ankle in three places--on the inside, the outside and at the back. The doctor said he couldn't have broken it any worse.

On August 1, during surgery, a plate and pins were inserted to stabilize the bone. Kyle will be in a cast or boot for 7-8 weeks, and full recovery could probably take over six months. His home address is: 299 Casa Grande, Edgewater FL 32141.

Kyle had been looking forward to kayaking on the intercoastal waterway, which runs by their home. Upon arriving in Florida, he bought a kayak and used it for about three days before he broke his ankle. Now its hanging up, unused.

Work Teams for 2002. Dates and assignments are filling up very quickly for work teams in early 2002. Several team leaders have already chosen the dates and location where they will work in Honduras and Jamaica. If you are interested, please call the Missions office for more information before setting a final date for your team. There is plenty of construction work to be done in each country, but the final decision on where teams will work will be made by the conference council in the respective countries.

Pastoral Changes

• Ben Gladhill is the new Children and Youth Pastor at Atlantic Avenue UB, Franklin, Pa.
• Corey Moore is the new senior pastor of Faith UB in Phoenix, Ariz.
• Craig Mickey, formerly a youth minister at Emmanuel UB in Fort Wayne, Ind., is the new youth pastor of Prince Street UB in Shippensburg, Pa.
• Gary Brooks, formerly pastor of the UB church in Bradenton, Fla., is now Gary Brooks Director of Cross-Cultural Ministries for Southeast Conference.
• Don Gentry was hired as Student Minister at Oak Harbor UB, Oak Harbor, Ohio. He is married to the former Stacy Provencher, who was a missionary in Macau.
• Marshall Woods is interim pastor of Mill Chapel UB in Reedsville, W. Va.
• Stan Becker is the new Associate Pastor of Ministry at Jerusalem Chapel, Churchville, Va.
• Gene Reineman will become the new youth pastor of Mount Olivet UB (Chambersburg, Pa.) on September 16.

Out of the Shipping Business. The Department of Missions is no longer collecting items to be shipped overseas. This decision was made for a variety of reasons, one being the dramatic increase in shipping expenses. The cost to send items is often many times greater than their actual worth.

If you need information on what is needed for a specific country, or suggestions on how to ship, contact the missions office and they will try to be helpful. Thank you for all you have contributed and for understanding this change in policy.

Hillsdale, Mich. Mrs. Cema Thorpe, wife of he late Rev. Varion Thorpe, passed away August 13. The funeral was held in Hillsdale, Mich.