BMH Editor's Blog

Prayer Requested for Taylor Accident Victim

Posted by Terry White on April 30, 2006  |  No Comments

Rick VanPuffelen, of the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church, has sent this prayer request for one of his relatives, a senior at Taylor University, who was critically injured in the Taylor U. van crash Wednesday evening (see earlier blog entry — Marion Chronicle Tribune photo).

“You have all probably heard of the tragic accident in which five people from Taylor University, including four students, were killed and others were injured.

“Of the survivors, the most serious is Laura VanRyn, the youngest daughter of one of my first cousins. She is in a coma and has multiple fractures, as she was thrown about 50 feet from the vehicle. Her vitals are OK but she is not yet responding to any stimuli.

“Sherrie and I were there with them yesterday at Parkview Hospital and her folks are doing well, but they all need our/your prayers, please.”

Details of the accident and updates on survivors and memorial services are available at http://www.taylor.edu/community/news/accident_04-26-06.htm,

NC Ohio Celebrates ‘Night of Praise’

Posted by Terry White on April 30, 2006  |  1 Comment

More than 500 people from eight Grace Brethren churches in central Ohio joined together this evening for a “Night of Praise” held at the Delaware, OH, Grace Brethren Church beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Delaware pastor Gary Underwood was emcee for the evening. A special point of praise was the story of the recent planting of a new church in Sunbury. Sunbury Pastor Brian Williams and many others from his church were on hand to tell the story of God’s working in that city.

Central Ohio has the heaviest concentration of Grace Brethren churches in North America. (Tom Avey photos)
 

Posted by Terry White on April 30, 2006  |  No Comments

The “Night of Praise” evening at the Delaware church closed with a great 150-plus voice choir singing “Be Thou My Vision” directed by Randy Kettering of the Worthington, OH, Grace Brethren Church and by Brian Blackburn, worship pastor at the Delaware Grace Brethren Church.
 

BNYC Moves to Mississippi in ‘07

Posted by Terry White on April 28, 2006  |  No Comments

Brethren National Youth Conference will be held on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg in 2007, according to an announcement today from CE National and the BNYC Executive Committee. The dates will be July 21-27, 2007.

This will be the first time the conference has been in Mississippi. BNYC Committee members Dave Rank and Matt Mason returned this week from a trip to the campus and reported, “The campus is beautiful, and it is the most ideal campus for BNYC that we have ever had. It is in an area where there are many opportunities for putting our faith into practice.”

The campus is about 60 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, north of Gulfport and Biloxi. The school and Hattiesburg sustained hurricane-force wind and damage during Hurricane Katrina. With much relief work still needing to be done, leaders plan to incorporate this into the conference.

BNYC main sessions will take place in the 8,000-seat Reed Green Coliseum, home of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. The campus also boasts The Southern Miss Athletic Center, a state-of-the-art 60,000-square foot facility complete with a natatorium, and a 40-mile bike and horseback-riding trail. More information is available online at www.usm.edu.

BNYC06 will be held on the campus of Biola University in the Los Angeles area July 22-27, 2006.  

Copy You Can Use

Posted by Terry White on April 28, 2006  |  No Comments

The May/June, 2006 issue of FGBC World, the all-Fellowship news publication of the FGBC, should by now have arrived in churches and at the homes of individual subscribers. To read the online version, click on www.fgbcworld.com. Here is some promotional copy for your use in church bulletins, newsletters, websites, in letting your church know it’s available.

Grace Brethren churches responded quickly and generously when hurricanes struck the gulf coast. A wrapup article mentioning many of the responding churches is in the May/June issue of FGBC World, now available. Take a copy today or read it online at www.fbcworld.com.

Construction is underway for a new 2,800-seat conference and athletic facility on the campus of Grace College and Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana. Read about the groundbreaking and other stories of interest about Grace Brethren churches and people in the May/June issue of FGBC World, now available. Take a copy today or read it online at www.fgbcworld.com.

A Wild Game Dinner can be an effective outreach to introduce people to Jesus Christ. Read how one Grace Brethren church did it in the May/June issue of FGBC World, now available. Get your free subscription today, pick up a copy, or read it online at www.fgbcworld.com.

Five Dead in Taylor U. Van Crash

Posted by Terry White on April 27, 2006  |  1 Comment

All classes are cancelled today at the Fort Wayne and Upland, IN, campuses of Taylor University after a horrific van crash on I69 near Marion, IN, took the lives of five Taylor students and employees Wednesday evening. A prayer vigil on the Taylor campus was scheduled for 9 a.m. today with a memorial service at 10 a.m. in Rediger Chapel on the Upland campus.

Four of the victims were students, ages 18 to 22, and the fifth was an employee they worked with in the university’s dining services. Four others who had been in the van were hospitalized, including a 22-year-old student listed in critical condition Thursday morning.

The van was about 10 miles north of Taylor’s Upland campus Wednesday night when it was hit by a tractor-trailer that crashed through a median on Interstate 69.

As word of the deaths spread across the campus of 1,900 students, friends and classmates gathered in the campus chapel to pray.

Investigators were trying to determine why the semi crashed through the median about 8 p.m., peeling open the side of the van. The truck driver, identified by police as Robert F. Spencer, 27, of Canton, Mich., was hospitalized in fair condition Thursday.

“It was one of the most horrific crashes I’ve ever seen,” said Indiana State Police Sgt. Rod Russell.

The students and staff had been in Fort Wayne preparing for a scholarship banquet that was to be part of new school President Eugene Habecker’s inauguration festivities planned for the weekend.

Another Taylor van was following the one involved in the crash, but it had pulled off the highway to refuel and came up on the accident scene soon after it happened, Garringer said.

Police identified the victims as Elizabeth A. Smith, 22, of Mount Zion, Ill.; Bradley J. Larson, 22, of Elm Grove, Wis.; Whitney E. Cerak, 18, of Gaylord, Mich.; Laurel E. Erb, 20, of St. Charles, Ill.; and Taylor University employee Monica Felver, 53, of Hartford City. Larson and Smith were seniors at the college.

The university employee driving the van, Vickie L. Rhodes, 54, of Fairmount; employees Connie Magers, 50, of Gas City, and Michele M. Miller, 43, of Marion; and student Laura J. Vanryn, 22, of Caledonia, Mich., were hospitalized. Vanryn was in critical condition after being airlifted to Parkview Hospital in Fort Wayne.

Indiana State Police News Release with further details.

May 4 to be 55th National Day of Prayer

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

President George Bush and the governors of all 50 states have proclaimed Thursday, May 4 to be the 55th Annual National Day of Prayer in the U.S. Millions will answer the call to prayer that day by flocking to observances held in public venues to pray for the nation, governmental leaders, media, churches, families and schools.

This year’s theme is “America, Honor God” and is based on 1 Samuel 2:30 NIV – “Those who honor me, I will honor” National Day of Prayer Chairman Shirley Dobson, wife of Focus on the Family founder and chairman Dr. James Dobson, said “at a time when so many principles found in Scripture have been rejected by society, it’s all the more vital that God’s people stand firmly in defense of the precepts He’s laid out in His Word. As we wage this cultural battle, however, none of our efforts are assured success without consistent, fervent prayer for God’s intervention.”

Noted author and Pastor Dr. Henry Blackaby is the 2006 Honorary Chairman and will address the national event in Washington, D.C. In addition to his appearance at the national observance, Dr. Blackaby has released, Experiencing Prayer with Jesus, which is this year’s theme book. Grammy award winning artist Rebecca St. James will sing the theme song, America, Honor God.

The National Day of Prayer tradition predates the founding of the United States of America when the Continental Congress issued a proclamation setting aside a day of prayer in 1775. In 1952, Congress established an annual day of prayer and, in 1988, that law was amended, designating the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday in May.

For information on attending an event, sponsoring an event, or just to get information on more of the national observations planned, log onto http://www.ndptf.org/home/index.cfm
 

Ashland Seminary Names New President

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

ASHLAND, Ohio -Ashland University has named Dr. John Shultz as the president of Ashland Theological Seminary. Dr. Shultz will begin his duties as ATS president on July 1, replacing Dr. Frederick Finks, who will at that time begin serving as president of Ashland University.

Shultz has served as professor of pastoral counseling at Ashland Theological Seminary since 1981 and served as academic dean for the seminary from 1985 to 1988. He also is founder, president and CEO of Cornerstone Psychological Affiliates Inc., a Christian counseling center with offices in six northern Ohio locations.

His achievements and assignments during his years at the Seminary include serving as the seminary’s representative to the Executive Board of the Brethren Church; serving as the seminary’s representative to the National Ordination Council of the Brethren Church; and serving on five seminary committees including the Personal and Professional Committee, Sandberg Leadership Center Advisory Team, Curriculum Redesign Committee, Prayer Committee and the Centennial Celebration Committee.

Other accomplishments include teaching ministry skills to students in the areas of counseling, pastoral care and preaching; chairing the Practical Theology and Pastoral Counseling departments for 15 years; and serving as faculty representative to the Board of Trustees for nine years.

Shultz also is founder and president of JSNJS Inc., a real estate holding company located in Ashland, Ohio. Prior to joining the Seminary, he served as consultant and seminar leader for Dow Leadership Development Center at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Mich., from 1987 to 1992; interim pastor at Smithville Brethren Church from 1982 to 1983; and psychology intern at the Ohio State University Counseling and Consultation Service from 1980 to 1981.

An ordained elder in The Brethren Church, Shultz is very involved in the community, serving as a past board member of the Brethren Care Board of Directors and the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce and serving as chair of the Chamber in 2000. He is a member and past president of the Rotary Club and board chair at Five Stones Community Church.

He has a doctor of counseling psychology from Purdue University in 1980 and a master of divinity from Ashland Theological Seminary in 1975. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Ashland University in 1972. 

Pray for Vic Rogers

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

This prayer request just received from Roger Mayes:

Daughters Sharon White and Ruth Ann Mayes request prayer for their father, retired Pastor Victor S. Rogers, who fell off the bottom step of a step ladder on Sunday afternoon at his home. He has been diagnosed with a broken neck.

He is in the Menifee Hospital in California in ICU in critical condition. Pray that a hospital will take him and that the necessary neck surgery will be able to be performed.

Praying on the Hillside

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  1 Comment

This photo, taken moments ago by Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey, is of the Grace College student body holding an open-air prayer meeting at the Hillside Amphitheater in Winona Lake, IN, under the direction of campus chaplain James Joyner. The open grassy field in the background is the former site of the Billy Sunday Tabernacle. 

Clive Craigen to Teach at Moody

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

Clive Craigen, who has been a career missionary in Chicago with Grace Brethren North American Missions (GBNAM), has been appointed to the full-time position of Assistant Professor of World Missions in Urban Ministry at Moody Bible Institute effective July 1, 2006.

Craigen has served full-time with GBNAM since May 2000, leading the world-class city initiative in Chicago. He will continue in a part-time capacity with GBNAM, focusing on mobilizing students for urban church planting in North America.

Craigen and his wife, Randi, have been involved in urban ministry for more than 16 years and have worked with numerous students from Moody and other colleges. They currently lead a student house church and are involved in training and mentoring students in hands-on, cross-cultural urban ministry via evangelistic and discipleship Bible studies, community service, tutoring in public schools and ESL programs.

The Craigens have two biological children and two adopted children and live as a multi-racial family on the south side of Chicago in a predominantly African-American community. They are committed to ongoing, hands-on, cross-cultural ministry with their neighbors, friends and contacts.  

Church Distributes 33,000 Bibles

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

Baptist Press News today carried this report of an outreach conducted by Shadow Mountain Community Church, pastored by Grace Seminary alumnus David Jeremiah:

EL CAJON, Calif. (BP)–Carrying a gift, 1,700 members of Shadow Mountain Community Church fanned out across the city of El Cajon two by two on a mission to distribute a Bible to each of the San Diego-area city’s 30,000 homes.

Church members were treated to a breakfast the Saturday before Easter, prayed over and sent out to deliver gift bags with an invitation to church and a custom-designed Bible.

The primary goal was “to sow the seed,” said John Gillette Jr., the church’s chief operations officer and men’s ministry pastor. “We did have people pray with people and lead them to Christ but we just wanted to sow the seed and let God do the rest.”

More than 33,000 Bibles were distributed to homes, apartments and trailers.

Attendance at the church increased by about 2,000 on Easter Sunday, bringing their attendance to 12,000.

“We know God worked amazingly through that outreach. We saw people all over church carrying the Bibles we gave away,” Gillette recounted.

The yellow Bibles couldn’t be missed. Published at a cost of about $2 each, the Bibles relayed the plan of salvation on the front page, directions and service times on the back cover and answers to tough questions inside.

“At one time or other, people may look at this Bible and need the answers,” said Gillette, who spearheaded the outreach.

Shadow Mountain’s staff began making plans for Easter several months ago as senior pastor David Jeremiah was winding down a “Route 66″ series on the 66 books of the Bible.

“We decided since we just did a series on the Bible that would be the best gift we could give anyone,” Gillette said.

Before the outreach, Gillette took a helicopter ride over El Cajon with a videographer to show as a promotion to church members underscoring the city as their mission field.

Members who signed up to distribute the Bibles were assigned a section of 35-50 houses. Each participant was sent a letter noting who their partner would be and how to access a website, based on a post office database, where they could find out what streets they would cover. Members without computers could use computers set up on campus after church services to get their streets.

“We did this to let people go ahead and prayerwalk over their area,” Gillette said. “We paired men with men and had couples, families go together.”

The church also offered three different evangelism training sessions before the outreach.

The volunteers were sent out in two waves after breakfast at the church, at 8 a.m. and at 9:15 a.m., and a command center was set up to deal with any problems.

Busloads of junior high students and high school students were sent to apartment complexes with adults. “We wanted to make sure everyone was safe so we made sure it was daylight and everyone was supervised,” Gillette said.

“We never told anyone to go over a locked fence or trespass,” he added.

Some streets were not identified correctly or couldn’t be found, so volunteers were reassigned.

“Everyone was energized when they returned,” Gillette said.

But not everyone was able to personally give a Bible to somebody.

About half of the residents did not answer the door and some refused to receive the Bible.

“It was a good experience for our members to see that Jesus was not always accepted,” Gillette said, adding, “… [T]hey will grow from it. I told them not everyone is waiting at home for Shadow Mountain to knock on their door on a Saturday morning to give them a free Bible.”

Osceola to Host Maximum Impact Seminar

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

The Osceola, IN, Grace Brethren Church will be hosting a simulcast “Maximum Impact Seminar” on Friday, May 5, and Pastor Greg Serafino invites all to attend.

Serafino describes the event as “a LIVE international simulcast called Maximum Impact: 360° The Measure of a Leader: Inspirational giants like Dave Ramsey, Tim Sanders, Patrick Lencioni, Kathy Ireland, John Maxwell, Mark Sanborn, J.C. Watts, as well as Archie and Peyton Manning will gather together for this unforgettable leadership training event, focusing on the distinct qualities that all great leaders share.”

He says, “You can check it out at www.maximumimpact.com/mis. OR you can sign your team up at www.ogbc.net and pay online today. I would love for you to attend with me.

”We are hosting it on our Apple Road campus in Osceola and I am excited about the possibilities. It costs $99 per person unless you are bringing five or more people – then it drops to $89 per person. In fact, for an even better discount – call me personally and we can talk about how you can attend for FREE!

”Don’t wait – there is only room for 45 more people at this time.”

Serafino’s work phone number is (574) 674-5918.

Todd Scoles SuccessfullyDefends D.Min. Dissertation

Posted by Terry White on April 26, 2006  |  No Comments

Todd Scoles (center), senior associate pastor at Northwest Chapel Grace Brethren Fellowship in Dublin, OH, yesterday successfully defended his dissertation for the Doctor of Ministry degree at Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, OH. At left is Pastor Jim Custer and at right is Dr. David Plaster, members of the examining team.

Scoles’ dissertation is entitled “The Power of Ordinances to Strengthen a Common Identity and Mission for the FGBC.” It focuses on the historical, sociological, theological, and unity-building aspects of the two primary ordinances of the Grace Brethren movement–believer’s baptism by trine immersion and the threefold communion service (feetwashing, Love Feast, and bread and cup).

Dr. Lee Solomon of the Ashland Seminary faculty, director of the D.Min. program, moderated the exam. Also participating was Dr. Dale Stoffer, Scoles’ advisor and the dean of the seminary.

Additional members of the exam team included Terry Hofecker, pastor of Northwest Chapel; James Custer, field consultant for Scoles and pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, OH; Dr. David Plaster, vice president of academic affairs for Grace College and Seminary; and Terry White, executive director and publisher of Brethren Missionary Herald Co.

Scoles is a member and incoming chair of the board of Brethren Missionary Herald Co., which will be publishing a version of the dissertation for the general Christian market. Members of the committee had high praise for Scoles’ scholarship and writing and voted unanimously to approve the dissertation and award him the degree.

Another Grace Brethren pastor, Kary Oberbrunner from the Powell, OH, church, will be defending his D.Min. dissertation in the same room this Friday. 

Christian Author Victim of Shark Attack

Posted by Terry White on April 24, 2006  |  1 Comment

Best-selling Christian suspense novelist and avid surfer T. Davis Bunn was seriously injured when a shark bit both his feet in an attack off the coast of Melbourne, FL, this past week.

Bunn swam back to shore and was aided by surfers in the area. His injuries required more than 120 stitches. He’s expected to make a full recovery, and he plans to continue surfing, but says he will never go alone again.

Davis, an award-winning novelist, is an extraordinarily creative wordsmith whose talents move between high drama such as THE GREAT DIVIDE to heartwarming stories like THE QUILT. His collaboration with Janette Oke on THE MEETING PLACE, the first novel in the SONG OF ACADIA series, was honored with a Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, 1999.

Bunn’s most recent thriller is THE LAZARUS TRAP (WestBow/Nelson).
 

Double-Good News From Kim Cooke

Posted by Terry White on April 24, 2006  |  No Comments

Kim Cooke (pictured here with her husband, Kelvin), pastor’s wife from the Grace Brethren Church of Waterloo, Iowa, recently had major heart surgery. Here are edited excerpts from updates sent out by her mother, Sherrie Clingenpeel. (photo at Grace Homecoming05 by Ruth Clingenpeel Williams)

Kim spoke with the surgeon, who informed her that the aneurysm on the aortic root was much worse than test results had shown, and he also said that the aortic wall was very weak. Please raise your voices in praise to our Awesome Father and thank Him for keeping Kim safe until the time of surgery.

We also feel very strongly that God’s hand orchestrated the circumstances so that the right surgeon repaired her heart. I want to weep with gratitude when I see how God has worked and will continue to work in all of our lives as we yield to His plan.

Kim is home!

The trip was uneventful, albeit very long for Kim. Thank you for praying. She is now in the process of trying to discover a way to sleep that will be as comfortable as possible–not as easy as you might think.

We came home to wonderful news. Some know that Kim has been ministering to, witnessing to, and praying for her neighbor, Christy, for more than a year now. Today, Christy made the decision to allow Christ to be the Lord of her life. Kim is praising God for this new child of His (as we all are), knowing that God has used her for His glory to bring this precious soul to Him.

Praise Him with us for His faithfulness and for using Kim to bring glory and honor to His name. What a homecoming gift! 

Martinsburg Gulfport Relief Efforts Cited

Posted by Terry White on April 24, 2006  |  No Comments

Today’s Altoona, PA, Mirror newspaper carries a wrapup article of people and organizations in the Altoona region who have helped with hurricane relief efforts. One of the churches cited is the Martinsburg (PA) Grace Brethren Church (Jim Laird, pastor). Here is a short excerpt–to see the entire article click here.

Since last October, teams of volunteers from the Martinsburg Grace Brethren Church have been going to Gulfport, Miss., to help. Less than two weeks ago, Kristin Russell, her husband, Rusty, and others from the church left for Gulfport as part of the church’s fourth volunteer team.

Kristin Russell said the church hopes to send a volunteer team down every month and her team planned to stay a week and try to do whatever work requests hurricane victims placed with the Crosspoint Church in Gulfport.

“We just were so really touched by the complete loss of everything,” she said before the team left. “We’re going out of love and compassion for our fellow man and here’s a chance to help people within our own borders who really need our help.”

Blogging is Good For Your Career

Posted by Terry White on April 23, 2006  |  No Comments

The blogosphere is now 60 times larger than it was three years ago. Technorati.com now tracks 35 million blogs, with a new blog being created every second of every day.

The Boston Globe currently has an article on the eight great career benefits of blogging. Here is a short excerpt—to read the entire article click here.

Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field.

Ben Day blogged his way into a career as a high-earning software consultant while maintaining the freedom to schedule frequent jam sessions and performances as a keyboard player.

Blogging gave him the opportunity to stand out enough to support the life he envisioned for himself. ”For your career, a blog is essential,” says Phil van Allen, a faculty member of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

”It’s the new public relations and it’s the new home page. Instead of a static home page, you have your blog,” he said. It’s a way to let people know what you are thinking about the field that interests you.

Employers regularly Google prospective employees to learn more about them. Blogging gives you a way to control what employers see, because Google’s system works in such a way that blogs that are heavily networked with others come up high in Google searches.

And coming up high is good: ”People who are more visible and have a reputation and stand for something do better than people who are invisible,” says Catherine Kaputa, branding consultant and author of ”Blogging for Business Success.”

But pick your topics carefully and have a purpose. ”The most interesting blogs are focused and have a certain attitude,” says van Allen. ”You need to have a guiding philosophy that you stick to.”

Dr. Christy Morr to Join Grace Faculty

Posted by Terry White on April 23, 2006  |  No Comments

Grace Theological Seminary announced this week that Dr. Christy Morr (pictured) will join the school’s full-time faculty, effective this fall, as Associate Professor of Spiritual Formation and Women’s Ministries.

Originally from the Ashland, Ohio, Grace Brethren Church, Dr. Morr is a graduate of Wheaton College (B.A.), Talbot School of Theology (M.A.) and her Ph.D. is also from Talbot, in the area of Spiritual Formation. She will be teaching in the areas of spiritual formation, interpersonal communication, and women’s ministries.

Dr. Morr’s research interests include personal and interpersonal development with empirical work conducted in the area of adult attachment styles and relationship with God variables. She taught at Biola University and Talbot School of Theology before coming to Grace. Dr. Morr has also been on the staff of Fullerton Evangelical Free Church in Fullerton, CA, serving in the area of women’s ministries.

While she focuses primarily in women’s ministries, she has also served in a variety of leadership roles cross-culturally, in the local church and in the parachurch context. She has developed a number of Bible study materials, has been published in the Christian Education Journal, and has presented research findings at the North American Professors of Christian Education Conference, a society of which she is a member.

This fall she will be teaching a new course at Grace College entitled, “Women and Scripture.” Students will explore the various roles women played in the Old Testament against the backdrop of the ancient world. They will investigate ways Jesus elevated the status of women and how New Testament passages describe the function of women within the Christian community.

Using modern theories on the role of women–hierarchical, complementarian, and egalitarian–students will seek to define a biblical approach to contemporary questions about the role of women. The three-credit course will be offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:00-1:50 pm. For information about auditing the course or taking it for credit, call the Grace Registrar’s Office at (574)372-5100, ext 6414 or 6415. 

Michael Reagan Packs Out Rodeheaver

Posted by Terry White on April 23, 2006  |  No Comments

Rodeheaver Auditorium in Winona Lake, Indiana, was packed Thursday evening, April 20, to hear Michael Reagan, eldest son of the President Ronald Reagan.

His presentation is the latest in the American Lyceum Lecture Series sponsored by Grace College, Grace Theological Seminary, and The Village at Winona.

Michael Reagan is host of his own nationally syndicated talk radio program and is the author of several books, the latest of which is Twice Adopted. He also raises funds for several charities, including the Cystic Fibrosis and Juvenile Diabetes foundations. Reagan serves on the board for The John Douglas French Alzheimer’s Foundation.