BMH Editor's Blog

Canadian Church Plant Featured

Posted by Terry White on August 31, 2007  |  1 Comment

From the Surrey (BC) Now:

Pastor Kevin Cavanaugh (left) from Cedar Grove Baptist and Pastor Philip Bryant (right) are at the forefront of starting Surrey’s newest church to be housed in Strawberry Hill Theater starting September 9. (Marten Youssef Photo)

Sending message of hope out to Newton
New church will be multicultural and hold Sunday services in movie theatre

Published: Friday, August 17, 2007

In three weeks, about 350 people will pack theater 11 in Strawberry Hills Cinema searching for hope.

This will not be a Hollywood-inspired event or a movie night, as September 9 will mark the opening of Surrey’s new church – Community of Hope Church. In the midst of the most multicultural and multi-faith community in Surrey, Newton will be the home of the new church dedicated to explore that message of hope with the community.

“In the age of war, global warming, poverty, family dysfunction, brokenness, purposelessness we are looking for answers. We are looking for hope and most people don’t know where to get answers to these questions,” says Philip Bryant, the pastor who will be leading the church along with his wife Beth and three daughters.

“Hope is the energy necessary for life. We look for hope and security in cars, jobs, money but none of these things seem to satisfy us,” says the 39-year-old Bryant.

To attract more people who want to ask questions about God and Christianity, the theater was seen as the best place.

“People are asking about God and what he is to them. People are looking for community and relationships and we wanted to pick a neutral place where people can feel safe to come and ask tough questions,” he says.

Hope Community Church has launched a massive campaign aimed at getting people in the Newton area to think about hope. Tens of thousands of brochures, some even with popcorn bags, are being distributed in the community and buses are carrying advertisements urging people to give hope a chance.

But the biggest help has come from the churches of Surrey. “I am amazed with the response we have received from the churches in Surrey. I don’t think we would be where we are today if it weren’t for these churches,” Bryant says.

Cedar Grove Baptist is at the forefront of assisting the new church. “Forty people from our congregation are leaving Cedar Grove to help in the build up of the new church. That includes our worship leader and team. Forty others have committed to being there for sometime as well,” says Kevin Cavanaugh, senior pastor at Cedar Grove.

“The most remarkable thing here is that Cedar Grove and Hope Community Church are not the same denomination, but they are still so supportive,” says Bryant.

Despite the resounding response Bryant and the leadership team have received from the churches in Surrey, he is very aware of the challenges ahead.

“This is not going to be easy. I think some people might see us as a cult. Second, we are trying to start a multicultural church with mostly white people. But we have been really doing our homework in understanding the people we are wanting to serve,” Bryant says.

Bryant and his family moved to Surrey from Ontario in 2005 with the hopes of starting a new church for the Grace Brethren denomination.

“Our goal is to contribute to creating a health community where people feel safe and free to take on the tough issues in their lives,” Bryant says.

Grace to Host Answers in Genesis Conference

Posted by admin on August 31, 2007  |  1 Comment

Ken Ham (pictured), CEO of Answers in Genesis, will be speaking at the Answers in Genesis Family Conference in Winona Lake, Indiana, Wednesday and Thursday, September 26-27.

Ham is a popular speaker in the U.S. on biblical and creation topics, as well as an author and radio host. The public is invited to attend all six of Ham’s presentations.

The conference schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, September 26
10:00 a.m.”The Relevance of Genesis to the Christian Faith”Orthopaedic Capital Center
6:30 p.m. “Genesis: Key to Understanding the Decline of the Culture” Rodeheaver Auditorium
8:00 p.m. “Dinosaurs and the Bible” Rodeheaver Auditorium

Thursday, September 27
10:00 a.m. “Defending the Faith in Today’s World” Orthopaedic Capital Center
6:30 p.m. “How to Evangelize Today’s Secular World” Rodeheaver Auditorium
8:00 p.m. “The Origin of the Races” Rodeheaver Auditorium

For more information about Answers in Genesis, go to http://www.answersingenesis.org/. For information on Grace College & Seminary click on http://www.grace.edu/.

Maranatha Sends Team to Bolivia

Posted by Terry White on August 31, 2007  |  No Comments

Soldotna Church Hosts Care2Run

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2007  |  No Comments

Peninsula Grace Brethren Church of Soldotna, Alaska (Pastor Keith Randall) sponsored the Care2Run Family Fun Run on Saturday. The race is a fundraiser to support the area’s homeless and at-risk teens.

Three runners tied for first place at the event, Elisabeth Habermann, Connie Best and Jennifer Mishler. The trio finished the course, which was a bit more than five kilometers, in 25 minutes, 4 seconds.

The complete results follow:

1 (tie). Elisabeth Habermann, Connie Best, Jennifer Mishler, 25 minutes, 4 seconds; 4. Stacia Forsi, 29:10; 5. Elizabeth Lochner, 30:29; 6. Jim “JD” Duncan, 31:08; 7. Deanna Martin, 36:14; 8. Dean Larson, 42:29; 9 (tie). Matti Martin, Sawyer Rickman, Josiah Martin, 42:59; 12 (tie). Darius Martin, Blair Martin, 46:24; 14 (tie). Sonora Martin, Ronna Martin, 46:25; 16. Scott Habermann, 48:34; 17. Aiden Bowers, 49:07; 18 (tie). Tria Bowers, Katie Bowers, 49:10; 20 (tie). Niki Countryman, Sherri Reid, Maggie Peterson, 60:57.

Happy Birthday, Liz!

Posted by Terry White on August 30, 2007  |  2 Comments

Liz Cutler Gates (pictured), editorial director at BMH and editor of FGBC World, had a birthday yesterday.

Staff members from BMH and FGBC gathered to enjoy some ice cream pie from Ritters and to celebrate.

This week also marks the conclusion of the internship of Heather Barrett, a marketing student from Indiana Wesleyan University, who has been interning with BMH during the summer of 2007.

Neil Cole Comments on Partnering

Posted by Terry White on August 29, 2007  |  No Comments

Neil Cole (pictured), pastor of a Grace Brethren church in Signal Hill, California, and executive director of Church Multiplication Associates, is featured in a current article from Leadership Network. Here is an excerpt — the entire article may be seen by clicking on http://www.pursuantgroup.com/leadnet/advance/aug07s2a.htm

A few weeks before a young pastor began his ministry in a new town, he decided to visit the largest-attendance church in the area, just two blocks from his own new church. As he sat through a worship service he decided quickly that he “could do church better than this.”

It didn’t take him long after leaving that worship service to realize his attitude was “ugly.”

Neil Cole is a pastor, church planter and author of several books, including The Organic Church. He is also that young pastor who decided he needed to apologize for his judgmental attitude that surfaced while sitting in the pew at his neighboring church.

“I wrote a letter to that pastor,” Neil says. “I confessed what I had done and I committed to pray for that church every time I passed its facility. Since it was just two blocks away, that meant I prayed for them a lot.”

Neil’s honesty and humility led to a friendship with the pastor and ultimately to the collaboration of authoring two books together.

“That was my first experience partnering with another church,” Neil reports. “It was Conservative Baptist and I was Grace Brethren. I learned that if it’s from your heart, it can be a natural flow. You work with leaders who will work with you and you keep praying for the ones who won’t.”

Neil isn’t alone in discovering that partnerships and alliances can benefit all parties and, ultimately, the kingdom of God. In major cities across America, alliances and partnerships are being formed between churches to achieve the goal of evangelism.

Sometimes these partnerships are as simple as two pastors working together in one community. Sometimes partnerships become strategic alliances among a group of churches working toward a common goal.

“We’re seeing churches across the nation networking with each other for the purpose of church planting,” says Margaret Slusher, director of the Church Planting Leadership Community for Leadership Network.

“The greater purpose is reaching every man, woman and child for Christ in a city or a region. They’re crossing denominational lines, sharing information and resources, all for the purpose of seeing people come to Christ.”

New BMH Books Product Catalog Released

Posted by Terry White on August 28, 2007  |  No Comments

Just arrived and ready for shipping–the new Winter 2007/Spring 2008 catalog of BMH Books products!

This 20-page full-color catalog includes the more than 120 products available from BMH Books in Winona Lake, Indiana.

Special features of this new edition include a full index by title and by author, and the addition of more than a dozen new products since the last catalog.

Church staffs and librarians are encouraged to order, without charge, as many catalogs as they can use. Call BMH Books at 1-800-348-2756 for your supply today.

All BMH Books products are also on display and available for purchase by credit card by logging onto http://www.bmhbooks.com/.

Promotional Copy for September-October FGBC World

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 27, 2007  |  No Comments

The September-October issue of FGBC World, the newspaper for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, is on its way to you. Below are promotional announcements that can be used in local church bulletins or newsletters.

Driven, Momentum, Equip — three conferences this summer in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches focused on challenging and equipping Grace Brethren people for ministry. Read about the conferences and see photos from the events in the September/October issue of FGBC World, which is available at (INSERT LOCATION) or see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld.

Christy Morr’s classes at Grace Theological Seminary focus on spiritual formation and interpersonal communication. She’s the first woman faculty member at the seminary and she’s committed to helping students experience deep faith in Jesus Christ. Learn about Dr. Morr in the September/October issue of FGBC World, which is available at (INSERT LOCATION) or see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld.

As an African-American in Virginia in the mid-1960s, Taylor Smith experienced many of the prejudices that forced the civil rights movement. But it didn’t make him bitter. It just made him determined to always do the best. Now he’s a leader in the largest Christian school association in the world. Read about this outstanding Grace Brethren man in the September/October issue of FGBC World, which is available at (INSERT LOCATION) or see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld.

Charles Mayes had two great dreams in his life — to make sure that Christian publications were available and that Christian families would be able to give their children a truly Christian education. He was instrumental in helping begin both the Brethren Missionary Herald Company (the publishing arm of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches) and Brethren Christian Schools in southern California. Read about him in the September/October issue of FGBC World, which is available at (INSERT LOCATION) or see http://www.bmhbooks.com/fgbcworld.

Simi Teen Studies in China

Posted by Terry White on August 24, 2007  |  No Comments

A teen from the Simi Valley (CA) Grace Brethren Church, CJ Cruz, far left, spent three weeks in China this summer as part of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. Here, the 15-year-old practices tai chi with some fellow students in the program. He is featured in today’s Simi Valley Acorn. To read the entire article, click on
http://www.simivalleyacorn.com:80/news/2007/0824/Community/023.html Here is an excerpt from the article:

For most teens in Simi Valley, summer vacation means a break from school, hanging out with friends and enjoying all types of recreational activities.

But for 15-year-old CJ Cruz, this summer meant spending three weeks in China with about 100 other students from across the United States. As members of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth, they traveled together to Nanjing, each choosing a course to study there.

CJ selected Advanced Game Theory because of his interest in business and economics.
“It’s a branch of economics that studies the rationality of an opponent in a game or situation,” he said.

Clearly, CJ is not a typical teen.

The soon-to-be 10th-grader is homeschooled through the Simi-based California Virtual Academy, takes classes at Moorpark College and sings with the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus.

He’s also a member of the high school ministry at Grace Brethren Community Church.

And the talented young man is currently playing a major role in the Los Angeles Opera Camp rendition of “Figaro’s American Adventure.” He’s spent the last two weeks rehearsing for this weekend’s performances.

Watch the Construction of the OCC!

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 23, 2007  |  1 Comment

At yesterday’s the first chapel of the year in Grace College’s new Orthopaedic Capital Center (OCC), a time sequence video of the construction of the building was shown. When the building was begun in 2005, a web camera was mounted on Morgan Library, aimed at the construction site. When it was completed in 2007, the images were put together, creating a fascinating look at the project.

To see the photo sequence, click here.

FGBC Scholarships Available Next Year to Grace College Students

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 23, 2007  |  No Comments

Thanks to a generous lead donor, Grace College will be able to offer $1,000,000 in four-year FGBC Scholarships beginning fall 2008 to new students from the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC).

To qualify for one of the 200 FGBC Scholarships in the amount of $5,000 ($1,250 per year), admitted applicants must be from a Grace Brethren Church and meet one of the following academic requirements: 3.1 GPA or top 40 percent of class or combined SAT of 1,000 (math/reading) or ACT composite of 21.

Students will automatically be considered for FGBC Scholarships through the Grace College application for admission and will be notified when accepted. FGBC Scholarships are renewable each year, for four years, provided academic good standing is achieved at the end of each academic year.

GBIM Establishes Peru Earthquake Relief Fund

Posted by Terry White on August 22, 2007  |  No Comments

Ted Rondeau of Grace Brethren International Missions has called to our attention that GBIM has posted a web page announcement that a fund is available to receive contributions to assist those stricken by the recent earthquake in Peru.

A powerful 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit the coast of Peru on August 15, killing at least 337 people and injuring hundreds more.

Relief Agency Brethren (RAB) gave unanimous approval to open up a fund for Peru earthquake relief. Interested individuals will be able to donate funds to GBIM for Peru earthquake relief.

Send a check to GBIM Box 588 Winona Lake, IN 46590. Designate it for Peru Earthquake Relief.

Because GBIM does not have operations in Peru, these funds will be forwarded to organizations working there that we know and trust who will see that the monies get to the needed area.

Facility Dedication is Part of First Chapel in OCC

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 22, 2007  |  No Comments

This morning, the first chapel service of the year at Grace College and Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind. was held in the new Orthopaedic Capital Center (OCC) and featured a dedication ceremony that included members of the Warsaw, Winona Lake, and Kosciusko County communities.

In the photo at right, Ron Manahan, president of the schools, thanks the individuals in the community who were instrumental in seeing the Center to completion.

Also participating in the ceremony were John Boal, chief advancement officer at Grace; John McDaniel, vice president of marketing, Biomet; Roger Boggs, director of sales and marketing administration, DePuy; Brad Bishop, director of public affairs, Zimmer; Kent Adams, former state senator and a member of the Grace board of trustees; and James Joiner, chaplain at Grace College. Two students also led in prayers of dedication.

The Orthopaedic Capital Center is the new home of Lancer athletics, chapel, and the Grace College business department. It is the only building on campus where Grace students, faculty, and staff can meet together.

The arena is the heart of the OCC. Set as an athletic arena, it will hold 2,200 cheering fans. As an auditorium, it can accommodate 2,800 people for chapels and graduation or serve as a 2,500 seat event center for concerts, seminars, and theater performances.

The video conference room holds classes and events that have 100 to 220 registrants. The largest classroom in the building is equipped with state-of-the-art technology, including flat screen video monitors, wireless Internet, and satellite access. Distance learning, video conferences, online training, and more may be accommodated in this space.

Dayton First Grace Reports On Trip to Ukraine

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 21, 2007  |  No Comments

This news and photo came today from Ron Sheranko, associate pastor at First Grace Brethren Church, in Dayton, Ohio. The church recently sent a team of eight (shown at right) to Sumy, Ukraine, to minister to orphans at a camp owned by the Sumy Church of Grace.

The team left on Friday, July 20, and returned on Thursday, August 2. Responsibilities at the camp included leading crafts, teaching ESL classes, teaching Bible lessons, and introducing Baseball. A number of gloves were donated for the trip. The team also visited four different orphanages and shared testimonies with the kids and gave out gifts. Through funds raised by the team and given by the church, 70 orphans and 30 church/community kids were able to attend the camp for free. By the end of the camp, 60 boys and girls had made public professions of faith in Jesus. Pastor Ron and Terry Essex preached at the Sumy Church of Grace and one young lady came forward to give her life to Christ.

Pastor Victor will be coming to the states in February or March and we hope to have him visit other District churches and have the opportunity to share his heart for the lost and love for orphan children. Keep checking www.firstgrace.net for pictures from the trip. Email Pastor Ron (rasheranko@sbcglobal.net) if you have any questions or an interest in future trips to the Ukraine or support for the orphan ministry. What an awesome trip and a great opportunity to see God at work around the world.

In the photo, front left to right: Terry Essex, Tanya Essex, Pastor Ron Sheranko. Back left to right: Lauren Bowen, Adriel Kong, Denise Hays, Jack Herganrather, Hannah Herganrather.

Village Church Needs Trailer or Cube Van

Posted by Terry White on August 21, 2007  |  No Comments

Message from Rob Stanley, pastor of The Village Community Church, a new Grace Brethren church plant in Milton, Ontario, Canada:

We’re coming up to the first anniversary of the launch of The Village Community Church here in Milton, and year one has been awesome. We’ve added dozens of new members, seen lots of people come to faith, and we’ve become the groundbreaking presence in our community which we’d envisioned for years.

As we align ourselves for the fall though, we’re facing a bit of a crisis, as we are losing a great deal of the our on-site storage at the movie theatre which we meet at. As a team, we’re willing to roll with the punches and adapt accordingly, but the issue now is that we need someplace essentially to put our collapsible stage and all of our sound equipment.

The best solution as we can see it is a trailer/cube van which could house the materials and then be transported to the theatre on Sunday, but of course, these things don’t grow on trees. So, we thought we’d make a wide appeal to any and all churches in our Fellowship to see if there were any cube vans or other alternatives available to us at minimal cost.

Right now, we are a self-supporting group, so money is at a premium, but we’re committed to our dream and to our location and we feel like somehow acquiring a reliable transportation method is where we should be aiming right now.

If you know of a possible solution, or feel like you and your church could help out in some way, then please feel free to contact me at rob@villagechurch.ca or phone me directly at 905-876-4762.

More information on the church is available at http://villagevoice.ca/

Judy Lingenfelter Recovering from Heart Incident

Posted by Terry White on August 21, 2007  |  1 Comment

Your prayers for the continuing recovery of Judy Lingenfelter (pictured) will be appreciated. Judy is the wife of Grace Brethren International Missions board chair Sherwood Lingenfelter.

Judy is Professor Emerita of Intercultural Studies at Biola University in southern California. She and her husband have worked with several different mission organizations to help them focus on issues of concern in today’s changing world.

Following are excerpts from an e-mail Sherwood sent last Friday, detailing their experience in a Hawaii airport.

“Judy and I are in Hawaii. We were on our way to Guam on Wednesday, arrived in Honolulu for a two-hour layover at noon. At about 1:00 we started walking toward the gate for our flight to Guam to board at 1:10.

“Suddenly Judy gasped, and began to fall backwards. I grabbed her arm and struggled to hold her up as she fell to the floor. For several seconds I thought she had a heart attack and died. She was completely unconscious, eyes open, and unable to respond in any way.

“I tried to feel her pulse, put my hand to her mouth to see if she were breathing, crying all the time. I was so afraid she was gone, I wept in anguish.

“Then she began to breathe, and she spoke … “what happened?” At that point I helped her sit up as people gathered around us. A security guard arrived, then a paramedic, and he advised us to go a local hospital.

“The paramedic left for a short time, and came back with more equipment and did an EKG on Judy as she sat against a wall on the terminal floor. She was feeling very nauseous, and was very pale. She could hardly respond to him or to me.

“In a few minutes he told her she had a blockage in her upper heart which caused her pulse rate to drop to 35-50 beats per minutes. We waited what seemed an interminable time for an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

“By two o’clock we were in the Straub Hospital in Honolulu, and by 5:00 pm an exceptional cardiologist had completed the installation of a pacemaker for Judy. I found a hotel about 20 minutes walk from the hospital, checked in with our luggage, and came back to find Judy in a hospital bed, complete with rosy cheeks and a smile again.

“Yesterday she was released at about 10:00 am, and we walked the 20 minutes to the hotel. Our son Joel and his family arrived in Honolulu just a hour earlier (coming from Guam) and we managed to connect by cell phone.

“It was good to be with family and to rejoice together in God’s grace to us. Dr. Chun told Judy that the ’stars were aligned perfectly’ for her on that day. To have a pacemaker installed within 40 minutes after we signed the papers to proceed never happens.

“Judy’s heart is dependent upon the pacemaker, and cannot function properly without it. We are grateful to God for providing for Judy this exceptional care. If we had boarded the plane for Guam, and this had happened hours later, they would have had to fly her back to Honolulu.

“We are planning to stay here until August 23. Friends here have offered us a studio apartment for as long as we want to stay. Again, God has provided for us in such a remarkable way. We are so thankful today that Judy is alive, and that we can rest here together for this time.”

412 Commission Visits BMH, FGBC Offices

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on August 20, 2007  |  No Comments

Students enrolled in the 412 Commission classes visited the offices of the Brethren Missionary Herald Company (BMH) and the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC) today (Monday) for lunch. After lunch, BMH staffers Jesse Deloe (senior editor), Ann Swartz Myers (operations manager), and Liz Cutler Gates (editorial director) explained the ministries of BMH and Tom Avey, fellowship coordinator, talked about the FGBC (above).

The group also toured the BMH warehouse and visited with John Leonard, books manager with BMH Books.

The 412 Commission is a year-long program to gain practical ministry experience while studying the Bible. Sponsored by CE National, the program begins with orientation in Winona Lake, Ind. Next week, the group moves to Goshen, Ind. where they will be involved with ministry opportunities at the Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church there. The program also includes college-level classes through Liberty University and a visit to the Holy Land.

Mike Taylor Assumes New Role With GBIM

Posted by Terry White on August 20, 2007  |  No Comments

David Guiles, executive director of Grace Brethren International Missions, recently announced the appointment of Mike Taylor (pictured) to the position of Director of Operations for GBIM.

Mike and Myra first joined the GBIM staff in 1989, when they were deployed as medical missionaries to the Central African Republic. Later Mike became the Regional Coordinator for Africa, a position that evolved into Regional Director in 2000.

Guiles said, “One of my first decisions as the new Executive Director was to invite Mike and Myra to join the team at the International Missions Center for the purpose of developing our Personnel Department. With the excellent help provided by Blaine [Horst] and other staff members, this department has grown significantly in the breadth and depth of services for our missionary team.”

Since 2000 Mike has fulfilled the dual roles of Personnel Director and Regional Director for Africa.

Guiles continued, “As we seek to position GBIM for continued growth in ministry, I believe the time has arrived to restructure our supporting services in a manner that will allow us to move aggressively closer to implementing our vision and achieving our goals. The creation of the new position of Director of Operations is an important step in that direction.

“First, it is designed to release me from a number of administrative responsibilities so as to focus my best energies on our goals. I look forward to investing more time with our Regional Directors, with major donors and with potential new recruits.

“Second, I believe that combining our infrastructure and operations under one leader will greatly facilitate our ability to improve the services we offer to both our team and the FGBC.

“As of this week, all IMC staff is now under the direction of Mike Taylor. Winona Lake-based staff that will continue to answer to me directly include Wayne Hannah and our US-Mobilization Team, comprised of Jay Bell and Kurt Miller.”

Ephrata Seniors Take Garden Tour

Posted by Terry White on August 20, 2007  |  No Comments

The Golden EAGLES (Enthusiastic, Active, God Loving, Encouraged Saints) seniors group from Grace Church, the Grace Brethren church in Ephrata, Pennsylvania (Kim Robertson, pastor) recently went on a Garden Tour.

The group visited two gardens. One garden had model trains that ran through the garden and the other garden was on a farm and included a meadow garden, flower garden, herbal garden and vegetable garden which had 60 varieties of peppers! (information and photo courtesy of Janice Burkholder)

Vintage Autos Fill Downtown Winona

Posted by Terry White on August 18, 2007  |  No Comments

On this grand mid-August Saturday in Winona Lake, Indiana, the downtown is parked full of vintage automobiles for the “Antique Car Fair” while vendors sell smoothies, cracked corn, and other goodies.

The big-band sounds of the New Millennium Jazz Orchestra in the Artisan’s Court make lingering a pleasure.

Up on the hill, some 350 Grace College freshman and their parents are getting their first day’s look at Grace College with a variety of interest-group meetings, an address by Grace president Dr. Ron Manahan, and meals together in the dining commons. This is one of the largest incoming freshmen classes in Grace’s history.