BMH Editor's Blog

Vicksburg Deacon Dies in Tree Accident

Posted by Terry White on March 20, 2008  |  1 Comment

This morning’s Altoona (PA) Mirror reports on the death of a deacon at the Vicksburg Grace Brethren Church in Hollidaysburg, PA (Roger K. Myers, pastor). Here is an excerpt–to read the entire article click on http://www.altoonamirror.com:80/page/content.detail/id/505736.html?nav=742

Charles H. Beltz Jr. of Hollidaysburg RD told his friends Monday morning at King Valley Golf Club in Imler that he would be back in the afternoon to play a round of golf.

He never made it.

Beltz died after the tree he was trimming that afternoon fell on him, Blair Township police said. He was 63.

Those at the golf club were shaken by the news, club secretary Diane Knisely said Wednesday.

When Beltz failed to show up, his friends called his house, learned what occurred and went straight there.

Beltz was a course ranger at the golf club, where he monitored play.

‘‘He was more than just a member; he was like family to us,’’ Knisely said. ‘‘He would do anything for you. He was always there when you needed him.’’

Beltz, called either “Sonny” or “Charlie” by family and friends, served as a deacon at Vicksburg Grace Brethren Church, Reservoir Road, Hollidaysburg RD 1.

He was instrumental in getting the church’s audio-visual equipment set up and operating.

“Being a deacon is a position of service. You have to be a man of integrity. [The individual] has to have a good head on his shoulders, and he has to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” said Pastor Roger Myers, Beltz’s pastor.

“He enjoyed music. He enjoyed a good joke. He liked to play golf,” Myers said of Beltz.

“He just enjoyed conversation. He didn’t allow the other things to draw him away from his commitment to Christ. His commitment to Christ made his life enjoyable,” he said.

Powell Helping One of Six NCO Church-Plants

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2008  |  No Comments

Pastor Ron Smals (Mansfield Woodville), missions chairman for the North Central Ohio district, sends out a monthly district missions newsletter, assisted by Dean Risser and Vilas Dean. Featured this month is Sean Spoelstra (pictured, with wife Melissa and children) of the Powell, Ohio church (Rick Nuzum, pastor), which is sponsoring one of six church plants now underway in the NCO district. Here are a few excerpts from the interview with Spoelstra:

What led your church to plant a church in Jerome?

My wife Melissa and I were praying for a location to “rise to the top”. There were at one point a half dozen on our radar. Then one sunny afternoon in August of 2007 one of our staff pastors drove me out to Jerome Township and showed me all the home construction that was underway. I began hearing about the major development plans for the area and so we prayed. Jerome Township then rose to the top for us and all the while a sub-committee of our elders had been working on viable locations in the greater Columbus area to do a church plant. Without knowing about our desire to church plant or the location we were leaning towards these men also landed on Jerome Township (hwy. 33/42). What an incredible gift it was to hear their findings!

Do you have a team working with you?

Four of our church elders are walking through the process with us. They are already supporting us through prayer, encouragement and accountability. Two of them have planted churches before.

As far as a “launch team,” to date there are nine families who have verbally committed to planting the church with us and another ten or so who are still praying about the opportunity. Most of these individuals are between 35-45 years old with elementary or middle school children. Many have been very involved in children’s ministry at Grace Church.

How did you get the job of planting this church?

It was God who laid this idea on our hearts in the Fall of 2006. We prayed about it for a while, I took the RU a Church Planter questionnaire, spoke and met with Tony Webb and Ron Boehm, then brought it to my Sr. pastor Rick Nuzum. The church elder board also confirmed our desire and ability to lead in this church plant.

BMH Author Making Media Appearances

Posted by Terry White on March 18, 2008  |  No Comments

Dr. Robert Kellemen, noted psychologist, counselor, educator, and author, is currently receiving excellent media exposure for his two books recently released by BMH Books of Winona Lake, Indiana–Soul Physicians and Spiritual Friends.

If you are near one of these media outlets, you might want to listen in to his interviews. Here is a partial schedule of upcoming appearances:

MARCH 31, KGFT – Life Today, Colorado Springs, 5:00 PM CT (live, call-in)

APRIL 1, KNEO – Author’s Corner, 11:00 AM CT (taped)

APRIL 14, KTIS – Along the Way, Minneapolis, 1:00 PM CT (live)

MAY 21, WMBI – Prime Time Chicago, 2:00 PM – in studio (live, call-in)

JUNE 24, Total Living TV, Chicago, 1:00 PM in studio (taped)

Ministry Takes Flight to Share Gospel

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 17, 2008  |  No Comments

The life cycle of the monarch butterfly reminds Christians of the future that awaits us. It’s one reason Dave and Audrey Harding, members of the Penn Valley Church, a Grace Brethren church in Telford, Pa., are using their hobby of raising the colorful insects to share the gospel.

Learn more about the Hardings and their unique ministry in the March-April issue of FGBC World, which is available at your local Grace Brethren Church or on the web.

FGBC World is the bi-monthly newspaper for the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Printed copies of the March-April issue have been shipped to each church in the Fellowship and may be obtained there at no charge. To read the complete issue online, click here.

If you’d like a free subscription to FGBC World (mailed to your home), click here.

Worthington Christian B-Ball Season Comes to Close at State Tourney

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 17, 2008  |  No Comments

A trip to the Ohio Division IV Boys Basketball Finals capped the season for the Worthington Christian Warriors. However, their opponents, undefeated New Knoxville, proved too much. New Knoxville won the Saturday night game, 74-52, in front of 14,117 people in Ohio State’s Value City Arena.

Worthington Christian High School is a ministry of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus.

To see complete coverage of the game, click here.

Photo at right: Worthington Christian’s Brady Beals, right, looks for an open teammate as New Knoxville’s Brad Piehl applies pressure.

Oregon Tech Ends Grace Basketball Season

Posted by Terry White on March 17, 2008  |  No Comments

POINT LOOKOUT, Mo. – Ryan Fiegi scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds Saturday night to lead 11th-seeded Oregon Tech to an 81-70 victory over Grace College (Ind.) and a spot in the semifinals of the NAIA Division II men’s basketball championships.

OIT shot 53 percent from the field and held Grace to just 19 percent shooting (5 of 26) from 3-point range.

The two teams waged a closely fought battle in the first half marked by seven lead changes. But Tech shot a blistering 61 percent from the field in the second half to pull away, opening up an 11-point lead midway through the period.

Grace (26-10) was led by Kyle Johnson, who finished with 16 points.

To read more, click on http://www.timesuniononline.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=226&ArticleID=31941

Lancers Make Final Eight at NAIA

Posted by Terry White on March 15, 2008  |  No Comments

(3/14/08) Point Lookout, Mo. – Grace College (Ind.) became the first un-seeded team to reach the elite-eight with a 90-81 overtime victory over third-seeded Morningside College (Iowa) at the 2008 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship. The 17th-annual event is being held at the Keeter Gymnasium on the campus of the College of the Ozarks (Mo.).

Grace College (Ind.), now 26-9 overall, advances to play the winner of #6 Evangel University and #11 Oregon Tech (9:30 p.m.) Saturday in the Elite-Eight at 8 p.m. The 32-team, single-elimination tournament concludes on Tuesday, March 18.

For more details and photos, log onto http://www.grace.edu/athletics/

The story from the Warsaw, Indiana, Times-Union newspaper may be read at http://www.timesuniononline.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=226&ArticleID=31902

Florida Church Plant to Re-Launch Easter Sunday

Posted by Terry White on March 14, 2008  |  1 Comment

From this week’s e-newsletter of the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church:

NEW SPRING CHURCH is being launched on Easter Sunday in the Orlando/Maitland area of Florida. It is a re-start of what had been the Maitland GBC, and a number of folks connected to WLGBC are involved.

They include: Tyler and Kari Zielasko, Alex Hannah, Michael Trier, and Jason Brown. Let’s pray for God’s blessing and for people to come to know Jesus.

O’Deens Mission Trip off to France Today

Posted by Terry White on March 14, 2008  |  No Comments

Dan O’Deens, pastor of Gateway Grace Community Church in Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, leaves today to lead a missions trip to France (click on image to enlarge).

Reports of the trip may be seen on Dan’s blog at danodeens.wordpress.com

412 Students Return From Israel Learning Experience

Posted by Terry White on March 14, 2008  |  No Comments

The 412 Commission students just got back from an amazing trip to Israel led by Dr. Randy Smith, shown here teaching the group. During the two weeks the group toured the country seeing various sites ranging from Old Testament cities to Armagedon.

Dr. Smith, who is pastor of the Grace Brethren church in Sebring, Florida, lived in Israel for a number of years and is a recognized expert in the history, geography, and Bible-lands context for the scriptures.

One student said “It really opened my eyes to the way Scripture was written. I always had these assumptions, and this trip gave me a good dose of truth.”

The 412 Commission is a ministry of CE National. More reports and photos from the trip may be seen at http://www.cenational.org/cenational/newsBlog/index.asp?IDNum=1961&eventCode=

San Diego Church Plans Easter Events

Posted by Terry White on March 14, 2008  |  No Comments

The Grace Brethren Church of San Diego, California (Glen Sykes, pastor) will hold its Three-Fold Communion Service focusing on the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday at 6:00 PM.

Easter Sunday, San Diego Grace Brethren will hold its annual Children’s Easter Egg Hunt and Community Breakfast at 9:30 AM. Following the Egg Hunt and Breakfast, the church will hold its Easter Service.

The service will include special musical numbers, Easter hymns, and a message entitled, “The Stone and the Empty Tomb.” The service will conclude with a special presentation by the children’s choir. All are welcome to attend!

Lancers Advance, Warriors March On

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 14, 2008  |  No Comments

Lancaster Grace Schedules Egg Hunt

Posted by Terry White on March 13, 2008  |  No Comments

Lancaster (PA) Grace Brethren Church (Galen Wiley, pastor) 911 Rohrerstown Road, Lancaster, will hold an Easter egg hunt and children’s program featuring an illusionist and prizes, at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 22, at the church.

The illusionist, the Rev. Rich Russell, children’s pastor at New Holland Grace Brethren Church, will share the Easter message. Children will hunt for more than 1,000 eggs in separate hunts for ages 2-5 and 6-10.

There will be candy and prize eggs, as well as special drawings for adults.

The events will be held rain or shine. For more information, call 397-9991 or e-mail lancastergrace@fgbc.org.

Tom Avey and Group Arrive in Bangui

Posted by Terry White on March 13, 2008  |  No Comments

Dave Guiles, Mike Yoder, and Tom Avey are in Bangui Africa for two weeks for networking with leaders and training. Frank Puhl (GBIM associate Africa director) is in Bangui this week and Bill Katip (provost at Grace College and Seminary) will join them next week.

From Tom Avey, Bangui, Central African Republic

We made it to Bangui! The flight was pretty good although I only slept a couple of hours. I’ve seen parts of “August Rush” around five times!

The BIG plane lands in a little airport and then you wait in a couple of lines, then in a big crowd and finally we gathered all our stuff. Staff from the missions guest center and Dr. Ngoumape picked us up in a couple of trucks. We slept a couple of hours this morning, ate a good lunch, then had some good time to relax and talk about our plans. Mike and I helped helped Heidi Sisson with her advanced English class then Heidi she took Mike and me to a nearby arts bazaar. Very interesting.

So far this is very third world. Dirty, difficult, very hot and humid. Bugs are not as bad as Florida (yet) but the people are very friendly. They are a delight. One student in the English class is one of three female police commissioners in all of C.A.R. Very impressive.

Tomorrow we visit the orphan care center and some potential sites for the seminary in Bangui. Sunday we preach in various churches and then we leave for Boali for ACT training. It sounds like that is going to be difficult; cots, not toilets, interesting food, etc.

I will teach two segments at the CIDEL training for government leaders next week, One on Nehemiah and one on Joshua. I’m looking forward to it.

This is a real adventure. So far, so good. I think it will be good even though difficult. Internet access is very limited so don’t expect much from me. I’ll update this blog when I can.

Keep praying.

Tom

Aiken, S.C., Youth Raise Funds for Housing in CAR

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 13, 2008  |  No Comments

On March 1, young people and adults involved in Student Ministries at the Grace Brethren Church of Aiken, S.C. held a walkathon called M’Baikithon. The purpose was to raise money to build student housing at the M’Baiki Bible Institute in the Central African Republic. Thirty- eight youth and family members raised more than $9,000, enough to build about three houses.

At right is the group that participated in the event. To see more photos, click here.

Don Soule, pastor of youth and families at the church says that many more houses need to be built (about 40 total). He challenges other Grace Brethren congregations to consider raising funds to construct more houses.

Former Grace Coach Terry Shrock Dies

Posted by Terry White on March 13, 2008  |  No Comments

From CONNECTIONS, the weekly e-mail newsletter sent from Grace College and Seminary by Judy Daniels:

Word was received this week of the death of Terry Shrock,62 (pictured), former coach and faculty member at Grace.

Terry, a 1969 graduate of Grace College, served Grace from 1972-77 as an admissions counselor, professor in the Physical Education Department, and as men’s soccer coach. He also served in the army during the Vietnam War.

Services for Terry were held yesterday in Kokomo, Indiana. He is survived by his mother, three sisters, two brothers, and several nieces and nephews.

His obituary is posted at http://www.kokomotribune.com/archivesearch/local_story_069234009.html

Grace College Lancers to Play in NAIA Tourney

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 13, 2008  |  No Comments

The Grace College men’s basketball team qualified for the 2008 NAIA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship, which began yesterday in Branson, Missouri. The Lancers, ranked 19th in the final regular season poll, will go into tournament play as the #18 seed in the field of 32. The Lancers drew the No. 14 seed Embry-Riddle Eagles from Daytona Beach, Florida. This is the Lancers’ first appearance in the NAIA championship in 15 years.

Grace earned an At-Large bid to the tournament based on their final rating in the national poll. They head into the tournament with a 24-9 overall record. Both the Lancers and Eagles will attempt to bring home the second national championship for their respective programs. Game time begins today, March 13, at 5:45 CST and can be heard live via Stretch Internet. To read more, see the tournament brackets, and link to the NAIA and Stretch Internet, go to http://www.grace.edu/athletics/.

Please pray for travel safety and for a great time of competition for the Lancers in the tournament. Be sure to visit the Grace Web site often to keep up with the latest from Branson. Special thanks to James Bloemendaal, our campus dining services manager, and Grace’s Office of Information Technology, who are arranging for a special game Webcast tonight at Alpha for students and employees on campus.

Worthington Christian Plays In Ohio Boys Basketball Semi-Finals

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on March 13, 2008  |  No Comments

Today, the basketball team (25-1) at Worthington Christian High School, a ministry of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio, will play Bedford Chanel (17-8) in the Ohio boys basketball Division IV semifinal tournament game. The game is at 5:15 p.m. at Value City Arena in The Ohio State University’s Jerome Schottenstein Center.

The team was featured in today’s Columbus Dispatch:

Worthington Christian has long-range goal on court: Warriors teach their players early on to shoot the three

As water boys for Worthington Christian’s state tournament teams in 1999 and 2000, Tyler Joseph and Brady Beals absorbed more than one might imagine.

“The 2000 team could really light it up from three-point range,” said Joseph, a senior guard. “Even at that age, I marveled at how easy they made it look.”

Beals, a junior forward, reached a conclusion about Worthington Christian’s style at the age of 9. “I remember thinking it was controlled chaos,” he said. “Coach (Ray) Slagle knew exactly what he was doing.”

Slagle has moved on to Cedarville University, which will play in the NAIA Division II tournament, but the system he put in place in his 10 seasons at Worthington Christian continues to thrive under Kevin Weakley.

Heading into a Division IV semifinal against Bedford Chanel at 5:15 p.m. today, Worthington Christian (25-1) has made 230 three-point shots, an average of 8.8, on 39 percent accuracy.

To read the rest of the story, click here.

Raleigh Church to Conduct Volunteer Seminar

Posted by Terry White on March 12, 2008  |  No Comments

Mary Ann Sibley, volunteer coordinator at the Grace Brethren church in Raleigh, North Carolina (Mike Lee, pastor) is opening registration to her upcoming volunteer conference to any Grace Brethren who would like to attend. Here is the basic information and contact info:

A Volunteer Workshop to XTEND ourselves in building His Kingdom

April 26th – SATURDAY
1pm – 8pm
(Registration opens at noon)

Early Bird Register by March 20: $20/person; $15/person for groups 5 or more
Regular Register by April 26: $25/person: $20/person for groups 5 or more

Noon – 1pm : Registration

1:00pm to 1:3pm: Begins promptly with opening Session: Dave Patchin, Executive Pastor

1:45pm to 2:45pm: First Break Out Sessions

3:00pm to 4:00pm Second Break Out Sessions

4:00pm to 4:30;m Break /Snacks & Beverage provided

4:30pm to 5:00pm Huddle with the Hope’s “First Impressions” Team

5:00pm to 6:30pm Sign up for and tour Hope “in action” during our Saturday Night Services;
Experience Kid City, our Children’s Ministry
Experience Refuge or Oasis, our Student Ministries
Experience Worship Service

6:30pm to 8:00pm Final session with Hope’s Team Leaders:
“Ouch! That’s Gotta Hurt!!” … Our blunders and ‘AH HA” moments.
(Dinner provided )

Breakout Sessions:

1. “I Got Out of Bed For This?”………WHY we do what we do – creating excitement in serving & coming to church!
2. “No Budget; No Talent…No Problem” …HOW we do what we do – from scheduling to team work.

Questions? Need to register? Contact:

Mary Ann Sibley
Director, Volunteer Ministry
919-532-0620
Maryanns@gethope.net

Leadership Group Enroute to Africa

Posted by Terry White on March 12, 2008  |  No Comments

Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey (pictured) is currently enroute to the Central African Republic with a small group. He sends the following:

Dave Guiles, Mike Yoder and Tom Avey are on their way to Bangui for some A.C.T.S. strategy training, leadership training for government workers and to just build relationships with leaders of Grace Brethren Churches in C.A.R.

After a red-eye from Atlanta to Paris, Tom and Mike spent some time with Rob and Nichole Plaster and on a quick tour of the sites.