BMH Editor's Blog

Chet Kammerer to be Honored by Westmont

Posted by Terry White on December 11, 2008  |  No Comments

After coaching men’s basketball at Westmont College for 17 years, Chet Kammerer (right) worked with the Lakers and a professional squad in Germany before going to Miami as a scout for the Heat.

Here is an excerpt from the Santa Barbara, CA, Independent. See original by clicking here.

Chet Kammerer Gets Floored
Former Westmont Basketball Coach to Be Honored This Weekend

By John Zant

Chet Kammerer, a man of considerable modesty, was floored when Westmont College wanted him to be the men’s basket­ball coach, and now he is being floored again. On Saturday, December 13, the playing surface at Westmont’s recently renovated Murchison Gym will be dedicated as Kammerer Court. The ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. before the Warriors play Cal State San Bernardino in a non-conference game.

Kammerer, the Miami Heat’s vice president of player personnel, coached the Warriors for 17 years, from 1975 to 1992. His teams compiled a record of 359-156 and made five trips to the NAIA National Tournament, reaching the Final Four in 1984. He was hardly dreaming of such success when he moved west with a young family after coaching for 10 years at Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana.

Worthington Choir Is a Finalist to Win Piano

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 10, 2008  |  1 Comment

The choir at Worthington Christian High School, a ministry of the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus, Ohio, has advanced to the finals in the Sunny 95 Christmas Idol contest, giving them a chance to win a brand new piano! They could also win a slot to perform on the station’s Old-Fashioned Christmas Show Christmas Eve morning at Ohio State’s Fawcett Center. They are in the running against a choir from a much larger school district.

To listen to the choir’s rendition of “Sleigh Bells” or to vote, click here.

Vote online or text “Worthington” to 64636 (standard text messaging rates apply).

Voting ends at midnight tonight (Wednesday, December 10).

Thursday morning…
The choir from Worthington Christian High School did not win the Christmas Idol contest. You can, however, still listen to them sing by clicking here.

Strategy Meetings Conclude in Indianapolis

Posted by Terry White on December 10, 2008  |  No Comments

The national ministry executives, moderators, and Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey have been meeting the past three days in Indianapolis for their annual strategy conference.

Agenda items include adjustments to achieve more leadership continuity, evaluation and plans for past and future national conferences, and significant discussion around the “Commitment to Common Mission” document that emerged from the Charis international leadership meetings in Germany this past summer.

The group meets on the campus of Ft. Benjamin Harrison and on Tuesday night included Phil and Sue Gabriel in their dinner meeting. The Gabriels are church-planters in Brownsburg, a suburb of Indianapolis, and their church was brought into membership in the Fellowship this past summer.

Raffle Raises $170,000 for Needy Children

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 9, 2008  |  No Comments

A total of $170,000 was raised for organizations like Asia’s Hope and Feed My Starving Children as a result of Je’Rod and Samua Cherry’s selfless action to sell his treasured Super Bowl ring.

The couple, who are members of Western Reserve Grace Brethren Church in Macedonia, Ohio (Jason Haymaker, pastor), were at Momentum East, the annual Grace Brethren youth conference, when students, volunteers, and staff raised more than $90,000 for needy children. Like others in the audience that night, the Cherrys were moved to make a sacrificial gift.

Je’Rod Cherry was a member of the New England Patriots when they won three Super Bowls in four years, the first in 2002. Each time, he received a commemorative ring. The Cherrys chose to sell the first one received because it meant the most. They estimated its value at $35,000 to $50,000, based on the sale of other similar rings. They chose a raffle format because they wanted the average individual to have an opportunity to own the ring, plus they recognized it would provide maximum return.

The winner of the ring (subject to verification) was Ray M. Rangel of Anaheim, Calif., who had heard about the raffle when Je’Rod was interviewed on ESPN’s Jim Rome Show on November 25.

Providing a Shelter of Hope at Hope Community Church

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 9, 2008  |  No Comments

As temperatures begin to drop with the changing seasons, living on the streets can be dangerous, even in a southern city like Raleigh, N.C. In the November-December issue of FGBC World, learn how the vision of one Grace Brethren church member has led to a church-wide ministry to the homeless. This issue is available at no charge at your local Grace Brethren church or online at http://www.fgbcworld.com/.

What’s Your Church Doing for Christmas?

Posted by Terry White on December 5, 2008  |  No Comments

What is your church doing during the Christmas and New Year seasons to reach people for Jesus? Christmas and New Year provides great opportunity to talk about Jesus.

Almost everyone celebrates Christmas but few know what it is really all about. We can help! Let’s share our best ideas with one another using this link: http://fgbc.org/survey/index.cfm?fuseaction=surveypublic&surveyid=3160

‘Father of Biblical Counseling’ Henry Brandt Dies

Posted by Terry White on December 5, 2008  |  No Comments

From RNS:

Dr. Henry Brandt, Pioneer in Modern-Day Biblical Counseling Dies

Singer Island, Florida, November 25, 2008–Dr. Henry Brandt, acknowledged by many as the “Father of Modern-Day Biblical Counseling” died yesterday from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. He was 92.

For over five decades, Dr. Brandt–international consultant, educator, counselor, author, and conference speaker–impacted the lives of countless people. He possessed wisdom and skill as a communicator and authored numerous books including the classic, The Heart of the Problem, as well as his soon-to-be-released, Soul Prescription, which he co-authored with the late Bill Bright. His work, which has been translated into many languages, has circulated the globe and continues to influence many as people access his insightful principles and teachings by way of the internet.

Born in Canada in 1916, the youngest of 10 children, Henry grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology from Houghton College in 1947, his Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Psychology from Wayne State University in 1949, and his PhD in Marriage and Family Relations from Cornell University in 1952.

After completing his doctorate at Cornell, Henry served for two years as the Dean of Men at his alma mater, Houghton College. He was then invited to take a one-year sabbatical replacement position teaching Speech at North American Baptist Seminary. The experience taught him far more than he had anticipated: it set the course of his career in public speaking.

In 1955, following his pivotal year at North American Baptist Seminary, Henry moved back to Michigan. He worked for three years as a full-time staff member for the Clare Elizabeth Fund, not only to develop further some of the key teaching principles behind the Lamaze Program, but also to supervise twelve children’s nurseries.

Henry served for over a decade (1955-65) as a licensed psychologist in the area of individual, marriage and family counseling in private practice in Michigan. During this time his call to ministry and his gifts in public speaking led him to host a popular family radio program aired over the Moody Bible Institute’s station WMBI from 1961 to 1971.

In 1965, Henry combined his vocation with a business endeavor to support his growing worldwide outreach. After developing a group of restaurants into a profitable venture, he sold them to purchase the state franchise for a popular ice cream parlor chain. With the success of his businesses, Henry was able to continue his international speaking, teaching, and counseling ministry.

Throughout Henry’s career, he taught in a number of institutes, colleges and seminaries, including The General Motors Institute, Houghton College, North American Baptist Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Christian Heritage College, and Palm Beach Atlantic University. He was instrumental in founding departments of psychology for both Christian Heritage College and Palm Beach Atlantic University.

In 2003, the American Association of Christian Counselors presented Henry with their “Care Giver Award” for his lifetime achievements in counseling. With a focus on individual development as well as marriage and family living, the legacy of his ministry has been written in the hearts and lives of generations of men, women, and children around the world.

Known as a communicator of communicators, Henry had an uncanny ability to understand his audience and to deliver just the right message. His use of Scripture, combined with his unique sense of humor, has reached the “inner person” of many to help facilitate genuine change.

In 2006, the Henry Brandt Foundation was established to preserve and advance the insightful, life-changing biblical principles of Dr. Brandt. His teachings and more of his biography are available online at www.HenryBrandtFoundation.org.

Henry was married for forty-two years to Eva (d. 1979), with whom he had three children-Dick, Beth, and Suzanne. He was married to Marcy (d. 1982) for three years. Henry has four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. Henry and Jo married in 1987. Jo has three children-Chris, Juliette, and Will (d. 2001)-and four grandchildren.

A memorial service for Dr. Brandt is planned for January, 2009 in Orlando, Florida.

New Kary Oberbrunner Book Released

Posted by Terry White on December 4, 2008  |  No Comments

The Olentangy (Ohio) Valley News yesterday ran this feature on Kary Oberbrunner (pictured), associate pastor at Powell, Ohio:

Local author pens work linking Christianity, culture

By GARTH BISHOP

A local pastor hopes his new book will give guidance to modern Christians looking for a new model by which to live their faith.

The Fine Line, written by the Rev. Kary Oberbrunner, is set to be released Friday, Dec. 5.

Oberbrunner, 31, is a pastor at Grace Church in Powell. He lives in Dublin with his wife, Kelly, and his two children.

“In John 17, (Jesus) prays to his Father that his followers would be in the world and not of it,” he said. “My book is kind of a new model for how Christians today can do that.”

Oberbrunner’s father was a pastor, so he grew up in a Christian home — and he has seen statistics that show as many as 60 percent of young people who grew up attending church stop attending church by age 25. Some think they need to abandon culture in order to be Christian, but Oberbrunner hopes to show them that is not the case.

“I realized that a lot of my generation is leaving the church, leaving their background, so I wanted to give a model that would … invite them,” he said.

To that end, the book describes three types of Christians: “separatists,” who withdraw and only keep company with other Christians; “conformists,” who often are not what they claim to be and do little to set themselves apart; and “transformists,” the people who successfully walk the “fine line.”

Oberbrunner knows the first two groups well because he has been part of them at times, he said.

“I’ve been in the separatists camp; I’ve realized I don’t know anybody … who doesn’t go to church,” he said. “And then I’ve been in the conformist camp at times, where my lifestyle hasn’t matched my talk.”

Oberbrunner and his church have been striving to engage in transformist behavior, and one example he points to is the free health clinic Grace Church puts on at the Andrews House in Delaware on Wednesday evenings. All the doctors and nurses volunteer their services, and prayer services are offered for those who want them.

“Our church is trying to be a church of transformists, and one of the ways we’re doing that is giving people free healthcare,” said Oberbrunner.

The church also works with Clintonville-based orphanage effort Asia’s Hope, which helps rescue children from human trafficking situations.

But one of Oberbrunner’s best examples of the model in action stems from a man he saw struggling with an MP3 player at a local YMCA.

“I sat down, taught him iTunes … and something as stupid as a dysfunctional MP3 turned into a friendship where now he’s part of our church, and at the end of a service a couple of weeks ago, he said, ‘Hey, I want to be a follower of Jesus,’ ” said Oberbrunner. “It wasn’t me giving him a Bible verse or me preaching at him, it was me loving him and loving God and loving people, and … it turned into a profession of faith.”

Such actions in the interest of integrating Christianity with culture are at the crux of what The Fine Line is about, Oberbrunner said.

“The most basic ethical question of the Christian faith is, how can a Christian be in the world and not of it?” he said. “This book provides a tested, proven model for today’s generation.”

The Fine Line is Oberbrunner’s third book. It is set to be available Dec. 5 in Christian bookstores and at the Web sites amazon.com, borders.com and barnesand noble.com

More information on The Fine Line and on Oberbrunner himself can be found at his Web site, karyoberbrunner.com.

Oberbrunner will appear at Grace Church, 7600 Liberty Road, for a talk, question-and-answer session and book signing, titled “Walk the (Fine) Line,” Dec. 15. The event, which runs from 7 to 9 p.m., is free, and the book will be for sale at a discounted rate.

“I realized that a lot of my generation is leaving the church, leaving their background, so I wanted to give a model that would … invite them.”

Ex-Marine Ed Jackson Shares on Veteran’s Day

Posted by Terry White on December 4, 2008  |  No Comments

Adapted from the NCO update newsletter (Todd Scoles):

Shawn Kaeser is the church planter at Darby Grace in Plain City, Ohio. He also teaches at Grizzell Middle School in Dublin.

On Veteran’s Day, Shawn brought Ed Jackson (pictured, Powell GBC) to speak to his students about Ed’s time as a Marine in World War II. Shawn says, “It was powerful and moving. Pastor Ed is a treasure in our Fellowship.”

Triplehorn Book Dedicated at Reception

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 3, 2008  |  No Comments

New BMH author, Bruce W. Triplehorn, thanks his family as he begins a presentation at a authors@bmhbooks reception this afternoon (December 3) at the International Missions Center in Winona Lake, Ind. Triplehorn’s book, Worship, the Golden Thread, was recently released by BMH Books.

Family and friends gathered to celebrate the book and to hear Triplehorn share his inspiration and his vision for the book. Jesse Deloe, senior editor at BMH Books, Winona Lake, Ind., offered a dedicatory prayer.

Worship, the Golden Thread, helps the reader discover how worship relates to daily life and ministry. It is suitable for use in personal study, with Adult Bible Fellowship and small group studies, and in the seminary or Bible college classroom.

To learn more about Bruce Triplehorn and Worship, the Golden Thread or to order the book, see www.bmhbooks.com.

Grace Grad, Future Air Traffic Controller, in Television Report

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 3, 2008  |  No Comments

Nate Zuck, former director of small groups at the Winona Lake (Ind.) Grace Brethren Church (Bruce Barlow, lead pastor), is completing training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, Okla. When he graduates on Friday (December 5), he and his wife, Joanna (both are pictured above), will relocate to the Cleveland, Ohio area where he will work as an air traffic controller at the Cleveland ARTCC (Air En Route Traffic Control Center).

Nate, who with Joanna hopes to develop a ministry among air traffic controllers, is in the background of news story on Good Morning America (ABC News) about the air traffic control school. Click on the video above to see the report.

Also of note is that Joanna is the daughter of Dan and Lois Gillette. Dan is pastor at the Grace Brethren Church in Covington, Va. Both Nate and Joanna are Grace College grads.

Blessing the People of India

Posted by Terry White on December 3, 2008  |  No Comments

From Jay Bell and Internationals USA:

This week we have an opportunity to be a blessing to people from India. Recent USA Today headlines read: Militants force pro-West nation onto front lines! India, Pakistan feel pain!

If you are in proximity to people from India (for example, at work or in your neighborhood) or if you see people from India as you are “out-n-about,” be sure to encourage them with words of condolences. Perhaps you could say: “I want to tell you how sorry I am for the trouble you are having in India.”

And then feel free to add, “I’m praying for your country.” And then be sure to pray for India and Pakistan, right? Remember, they are a long way from their country and families.

One more thing, perhaps greet them with a Hindi greeting: “Hello (Nah-mah-stay)! How are you? (Kai-e-say ho?)” It’s the attempt that will bless the people! Even if you botch the pronunciation, you will be a blessing because you tried.

Remember, we’ve been blessed to be a blessing – Genesis 12:1-3

Catalyst Church, Kent, OH, Gets Nice Exposure

Posted by Terry White on December 3, 2008  |  No Comments

Catalyst Church, a young Grace Brethren church-plant in Kent, Ohio, and its pastor, Jonathan Herron, got some nice press exposure this week, along with its partnering church, Grace Brethren Church of Wooster, Ohio (Bob Fetterhoff, pastor). Here is an excerpt–to read the entire article, click here.

By Diane Smith, Record-Courier religion editor

Catalyst Church doesn’t worship in its new home in Kent, at least not in a corporate setting.

But the young church does host community events, children’s ministry, office space, game nights and even an informal art and photo gallery at the “125.”

“We want to be able to use the space to love on the city,” said the Rev. Jonathan Herron, pastor of the church. “We’re excited about it.”

Catalyst, a church that was launched in 2006, continues to hold its Sunday morning services at the Kent Stage. However, the church plant recently leased an office at 125 S. Water St., which is used for church offices and outreach.

Herron said the church signed the lease last year on the building, which once housed offices for Townhall II and had been vacant for several years. The church gutted the space out and renovated it, using volunteer labor whenever possible.

Because the front area has a lot of wall space, Herron said the church wants to use it as a place for artists and photographers to display their work for free.

The space is also used to host children’s classes on Sundays, which are set up and torn down weekly. The activities include DVDs and high-energy music. Criminal background checks are done on every worker.

The space is also used to host community events, such as the recent “family friendly” party held during Kent’s unofficial Halloween celebration. In the future, the space may be utilized for other events, such as wedding and baby showers.

“Main Street Kent asked us to host an engaging place for families and we were happy to do it,” he said.

Worship and Ministry: Book Looks at the Relationship

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 2, 2008  |  No Comments

A conversation with a friend sparked an idea for Bruce Triplehorn (pictured at right) and the result was Worship, the Golden Thread, a book recently released by BMH Books of Winona Lake, Ind. That conversation made him think about what was the essence of his vision for the Christian life and the church.

Triplehorn recalls. “Ultimately, I concluded that if my vision came down to one thing, it would be worship.”

After reflecting on that conversation, Triplehorn started writing and spent more than four years recording what he had learned as a career missionary.

Triplehorn will talk more about his new book during an Authors@BMH Books open house at 4 p.m., Wednesday, December 3 at the International Missions Center, 999 College Ave., Winona Lake. The public is invited to attend.

Worship, the Golden Thread will be available for purchase at the open house at a special price.

To read more about Triplehorn and Worship, The Golden Thread, click here.

Missions Veterans Honored

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 1, 2008  |  1 Comment

Today’s Warsaw (Ind.) Times-Union includes a story about Grace Brethren International Missions honoring several individuals for their 50 years of ministry. Honored were Tom and Doris Julien (pictured at right), who served in France and also have served in administrative roles in the U.S.; Bill and Imogene Burk, Brazil; and Jack Churchill, deceased Jan. 8. To read the complete story, click here.

Grace Honors Missions Service

By Tim Robertson
Staff Writer

WINONA LAKE – Grace Brethren International Mission staff, along with local community and church leaders, gathered Wednesday to honor those who served the mission for 50 years or more.

In the garden in front of GBIM’s International Missions Center, the mission placed two benches with the names of those who have served for 50 years and a pillar with a plaque the mission hopes will inspire young recruits.

Those honored were Tom and Doris Julien, Warsaw; Bill and Imogene Burk, Brazil; and Jack Churchill, deceased Jan. 8. The Juliens attended Wednesday’s celebration and the Burks and Churchill’s widow, Rosa, were reached by telephone.

To read the rest of the story, click here.

Debilitating Illnesses Don’t Keep Pastor Down

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on December 1, 2008  |  No Comments

Suffering from two debilitating illnesses doesn’t keep Paul Guay down. As pastor of the Grace Brethren Church in Mabton, Wash., he sees it as God’s way of furthering his ministry. Read more in the November-December issue of FGBC World, which is available at no charge at your local Grace Brethren church or online at www.fgbcworld.com.

FGBC World is an all-Fellowship, all-Grace Brethren newspaper that is published six times a year. In its pages you will find stories about the Grace Brethren family around the world – from individuals who are on the front line of ministry to organizations that help impact lives for Jesus. Pick up your free copy of the November-December issue at your local Grace Brethren church, see http://www.fgbcworld.com/, or subscribe online to have your free copy delivered directly to your mailbox.