Archive for July, 2010

Celebrate2010, the Annual Grace Brethren Conference, Begins

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 17, 2010  |  No Comments

Grace Brethren military chaplains and their wives (and families) were honored at Friday's Chaplain's Luncheon.

The annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches kicked off Friday afternoon with the Grace Brethren Chaplain’s Luncheon, hosted by the Eagle Commission and the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation. Each of the eight chaplains (and candidates) present were introduced and each told of their ministry. The luncheon concluded in a time of prayer for the men.

Women of Grace meetings on Friday afternoon provided time for learning from each other in round-table discussions.

In the afternoon, the Women of Grace and the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers held their meetings.

John Smith, right, pastor of Grace Church at Willow Valley, a Grace Brethren church in Lanacaster, Pa., was named Pastor of the Year. Dan White, left, made the presentation.

At the AGBM meeting, Martin Garber, long-time missionary (center), was recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Mike Taylor, of Grace Brethren International Missions, left, made the presentation. At right is Joel Richards, president of the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers.

National Conference is always a time to catch up with old friends and make new ones.

Doug Lee and Cafe Praise led worship during the first plenary session.

Mac Pier, president of the New York City Leadership Center, led the conference in a Concert of Prayer.

During the Concert of Prayer, conference attendees gathered in groups to pray for specific items.

Tom Hocking, left, prays for Saturday's outreach while Dave Guiles waits to pray for the nations.

The day ended with a Bridge Cafe in the Grand Ballroom. Sponsored by Grace Brethren International Missions, the event provided a time for fellowship over international desserts.

Tomorrow provides opportunity for attendees to participate in acts of kindness. The conference joins with the teens at Momentum to minister in the greater Miami Valley area around nearby Dayton, Ohio.

The conference continues through Monday afternoon at the Crowne Plaza North, Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Former Momentum Student Leads Worship at Youth Conference

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 15, 2010  |  No Comments

Jeremy Byng, who once attended the Momentum Youth Conference as a teen, led worship this week at Momentum.

Ten years ago, Jeremy Byng was a student in the audience at Brethren National Youth Conference. This year, the tables turned as he took to the stage for the first time to lead worship at the annual Grace Brethren event, now called Momentum.

It’s a responsibility that Jeremy, now a worship pastor at Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Goshen, Ind., doesn’t take lightly.

“There are a lot of guys out there who, years down the road, will look back and say, this (conference) cemented me in the faith,” Jeremy says he reminded his band members before they left home. “Part of the reason I am here today is because of the encouragement and the challenge that I got at this conference every year.”

He recognizes how much he was impacted by the worship leaders at those conferences. “I’m here because they really helped people see God and they really helped people feel the passion for Him.”

It’s something he tries to do each time he is on the platform.

“Any time I lead worship, I want people to encounter God,” says Jeremy. He realizes that musicians, even worship leaders, are often placed on a pedestal.

“I want to make it not about me and put the limelight on God,” he adds, noting he likes to “step back in the shadow.”

As a student, he was involved in the NAC (Nurturing Abilities for Christ) program, which is designed to encourage students in using their gifts and talents in service for the Lord. He appreciated the emphasis on learning, not on competition.

“NAC helped me hone my skills,” says Jeremy, who started leading worship for the youth group while growing up in the Grace Brethren Church in Sebring, Fla. “Those are the things that really shape where I am today.”

Each week he fronts an all-volunteer band at one of two Sunday morning venues at the Goshen campus. He also leads worship for the Wednesday night youth group, is in charge of a Thursday night discussion and worship for college-aged adults, and plans a monthly worship night for the young adults.

“I love leading worship for the Church, for the body of Christ,” he says, “and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”

The Momentum conference, which is sponsored by CE National, continues through Sunday, July 18 on the campus of Cedarville University in Ohio. Click here to view reports from the week.

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Grace Women’s Volleyball Team in Accident

Posted by Terry White on July 15, 2010  |  No Comments

Six members of the Grace College volleyball team were injured in a one-vehicle accident this morning near the intersection of Ind. 25 and CR 600W, Palestine, Indiana.

 Mallori Kastner, 18, of Wabash, was eastbound on Ind. 25 when she lost control in a curve, causing her SUV to roll over and hit two signs and a NIPSCO utility pole. Kastner and five passengers in the SUV suffered scrapes and complained of pain. Amanda Fisher, 18, of Lindenhurst, Ill.; Dana Johnston, 18, Rochester, Mich.; Amanda Gilbert, 18, Lewis; Bethany Michalski, 20, Xenia, Ohio; and Stefanie Bolt, 19, Hudsonville, Mich., all suffered scrapes and bruises and complained of pain from the accident. All were members of the Grace College volleyball team.

The Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department estimates damage from the accident to be between $5,000 and $10,000. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union.

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Grace Theological Seminary Awarded ATS Accreditation

Posted by Terry White on July 15, 2010  |  No Comments

Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind., has been awarded accreditation by the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) following an intensive approval process.

The ATS is a membership organization of more than 250 graduate schools that conduct post-baccalaureate professional and academic degree programs to educate persons for the practice of ministry as well as for teaching and research in the theological disciplines. In the process of becoming accredited, Grace was first accepted as an associate member of ATS then began its candidacy process. The seminary conducted a comprehensive self-study before undergoing a site visit by the ATS accreditation team, who recommended Grace for approval by its Commission on Accrediting.

Dr. Jeff Gill, dean of Grace Theological Seminary, spoke about the opportunities afforded to Grace students as a result of the accreditation. “In addition to the strong affirmation of the excellence of our school, accreditation allows Grace to apply for student scholarships from large foundations like Eli Lilly and the Kern Family Foundation. We also look forward to a greater recruitment pool of prospective students since ordination in many denominations requires a degree from an ATS-accredited seminary,” he said.

 Grace has been granted full initial accreditation for a period of five years, which is the maximum awarded by ATS.

 For more information about Grace Theological Seminary or to submit an application, please visit gts.grace.edu or call Lee Compson at 877.607.0012.

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Momentum 2010 Challenges Students to Pursue God

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 13, 2010  |  No Comments

On Tuesday evening, Jim Brown, pastor of Grace Community Church, Goshen, Ind., admonishes students at Momentum to remain pure until marriage.

Day 2 of  Momentum Youth Conference (actually the first full day), drew to a close tonight as Jim Brown, pastor of Grace Community Church, a Grace Brethren church in Goshen, Ind., challenged students to pursue purity in their lives. He told students to not believe the lie that sex outside of marriage is okay. He encouraged the audience  to consider where they are taking their eyes on their phones or the Internet and to pursue holiness in all relationships.

It was the second night of a week-long conference that is focusing on “Pursuit.” Students have come from around the country to be challenged in their walk with God, explore their God-given talents in NAC (Nurturing Abilities for Christ) competition, and enjoy the company of hundreds of teens who love Jesus.

Last night, Jeff Bogue, pastor of Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Akron, Ohio, set the tone for the week, encouraging students to follow II Timothy 2:22 — flee youthful lusts and pursue holy living.

“If you do that, it changes your life,” he said. “You’ll become transformed; you’ll be mistaken for the image of Christ.”

Today’s sessions featured Brett Harris, who co-authored the book, Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, with his twin brother, Alex. He encouraged students to allow themselves to be challenged to make a difference in the world and for God. Other highlights of the day were sessions with Dr. Jeff Myers, a Bryan College professor who discussed how to reverse the trend of teens walking away from the faith of their youth, and the moving testimony of Kandice Robinson, a young woman from Community Grace Brethren Church, Warsaw, Ind., who has been battling breast cancer.

Continue to pray for the students this week. You’ll find a list of requests here.

To see photos and reports from Momentum, click here.

The conference is being held at Cedarville University in Cedarville, Ohio.

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No Injuries in Camp Mack Fire

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 13, 2010  |  No Comments

Firefighters battle Sunday's early morning fire at Camp Mack, south of Milford. Several area fire departments were called for assistance. Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union

Over the weekend, the main building at Camp Mack, near Milford, Ind., burned. The camp, which is owned by the Church of the Brethren, is named for Alexander Mack, the founder of the Brethren movement. It has frequently been used by Grace Brethren groups in Indiana. Below is part of an account from the Warsaw, Ind., Times-Union. To read the complete story, click here.

Fire Hits Camp Mack

MILFORD – One person was trapped but suffered no injuries in a fire at Camp Mack over the weekend.

Firefighters were initially called to a fire around 4 a.m. Sunday to a blaze at the camp’s Becker Lodge. The three-story building houses the camp’s main office, kitchen and dining areas, and staff housing.

Fourteen people were sleeping in the building when the fire started, and one person was trapped upstairs and was rescued through a window. The man, who was not identified, suffered minor smoke inhalation, but was expected to be fine.

No campers were at Camp Mack at the time of the fire Sunday morning, but campers arrived Sunday afternoon. The camp is still open with a few changes.

Read the complete post from Monday’s Times-Union.

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Significant Weeks for Grace Brethren Begin

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 11, 2010  |  No Comments


More than 2000 teens and adults will attend the annual Momentum Youth Conference, including a group from the Winona Lake, Ind., Grace Brethren Church.

It’s an important week in Grace Brethren world as Momentum Youth Conference, the annual Grace Brethren event sponsored by CE National, kicks off in Cedarville, Ohio, tomorrow (Monday) evening. Later in the week, Celebrate 2010, the annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches meets in Cincinnati, Ohio. The two groups will join on Saturday for a city-wide outreach in Dayton, Ohio, when We Care Miami Valley hosts block parties, neighborhood clean-up campaigns, and door-to-door literature distribution in an effort to blanket the Miami Valley region with the love of Christ.

Momentum meets through Sunday, July 18, on the campus of Cedarville University. Among the featured speakers are Mark Cahill, Jeff Bogue, Greg Speck, Ergun Caner, Mark Batterson, Kondo Simfukwe, and Alex and Brett Harris. Worship throughout the week will be led by the Fee Band, Jeremy Byng, Laura Story, and Aaron Keyes. There also will be opportunities for students to grow in their relationships with God, participate in NAC (Nurturing Abilities for Christ), and connect with teens and adults from around the world.

Celebrate 2010 begins Friday, July 16 with the first official event being the annual Chaplain’s Luncheon, honoring Grace Brethren military chaplains and hosted by the Grace Brethren Investment Foundation and the Eagle Commission. In the afternoon, the Association of Grace Brethren Ministers and Women of Grace USA will hold their meetings. Throughout the day, pastors may have their portrait taken (at no charge) for the first-ever AGBM pictorial directory.

Sessions are being held at the Crowne Plaza Cincinnati North.

On Saturday, Celebrate 2010 participants join with Momentum teens to show We Care Miami Valley and for the closing session at Cedarville University in the evening.

The rest of the extended weekend is filled with celebratory worship, corporation meetings, and fellowship times as the annual Grace Brethren “family reunion” enjoys a shorter conference than usual.  Speakers include Mac Pier, Tom Hocking (2009-2011 moderator of the FGBC), and Jeff Bogue, pastor of Grace Church, a Grace Brethren church in Akron, Ohio.

The conference concludes Monday, July 19, but that afternoon an optional workshop on Reaching Ethnic America begins. Let by Jay Bell, of Grace Brethren International Missions’ Internationals USA, participants will learn practical tips on taking the gospel to the nations in one’s own community. The session includes a Monday visit to a Hindu temple and workshops on Tuesday before wrapping up late in the afternoon.

Pray for both events. Click the links to find prayer requests for each event: Momentum2010 and Celebrate 2010.

Be sure to follow reports from both conferences on this blog and by following fgbcworld on Twitter (look for #Momentum10 and #Celebrate10) and Facebook.

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Hall of Famer Sutter to Speak at Grace July 20

Posted by Terry White on July 10, 2010  |  No Comments

WINONA LAKE, IN — Baseball Hall of Famer Bruce Sutter is scheduled to speak at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 20 at Grace College as part of the opening ceremonies for the Baseball Players Association World Series.

Sutter, a star relief pitcher with the Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves in the 1970s and ’80s, is slated to appear at Grace’s Orthopaedic Capital Center, 200 Seminary Drive.

General admission is $5. Sutter will sign autographs after the speech, time permitting.

 The BPA World Series is slated for July 20-25, with games at Grace and the City-County Athletic Complex in Warsaw.

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Harrah to Get New Christian School

Posted by Terry White on July 9, 2010  |  No Comments

This is an excerpt from a story in the Yakima (Wash.) local paper. To read the entire article, click here.

Donation helps build ‘God’s School’

by Phil Ferolito, Yakima Herald-Republic  

HARRAH, Wash. — Judy Hunter has always been one to give.

For years, she’s helped the elderly get to stores and appointments and she doesn’t hesitate to buy them needed household items.

“She’s constantly taking care of the elderly,” said her daughter, Brenda Fisher.

Once around Christmas, she picked up a woman and three children walking in the cold, drove them to a store and gave them $150 to buy coats, Fisher remembers.

“This woman was flabbergasted,” she said. “She’s always in mother mode. It doesn’t matter how old you are, she thinks she’s your mother. She plays doctor to everyone and tries to solve their ailments — she’s definitely original.”

Now, the 66-year-old Yakama tribal member’s gift of giving is making history — well, at least in the small town of Harrah.

Hunter has donated most of her retirement savings — $1.5 million — to help build a 20,400-square-foot building for the Harrah Christian Community School. The rest of the cost, about $ 2.5 million is coming from a loan, which Hunter is now organizing a nonprofit foundation to repay.

God, she said, told her to build the new school, and it’s his plan unfolding.

“This is God’s school,” she said earlier this week as she walked through the newly erected building at the end of West Pioneer Street, a stone-throw away from the current school.

For nearly two decades, students at the private, nondenominational Christian school have shuffled between the former Grace Brethren Church and neighboring houses for classes serving preschoolers through eighth-graders.

Despite the makeshift setting, the school has become an important part of this town of about 630 residents, nestled amid hop fields and arid sagelands on the Yakama reservation.

But starting this fall, thanks to Hunter, its nearly 50 students from preschool to eighth grade will be taught under one roof.

“I think it’s awesome,” said Harrah resident Mindy Boisselle, whose three children attend the school. “I can’t wait, my kids can’t wait for it to open. It’s amazing.”

Her husband, Nicholas Boisselle, attended the school as a child.

“So this is second generation for us,” she said. “It’s an important piece of the community.”

Heather Lyon, who runs the Farm House Cafe in town, sends her two children to the school — one a kindergartner and the other a fifth-grader.

“I wouldn’t put them anywhere else,” she said.

Most of the walls are up, and crews are installing windows, electrical wiring, lighting and ducts for heating and air conditioning. Construction began in December and should be complete by the time classes begin in late August.

The new school will feature five large classrooms, a full-size gymnasium with bleachers and a basketball court, a kitchen, cafeteria, and library.

“That’s always been my dream, to have a place for them to play,” Hunter said as she strolled through the large gymnasium. “Before they would always have to go outside when it was cold or stay in the classroom.”

The school was founded in 1981 by three churches in town, Harrah Assembly of God, Harrah Community Church and Grace Brethren.

It was first housed in the Assembly of God, but moved into the Grace Brethren on Pioneer Street after the church built a new building.

But the building lacked most of the amenities of the new school, said Mayor Barbara Harrer, a member of the school’s board of directors.

“There was at times a space crisis because we could only get so many desks in a room,” she said.

It’s not clear what will come of the old school building. It was built at Fort Lewis, south of Tacoma, and moved to Harrah sometime in the late 1920s, Harrer said.

“Right now we don’t have any definite plans for it, but certainly there is a lot of space that could be put to good use,” said Grace Brethren pastor Peter Touhey.

He described Hunter as “amazing.”

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Introducing: The BMH Editor’s Podcast

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 8, 2010  |  No Comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This month, the Brethren Missionary Herald Company announces its new monthly podcast! Designed to be a companion to the bi-monthly FGBC World, the podcast, or online audio broadcast, will include expanded or updated interviews with individuals featured in the current issue of the magazine. It will also feature the music written by worship pastors in the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches (FGBC), historical recordings, and other audio content.

This podcast includes an interview with the current moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, Tom Hocking, who invites Grace Brethren people to attend the upcoming Celebrate 2010, the annual conference of the FGBC. Featured music is by Jason Strain, pastor of creative arts at Community of Hope, a Grace Brethren church in Surrey, British Columbia. (Jason also adapted one of his original songs for the intro music.) The program concludes with a step back in time to hear a portion of an early broadcast from the Gospel Truth, a radio program produced by what was then the National Fellowship of Brethren Churches. This particular re-broadcast is from February 1, 1948 and features Miles Taber, then editor of the Brethren Missionary Herald, with a talk on The Lord’s Supper — So Called.

The podcast will be available here during the first week of each month. You may also subscribe to it on I-Tunes.

Links mentioned in the broadcast:

Celebrate 2010, July 16-20, 2010, Cincinnati,Ohio

We Care Miami Valley, July 17, 2010, Dayton, Ohio

Scripture Memorization Songs from Community of Hope

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Chaplain Leads Revival, Sees Decisions for Christ

Posted by Terry White on July 7, 2010  |  No Comments

Larry Chamberlain, of Grace Brethren Investment Foundation and the Eagle Commission, says, “[Here] is an email received today from Chaplain David Mvondo, who is completing his one-year tour in Iraq.  The attached picture is a great reminder of why we pray for our Grace Brethren chaplains and the soldiers under their care.” The web address for the Eagle Commission is  www.eaglecommission.org. 

Dear friends,

These are our last days in Iraq! We are thankful to the Lord for what He did for us this past year in Iraq. He has been good to us! In just a few days, we’ll start our long and tedious trip back to the US. Please, pray for us that God would grant us travel mercies. God willing, we’ll be back in the US next week.

Attached is a photo of one of our last services here in Iraq. For three days, We had revival meetings. Hundreds attended during those three days. Several people gave their lives to the Lord for the first time and others just rededicated their lives to Him.

We are very thankful to have been part of the Lord’s work here in Iraq for the last 12 months. We thank all of you who have been praying for us. It is because of those prayers that some of what we did here took place. Blessings to you all!

 David Mvondo, Baghdad, Iraq

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Renowned Sculpture on Display in Bellflower

Posted by Terry White on July 5, 2010  |  No Comments

Sculptor Liviu Mocan

Tom Hocking, pastor of the Bellflower (Calif.) Brethren Church and current moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, invites prayer and participation in a unique public opportunity. Here is a portion of Tom’s invitation:

“I would appreciate your prayers for (and invite your participation in) a significant event in the life of my city.  The official Unveiling of the mammoth Decalogue sculpture will occur at 4 PM this Saturday at 16400 Bellflower Blvd.  The Decalogue was created by internationally renowned sculptor, Liviu Mocan, commissioned by the city of Geneva to commemorate the 500th anniversary of John Calvin’s birth.  After being at three different sites in Geneva last year it will be on display in Bellflower for the months of July and August-presenting a unique opportunity for gospel dialogue.  

“I spent several hours today with Liviu as a group of volunteers from a variety of churches in Bellflower began the installation of the sculpture.  He is an amazing artist with the heart of a pastor.  You may not  have many reasons to visit Bellflower, but if you appreciate art–or have friends who do–and are intrigued by the secular hearing which this Christian artist has earned, I invite you to come by this Saturday afternoon to meet him!”

More about the sculptor may be seen by clicking here.

A YouTube video of the sculptor talking about his own work may be viewed by clicking here.

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GIA Releases Latest Curriculum on Life Skills

Posted by Terry White on July 5, 2010  |  No Comments

Grace in ACTION usa has announced the release of the newest book in the LifeTime Learning Curriculum. Author Gladys Deloe is shown here looking at the book with her granddaughter, Kate Deloe, who is pictured on the front cover.
The story/coloring book, titled Exploring Life Skills is written to help five- and six-year-olds explore important lessons on making choices and taking care of themselves, as well as love, money, and developing their character, personality, and potential. The book also includes notes for parents with ideas for games and projects that will help children learn the skill.
 
The third book in the series, ACHIEVING Life Skills for Kids 9 – 12 will be available August, 2010. The faith-based curriculum includes four age-appropriate levels of learning: EXPLORING, DISCOVERING, ACHIEVING, and LEADING. Each level includes life skill lessons in six areas, Making Choices, Personal Care, Love Matters, Character and Morals, How to Make and Use Money, and Personality and Potential. While EXPLORING is suitable for personal use, the rest of the curriculum is designed for small classes, taught in a variety of settings.
 
For information on using the faith-based curriculum as an outreach to at-risk kids in your community, contact Gladys Deloe at gdeloe@comcast.net. The books will be available at the GiA exhibit during the FGBC National Conference in Cincinnati. Books can be ordered from Evangel Publishing by calling 1-800-253-9315 or emailing sales@evangelpublishing.com
 

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Discount Rate for Conference Extended

Posted by Liz Cutler Gates on July 2, 2010  |  No Comments

From the FGBC Newsletter

Have a great Fourth of July! And after the fireworks, register for Celebrate 2010 at the discount rate. We are extending the discounted registration rate until after the fourth of July weekend. The rate increases on Tuesday, July 6.

Celebrate 2010, the annual conference of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches, will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio, from July 16-20. For more information, see fgbc.org/celebrate.

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Grace Receives Grant to Help Veterans

Posted by Terry White on July 1, 2010  |  No Comments

Grace College and Seminary, Winona Lake, Ind., will use a $50,000 grant from Operation Diploma, an initiative of the Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) at Purdue University, to develop programs and policies designed to boost academic success of student service members and veterans who attend Grace.

The award will fund the construction of a new VA Student Service Center on the Grace College and Seminary campus. The VA Student Services Center will become a place where veteran students can connect and commune with fellow veterans, network and share strategies, information, and support as they adjust to a higher education environment.

The Center will also provide a place for veteran students to study, stay up-to-date regarding military announcements and civilian affairs such as career placement. Additionally, the grant will fund the development of informational resources which will assist veterans in not only adapting to life outside of the military but specifically within Kosciusko County.

Dr. Ronald Manahan, president of Grace College and Seminary, said, “Grace College and Seminary recognize the many sacrifices made by our nation’s military. I consider it a privilege and an honor to offer our veterans the resources they need to succeed in the higher education setting and beyond. Our Veterans Service Center is just the beginning of the many ways that our institution would like to thank those who have served and who are currently serving.”

Launched with a $5.8 million gift from Lilly Endowment Inc., Operation Diploma empowers Indiana institutions of higher education and student veterans organizations to better serve student service members and veterans entering college for the first time, and those re-entering college after extended service or deployment.

Grace College and Seminary currently has 18 students claiming Veterans benefits. Of the 18 students, 10 are military veterans and 8 are dependents of military veterans.

Tom Dunn, chief operating officer for Grace, said, “As a former United States Air Force officer, I’m excited about Grace’s initiatives to support the veterans program. It’s gratifying to see the school assisting veteran students by providing facilities to specifically meet their needs as they adjust to the higher education setting.”

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